Alright, let me tell you about this whole “No Knock” thing in Baldur’s Gate 3. Kept seeing folks online whispering about skipping the Knock spell for stealth, just lockpick everything. Thought, nah, that sounds messy. But curiosity got me. Today? Yeah, booted up the game purely to give it a whirl, see if the sneaky approach was worth the hassle or just a meme.
Started simple. Loaded my usual save in Act 2, right outside Moonrise Towers. Normally, I’d scout a bit, maybe cast Knock on the side gate near the docks. Small potatoes. Instead, stuffed Shadowheart in a corner with Pass Without Trace and handed Astarion, my sneaky rogue dude, my best set of lockpicks. Thought, “This’ll be quick.” Boy, was I wrong.
Tried picking the lock on the side gate first. Clicked the action… whirrr… dice roll… boom, 18. Gate pops open easy. Success! Felt a little smug sliding Astarion through. Looked around. Guard patrol nearby? Yep. Big group. Okay, gotta be careful.
Moved towards the storage building. Wanted some extra supplies. Found a locked door. Astarion crouched down again. Another roll. Click… crack… snap. Rolled a nat 1. Broke the damn pick. Scratched my head, pulled out another pick. Second try? 5. Failed. Tried a third time? 7. Still stuck. Now the guard patrol was getting suspicious. Had to pull back, hide behind a barrel. Waited. Took almost two minutes in-game before they finally turned around, grumbling. Went back to the door. Fourth pick? Finally popped it with an 11. Snatched the supplies and got out.
Decided to push it. Went looking for one of those heavy doors deeper inside the Towers, near where Ketheric hangs out. Figured a tougher challenge. Found a reinforced door. Astarion crouched. Roll? Needed a high teens roll, maybe a DC 17 or something. Tried. 12? Nope. Broke another pick. Shoved in a second pick. 14? Door stayed shut. Third pick? 10. Forget it. Guard started moving right towards my hiding spot behind a pillar. Panicked. Quick-saved right then and there, heart thumping.
Reloaded that save twice more before I got the door open. Costs? I wasted:
- Four lockpick sets
- A bunch of potions of visibility because the guards got jumpy
- A scroll of Misty Step to escape a near-detection
- At least fifteen minutes of my real-world time just messing about with reloads
Finally got inside the room, grabbed what was there – decent loot, sure – and booked it out. Felt more like escaping a bank heist gone slightly wrong than a smooth stealth operation.
So, after all that? Is “No Knock” worth it? Honestly?
- Massive pain in the ass on tough doors. Broken picks, reloads, guards breathing down your neck.
- It burns through your lockpick stash fast, especially early on or against harder locks.
- Can definitely save a spell slot… but often costs you more in items, time, and stress.
Final verdict? It works, technically. You can open the door eventually. But “worth it”? Only if you truly despise using Knock or absolutely have zero slots left. For most things? Using Knock just feels smoother, safer, and way less frustrating. This stealth approach? It’s viable, but far from efficient. Felt like I fought the game mechanics more than the Absolute’s forces. Might try it again for laughs on a lower difficulty, but on Tactician? What a mess.