Steel Defender and the new errata?

[Citadel97501]

Hello all,
I was noticing that due to the new errata for the Eberron book we can actually have the Steel Defender do other things with its action, including when you are incapacitated. So I was wondering if anyone else is looking at making a metal dragon you can ride again, as it can have its own breath weapon with some multi-classing and some other new tricks. This doesn't even require new spells being added by Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. I specifically am not including a discussion about Guildmaker's guide to Ravnica for the game breaking issues many of us know about from the Backgrounds included in that book. I included the relevant errata here for ease of access.

Steel Defender (p. 61). The second paragraph has been change to read as follows: “In combat, the defender shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the defender can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.”

New Stuff it can do:
Spell Storing Item: Cure Wounds?
-It can now get you up and active again as it can act when your unconcious?

Spell Storing Item: Catapult?
-Interesting as now it can basically move around shooting 10 cannon balls a day is awesome. To be honest I think this might be one of the more fun tricks to use. It can be made much more strategic and terrifying if you like as having him loaded with inhaled poison filled metal spheres could be nasty...

Spell Storing Item: Web
-This is much better than it seems at first glance, as restrained does give disadvantage on reflex saves. Which may set the dragon for some nasty breath attacks with Dragon's Breath?

Dragon's Breath:
Issues: Need to multi-class to get this spell, but it is on the Wizard list...
-The spell from Xanathar's Guide to Everything has always been one of my favorites, continuous breath weapons out of your pet seem fun to me. Note that this doesn't have to be fire so it won't necessarily burn up the webs from above.

[Spiritchaser]

Spell storing item faerie fire for a GWM battlesmith would likely be pretty handy if for some reason you don’t want web

[MaxWilson]

Hello all,
I was noticing that due to the new errata for the Eberron book we can actually have the Steel Defender do other things with its action, including when you are incapacitated. So I was wondering if anyone else is looking at making a metal dragon you can ride again, as it can have its own breath weapon with some multi-classing and some other new tricks. This doesn't even require new spells being added by Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. I specifically am not including a discussion about Guildmaker's guide to Ravnica for the game breaking issues many of us know about from the Backgrounds included in that book. I included the relevant errata here for ease of access.

Steel Defender (p. 61). The second paragraph has been change to read as follows: “In combat, the defender shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the defender can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.”

New Stuff it can do:
Spell Storing Item: Cure Wounds?
-It can now get you up and active again as it can act when your unconcious?

Spell Storing Item: Catapult?
-Interesting as now it can basically move around shooting 10 cannon balls a day is awesome. To be honest I think this might be one of the more fun tricks to use. It can be made much more strategic and terrifying if you like as having him loaded with inhaled poison filled metal spheres could be nasty...

Spell Storing Item: Web
-This is much better than it seems at first glance, as restrained does give disadvantage on reflex saves. Which may set the dragon for some nasty breath attacks with Dragon's Breath?

Dragon's Breath:
Issues: Need to multi-class to get this spell, but it is on the Wizard list...
-The spell from Xanathar's Guide to Everything has always been one of my favorites, continuous breath weapons out of your pet seem fun to me. Note that this doesn't have to be fire so it won't necessarily burn up the webs from above.

Now it can do your homework and wash dishes while you sleep.

[Spiritchaser]

Ooh, I missed blur. Normally it’s an “ok” spell, but using a bonus action to defuff attacks against (edit) your defender such that they have dissadvantage for a minute, without using your own concentration sounds pretty good.

Blindsight notwithstanding etc.

[Pex]

I wonder if part if not the only reason it was changed is because of D&D Beyond. The Steel Defender in D&D Beyond did not properly coordinate the Proficiency Bonus changing with statistics. Fixing the formulas to include the Proficinecy Bonus in the calculations will now match how it's worded in the errata. The overall numbers aren't changing, but it's easier to see them where they matter instead of having to jump back and forth between the data and relevant paragraph. The data itself now has the formula.

I'm playing a Battlesmith now. The DM is allowing me to redo the character as an Armorer when it becomes official with Tasha. I started the character a month before it came out in UA which he allows and probably would have chosen it instead had it existed at the time. I'm not definitely switching. I want to see how Armorer is officially, but Steel Defender having more flexible actions does give me pause to reconsider. As is before this it has been wonderful. I don't regret Battlesmith, but UA Armorer was more the tank I was looking for. I'll have a hard decision to make. It's a good thing that it's hard.

[JackPhoenix]

New Stuff it can do:
Spell Storing Item: Cure Wounds?
-It can now get you up and active again as it can act when your unconcious?

Not unless you order it to do so and then fall unconscious on your turn. It only use Dodge without being commanded.


Dragon's Breath:
Issues: Need to multi-class to get this spell, but it is on the Wizard list...

Which means it doesn't work. SSI only works on Artificer spells.

[Citadel97501]

Not unless you order it to do so and then fall unconscious on your turn. It only use Dodge without being commanded.

Which means it doesn't work. SSI only works on Artificer spells.

The new errata specifically allows your Steel Defender to act as he sees fit while your incapacitated. Yeah, I noticed that which is why I kept the Spell Storing Item: key off of it, they were unable to do the breath from it originally as it was a different action, but now its just another trick in our arsenal.

[Silpharon]

I wonder if part if not the only reason it was changed is because of D&D Beyond. The Steel Defender in D&D Beyond did not properly coordinate the Proficiency Bonus changing with statistics. Fixing the formulas to include the Proficinecy Bonus in the calculations will now match how it's worded in the errata. The overall numbers aren't changing, but it's easier to see them where they matter instead of having to jump back and forth between the data and relevant paragraph. The data itself now has the formula.

I'm playing a Battlesmith now. The DM is allowing me to redo the character as an Armorer when it becomes official with Tasha. I started the character a month before it came out in UA which he allows and probably would have chosen it instead had it existed at the time. I'm not definitely switching. I want to see how Armorer is officially, but Steel Defender having more flexible actions does give me pause to reconsider. As is before this it has been wonderful. I don't regret Battlesmith, but UA Armorer was more the tank I was looking for. I'll have a hard decision to make. It's a good thing that it's hard.

Hey Pex, I'm trying to decide between Armorer and Battle Smith now. I've got a thread going with the Armorer changes if you want to join the discussion:

https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?621843-New-changes-to-the-Infiltrator-Armorer-Artificer

With this change to Steely Defender, the Battle Smith seems to be in a better place. I like the idea of the defender casting warding bond through a SSI, either on you or another melee fighter. The Defender has significant HP, so it can tank the half damage, and be repaired up with mending between battles.

[Darthnazrael]

Unless I'm mistaken, it can also now throw your Magic Stones. That 60 ft range is nothing to sneeze at.

[Darthnazrael]

Also, it can deliver goodberries and potions, and use Chronurge beads.

[Stuempy]

Autonomous Homunculus Army

Both the Steel Defender & Homunculus can act with full actions, independently, as long as you're incapacitated. And the only limit to Homunculi is how many infusions you spend making them, and the 100GP recoverable gem.

So it sounds like you could whip up an Iron Defender & 2-6 Homunculi, go to sleep or have Feign Death cast on you, and send them out as an expendable squad. With full turns for each and an the eratta's improved attack bonus, they'd be a noticeable force. At level 8, with 20 INT, you'd have 3x +8 attack Range 30' 1d4+3 damage, from flying turrets, and your Iron Defender is in the mix too. Maybe cast Aid on the trio of Homunculi first, just to give them some more durability.

It's up to the DM, I suppose, whether they act autonomously with their expanded actions, or if they're under your direct mental control. But even if they're autonomous, give the Homunculi good instructions and they should be fine. They have 10 INT. They can tell the Iron Defender what to do too.

Fun things to do:

Leave them as a patrolling guard force while everyone sleeps.
Have them work at night while you're sleeping: doing dishes in the tavern, waiting tables, digging trenches, maybe even crafting.
Send them on a dangerous mission that you couldn't risk yourself on.
Make a flock of mechanical doves with laser eyes that seek-and-destroy your enemy anonymously from the sky.

[Citadel97501]

Autonomous Homunculus Army

Both the Steel Defender & Homunculus can act with full actions, independently, as long as you're incapacitated. And the only limit to Homunculi is how many infusions you spend making them, and the 100GP recoverable gem.

So it sounds like you could whip up an Iron Defender & 2-6 Homunculi, go to sleep or have Feign Death cast on you, and send them out as an expendable squad. With full turns for each and an the eratta's improved attack bonus, they'd be a noticeable force. At level 8, with 20 INT, you'd have 3x +8 attack Range 30' 1d4+3 damage, from flying turrets, and your Iron Defender is in the mix too. Maybe cast Aid on the trio of Homunculi first, just to give them some more durability.

It's up to the DM, I suppose, whether they act autonomously with their expanded actions, or if they're under your direct mental control. But even if they're autonomous, give the Homunculi good instructions and they should be fine. They have 10 INT. They can tell the Iron Defender what to do too.

Fun things to do:

Leave them as a patrolling guard force while everyone sleeps.
Have them work at night while you're sleeping: doing dishes in the tavern, waiting tables, digging trenches, maybe even crafting.
Send them on a dangerous mission that you couldn't risk yourself on.
Make a flock of mechanical doves with laser eyes that seek-and-destroy your enemy anonymously from the sky.


Nice idea :) but did I miss something? I could have sworn there is a cap on infusions preventing you from having multiples of the same type active? Or is that specifically overruled in that errata?

[Silpharon]

Nice idea :) but did I miss something? I could have sworn there is a cap on infusions preventing you from having multiples of the same type active? Or is that specifically overruled in that errata?

Yeah that's not an option, the errata didn't change it. Fun concept for homebrew though. :)

[JackPhoenix]

But even if they're autonomous, give the Homunculi good instructions and they should be fine. They have 10 INT. They can tell the Iron Defender what to do too.

They also can't talk, so that would be a quite a trick.

[swamp_slug]

Yeah that's not an option, the errata didn't change it. Fun concept for homebrew though. :)

Third paragraph of Infusing an Item (emphasis mine):


You can infuse more than one nonmagical object at the end of a long rest; the maximum number of objects appears in the Infused Items column of the Artificer table. You must touch each of the objects, and each of your infusions can be in only one object at a time. Moreover, no object can bear more than one of your infusions at a time. If you try to exceed your maximum number of infusions, the oldest infusion immediately ends, and then the new infusion applies.

I believe this is the text that Citadel97501 is referencing.


Unless an infusion’s description says otherwise, you can’t learn an infusion more than once.

Additionally, Replicate Magic Item is the only infusion that can be learnt multiple times. Since you can only learn the Homunculus Servant once and can only imbue it into a single gem, you can only have a single homunculus at a time via this infusion. The latest errata does not change either of these two paragraphs.