Heighten Spell

Heighten Spell

• Usage: Active, Toggled Metamagic
• Prerequisite: Must be able to cast 2nd level spells

Description

This Feat makes spells harder for monsters to resist by raising the effective level of the spell to the highest spell level your character can cast, but causes the spell to consume 5 more spell points per level raised.

Example: A Wizard who can cast Level 9 spells could therefore cast a Level 1 spell at the Level 9 Difficulty Class (DC) calculation with Heighten Spell active. Spell DC calculation is: 10 + (spell level) + (pertinent stat modifier). Our example Wizard here uses his Intelligence modifier to determine his DC calculation. So per this example, this Wizard's DC calculation for the Charm Person spell (a Level 1 spell) with Heighten Spell metamagic Feat active would be cast at Level 9. So his DC calculation would be: 10 + 9 (instead of 1) + (INT modifier) and would cost 40 (+8 spell levels times +5 SP for each level) extra Spell Points to cast.

Heighten Spell has no effect on spells without a Saving Throw and does not affect Spell Penetration calculations.

Multiple metamagic Feats may be active simultaneously, but the SP cost is cumulative. Using the Charm Person example above, having both Heighten Spell and Enlarge Spell active will increase the SP cost to (40 + 10) = 50 additional Spell Points.

Advice:

• The Heighten Spell metamagic Feat benefits low-level spells more than higher-level ones, as the amount Heightened is greater from the lower levels (but thus more costly, too). For example, casting a L1 spell at L9 benefits more than a L8 spell being cast at L9. But in all cases, casting your spells at higher levels is usually a very good thing when trying to overcome the Saving Throws of enemies.
• Like all metamagic feats, Heighten Spell can be applied for free to SLAs.
• Artificers, Bards, and Warlocks can only cast up to six (6) spell levels, Heighten Spell metamagic feat can be less important for these classes.
• Paladins and Rangers can only cast up to four (4) and usually don't have many spells that rely on beating enemy saving throws.
• Heighten will increase the DCs of a class's spells based on that particular class's spellcasting ability. This means that a 17/3 Wiz/Drd will heighten Wiz spells up to level 9 spells but will only heighten Drd spells up to level 2 spells (even though that character can cast up to level 9 spells).

Quirk: The way DDO calculates the DC of heightened spells is somewhat flawed if you have effects that increase or decrease your caster level. For example, a level 15 Sorcerer Fire Savant can heighten his Fire spells to level 9, because his caster level for Fire spells is enough to cast level 9 spells. Conversely, when an Air Savant casts Flesh to Stone (Earth spell), Heighten can actually decrease the DC of the spell because of the caster level penalty to Earth spell. DDO Forums Since Update 55, Heighten Spell can no longer lower your spell DCs.

Notes

• Alchemists may select this feat as one of their alchemist bonus feats.
• Artificers may select this feat as one of their artificer bonus feats.
• Wizards may select this feat as one of their wizard bonus feats.

Spells affected by Heighten Spell

Spell	School	Alc	Art	Brd	Blc	Clr	DH	Drd	Fvs	Pal	Rng	Sor/Wiz	Wld	Wlk
Acid Blast (spell)	Conjuration				3							3	3
Ray of Exhaustion	Necromancy											3	3	2
Inflict Serious Wounds	Necromancy					3			3
Greater Command	Enchantment					5			5
Prismatic Spray	Evocation											7	7
Tenser's Transformation	Transmutation		5									6	6	5
Frost Lance	Evocation											3	3
Fear (spell)	Necromancy			3	4							4	4	3
Otto's Sphere of Dancing	Enchantment			4								7	7
Prismatic Ray	Evocation											5	5
Otiluke's Freezing Sphere	Evocation											6	6
Charm Person	Enchantment			1								1	1	1
Burning Hands	Evocation											1	1
Sunburst	Evocation							8				8	8
Turn to Frog	Transmutation	5
Feeblemind	Enchantment											5	5
Static Shock	Evocation		1
Lightning Sphere	Evocation		2
Cindersmoke	Conjuration	4
Flesh to Gold, Mass	Transmutation	5
Charm Monster	Enchantment			3								4	4	3
Gold Breath	Conjuration	6
Fire Storm	Evocation					8		7	8
Word of Balance	Evocation				6			6
Flesh to Gold	Transmutation	4
Acid Rain	Conjuration				4							4	4
Symbol of Pain	Necromancy					5			5			5	5
Tactical Detonation	Evocation		6
Symbol of Weakness	Necromancy					7			7			7	7
Hold Animal	Enchantment				2		2	2			2
Greater Shout	Evocation			6								8	8
Blade Barrier	Evocation		6			6			6
Cause Fear	Necromancy			1		1			1			1	1	1
Bestow Curse	Necromancy					3			3			4	4	3
Shout	Evocation			4								4	4
Dominate Animal	Enchantment				3			3
Freezing Spray	Evocation							7
Command (spell)	Enchantment					1			1
Vial Smash: Acid	Conjuration	1
Grasping Thorns	Transmutation				6			6
Undeath to Death	Necromancy					6			6			6	6	5
Snowball Swarm	Evocation											2	2
Glue Bomb	Transmutation	2
Poison Breath	Conjuration	5
Flame Strike	Evocation					5		4	5
Deific Vengeance	Conjuration					2			2
Order's Wrath	Evocation					4			4
Corrosive Dust	Conjuration	4
Cyclonic Blast	Evocation											5	5
Voltaic Induction	Conjuration	3
Greater Glyph of Warding	Abjuration					6			6
Lightning Motes	Evocation		4
Charm Animal	Enchantment						1	1			1
Silence Creature	Enchantment													2
Caustic Solvent	Conjuration	3
Acid Concentration	Conjuration	3
Chaos Sphere	Evocation												3
Web	Conjuration				2							2	2	2
Command Undead	Necromancy											2	2	2
Symbol of Stunning	Enchantment					7			7			7	7	5
Unholy Blight	Evocation					4			4
Arcane Bolt	Evocation
Entangle	Transmutation				1		1	1			1
Salt Ray	Evocation				3			3
Blindness	Necromancy			2		3			3			2	2
Symbol of Fear	Necromancy					6			6			6	6	4
Snare	Transmutation				3		2	3			2
Suggestion, Mass	Enchantment			5								6	6
Dominate Person	Enchantment			4								5	5
Holy Smite	Evocation					4			4
Inflict Critical Wounds	Necromancy					4			4
Death Aura	Necromancy											4	4
Symbol of Persuasion	Enchantment					6			6			6	6	4
Sonic Blast	Evocation			1								1	1
Lesser Death Aura	Necromancy											2	2
Suggestion (spell)	Enchantment			2								3	3	2
Ooze Puppet	Transmutation											2	2	1
Hold Monster, Mass	Enchantment											9	9	6
Call Lightning	Evocation				3			3
Incendiary Cloud	Conjuration											8	8
Sunbeam	Evocation							7
Mind Fog	Enchantment			5								5	5	5
Harm	Necromancy					6			6
Control Undead	Necromancy											7	7	5
Blighted Breath	Conjuration				5
Slay Living	Necromancy					5			5
Delayed Blast Fireball	Evocation											7	7
Inflict Light Wounds	Necromancy					1			1
Finger of Death	Necromancy				7			8				7	7	5
Elemental Combination	Conjuration	6
Deep Slumber	Enchantment			3								3	3	3
Hold Monster	Enchantment			4								5	5	4
Vial Smash: Poison	Conjuration	1
Halt Undead	Necromancy											3	3
Inflict Light Wounds, Mass	Necromancy					5			5
Prismatic Strike	Evocation		5										6
Multivial of Sparks	Conjuration	5
Doom	Necromancy					1			1					1
Disintegrate	Transmutation											6	6
Niac's Cold Ray	Conjuration											1	1
Poison (spell)	Necromancy				3	4		3	4
Panacea	Conjuration				5	4		5	4
Multivial of Poison	Conjuration	5
Chaos Hammer	Evocation					4			4				4
Color Spray	Illusion			1								1	1	1
Electric Loop	Evocation											2	2
Ball Lightning	Evocation											5	5
Symbol of Flame	Evocation					4			4			4	4
Ghoul Touch	Necromancy											2	2	2
Sparks Concentration	Conjuration	3
Slow (spell)	Transmutation			3								3	3
Cold Breath	Evocation							5
Ice Flowers	Transmutation							8
Fire Trap	Abjuration		2					2				4	4
Hypnotism	Enchantment			1								1	1	1
Soundburst	Evocation			2		2			2
Vial of Frost	Conjuration	1
Shard Storm	Conjuration
Fireball	Evocation											3	3
Iron Shavings	Transmutation	3
Daze Monster	Enchantment			2								2	2
Hold Person	Enchantment			2		2			2			3	3
Inflict Serious Wounds, Mass	Necromancy					7			7
Crushing Despair	Enchantment			3								4	4
Circle of Death	Necromancy											6	6	5
Melt Armor	Conjuration	2
Multivial of Flame	Conjuration	5
Negative Energy Burst	Necromancy				5							4	4
Cold Spike	Conjuration	2
Multivial of Acid	Conjuration	5
Glyph of Warding	Abjuration					3			3
Horrid Wilting	Necromancy				7							8	8
Wail of the Banshee	Necromancy				9							9	9	6
Salt Crystals	Transmutation	2
Sun Bolt	Evocation
Vial Smash: Cold	Conjuration	1
Flash Freeze	Transmutation	3
Flame Concentration	Conjuration	3
Creeping Doom	Conjuration				7			7
Choking Smog	Transmutation	3
Lightning Bolt	Evocation		3									3	3
Chain Lightning	Evocation		6									6	6
Tsunami	Evocation				9			9
Vial of Venom	Conjuration	1
Frost Concentration	Conjuration	3
Thorn Wave	Conjuration				5			5
Caustic Overload	Transmutation	4
Sanctified Vial	Conjuration	4
Inflict Moderate Wounds, Mass	Necromancy					6			6
Dust of Confusion	Transmutation	6
Cloudkill	Conjuration				5							5	5
Heartstopper Poison	Conjuration	3
Earthquake	Evocation				8			8
Acid Spray	Evocation				1							1	1
Elemental Prod	Evocation		2
Howl of Terror	Enchantment				8			8
Vial Smash: Electric	Conjuration	1
Scorch	Evocation											2	2
Vial of Flame	Conjuration	1
Voltaic Backlash	Conjuration	2
Sleep (spell)	Enchantment			1								1	1	1
Greater Venom Vial	Conjuration	2
Flashbang	Transmutation	5
Cometfall	Conjuration					6			6
Enveloping Swarm	Conjuration				4			4
Molotov Cocktail	Conjuration	3
Glitterdust	Conjuration			2								2	2
Contagion	Necromancy				2	3		3	3			4	4	3
Vein Freeze	Conjuration	4
Vial of Acid	Conjuration	1
Vial of Sparks	Conjuration	1
Hypnotic Combination	Transmutation	4
Devour the Soul	Necromancy
Flash Powder	Transmutation	1
Hold Person, Mass	Enchantment											7	7	5
Sleep Powder	Transmutation	1
Bitter Frost Burst	Conjuration	3
Otto's Resistible Dance	Enchantment			1								2	2	1
Holy Aura	Abjuration					8			8
Dominate Monster	Enchantment											9	9	6
Venom Concentration	Conjuration	2
Call Lightning Storm	Evocation				5			5
Forced Escape	Transmutation
Vial Smash: Fire	Conjuration	1
Greater Color Spray	Illusion												5
Empty Bottle	Conjuration	1
Corrode Weapons	Conjuration	2
Necrotic Ray	Necromancy				6							6	6
Wildstrike	Evocation												5
Cone of Cold	Evocation											5	5
Blast Rod	Evocation		3
Voltaic Burst	Conjuration	4
Inflict Critical Wounds, Mass	Necromancy					8			8
Animal Trance	Enchantment				2			2
Trap the Soul	Conjuration											8	8	6
Hypnotic Pattern	Illusion			2								2	2
Stinking Cloud	Conjuration				3							3	3
Quench	Transmutation				3			3
Chill Touch	Necromancy				1							1	1
Symbol of Death	Necromancy					8			8			8	8	6
Destruction (spell)	Necromancy					7			7
Fine Dust	Transmutation	1
Bane (spell)	Enchantment					1			1					1
Fire Seeds	Transmutation							6
Multivial of Frost	Conjuration	5
Scare	Necromancy			2								2	2	2
Phantasmal Killer	Illusion											4	4
Inflict Moderate Wounds	Necromancy					2			2
Flesh to Stone	Transmutation											6	6	4