What happens if two non-friendly druids were to cast druid grove (Xanathar's Guide to Everything) in overlapping areas? If one was already present, does the other caster get to put solid fog over the grasping vines of the other? Do the awakened trees fight each other? How does this work?
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The dominant casting prevails where they overlap
Combining Magical Effects (p. 205 PHB) states that
The effects of different spells add together while the durations of those spells overlap. 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.
This was errataed to include the following additional sentence (that also appears in later printings):
Or the most recent effect applies if the castings are equally potent and their durations overlap.
So, if one druid upcast his spell, and the other did not, than the one who upcast the spell wins1. If both cast the spell at the same level, the one who cast it last wins. Let's call the one that wins the "dominant" casting. The spells do not cancel each other -- the dominant one merely suppresses the other one "while their durations overlap".
Here, because the spells affect an area, the effects of both castings could combine only in overlapping areas of effect. In those areas, the dominant casting prevails. Outside of the overlap area, their effects do not combine, and the individual casting conditions continue. If both spells target the exact same area, only the dominant casting will have an effect while the durations overlap.
Note that there are no explicit, specific written rules on the issue of overlapping area, so in the end, how they handle that will be up to the DM.
1 The PHB on p. 201 states that level is an indicator for power in spells, so casting it at a higher level will increase its potency: "Every spell has a level from 0 to 9. A spell’s level is a general indicator of how powerful it is..."
Jack
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Nobody the Hobgoblin
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Upcast spells intuitively seem more potent, I agree. But since the simultaneous effects rule never specifies what more potent means, we don't actually know that they are, RAW. Cf. How do you determine the 'most potent effect' for overlapping spells?. I also agree that the dominant spell only supplants the other in the area of spatial overlap, while the subordinate spell exists outside the overlap. But AFAICT we don't know that is RAW either - I looked around on the site but couldn't find any relevant questions. – Kirt Jul 02 '23 at 15:39
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1In short, this answer is certainly the way I would rule all the way through, but I don't think it is supported. It is well-reasoned but undefended. – Kirt Jul 02 '23 at 15:39
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1@KirtnoQA4mewhilemodsstrike Fair enough. I think one can make a good case for higher level is more power, because there is a written rule for that, but there is none for area overlap specifically. I added notes to that effect. – Nobody the Hobgoblin Jul 02 '23 at 15:46
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Not much
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.
Dale M
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1The more potent or more recent spell will be in effect in the area of spatial overlap - but outside that area, does the less potent or less recent spell still function? Is the suppression of effect all-or-nothing, or is it tied to points in space for AoE spells? – Kirt Jul 02 '23 at 04:18
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This is about replacing one area with another one, not about partial overlapping. – enkryptor Jul 02 '23 at 09:50
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@enkryptor By 'this', do you mean the OP's Q, or Dale's answer? And if the former, how did you make that determination? If the latter, yes - hence my request for clarification. – Kirt Jul 02 '23 at 15:27
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