question about heighten spell

[Negative Zero]

from the SRD:

Heighten Spell [Metamagic]
Benefit: A heightened spell has a higher spell level than normal (up to 9th level). Unlike other metamagic feats, Heighten Spell actually increases the effective level of the spell that it modifies. All effects dependent on spell level (such as saving throw DCs and ability to penetrate a minor globe of invulnerability) are calculated according to the heightened level. The heightened spell is as difficult to prepare and cast as a spell of its effective level.

my question is this: besides the two examples listed, (i.e. "saving throw DCs and ability to penetrate a minor globe of invulnerability") what other benefits does this feat confer?

 

[Quixon]

Thats about it. It raises the spell to whatever level you Heighten it to. Better Dc's, gets by Minor Globe Invunability, certain monsters maybe immune to say 1st thru 5th level spells-so you can Heighten one to 6th and be able to effect them.

 

[Grog]

No other benefits I know of. Heighten's a pretty crappy feat, really.

 

[Negative Zero]

No other benefits I know of. Heighten's a pretty crappy feat, really.

see, now that's what i was thinking. but i've seen so many ppl on the boards extol it's virtues, that i figured that there must have been something i was missing. *shrug* oh well.

~NegZ

 

[Quixon]

I can't say the feat is great but I don't think it sucks either. Using it to get a big plus to Dc isabout the best use for it. If you heighten some 2nd or 3rd level spell to 9th level, you gained a +6 or +7 to the Dc. Granted most 2nd or 3rd level spell don't do enough to warrant using a 9th level slot but some were not bad (Hold Person)

 

[Dr_Rictus]

One other use: most light and darkness spells counter and dispel each other based on which sepll is higher level. So a sufficiently Heightened light spell cannot be dispelled by a deeper darkness.

 

[Grog]

I can't say the feat is great but I don't think it sucks either. Using it to get a big plus to Dc isabout the best use for it. If you heighten some 2nd or 3rd level spell to 9th level, you gained a +6 or +7 to the Dc. Granted most 2nd or 3rd level spell don't do enough to warrant using a 9th level slot but some were not bad (Hold Person)

Someone recently pointed this out in another topic - the problem with Heighten isn't so much that it's bad on its own merits, the problem is that it sucks compared to most of the alternatives, whether those are other metamagic feats or simply higher level spells. For example, an Empowered Fireball is almost always going to be better than a 5th level Heightened Fireball. Hold Monster is always better than a 5th level Heightened Hold Person. There are almost always better options out there, often substantially better ones.

 

[PaulGreystoke]

Someone recently pointed this out in another topic - the problem with Heighten isn't so much that it's bad on its own merits, the problem is that it sucks compared to most of the alternatives, whether those are other metamagic feats or simply higher level spells. For example, an Empowered Fireball is almost always going to be better than a 5th level Heightened Fireball. Hold Monster is always better than a 5th level Heightened Hold Person. There are almost always better options out there, often substantially better ones.

But Heighten is better when confronting a Globe of Invulnerability. An Empowered Fireball will do nothing against a Minor Globe of Invulnerability, while a Heightened Fireball will strike to full affect. This makes Heighten useful for mid-level Sorcerors able to cast 4th or 5th level spells, but who haven't yet learned combat spells of those levels (instead concentrating on defence and/or utility spells first) by allowing them to punch through a Globe of Invulnerability on the fly. For a Wizard, there might always be a better alternative than Heighten, but a Sorceror looks to Metamagic to expand the range of his limited number of spells known.

 

[AuraSeer]

Hold Monster is always better than a 5th level Heightened Hold Person.

...but a 6th-level Heightened hold monster is better than either.

I happen to think this is a decent feat for sorcerers, because you can boost a spell DC whenever you really need it to stick. (If a tough but stupid monster gives you trouble, toss a Heightened charm or hold. If you run into a BBEG mage instead, Heightened deafness makes a fun anti-buff.)

 

[Stalker0]

My wizard uses heighten a lot!!

He's an enchanter, and there are a lot of different enchanting spells spread around the levels. For example, charm person is 1st, charm monster is 4th. Suggestion is 3rd. There are lots of times I want a suggestion with a 5th level DC, charm person with a 3rd level DC (when I don't want to waste the 4th level spell).

It also depends on your spell selection. For instance, at 9th level, my wizard got dominate person and lesser planar binding. In certain adventures, these spells are invaluable, in others they are completely worthless.

So I fill those slots with heightened charm monster, heighten suggestion, etc. and get maximum use of my slots.


But I agree heighten isn't for everyone, schools like evocation often benefit more from empower and other metamagics.