Tiny Servant Ruling

[Aaedimus]

The spell says: you animate a tiny object "that isn't attached to another object or surface"
This is the penultimate beauty and the beast spell.
Imagine you animate a candlestick.... there's a candle in the candlestick. They're not attached, but it's sitting in the cup.
I believe that would be a legitimate target for the spell, and lies within the spirit of the spell.
Now, what about a tiny potion rack? One would assume having a potion sitting in the rack doesn't count as "attached to an object"...
I propose it would not be to much of a stretch to have a local blacksmith make me a number of these potion racks (maybe even with the potions hanging from chains) and cast tiny servant and animate objects on the objects. They could offer boons to my team mates, or conversely be loaded with alchemist's fire or something similar.

Would you allow this? What are your opinions?

[Nifft]

This is the penultimate beauty and the beast spell.

What's the ultimate?

[Whyrocknodie]

What's the ultimate?

Tiny Butler.

[ImproperJustice]

What's the ultimate?

Polymorph!

[Derpldorf]

I don't see why this wouldn't work, but by the wording of the spell seems to indicate that they wouldn't do anything independently and would require specific instructions by you to use any of their potions.

As a DM I would find the idea amusing and might even give out a boon somewhere along the lines of letting them follow some basic programing logic, with more boons allowing a greater and greater level of detail allowed... But that's just me.

[JackPhoenix]

What's the point? Just because the rack with potions is running around doesn't mean it can actually use the potions. It has no hands or other dexterous appendages. You can just give the potions to other characters outright and save a spell slot.

[Sinon]

I don't see why this wouldn't work, but by the wording of the spell seems to indicate that they wouldn't do anything independently and would require specific instructions by you to use any of their potions.

As a DM I would find the idea amusing and might even give out a boon somewhere along the lines of letting them follow some basic programing logic, with more boons allowing a greater and greater level of detail allowed... But that's just me.

This is less Beauty and the Beast, more "Sorcerer's Apprentice."

[Derpldorf]

What's the point? Just because the rack with potions is running around doesn't mean it can actually use the potions. It has no hands or other dexterous appendages. You can just give the potions to other characters outright and save a spell slot.

The spell explicitly states that the objects sprouts arms and legs. Arms imply hands or at least grasping appendages.


This is less Beauty and the Beast, more "Sorcerer's Apprentice."

And now there are ambulatory broomsticks running around my wizards tower.

[Aaedimus]

I was going to have the potion holders hanging on chains, so that when it does it's ram attack the potion would burn on impact

[Aaedimus]

Animate object, 4 chains (with potions) and have them fly around spinning so if anything comes close one or more of the dangerous vials is likely to come in contact.

Tiny objects have 20hp and 18 AC, and you can have 8.

Think of the chaos you could create.

For tiny servant there's no flying, but the spell does have a 2 level difference and lasts 8 hours with no concentration