Locks, Magical, Three Each

Inspired by taichara's post on 3 locks, and being shown the way by chgowiz's Three More Magical Locks I offer my humble contribution.


Lock of Remote Action
These fixtures appear in many forms from simple catch to complex clockwork mechanism. They may be found loose or attached to all manner of objects, walls, floors, columns, furniture, even doors, chests and other normally locked items. The faintly detectable magic of them is that what they unlock has no relation to what (if anything) they are attached to. It maybe the door next to them or a gate on the other side of the dungeon.

The inventor, one Archmage Zlul the Ever-laughing, is said to have constructed a most devious dungeon beneath his tower. Consisting of many small chambers interconnected with doors whose Locks of Remote Action were all in a "control" vault. The chambers were stocked with oozes, undead and other dangers most foul. Into this ever changing maze he would drop hapless adventurers. Zlul, ensconsed in his control vault would observe their progress and occasionally release a horror if they proved too dull.


Lock, Most Disturbing
This simple lock is always combined with a trap of some sort. Although the lock will detect as magical no manner of skill or sorcery will reveal it's trap. For until the lock is bypassed the trap is held in an extra-dimensional space. The act of unlocking summons the trap from it's hiding place at which time it is detectable via all the normal means. Locking the device returns the trap to it's extra-dimensional space. For most locks of this type use of the proper key keeps the trap safely outside of our dimension. Some are safe only if opened via magic. Others are never safe... Most disturbing.

The lock itself is not overly hard to pick for those skilled in the art. The maker of the lock trusts that interlopers will follow the tried and true sequence "detect for traps" -> "pick locks" -> "rob treasure" and thus be lulled into sense of safety just as a deadly trap is poised to strike.

[DM's Note: Things that exist beyond do not take kindly to their home being used as storage for our traps and there is a small chance that a Lock, Most Disturbing will attract their attention. Hitching a ride into our reality when the trap is summoned.]


Eward's Enigma Bolt
This ordinary looking crossbolt might be encountered securing a room, chest, drawer or the like. It, being a simple bolt, requires no skill to "unlock". Not designed to bar physical access its strong enchantment obstructs mental and mystical access to the contents it secures. As long as the bolt is in the closed position nothing short of a wish or godlike power will allow scrying, detecting, teleport into/out of, reading thoughts of, summoning, banishing, or the like any thing, person, creature within the protected object. The weakest Eward's creations are small and will only work when attached to a coffer or drawer. They range up in size and power all the way to huge bars which are suitable for securing an entire castle.