It is, of course, an iron law of nature that Magick and Technology are in fundamental, irreconcilable opposition. (Okay, the sequel would have featured 'a clue about how magic and tech can be reconciled in the same artifact, something that most learned people had believed to be impossible', but that game never got made.) Yet among Arcanum's magickal spells is a modest little thing called the Unlocking Cantrip--a spell that specifically operates on mechanical devices, to wit, locks.

I would have thought that even a simple lock would be of intricate enough mechanical design to count as technological--yet Magick not only can operate on these mechanisms, but has a dedicated spell with which to do so.

I wondered whether locks might be considered neutral because their intricate design doesn't involve applied science in quite the way that, say, the steam engine demands precise knowledge of the physics of pressure. But are locks supposed to be typically less technological than, say, the balanced sword, which is presumably Tech because of some metallurgically sophisticated method of production? That strikes me as doubtful. According to the manual, even something as basic as a block on an inclined place is affected unpredictably by Magick, and such influence 'can and will cause gears to grind, belts to break, and cogs to catch and stick—with disastrous consequences!'

So I'm left with the sense that the Unlocking Cantrip is an anomaly in an otherwise generally consistent lore and gameplay system. Perhaps the only such mystery of nature--or are there others...?

Part of me wants to say, "You're overthinking this; the devs just wanted to give magical PCs a way to open chests too." And the other part would rather go, "Hmm. The Divination spell See Contents only works on chests, crates and barrels, which are technological constructs. It's not like it also lets you see inside of, say, a hollowed-out tree stump or a shallow cave. Oh, and how in the world is any sword or mail not hi-tech? Do you have any idea how much specialized knowledge and craftsmanship goes into making any of those?"

Perhaps the cantrip interferes with the lock mechanism and it no longer works. Best of both worlds. The magic holds true, as does the way it messes up technology.

It would have to interfere with it in such a way that it's guaranteed to unlock in the process, though. And if it simply rips the lock apart, why does this spell work specifically on a particular kind of technological mechanism?