Distance and Unseen Servant

[Drachasor]

Unseen Servant says...

Quote:

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. This servant cannot fly, climb, or even swim (though it can walk on water). Its base speed is 15 feet.

The servant cannot attack in any way; it is never allowed an attack roll. It cannot be killed, but it dissipates if it takes 6 points of damage from area attacks. (It gets no saves against attacks.) If you attempt to send it beyond the spell's range (measured from your current position), the servant ceases to exist.

Note, Conjuration spells:

Quote:

The creature or object must appear within the spell's range, but it does not have to remain within the range.

So as I read it, if I have to run 120' in a round, my Unseen Servant will still be there and slowly catch up. I have not attempted to SEND it beyond the spell's range. Likewise, if I get teleported, by Unseen Servant would remain in the area I was at and not disappear -- not that it would be good for anything.

Similarly, if I tell it to clean a room or something and walk out of range, it wouldn't disappear, but it would stop working. (Up to the DM, I guess whether it just sits there or comes to me).

[DM_Blake]

Personally, I've always read this as implying that you cannot be more than the stated distance away, for any reason, or it will cease to exist. So no moving away, teleporting away, etc. - if you do, it's gone.

Sure, the general rule for conjuration spells say you that conjured creatures/objects can move beyond the casting range, but the Unseen Servant is not a creature (no stat block) and not an object and, more importantly, it has specific rules stating that it will cease to exist if you tell it to move beyond the casting range. Specific rules always override and replace general ones, so clearly, we cannot simply fall back on the general rule here and expect it to allow us to ignore the specific one.

The only doubt remaining is that the Unseen Servant spell specifically says that it ceases to exist if you send it out of range, but says nothing about if you send yourself out of range. I've always inferred that it doesn't matter; out of range is out of range, regardless of who wandered off, so either way the Unseen Servant ceases to exist. But, a good rules-lawyer could argue that this isn't explicitly stated so it should be possible for the caster to leave the range and the servant would continue to exist. But if he does successfully argue this, then he must also note that it is mindless and it will do nothing unless you are in range - this is explicitly stated. And, being mindless, it cannot even follow you once you're out of range, so no running 120' and waiting for it to slowly catch up - there is no explicit text about catching up and there is explicit text about only following your commands while you're in range, so our hypothetical rules-lawyer would be forced to concede the point; at best he could argue that it would stick around, doing nothing, until the caster returned to the spell's range and gave it new instructions.

Though I still prefer my interpretation.

[Drachasor]

If it already has orders to follow you, then those standing orders are to send it to within spell range. So it should definitely head towards you if you end up 100' away.

If it is already doing a task, it is unclear. At that point it is up to the DM, I think.

[DM_Blake]

Drachasor wrote:

If it already has orders to follow you, then those standing orders are to send it to within spell range. So it should definitely head towards you if you end up 100' away.

If it is already doing a task, it is unclear. At that point it is up to the DM, I think.

I disagree.

Assuming we have a GM that lets us wander off without the unseen servant ceasing to exist, we have to consider this:

"but it repeats the same activity over and over again if told to do so as long as you remain within range."

You order it to follow you and then you start walking. It follows that command, each round repeating the same activity - following you - while you remain within range. If you move out of range, it cannot repeat the same activity - following you - because you are no longer meeting the requirement "as long as you remain within range".

So I would say that it stops, standing there like a, well, like "an invisible, mindless, shapeless force" until you return to "within range" at which time you can resume giving it orders.

All of which is predicated upon finding a GM that would allow your servant to continue existing if you move out of range.

[Drachasor]

Good point. What it does when out of range is then left unstated. Either nothing or up to the DM.

I don't think it would be hard to find a DM that would say it still exists if you move out of range. The language on when it disappears is perfectly clear. I can understand someone not liking it and ruling that it disappears when out of range, but that's decidedly NOT what the spell says.

Personally, I'd probably rule that it stops whatever it is doing and returns to the caster if it finds itself out of range. Granted, that's a house rule (much like having it cease to exist if the caster gets bullrushed or moves or is moved out of range), but it is just an unseen servant. I don't see any balance concern with being forgiving about it.

Edit: Hmm, the "so long as you remain within range" bit is an odd choice of words. You are always within range of the spell. You think they'd say "so long as it remains within range."

[S'Daria]

Have Unseen Servant get on your back while you move fast.