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Arcane Lock

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Arcane Lock
  • Level: 2
  • School: Abjuration
  • Class: Wizard
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: Touch
  • Components: V, S, M (gold dust worth 25+ GP, which the spell consumes)
  • Duration: Until dispelled

You touch a closed door, window, gate, container, or hatch and magically lock it for the duration. This lock can't be unlocked by any nonmagical means. You and any creatures you designate when you cast the spell can open and close the object despite the lock. You can also set a password that, when spoken within 5 feet of the object, unlocks it for 1 minute.

Tactical Usage​

When to Choose Arcane Lock:

  • Essential for securing important areas, containers, or documents
  • Excellent for creating time delays during pursuits or escapes
  • Strong choice for protecting party resources and safe houses
  • Valuable for preventing enemy access to strategic locations

Application Strategy:

  • Entry Points: Secure doors, windows, and other access routes
  • Containers: Protect valuable items, spell components, or evidence
  • Tactical Denial: Block enemy retreat routes or reinforcement paths
  • Safe Room Creation: Establish secure rest areas in dangerous environments

Designation Planning:

  • Choose trusted allies who need access to secured areas
  • Consider future party composition changes when designating creatures
  • Balance security with accessibility for designated individuals
  • Plan password sharing among trusted allies

Spell Combinations​

Security Synergies:

  • Alarm: Early warning system for secured areas
  • Glyph of Warding: Triggered defenses for locked containers
  • Guards and Wards: Comprehensive area protection
  • Private Sanctum: Magical security against divination

Tactical Applications:

  • Web: Secure enemies then lock their escape routes
  • Hold Person: Detain targets then secure their confinement
  • Silence: Prevent verbal component casting near locked areas
  • Invisibility: Apply locks covertly without detection

Material Component Details​

Gold Dust Worth 25+ GP:

  • Quality Matters: Higher purity gold creates stronger magical binding
  • Availability: Available from jewelers, alchemists, or temples
  • Preparation: Fine grinding required for even distribution
  • Consumption: Completely used in the casting process

Roleplay Opportunities:

  • Describe the golden shimmer as the lock forms
  • Reference the permanent nature of the magical investment
  • Use component cost as consideration for spell usage
  • Emphasize the precious nature of the security provided

Creator Notes​

Adjudication Guidance:

  • "Until dispelled" means the lock persists indefinitely
  • Password unlocks for exactly 1 minute, then automatically relocks
  • Designated creatures can always open/close regardless of password
  • Breaking the object destroys the lock but may damage contents

Encounter Design Considerations:

  • Creates absolute barriers that shape encounter geography
  • Forces players to consider resource allocation (25 GP cost)
  • NPCs can use this to create realistic security measures
  • Provides permanent consequences for player choices

Balancing Notes:

  • 25 GP cost prevents casual overuse of the spell
  • 2nd-level slot represents significant early-game investment
  • "Until dispelled" duration provides exceptional value
  • Limited to single object per casting maintains balance

Environmental Interactions​

Physical Limitations:

  • Only works on objects that can be opened and closed
  • Object must be closed when spell is cast
  • Doesn't prevent breaking or damaging the object itself
  • Password must be spoken within 5 feet of the object

Structural Considerations:

  • Locked doors can be bypassed by breaking walls or windows
  • Containers can be damaged to access contents
  • Consider material durability when securing valuable items
  • Magic lock doesn't strengthen the object itself

Detection and Countermeasures:

  • Magical aura detectable by Detect Magic
  • Dispel Magic can remove the lock
  • Knock spell specifically counters this effect
  • Antimagic field temporarily suppresses the lock

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Can I change the password or designated creatures after casting? A: No, these are set at casting time and cannot be altered.

Q: What happens if a designated creature dies? A: The designation remains but becomes unusable; the lock persists for other designated creatures.

Q: Can the same password unlock multiple Arcane Locks? A: Yes, if you use the same password when casting multiple locks.

Q: Does breaking the locked object dispel the magic? A: The magic ends when the object is destroyed, but breaking open may still be possible.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses:

  • Privacy Protection: Secure personal belongings and private spaces
  • Evidence Preservation: Protect important documents or proof
  • Treasure Security: Safeguard valuable items during travel
  • Workshop Protection: Secure alchemical or magical equipment

Creative Problem-Solving:

  • Create temporary barriers during negotiations
  • Secure crime scenes for investigation
  • Prevent tampering with important mechanisms
  • Establish safe communication channels via locked message containers

Security Magic:

  • Alarm: Detection system for protected areas
  • Guards and Wards: Comprehensive area protection
  • Private Sanctum: Anti-divination security
  • Glyph of Warding: Triggered defensive measures

Lock and Key Magic:

  • Knock: Magical lock opening
  • Spider Climb: Alternative access to secured areas
  • Misty Step: Teleportation past barriers
  • Passwall: Create temporary passages through barriers

2nd-Level Alternatives:

  • Hold Person: Temporary incapacitation
  • Invisibility: Concealment and stealth
  • Suggestion: Behavioral manipulation
  • Web: Area denial and restraint

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression:

  • Early Game (Levels 3-6): Significant investment but valuable security
  • Mid Game (Levels 7-12): Affordable and useful for base security
  • Late Game (Levels 13+): Trivial cost, maintains utility for organization

Economic Considerations:

  • Early Career: 25 GP represents significant portion of wealth
  • Established Adventurer: Cost becomes negligible
  • Campaign Impact: Permanent nature provides ongoing value

Long-Term Viability:

  • Security never becomes obsolete regardless of level
  • Permanent duration means investment pays off over time
  • Useful for establishing permanent bases and safe houses
  • Essential tool for campaign-spanning organizational needs

Narrative Flavor​

Extended Description: As you sprinkle the precious gold dust across the surface of the door, the metal particles begin to glow with warm, amber light. The dust swirls and settles into the cracks and joints of the closure, binding the mechanism with threads of pure magical force. When the incantation concludes, the golden glow fades, leaving behind an invisible but absolute barrier that will yield only to your will, your designated allies, or the secret word you have chosen to embed within the magic itself.

Sensory Details:

  • Visual: Golden shimmer settling into magical lock
  • Auditory: Soft chiming as magical binding sets
  • Tactile: Warm sensation as magic bonds with the object
  • Magical: Awareness of permanent enchantment taking hold

Cultural Context: Arcane Lock represents the wizard's mastery over the concepts of security and access, transforming mundane barriers into absolute protections. Many noble houses and merchant guilds employ wizards specifically for their ability to create such locks, leading to the development of specialized magical security services in major cities.