Steel Defender

Creating a Steel Defender Stat Block

A steel defender can take the shape or form of any small or medium, humanoid or creature. At level 15 when you gain improved defender this can be upped to large. If the steel defender takes the form of a humanoid it may carry a weapon, this must be a simple melee weapon though. At level 15 it may carry a Martial Melee weapon. If the defender is made to look like a creature, its attacks will mimic those of the creature it is modeled after. (eg. a wolf steel defender would have a bite action dealing 2d4+2 damage).  

Cost Associated

Gemstones for eye/eyes

Agate - 50 sp - these function as basic eyes for your steel defender
Garnet - 100 sp - adds in 60ft of Darkvision
Ruby - 5gp - 120 ft of Darkvision +1 to perception checks requiring sight
Emeralds - 10gp - 120ft of Darkvision, magical perception within normal sight range  

Body construction

Steel defenders don't have to be made of steel despite their name. Picking a material that suits your defender, aesthetic, mission, and budget leaves you with plenty of options to choose from.  

Cloth

Cost (s/m/h): 1cp, 5cp,10cp
AC: 7
Modifiers:Weakness to fire
 

Wood

Cost (s/m/h): 1sp, 5sp,10sp
AC: 11
Modifiers:Weakness to fire, floats in water
 

Iron

Cost (s/m/h): 5gp, 11gp, 15gp
AC: 15
Modifiers:Resistance Fire, -2 stealth
 

Steel

Cost (s/m/h): 750sp, 13gp, 17gp
AC: 17
Modifiers:Resistance Fire, -2 stealth
 

Mithril

Cost (s/m/h): 5pp, 10pp, 100pp
AC: 19
Modifiers:Resistance Fire, can be instribed with dwarven runes
 

Animation Catalyst

The final piece of your defender is the arcane magics that bring it to life and give it it's personality. Your DM may choose the material components required as the catalyst to give your creation... life. But it should follow a simple structure, something to reflect the real life humanoid or creature it is trying to immitate, eg. dragon scales for a dragon shaped defender or wolf fur for a wolf shaped defender. Second should be something to represent the personality you want it to have, eg. a written poem about a brave knight, for a knight type defender or charm of protection from a shirne for loyal defender. Finally the artificer needs to give something of themselves to bring the defender to life and bind it to their will, a small amount of the artificers blood normally fills this role.  

Statblock

Create a character sheet like you normally would for a new character.

• Name the defender whatever you would like.

• Class should be listed as construct.

• It's level is equal to your level in the artificer class.

• It uses d8s for hit dice but uses your INT modifier instead of it's constitution modifier to calculate max hp.

• It's speed is based off of the speed for the creature it was modeled after.

• It's proficiency bonus is equal to yours.

• If you chose to model it after a humanoid, it has a STR 14, DEX 12, and CON 14. If you modeled it off an creature use the base for that creature plus 1.

• The defender has no wisdom, intelligence, or charisma of it's own so for any checks to these use your scores.

• The defenders AC is based on the body material + dexterity bonus.

• The defender is proficient only in perception and Athletics

  Defenders also gain the following:

• poison immunity

• Immunity to the follwing statuses:charmed, exhaustion

• Languages: Understand any language you speak but cannot speak itself

• Shared sensation: By closing your eyes and focusing on your defender it can share its senses with you

• Repair (3/day): The defender may use an action to repair itself resoring 2d8 hp + proficiency bonus.

• Defender: As a reation the defender imposes disadvantage on an attack roll on one creature it can see within 5ft against another creature or player that is not the defender.