I'm trying to design a spell and was wondering what level it should be put at.
Its essentially a souped up unseen servant. The spell lasts one hour per level, as allows you to manipulate items within reach as if you had extra hands. This means that you could for example carry a your bonded item and a metamagic rod, while having your spellbook float in front of you, and a potion or scroll at the ready
I wrote out some technical details about its dexterity and strength, but it boils down to near useless for wielding weapons or attempting to do a complex task with it, such as pick a lock. However by being able to manipulate it around your entire body and spin it w/o regards for hands I figured it would still be difficult to disarm, and leave it at your own CMD or maybe slightly higher.
Obviously it has some uses, but I also think the flavor of hovering a scroll in front of you as you activate it is pretty awesome.
I was thinking a level 2-3 spell? There is also a debate on whether it could have separate minor actions (probably from a list), such as drawing a weapon/potion. However I'm a little afraid creative players might abuse that a bit. Any thoughts?
Actually, if all it does is what you said here, it's an entirely redundant spell. Unseen Servant can already hold stuff for you and follow you around. You just give it the command, "Hold these and follow me around." It can't attack, which your spell can't do either. It can't perform complex tasks (such as picking a lock) and it can't attack, the same as your spell. Unseen Servant also lasts hours per level.
Unless your version allowed it to hand you stuff as a free/swift action, it'd still be a move action to take an item from it, which would be the same as an Unseen Servant.
All that to say, I guess Bard 1, Sor/Wiz 1.
Can you actually activate an item while the unseen servant is holding it? Are you considered in the possession of your bonded object when it has it? And can you drink potions with it? I assumed those were additions, but now that I think about it perhaps not.
You would not be considered in possession of your bonded object, this is true. You can order it to offer you a potion (just as any other character can administer a potion to you). There is nothing saying that you can't activate an item that someone else is holding as long as you also hold it.
If you are wanting it to count as yourself for the purposes of holding, wielding or possessing items, then this would be a unique spell. As that's a rather powerful ability, especially for multi-classed melee/wizards, it would need to be a relatively high level spell. Letting this thing hold your bonded object and a metamagic rod of quicken (letting you cast a non-provoking spell) while you full attack something with your greatsword is a pretty powerful ability.
In that case, I'm thinking Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 4. But that's not really based on anything tangible, just sort of a "that feels right" measure.
honestly, 5 or 6, what you're describing is non-combat but souped up duration and utility Telekinesis.
