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Alarm

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Alarm
  • Level: 1
  • School: Abjuration
  • Class: Ranger, Wizard
  • Casting Time: 1 minute or Ritual
  • Range: 30 feet
  • Components: V, S, M (a bell and silver wire)
  • Duration: 8 hours

You set an alarm against intrusion. Choose a door, a window, or an area within range that is no larger than a 20-foot Cube. Until the spell ends, an alarm alerts you whenever a creature touches or enters the warded area. When you cast the spell, you can designate creatures that won't set off the alarm. You also choose whether the alarm is audible or mental:

Audible Alarm. The alarm produces the sound of a handbell for 10 seconds within 60 feet of the warded area.

Mental Alarm. You are alerted by a mental ping if you are within 1 mile of the warded area. This ping awakens you if you're asleep.

Tactical Usage​

When to Choose Alarm:

  • Essential for securing campsites during long rests
  • Excellent for early warning systems in dungeons
  • Strong choice for protecting important locations or items
  • Valuable for detecting invisible or stealthed intruders

Positioning Considerations:

  • 30-foot casting range allows safe placement from cover
  • 20-foot cube area provides significant coverage
  • Can be placed on doors, windows, or open areas
  • Mental alarm extends effectiveness up to 1 mile away

Area Selection:

  • Prioritize chokepoints and entry ways
  • Consider placing on valuable objects or areas
  • Multiple alarms can cover larger complexes
  • Avoid areas with frequent friendly traffic

Spell Combinations​

Synergistic Spells:

  • Glyph of Warding: Multiple layered defenses
  • Arcane Lock: Physical and magical security combined
  • Invisibility: Hidden caster monitoring the alarm
  • Sending: Communicate alarm triggers to distant allies

Multi-Round Strategies:

  • Cast as ritual to conserve spell slots
  • Layer multiple alarms for comprehensive coverage
  • Combine with illusion magic to hide alarm placement
  • Use with divination spells for enhanced security

Material Component Details​

Bell and Silver Wire:

  • Availability: Common musical instrument shops, temples
  • Cost: Typically 1-5 gold pieces for quality components
  • Alternatives: Any small bell and silver thread work
  • Reusable: Components aren't consumed during casting

Roleplay Opportunities:

  • Describe the intricate wire placement around the area
  • Reference the bell's tone and magical resonance
  • Use component preparation as dramatic tension building
  • Customize bell sounds to match character background

Creator Notes​

Adjudication Guidance:

  • Designated creatures can be chosen at casting time only
  • Invisible, polymorphed, or disguised creatures still trigger if not designated
  • Area effect includes three-dimensional space, not just floor level
  • Mental alarm reaches the caster regardless of intervening barriers

Encounter Design Considerations:

  • Excellent tool for creating investigation and stealth scenarios
  • NPCs using this spell add realistic security measures
  • Can create dramatic moments when alarms are triggered
  • Consider how intelligent enemies might detect or bypass

Balancing Notes:

  • 8-hour duration provides excellent value for 1st-level slot
  • Ritual casting makes it accessible without resource cost
  • No concentration allows stacking with other defensive magic
  • Mental/audible choice provides tactical flexibility

Environmental Interactions​

Physical Limitations:

  • Triggered by any creature contact, not just entry
  • Doesn't distinguish between friend and foe unless designated
  • Can be triggered by animals, familiars, or summoned creatures
  • Antimagic field suppresses but doesn't permanently dispel

Detection Considerations:

  • Magical auras may be detectable with Detect Magic
  • Skilled spellcasters might identify and dispel the effect
  • Physical examination might reveal silver wire placement
  • Some creatures have natural magic detection abilities

Weather Effects:

  • Rain, wind, and weather don't affect the magical trigger
  • Extreme magical weather might interfere with mental alarm range
  • Physical damage to warded area doesn't necessarily trigger alarm

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Does the alarm trigger if someone throws an object through the area? A: Only creatures trigger the alarm, not objects (unless the object is a creature).

Q: Can I change the designated creatures after casting? A: No, the designated creatures are fixed when the spell is cast.

Q: What happens if I move more than 1 mile away with a mental alarm? A: You won't receive mental notifications while outside the range.

Q: Does the alarm wake sleeping creatures other than the caster? A: Audible alarms might wake others nearby; mental alarms only affect the caster.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses:

  • Property Security: Protect homes, shops, or storage areas
  • Animal Control: Monitor livestock or prevent wildlife intrusion
  • Archaeological Work: Protect dig sites from disturbance
  • Social Events: Discrete monitoring of private meetings

Creative Problem-Solving:

  • Create early warning networks across large areas
  • Monitor enemy movement patterns through observation
  • Protect evidence or crime scenes from tampering
  • Establish perimeters for dangerous magical experiments

Similar Defensive Magic:

  • Glyph of Warding: Triggered defensive effects
  • Magic Mouth: Conditional communication magic
  • Arcane Lock: Physical security enhancement
  • Guards and Wards: Comprehensive area protection

Detection Spells:

  • Detect Magic: Identify magical auras and effects
  • See Invisibility: Counter stealth-based intrusion
  • Clairvoyance: Remote observation and monitoring
  • Locate Creature: Active tracking of specific targets

1st-Level Alternatives:

  • Protection from Evil and Good: Personal protection
  • Shield of Faith: Combat-focused defense
  • Sanctuary: Defensive targeting protection
  • Detect Evil and Good: Sense creature types

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression:

  • Early Game (Levels 1-6): Essential utility for security
  • Mid Game (Levels 7-12): Remains useful for base protection
  • Late Game (Levels 13+): Situational but still valuable for specific needs

Resource Efficiency:

  • Ritual Casting: No spell slot cost when time allows
  • 8-Hour Duration: Covers entire rest periods or work sessions
  • Material Components: Reusable, making repeated casting economical
  • No Concentration: Can maintain alongside other magical effects

Long-Term Viability:

  • Always useful for security and investigation scenarios
  • Ritual casting keeps it accessible regardless of character level
  • Basic function remains relevant even at high levels
  • Essential component of comprehensive defensive strategies

Narrative Flavor​

Extended Description: With careful precision, you string silver wire around the perimeter of your chosen area, weaving it through doorframes, around objects, or across open spaces in an intricate web of magical detection. As you ring the small bell and speak the incantation, the wire begins to glow with a faint, silvery luminescence before fading from view. An invisible network of magical awareness now guards the area, ready to alert you the moment any uninvited presence dares to cross its threshold.

Sensory Details:

  • Visual: Silver wire briefly glowing before becoming invisible
  • Auditory: Soft chiming of the bell during casting, later alarm sounds
  • Magical: Sense of watchful presence guarding the area
  • Mental: Clear, unmistakable awareness when alarm triggers

Cultural Context: Different magical traditions approach alarm magic in unique ways. Wizards often prefer precise, technical arrangements of components, while rangers might use natural materials and primal magic to achieve similar effects. Temple guards frequently employ blessed bells and consecrated silver, viewing the spell as an extension of divine vigilance over sacred spaces.