Spellhearts and Psychic Amps

My initial thoughts were that you couldn't amp a cantrip that came from a spellheart.

Assuming it's one of your psi cantrips I now think it works but wanted to see if I was missing something.

Relevant notes:

You can apply an amp only to a psi cantrip, which is called the amped cantrip.

At 1st level, you learn three psi cantrips determined by your choice of conscious mind; one is a unique psi cantrip and two are common cantrips, typically from the occult spellcasting tradition, that you always cast as psi cantrips.

Polished Demon Horn
Activate Cast a Spell ; Effect You cast daze.

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Activate Polished Demon Horn makes you Cast Daze.
Psi Cantrips says that you always cast Daze as a psi cantrip.
Therefore, it’s a psi cantrip and you can amp it.

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Am I missing something? Any other thoughts?

You only have the Amps that you get from your class choices.

So if you are a Silent Whisper Psychic then you will have the Daze Amp and can cast it directly - Polished Demon Horn spellheart or no.

If you are an Oscillating Wave Psychic then you will not have the Daze Amp and can't cast cast the Amped version - Polished Demon Horn spellheart or no.

So it seems a bit moot to argue about whether the Polished Demon Horn casting of Daze will let a Psychic cast the Amp version of Daze or not. If the answer is 'no', then they can just cast it directly - or else they couldn't cast the Amp version of Daze anyway.

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There is also the argument that you mentioned that the spellheart does not cast Psychic cantrips. Or rather doesn't cast a cantrip using Psychic Spellcasting.

The benefit to casting from a spellheart is that Daze would trigger the weapon or armor bonus - they want the benefit of that and the amp.

I agree that you can’t amp if cast from a spellheart. Spellheart rules allow you to sub your spell attack and DC numbers, but it’s still the item casting it (with a divine trait!), not you.

The benefit to casting from a spellheart is that Daze would trigger the weapon or armor bonus - they want the benefit of that and the amp.

Isn't the weapon or armor bonus just part of the spellheart being a talisman? I always thought that those bonuses were active as long as the spellheart was attached.

The Cast a Spell activation just casts the spell. It doesn't cause any other bonuses to become active for some unspecified amount of time.

Edit: unless the attached ability specifies otherwise. For example the Polished Demon Horn attached to armor gives the Resist 2 permanently. If attached to a weapon, then when activated it gives the bonus damage until the end of your next turn as it specifies.

I will agree that using the Cast a Spell activation of an item very clearly says that the item is what is casting the spell, not the character doing the activation. So while the Psychic may always cast Daze as Psi Cantrip, the Spellheart doesn't.

I will agree that using the Cast a Spell activation of an item very clearly says that the item is what is casting the spell, not the character doing the activation

Does it?

Activate Cast a Spell ; Effect You cast daze.

That seems pretty explicit that it’s the person doing the casting to me.

I can also quote where it pretty explicitly says that the item is replicating the spell effect.

If an item lists “Cast a Spell” after “Activate,” the activation requires you to use the Cast a Spell activity to Activate the Item. This happens when the item replicates a spell.

I can also quote where it pretty explicitly says that the item is replicating the spell effect.

Cast a Spell item activation wrote:

If an item lists “Cast a Spell” after “Activate,” the activation requires you to use the Cast a Spell activity to Activate the Item. This happens when the item replicates a spell.

And another thing is spellcasting's look and components. If it's psychic's spellcasting there's no pronounced incantantion and gestures aren't very outstanding. While non-psychic spellcasting from items should look traditionally.