Is there any way to heighten spells cast from a staff?

[Edge93]

As per the title. If you have a staff with a low level spell, such as the level 1 Shocking Grasp in a Staff of Evocation, can you heighten it, for example by spending more charges on it? Or for a Sorcerer, can they expend a higher level spell slot than the spell along with one charge from the staff to heighten the staff spell?

I would kind of assume not, because higher level staves tend to have heightened versions of the spells of previous versions, and if you can heighten then this would be completely superfluous because higher level staves also have the lower spells.

But if you can't, I feel like that makes the balance of staves all over the place with staves that have lower level spells that stay good without Heightening being especially good and staves like Evocation that rely on Heightening for their spells to be good have their Lowe level spells being nigh-useless.

In particular a Staff of Divination seems especially good for having a strong battery of True Strike spells. This remains true even if you can heighten staff spells, but I feel it would still even things up better.

[Castilliano]

No.

And there's bound to be imbalance either way, such is the contrasting nature of the schools. It's more natural this way than having a high-level Sorcerer raining down 9th-level-spell havoc from a minor staff when same-level minor staves give hardly anything. Relative to the events, a minor staff should contribute little at those levels, in anybody's hands.

I do find it interesting that the only way (AFAIK) to get a battery of True Strike spells is to occupy one hand with a simple weapon. Almost makes me want to make a warrior-wizard of Nethys.
It could make some 1-action Press attacks pretty reliable.
Attack/True Strike/Press
Or the True Strike/Rage/Furious Finish insta-smack.
(Note that the bonus of two d20 rolls isn't that extraordinary, somewhere around +4 on average, so you still need to have skills.)

[Gisher]

Castilliano wrote:

I do find it interesting that the only way (AFAIK) to get a battery of True Strike spells is to occupy one hand with a simple weapon.

Want a Spear, Bastard Sword, or Gnome Flickmace that can cast True Strike? Add the Shifting Rune to your Staff of Divination and it can become any other one-handed weapon.

I've been thinking of doing this with a Staff of Abjuration so my Thief/Wizard MC can have a Rapier that is filled with defensive spells. Offense and defense in one item.

[Edge93]

Gisher wrote:

Castilliano wrote:

I do find it interesting that the only way (AFAIK) to get a battery of True Strike spells is to occupy one hand with a simple weapon.

Want a Spear, Bastard Sword, or Gnome Flickmace that can cast True Strike? Add the Shifting Rune to your Staff of Divination and it can become any other one-handed weapon.

I've been thinking of doing this with a Staff of Abjuration so my Thief/Wizard MC can have a Rapier that is filled with defensive spells. Offense and defense in one item.

Okay, I actually love this idea. Never considered this.

[Castilliano]

Edge93 wrote:

Gisher wrote:

Castilliano wrote:

I do find it interesting that the only way (AFAIK) to get a battery of True Strike spells is to occupy one hand with a simple weapon.

Want a Spear, Bastard Sword, or Gnome Flickmace that can cast True Strike? Add the Shifting Rune to your Staff of Divination and it can become any other one-handed weapon.

I've been thinking of doing this with a Staff of Abjuration so my Thief/Wizard MC can have a Rapier that is filled with defensive spells. Offense and defense in one item.

Okay, I actually love this idea. Never considered this.

Just thinking you'd want to custom order the staff to be made out of Darkwood or another hard substance so it has more hit points than wood!

Or could you get the sturdiest weapon, turn it into a staff, and then have them enchant it? (So many loopholes in such complex game systems...)

Also, you do lose the slot for a damage rune, so there is a cost. But the rune's useful for social events too. "You wouldn't deprive a dwarf of his clan dagger, would you?" And when the invaders strike, you have your war axe ready.

[Edge93]

Castilliano wrote:

No.

And there's bound to be imbalance either way, such is the contrasting nature of the schools. It's more natural this way than having a high-level Sorcerer raining down 9th-level-spell havoc from a minor staff when same-level minor staves give hardly anything. Relative to the events, a minor staff should contribute little at those levels, in anybody's hands.

I do find it interesting that the only way (AFAIK) to get a battery of True Strike spells is to occupy one hand with a simple weapon. Almost makes me want to make a warrior-wizard of Nethys.
It could make some 1-action Press attacks pretty reliable.
Attack/True Strike/Press
Or the True Strike/Rage/Furious Finish insta-smack.
(Note that the bonus of two d20 rolls isn't that extraordinary, somewhere around +4 on average, so you still need to have skills.)

I feel like this could be solved by limiting the Heightening to the level of the highest level spell in the staff. Then you could utilize the lower level spells to better effect, but not beyond what the staff can offer with its higher spells.