Min/Max Boards

Gaming Discussion => D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder => You Break it You Buy it => Topic started by: altpersona on April 06, 2015, 12:45:17 AM

Title: Free Heighten Spell (3.x)
Post by: altpersona on April 06, 2015, 12:45:17 AM
assuming you can apply the Heighten Spell Metamagic feat to any of your spells, with a limit of 9th level spots to Heighten to.



what spells are worthy?

is their such a spell?
Title: Re: Free Heighten Spell (3.x)
Post by: Debatra on April 06, 2015, 10:05:19 AM
Silent Image.

...No, seriously. Silent Image.
Title: Re: Free Heighten Spell (3.x)
Post by: altpersona on April 06, 2015, 10:50:55 AM
Silent Image.

...No, seriously. Silent Image.

save DC is a biggie for sure...
Title: Re: Free Heighten Spell (3.x)
Post by: awaken_D_M_golem on April 06, 2015, 05:33:29 PM
Something you want to slip through a Minor Globe Of Invulnerability,
like Dispel Magic specifically to bring it down.

If caught with your pants down (figuratively guys figuratively)
Psychic Reformation versus Globe Of Invulnerability.
Title: Re: Free Heighten Spell (3.x)
Post by: altpersona on April 06, 2015, 05:39:22 PM
do i under estimate Minor Globe?

if you can cast 9th level spells, is MGI a real concern?
Title: Re: Free Heighten Spell (3.x)
Post by: Ice9 on April 06, 2015, 05:58:13 PM
do i under estimate Minor Globe?

if you can cast 9th level spells, is MGI a real concern?
If you're a "mailman" type, where your primary offense is a low-level spell with significant metamagic applied to it.

Even aside from that, if the Heighten is free then it saves you resources - often a lower-level spell would be sufficient if not for the globe.

Not sure I understand the OP completely - can you heighten any of your spells for free, or does this only apply to a single spell, like an Arcane Thesis type of deal?
Title: Re: Free Heighten Spell (3.x)
Post by: phaedrusxy on April 06, 2015, 07:46:32 PM
Silent Image.

...No, seriously. Silent Image.

save DC is a biggie for sure...
He was probably suggesting to use this on a Shadowcraft Mage.
Title: Re: Free Heighten Spell (3.x)
Post by: Debatra on April 10, 2015, 12:29:29 AM
Silent Image.

...No, seriously. Silent Image.

save DC is a biggie for sure...
He was probably suggesting to use this on a Shadowcraft Mage.
You know me all too well.  :D
Title: Re: Free Heighten Spell (3.x)
Post by: faeryn on April 11, 2015, 03:29:12 PM
Silent Image.

...No, seriously. Silent Image.

save DC is a biggie for sure...
He was probably suggesting to use this on a Shadowcraft Mage.
You know me all too well.  :D

Hopefully you're not implying that you could heighten silent image to 9th and then shadowcraft it into a 9th level evocation or conjuration spell... because the class ability doesn't work that way... you're silent image may be cast as a 9th level spell but your still limited to it's original spell level for determining the spells you can mimic with it... of course the mimic'd spell is cast as 9th level still though.
Title: Re: Free Heighten Spell (3.x)
Post by: Debatra on April 12, 2015, 10:00:54 AM
Silent Image.

...No, seriously. Silent Image.

save DC is a biggie for sure...
He was probably suggesting to use this on a Shadowcraft Mage.
You know me all too well.  :D

Hopefully you're not implying that you could heighten silent image to 9th and then shadowcraft it into a 9th level evocation or conjuration spell... because the class ability doesn't work that way... you're silent image may be cast as a 9th level spell but your still limited to it's original spell level for determining the spells you can mimic with it... of course the mimic'd spell is cast as 9th level still though.

Of course not; that's not how that works at all. Heightening to 9th only lets you emulate an 8th-level spell.

Okay, but seriously:

Quote from: Heighten Spell, Benefit
A heightened spell has a higher spell level than normal (up to a maximum of 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 lesser 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.

Bolding mine of course. This is half the power base for the Shadowcraft Mage. If an ability that explicitly checks a spell's level somehow isn't "dependent on spell level", then what is?
Title: Re: Free Heighten Spell (3.x)
Post by: bluephenix on April 12, 2015, 11:04:09 AM
ah, Well, even before I saw the shadow craft in this I would've said shadow conjurations
Title: Re: Free Heighten Spell (3.x)
Post by: Vizzerdrix on November 02, 2016, 06:25:27 PM
Daylight, if vampires are common in your game