Artificer and Unseen Servant

[Sigreid]

Anyone else think it's a little weird that unseen servant isn't on the Artificer spell list? That seems like exactly the kind of spell that a crafting themed class would want.

[Waterdeep Merch]

Yes and no. They definitely ought to have access to helping hands, but that's why unseen servant is less sensible and thematic than a homunculus, a physical creation that is more capable on the whole.

That said, for the dedicated artificer, it another reason to grab Ritual Caster. Alongside find familiar, it can give you a wealth of help when needed.

[Sigreid]

I was actually thinking in terms of something they would learn a way to do for a helper to sweep the floor, wipe down the cabinets, pump the bellows at the forge, etc.

[MaxWilson]

I was actually thinking in terms of something they would learn a way to do for a helper to sweep the floor, wipe down the cabinets, pump the bellows at the forge, etc.

The Artificer way is to invest in a homonculus infusion for that, not to spend 10 minutes every hour recasting Unseen Servant.

[Sigreid]

The Artificer way is to invest in a homonculus infusion for that, not to spend 10 minutes every hour recasting Unseen Servant.

Being tiny I think they would struggle with any of those tasks. Maybe not.

Now a full on suit of animated armor! Now we're talking!

[MaxWilson]

Being tiny I think they would struggle with any of those tasks. Maybe not.

Now a full on suit of animated armor! Now we're talking!

Sounds legit. Maybe a higher-level infusion? It wouldn't be overpowered at 10th level, for example.

[Damon_Tor]

An artificer can make an awakened shrub with a Pot of Awakening infusion and 30 days of downtime. If you ever have a year or two as a time skip in the story, you can make several of these. This was the basis for one of my favorite characters.

[Sigreid]

An artificer can make an awakened shrub with a Pot of Awakening infusion and 30 days of downtime. If you ever have a year or two as a time skip in the story, you can make several of these. This was the basis for one of my favorite characters.

Thanks for the tip! I don't recall seeing that infusion but I'll look again. I'm about to start playing a artificer that will go battle smith. Intend to wield a pistol with the repeating shot infusion instead of cantrips for damage.

[MaxWilson]

Thanks for the tip! I don't recall seeing that infusion but I'll look again. I'm about to start playing a artificer that will go battle smith. Intend to wield a pistol with the repeating shot infusion instead of cantrips for damage.

I believe Pot of Awakening is a Common magic item, and the trick is to pick whatever infusion it is that lets you create three(?) Common magic items.

[Evaar]

Thanks for the tip! I don't recall seeing that infusion but I'll look again.

It's the last paragraph under "Replicate Magic Item"

If you have Xanathar's Guide to Everything, you can choose from among the common magic items in that book when you pick a magic item you can replicate with this infusion.

[Sigreid]

You guys are boss, thanks!

[Thunderous Mojo]

I believe Pot of Awakening is a Common magic item,

It certainly is in Colorado, through it is much more rare in Singapore. Wait a moment...you meant a different type of "Pot of Awakening",
didn't you? 🃏

[stoutstien]

The SWT could net you one casting of unseen servant a day.

[Quietus]

The SWT could net you one casting of unseen servant a day.

Technically, I believe it could get you 600 castings a day if you did nothing but that for an hour, because of the awkward writing. But you'd never need that many.

[Ogun]

I wonder, could you take the Knight back ground and have construct retainers?
I freeking love minions, so the more the merrier.
A Battlesmith could take the Knight background , the SWT: familiar, a SWT: Unseen Servant , and a homunculus.
BTW, can any of these minions use a Tower Sheild?

[Monster Manuel]

The way I see it, mechanically Unseen Servant works for the Alchemist, but it's too hard to skin it as a techno-magical construct. The invisible force creature aspect is more...I don't know. Inherently magical? All of the other Artificer spells, I can imagine a character pouring out a vial of Stuff, or opening a hatch in their armor and gizmoduck-ing a spell effect on a spring, or etc. Creating an independently motile invisible force creature is more of a stretch, while it makes perfect sense as a more conventional spell.

[Sigreid]

I'm planning on having my artificer be somewhat construct obsessed.

[Eriol]

The way I see it, mechanically Unseen Servant works for the Alchemist, but it's too hard to skin it as a techno-magical construct. The invisible force creature aspect is more...I don't know. Inherently magical? All of the other Artificer spells, I can imagine a character pouring out a vial of Stuff, or opening a hatch in their armor and gizmoduck-ing a spell effect on a spring, or etc. Creating an independently motile invisible force creature is more of a stretch, while it makes perfect sense as a more conventional spell.

Agreed, harder, but not impossible.

My thought was this: The Doctor from Star Trek: Voyager. Spoilers for later seasons (not big ones) - He gets a mobile holographic emitter. This means he can go anywhere, but has a little device (honestly, not much larger than the communicators they stick to their uniforms) that contains his program and gives him "substance" (of a sort).

Unseen servant for Artificers: same deal as The Doctor, but just it's an emitter of magical force, binding it around itself in the "form" of a humanoid. Maybe yours isn't 100% unseen, but has a similar "emitter" in the center of it that's floating around. Or maybe the magic device bends light around itself, so it's unseen along with the force. If more Alchemy-flavored, it's a vial of flowing magical liquid that does this. If more Magitek-like, then go that route.

And there ya go. Unseen Servant, artificer-flavored as necessar. Mechanically 100% identical. You need the casting time to infuse the device with a "charge" to get it active.