D&D 5E Can an unseen servant fly?
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Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
No it can't. It can move 15 if you command it, giving it a move speed similar to a human or an orc. For it to fly it must have a fly speed specified.
But it is not a creature and does not have a move speed at all. In terms of movement it is more similar to a Flaming Sphere or Spritual Weapon than it is to an Orc or Human.
Flaming Sphere is very specific on how it moves across surfaces (i.e doesn't fly).
Spiritual weapon uses wording almost identical to Unseen Servant and it is generally assumed the SW can can move in any direction (i.e. it can fly):
SW: As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the weapon up to 20 feet .....
US: Once on each of your turns as a bonus action, you can mentally command the servant to move up to 15 feet ....
This is almost identical wording.
The main argument that it can't fly comes from the fact it "springs into place on the ground" which implies it has to rest on the ground, but then it has no discussion on how it moves over barriers or across surfaces like Flaming Sphere does. If this is the intent it is poorly worded IMO and leaves a lot to interpretation.
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Yes, but both Spiritual Weapon and (even more relevantly) Mage Hand specify the thing created is "floating" and "spectral", whereas the Unseen Servant is summoned "on the ground". Starting on the ground doesn't necessarily mean it can't leave the ground, and "floating" doesn't necessarily mean it can float an arbitrary distance off the ground, but that language does at least lend itself to those interpretations.
I don't think it's unreasonable to say that Spiritual Weapon and Mage Hand float only at heights a (Medium-sized) person on the ground could reasonably hold them. But if you decide a cantrip Mage Hand can fly, I don't think it's unreasonable or broken to allow a 1st-level spell Unseen Servant to fly also.
FWIW, Pathfinder has explicitly specified that an Unseen Servant cannot fly (but can walk on water), whereas Sage Advice in the 3e days said "Though an unseen servant does not have a fly speed, the caster can nevertheless direct the servant go anywhere within the spell’s range (including up or down), provided that the servant does not pass through a solid barrier to get there and that the caster has line of effect to the servant at the beginning of its movement for the turn."
The servant may not technically be a creature, but in terms of movement it should perform the same way that a human servant would, not a Flaming Sphere or Spiritual weapon.
I say no flying allowed. Flying is not a simple task a human servant can perform.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
It moves 15 if commanded. That's a 15 foot move speed. In any case in 5e if something isn't explicitly granted, it doesn't have it.
Flaming Sphere uses identical wording to Unseen Servant. You can move it X feet.
"As a bonus action, you can move the sphere up to 30 feet."
The barrier language just explains how it works if it hit a barrier. It's not what puts the movement on the ground. The move speed does that.
Yes, the explicitly flying weapon can fly.
"You create a floating, spectral weapon within range that lasts for the duration or until you cast this spell again."
Except for the failure to include explicit flight like Spiritual Weapon does.
The main argument is that it does not say that it flies, so it doesn't.
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Lanefan
Victoria Rules
This spell creates an invisible, mindless, shapeless force that performs simple tasks at your command until the spell ends. The servant springs into existence in an unoccupied space on the ground within range. It has AC 10, 1 hit point, and a Strength of 2, and it can't attack. If it drops to 0 hit points, the spell ends.
Once on each of your turns as a bonus action, you can mentally command the servant to move up to 15 feet and interact with an object. The servant can perform simple tasks that a human servant could do, such as fetching things, cleaning, mending, folding clothes, lighting fires, serving food, and pouring wine. Once you give the command, the servant performs the task to the best of its ability until it completes the task, then waits for your next command.
One thing glaringly missing from this write-up is the servant's weight, if any; which is a highly relevant property.
If the servant is weightless then it could in theory float uncontrolled, though not fly in the usual sense, and be towed or pushed like a balloon. I could think of all kinds of uses for this.
If the servant has weight it can be used as a trap finder by having it "walk" ahead of the party to set off pressure plates, trip wires, etc.
Also, "shapeless" isn't very helpful if someone can see invisible and can thus see the servant - what does the bloody thing look like?
Once on each of your turns as a bonus action, you can mentally command the servant to move up to 15 feet and interact with an object. The servant can perform simple tasks that a human servant could do, such as fetching things, cleaning, mending, folding clothes, lighting fires, serving food, and pouring wine. Once you give the command, the servant performs the task to the best of its ability until it completes the task, then waits for your next command.
One thing glaringly missing from this write-up is the servant's weight, if any; which is a highly relevant property.
If the servant is weightless then it could in theory float uncontrolled, though not fly in the usual sense, and be towed or pushed like a balloon. I could think of all kinds of uses for this.
If the servant has weight it can be used as a trap finder by having it "walk" ahead of the party to set off pressure plates, trip wires, etc.
Also, "shapeless" isn't very helpful if someone can see invisible and can thus see the servant - what does the bloody thing look like?
Paul Farquhar
Legend
I think the fact the the spell requires it to be summoned on the ground implies the intent is it cannot fly (or float). It has stats, after a fashion, so I would treat it as a creature with a walk speed of 15.
Also:
Also:
It specifies human, and humans cannot normally fly.
Oofta
Legend
Spiritual weapon: "You create a floating ..." is not the same at all as something that shows up on the ground and otherwise has the same capabilities as a human servant.
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
OK, so can it set off pressure plates and trip wires by walking ahead of the party?
The “floating” aspect of spiritual weapon is flavor text, and even if do use it for mechanics, floating is not the same thing as a fly speed.
Spiritual weapon does not have a fly speed. I would say if you allow a spiritual weapon to “fly up”, it’s reasonable to do the same for unseen servant
Spiritual weapon does not have a fly speed. I would say if you allow a spiritual weapon to “fly up”, it’s reasonable to do the same for unseen servant
greg kaye
Explorer
I appreciated you, veteran as you are, asking the question. =D
Set off trip wires? I'd say that was achievable with a Strength of 2.
set off pressure plates? I'd say that fits in with performing "simple tasks that a human servant could do".
Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Looking at my own write-up for the spell, I see I've got to do some work on it as none of these things - weight, fly/not fly, etc. - are mentioned there. I do note that it is roughly Hobbit-sized.
In my mind I've always imagined it as floating just off the ground but only being able to go higher if required to fulfill a task that a Human could do, e.g. to reach a high shelf that a Human could reach. But my spell write-up doesn't say that, and it should.
A few sessions ago I had to rule on how an unseen servant interacted with open water; I ruled it floated above the water and didn't have enough strength/mass to dive in (the PCs were trying to assess the water's depth and had the US carrying a light source)
billd91
Not your screen monkey (he/him)
Interesting discussion. Explicitly calling out the unseen servant having to appear on the ground suggests lack of ability to fly or float. So, no lighting chandeliers without use of a ladder (and no cutting down chandeliers on top of Evil Despot as he monologues before the banquet or flying a rope up out of a pit and tying it to something solid to help me climb out).
Explicitly calling out the spiritual weapon as floating, however, implies it isn't tied to the ground, so moving it across the pit blocking the corridor to attack one enemy on the pit's far side after dispatching the one on the near side seems like something it should be able to do.
Explicitly calling out the spiritual weapon as floating, however, implies it isn't tied to the ground, so moving it across the pit blocking the corridor to attack one enemy on the pit's far side after dispatching the one on the near side seems like something it should be able to do.
Vaalingrade
Legend
It doesn't. It hasn't.
But it really should. This spell has consistently felt lacking to me over the years. It should feel like a magic batman (small b), but it genuinely feels less useful than just hiring a guy.
But it really should. This spell has consistently felt lacking to me over the years. It should feel like a magic batman (small b), but it genuinely feels less useful than just hiring a guy.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
A spiritual weapon is explicitly flying, though. It is floating and can move, which is...................flight. The unseen servant on the other hand has no ability to float and can only do things that normal human servants can, so no flight.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
I'm not sure how heavy it is, but it's force and force has physicality, so trip wires can be tripped for sure.
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