The Spell Escape

[darthauthor]

The question is about the 5th level invocation spell "Escape" (8)

Can this spell open/unlock a metal safe?

The door to a car?

The trunk of a car?

A wooden puzzle box?

The door/hatch to power armor?

The door/hatch to a robot?

The door/hatch to a submarine?

A portcullis (the heavy castle door or gate made of metal strips that form a grid)?

[Grazzik]

Two tests:
1) Does it help escape bonds?

OR

2a) Is it a mechanical lock?
2b) Does the lock bar the mage's way to passing through an opening?
2c) Would the mage reasonably pass through the opening in the first place?

Can this spell open/unlock a metal safe?

Escape bonds? No. Locking mechanism...yes, barring way, no - people don't go into a safe. So, no. A walk-in vault, sure it would work.

The door to a car?

Escape bonds? No. Locking mechanism...yes, barring way, yes. So, yes.

The trunk of a car?

Escape bonds? No. Locking mechanism...yes, but baring way from inside, yes. Barring way from outside, no as you would not reasonably go into a car trunk. If there was a Dimensional Envelope in the trunk, then maybe. So, depends on context.

A wooden puzzle box?

Escape bonds? No. Locking mechanism...no, it is a puzzle, not a lock. So, no.

The door/hatch to power armor?

Escape bonds? No. Locking mechanism...yes, barring way, yes. So, yes.

The door/hatch to a robot?

Escape bonds? No. Locking mechanism...yes, barring way, yes. So, yes.

The door/hatch to a submarine?

Escape bonds? No. Locking mechanism...yes, barring way, yes. So, yes.

A portcullis (the heavy castle door or gate made of metal strips that form a grid)?

Escape bonds? No. Locking mechanism...no - winch and gravity mechanism. So, no.

[darthauthor]

Wow Grazzik You are really thorough.

I never even thought of getting out of a truck.

So if the player character was tied up and put in the trunk of a car could they use the spell to get out?

What about, like a magician, locked in a luggage trunk and tossed into a lake?

Door of an armored car, like the kind they use to transport cash?

Panic Room Door?

A bear trap with your foot in it?

[Grazzik]

Wow Grazzik You are really thorough.

I never even thought of getting out of a truck.

So if the player character was tied up and put in the trunk of a car could they use the spell to get out?

What about, like a magician, locked in a luggage trunk and tossed into a lack?

Getting out of a truck is the same as a car.
Getting out of a trunk works too. In England, getting out of a boot works too.
Getting out of a trunk, as in a container, if locked, works too.
Locked in a trunk in a trunk works too, two spells.
Tied in a trunk in a trunk, three spells.
Tied in a trunk in a trunk in a lake, dead, since can't speak underwater, so no spellcasting.

[Grazzik]

Door of an armored car, like the kind they use to transport cash?

Panic Room Door?

A bear trap with your foot in it?

All these work.
- any vehicle door, spell works both ways
- any room door works both ways
- the trap could be considered a bond as it restricts movement

[darthauthor]

A trap door?

A vampires coffin?

Garage door?

[darthauthor]

Magic Net? Like the Splugorth slavers

Normal Net?

Carpet of Adhesion?

Quicksand?

A door held closed by the spell "Seal"?

The ignition of a car you are trying to steal?

[Grazzik]

A trap door? If locked shut, yes. No effect on the trap mechanism, so can't just spring the trap with the spell.

A vampires coffin? If locked and getting out, yes. If getting in... it's large enough to get in, so sure.

Garage door? Typically, not a "lock" as it is usually a motorized chain system or old-fashioned pulley system. If padlocked, the padlock would open.

Magic Net? Like the Splugorth slavers. A bond like magic rope, so yes.

Normal Net? A bond like rope, so yes.

Carpet of Adhesion? I'd say no because it is more like sticky flypaper rather than something that restricts movement. Unless your GM reads "bond" to include glues.

Quicksand? No, this is a natural phenomena, even if magically conjured

A door held closed by the spell "Seal"? Not a mechanical lock, so no.

The ignition of a car you are trying to steal? Not a lock barring your way, you can always walk.

[drewkitty ~..~]

An answer to ALL the OP questions.

If the mage is inside the container, yes. Otherwise...no.

Portcullis....typically there is a man-sized gates right next to the main gate. (These are there so people could enter/exit without opening the main gate.) And the locking mech is typically right there on the inside of that gate (a cross bar).
roman empire era reference:

Spoiler:

these man-sized portals were typically called an 'eye of the needle' .