Does a Heightened Spell increase the defensive casting DC ?

[Phasics]

My first thought is yes, since it says the spell is treated as a higher level for all relevant effects.

but figured it worth checking

e.g.
Burning Hands level 1 spell heightened to level 5
cast defensively is it 15+1x2 or 15+5+5

I guess the same could be asked of any meta magic spell would you use the spell slot level or the natural spell level ?

[Shady314]

Phasics wrote:

My first thought is yes, since it says the spell is treated as a higher level for all relevant effects.

but figured it worth checking

e.g.
Burning Hands level 1 spell heightened to level 5
cast defensively is it 15+1x2 or 15+5+5

I guess the same could be asked of any meta magic spell would you use the spell slot level or the natural spell level ?

ALL relevant effects means it is a 5th level spell in every way.

[Phasics]

Shady314 wrote:

Phasics wrote:

My first thought is yes, since it says the spell is treated as a higher level for all relevant effects.

but figured it worth checking

e.g.
Burning Hands level 1 spell heightened to level 5
cast defensively is it 15+1x2 or 15+5+5

I guess the same could be asked of any meta magic spell would you use the spell slot level or the natural spell level ?

ALL relevant effects means it is a 5th level spell in every way.

what about other metamagic'd spells like empower, since it dosen't actually increase the actual level of the spell.

e.g. an empowered fireball is still treated as a 3rd level spell against a globe of invulnerability for example.

[Austin Morgan]

Phasics wrote:

what about other metamagic'd spells like empower, since it dosen't actually increase the actual level of the spell.

You got it. Metamagic'd spells (other than Heighten) are treated as their original spell level in every respect other than spell slot.