You hide a chest, and all its contents, on the Ethereal Plane. You must touch the chest and the miniature replica that serves as a material component for the spell. The chest can contain up to 12 cubic feet of nonliving material (3 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet).
While the chest remains on the Ethereal Plane, you can use an action and touch the replica to recall the chest. It appears in an unoccupied space on the ground within 5 feet of you. You can send the chest back to the Ethereal Plane by using an action and touching both the chest and the replica.
After 60 days, there is a cumulative 5 percent chance per day that the spell's effect ends. This effect ends if you cast this spell again, if the smaller replica chest is destroyed, or if you choose to end the spell as an action. If the spell ends and the larger chest is on the Ethereal Plane, it is irretrievably lost.
* - (an exquisite chest, 3 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet, constructed from rare materials worth at least 5,000 gp, and a Tiny replica made from the same materials worth at least 50 gp)
Is there any compelling reason one couldn't have two active replicas of the same chest? I would think that you couldn't use both to summon it at the same time (because if the chest isn't in the Ethereal Plane, the replica wouldn't find it), but it sounds like you could cast it once with one replica, then cast it again (or have a second person cast it) with a second replica of the same chest. The idea being that you could have people in two places able to access the chest, or recover the chest if the replica was destroyed.
I makes sense to me that you could do that if another person casts the spell, but if you cast it a second time it says the spell ends.
No, but you could make a custom spell (perhaps 5th level) that can have as many access charms as you like.
There are a few clear restrictions:
First, the spell's duration is Instantaneous.
Second is the line that reads, "You must touch the chest and the miniature replica that serves as a material component for the spell."
Third, the line that reads, "If you cast this spell again, the spell ends."
In order to hide the big chest in the Ethereal Plane, you must touch BOTH the big and small chest while casting the spell. In addition the spell's duration is instantaneous, meaning that the moment one spell is complete, the chest vanishes.
This means that even if you had two replicas, one person could not do it on their own. I'd rule that it's possible for one person to cast it, resummon it, and have a second person re-cast it using the second replica.
@blueshoals
There is no line that says "If you cast this spell again, the spell ends." From the text of the spell above: "After 60 days, there is a cumulative 5 percent chance per day that the spell's effect ends. This effect ends if you cast this spell again." You need to refresh the chest once every 60 days (which is what the line means about ending the effect), but there is no theoretical limit to the number of chests you could have (there are practical limits by spell slots available, of course).
As for having multiple replicas for a singular chest, though, that is a call only the Storyteller/DM can make. As written I would assume not, but as a DM I would allow it in my games.
@LordRumfishForReal
Given the rest of that sentence, and the paragraph as a whole, referring to conditions that end the spell, it can be reasonably assumed that casting the spell again ends the first casting of the spell.
so theoretically, i could destroy highly valuable macguffens if i had this spell, because a certain dm wouldnt let me do that with a bag of holding and thus became very conservative in handing out magic items
I believe this should be updated to include "Available For: Artificer"
@greyngalcoa
The wording it is Irretrievably lost, is difficult and probably not fully accurate. Losing objects on the Ethereal plane, could be undone by DM's ruling with the Aid of incredibly powerful magic, or the Aid of a higher being. I would rule a BBEG like a Lich could locate a key Item Intentionally lost this way, by Scrying it using a Wish spell, learning its previously unknown location on the Ethereal plan, then finding it. Also A Evil cleric could ask for divine aid to determine its location. by my reading it isnt destoryed, just placed beyond the conventional abilities of all but the most powerful of beings. So most parties don't have any means to retrieve it, however If a player wanted to use a wish on it, I would allow it, but it would need to be the full 9th level casting with its consequences.
This whole situation of destroying Macguffens is difficult and a larger issue, because the DM is trying to consider the fun of the Whole table, and the adventure as a whole. They want to reward players, but they typically dont want the story to just end because of a Third level spell. Hopefully they dont shut down players cool ideas just because, but they also don't want a story all the players are invested in to just end, just because this spell is a possibility they didn't consider.
But I am a DM that refuses to engage in active antagonistic play. Players that try to totally derail the campaign for "Funsies" are not accepted. In turn I do all i can to also not meta game and shut down my players goals or cool moments. They should be concerned about what the Villians plans are who I am role playing not that I am trying to "stop their plans". I know some players and DM's you enjoy that one against another but I and my Parties avoid it and are invested in the cooperative narrative and everyone having a blast.
Now if a Character in roleplay decides to try and permanently hide an object of great evil in this way, thats cool and I would reward that. I would prefer that it takes some quest with actual challenge, so I would basically say that now this is a game of cat and mouse, with the party not just destroying the smaller chest banishing the objects, but having to find a way to do it without leaving a trace. Now they need to research a way to do that, maybe they need go to a powerful wizard or Deity, or find a zone of Anti magic and destroy it there, with the BBEG chasing them. They succeed, and the item is destroyed before the BBEG learns what they did, with no chance of ever learning it even with powerful magic and scrying spells. But I have groups that tend to prefer this style of rewarding novel ideas, but not saying they automatically succeed. Although as I said above, In an epic level campaign if the enemy is powerful and driven enough, they would be able to recover it even if lost. So no escaping a final conflict with a Demigod who needs their unholy artifact dagger of sacrifice to ascend to full Godhood.
long answer but I wanted to talk about both the spell, as well as the larger issue of derailing campaigns. If done properly derailing can be fun for everyone, but as every table is different, you need to know your fellow players and your DM to find to derail the campaign to something everyone finds fun and gives you a high five for doing, even if they shake their head. That is a top tier player.
Can you put a dead creature or its dead parts inside of here?
It says nonliving material. Does that mean once living material that is dead can be in there?
Can a Wizard make this for someone else and let them use it like this? The way I see it, this is a single spell being cast at 4th level every 2 months.
Can the tiny replica be made magical so that it's not so easily destroyed?
I see nothing about a weight limit. Great way to store a 3x2x2 metal bar, and its a simple enough shape a mould could be used normally, to transport heavy metals.