Okay, I've searched the faq and the messageboards and I can't find an answer.
Bloodline Arcana: Whenever you apply a metamagic feat to a spell that increases the slot used by at least one level, increase the spell's DC by +1. This bonus does not stack with itself and does not apply to spells modified by the Heighten Spell feat.
If I apply any metamagic feat that uses a higher spell slot to a spell I cast, that spell's save DC is increased by +1.
If I apply Heighten Spell to to a spell I cast, that spell's save DC is not increased by +1.
But what happens if I cast a 1st level spell using a 4th level spell slot and I apply a +1 metamagic feat and Heighten Spell to that spell?
Is the save DC +3, or +2?
By RAW the arcana bonus does not apply to any spell that has been modified by Heighten Spell. But I believe that restriction is there if only Heighten Spell is applied to a spell so as not to gain an extra +1 save DC, effectively a 1st level spell Heightened to a 4th level spell slot shouldn't have a +4 save DC, it should be +3.
So I figure that the RAI is to give you the bonus if you use any metamagic feat that increases the slot used, even if you also use Heighten Spell. Would love to hear if there is any faq or rule that I may have missed.
Thanks in advance for any input.
I would agree on RAI, but RAW the bloodline arcana doesn't apply.
To use a concrete example (for my own benefit and for anyone else's), suppose you're casting silent burning hands. You then heighten it from a 2nd-level spell to a 4th-level spell. RAW you would get the +2 DC increase from Heighten Spell, but nothing from the bloodline ability. I imagine the intended functionality would be to grant you the +2 DC from Heighten Spell and +1 from the bloodline arcana, even though you clearly would gain nothing from the bloodline arcana if it was only heightened and would gain only +1 DC if it was both silent and still. I don't see anything game-breaking about this interpretation. Feel free to argue this with your GM.
