Unicorn Bloodline clarification

[AvatarVecna]

Bloodline Arcana: Every time you cast a spell, you can restore a number of hit points equal to double the level of the spell you cast to one target of your choice that you can see. A creature at its maximum hit points cannot be affected by this ability. Healing a dying creature with this ability does not automatically stabilize the creature unless its hit points are brought to 0 or above.

1) Does this trigger whenever you cast a healing spell (and so one target just gets extra healing), does this trigger when you cast a beneficial spell (and so one target just gets healing in addition to the normal effect), or does this trigger when you cast any spell (so now every spell is also a slight healing spell)?

2) Let's say you cast a cantrip that would qualify based on the answer to question 1. If you could find a way to Heighten the cantrip without increasing the spell level (metamagic reduction, Spell Perfect, etc), would that allow you at-will healing (I mean a small amount but still)?

[Hellpyre]

You heal from casting any spell

For cantrips, if it's a level 0 spell, it heals for 0. If it isn't it needs a slot.

[AvatarVecna]

You heal from casting any spell

For cantrips, if it's a level 0 spell, it heals for 0. If it isn't it needs a slot.

I'm aware of that, but Heighten actually raises the level of the spell. There are ways of applying metamagic without raising the slot level, so if you applied Heighten spell without increasing the slot level, you'd effectively be using a 0th lvl slot to cast a 1st lvl spell (or higher level, depending).

[RatElemental]

Looks to me like the target of the healing need not be a target of the spell.

[Psyren]

I'm aware of that, but Heighten actually raises the level of the spell.

But the stuff you're applying after that lowers it again. Or rather, keeps it from being raised in the first place; Spell Perfection literally says it keeps the metamagic from affecting the spell's level, which for Heighten makes this a bit pointless since that's all the feat is trying to do.

[AvatarVecna]

But the stuff you're applying after that lowers it again. Or rather, keeps it from being raised in the first place; Spell Perfection literally says it keeps the metamagic from affecting the spell's level, which for Heighten makes this a bit pointless since that's all the feat is trying to do.

See I was under the impression that metamagic in general affected the slot level but not the spell's actual level, and that Heighten Spell was the exception (raising not only the slot level but the actual spell level), whereas metamagic reduction/replacement stuff like Spell Perfection, Sacred Geometry, Magical Lineage, metamagic rods, Metamagic Mastery, and so on didn't affect the benefit of metamagic, just the increased spell slot required to cast the spell. Are you saying that's not the case?

[Hellpyre]

See I was under the impression that metamagic in general affected the slot level but not the spell's actual level, and that Heighten Spell was the exception (raising not only the slot level but the actual spell level), whereas metamagic reduction/replacement stuff like Spell Perfection, Sacred Geometry, Magical Lineage, metamagic rods, Metamagic Mastery, and so on didn't affect the benefit of metamagic, just the increased spell slot required to cast the spell. Are you saying that's not the case?

Relevant feat text

All effects dependent on spell level are calculated according to the heightened level

If you don't actually modify the spell level to a higher one, heighten doesn't do anything.

[AvatarVecna]

Ah, I see. So the argument is more that Heighten Doesn't work at all with any kind of metamagic reduction, because the feat effect is dependent on the slot level changing. I'll keep that in mind, then.

[Psyren]

See I was under the impression that metamagic in general affected the slot level but not the spell's actual level, and that Heighten Spell was the exception (raising not only the slot level but the actual spell level), whereas metamagic reduction/replacement stuff like Spell Perfection, Sacred Geometry, Magical Lineage, metamagic rods, Metamagic Mastery, and so on didn't affect the benefit of metamagic, just the increased spell slot required to cast the spell. Are you saying that's not the case?

The benefit of Heighten Spell IS the actual spell level increase. So while normally the reducers you listed wouldn't interfere with a metamagic's benefit, that's all Heighten does, so it's a special case.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

"Read it however you like, except if that gives you at will healing"
- your DM