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First off there are a lot of rules on combining/overlapping effects:

The effects of the same spell cast multiple times don't combine, however. Instead, the most potent effect--such as the highest bonus--from those castings applies while their durations overlap, or the most recent effect applies if the castings are equally potent and their durations overlap.

- Player's Handbook: Chapter 10, Spellcasting; Combining Magical Effects

[...] When two or more game features have the same name, only the effects of one of them—the most potent one—apply while the durations of the effects overlap [...] Game features include spells, class features, feats, racial traits, monster abilities, and magic items [...]

- Dungeon Master's Guide: Chapter 8, Running The Game; Combining Game Effects (errata)

When two or more effects have the same proper name, only one of them applies while the durations of the effects overlap (a duration is a time span of 1 round or more). The most potent effect--such as the highest bonus--is the one that applies, or the most recent effect applies if the effects are equally potent.

- The Essentials Kit: Chapter 0, Welcome to Dungeons & Dragons; Effects with the Same Name Don't Stack


That all said we also know that things with the same name don't stack regardless of how different the actual effects might be, for example:

In these two cases, despite the actual effects being quite different, the name of the effect is the same and so they cannot stack.


How do these rules apply to Wild Magic Surges? In particular there are effects such as:

15-16: For the next minute, you regain 5 hit points at the start of each of your turns.
23-24: Your skin turns a vibrant shade of blue. A remove curse spell can end this effect.
61-62: For the next minute, you must shout when you speak.
71-72: You gain resistance to all damage for the next minute.

Can multiple different surges exist, simultaneously affecting the same creature? Are they considered to be the same class feature or to have the same proper name and thus do not stack?

Can multiple of the same surge (such as 15-16 above) exist, simultaneously affecting the same creature? Would you regain 10 hit points at the start of each of your turns or just 5?

How do Wild Magic Surges stack with each other (if at all)?

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A character can be affected by more than one Wild Magic Surge

See the first result on the chart:

01-02. Roll on this table at the start of each of your turns for the next minute, ignoring this result on subsequent rolls.

If a character could not be subject to more than one Wild Magic Surge at a time, there would be no need to list a duration for this effect and no need to explicitly state it cannot trigger itself. None of the others have that particular caveat.

A character under the effect of the 01-02 surge has to be able to be affected by whatever surge it rolls next, or the 01-02 surge wouldn't need a duration - it would just be "Reroll on your next turn, ignore this result if it comes up again."

The individual effects may not stack.

Some of the effects duplicate spells, such as 13-14:

You cast confusion centered on yourself.

These effects would be subject to the general rule that a character can't be under the effect of two spells with the same name. Other effects are simply redundant, for example:

  • 23-24 is not going to turn the character into a super-intelligent shade of the colour blue, you can't be more-blue-than-blue, perhaps just different blue.
  • 25-26 could grant advantage twice, but having it twice does nothing.
  • 41-42 could turn you into a potted plant when you're already a potted plant (plant-ception?)

I could go on, but most of them are spell effects, things that don't stack anyway, or instantaneous effects that would stack.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Now I just gotta find a way to always roll 15-16, well, assuming you'd say that those would stack? \$\endgroup\$ Feb 13, 2020 at 21:07
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Medix2 Controlled Chaos helps with that a little bit. :) \$\endgroup\$
    – T.J.L.
    Feb 13, 2020 at 21:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ I know this is an old post, but I can't find anything that answers my scenario directly. What if 93–94 is rolled twice within a minute? Your size increases by one size category for the next minute. Can your size possibly increase 9 times in a row? No clear answers on if this stacks, but hopefully it does :D \$\endgroup\$ Feb 28, 2022 at 1:54
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    \$\begingroup\$ @IsaacAbramowitz It's highly unlikely, but I don't see why not. \$\endgroup\$
    – T.J.L.
    Feb 28, 2022 at 13:09
  • \$\begingroup\$ Thought so, I'm asking because it happened and we said, sure you're Huge for 1 the next 48 seconds, then you're large again for the remaining 2 rounds 'till you're medium again \$\endgroup\$ Feb 28, 2022 at 16:20

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