Lock

[Rhelian]

Had an idea for a new spell - Lock.

Essentially, it would be the opposite to the knock spell.

In essence, Lock would allow the wizard to lock a door or container magically, so that only Knock or Doorbash would be able to be used to open the Locked object.

Detect magic would be able to reveal an aura around a magically locked door, and doors could be warded to stop them being Locked (ie: shop doors in WD)

Looking for feedback and discussion here so post if you have some

[Tandria]

I, for one, really like this idea.

Ever had someone walk into the room while you're in the middle of a private conversation? Boom, cast lock, and keep your conversation to yourself.

Good idea, Rhelian .

[Myn]

I am way superly likin' the idea of having the lock spell put it. There have been several times that I would have liked to be able to lock up a door that wouldnt, but have just lacked the magics to do so *pout*

[Thenwood]

I don't think the door should be un-pickable, or unable to passdoor. It would be neat if the spell made the door just act like a locked door, and the ease of passing with picking would be equal to the spell's level.

-Then

[Mikhail]

I agree with Thenwood about doors remaining pickable and passable and further note containers should be able to picked as well.

A magical seal would be another matter but would also require a fairly powerful spellcaster to work properly. Can see a failure on seal making the item unclosable at all (warps door, shrinks/stretches fabric, etc) or possibly destroying the container completely.

Seal on containers probably would only be removable by dispel; doors would be affected by dispel but possibly also by repeated doorbashes if the basher is powerful enough and the spell weak enough.

Thoughts from the perspective of a non-spellcaster.

[Glim]

I think it would be unpickable, mainly because the door is sealed by magic with no outward kind of lock on it. The spell does not create a lock on the door, merely makes it unopenable.

I would think the only ways to open it would be knock, doorbash, or perhaps dispel magic. Passdoor would work because it merely goes through the cracks in the door.

I really like this idea mainly because it would help if the wizard wanted privacy, ie locking his lab door because he is about to summon a demon from the nine hells and if he so much as blinked wrong he would be destroyed.

There would need to be a certain command word to dispel the magic upon a certain door after the wizard was done though.

Hrm...just wondering...could this be done on containers as well?

[Rhelian]

The door wouldn't be able to be picked as although the thief might pick a lock, the magic of the spell is holding the door shut, not the mechanism in the door.

Doorbash would succeed after a few successes I think. Passdoor wouldn't be hindered by the lock spell, as it isn't a ward against intruders.

Dispel magic could possibly be used as a ranged target, same as the knock spell, cast 'dispel magic' east, which would target the locked door, with a check against caster level of the locke spell. Basically, it would be harder to dispel the magic as opposed to knocking the door.

[Mikhail]

Hrm, okay, so you're thinking literally of locking it magically rather than creating a little lock on it - which would be pickable. Again, this sounds like seal, a spell that would be very difficult and require a moderately powerful spellcaster to cast successfully.

[Andreas]

Per the 2nd Ed. PHB

Wizard Lock (2nd level spell)
(Alteration)

Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: 30 sq. ft./level
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 2
Saving Throw: None

A wizard lock spell cast upon a door, chest, or portal magically locks it. The caster can freely pass his own lock without affecting it; otherwise, the wizard-locked door or object ca be opened only by breaking in, by a successful dispel magic or knock spell, or by a wizard four or more levels higher than the one casting the spell. Note that the last two methods do not remove the wizard lock; they only negate it for a brief duration - about one turn. Creatures from other planes cannot burst a wizard lock as they can a held portal (see the hold portal spell).

In 3rd Edition the spell is called arcane lock and its school changes to Abjuration and it gains the material component of 25 gp worth of gold dust.

The caster could freely pass through. Someone with the door bash skill could bash it (3E recommends a +10 to normal DC for bashing open locked doors) and it can be dispelled or knocked. Thieves, however, can't pick a wizard locked door. Oh well. Guess that means a wizard or big, burly fighter type is needed to get through

[Timaeus]

Arcane Lock
Abjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Target: The door, chest, or portal touched up to 30sq ft/level in size.
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

An Arcane Lock spell cast upon a door, chest, or portal magically locks it. You can freely pass your own lock without affecting it; otherwise, a door or object secured with arcane lock can be opened only by breaking in or a by a successful dispel magic or knock spell. Add +10 to the normal DC to break open a door or portal affected by this spell. Note the knock spell does not remove an arcane lock. It only surpresses it for 10 minutes.
Materiel Component: Gold dust worth 25 gp.

Thats the spell as outlined in the 3rd edition Player's Handbook. Given the limits of a MU* and for ease of coding I would suggest that either knock or dispel magic would end such a spell as would a successful doorbash. Passdoor would allow entry without having to open the door. A permanent duration would be out of place on a MU* and open to abuse, a duration of about an hour would be more in line for a MU*. Again, for coding purposes it would be easier to make everyone have to defeat the spell once cast including the caster or wait out the duration.

As for containers you could use a spell like this on them and the only command there would be for breaking into a container sealed by this spells is sacrifice which destroys the container but leaves the contents. A dispel magic or knock on a container affected would end the arcane lock spell without destroying the container.

Timaeus Valierius,
Warrior of Kelemvor.

[Mikhail]

Thank you very much for the clarification on that.

Mikhail "I told you I wasn't a spellcaster" Lerouge

[Andreas]

Only problem I see is the way Dispel Magic is currently coded, you can only cast it on a creature (PC/mob) and not objects/directions.

[Rhelian]

Well if you modified dispel magic.... *points to other thread*

Containers, while it would be good to have them be affected by this spell, might be dependant on codeability I would think that locking some items such as a backpack would be probably beyond the range of this spell, but containers like chests would be prefectly alright.

Duration for the spell could be set for a long time, say 8 - 12 hours gametime, with knock removing the spell completely, and dispel magic supressing it for perhaps a half hour gametime (roughly 5 minutes)

I'm liking this idea more and more