[✗] [Invention] Arcane Security Wards

[Vocturne 92]

Arcane Security Wards

Origin
Since there has been treasure to find, there have been desires to safeguard them. For ages past, there have been various mundane means of keeping thieves at bay. Whether it be posted guards, reinforced doors and even the humble lock, all have been breached and avoided many time over. In response a new application of transfiguration magic has been developed to provide a wholly new obstacle for would-be trespassers.


Description
A magically enchanted door or chest. It can take on any mundane appearance, the only differences are that it needs to consist of some element of magegold or arcanium large enough to encompass the entire structure to house the enchantments. It would also lack any traditional keyhole, due to its magical defenses making such obsolete. Instead opting for a slot for a paired item created alongside it called a keystone, utilized in much the same way. It would otherwise physically appear as any ordinary chest, container or door in the world.

 

Capabilities
Once enchanted, the item in question would become near-impervious to physical destruction. Ordinary weapons made of mundane materials would be all but entirely ineffective at breaching it. That being said, there would be physical means of breaking through the enchantment. Namely blasting potions. Though, each use of these would risk breaking whatever was sealed within.
Attempting to use a blasting potion would require a roll. (DC 12, then 1d2 to determine if the items within are destroyed)
A safer means of breaking in would be to unravel the magic sealing it shut.
Any Tier 4+ Transfigurationist can easily identify the magic at work and, assuming they have an understanding of how to craft enchantments of their own, can roll to unseal the container (8+ DC to breach.)

Artificers, with the prerequisite knowledge of transfiguration at Tier 4+ would have an even better and more precise knowledge of the enchantments at a touch. (5+ DC)

In addition to the above, given its voidal nature, druids would also be able to cleanse the taint from the item in question with no roll, following the same redlines of blight healing.

Redlines
- The structure requires a very freeform creation process and ST sign to be considered valid. The process should, however, include the creation of the keystone alongside it. In that respect, it is treated as a Grand Enchantment and follows their redlines.

- Upon failing to breach the structure, it would still consume the item used, in the case of a blasting potion.
- Failure to breach the structure through magical means would utterly exhaust the mage and make it impossible to attempt again for an OOC hour.
- If an individual has the designated keystone item, the ward simply allows them to enter, regardless of ownership.

Purpose OOC
The thinking that went into this was that I saw there was a distinct lack of anything similar already on LOTC. While we have wards and abjurations as spells and countermagic, another fantasy trope I've seen and wanted to bring to LOTC was a variation on a warded container or door.

 

Lore Citations

 

 

 

OOC Note:
As this is my first attempt at something like a lore submission and even really trying my hand at forums formatting, I apologize if it's a bit rough around the edges.

Edited May 16, 2025 by Vocturne

[Islamadon 9158]

This lore has been denied.

Basically, ST Management does not want to increase the difficulty it takes to access chests during heists, nor do we feel this would warrant an ST Sign. Essentially this would just be very difficult for moderation to handle and muddy theft rules.