Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Harmor 07-27-04, 04:50 PM	I found on a mage a mini-Secret Chest. Its from this spell (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/theraven_stephenh/spells/Secret_Chest.html). So he has some stuff on another plane. How do I activate it? Do I just cast Identify on it and it will give me the command word? But in the spell description all it says is that mage will "concentrate" and not utter a command word - so does one exist? Since there is no command word do I need to be able to cast the 5th level spell? Do I just need to be able to activate acrane items? Do I need to be his level when he created the secret chest? Or are the items not retrievable? Thanks for your help in advance.
Grynn 07-27-04, 04:56 PM	You open it. The spell says nothing about making the chest secure, so if you found it you can open it. Be forewarned, though, it might be magically warded with other spells such as Fire Trap.
tarkin 07-27-04, 05:08 PM	First of all, the chest does not "open", so that answer is not helpful. He did not find the actual chest, just the mini-replica that is used as part of the Focus for the spell. Here is the relevant phrases: Once the chest is hidden, you can retrieve it by concentrating (a standard action), and it appears next to you.. ... Focus: The chest and its replica. Note the word YOU. It does not say "the holder of the small chest". Then note the words about "Focus". The chest is a FOCUS for a spell, NOT a magic item. Only the caster of a spell may complete the spell. Having someone else's Focus does not allow you to complete the spell. You can not use the little chest to obtain the contents of the big chest. That by the way, is 95% of the reason to use the chest spell. It is a safe, secure place to keep your stuff, not just a bag of holding.
KittenWarrior 07-27-04, 05:18 PM	Originally posted by tarkin First of all, the chest does not "open", so that answer is not helpful. He did not find the actual chest, just the mini-replica that is used as part of the Focus for the spell. Here is the relevant phrases: "Once the chest is hidden, you can retrieve it by concentrating (a standard action), and it appears next to you.. ... Focus: The chest and its replica." Note the word YOU. It does not say "the holder of the small chest". Then note the words about "Focus". The chest is a FOCUS for a spell, NOT a magic item. Only the caster of a spell may complete the spell. Having someone else's Focus does not allow you to complete the spell. You can not use the little chest to obtain the contents of the big chest. That by the way, is 95% of the reason to use the chest spell. It is a safe, secure place to keep your stuff, not just a bag of holding. Well, depending on how important the contents of the chest were for the campaign, if I were DMing I might allow a character with a decent amount of ranks in Knowledge(arcana) AND Use Magic Device to have a go at retrieving the chest from it's planar hiding place. Another option would be for this find to just inform the party that a chest is hidden somewhere. They are then free to use Divination magic, perhaps, to locate it, and some form of planar travel to get to it. In my opinion, a good DM wouldn't have let you find the replica if you didn't have a way to retrieve the contents of the real one. Cheers, KW
smrtgmp 07-27-04, 05:43 PM	I wouldnt allow you to use the focus to call the chest. I would allow it to be the target of a divination spell that could lead you to the location of the actual chest on the astral plane. Then its quest time...
Harmor 07-27-04, 05:48 PM	Could I do a Use Magic Device DC 30 check (Activate blindly) to activate it?
primemover003 07-27-04, 05:56 PM	No you cannot use the UMD skill... The model chest is not magical. It's an art object that happens to be the focus for the spell Leomund's secret chest. As stated above you could use the Focus in a Divination spell to find the location of the Real chest on the Astral plane.
Harmor 07-27-04, 06:05 PM	Ok thanks all Forumancers for your input. I guess there's always a first time to go on the Astrial Plane. Hope its worth it.
Vanigo 07-27-04, 08:25 PM	Also hope no other astral travellers have already stumbled across it.
smrtgmp 07-27-04, 09:02 PM	that just makes things more interesting :schemes:
ElvenEnigma 07-28-04, 01:51 AM	Reading this post made me wonder...what would happen if someone destroyed the focus? My character uses this spell to keep her valuables safe and I'm just curious if someone destroyed the focus would it cause the spell to fail? Peace
smrtgmp 07-28-04, 02:42 AM	Thats a good question. from the SRD: Secret Chest Conjuration (Summoning) Level: Sor/Wiz 5 Components: V, S, F Casting Time: 10 minutes Range: See text Target: One chest and up to 1 cu. ft. of goods/caster level Duration: Sixty days or until discharged Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No You hide a chest on the Ethereal Plane for as long as sixty days and can retrieve it at will. The chest can contain up to 1 cubic foot of material per caster level (regardless of the chest’s actual size, which is about 3 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet). If any living creatures are in the chest, there is a 75% chance that the spell simply fails. Once the chest is hidden, you can retrieve it by concentrating (a standard action), and it appears next to you. The chest must be exceptionally well crafted and expensive, constructed for you by master crafters. The cost of such a chest is never less than 5,000 gp. Once it is constructed, you must make a tiny replica (of the same materials and perfect in every detail), so that the miniature of the chest appears to be a perfect copy. (The replica costs 50 gp.) You can have but one pair of these chests at any given time—even a wish spell does not allow more. The chests are nonmagical and can be fitted with locks, wards, and so on, just as any normal chest can be. To hide the chest, you cast the spell while touching both the chest and the replica. The chest vanishes into the Ethereal Plane. You need the replica to recall the chest. After sixty days, there is a cumulative chance of 5% per day that the chest is irretrievably lost. If the miniature of the chest is lost or destroyed, there is no way, not even with a wish spell, that the large chest can be summoned back, although an extraplanar expedition might be mounted to find it. Living things in the chest eat, sleep, and age normally, and they die if they run out of food, air, water, or whatever they need to survive. Focus: The chest and its replica. emphasis mine Once again, it would be quest time. :schemes:
ElvenEnigma 07-28-04, 03:04 AM	Oh wow.....could've reread the description of the spell before posting...whoopsies:blush:
smrtgmp 07-28-04, 04:55 AM	think nothing of it. It takes less than a minute to quote something from the SRD, so its not like it was a lot of work on my part. Just happy to help. :D