heighten question

[Slapphappy]

This is a question about how the heighten meta-magic feat works with items.

If my level 8 caster casts a level 2 spell with heighten clicked on... Would a spell pen III item or a potency III item still work?

Thanks!

[Hadrian]

Yes. The effects are not related.

Heighten increases the difficulty check (DC) that must be passed for the target to make its save. Heighten has no effect on spell resistance.

Spell penetration increases the bonus to your roll against spell resistance to determine if the spell lands at all, before any saving throw check. If you fail to make the spell penetration check, there is no saving throw required. The spell just fails.

Potency increases the damage of spells. It has no impact on whether or not a spell lands for full effect on its target or not. All it does is multiply the damage of the spell by a set amount.

(Spells whose primary component is damage do not require a spell penetration check, so there is no need for spell penetration in most cases where you'd want to use potency, but it would still work.)