Knocking (cantrip)
Knocking is a cantrip that replicates the rhythmic tap of knuckles or an object against a wooden surface. To the listener, the source is elusive, echoing diversely from no specific location. Typically, the listener perceives it as real, prompting them to investigate or respond.
Range | 10 ft. |
Duration | 1 round |
Area of Effect | 30 ft. |
Casting Time | 2 action points |
Saving Throw | negates |
Level | cantrip |
Thus the dweomer acts as a distraction. Those who investigate and who fail a saving throw vs. magic receive a -1 penalty against their initiative if confronted while searching for the sound. The perceived knocking might lead a listener to assume that someone important or urgent is at the door, compelling them to open it — unwittingly giving others a chance to enter.
The cantrip could be used as a coded signal between allies or as a form of non-verbal communication, though the knocking's beat cannot be determined by the caster. In a more lighthearted setting, a skilled user of the cantrip might incorporate it into a performance, or to defraud an individual by supposing the knocking is some form of communication from beyond the grave.