Arcane Lock
Level 2 · Abjuration
- Utility
Listed under abjuration, Arcane Lock costs a 2nd-level slot for wizard casters. Cast time: Action. Range Touch, components V/S/M, duration until dispelled. Material: gold dust worth 25+ GP, which the spell consumes. Effect: You touch a closed door, window, gate, container, or hatch and magically lock it for the duration.
Stat Block
- Level
- 2
- School
- Abjuration
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range / Area
- Touch
- Components
- V, S, M
- Duration
- Until dispelled
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- No
- Classes
- Wizard
- Material
- gold dust worth 25+ GP, which the spell consumes
Description
You touch a closed door, window, gate, container, or hatch and magically lock it for the duration. This lock can't be unlocked by any nonmagical means. You and any creatures you designate when you cast the spell can open and close the object despite the lock. You can also set a password that, when spoken within 5 feet of the object, unlocks it for 1 Minute.
5e (2014) vs 2024 changes
This spell has both a 5e (2014) and 2024 Player's Handbook version. Doungim shows the current 2024 stat block above. Differences between editions typically affect components, range, or scaling — check both source books for the table.
Doungim Lore
School Fit
Abjuration is the school of refusal. Its spells exist to deny: deny an attack, deny a spell, deny a creature's free movement or its hold on this plane. On the school axis, Arcane Lock is Abjuration: the spell ends, prevents, or absorbs an effect that would otherwise land. At level 2, daily slot counts allow Arcane Lock to be cast multiple times across the adventuring day.
Class Fit
- Wizard: At tier 1 Wizards have small prepared lists. Arcane Lock earns its place by either being always-relevant (Shield, Mage Armor) or by being the right answer to a known problem.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Arcane Lock
- What level spell is Arcane Lock?
- Arcane Lock sits at level 2 in the Abjuration school of magic, prepared by Wizard.
- What is the range of Arcane Lock?
- Arcane Lock has a range of Touch — the caster must be in contact with the target to cast it.
- How long does Arcane Lock last?
- Arcane Lock lasts until dispelled. It does not require concentration, so the caster can run other concentration spells alongside it.
- What components and casting time does Arcane Lock need?
- Arcane Lock requires V, S, M. Material component: gold dust worth 25+ GP, which the spell consumes.