Knock: resolve one lock and account for the noise
Knock can solve a barrier to access, but it is neither silent nor a blanket removal of every lock on a complicated object. Count the barriers before choosing it.
Before casting
| Casting detail | SRD 5.2.1 requirement |
|---|---|
| Casting time | Action |
| Range | 60 feet |
| Components | V |
| Duration | Instantaneous |
Use it at the table
- Choose a visible object within range that contains a mundane or magical means preventing access.
- A mundane lock, stuck closure or bar can be opened by the spell; on an object with multiple locks, only one lock is unlocked.
- Arcane Lock is suppressed for ten minutes, and a loud knock audible up to 300 feet emanates from the target.
Make the call
A visible chest has three separate mundane locks. One Knock casting targets the chest. How many of its locks does that casting unlock?
The ruling
One of the three locks.
The spell explicitly limits an object with multiple locks to one unlocked lock. The remaining locks still need a solution before access is available. The loud knock is an additional consequence, so a plan that depends on secrecy must account for nearby listeners rather than assuming magical entry is quiet.
Watch for this mistake
For Arcane Lock, the text says suppressed for ten minutes, not permanently dispelled. Keep the access window and the object’s other barriers visible when describing the result.
Ask the table
Which barrier is being removed, what remains, and who might hear the knock?
The source spell
SRD 5.2.1, pages 143–144. Read the official PDF.
Level 2 Transmutation (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.
Source and reuse
This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
The explanation, example and table prompt are Table Ready adaptations; source text has been reflowed. This guide and its printable card are available under the same CC BY 4.0 license. Independent reference; no official affiliation. These rules are optional for our system-neutral adventures.