Animated Spellbook: Unseen Servant DnD 5E

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Animated spellbook: Unseen servant.

[@enigmaodell6806]

‘Ask for a high level slot’ is actually a great solution, simple, allows for creativity but needs a cost

[@zeebashew]

Yeah Jim is really brilliant!

[@DDWyss]

Just imagine what a 9th level unseen servant could do!

[@noodledoodle9408]

I usually go with arcana checks. Or in the case of wizards, tell them it may be something they can make a new spell for.

[@Dyneamaeus]

​@@DDWyss You've just given me my next character idea; A peasant from a village near a High-Wizards tower, but the whole village is made of permanent US's cast at 9th level, ordered to act as villagers, and provide regular food delivery up the mountain to him. Now the wizard is missing and it's up to Village Chief to find her lost creator and ask him where he wants them to put the statue they just finished.

[@alexandriatempest]

`Depending on the ask, I would probably throw in an Arcana check. Like, if it's in the bounds of the spell, but you could think of it not being strong enough to enact (You want to carry 10lbs instead of 5lbs?!?), or increased distance or the like, then just an upcast makes sense. You want to do some slightly out of bounds, then the Arcana check, especially if it's on the fly. Love the idea though. More flexibility = More Fun.

[@unknownvalor9755]

"The servants bell" small brass bell that casts Unseen Servant once per long rest when rung.

[@themanysirs1814]

"hmm, might be able to use it as a trap later, put the bell into the bag for later"

[@icetide9411]

Imagine the unseen servant is following the party, and the person says something like "I could use a snack" and suddenly food is pulled out of their pack and floats towards them

[@camelthegamer7165]

​@@icetide9411 Turn to your friend, "You mind starting this fire for me?" Whoosh! "..." "...ghost?" "Ghost."

[@HenshinFanatic]

You've just created an SCP.

[@jocosesonata]

​@@HenshinFanatic Already exists... Kinda. *Introducing SCP-662:* Once rung, a British gentleman appears from the nearest unoccupied room and will essentially be the greatest butler you could ever have.

[@princephantom1294]

It can’t attack, but it can definitely scatter ball bearings or caltrops. Setting fires, throwing switches, moving items from one party member to another, and more are definitely possible. One of those spells that gets better the more you think about it.

[@timogul]

I do think it's silly when a spell says it can do a lot of things, but not other things that are not actually that different. Like it can't "attack," but can it "swing a sword in the direction that happens to be occupied by an enemy?" I see no reason why not that isn't purely arbitrary. Even if you argue that they are too slow to present a credible threat with a sword, they could at least pull the trigger on a crossbow, no doubt. They might not be able to aim in any way, so you would need to have them lined up on the target, but they should at least function.

[@eclipserepeater2466]

@@timogul Maybe we can say that it can attack, and for the purposes of attacking it's a creature with 2 strength and 2 dexterity? :p

[@haukness]

@@timogul I get you with the crossbow, but I would not call it an attack any more then a crossbow trap could "attack". Instead I would suggest it would be possible to give an unseen servent a crossbow, order it to pull the trigger if something crosses in front of it, then it becomes an impromtu crossbow trap and the target makes a save.

[@TheDarkLasombra]

I feel like even if they can do those things, you have to be exact about when or how to do them or they will happen randomly or chaotically during combat. I feel like having them be able to react to intruders/aggressors is overpowered and doesn't hold up to being "mindless".

[@Alex-cq1zr]

​@@timogul Eh, it's probably like that for balance reasons Familiars also can't attack - probably for balance reasons, but perhaps there could be some lore excuse. Temporary Summons can attack for some reason. Why do summons even follow commands in the first place?

[@Tathanic]

Its a semi intelligent non hostile autonomous telekinesis.

[@benjaminoechsli1941]

A SINHAT, for short? 🎩

[@bananabanana484]

@@benjaminoechsli1941 I’m stealing this name for a magic item. I hope you understand

[@kevingriffith6011]

My favorite use of unseen servant is the 'decoy wizard'. I have the servant follow me carrying a lightweight mannequin wearing long robes that drag the ground and sleeves pinned as though the hands are clasped in front, a heavy hood concealing the 'face'. Naturally whether or not a monster will fall for the decoy and waste a turn attacking it is entirely up to the game master as there aren't really any rules for fake wizards, but it can potentially absorb part of an ambush or be sent into a room first in place of a chicken to see if anything jumps out and tries to kill it... or even have a spell or two thrown in it's direction!

[@airesbattleblade732]

I would probably run that almost like Mirror Image, but only at AC 10 and with just one guy.

[@Lambda3141]

I love the idea of using Unseen Servant in a hospital or medical quarantine situation! Gonna try to use that in the future.

[@Brasswatchman]

That is a great thought.

[@yourfriendlyinternetmeatshield]

​@@Brasswatchman*commands unseen servant to traverse an area with a plague doctors mask at head height*

[@LordDragox412]

Patients: This place is haunted! There's ghosts! Doctor: Excuse me, that's nurse Unseen, not a ghost. It would seem you're suffering from hysteria. Nurse, bring the bonesaw, it's time for lobotomy!

[@cliffwarden5934]

Had a doctor wizard who used magnificent mansion and it's 50 unseen servants as an instant hospital

[@RumpusImperator]

Why not just use Mage Hand?

[@Bluecho4]

One rule of thumb a DM might employ with the Unseen Servant is to assume that if the activity you wanted would require an ability check of some kind, it just can't do it. It automatically fails, because it has no listed ability scores (aside from Str 2). If a PC can do something without rolling, the Unseen Servant _might_ be able to do it. So, picking up an item from a shelf or from the pocket of an unconscious person is doable. Stealing something from a conscious, aware person is a no go.

[@hugofontes5708]

Maybe not picking pockets, but moving stuff behind their distracted backs sounds reasonable enough

[@adambielen8996]

Arcane Trickster specifically gets the ability for its Mage Hand to pick pockets so definitely a no go on Unseen Servant doing that.

[@MrDuranis]

That's actually a really simple way to run it. Still gives it a lot of varied usability but stops it from stepping on other spells or abilities.

[@karsten69]

I would allow it to steal from someone, I would not allow it to 'hide' what it was doing. So the victim would notice.

[@theposhdinosaur7276]

I think a ruling that makes sense in general for mindless servants, such as this one and undead, is that rather than understand the words of your command, they magically undestand its intent. So in the scouting scenario, I would probably ask the player to define what danger is; does the servant ring the bell if it sees a creature? Well there's a bat inside the cave, so ring the bell.

[@numimio]

ai bros saying "okay draw a hand" and it makes an eldritch creature as a result that kind of looks like a hand.

[@Ithtorukk]

The party suddenly hears the bell ringing non stop. They realize the servant must be mistaken and check in on it. It has discovered a colony of ants, and is ringing for each new ant it sees.

[@theposhdinosaur7276]

@@numimio lmao yeah, I think for the unseen servant it would also be wise to rule that it can't do anything that would require a skill check; although the spell does specifically say it can "mend" implying that it can sow.

[@Rockzilla1122]

@@theposhdinosaur7276 i dont think basic mending and sewing should require a skill check, its a menial task that a commoner can accomplish with regularity.

[@theposhdinosaur7276]

@@Rockzilla1122 Yeah, I mostly brought it up because it seems more involved than the other tasks listed. Indeed "sowing tools" do not exist as artisan's tools, though "Weaver's tools" do. So I think it is correct that mending clothes requires no proficiency, but weaving clothes do.

[@drewhalcro6082]

I had a character that had unseen servants bound to the house. Each one had a specific function and would operate on little "guide rails".

[@Bluecho4]

This is the kind of thing a DM should allow as a kind of permanent enchantment. The Unseen Servant is bound to a location, and performs a rote task when not otherwise directed (sweeping floors, washing dishes, dusting, etc). The kind of thing a household of modest means might have installed in their home by way of a local wizard.

[@Coid]

It's arguably one of the more useful things about the spell Mighty Fortress and making it permanent, that gaggle of location-bound Unseen Servants. I'd definitely be cool with taking a couple weeks or a month to make an Unseen Servant that does a specific task or sort of task in a articular place, though, or some variety of non-spell ritual to accomplish such.

[@MaxSMoke777]

@@Bluecho4 WIth HP that low, wouldn't a cat swatting at the flying object be enough to dispel it?

[@drewhalcro6082]

@@MaxSMoke777 If you are going by the book, yes. But I would also point out that the cat would need to land a hit against an amorphic invisible target. Going off book you could say what ever you like. Provided it is still able to complete it's bound location is still reasonably in tact the servant will regenerate in 24hrs.

[@marcoliver625]

​@drewhalcro6082 I've heard of a house rule that cats can see invisible creatures. Explains a lot of weird cat behavior... though it would make wildshape op.

[@samsonmacri941]

now i'm just picturing a high level wizard who took Unseen Servant as the level 1 spell mastery just casting it for every little thing.

[@jay.hartman1789]

OH MY GOG THAT IS SO F-ING FANTASTIC!! Legit, I may steal this idea.

[@worldofneospyder4676]

We defeated an ambitious monster who had its lair underwater. Its hoard was hidden beneath the sand & seaweed. Used Unseen Servant to short & fetch the treasure out since it doesn’t require breathing.

[@codebracker]

i mean i supose as long as it's within 60 ft

[@Jianju69]

I think you mean "lair" and "hoard" respectively and respectfully.

[@worldofneospyder4676]

@@Jianju69 corrected. Thank you

[@notreallythere477]

I'd consider the Unseen Servant's capacity for cognition roughly equivalent to that of a simple robot. They recognize the world around them through hardcoded associations between specific shapes/colors/etc. and object definitions. The small, concave cylinder is defined as a cup, but it doesn't *know* anything about what a cup is. So, if you send it down a passage and say "ring the bell if there's danger", that's not gonna do shit because that's a values judgment an Unseen Servant is incapable of making. If you say "ring the bell if there's a beholder", on the other hand, should work, because the Unseen Servant can perceive the big floating eyeball with eye stalks. However, an Unseen Servant would be unable to distinguish a real Beholder from an illusion, or even a reasonably accurate model (it could probably distinguish a statue by its lack of color and stone composition). Conversely, if a given beholder differs significantly from the commonly understood definitions of a beholder, the servant may miss it (and it might also fail to alert you if instead of a beholder, it actually finds a Spectator, Elder Orb, or other Eye Tyrant subtype, though that can be fixed by being more careful in your request and asking it to look for a broader category). This does mean that the caster will need to list off *every* type of monster they think might be present in the dungeon if they want an effective scout, and there's a solid likelihood of false positives and negatives. Of course, they could also ask for "any creature" but then it'll ring even if it's just some harmless insect, but "any creature larger than (size)" could miss deadly swarms of very harmful insects. Basically, attempting to weasel your way out of learning actual dungeon-crawling strategies using Unseen Servant is just begging for your DM to throw you a curveball.

[@themanysirs1814]

Sounds like real advice in universe too, like as if I was reading it from "A Wizards Handbook to Adventuring: Common Mis-Casts and How to Avoid Them." "Section 20: Unseen Servant"

[@thegreatestpepe]

Unseen Servant is best used for tricking people IMO. A high charisma character using performance or deception to convince someone a place is haunted while an Unseen Servant plays poltergeist. Or steal something while the PCs distract the guards. Its a perfect tool to help out a rogue with sneaky activities or support a deceptive or persuasive character's antics.

[@DoABarrelRol1l]

That would be a fun character, Gain a reputation for being an 'exorcist' when in reality you just wear a priest's robe and scam people.

[@RobearRich]

That is one reason why multiclassing rogue with echo knight is so amazing. You can manifest your echo and have them run down a hallway to distract the guards. You can summon one on the other side of a door and then switch places with them. It’s a super fun combo.

[@Oddmanoutre]

This might encourage your DM to throw a group of Level 0~1 adventurers at you called "Those Meddling Kids".

[@Greendawn-di3dl]

@@Oddmanoutre don't forget their stupid dog.

[@Eggstree1]

@@Greendawn-di3dl Their *Awakened* stupid dog. "Rog? where?"

[@cyrosgold7]

I had an unseen Servant carry a lightly armored dummy around making the enemy think the dummy was a golem. I've also had one drag around a series of wooden planks with nails in them as a movable spike strip/caltroped square.

[@theosmiumnerd2209]

What I love about Unseen Servant, from a narrative sense, is that it's a spell that wizards of all levels would use. A Double Supreme Grand Archmage is not going to make his own lunch or do his own laundry. Outside the context of adventuring or plot, it is I think the most realistic and probably most common spell among wizards.

[@LordDragox412]

Double Supreme Grand Archmage: Don't call her Unseen Servant! That's my wife!

[@ShinGallon]

Unseen Servant and Prestidigitation: An unbeatable combo!

[@ToabyToastbrot]

18th level Wizards can also take it as an at will cast and have a whole bunch of them for every task they might need it for.

[@Treblaine]

Focuses 10 minutes on a ritual spell to get the unseen servant to wash the dishes which was a 5 minute task.

[@muthafoca9409]

​@@Treblaine ADHD Wizards.

[@Purrfect_Werecat]

i would argue you could finagle pouring a drink into someones open mouth, insomuch as just having it dump something out in a particular space, but maybe thats pushing it?

[@zeebashew]

Yeah that's right up against the limit of what I think it can do though. 100% up to your DM. Like if you use your object interaction to move your head so the liquid pours into your mouth I'd be okay with that probably. Might ask for a check? If you're unconscious I think it's probably pushing it?

[@blarghchan]

@@zeebashew If it can pour you a drink and serve it to you, it should be able to pour a potion down your throat. You'll have to open your mouth for it, though. Maybe a stat roll to not choke on it.

[@steveaustin2686]

​@blarghchan I agree that if it can pour a drink, then it should be able to pour a potion in someone's mouth, if they are not moving.

[@timothycarney9652]

@@zeebashew A check or something on your end sounds fair if the whole reason you are doing it is because you are incapacitated- its one thing if it is just bringing you the potion for you to use, but if it is dumping it down your throat because you are incapable of handling that bit, or due to you having limited actions/time to use to potion then some sort of check feels fair to deal with the whole rushing/improvising something to desperately fix things right away. If it was your last order before you go unconscious I guess it would be a luck check to see if you manage to keep your mouth open and to drink it without drowning in your health potion... I like the concept of improvisation checks instead of just outright saying certain actions are impossible, it feels like a decent approach when you don't have explicit rules or find the action minor, fun, or epic enough to let things slide.

[@HaloInverse]

I could see an interpretation which would allow a Servant to pour a drink into the mouth of a _willing_ creature, but makes it impossible for it to _force_ a drink into the mouth of an unwilling creature. It could be ruled that although a Servant can interact with (lightweight) objects, it simply can't exert enough physical force to do anything to an unwilling or hostile subject - any action an Unseen Servant takes can be opposed "for free", with no checks or spent action.

[@hello_hello435]

You know its a good day when a fresh animated spellbook comes out just in time for lunch.

[@mintymanta2821]

But it’s so late for lunch. It’s almost 4 o’-…oh, timezones. Never mind! Eastcoaster here!

[@snickerdoooodle]

​@@mintymanta2821 I went through the same realization lmao

[@yappingdog2759]

I missed this. Don't get me wrong, I like DM zee, but wizard is the face of the animated spell book.

[@matthewkeeling886]

There is always the classic untie the chandelier/cargo net so it falls on the opponents. All the servant is doing is untying a knot, gravity creates the attack. I really should look up the older editions of this spell again to remind myself how it has changed over the years. There is probably a story behind each and every one of those limitations.

[@meta3584]

or tie some shoelaces together or pants an enemy to distract them

[@paperbullet1945]

The 8th level spell mighty fortress gives you a castle staffed by 100 unseen servants. If you have a spare 26,000 gp worth of diamonds laying around and can afford to cast the spell in the same place for a year, the castle (and all those servants) become permanent.

[@Chronowizpal]

Big fan of you! Enjoy your stay in our country! Hope you find good players in Oaxaca, chiquito bb

[@zeebashew]

Thanks! I'm having a good time so far, Oaxaca is really nice!

[@mekadragon9633]

@@zeebashew If you ever come back to Mexico, Guadalajara, Guanajuato Capital and San Miguel de Allende are really pretty. Hit me up if ya need a guide or someone to talk dnd around, cuidate hermano!

[@acledfloyd]

I will always love unseen servant. I had a campaign where I was a bard and my unseen servant was named roadie. I always had it cast and he slowly gained sentience throughout the story. Also, I always picture him being the shape of bubble buddy from SpongeBob.

[@Darksnowman13]

I appreciate the spellbook episodes for less... High octane spells. They make great resources for new players. I do a lot of teaching games, and these are SO helpful. Thank you Zee, enjoy your trip

[@Brutalyte616]

I'd wager that there was probably some R&D that went into the Unseen Servant spell, and the one that exists currently and is used by arcane spellcasters is the product of a long series of trial and error to refine a magical force into something resembling an invisible humanoid familiar that wouldn't just blindly and deafly follow a single order that the caster was just too lazy to carry out themselves. Would be a neat idea to delve into the history of this spell and others in a given setting and, going along with the idea of the player or an NPC furthering the research of these spells, you could come up with rules for upcasting it or alter one spell into something different, like turning the Unseen Servant into an Unseen Assailant that could attack an enemy or group of enemies at the caster's command, but it still has the stats of the Unseen Servant so it can't do much beyond like poking somebody in the eye or kicking them in the nuts to really do damage and exists as a distraction or way to force a concentration check.

[@Bluecho4]

You might also introduce variants of the spell that create ones that work imperfectly, or in ways beyond the original intent. Such as an Unseen Servant that persists indefinitely, but if allowed to do so will slowly gain a mind of its own. (Magical Industrial Revolution posited this kind of thing as one potential doomsday scenario. An illusory workforce unionizes and rebels against their masters). Of course, maybe having an Unseen Servant with intelligence is what you WANT. You might have a variant called the Unseen Seneschal. A personal assistant capable of completing complex administrative tasks, and even command Unseen Servants at the caster's command.

[@hyper_lynx]

Maybe Magic Missile could emerge as the assailant version of Unseen Servant? I know they're different schools, but magic missile seems like the result of directing a first level magic force to attack something for you without giving it any elemental power or direction. Maybe things like Cloud of Daggers are also descended from the same kind of process

[@chidor5]

I used unseen servant to load or aim a cannon, since it requires 3 actions, 'load', 'aim' and 'fire' and only last one is something that unseen servant cannot do.

[@John_Smith_Dumfugg]

The neat thing about unseen servants in combat situations is that they're invisible. Very useful for setting up ambushes (pull this lever after the target passes, lock the door after the target arrives, etc.) and after the surprise is revealed, they can always, like you said, chuck flasks of oil and acid once the fun starts.

[@ClokworkGremlin]

It's mindless, so if I were the DM, I would rule against being able to "program" the servant. No "if/when" commands, only "Go place, press button." If it can't reach place or there's no button, I would just have the command end. (the Unseen Servant keeps trying to do the thing, but can't.)

[@victor_creator]

@@ClokworkGremlin So the caster would have to handle any "if/when" conditions, then? like they could time when they give the command

[@raphaelj.f.2602]

​@@ClokworkGremlin I think programing the servant is actually the fun of it. Sure, it gives a little bit of versatility to the spell, but it would also be fun to see how it throws everything into chaos when poorly worded, or trying to be too specific. Examples: "If Ronan, the dwarf, walks through the door, close it behind him." goes on without a hitch, but "if any creature that I consider an enemy crosses the door, close it after it. makes it so the servant closes the door after any creature that passes through the door, because it can't understand what creatures you consider an enemy or ally. Same for "wait for all my friends to cross the door before you close it ." And suddenly your party is trapped with the bbeg and his crooks, because certainly you meant for it to wait for all creatures that were following you to be admitted before closing the door.

[@somdudewillson]

@@ClokworkGremlin But that contradicts the very examples in the spell description. "Fetching an object" requires it to 'percieve' a bunch of objects, and only bring an object to you if it meets your request; "Cleaning" is a bunch more conditions - only interact with things if they are dirty, use this too if it is dusty, this tool if it is dirty; etc. Heck, "go place, press button" is a conditional! Determining that it has reached 'place' is a conditional, determining that sufficient force has been applied to press the button is a conditional, even _sequencing_ the two actions is a conditional - 'when you have reached place, press button'!

[@bamfalu]

an actual fun use of unseen servant (at least as far as my understanding of rules go) is get a conjuration wizard to level 6, then ritual cast servant in order to refresh benign transportation. it just says "cast a conjuration spell of level 1 or higher", doesn't require a spell slot to be expended. so, if you have 10 minutes after combat, you can basically pretend it's a pf2 focus spell lol

[@JacksonJinn]

...Oh, this feels like coming home to find a family recipe your grandma lost behind a shelf or something. Just pure comfy. I missed this old style of Animated Spellbook.

[@Anonymouthful]

Bunch of wizards running and inn using nothing but unseen servants. Maybe get a bouncer that can actually do its job on top of it all.

[@MrIcePho3nix]

I could see the bouncer being another conjurer casting something like Dust Devil to physically push people out of the inn if they have to.

[@viscera_atrocity]

Keep a Shield Guardian as a bouncer, obviously.

[@katsala918]

A maid café but the maids are all unseen servants.

[@nobody08088]

​@@katsala918 well that kinda ruins the point doesn't it. 😅 [I get the joke]

[@truecross4090]

The bouncer is the ritual caster. He sits silently. Colby watching the rooms as objects flitter and move about and when something goes down all the items come to a hault and stand motionless as he grabs a dude and meets him out the window. Then he slowly sets down and all resumes.

[@Ephsy]

The issue with having it fetch things or drop heavy things is that it's strength is 2.

[@zeebashew]

Depends on which encumbrance system you're using. It could move something pretty heavy over a pressure plate, unless you're using variant encumbrance in which case it's uh, not as useful haha!

[@ClokworkGremlin]

@@zeebashew The 3.5e version specifically states it can "lift up to 20 pounds, or push/drag up to 100 pounds." The 3.5e version is also objectively more powerful than the 5e version, with a longer duration and no way to deal damage besides AOE, but the 5e version can be Ritual-cast, which wasn't a thing in 3.5e.

[@steveaustin2686]

​@@ClokworkGremlin With a 30lb carrying capacity, then an Unseen Servant can pull 150lb in a wheeled cart. A wooden garden cart would be around 75lb as a SWAG, so the Unseen Servant could have 74lb of gear in the small cart.

[@sirislandknight4378]

I always figured, just move several smaller things onto a spot if weight in that one spot is important.

[@gramfero]

2 strength gives it exactly enough carry capacity for 2 bags of holding

[@woodrobin]

My ruling on what the Unseen Servant can do in my games is that it operates from the caster's mind and knowledge, but can't interact with them, only draw on them. For instance, if the caster is a wizard who also has skills or a background that established them as a skilled chef/cook, then the unseen servant can go out of sight in the caster's own kitchen (or one the caster is familiar with) and prepare a complex meal, because the caster already knew where the pots, pans, stove, spices, etc were when the ritual was cast. If the caster can see an unfamiliar kitchen, it can open cabinets and use utensils and spices if the caster can see them. If the caster can't see the kitchen and doesn't know where anything is, the Unseen Servant is clueless. If you tell it to go reshelve books in your own arcane library, zip, off it goes, because *you* know where the books are supposed to go on the shelves. If you tell it go find another wizard's library in an abandoned-seeming arcane tower and fetch their spellbook, no go: you didn't know where the library was when you cast it, so neither does the Servant, nor do either of you know what Flavius the Flatulent's Tome of Deadly Silence looks (or smells) like.

[@DefinitivNichtSascha]

I didn't look that closely at Unseen Servant for quite some time simply because I saw the name and regarded it as some sort of summoning spell with a kind of independent creature that's under your command, and that didn't appeal all that much to me. I later came to the realisation that Unseen Servant actually seems to function more like a more automated and less precise version of telekinesis. It's like the mundane tasks you do every day that require no conscious throught (and thus no concentration) but extended by magic.

[@adt4864]

It's pretty much exactly the spell for when someone goes into a wizard's house and sees a broom sweeping the floors automatically

[@jackielinde7568]

I don't remember where I heard it, but I did hear of an interesting use for Unseen Servant. In the story, the party spent the better part of a couple of days spreading a rumor of an invisible killer going around stabbing people. After the rumor took hold, when they needed to get into somewhere or scare off people, they had unseen servant carry a dagger around. Cast minor illusion to add the sounds of footsteps and people were pissing themselves.

[@bensledge4652]

Cannot overstate how many uses this spell has. No combat potential, but the utility and roleplay capabilites are off the charts! Love your vids, Zee

[@ROYaaaal789]

At lv18, a wizard can choose Unseen Servant with their Spell Mastery, essentially giving them at-will servants every action. They still last an hour, but without the need of ritual casting OR slot expension, a wizard can have its own on-the-fly workforce to clean,work,etc. 10 servants a minute, or 100 servants in 10 minutes if your DM lets your pc cast it every 6 seconds, not too bad! Then again, you’re also a lv18 wizard lol

[@themanysirs1814]

Hey, doesn't matter if they can't attack, if you can have that many unseen servants they can make a wizard tower on the go if given access to a Bag of Holding as well.

[@hugofontes5708]

​@@themanysirs1814that's some Roman inspired siege tactics

[@burnsbits5829]

There you are 👍

[@zeebashew]

I'm back!

[@goncalocarneiro3043]

Burnsbits with the aggro line.

[@Dyneamaeus]

A way I like to think about the Unseen Servant is as a sort of subconscious telekinesis. Since it's not a creature and doesn't really have actions, I find it's a lot easier to explain why it can't do x or y when you look at it like signals being broadcast from the caster. So, it can do anything the character could do without focusing (or needing to roll, which keeps it useful at higher levels since I like the Taking 10 rule) and overly complex, time sensitive, or emotionally charged tasks sort of overload the 'signals' bandwidth and fail.

[@VechsDavion]

I have my Unseen Servant wear (Carry?) a blanket and a wooden stick, and walk 55 feet ahead of the party in a dungeon. The blanket makes it look like someone walking around with a blanket on their head, and obviously it taps anything and everything with the stick, trying to stir up hidden monsters and set off traps. Even if it uncovers half of the threats we would face, for a ritual it's essentially a disposable expendable drone that can potentially save a party member from danger. You would have to be a suicidal fool to not use it this way if you have access to it. Real people in your game setting with their lives on the line would send in Unseen Servants, Arcane Eyes, and Familiars all in advance when going into scary dungeon full of ancient BS. (If you are roleplaying a character who is reckless and foolish with their life, then disregard me.)

[@Asher_Tye]

Love that like an army of them are summoned for Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion. Been using this with Galdur's Tower to make camping in the woods of Barovia a little more bearable

[@jacob6071]

I had a bard that created a variant of the spell that would write down things that were happening so that he could properly chronicle the group's story

[@SlayerEndX13]

Unseen Servant can make poses under a sheet or blanket with eyeholes, with a string and a small harmonica attached, and fly around making wailing noises.

[@AndrewJohnson-oy8oj]

The only thing more exciting than seeing there is a new Zee video is seeing that it's an Animated Spellbook. I love these.

[@josephb1884]

The best thing about Unseen Servant is not being able to see the look of disgust and disdain on their faces when you order them to do something sketchy.

[@jay.hartman1789]

My thing is, the spell directly lists that the unseen servant is a "medium force." Meaning, the servant has a size, which implies that the servant occupies it's space. This means that a medium creature cannot simply walk past the area the servant is occupying, and any attacks launched at a caster behind a servant will have half or even three-fourths cover. If you have a DM who plays Rules As Written, the attack doesn't redirect to the servant. This potentially makes a permanent source of cover until the enemy tries to attack the space itself or realises an unseen servant is standing there.

[@geisttraft7190]

RAW attacks against the space a target occupies aren't redirected to the target occupying that space either, although that would also mean it's impossible to attack invisible creatures.

[@God_is_a_High_School_Girl]

Best use I ever made of the spell was bypassing a boss fight altogether. It was a Strixhaven game where the DM had cooked up a magic VR level where the party had to cleat a bunch of Simulated non-fantasy levels to win. One was a space base taken over by an Aboleth, which had put its best minions in the control room with itself, and on the far wall from the door was a Big Red Button to purge the entire base. My wizard set up a Rope Trick for the party to hide in, cast an Unseen Servant with the orders to press the button, then used their familiar's eyes to guide the Servant while other party members launched distractions from outside. Once the Servant got to its spot, everyone got in the Trick, and we gassed the entire room without a single round of real combat. One of my best DnD moments.

[@gordongraham2064]

Here's my pick for unseen servant usage: jailbreaks. Get yourself captured, but cast an unseen servant at the last moment and give it standing orders to follow you. You've got an hour in which it can untie ropes, steal keys, make distractions, et cetera, and "get caught on purpose" is a classic infiltration plan.

[@steveaustin2686]

That is a good idea. As a Scribe Wizard, they can cast the Unseen Servant ritual in 1 round and use the bonus action in that round to command the Unseen Servant. Only problem is the Unseen Servant moves at 15ft per round, so you have to drag your feet as you are carted of to jail.

[@playwars3037]

3:36 Gabriella is just my spirit animal. Who wouldn't want to use magic to have an unseen servant bring you a cup of hot cocoa or the warm beverage of your choosing while being super comfy on your chair, wrapped up in a blanket ?

[@talusxelen8069]

I can see a group of Unseen Servants holding tarps/blankets or shields only providing cover until the inevitable fireball comes in to clear them all out.

[@chadnorris8257]

I can imagine a spellcasting noble who uses Unseen Servant to do things for him that he doesn't feel like doing, and doesn't have to pay. Also Mage Hand, and basically any other spell that keeps him from having to get up and do anything.

[@TheMany42]

I had a character harvest the hands of a coven of Hags and a combination of skills/tool proficiency to do taxidermy. Then used item crafting to create the physical embodiment of a permanent Unseen Servant item in the form of a severed hand. Basically "Thing" from the Addams Family franchise. He called them "Helping Hands"

[@youremakingprogress144]

Beautiful episode. I love the attention given to the ambiguous parts of the spell; it gets people thinking about the kinds of conversations they might have with their players/DM, in a friendly way. The tequila at the end was a fun touch, too.

[@hrothgardevaitos8330]

EDIT: I misremembered Unseen Servant as summoning an Invisible Stalker. Ignore the following post, it is incorrect information. Unseen Servant USED to be a creature. Specifically, it was an air elemental. Only in recent editions has that changed. This is the reason for the ambiguity for Unseen Servant fetching things, but not being able to call out monsters. It used to be a creature, but now it's not, and some of the effects it was capable of as a creature got carried over.

[@abdulijubjub]

I think you're thinking of Invisible Stalker (which summons an air elemental). Unseen Servant has been a "force" since 1st edition AD&D (the earliest version I can find).

[@russellharrell2747]

@@abdulijubjubprobably Dust Devil, a second level spell.

[@murderyoutubeworkersandceos]

Its still a creature

[@ForeverLaxx]

This isn't correct and it's sad that nearly 200 people agreed with it.

[@hrothgardevaitos8330]

@@abdulijubjub I apparently was. Sorry about that, I could have sworn it summoned an air elemental, but that must have been a similar, 3rd party spell that appeared in a Dragon Magazine somewhere. My bad entirely.

[@Spark_Chaser]

Unseen servant is basically reflavored telekinesis. It can fetch items for you because it's your mind deciding what is needed from where. It does specifically what you order it to do because that's what your brain wants.

[@KingNedya]

About that bit at the end, about possibly using a higher level spell slot to use spells in clearly unintentional manners, I've always been the type of player that likes to use spells in creative and unintended ways, and a solution one of my DMs came up with was that any time I tried to do something like that, I would make an Arcana check with a DC of their choosing. It was a neat way for me to have my cool moments without it being so frequent that it just breaks the balance of things. Only issue is I was a CHA caster with INT as my dump stat, so succeeding these checks was quite difficult.

[@themanysirs1814]

Personally I'd rule it'd be either Arcana, or for other classes, they can choose to instead, use a class unique one, falling on the default spellcasting modifier if there is none. Paladins/Clerics would be Religion Bards would be Instrument Proficiency or Performance Sorcerers and Wizards could use a Concentration check (But this comes at the cost of the spell simply fizzling out(or wild magic as a harsher ruling) if failed) (I feel like Sorcerers wouldn't be able to make such in depth modifications, hence the inability to use Charisma to modify spells. because they don't really *know* what the details of what they're doing, and they already have the ability to modify their spells with Sorcery Points(if you want to homebrew to use an amount of those instead). However, if they do, they could simply use their Arcana proficiency)

[@asherdevin]

@@themanysirs1814 You can just use that ruling for using a different stat for skills. If a Barbarian is threatening to punch you, is their threat based on how hard they can punch or how well they said the words? STR based intimidation checks. Likewise, arcana is used for magic, and since a sorcerer commands their magic through CHA, they can make CHA based arcana checks for controlling and casting their spells, just as they use CHA for counterspell and dispel magic. That said, they can't use CHA for knowing and identifying arcane things or creatures. As the DM you have the option to ask for a different modifier based on how they describe their action. Likewise the barbarian can offer to help the negotiations with a STR based persuasion check, offering to plow the farmer's fields in exchange for staying the night. It's kinda situational and requires a bit of creativity, but it can allow some combat-focused classes a little more utility out of combat. And don't be afraid of consequences either, plowing the field with raw strength may give lesser-quality but usable rows, or picking the lock with strength may open it a bit louder and break the lock. It wasn't as quiet and unnoticeable as picking it with DEX, but it was still quieter and less noticeable than kicking the door down and let the fighter with a background in security shine while the rogue was tied up or something.

[@pyrotornado108]

I got a player who tries to use unseen servant for everything, even giving it an identity like it’s a ghost, no matter how often we tell her it’s a mindless spell manifestation.

[@mrmurpleqwerty4838]

2:43 "...I don't think an Unseen Servant has weight." An Unseen Servant doesn't have _mass._ Weight is a force, and Unseen Servant is just a force (with limited autonomy). If you want an Unseen Servant to set off a pressure plate, just tell it to push down on the pressure plate very hard.

[@LimakPan]

It can ring a bell when it gets within range of a creature. It can't tell if it's a hostile creature or recognize it, as it can't think.

[@LuckyCatNameless]

Dressing up the servant with clothing and having them walk around the city to make up a fake ghost, only to get hired to exorcise it later, has been my favorite use.

[@smob0]

In pathfinder, unseen servant is ruled to "weigh" 20lbs for traps, and the argument is the strength of 2 lets it apply 20lbs of force up (in pf rules), so why not down? In 5e its not specified, but I'd argue a servant could set off a 60lbs of force trap trigger. (Strength scorex30lbs for a lift)

[@RAFMnBgaming]

so like a bit of pushing down sorta thing.

[@Runsofourlives]

Generally I run Unseen Servant as being intelligent enough to do tasks that the caster could perform under normal circumstances that don't require a skill or involve interacting with a creature. I've used them to spread oil and use a flint and tinder to light it, search a kitchen for a knife (including opening unlocked drawers) and bring it to the caster, etc. Generally I let the servant act with the most basic understanding that the caster has, for instance an unseen servant cast by a noble could understand "Bring me a salad fork" but only because the caster knows what that means. So an alchemist working in their shop could tell their servant "Bring me the bottle of glistening death extract" and the servant would know what the caster was referring to, because the caster knows which one it is, but they couldn't send their servant into an unfamiliar lab and tell it to bring back any glistening death extract because that would require the skill to identify the poison.

[@PolskaHerobrine]

The extra funny part about the spell description is the fact that it doesn't specify the directional limitations to its movement, meaning that since it is just a force, it can in fact fly. It has no legs to walk with, likely no weight too, it's just a force, so why would it not be able to move up and down freely, or heck, even through objects?

[@themanysirs1814]

useful for fetching books from tall shelves!

[@hugofontes5708]

A force moving through objects, coherently, instead of pushing them does feel a bit weird. But d&d is no physics engine so idk

[@themanysirs1814]

@@hugofontes5708 it might still push them, but if it cannot move it, it can go through and apply pushing strength from the inside

[@hugofontes5708]

@@themanysirs1814 yes but that's more like physics engine and d&d can crumble very easily from trying to emulate physics

[@stankmcdankton6204]

Make sure you get some good "Mole-Ey" while you're down in "Oa-HECK-a" lol

[@evanfishsticks8010]

Unseen Servant is a necromancer's second-best friend (after their zombies). They can dig up graves, strip corpses to make skeletons, refill graves to cover your tracks, basically all the overhead costs of being a necromancer can be handled by an Unseen Servant.

[@ThirtytwoJ]

What is my purpose? You pass the liquer. Well played sir.

[@brenkrasmer]

I've always warned my players, even way back in the day, unseen servants can take "single clause, unambiguous commands" in short order (i.e. combat). It takes a bit more time for the caster to word an order, but it prevents a half hour argument over semantics. For example, "Assist Bob in putting his armor on." The moment Bob stops attempting to wear anything that is clearly armor, the task is done. "Keep one of Gerald's potions of healing ready for him" will have it rummage his pack and have one out in the open for George to nab and drink without spending actions retrieving the object. "Light this oil puddle when an enemy steps on it" Now you have to define enemies. The mindless aspect works against you. It cannot 'infer' anything.

[@r.jonahspayde2373]

if the action doesn't require an attack roll then it isn't an attack.

[@zabchan]

I used mine in a ravnica campaign to hand copy the secret izzet weapon plans we'd been hired to steal and deliver, in the hour we had remaining til the deadline. We got paid for the heist and paid again when we sold the copies to various interested parties.

[@paranoia8461]

how my dad explains as to how the tv remote appears in his hands from the table (he wont acknowledge me)

[@icetide9411]

"I make 4 unseen servants lay bombs at the enemy's feet, and the fifth may light a fire on one of the bombs."

[@TonytheTono]

For my "Don Quixote meets Mermaid Man" insane old fighter, I gave him some levels in warlock for...reasons. in any case, he's been talking to his "Squire" for sessions, who of course isn't present. But now that he's unlocked Unseen Servant, he's been accidentally summoning it and now there's an invisible man giving him massages and brushing his horse. I love d&d.

[@Raganui]

Love the 'higher spell slot' idea, as you're basically taking a spell and making a new, more powerful one using it as a base.

[@thefunnynamehere266]

Question is, can it put on and/or remove funny hats from people

[@zeebashew]

Me DMing? If the target is cooperating, yes, if not I want a spell slot.

[@godofzombi]

A Flying guillotine is just another form of funny hat, right?

[@Spiceodog]

They can deploy hunting traps , caltrops , ball bearings, and oil. Something I take great advantage of

[@connorr-w9133]

Underrated spell, in my opinion, and I think that's because there's so many controls on it. People shut it down because it can't directly attack and gets destroyed by basically anything with an AOE effect. The spell description lists all these mundane things it can do, but none of them involve rolling dice at all so most players dismiss it as an RP thing. But as you say, I think that's due to a lack of creativity, because while there are a lot of controls to prevent it from being abused too much, it's worded vaguely enough to have some neat interpretive space. I actually like the idea of having the players need to protect an unseen servant as it accomplishes its given task (like if it's transporting something fragile or that would be dangerous for them to touch by hand). It would become like a "protect the payload" kind of game for a little bit!

[@ornu01]

Depending on the DM, either another useless waste of a spellslot, or a one-wizaed industrial revolution.

[@noahblack914]

You can put "depending on the DM" in front of literally any D&D thing. That's how DMs work. Doesn't even matter if the book explicitly says something works a certain way, bc the DM gets final say

[@ornu01]

@@noahblack914 Yep, the best and worst part of any tabletop game.

[@lemonZzzzs]

@@noahblack914 some more so than others. This is one of the spells deliberately worded to be interpreted towards the useless end of the spectrum. Something like eldritch blast is less so.

[@noahblack914]

@@lemonZzzzs No, it's deliberately worded to make it clear it isn't a combatant. It's clearly worded to be useful within pretty obvious and reasonable constraints, because it's a 1st level spell. I avoid evaluating D&D mechanics based on what the power gamers think. They're trying to solve a non-existent puzzle where I'm trying to play a game.

[@lemonZzzzs]

@@noahblack914 i agree that it is worded to be clear that this 1st level spell can only be used in very few, non-combat cases. It limits creativity out of fear of it being abused. Makes 5e closer in spirit to a video game than a TTRPG. A lot of its spells are like that. Don't get me wrong though, it's still playable, but this kind of attitude also encourages further restriction of creativity. I've yet to meet a 5e DM that would allow illusion spells to be anything more interesting than you can get in a video game. Thanks to restrictive wording of the spells. Likewise, I've yet to successfully use a suggestion or mass suggestion spell in a 5e game.

[@blacksarlacc91]

I just had it to be a basic servant and took prestidigitation and mending in addition. Perfect flavour for a noble. "Yes, I am an adventurer on the road. No, I will not have my cloth uncleaned, torn or imperfectly folded cloth/sheets (there are limits to how low I will fall as a noble).

[@user-im6eg6jj5p]

First

[@zeebashew]

Hello there, you are, in fact, second! (looks like wolf got here first, but you missed it by a single second!)

[@alexmehner8224]

I see you 👀

[@zeebashew]

@@alexmehner8224 I see you!

[@Zuginator]

Use the fact that you can set the creation point to ~60'. It's invisible, tell it to light a roof on fire. You have an instant distraction. Ask the unseen servant to DRAG something along the floor, that adds the weight for pressure plates. Kinda like how mine clearing vehicles are basically bulldozers with chains Infront.

[@gallaros9]

My favourite use of unseens servant is shopping. Tensers disk is so much more practical, but there is something fun about walking through town with small bags and crates floating behind you

[@noelnotcole7940]

One of my characters picked up Unseen Servant since no one in the party had mage hand, fantastic dungeon crawling spell and the ritual cast means you're never expending a slot on the field

[@steveaustin2686]

10 minutes plus 1 round to cast as a ritual, unless you are a Scribes Wizard, then it is 1 round. Edit: 1 round once a day, then the Scribes Wizard spends 10 minutes plus 1 round like everyone else.

[@MoOrion]

If it's a force... Weight is force... it absolutely should be able to set off pressure plates.

[@katsala918]

Since it can set fires, I’ve seen it used on an actual play show to commit insurance fraud

[@Treeco44]

I was just looking at this spell the other day and thinking how useful it could be if you get creative with it, very much like Prestidigitation.

[@kingpt1993]

unseen servant is the reason why the world in dnd should have a lot of manufactures ... because building complex things in simple steps can easily be achived by a mage in a factory with it .

[@themanysirs1814]

but would someone who dedicated their life to learning the arcane arts really 1. Add unseen servant to their spellbook 2. Think business enough to think of using it in a factory-like setting 3. Want to waste their years of arcane knowledge on something so boorish

[@jasonfurumetarualkemisto5917]

​@@themanysirs1814 Well they'd definitely still apply for step 1, No Archmage worth his salt is washing the dishes.

[@SimonClarkstone]

I'd expect _Unseen Servant_ to be able to do most things that _Mage Hand_ can, at least - a level 1 spell vs a cantrip.

[@Somnule]

I, uh, once used Unseen Servant to pick up the decapitated head of an enemy to freak out their ally mid-battle, and used Minor Illusion to make it seem like it was saying "why did you let me die??" Our party had some Problems in that campaign.

[@TheNeoVid]

Unseen Servant would be one of the greatest spells a non-adventurer could have access to. What I would give to be able to have one to scrub the bathroom...

[@steveaustin2686]

Magic Initiate Wizard, since Wizards learn their magic. Then a shop keeper could have Unseen Servant once a day, Mage Hand all the time, and Prestidigitation all the time.

[@DaelynnTwlight]

I miss the animated spell books, these are amazing!

[@steveaustin2686]

Yeah, some of the best videos IMO.

[@Maljurok]

I made a Kobold wizard once named Scalabax. His whole thing was using spells in whole new ways like creating an unseen servant that was tasked with wearing a full body robe that a human would wear, he would hide under it and tasked it to mimic his movements using their telepathic connection, essentially making him a "three kobolds in a trench coat" minus two kobolds. I eventually made two more that were dressed up like warriors of sorts, one of which I called "Sir Bu'Ket Head". At first it was meant to essentially be like a chess piece/meatshield that would take one instance of big damage that could have killed me or gone to a fellow party member, but then I was technically able to use the "warriors" I created to give the nearest party members the help action to give them a better chance in a fight. The insanity that is the last thing one of our foes saw was the sight of one of my servants dressed up in furs and a helmet with two axes like a barbarian while it rode a goat into battle, with said goat doing the real work, will always live rent free in my head.

[@chrisblake4198]

I wish they'd revisit spells like Unseen Servant and Tenser's Floating Disk. They've been hedged and hemmed and lawyered so much over the years that they're just argument fodder the moment anyone tries to do anything interesting with them. I think a more coherent system where each damage type has a progression of combat/noncombat effects that you unlock with different spell levels and focused study, would end up being more understandable than picking the tattered remains of bits and bobs of the handful of spells that survived years of being adjudicated to hell and back.

[@thomasace2547]

I love this spell I played a bard and called my unseen servant Roadie Would use Minor illusion to occasionally show him as a red headed/bearded Dwarf in a denim Jacket During performances I’d have him play the drums

[@kilo3989]

My favorite spell!! I have an Awakened rabbit wizard that I'm running, and she and her spellbook can be carried by her Servant (whose name is Bertrand) as if she's riding it like a magic carpet 😊😁

[@kenanmaclean9792]

My thought to how the finding things work is that the spell uses the castors knowledge of the item to determine the correct item. It couldn't, however, find something that the castor doesn't know about because then it would have no specific "target". Therefore you couldn't scout an area for danger because you would have to already know what the danger is. This is my two cents anyways.

[@prosamis]

Nice to see you again! I don't see why you can't command them while ritual casting. It's a bonus action to command, maintaining ritual casting is, iirc, an action. You also just need a single command per servant (assuming you just want a single thing)

[@todd89558]

I love the spell, saved the party many times, if you have the spell handy get them to open all the doors and chests for you, 9 times out of 10 they will set the trap off, I DM I played with got annoyed with me using the spell to get around his traps and started to use stone doors and chests that are too heavy for the unseen servant to move, which unfortunately made the party paranoid and now we use high lvl spells like rock to mud on a door because "why the fuck is there a large stone door in a tree house?"

[@ConradoAP]

Its also medium sized with a strength score of 2 which sounds like it would be really weak, but its carrying capacity would actually be 30 pounds according to the PHB

[@Cynndora]

Valda's spire of secret's has a 2nd lvl version of the spell called Unseen Accountant, basically the same thing but it's smart enough to do your taxes.

[@ebensirges]

On the topic of its mindlessness and ability to scout, I would personally rule that it can do specific tasks that require perception-like "cut the red wire" or "raise a paddle if there are any creatures in the following room"-but nothing that requires any modicum of decision-making-like "take this away if it's going to blow up" or "tell me if the creatures in this room are dangerous". It doesn't have a mind, so it can't make decisions. It would tell you "yes" no matter if the creature in the next room was a beholder, a single goblin, or a rat.

[@nweasels]

Literally just had that "unseen servant sets the traps off for us but didn't set off the glyph of warding" scenario happen in the previous session.

[@TheParadoxG]

Make a magic mouth computer rock (sets off a message if it detects a creature, trap, magic, etc) and have the unseen servant carry it ahead of the party. Faster than mage hand, has no visible aspect (apart from the rock), and does not require concentration.

[@nicodemus1828384]

I love the dive into what Unseen Servant might be used for. Its really fun to think about how the spell would be used outside of an adventuring party combat situation. The idea of doctors using them to tend to contagious patients is super cool!

[@steveaustin2686]

As a Bard, you can cast Unseen Servant as a ritual. So right before your performance, give yourself a 1 hour stage hand that you mentally control with a bonus action, while you are performing. They can lift 30 lbs, so should be able to do a lot for the Bard.