Knock

• Level: 2
• School: Transmutation
• Class: Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: Action
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V
• Duration: Instantaneous

Choose an object that you can see within range. The object can be a door, a box, a chest, a set of manacles, a padlock, or another object that contains a mundane or magical means that prevents access.

A target that is held shut by a mundane lock or that is stuck or barred becomes unlocked, unstuck, or unbarred. If the object has multiple locks, only one of them is unlocked.

If the target is held shut by Arcane Lock, that spell is suppressed for 10 minutes, during which time the target can be opened and closed.

When you cast the spell, a loud knock, audible up to 300 feet away, emanates from the target.

Tactical Usage

Universal Access: Knock provides reliable access through almost any barrier, making it invaluable for infiltration, exploration, and emergency escape scenarios. The spell bypasses most mundane security measures instantly.

Arcane Lock Counter: Knock suppresses Arcane Lock for 10 minutes rather than permanently destroying it, allowing temporary access without completely negating magical security. This makes it valuable for stealth missions where permanent damage should be avoided.

Emergency Escape: The spell can open locked doors, windows, or containers during escape scenarios, providing crucial access when conventional methods fail or when time is critical.

Spell Combinations

Silence Synergy: Cast Silence before using Knock to suppress the loud audible component that normally alerts guards or enemies within 300 feet. This combination enables stealthy lock bypassing.

Misty Step Follow-up: After using Knock to open barriers, Misty Step allows rapid movement through the opening before enemies can respond to the loud noise. The combination provides access and immediate repositioning.

Charm Person Setup: Use Charm Person on guards before casting Knock to explain away the loud noise as authorized access or maintenance work, reducing suspicion about the magical entry.

Material Component Details

Verbal Component Only: Knock requires only verbal components, making it extremely reliable to cast. No material or somatic requirements mean the spell works even when hands are bound or equipment is unavailable.

Loud Proclamation: The verbal component creates the loud knock sound, making discrete casting impossible without additional magical suppression. Plan for noise management in stealth scenarios.

Range Advantage: The 60-foot range allows safe casting from a distance, reducing exposure to traps, guards, or other hazards associated with the locked barrier.

Creator Notes

Multiple Lock Limitation: Knock only opens one lock per casting, requiring multiple spell slots for complex security systems. Consider resource management when facing heavily secured areas.

Detection Risk: The 300-foot audible range makes Knock unsuitable for secret infiltration without additional precautions. Plan for enemy response to the obvious magical noise.

Magical vs Mundane: The spell works equally well on both magical and mundane locks, making it universally applicable regardless of the security system's sophistication.

Environmental Interactions

Sound Propagation: The loud knock travels up to 300 feet, potentially alerting enemies in adjacent rooms, floors, or areas. Consider architectural acoustics when planning usage timing.

Barrier Types: Knock works on doors, boxes, chests, manacles, padlocks, and similar objects but cannot affect magical barriers like Wall of Force or purely magical constructs.

Structural Integrity: The spell opens locks without damaging the container or door, leaving no evidence of forced entry beyond the initial loud noise and timing of access.

Common Rulings & Clarifications

Single Lock Target: Only one lock opens per casting, even if multiple locks secure the same object. Complex security requires multiple spell slots or alternative solutions.

Stuck vs Locked: The spell can open stuck or barred doors in addition to locked ones, making it useful for environmental obstacles beyond traditional lock mechanisms.

Arcane Lock Duration: The 10-minute suppression of Arcane Lock provides a limited window for access before magical security reactivates automatically.

Alternative Applications

Archaeological Access: Open ancient containers, sealed chambers, or historical locks without damaging valuable artifacts or destroying evidence for research purposes.

Emergency Services: Free trapped individuals from locked rooms, vehicles, or restraints during rescue operations where conventional methods are unavailable or too slow.

Performance Magic: Entertainers can use Knock for dramatic effects, though the loud noise and obvious magical nature make it unsuitable for subtle illusion work.

Related Spells

Arcane Lock: The opposite spell that creates magical locks. Understanding both spells helps with security planning and counter-magical tactics.

Dimension Door: Alternative access method that bypasses barriers entirely rather than opening them. Choose based on whether passage through or around obstacles better serves needs.

Dispel Magic: Can permanently end Arcane Lock rather than temporarily suppressing it, though at higher spell slot cost and with different mechanical requirements.

Scaling Analysis

Early Levels (3-6): Knock provides exceptional utility when 2nd-level spell slots are valuable resources and alternative access methods are limited or unavailable.

Mid Levels (7-12): Remains useful for bypassing security, though increasing availability of alternative magical access methods reduces its unique value proposition.

High Levels (13+): While less crucial for basic access needs, Knock retains value for specific situations where lock manipulation is preferable to destructive entry methods.

Narrative Flavor

Magical Resonance: As you speak the command word, magical energy seeks out the locking mechanism and resonates with its structure. The lock mechanism responds to the supernatural compulsion with audible clicking and movement.

Sound Manifestation: A loud, supernatural knock echoes from the targeted object, as if an invisible giant were demanding entry. The sound carries obvious magical overtones that distinguish it from natural knocking.

Opening Process: Locks turn, bars slide back, and mechanisms activate seemingly of their own accord as the spell's magic manipulates the physical components. The object opens smoothly despite the forceful magical intervention.