Steel Defender 5e Guide: Stats, Abilities, and Builds for D&D 

Understanding the Steel Defender in D&D 5e 

One of the unique selling points of the Battle Smith subclass is its Steel Defender, a mechanical bodyguard created by the artificer. The idea of having a bodyguard who can absorb damage and dish it out in equal measure is an appealing one, and it’s worth understanding how the Steel Defender functions before investing resources into its upgrades. 

Think of the Steel Defender as a second character under your control – It has an armor class, hitpoints, attacks on its turn, saves against effects like grapple or charm – but with some modifications to how it’s controlled. 

The Steel Defender has many roles that it can take in any given battle. When making use of its increased mobility and speed, players can place themselves within range of enemies so they can deal melee damage while maintaining aggro. Alternatively, they could become a tank by utilizing their defensive capabilities to keep pressure off other party members and allow spellcasters to have free reign during battles. 

It’s crucial to define the role your Steel Defender will play in combat before creating one to ensure maximum effectiveness. Be prepared for plenty of experimentation and tweaking to find what works best for you. 

The Battle Smith subclass offers the unique feature of a Steel Defender, a mechanical bodyguard that can absorb damage and deal it out. Understanding how the Steel Defender functions is important before investing resources into its upgrades. Think of the Steel Defender as a second character with its own armor class, hitpoints, attacks, and saves against effects.

It has various roles in battle, such as dealing melee damage or acting as a tank to protect other party members.

Defining the role of your Steel Defender before creating one is crucial for maximum effectiveness, and be prepared for experimentation and tweaking to find what works best for you. 

Abilities and Stats Overview 

Steel Defenders have their own set of stat blocks that differ slightly from typical NPCs’ stats. They are generally resilient; high HP and increase every level make them difficult to destroy outright. 

At Level 3, the Steel Defender has 15 AC, 40 movement speed, immunity to poison damage and poison condition immunities as well as disadvantage on perception checks reliant on smell.

Stats improve based on intelligence scores with higher values yielding increases in maximum health pool, attack bonuses & hit %, Armor Class (AC), etc., so be sure not to ignore this facet when deciding on potential builds for your animal companion-esque ally. 

The Steel Defender also has some unique abilities that set it apart from other constructs. Its reaction, Deflect Attack, allows it to impose disadvantage on a creature attacking one of your allies within 5 feet. Additionally, its bite attack has two options: Pack Tactics for increased hit chance with allies in melee range and Force-Empowered Rend, an ability that deals force damage on a successful bite attack. 

The Steel Defender can perform numerous useful actions outside of combat – explore the environment or interact with objects – which could yield critical information about your current quest objective. Players should be mindful not to overlook upgrading their Steel Defender’s abilities.

Adding various tools (sensors, mounts that grant flying) will allow for creative combat and exploration maneuvers. In short, consider what unique role you want your Steel Defender to fill based on its strengths. 

The Steel Defender also shares a bonus action with the Artificer through the Command action, where the artificer can instruct the defender to move towards enemies or specific areas of interest. It regains all HP upon completion of a long rest or when using spell slots dedicated to healing. 

By understanding the Steel Defender’s strengths and capabilities and incorporating them into strategic builds, players can take advantage of this potentially powerful addition to their party. In our next section, we’ll explore deeper into breakpoints regarding upgrades and variant materials available for the Steel Defender. 

Abilities and Stats Overview 

As players level up their Battle Smith class, they unlock new abilities that integrate further with the Steel Defender’s stats and skills available. One example is at Level 6 of the subclass, where players gain access to the Extra Attack feature for themselves but also allow their Steel Defender to follow suit. 

Players who want more defensive options may find Sentinel able to utilize these key features as well: imposing disadvantage on enemy attacks against ally targets in proximity to you when utilizing steel defender’s deflect attack reaction; finally granting Sentinel the ability to strike opponents with opportunity attacks attempting to flee. 

Artificers should explore adding personality to their Steel Defenders, as this can lead to interesting roleplaying opportunities. If your game is set up in an environment where enemies frequently appear (such as a dungeon crawl scenario), it’s prudent to consider increasing the defender’s damage potential with upgrades such as Magic Fang or enhancing its durability with adamantine plating. 

Comparing it to a game of chess, the Steel Defender represents something like a knight – it can traverse the board quickly and has unique abilities that differentiate itself from other pieces. 

As players adjust throughout campaigns, so too should they adjust how they utilize their Steel Defender best. With proper stats and skill management along with an upgrade path tailor-made for your character choices, Steel Defenders provide players with a balanced and practical tool unique to their class. 

• At level 6, assuming a max intelligence score (20), a Steel Defender has an approximate maximum HP of 37. 
• The Steel Defender’s base Armor Class (AC) is 15, indicating a moderate ability to resist hits from attacks. 
• According to analyses on Reddit gaming forums, despite its limited attack power, the Steel Defender can consistently absorb damage for an average of 1-2 rounds per battle, performing as a reliable tank-class entity within typical campaign battles. 

Upgrades and Variant Materials 

The Steel Defender is a construct that can benefit from upgrades and variant materials to increase its durability, power, and versatility. Artificers can draw upon their creativity and expertise while deciding on the type of material to use for their Steel Defender.

Some of the materials that could be used include Mithral, Adamantine, or Dragonshards for added resistances. Additionally, upgrades such as a Ram, Shield Generator, and a Wand Sheath can provide additional abilities in combat. 

One popular upgrade is the Ram, which allows the Steel Defender to deal 2d6 bludgeoning damage when it hits an enemy target with a move action or bonus action. This can be useful when the Steel Defender needs to knock an enemy prone or push them away from allies. 

Another upgrade option includes the Shield Generator which provides +2 Armor Class to both the Steel Defender and nearby allies in a 10 ft radius. This is especially effective against enemies with lower attack rolls since it makes it more difficult for them to hit allies within close proximity. 

Finally, there is the Wand Sheath upgrade, which allows the Steel Defender’s body to be utilized as a spellcasting focus. This adds further layers of versatility as Artificers can then cast spells through their Steel Defender’s attacks while gaining benefits unique to certain spells. 

Variant materials like Mithril doesn’t rust which means it won’t suffer loss of AC over time. Adamantine makes it immune to critical hits so the steel defender would survive longer in battle. Dragonshard provides resistance against magical attacks making it even more durable. 

Overall, upgrades and variations can augment your Steel Defender’s abilities in critical ways when used appropriately. 

Tactical Use of Steel Defender in Battle 

The tactical use of the Steel Defender in combat is crucial for parties’ survival rates during challenging encounters. The first step in using your companion effectively is understanding its statistics and abilities to determine when and how to best utilize it. 

One of the best ways to use the Steel Defender is as a disruption unit. Its defensive power, mobility, and grappling abilities can let it block entranceways or restrict enemy movement. The defender acts as a frontline warrior, taking damage from foes while protecting your weaker characters like spellcasters. 

Another tactical use of the Steel Defender is its ability to flank enemies with other party members. Flanking can provide an advantage in combat which can lead to improved critical hit chances. This could be done by commanding the Steel Defender to engage an enemy on one side while another party member flanks them from the opposite direction. 

The Steel Defender’s ability to interact with objects also provides numerous possibilities for tactical advantages, such as pulling levers or pressing buttons that would allow parties to progress in levels. Additionally, it has proficient skills in Athletics, Insight, Perception, and Stealth that make it ideal for performing several non-combat-related tasks. 

When deploying the Artificer’s Steel Defender, remember that its purpose isn’t primarily focused on DPS output but rather serving as a formidable bodyguard and utility powerhouse. It is important not to be reckless with it since failure could result in the death of both player character and steel defender. 

Finally, consider its placement with respect to your Artificer within your party since you want your companion to maximize both efficiency and survivability benefits. 

Now that we have discussed tactical uses for your Steel Defender, let’s wrap this guide up by highlighting its role and strengths. 

Role and Strengths 

The Steel Defender is a construct that acts as a reliable ally to the Battle Smith, providing support, protection, and damage output in combat. One of the primary strengths of the Steel Defender is its versatility. The defender can be configured for various purposes, from attacking enemies to grappling or helping out with skills like Perception or Investigation. It may also act as a mount, providing increased mobility to the artificer. 

Additionally, the Steel Defender serves as an exceptional tank by absorbing attacks in battle. As it shares initiative with the Battle Smith, it can move in tandem to intercept attackers or protect wounded allies. In effect, this frees up valuable resources that would have otherwise gone toward healing party members. Moreover, because steel defenders may wear/attune to magic items, they can improve their durability and versatility. 

Another advantage of the Steel Defender class is that it provides greater action economy for the Battle Smith; while simultaneously making it an overall more versatile legend. It packs ample innate power and obeys all commands issued by its master without fail. 

For example, a Battle Smith can use their standard attack action (such as making two weapon swings) and then use the bonus-action or command slot given by their subclass to order their defender to take their own attack action. 

If optimized well enough for combat proficiency, this idea results in significant damage per round output on top of additional benefits it already provided. 

Survivability and Healing 

Survivability and healing are two other areas where the Steel Defender excels. Outside of combat, repairing your steel defender using Mending spells advocates avoiding future repairs with costly spell slots or smith’s tools before long droughts without opportunities for repairs arise. 

While not invincible by any means, the construct’s base AC of 15 ensures some level of protection even without magic items boosts possible armor class up to 20+. The damage immunity to poison, and immunity to conditions such as exhaustion and being poisoned, further bolsters its survivability. 

Regarding healing, the Artificer class itself offers some modest levels of self-healing abilities. But the Steel Defender often takes a more active entrant when it comes to battle-healing support duty due to its 40ft speed movement and abilities on-demand. For example, an Artificer with spells like Aura of Vitality can send their steel defender into danger to mitigate damage while also using it to channel healing energy willingly. 

The ability to act as both a supple asset and intermediary agent for effective group cohesion in healing-focused encounters makes the Steel Defender a valuable addition to any party. 

Regarding its survivability and healing supporting potential, consider the Steel Defender like a tank with a medkit strapped onto its side. Always at the forefront of the battle absorbing hits from enemies while providing necessary healing when needed. 

We’ve covered the role steel defenders play within a party and how they boost survivability along with what seizing tactics could increase strengthens of them. Next, let’s delve into maximizing this construct with specific combinations from other classes. 

Maximizing Steel Defender with Class Combinations 

The Steel Defender from the Battle Smith subclass in D&D is a valuable asset to any party because of its protective abilities and versatile functions. However, maximizing the Steel Defender’s potential requires not only knowing its strengths but also pairing it with compatible class combinations. 

One of the best builds for the Steel Defender is multiclassing with Rogue, more specifically, Swashbuckler. This combination provides an excellent synergy between the Steel Defender’s defensive capabilities and the Rogue’s sneak attack ability.

With the Steel Defender providing protection and using its reaction to impose disadvantage on attacks against allies, the Swashbuckler can attack enemies and generate a sneak attack bonus without having another ally next to them – this is great news since enemies typically target non-defensive members of a party first. 

Alternatively, pairing the Battle Smith with Paladin allows for an increased number of attacks per turn with smites added for extra damage – fittingly called “the Smite-Smith” by some players. Paladins already possess strong defensive options such as Divine Smite and Lay on Hands, which when combined with the Steel Defender grants even more durability to the party against enemy encounters. 

A third effective combo includes choosing Artillerist subclass over Battle Smith – this provides ranged damage so your steel defender doesn’t have to always be within melee range of your enemies.

The artificer’s high Intelligence score translates well into damage output while providing healing options for both allies and your defender. Additionally, artificers have access to Thunder Cannon infusions that provide even more ranged power when paired with Steel Defenders. 

The Steel Defender is a fantastic ally, but it’s not without its limitations. Luckily, the Battle Smith subclass also lends itself well to homebrew modding. 

Homebrew Modifications for the Steel Defender 

One of the most significant advantages of homebrew modifications in D&D is that they allow you to customize your experience and improve aspects that don’t feel right. That said, it’s crucial to share any changes made with your DM beforehand and get their approval. 

With this in mind, here are a few homebrew modifications players could make: 

• Players could choose to modify the Steel Defender’s base statistics to increase its baseline effectiveness. This could include an increased armor class or improved abilities allowing it to use more spells or possibly fly. 
• Another modification could be adding extra attacks for the Steel Defender with each artificer level gained beyond level 15 – unlocking at level 20 makes sense since this would impact high-level play. 
• Lastly, players can choose to give their steel defender customizable upgrades as rewards for missions completed or milestones reached. This option incentivizes player creativity and gameplay diversity. 

The possibilities of homebrewing modifications are endless and can provide exciting improvements if done right. Be sure always to communicate changes to your DM, consider balance and consistency within both gameplay mechanics and role-playing elements prior to making any modifications.