Creative uses for Arcane Lock?

[Merudo]

Arcane Lock is often described as a niche spell that's of little value to players.

I wonder if there is some hidden potential for Arcane Lock. After all, if casted on a door, it can block a whole hallway rather effectively.

In a way, Arcane Lock does a job similar to the Wall of Force spell, except it (1) is a 2nd level spell instead of 5th, (2) doesn't take concentration, (3) it has a permanent duration, (4) it lets allies pass through, (5) it can be broken by a athletics or lock picking check, (6) it requires a door, and (7) the door needs to be touched when casting the spell.

Of course, the door requirements (6-7) are highly problematic. There will rarely be a door available where you'd want a wall spell, and when there is, you may be unable to touch it.

One combo is to get a Robe of Useful Items with an Iron Door as one of the items. Create the door as an action, then Arcane Lock it for more defense. Although the Iron Door is probably strong enough as is.

Any other thoughts on Arcane Lock? Are there neat uses of the spell, or is it just a stinker that can't be redeemed?

[LudicSavant]

Arcane Lock is often described as a niche spell that's of little value to players.

I wonder if there is some hidden potential for Arcane Lock. After all, if casted on a door, it can block a whole hallway rather effectively.

In a way, Arcane Lock does a job similar to the Wall of Force spell, except it (1) is a 2nd level spell instead of 5th, (2) doesn't take concentration, (3) it has a permanent duration, (4) it lets allies pass through, (5) it can be broken by a athletics or lock picking check, (6) it requires a door, and (7) the door needs to be touched when casting the spell.

Of course, the door requirements (6-7) are highly problematic. There will rarely be a door available where you'd want a wall spell, and when there is, you may be unable to touch it.

One of my players, while using the Warding Dwarf (who gets Arcand Lock for free) liked to point out that Arcane Lock is secretly an early level Wall spell that allows your allies to pass through it, but not your enemies. The only downside being that you can only cast this Wall spell on specific squares. The fact that allies can open and close it and then it re-locks is the things that really makes it work.

Sure, it's situational, but Warding Dwarf has a ton of other reasons to recommend it too, and doors aren't exactly unheard of in dungeons. And the ability to have a barrier that your team can fire through but enemies (mostly) can't is significant.

[Sigreid]

I use it a lot. it's really handy for setting up a temporary rest area in a dungeon or castle the party is invading. Not impregnable, but you can at least force opponents to make noise and give the party time to prepare. Also, if you're group is on the road and decides to stay at an inn, cast it on your room(s) doors and windows for a little added security incase the innkeeper or his staff are a bit dodgy. When you buy or build a place of your own, there's something to be said for a door only you can open.

In short, there's lots of reasons to have and use this spell. Basically, any time you want to lock a door or trunk or something up tight, it's good to have.

[Segev]

There's shrink item.

[HappyDaze]

The 1/2 lbs. of gold dust consumed with each casting might be a limit to some. It's not like (most) PCs can just grab a handful of gp and make gold dust on the fly.

[ThorOdinson]

There's shrink item.

You have 3.5 on your mind.

[stoutstien]

Arcane lock is usually pretty hard to use thanks to component cost. Not impossible and it's something you can pull out every now and then if you don't mind dropping the gold to have a door only your allies can open easily.
Now if you happen to be an artificer with SSI....

[Slayn82]

Magic Mouth + Arcane Lock, along with trapdoors on the floor, or locked rooms full of uncontroled undead created with animate dead.

If someone tries to cross the area without the proper method, the magic mouth supress the door for a minute. This means a firm trapdoor Unlocks and drops whoever is passing into a pit. Or it screams for the Undead to come feast on the prey.

Bonus points if you can make the players paranoid that there's an invisible enemy around messing with them. Because a lot of people forget Magic Mouth is a legitimate spell, and you don't need to make the mouth appear facing them. Extra points if you convince them to attack an object like a large statue, possibly triggering another trap.

I like magic mouth + Arcane Lock + Gliph of Warding + Web combo, if only because it makes people scream "MIMIC".

[KorvinStarmast]

I like magic mouth + Arcane Lock + Gliph of Warding + Web combo, if only because it makes people scream "MIMIC". A few years ago, our DM laid a glyph-of-warding-arcane-lock combo on us. It took a while for us to figure out why we could not get back out of the room when the trap went off. Our rogue failed the one lock picking check that was offered. As we made our second set of saving throws versus the poison seeping into the room (yeah, someone had messed with the chest, and, uh, it was my PC *blush*) the wizard hit upon "dispel magic" as the solution, and out we went.

[Merudo]

Also, if you're group is on the road and decides to stay at an inn, cast it on your room(s) doors and windows for a little added security incase the innkeeper or his staff are a bit dodgy.

Unless you dispel the Arcane Lock before leaving the inn, you could get into trouble for making the doors and windows unusable.


If someone tries to cross the area without the proper method, the magic mouth supress the door for a minute.

How does the magic mouth suppress anything?

[stoutstien]

How does the magic mouth suppress anything?

The MM can state the password to suppress AL.

[VonKaiserstein]

You can use it as a counter for many variations of the room filling with sand/gas/water, etc. If you plan to do this, carry around some thin boards with doors drawn on them. Place them over the flow of whatever you don't want there, and cast arcane lock. It should seal the gap. In a pinch, this can also be used to keep a ship from sinking, or to limit the flooding to one room by creating an impassable bulkhead.

Arguably... it can also be used as an open lock spell on any magically sealed thing. You are able to open the object normally. That of course doesn't help with a lock- but a portal that only opens with a password or a key, or some other magic seal should be able to be circumvented.

Of course, that is a discussion for you and your DM, as normally open an ensorceled drawer could require meeting the requirements of the spell, or opening the drawer. A semantics argument, but one that will likely tip in favor of the 2nd level spell slot you want to use.

[JackPhoenix]

A few years ago, our DM laid a glyph-of-warding-arcane-lock combo on us. It took a while for us to figure out why we could not get back out of the room when the trap went off. Our rogue failed the one lock picking check that was offered. As we made our second set of saving throws versus the poison seeping into the room (yeah, someone had messed with the chest, and, uh, it was my PC *blush*) the wizard hit upon "dispel magic" as the solution, and out we went.

As fun as it sounds, unfortunately, it doesn't work by RAW. Spell glyph's embeded spell must target a single creature or an area, and Arcane Lock targets neither.

[Segev]

You can use it as a counter for many variations of the room filling with sand/gas/water, etc. If you plan to do this, carry around some thin boards with doors drawn on them. Place them over the flow of whatever you don't want there, and cast arcane lock. It should seal the gap. In a pinch, this can also be used to keep a ship from sinking, or to limit the flooding to one room by creating an impassable bulkhead.I'm not sure arcane lock improves the ability of a barrier to keep things that normally permeate it from permeating, and I don't think "drawing a door on it" makes it qualify. Either placing the plank over the opening makes it "closed" or it doesn't. But again, nothing in it says that a "locked" entryway doesn't let water/gas/etc. through. Only that it cannot be opened. (And if you argue that it's open if it does let those things through, it's not a valid target for the spell.)


Arguably... it can also be used as an open lock spell on any magically sealed thing. You are able to open the object normally. That of course doesn't help with a lock- but a portal that only opens with a password or a key, or some other magic seal should be able to be circumvented. "Open it normally" doesn't change how it "normally" opens. If it "normally" opens with a special key or password or the like, you merely can use that special key or password or the like to "normally" open it. You want knock to bypass that.

[Gtdead]

Assassinate Houdini? :p

[KorvinStarmast]

As fun as it sounds, unfortunately, it doesn't work by RAW. Spell glyph's embeded spell must target a single creature or an area, and Arcane Lock targets neither. Please contact our DM and let him know that. :smalltongue:

[VonKaiserstein]

I'm not sure arcane lock improves the ability of a barrier to keep things that normally permeate it from permeating, and I don't think "drawing a door on it" makes it qualify. Either placing the plank over the opening makes it "closed" or it doesn't. But again, nothing in it says that a "locked" entryway doesn't let water/gas/etc. through. Only that it cannot be opened. (And if you argue that it's open if it does let those things through, it's not a valid target for the spell.)


All good points! My reasoning stems from the wording of the spell. It says that other than creatures designated as immune to it, "It is impassable until it is broken or the spell dispelled" Once it becomes an impassable portal, it should seal everything out from both sides. It is the magic sealing it. If it only made it locked, I would agree with you. It's the impassable caveat that I'd be attempting to exploit.

The logic for using it as a plug was that by covering the hole, with a door, you are creating a closed entryway, thus allowing you to arcane lock it and seal that entryway in place. Were it to fall, it would 'open', which the spell is intended to prevent.

Of course it's not how it's intended to be used, but I think that raw it should work. The circumvention of magical seals was especially specious.

[Sigreid]

Unless you dispel the Arcane Lock before leaving the inn, you could get into trouble for making the doors and windows unusable.



Depending on what you're traveling with, what you're up to and where you are, could be very worth it.

[Segev]

All good points! My reasoning stems from the wording of the spell. It says that other than creatures designated as immune to it, "It is impassable until it is broken or the spell dispelled" Once it becomes an impassable portal, it should seal everything out from both sides. It is the magic sealing it. If it only made it locked, I would agree with you. It's the impassable caveat that I'd be attempting to exploit.

The logic for using it as a plug was that by covering the hole, with a door, you are creating a closed entryway, thus allowing you to arcane lock it and seal that entryway in place. Were it to fall, it would 'open', which the spell is intended to prevent.

Of course it's not how it's intended to be used, but I think that raw it should work. The circumvention of magical seals was especially specious.

It's a neat set of ideas, but...I just don't see it working. Because for it to be "closed," it has to be impassible, but it doesn't have to be impermeable. It does come down to what it means to be "closed." Is a classic old west saloon door "closed" when it can easily be gone under and there's plenty of room to go over it? If so, it's "impassable" only if you aren't willing to squeeze through.

Personally, I'd run it as the arcane lock protecting the pass-closing barrier, but I wouldn't give it magical power to seal beyond the physical dimensions of the locked barricade.

[Lord Vukodlak]

Assassinate Houdini? :p

Pretty sure Houdini was also a magician he could cast knock.

[Thunderous Mojo]

The malfeasance you can get up to with this spell, is pretty staggering.
Imagine the chaos and delays caused, if you cast this upon a closed City gate.

I agree with Ludic's player, in a mega-dungeon/ Fortress/Urban adventure setting...continual usage of this spell, can help the PC group assert some control over the terrain.

This is resource intensive but you can cast Wall of Stone and create any sort of really useful permanent walls. My favorite is a hemispherical shape wall of stone that blocks the entrance to something, (or someone).

The Stone Shape spell can create a door in the newly permanent wall.
Apply Arcane Lock to the newly made door.
Makes a decently secured prison, or safety seal on a dungeon's enterance.

[HappyDaze]

stuff

You attributed a quote to me that was posted by someone else.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

You have 3.5 on your mind.

But in 5e enlarge/reduce works on objects

[KorvinStarmast]

You attributed a quote to me that was posted by someone else. Hmm, multiquote misfire, I went and fixed it.

[HappyDaze]

Hmm, multiquote misfire, I went and fixed it.

It's all good. I hear it happens to posters of a certain age...