Arcane Lock

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

Other Information
Only you (not allies) can freely pass your Arcane Lock spell.

Pros:
  • Permanent duration.
  • No save, no SR.

    Cons:
  • Costly material component.
  • Can be defeated with physical force, Dispel Magic, or Knock.
  • Does not allow allies to bypass the locked door/chest/portal.

    Tricks/Combos:
  • Heighten Spell: Heightening Arcane Lock doesn't help against physical force or Knock spells, but it does make it harder for someone to successfully dispel it with Dispel Magic. Since Arcane Lock is permanent, you can use a high-level slot on it at your leisure or when you know you won't need the slot for something else.
  • Besides securing your home (see below), you can use it if you are being pursued by something. Run through a door and shut it, and Arcane Lock it. Hopefully your pursuers will try to just open the door and fail, and waste some time pondering this (even better if the door has no actual physical lock mechanism). Even if they try to batter it down, the +10 to the DC should be a problem, or at least slow them down.

    Overall:
    If you have a fort or castle or something that you want to keep secure, casting Arcane Lock on all the doors is a good security move. Even if a hostile force magically gets around the Arcane Lock, that's still a spell that they had to waste. Meanwhile, since you cast the Arcane Lock spells way before, your spell repetoire is still at full power. There's not much that can be done against physical forced entries, but at least Arcane Lock makes it more difficult to bash the door down.

    Recommended for Sorcerers?
    No. You will almost never use this spell, certainly not enough to warrant a precious spell slot.

    Recommended for Wizards as an initial spell choice?
    No. You probably won't have a base to protect at 3rd level, so scroll-scribe it later when you might actually need it. For day to day adventuring, it could occasionally come in handy, but chances are you'll find yourself wishing you had just memorized a Scorching Ray instead.

    Recommended as a scroll?
    Maybe one or two for the escaping trick, otherwise, just hire a local Wizard to fortify your castle's doors for you.
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