#unseen servant

[clockworkbanana]

(2019) c/w magical DEATH

The backstory for my darling fire genasi bard, Sonja. She fell in love with an aetherborn who, before he died, made sure she would be looked after by his magically enhanced unseen servant always.

[thebest-medicine]

Day 10: Ghost

Tickletober 2023 - Critical Role - C2 Mighty Nein - lee!Jester, lee!Fjord, lee!Beau

[see my other tickletober 2023 fics]

A/N: Caleb has some fun with Unseen Servant [continued here]

[read on AO3]

Words: 1.6k

—

It had taken a little time studying and searching around town for Caleb to finally get his hands on a viable copy he could use - to cast as many times as he was able in a day - of a spell he’d been thinking about adding to his repertoire for some time. 

Unseen Servant - it created an invisible, mindless, shapeless force that performed simple tasks as mentally commanded. The question was, how simple did the task need to be? Caleb made his way happily back to where they had set up the Tower, pockets full of extra string and wood chips he’d need as spell components to practice. 

Over the next few days, Caleb practiced with a few times when he was alone in his room - he manifested the unseen servant, commanding various tasks of increasing complexity. First, he  had it picking up a few books. Over the hour he tidied up around the room using the incorporeal helper. He asked it to fetch some items for him, and quirked up a smile as they were brought to his side. He took a bottle of wine and a glass he had brought into the room earlier. The unseen servant poured him a glass as commanded without spilling a drop. The best part was, he didn’t have to verbally state the commands. It was like his own little personal, benevolent, mind reading ghost helper. 

Caleb drummed the balls of his feet on the floor, wanting to try out something that would determine if the time spent finding this was as worthwhile as he’d hoped. He only had to think it. 

Caleb lifted one foot, wincing though he was along, and thought out the command to trace a line down his foot. He shuddered, foot twitching and toes curling, when he felt a finger slide down his foot. 

“Ah- shit. Heh-” Caleb was full on smiling now. Oh yes. This was going to give him an edge. He went through a few checks of more dexterous moves - grabbing a toe, poking, the sensation of wiggling fingers - Caleb pulled one arm up to cover his mouth as he started to snicker outright. 

Soon enough, he called off the little guy who wasn’t a guy- ‘Schmidt’ he thought fondly. He didn’t, after all, want to laugh loud enough to attract any curious tieflings. 

Caleb Widogast was a patient man, disciplined, but he was giddy at the thought of stumbling upon a good time to try to utilize his little friend. He hoped to have a bit of fun with the others before they figured it out. 

…

They were sitting together, talking after a meal - spread in a semi-circle of seats on furniture and the cushions on the floor. Jester was suggesting some games they could play or stories they could tell. Fjord sat right next to her, their thighs pressing together every time she wheedled back and forth in her spot as she spoke. Beau was on the floor, back pressed against the chair where Yasha’s legs came down to wrap around either side of her. Yasha carded her hand through and played with Beau’s hair. 

“Ah- Jester!” Fjord yelped out of the blue, flinching away from her and from a poking, ticklish touch on his side.

She looked at him curiously. His eyes were wide, a little nervous, smiling. “What, Fjord?” She asked. 

Fjord, watching her nervously, felt a scribble of what felt like fingers - though he could see all of hers - down his side and scrambled backward in shock. He put distance between them with a gasp. “No, no tickling- what did you do?” He asked with a squirm, trying to fight the nervous smile on his lip. 

“Who’s tickling? I’m not tickling.” Jester asked, looking more pleased and confused the more Fjord said. 

“What the fuck is- ahaha- what did you, who- who? Ahahah- shit!” Fjord’s speech broke down into giggles and snorts of laughter as the pokes and scribbles suddenly switched to his ribs. He swatted at the source, but felt nothing in the space. “Hehe no- ahh! Stahahap-” He gave up and collapsed back on the floor, wrapping his arms around his middle. 

Mercifully the feeling ebbed away, leaving Fjord grinning like a fool on his back. Jester came more directly into his line of sight, leaning in. “Ooh, what was that all about?” 

He didn’t quite believe just yet, knowing Jester, that she wasn’t involved in what had just happened. “What did you- is this some kind of, of- trickster spell?” 

“Fjord!” She batted at his arm playfully. “I promise I didn’t tickle you!” Jester laughed. “If I did… I’d do it like this.” 

“Shit- no!” Fjord got out as she lobbed herself down over him.

Caleb chuckled as she started taking Fjord apart right in the middle of the den - not unusual for the little trickster. He allowed himself a small smile in pride at his successful instigation. He would definitely be using this more often, he thought as he heard Fjord’s laughter ring out louder.

…

The next time he conjured Schmidt, he had first excused himself to the bathroom - it would only last for an hour at a time, and he couldn’t exactly cast it right in front of everyone. Even if he tried to be subtle, they could be quite perceptive. 

He came back in and made himself comfortable within their circle, sipping some more of the tea from Caduceus. 

Jester was giving a long-winded explanation of a book she had picked up recently when she cut herself off with a shriek. She jumped up in her seat, her eyes scanning between Fjord on one side and Beau on the other. “Hey! Who did that?” Then she grinned. “Are we having another tickle fight?” 

Fjord looked pale as she spoke. He held his hands up, waving them at her defensively. “No, no- it- it wasn’t me!” 

Beau snorted at his reaction, causing Jester to pounce on her. Fjord scrambled away from Jester’s wild tickling, leaving Beau on her own.

…

Their basic shopping and supply run had gone terribly wrong in Beauregard’s eyes. She, Caleb, Caduceus, and Nott wandered the halls of the general store, looking for anything odd or interesting, when something… started happening. 

Beauregard barely held in a gasp at a sudden flicker of sensation, a poke along her side. She spun defensively, drawing in her fists. Nothing. Hmm.

She was talking to the shopkeep, trying to negotiate a deal when a- a feeling- something- pinched along the back of her hips. She cut her words short, barely holding in a laugh. She turned around fast, batted at the air and scowled.

When she turned back around, finding nothing behind her, the gnomish man behind the counter had fixed her with a strange look. “A-Are you alright, miss?”

“I’m fucking great. Anyway-” She took a deep breath. “Is that really the best you can do for us?” 

…

When it happened again at the next shop, she couldn’t even see any of her friends in her line of sight. What the fuck was this. Was their house haunted by some. Weird ass ghost that kept tickling them? Was this some elaborate prank from Jester? Was it the Traveler? Some fucking spell? Whatever it was, Beau was already over it. 

She kept her arms down along her sides as she finished grabbing what she needed from the shop. Checking out, she felt the same wiggling, tickling skitter again, this time over her neck. Almost letting out a squeak, she looked frantically around the room, scanning for anyone else acting strange - or, feeling strange, or looking strange… or-

Caduceus was standing nearby, giving her a slightly concerned frown. Caleb was behind her in another row. Her eyes just caught the shift of Caleb’s lip, the aversion of his eyes; when he saw her look his way, he had immediately schooled his features and pretended to be interested in something else. That fucker must have figured out some, annoying ass spell. The little shit. He’d been doing this at the house. At the tavern. For weeks. How had no one noticed? Well, now Beau noticed. 

Beau scowled at the back of Caleb’s head as they walked back to the tavern, scheming. He definitely had some answering to do for this. 

…

Caleb, satisfied with the progress of his weeks-long ruse, started to make his way out of the room after the rest of them had started to head to bed. He made it a step before something pulled him to a halt by the back of his shirt. 

Caleb spun frantically, trying to face the assailant. He met eyes with Beauregard - who was.. happy? angry? - whatever it was she looked downright dangerous. He took a nervous breath before clearing his throat. He tried to sound casual, maybe a little annoyed - definitely not nervous. “And just what do you think you’re doing, Beauregard?” 

“What am I doing?” Beau scoffed. Caleb heard a little disbelieving laugh as she started dragging him backwards, toward her room. Caleb stumbled back, following her but unable to turn around. 

“Hey!” He argued, as she tossed him ahead of her into the room.

She closed the door, and then spun on her heels to face him. “I saw you.” Beau growled, pointing at him in accusation. “Your little fucking smirk at the shop. I know it’s been you fucking with us, you little shit.” 

Caleb felt his cheeks heating up and couldn’t do anything to stop it. He smiled placatingly, holding up his hands. “Surely, I- heh, I don’t know what you mean-”

“Yeah?” She grinned at him wolfishly. “Well, you’re gonna tell me all about it.”

[generic-cleric]

Helga Ruvak, the Maid of Castle Ravenloft! After having run a stretch of the campaign that takes place in the castle, I have developed a huge appreciation for her character (with which I have taken liberties). Each course of the dinner with Strahd and his Brides was overseen by Helga and served by her waiting staff of Unseen Servants. Her Animated Brooms and Feather Dusters keep the halls presentable for guests. She also bears the responsibility as Castle Guide, should the party need her, they may simply call her name, and she reluctantly appears in the nearest open doorway.

[darlingbundoodles]

For the DnD players, I propose a new use for Unseen Servant.

They are formed to Comfort the spell caster. Is your warlock sad cause their team mates find them evil? Unseen servant that shit and have it hold your hand!

Is your bard emotional over one of the many romances they got in that ended in disaster? Woops! Unseen servant is now an unseen cuddler!

None of their party members are gunna know cause it’s invisible! The perfect crime!

[wearesorcerer]

Feat: Magic Trick

Sources: Chronicle of Legends and Distant Shores (Pathfinder 1e)

Select one of the listed spells; as long as you meet any other listed prerequisites, you may use any tricks associated with that spell. You may take this feat multiple times; each time you do, it applies to a different spell.

Spells Affected: daylight, fireball, mage hand, obscuring mist, prestidigitation, shield, Tenser’s floating disk, unseen servant

Spiffy Tricks: gaining additional uses out of a floating disk you’re riding on, punching people with mage hand, using alchemist’s fire as a material component for your fireballs so that they light everything on fire, etc.

Some of the tricks are things the spells in question could do already. For example, there is nothing in 3.x that says you cannot ride on your floating disk so long as it can support your weight; that’s WotC being the fun police in 5e. However, in that case it spells out what doing so accomplishes and also gives you some benefits (you can mount the disk as part of the same action as casting it and you gain better flight on the Astral Plane).

I’d like to see this applied to more spells, but hopefully with less reliance on additional feat prerequisites. A 5e version would be cool, too.

[zochascribe]

My girl!!! Street name T-swizzy, wielder of banjo, seeker of adventure, master of exactly one (1) braincell

[rollingandstories]

Make your own Spookmas Ghosts!

This is basically the only worthwhile use of an unseen servant this time of year anyway.

[thewatchercleric]

Bard: *about Unseen Servant* Can it slap people for me? DM: Yes. Bard: It can slap butt cheeks!