"On numerous occasions the following has happened: 1)
initial chains wears off (yellow text message), 2) restart chains and get
the blue text message it sticks, 3) immediately get yellow text message
saying chains has wore off again. "

Actually this happens with all spells, its a general spell bug, if something
wears off the exact same time as you recast it, it doesn't work. You get the
wore off, success , wore off combo. Get really annoying as a caster when
casting shielding spells and other self-buffs. But verant MUST know about it
as I reported it as a bug about 10 times before now ;)