Can you be Charmed by more than one source or does the most recent charm effect prevail?
2024 PHB states:
Conditions Don’t Stack
If multiple effects impose the same condition on you, each instance of the condition has its own duration, but the condition’s effects don’t get worse. Either you have a condition or you don’t. The Exhaustion condition is an exception; its effects get worse if you have the condition and receive it again.
I think the part regarding "condition's effects don't get worse" confuses me a bit. Does this mean that if Charmed by two sources, you have two separate conditions tied to each of those two casters? Which of these situations makes more sense?
I can't harm Charmer 1 and Charmer 2 and am subject to social advantage from both when either interacts with me. If Charmer 1 ends the spell their applied condition ends but not Charmer 2's condition. I am still Charmed by Charmer 2.
Charmer 1 has Charmed me. Charmer 2 attempts to do same but since conditions can't get worse and being charmed twice is worse than being charmed once, it does not stack.
Charmer 1 has Charmed me. Charmer 2 attempts to do the same and overwrites the first condition. I am only affected by Charmer 2's condition.
Can you be Charmed by more than one source or does the most recent charm effect prevail?
2024 PHB states:
Conditions Don’t Stack
If multiple effects impose the same condition on you, each instance of the condition has its own duration, but the condition’s effects don’t get worse. Either you have a condition or you don’t. The Exhaustion condition is an exception; its effects get worse if you have the condition and receive it again.
Does this mean that if Charmed by two sources, you have two separate conditions tied to each of those two casters? Which of these situations makes more sense
I can't harm Charmer 1 and Charmer 2 and am subject to social advantage from both when either interacts with me. If Charmer 1 ends the spell their applied condition ends but not Charmer 2's condition. I am still Charmed by Charmer 2.
This explanation above is the correct interpretation, which was your first bulleted choice. Each instance of the condition has its own duration.
For adding context, there are rules related to the quoted one I consider important to be mentioned:
Conditions Many effects impose a condition, a temporary state that alters the recipient’s capabilities. [...]
Each condition (e.g. Charmed by Charm Person, Charmed or Frightened by Beguiling Magic, Poisoned by Cunning Strike, Frightened by Intimidating Presence) lasts for the duration specified by the effect that imposed it. They're tracked independently because the sources (that is, the effects that caused them) are different (or can be, see below - Combining Spell Effects).
Duration A condition lasts either for a duration specified by the effect that imposed the condition or until the condition is countered (the Prone condition is countered by standing up, for example).
Finally, conditions don't stack, but "each instance of the condition has its own duration". The Exhaustion condition is an exception.
Conditions Don’t Stack If multiple effects impose the same condition on you, each instance of the condition has its own duration, but the condition’s effects don’t get worse. Either you have a condition or you don’t. The Exhaustion condition is an exception; its effects get worse if you have the condition and receive it again.
Also, in case you cast Charm Person twice on the same target, for example:
The effects of different spells add together while their durations overlap. In contrast, the effects of the same spell cast multiple times don’t combine. Instead, the most potent effect—such as the highest bonus—from those castings applies while their durations overlap. The most recent effect applies if the castings are equally potent and their durations overlap. For example, if two Clerics cast Bless on the same target, that target gains the spell’s benefit only once; the target doesn’t receive two bonus dice. But if the durations of the spells overlap, the effect continues until the duration of the second Bless ends.
I think in this case we simply infer that you'd have two separate instances, conditions not stacking refers to effects themselves. For example, if you have a cleric and a paladin both cast bless on you, you have both instances but you can only benefit from one instance of bless, either from the Cleric or from the Paladin when you make an attack or saving throw.
In terms of the charmed condition it is a bit more complicated since you should only be affected by 1 target at any given time, a charmed target can not attack the charmer. I'd say most people would just infer you can not attack either of the creatures that charmed you, even if those two creatures are hostile against each other.
Conditions not stacking prevents the effects from stacking (mostly relevant to things that give static bonuses or penalties or do damage), you just use the strongest effect. In the case of the charmed condition, if there are two charm effect, one of which makes you charmed by A and B, one of which makes you charmed by B and C, this means you are treated as charmed by A, B, and C -- there is no 'extra' effect on B (and the first effect is the strongest against A since the second does nothing, the second effect is strongest against C since the first does nothing).
Can you be Charmed by more than one source or does the most recent charm effect prevail?
2024 PHB states:
I think the part regarding "condition's effects don't get worse" confuses me a bit. Does this mean that if Charmed by two sources, you have two separate conditions tied to each of those two casters? Which of these situations makes more sense?
Thoughts?
EDIT: Added a third situation.
This explanation above is the correct interpretation, which was your first bulleted choice. Each instance of the condition has its own duration.
For adding context, there are rules related to the quoted one I consider important to be mentioned:
Each condition (e.g. Charmed by Charm Person, Charmed or Frightened by Beguiling Magic, Poisoned by Cunning Strike, Frightened by Intimidating Presence) lasts for the duration specified by the effect that imposed it. They're tracked independently because the sources (that is, the effects that caused them) are different (or can be, see below - Combining Spell Effects).
Finally, conditions don't stack, but "each instance of the condition has its own duration". The Exhaustion condition is an exception.
Also, in case you cast Charm Person twice on the same target, for example:
EDIT: added examples.
I think in this case we simply infer that you'd have two separate instances, conditions not stacking refers to effects themselves. For example, if you have a cleric and a paladin both cast bless on you, you have both instances but you can only benefit from one instance of bless, either from the Cleric or from the Paladin when you make an attack or saving throw.
In terms of the charmed condition it is a bit more complicated since you should only be affected by 1 target at any given time, a charmed target can not attack the charmer. I'd say most people would just infer you can not attack either of the creatures that charmed you, even if those two creatures are hostile against each other.
Conditions not stacking prevents the effects from stacking (mostly relevant to things that give static bonuses or penalties or do damage), you just use the strongest effect. In the case of the charmed condition, if there are two charm effect, one of which makes you charmed by A and B, one of which makes you charmed by B and C, this means you are treated as charmed by A, B, and C -- there is no 'extra' effect on B (and the first effect is the strongest against A since the second does nothing, the second effect is strongest against C since the first does nothing).
Thanks everyone! I think that does make sense.