Tag: unseen

Differences between Mage Hand, Unseen Servant and Find Familiar [closed]

I’m playing LMoP at the moment as a player and I’m trying to see reasons why a player would choose Unseen Servant over Find Familiar. Related question – what makes Unseen Servant worth taking instead of Mage Hand?

Here’s a small comparison table I’ve created when I was trying to figure it out. I do understand that different DMs can rule things differently, but still I’m looking for opinions.

Mage Hand Unseen Servant Find Familiar
Casting time action action/10 minutes 1 hour
Casting cost 0 gp 0 gp 10 gp
Duration 1 minute 1 hour until killed/dispelled
Command time action bonus action free action
Multiple no yes no
Help action no no yes
Carrying capacity 10 lbs 60 lbs 90 lbs (depends on Str)
Movement 30 ft 15 ft 60 ft
Separate initiative no no yes
Scout no no yes
Drop items in combat yes yes yes
Open doors yes yes no
Delivering spells no no yes
Invisible no yes no

Does a player know the source of an unseen force attempting [and failing] to act upon their mind? More in description

If a creature attempts to Dominate, deal save-or-suck psychic damage, or otherwise psychologically influence a PC, what do they know about the attempt? Both RAW and opinion answers acceptable, just specify what you’re giving.

Obviously the player themselves know when I ask "Make an x save".

But does the character know? Furthermore, what if it is a visible target. I don’t know if "Mind Blast" is visible, as an example, but ASSUMING it isn’t, say a PC angers a Mind Flayer, and they fail to deal damage to a PC because of a successful saving throw, does the PC know? "The Mind Flayer gives you an unsettling glare. Make an Intelligence saving throw. PC succeeds" Does the character itself know their mind was assailed in some capacity?

Lastly, suppose a PC is immune to a specific effect. I.e. being innately immune to Sleep effects.

Do they know if a creature attempted to use some magical ability to attempt to put them to sleep?

Is a character unseen by tremorsense while jumping?

Tremorsense is described as:

A monster with tremorsense can detect and pinpoint the origin of vibrations within a specific radius, provided that the monster and the source of the vibrations are in contact with the same ground or substance.
Tremorsense can’t be used to detect flying or incorporeal creatures. Many burrowing creatures, such as ankhegs, have this special sense.

Assuming that tremorsense allows a monster to "see" other creatures that are touching the ground as is covered by option 1 of this answer and also assuming that the monster is unable to see the character except via tremorsense, does jumping cause a creature to be unseen by the monster?

As an example Raflannan the thief is facing a fearsome Ankheg in an area covered by heavy fog. Raflannan runs and jumps firing his crossbow at the Ankheg while midair. Is Raflannan’s attack rolled at disadvantage due to not seeing his target or is it a regular roll because the advantage of being unseen cancels out disadvantage?

Can unseen servant “fly”?


An unseen servant is an invisible, mindless, shapeless force that performs simple tasks at your command. It can run and fetch things, open unstuck doors, and hold chairs, as well as clean and mend. The servant can perform only one activity at a time, but it repeats the same activity over and over again if told to do so as long as you remain within range. It can open only normal doors, drawers, lids, and the like. It has an effective Strength score of 2 (so it can lift 20 pounds or drag 100 pounds). It can trigger traps and such, but it can exert only 20 pounds of force, which is not enough to activate certain pressure plates and other devices. It can’t perform any task that requires a skill check with a DC higher than 10 or that requires a check using a skill that can’t be used untrained. Its speed is 15 feet.

Can I send the servant into the air above my head, or above the head of enemies?

Does the Flame Arrows spell spoil a Gloom Stalker Ranger’s Umbral Sight unseen benefit?

So this came up last night, and I ruled Yes, it does spoil it. I let the group know this was a one-time ruling as I wanted to post here to solicit an answer to set it in stone for the table.

It has been previously agreed a Gloom Stalker Ranger in darkness has advantage on every attack against creatures that require darkvision to see:

Does a Gloom Stalker making ranged attacks while in darkness have advantage on every attack?

I think the key point here surrounds this question:

Does pulling / drawing / shooting a Flame Arrows enchanted arrow emit light from the fire? At what point is the arrow or javelin "flaming", if at all? And if it’s prior to impact, does it spoil "darkness"? If it doesn’t flame, how does it cause 1d6 Fire damage?

There is nothing in the RAW for Flame Arrows which states that the arrows are flaming while drawn or in flight, but there is also nothing saying that aren’t. So I think this comes down to DM judgement call. I ruled that, like a Fire Arrow, it’s on fire before launched, and thus, makes the Ranger visible.

What do folks think, and why?

Can an Unseen Servant do things that require ability checks?


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.

(PHB p. 284)

What happens if the Unseen Servant e.g. tries to steal gold out of a pocket? Or if he is commanded to pick a lock? I would consider those as “simple tasks that a human servant could do”.

Can an Unseen Servant do actions that require ability checks (apart from attacking, which is explicitely prohibited) and if yes, does the caster add his relevant modifier and proficiency bonus?

Can an Unseen Servant be physically touched and manipulated?

The Unseen Servant spell creates

…an invisible, mindless, shapeless force…

…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…

This shapeless force has a strength score and can interact with objects, including carrying them. It can take damage, though what forms that damage take are left unspecified. Does this mean an Unseen Servant can be physically manipulated and interacted with? Here are a series of related sub-questions:

1) Can an Unseen Servant be picked up, shoved, carried, or pushed aside?

2) Can it be commanded to “ride” or “hang on” to another willing character (such as the party fighter) as a means of allowing it to keep up with a group moving faster than 15ft a round?

2b) If so, does it have weight?

3) Can an Unseen Servant displace water, fog, and other substances?

3b) If so, can it be used to create a small “window” in fog, allowing a character in fog to see through the servant to a space without fog?

3c) If it does displace other materials, could careful observation of this phenomenon allow a character to “spot” an Unseen Servant?

Can unseen servant trigger sneak attack with a rogue

Say a rogue is fighting an enemy, and either they or someone else has unseen servant and they sent it to engage that enemy. Can the rogue now use a sneak attack?

Unseen servant is very clearly described as an entity that shouldn’t be used or useful in combat, this seems to go against that idea. In the same vein, rogues get sneak attack when there are others supporting them, again, the idea of them (if multiclassing) using a spell for this seems to be more of a loophole than a valid strategy.