Rules designer Jeremy Crawford has stated that a D and D creature can use magic items, unless its anatomy or a rule precludes such use. For example, the steel defender is a creature that can reasonably use many different magic items. It is possible to balance encounters around a 3-attunement Steel Defender in a magic-heavy campaign, but a 0-attunement Steel Defender will be noticeably easier to balance.
The Steel Defender can attune magic items, although the rules on their body type (can look how you want, have 2 or 4 legs, but body type does not) do not. Outfit your defender with useful magic items by having it attune to them or otherwise utilize their benefits. A Cloak of Protection provides an easy +1 AC, while magic weapons give new options for its. The vast majority of campaigns are not likely to have tons of stat boosting magic items floating around.
Previous errata states that creatures cannot use a Spell Storing Item, as it requires a creature to use a special (unnamed/Use a Magic) action. Steel Defenders can attune to magic items, hold shields, and possibly weapons, but if a DM allows it, it is up to them. As a construct, your steel defender can utilize magic items physically, but Whether its limited intelligence allows proper attunement is debatable.
In conclusion, a Steel Defender can reasonably use many different magic items, as long as they have the correct anatomy and can attune like anyone else. However, a creature is precluded from using all magic, and an item can be attuned to only one creature at a time. As a construct, your steel defender can utilize magic items physically, but whether its limited intelligence allows proper attunement is debatable.
📹 Steel Defenders!What are the best options?What do Artificers need to know?
Take a closer look at the Steel Defender and decide what would work best for you. What does Tasha’s Cauldron say and what will …
Can steel Defender use magical items?
It is possible for a steel defender to utilise magical items in the capacity of a construct; however, its restricted cognitive abilities may prevent it from achieving optimal attunement.
Do steel defenders count as creatures?
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Is a steel defender sentient?
The Steel Defender begins with an intelligence quotient of 4, which can be augmented to 3 or 4 for humans. The entity in question already possesses sufficient intelligence to attain sentience and self-awareness. The Steel Defender is not a prerequisite for attaining greater intelligence. Additionally, the text notes that JavaScript may be disabled or blocked by an extension or that the browser may lack support for cookies.
Can you give your steel defender a shield?
A steel defender is permitted to utilize any magical or non-magical items, and thus a shield is an acceptable option in unadulterated combat.
Can Magus cast spells?
A magus can perform Spell Combat with a full round action, making a full attack with their weapon and casting any magus spell. They can cast Shield, take a 5′ step, attack with their sword, or sword a person and cast Magic Missile defensively. The Spell Blending arcana adds it to the list of magus spells of its wizard spell level, making it count as a magus spell. Spellstrike only allows the touch with a weapon, causing weapon damage.
Can you have 2 steel defenders?
Following a period of recuperation, it is possible to construct a new steel defender by utilising the appropriate smithing apparatus. In the event that a player has already constructed a steel defender, the first defender will be destroyed. Similarly, if a player dies, the first defender will also be eliminated. The statistics and leveling up for defenders remain unchanging. However, certain things should be updated as the artificer gains levels, including saving throw, athletics, perception, and passive perception.
What actions can steel defender take?
In combat, the defender shares your initiative count but takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction independently, but only takes the Dodge action on its turn unless you command it to take another action. If incapacitated, the defender can take any action of its choice. If the Mending Transmutation Cantrip is cast, it regains 2d6 hit points on a single broken object no larger than 1 cu ft. If the defender has died within the last hour, you can revive it using your smith’s tools, provided you are within 5 feet of it and expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher.
The defender returns to life after 1 minute with all hit points restored. At the end of a long rest, you can create a new steel defender if you have smith’s tools with you. The first defender immediately perishes if you die.
Can a steel defender fly?
The Steel Defender, a super-fighting robot, lacks the ability to fly, which can be a challenge once flying enemies become common. To overcome this, players must find a way to either get enemies down into range of the Steel Defender or make it fly. The Battle Smith, an offensively weapon-focused Artificer, stands alongside the Paladin and Ranger as a weapon-using half-caster. It must leverage the Artificer’s spell list and Infusions to increase the heat.
Artificers are good candidates for this combat style due to their “Tools Required” spellcasting feature, which adds a Material component to every spell and counts any Infused item as a valid spell focus. The Battle Smith adds the synergy of using Intelligence for attacks with Magical Weapons, which Infusions can do.
Can you cast spells on a steel defender?
The Steel Defender can be effectively utilized in conjunction with Aid, a spell that enables it to withstand a greater degree of damage before it becomes a mere assemblage of mechanical components. The Battlesmith spell Heroism may be infused into the barding. It is possible to bestow magical items upon the SD and to cast Artificer spells upon it. Furthermore, it is possible to create magical items via the Replicate Magic Item spell.
Can a steel defender be a mount?
The Steel Defender, a medium-sized creature, can be used as a mount for small Battle Smiths, but it introduces rules complications. When ridden as a controlled mount, the Steel Defender moves on the Battle Smith’s turn like any other mount. It has two restrictions on its actions: Dodge, Dash, and Disengage, and Dodge, unless a Bonus Action is spent. This means that in exchange for having scaling hit points, the Steel Defender can Dash and Disengage at the cost of Bonus Actions. While this prevents the Steel Defender from making attacks, the increased mobility in combat is worth the trade.
Can an artificer ride the Steel Defender?
The Steel Defender, a medium-sized creature, can be used as a mount for small Battle Smiths, but it introduces rules complications. When ridden as a controlled mount, the Steel Defender moves on the Battle Smith’s turn like any other mount. It has two restrictions on its actions: Dodge, Dash, and Disengage, and Dodge, unless a Bonus Action is spent. This means that in exchange for having scaling hit points, the Steel Defender can Dash and Disengage at the cost of Bonus Actions. While this prevents the Steel Defender from making attacks, the increased mobility in combat is worth the trade.
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And what I think the BIGGEST benefit for the Steel Defender is is definitely that it can be up to 5 ft by ft. Size medium, but this is full cover for many artificers and half covers for the rest, which is +5AC or +2AC. Most battle smiths are tanky, so you get tons of AC and get attacked at disadvantage, or they target the steel defender who still rolls for advantage with Dodge. And there’s nothing preventing YOU from taking the dodge action and letting your SD use YOU for cover while they repair, getting bonuses to their AC, you still roll for advantage, and it gets to use its action to repair instead of dodge. The tandem of a tank battlesmith with high ac (my character’s is 23, with options for haste and shield spell to make it 30 when need be) playing off each other, giving each other bonus AC and imparting advantage defensive rolls for one another is actually ridiculously powerful and any DM will have trouble dismantling it.
I’m going to be playing an Artificer in an upcoming Curse of Strahd Campaign. I’ve done some digging on the steel defender and found out that his creature if anatomically capable can wear armor and magical items, which is a nice way to give it some buffs if magical items are plentiful. My DM has been extremely generous and is allowing my Steel Defender to have all the same proficiencies as me. Martial weapons, Heavy Armored at 4. if it gets out of hand he’ll nerf it but should be fun. Thanks for the info!
I’m a warforged. My steel defender is a half sized replica of myself, and my homunculus is a 1/4 replica. My defender is my mount(with enlarge/reduce spell), my homunculus has wings. It isn’t too wild to think all these robots that look exactly like each other could fit together.. aaaaaaaand GO GO POWER RANGERS
I have a rock gnome artificer with his steel defender being a battle chicken named Buckbeak. I don’t think my DM has realized how big Buckbeak is in relation to my gnome, but I use the chicken for cover while shooting my crossbow. Once I hit level 5, I’ll get two attacks, plus my crossbow expert feat attack, so I be busting out 3 round bursts from behind my battle chicken. We also had a fair bit of down time in game after hitting level four, so I talked my DM into allowing me to weld a shield to Buckbeak, since he doesn’t have arms and has a big chest to mount it on and he’s been a bit squishy as of late, so the bonus AC was warranted. My current campaign is in the tundra, so I ride Buckbeak everywhere and, while others might pick up exhaustion from trudging through snow, I’m nice and snug, bundled up atop my chicken, who doesn’t get exhausted. I also recorded a yeti growl to give Buckbeak for intimidation, as well as eyes that glow red, but turn to blue any other time. In the future, I’m considering building a bull for my steel defender and mounting some huge yeti horns I have in my bag to allow it to charge and gore mobs. That could be fun. And btw…Buckbeak got the killing blow on that huge yeti, by running up its extended arm and shoving his head through the yeti’s eye socket…lol He also got a killing blow on a dwarf big bad that tried to run away. As he was guarding me behind a corner while I healed up, the big bad ran past Buckbeak, not knowing he was there, drawing an opportunity attack, which was a crit, and he struck like a snake and put his beak through the dwarf’s temple, who instantly spun around and hit the floor dead.
This was a nice article, however I think you focused more on flavor and stats and missed a lot of the mechanical benefits steel defender possess. Yes, it’s been confirmed on twitter they can hold items, including magic items, such as an Enhanced Defense infused shield (+4 AC), however they don’t have proficiency so if they equip this they get disadvantage on attacks and saving throws. However, because your spell focus can be a set of tools, you can infuse your tools as your Spell-Storing item and have twice your INT modifier in spell slots loaded for lvl 1 or 2 spells, such as cure wounds or faerie fire. Ask your DM, but as it’s worded there is no reason your SD can’t interact with the object and activate spells, going around as a utility bot for your bonus action when you don’t want it to take the dodge action.