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In my game, in which I play a wizard, I have met an NPC wizard who is willing to let me learn Leomund's Secret Chest from her spellbook. This got me wondering what would happen if I learned the spell and cast it on the same large chest that she had already cast it on (using my own separate tiny replica). Would this enable us to effectively teleport objects back and forth by alternately summoning the chest and placing things in it, then letting the other person summon it and remove the items? Or would something else happen? How would the chest work if 2 different wizards cast Secret Chest on it?

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    \$\begingroup\$ My first thought is "jinx- double jinx!" But that might just because I have small children. \$\endgroup\$
    – nitsua60 ♦
    Apr 12, 2020 at 20:27

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The most "potent" effect prevails

Under the rules for Combining Magical Effects, two effects with the same name don't stack. QED.

The only tricky part is the DM has to decide which is the most "potent". If one caster used a higher-level spell slot, that would be the most potent.; otherwise, the "most recent effect applies".

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    \$\begingroup\$ @MaikoChikyu the chest is both a material component and a target. \$\endgroup\$
    – Dale M
    Apr 12, 2020 at 22:37
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    \$\begingroup\$ This seems sensible, although the Combining Magical Effects rule refers to effects with overlapping durations, whereas secret chest has "instantaneous" duration. Does the rule still apply? \$\endgroup\$
    – MikeQ
    Apr 13, 2020 at 1:03
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    \$\begingroup\$ @MikeQ The spell's text also refers to the effect ending after 60 days. So I think it's still effects with the same name and a duration, even if it doesn't match the duration of the spell. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ryan C. Thompson
    Apr 13, 2020 at 1:15
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    \$\begingroup\$ @MaikoChikyu Material components are generally not consumed at all. \$\endgroup\$
    – Mark Wells
    Apr 13, 2020 at 1:16
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    \$\begingroup\$ To sidestep questions about whether the secret chest is an ongoing magical effect despite the spell having instantaneous duration, I'd recommend you link to the DMG section on combining game effects instead of the PHB section on combining magical effects. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ryan C. Thompson
    Sep 2, 2021 at 2:46
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In principle, this would allow both of them to summon the chest.

Leomund's secret chest doesn't restrict the chest from being used as the component for multiple castings of the spell. You'd just need to summon it back so the other wizard can cast the spell.

The ability to summon the chest only works "while the chest is on the Ethereal Plane", so if you speak the password and the chest doesn't appear, probably the other guy is using it.

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