Leomund's Secret Chest uses a spell slot when you use it, or only when you create it?

[rigolgm]

Hi

I'm struggling to work out whether the spell Leomund's Secret Chest only uses-up a spell slot (i.e. takes energy to cast) when you create the 'ethereal' place for the chest, or every time you use it. Does anyone know? I'm erring towards it only using a spell slot when created.

It does say it's "instantaneous" which maybe implies the spell needs to be recast when using it. If it uses a spell slot every time, it seems very expensive/circumstantial.

However it also says it uses components and it's clear they aren't 'used up' with each use ... so that maybe implies the spell only uses spell slots during creation.

Below is what it does. Thanks for any pointers.

Mike

Conjuration
Level: 4
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (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)
Duration: Instantaneous

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.

[jaappleton]

.....Huh.

I don't know. I never thought of it. I always thought it was a terrible spell, but now I'm questioning that.

I'd say that as long as you have the miniature replica, you can resummon it without a spell slot. Thought I'd recast it every so often to prevent that whole 'chance you lose the contents' mess.

[tieren]

It's only when created, but as mentioned you should recast periodically any way.

[rigolgm]

Cheers.

It seems like a decent spell for an Arcane Trickster. It could let a little gnome or halfling one carry a lot more booty away from a burglary :)

[Segev]

It is actually quite a good spell for some purposes. A handy haversack is better under most circumstances, but it has its uses. (As an illusionist, you could store permanent illusions in it and call them to you without having to constantly monitor and move them, for instance.)

And no, you don't cast it every time you call the chest back. You cast it once, and then you can summon it and dismiss it all you like as long as you have the replica, for 60 days. You want to re-cast it every 59 days or so, though, just to be sure it doesn't get lost. Its real cost is the gp for the materials, not the spell slot. The spell slot really just serves to limit the level at which you gain access to it. (And, if your DM is stingy with spell access for paying to add things to your spellbook, there's the cost of it being one of your 2 spells learned at a given level.)

[Contrast]

Cheers.

It seems like a decent spell for an Arcane Trickster. It could let a little gnome or halfling one carry a lot more booty away from a burglary :)

I would hope by 20th level you may have found a solution to that issue already but to each their own :smalltongue:

[ZZTRaider]

Its real cost is the gp for the materials, not the spell slot.

Also worth noting that nothing in the spell text says that the chest or the miniature are destroyed at the end, so it should generally be a one time cost. 5,050gp is a good chunk up front, but as long as you're careful, you should never need to pay that again.