[RPG] Must an unseen servant stay on the ground

dnd-5espells

The spell says:

The servant springs into existence in an unoccupied space on the ground within range.

Does the servant need to stay on the ground, or can it move through the air?

Ideally I'm looking for rules-as-written, although since the spell definition does not explicitly say, it would be reasonable to perhaps reference other rules than the spell. Interpretative answers, answers referencing previous editions or lore, or from personal experience might be useful.

Best Answer

It's spelled out fairly clearly in the spell description. The description provides a straightforward test to answer all such questions. An Unseen Servant can perform simple tasks that a human servant could do. A human servant cannot levitate, therefore neither can the Unseen Servant.

Moreover, the intent of the spell is quite clear from the tasks described. The tasks are fairly complicated - mending, serving food, and starting a fire all require some modicum of skill. But they all are consistent with what might be demanded of an ordinary manservant. None of the possible tasks suggest any physical abilities (such as levitation) beyond those of an ordinary human.

In sum, the spell creates exactly what it says, an invisible servant.