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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ECMO3" data-source="post: 9330472" data-attributes="member: 7030563">If you play strict RAW it is almost never easier and almost never safer to cast knock and it is much more costly already.A Rogue can always open a lock for free, with no resource cost, as long as she has time and the DC is less than Dex+PB+20.  "Take 20" does not exist in 5E, but neither are checks to open locks limited to a single attempt.  So try to open it, then try again, then try again, eventually you will get it unless it is so hard that it is impossible .... which means the DM does not want it opened.  This is thematically appropriate too - "The lock on the safe is very, very complex, so the Rogue doesn't open it in 6 seconds, but it finally pops open after 3 minutes of working on it" (30 rolls).It is never safer to cast knock unless you are certain there are no enemies within 300 feet.It is also very costly already, you need to use a spell slot, but the bigger cost is to have Knock prepared (or known).  That is a VERY big cost unless you know you will need it ahead of time, and the cost increases at higher levels.  It is rare that I see any Wizards walking around with knock prepared; even at 3rd level they are replacing a spell like Web, Shield, Absorb Elements, Misty Step, Magic Missile, Cause Fear, Hold Person ......Given this, the only time Knock is really better is when you are doing it in combat where the action cost matters AND you actually prepared this spell ahead of time AND the difficulty is high enough that the automatic success through knock is worth the slot cost and Wizard's action AND it is not more advisable to just kill the enemies first AND there is no issue with alerting everyone else within 300 feet ..... that is a corner case indeed.Same with a lot of other utility spells that outdo skills:  Levitate is awesome as far as utility outdoing people who get Athletics for climbing a wall and has some offensive potential too, spider climb makes you awesome at climbing too. Still both of these are very rarely prepared/known given the other options available.Tongues is more effective than knowing a bunch of languages through race, background etc but you are giving up something like Fear or Fireball to get it, and typically don't have the Charisma to cash in on it.</blockquote>

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