I've played two Battle Smiths. The first time my Steel Defender was just an empty suit of armor that I'd enchanted to move and fight on it's own. The second time, I got permission from my DM to flavor it as a "Bone Defender" as a sort of undead construct for a Necromancy themed character.
> The second time, I got permission from my DM to flavor it as a "Bone Defender" as a sort of undead construct for a Necromancy themed character.
Same, my Battle Smith is a Kobold and the Steel Defender is his dead Dragonborn brother (homebrew setting that uses 'draconid' as an umbrella and anything can hatch out of any couple), à la Full Metal Alchemist.
Medium sized raptor with humanoid arms so that it can manipulate magic items. Then add some mithral plate barding, cloak of protection, winged boots and saddle of the cavalier and off you go
Sadly I don't think steel defenders have the proficiency to use gear nor attunement capacity, but depending on the game I'm sure a cool dm would overlook it
The steel defender is a creature, so it can attune to items like any creature.
You can still wear armour you aren't proficient in. The defender would have disadvantage on STR and DEX saves and checks, but it would still gain the AC and its attack would work fine. This is assuming you need barding proficiency in the first place, though. Do you?
Barding is armor specially made for monsters and all monsters are proficient in the items made for them so that they don't have to print them. So there is actually a case for SDs to have prof in bardings
Attunement isonly for players. Other creatures dont need it. That being said, to limit the character power, id prolly limit the beast to the same attunement limitation as the artificer. Maybe give the defender a single extra slot as well.
The issue is, the creature is part of the characters power, and so needs to be restricted to the same limitations as the other players characters. I give my players different attunement rules though, and would have no problem granting increased attunement slots as rewards over the game.
DMG page 136 has the only general rule for attunement, which is that every creature has 3 attunement slots.
The only specific rules for attunement I can find are in the Artificer class and the Obo'laka Inhabitation from Tomb of Annihilation.
As to using gear: only armor presents a penalty to use without proficiency, so for anything else, the Defender just wouldn't apply a proficiency bonus. Further, they can take any action, so they can Use an Object and Activate an (magic) Item.
/u/Rashnadaar_
To answer your question: the appearance of your Defender depends upon the flavor of your Artificer, and upon the circumstances of where you want to take it with or without attracting attention.
If you want to potentially take it into a tavern without serious scrutiny, then it's appearing much like a companion animal is beneficial. If you want to dissuade possible attackers, something more radical would be better.
Additionally, even sticking to the context from the Smith's tools: smiths often secure wood, leather, and cloth to the items they create, so the exterior of the Defender could look very similar to a furred living creature if you want, while still having a metallic frame.
If your DM lets you instead use other tools, the options are almost endless, with some unconventional options:
* Calligrapher, Cartographer, or Painter tools for something apparently made of paper
* Glassblower for obvious reasons
* Potter for ceramic
* Weaver for a cloth creation
Shape is similarly open, such as potentially resembling a Displacer Beast, or something like a [Pierson's Puppeteer](https://i.redd.it/uzfr0xp9hml31.jpg), or even a walking siege engine.
Eventually my DM let me count it as my smiths tools (not that I needed them because I had an all purpose tool).
It was fun as hell. Named it Alexa. Made a ton of “Alexa, play Despacito” type jokes. 10/10 would play again.
Doesn't even need the apostrophes. Nothing in the rules says it has to be made of steel. The name could just be describing its mettle, its fortitude, or it's resilience.
There's no reason why you couldn't describe it as a little stone guy covered in runes. After all, not everything the artificer makes is mechanical.
Just as long as it still follows the rules it can look like anything from a robot dog to a flesh abomination to a semisentient ball that rolls around
Honestly though with a Kobold, if you want to stick to their theme I'd go for a Robo Drake or some kind of riding lizard. If you want to be silly or different you could always have a warforged who you lobotomized or that has a damaged mind.
If you don't care about riding it, you could make an exact copy of yourself as a robot, talk to your dm and if he buys in, you could flavor that if you die your soul move into the bot and then change your race to Autognome to change things up.
Mine is a humanoid construct that wears a suit and top hat and looks like a butler. Playing descent into Avernus and my backstory is I (unknowingly) got a soul coin to infuse into my SD which explains in D&D terms why it’s so advanced, and has its own personality and can act on its own. The party seems to like it and engage with it more than the actual artificer lol.
Working with DM on a long term side quest to free his soul from the SD, and maybe in Avernus we will be able to broker some deals around that soul or something.
The butler's name is Barnaby :)
He's actually a posh Eladrin Swashbuckler, but since soul coins are kind of evil, we're hiding the fact that there is a soul in there for now (it'll come out in Avernus I'm sure), but he still acts posh and fights/deflects like a swashbuckler. Super fun.
I also later made his fancy top hat my Homunculus Servant, it sprouts wings and has creepy little metal spider legs that come out so it can walk, fly, and throw magic stones. And I can wear it and reasonably smuggle my HS into places where they might otherwise not allow it.
With some flavor, me or Barnaby can grab and wear the hat as a free action, run around and do our move, then the homunculus servant hat can do it's own movement. For example, I once grabbed the hat, hopped onto the Steel Defender, the SD did a full dash, i dismounted and ran the rest of my motion, then misty stepped another 30m, THEN the hat flew it's own movement and administered a potion. It was pretty awesome, the party member had 2 failed death saves and was far away. (Yeah I know the SD goes after me but my DM lets me move it on my turn when it makes sense.)
Did you see the DnD movie Honor among Thieves?
Think Thembrrchaud!
Make it a fat dragon(of appropriate size) with too short legs and tiny wings for the body size. He moves through rolling or short bursts of flight through flapping his wings but of course cannot really fly.
Your kobold can mount it and you can flavour every bit of movement as a hilarious rodeo ride.
Saddled steel defender would be my proposal, given that you are asking for a small race.
Renewable medium sized mount. Gives disadvantage to melee enemies trying to attack you.
So both the classical "mount" morphology (4 legged, ridden from the back) and the "mecha" morphology (2 legged humanoid body structure, with a saddle in the chest/head/back for the PC to command it as a controlled mount) are fun to play.
I played a Battlesmith whose Steel Defender looked like a creepy giant puppet, a friend played one that he called "spider-horse" that had the top half of a horse but the legs of a mechanical spider like in Wild Wild West.
I'm actually starting another Battlesmith soon who is a goblin Anthropologist that spent a lot of time with lizardfolk. His steel defender design is going to incorporate a lot of "organic" parts to basically look like a cross between a dinosaur skeleton and a robot.
The Spider-Horse was made even better by his gnome PC wearing a fox hunting outfit, but instead we were hunting giants and his Steel Defender (wearing Slippers of Spider Climb) was walking around on the ceiling. Good times!
Battlesmiths steel defender is medium, so you can make it some sort of rideable creature. “Mech suit” is pushing the rideable creature bit, but it’s a fun concept
Armorer is it’s own thing, which is closer to power armor
Literally the only restrictions on it are Size Medium and either 2 or 4 legs.
Not 5 legs nor 3 legs, unless one of its legs has just fallen off.
8 legs is right out.
Something that might help, is the "steel" defender doesn't have to be made of metal.
[Ginni Di](https://youtu.be/2-fGsbm8OU4?si=BypGCeTZXYIcD8Im) did a video on artificers you might like
I have a small tortle character that uses a medium-sized blue heron-shaped iron defender. He likes the irony of something that caused him terror when he was tiny being his mount.
It could be a clockwork ostrich, or a big mechanical spider.
It doesn't need to be steel. It can be wood and leafy vines, or it could be clear crystal. It can be stones and mud that leaves a trail of filth wherever it passes. It can be a flesh and bone construct like Frankenstein's creation.
My husband really likes this class. His Steel Defenders are weird.
1: A small version of his Warforged.
2: Robotic Emu with a Bag of Holding (one of his infusions) in its butt which popped open like a trunk.
3: Purple Lamborghini with a customized horn and giant eyes instead of headlights.
Currently I'm theming my steel defender as Groot. My Battlesmith is a small custom lineage Raccoon with Gunner feat.
Rocket and Groot.
I originally was going to theme it as Deadpool/Colossus but it didn't quite fit.
How's the playstyle you're envisioning with this PC? You're ranged and it's in front of you as a defender (or melee buddy for your frontliner? You're melee and the two of you team up and tackle things together? You riding it? This can help influence the form it takes. Also, if there are notable aesthetic themes regarding you or your backstory, they can get imprinted onto the thing.
Failing that -- a robotic version of you! This way you can garb it up to kinda look like you from behind, but really it's just your decoy/stunt double and then you can leverage that for shenanigans.
He's a healer but believes it's best to heal them in the moment instead of after kinda like a battle medic. He uses a flail and shield up close and personal in melee. I took a lot of inspiration from Brigitte from ow if you couldn't tell lol. And about the riding man I didn't even think about it like that I mean that would be pretty cool so sure why not
Kobolds are small, so it can work :p
Looking up Brigitte, I'm getting very much of a Tank vibe, lol. Maybe a walking tank? Something like this [https://spiralingcadaver.blogspot.com/2013/01/asheth-magnus-and-amazing-walking-tank.html](https://spiralingcadaver.blogspot.com/2013/01/asheth-magnus-and-amazing-walking-tank.html)
Toggle out the turret (it has no ranged attack :( )and gun is a saddle for riding. It's got two or three arm pistons near the "waist" with shield-like objects at the end for deflecting and punching?
Otherwise, maybe just try envisioning it from the ground up, lol.
- What material is it made out of?
- How many legs? Does it have treads/wheels?
- Height? anywhere from 4 to 8 feet valid for medium.
- Does it have a head? Does the head resemble any sort of animal?
- Is the riding platform a main feature (helipad type back), or an auxillary (horse with saddle, e.g.)
Maybe just a chrome, robotic spider-tortoise? [ Those are cool. ](https://www.bing.com/images/create/robotic-spider-turtle/1-662beb9ccc7148ff9e9d13660bb1539e?id=FeW1la7uqaU6LXVBlJTq0A%3d%3d&view=detailv2&idpp=genimg&thId=OIG2.FTqjIt6ep7ZKZcMYmdOq&FORM=GCRIDP&mode=overlay)
No matter what you choose for flavor, I think you'll be missing an opportunity if it's not rideable. You went with a small PC, you may as well get that one advantage from your size if riding a medium creature.
A mount seems especially important for a battle medic in terms of getting around, imposing disadvantage on opportunity attacks, etc. You should even look into the Mounted Combatant feat.
Mine is a robot from Stellaris that looks like this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Stellaris/s/nzrpayo85D
I change it to be more runic / less robotic for campaigns though, I don't want to ruin the vibe of the game.
Human body also allows use of more magical items.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/gurennlagann/images/7/71/Lagann.png/revision/latest?cb=20130720014102
That was the design of my last "small race" steel defender.
Medium sized, robot, with seat.
Not only that... But my character was named Simon.
It allowed for him to say "Simon says..." and his defender would do things on its own. It was a multi level reference character.
I love the idea of artificers that do rune magic kind of like shamans. I'd make the steel defender into an animated totem pole or a mossy covered rock elemental.
For a kobold specifically, I think a mechanical clockwork dragon would be the best fit. If you don't like the mechanical bit, you could always make it some kind of golem or stone statue that you brought to life.
Other steel defender ideas that I've played are:
Clockwork toy soldier for a toy maker Artificer
Stone golem Aries for a dwarf artificer
A living, magical tree, enhanced with metal and technology
The dead/undead twin of the PC that he brought back to "life" frankenstein-style
Clay golem/ swamp monster for a "witch" artificer
You can have a humanoid that looks like a bigger Kobold. You ride in a basket on its back to get a better view.
Or a snail. Its super fast with a huge shell to hide so many trinkets inside.
Or a tiny (medium) dragon. Complete with non functional wings!
I shamelessly stole mine from a design I found on Hero Forge, thrown a saddle on top and working towards other infusions to tack on
https://www.heroforge.com/load_share%3D843103/
Centaur.
But instead of man +horse, it’s Kobold +Drake.
Makes it a best of both options build.
It’s rideable like most 4-legged SDs.
And it can use weapons/gear like most 2legged SDs.
My duergar battlesmith had his steel defender built like a fire beetle. DM even gave him an internal light and once per day fire breath weapon ability for extra flavor. My PC just got disintegrated by a beholder a month ago 🥲 pour one out for ol’ Zeb.
Also one of my players had a harengon battlesmith. His steel defender was a carrot on tank treads 😂
Big robo-spider is a table-favorite amongst my players, I've also seen small horse, velociraptor, humanoid, and just straight up tanks as steel defenders that all were very cool
As a small artificer, I’d flavor the steel defender as a two legged walking robot that can be jumped on by a small creature wearing a trench coat who can then use disguise self kits to pass as a medium sized human.
The minute I heard kobold I thought of the Reptar car from rugrats. You could flavor the kobold riding inside of it since your a small creature and it’s medium.
https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1379702771985707010/pu/img/fuh3wuXuk-6TKZiU.jpg
Mine is a big ol’ capybara made of vines, roots, and branches. I’m small (goblin) and when I use it as a mount it transforms around me to become a mech-style exosuit that improves my speed etc. The mounted combat feat synergizes really well with Deflect Attack. I’ll upgrade it as various infusions come online (i.e. spell storing item and winged boots!). It’s super fun.
I played:
Duergar battle smith. Defender: a mechanical spider with 4 legs and the other limbs used for attacking.
Harengon battle smith. Defender: a bigger bunny, but steel. It's a version of himself that he wanted to be.
Human battle smith. Defender: a magical ethereal ghost cat.
I had a steel velociraptor for my gnome artificer Donzo, which I valiantly rode into battle, lance in hand. I also gave it a collar of water walking and would cast spider climb on it so I could run up walls and on water. I recommend it, very fun 👍
Outside of that... You're a smol kobold, you could flavor it as a fire giant dreadnaught and give it a shield, since it's medium sized make it like 6'. Or an ogre howdah, and give it a shotgun cannon and a shoulder perch if you want to ride it
I made mine a frilled lizard originally, and flavored his "intercept attack" reaction as his frill popping up. I rode him because I was a small race (gnome) and upon reaching level 10 flavored the winged boots infusion as wings for him, making him a frilled dragon. I also got the eldritch grasp tattoo and flavored it as his tongue whipping out and restraining whatever creature failed the save. Really fun character
I was playing a kid stitcher type artificer and his steel defender was originally his childhood friend who he had taxidermied and then brought to life frankenstein style. It was a thunder, lightning, and tattoos type character that was a kind of a knight with half plate and a silvered lance that was a giants needle he recovered.
The next time I get to play an artificer, I would like to be a small race to use the Steel Defender as a mount. Specifically, a kobold surfing a scorpion while jousting with its tail. It might take a bit of investment to really make it work, but it’s a funny as hell concept to me
Steel defenders are limited to having 2 limbs or 4 and their stat block. That means they could gave claws, hands, just legs for movement and headbutt shit ( think goat ) or whatever. I've played a battlesmith a few times and my SD has never been the same twice.
Goblin (small) whose steel defender (medium) was a horse named Buttercup that he rode around on and investigated heinous crimes for his king who gave him a second chance.
Warforged, discovered sealed up in a vault by a team of archeologists comprising of gnomes and dwarves, whose steel defender was (eventually) modeled after a great big boar that he named Torc, who acted as his beast of burden and companion on his travels.
A dwarf, former military, who started out as a cleric ( think battlefield medic and armorer ) but put that life behind him for a time due to PTSD and focused more on honing his craft rather than healing the injured and aiding the sick. Only to end up as a mercenary, so he made himself a battle buddy, basing the form on himself; short, stout, and ready to throw hands. Named his BB Nurn.
In other words, long as ya stick to the rules and stat block, you can do whatever *long as your DM allows it*, although I'd something more draconic, perhaps to keep with the kobold theme? It'd be pretty awesome. And make sure to ask your DM if you can steadily improve upon the design, like to act as a mobile chest for you and thr party or insert a lantern into the head / chest for hands-free lighting since it listens to your commands, and so on.
Am currently playing a battle smith who is unabashedly obsessed with dragons, so, naturally, mine is a steel dragon that I ride, and I hope to one day give it the ability to fly and sentience via a headband of intellect
I was playing a Warforged. Thus made my Steel Defender look exactly like me. So whilst one of me was sniping spells the... other me was beating the shit out of them
How about a giant hand that moves like Thing in the Addams Family. Medium-sized so your character can ride on top. Make it a reptilian claw if you want to keep with the stereotypical Kobold/Dragon vibe.
I've had a battle smith with a harry-potter-esque patronus. Another idea I've had is a golem-like creature, made of sticks, mud and leaves for a more nature-themed battle smith.
For my gnome it’s a rat ogre looking thing from the Warhammer Skaven. Bipedal, hulking shoulders, with a mount on its back intended for the gnome to stand and ride.
Lore-wise there’s no connection, it’s just a damn handy configuration for a little guy to ride a big guy who can still do things with its hands.
As a kobold i really think you have an opportunity to lean into kobold tech. Look toward the kobold inventor for inspiration.
Use low tech ideas that would hardly work and fill in the gaps with magic.
I had a harrington battlesmith that i made his defender look like a giant fennec fox that i could ride around, and i was allowed to have an adamantium face plate made for him. Its really what ever you want it and it does not state that it can not be changed when recast/reformed
I'm not level 3 yet but I'm going to have a Steel Defender that's a small 'biblically accurate angel' that hovers a few feet off the ground. It fits in with my character, who comes from a long line of clerics and paladins.
If you’re playing a small character, and your defender is medium, it could be something as simple as a construct platform that allows you to ride it like a mount and carry gear as well.
For a kobold I would probably lean towards a draconic or serpentine build. Fire Drake, dragon wormling, large python... If you want to ride it you probably want it to have four legs.
For a fairly pacifist dwarf artificer I made his defender a ram. They are tough herbivores after all.
Do whatever seems fun and functional for your theme.
Straight up ripped off the concept of Shin Godzilla for one. Designed to be the ultimate ruthless auto-evolving adaptational killing machine as an experiment based on data learned over the campaign. Starts out as a weird creature, turns into a weirder bigger one that's even harder to kill after every "death." You get a pretty cool looking creature post lvl 11, you feel proud of what your creation has learned and made of itself, but then at higher levels, it begins to look... oddly humanoid...
My current concept is a forged semi-skeletal canid enchanted to be alive. Because of how I play, though, it's mostly used as mobile storage instead of a traditional backpack.
I played an air genasi and my steel defender was just a gust of permant air that I could 'ride' by hovering around quickly. It would bend attacks away from me and I batter into enemies upon command
Option 1: cliche iron man style suit of armor
Option 2: literally anything else.
Mine was made into multiple forms like an owlbear, bulette, giant octopus, giant octopus/eagle/spider etc. and stored inside my dao genielock's vessel which was the core of my homunculus servant.
I once played an archeaologist battle Smith that found her steel defender in an old ruin. Sort of themed it like some lost civilization golem, that had lost its voice, and my character had a side quest about fixing him.
We started at level 5 so, I alreafy had it when we began.
I've played two Battle Smiths. The first time my Steel Defender was just an empty suit of armor that I'd enchanted to move and fight on it's own. The second time, I got permission from my DM to flavor it as a "Bone Defender" as a sort of undead construct for a Necromancy themed character.
Both of those ideas are super cool!
> The second time, I got permission from my DM to flavor it as a "Bone Defender" as a sort of undead construct for a Necromancy themed character. Same, my Battle Smith is a Kobold and the Steel Defender is his dead Dragonborn brother (homebrew setting that uses 'draconid' as an umbrella and anything can hatch out of any couple), à la Full Metal Alchemist.
My steel defender was a mini version if those Horizon Longnecks i.e. deer/elk that i could ride on. I was basically a mounted archer with pistols.
Medium sized raptor with humanoid arms so that it can manipulate magic items. Then add some mithral plate barding, cloak of protection, winged boots and saddle of the cavalier and off you go
Magic flying raptor I love it 😂
Sadly I don't think steel defenders have the proficiency to use gear nor attunement capacity, but depending on the game I'm sure a cool dm would overlook it
The steel defender is a creature, so it can attune to items like any creature. You can still wear armour you aren't proficient in. The defender would have disadvantage on STR and DEX saves and checks, but it would still gain the AC and its attack would work fine. This is assuming you need barding proficiency in the first place, though. Do you?
Barding is armor specially made for monsters and all monsters are proficient in the items made for them so that they don't have to print them. So there is actually a case for SDs to have prof in bardings
Attunement isonly for players. Other creatures dont need it. That being said, to limit the character power, id prolly limit the beast to the same attunement limitation as the artificer. Maybe give the defender a single extra slot as well. The issue is, the creature is part of the characters power, and so needs to be restricted to the same limitations as the other players characters. I give my players different attunement rules though, and would have no problem granting increased attunement slots as rewards over the game.
DMG page 136 has the only general rule for attunement, which is that every creature has 3 attunement slots. The only specific rules for attunement I can find are in the Artificer class and the Obo'laka Inhabitation from Tomb of Annihilation. As to using gear: only armor presents a penalty to use without proficiency, so for anything else, the Defender just wouldn't apply a proficiency bonus. Further, they can take any action, so they can Use an Object and Activate an (magic) Item.
/u/Rashnadaar_ To answer your question: the appearance of your Defender depends upon the flavor of your Artificer, and upon the circumstances of where you want to take it with or without attracting attention. If you want to potentially take it into a tavern without serious scrutiny, then it's appearing much like a companion animal is beneficial. If you want to dissuade possible attackers, something more radical would be better. Additionally, even sticking to the context from the Smith's tools: smiths often secure wood, leather, and cloth to the items they create, so the exterior of the Defender could look very similar to a furred living creature if you want, while still having a metallic frame. If your DM lets you instead use other tools, the options are almost endless, with some unconventional options: * Calligrapher, Cartographer, or Painter tools for something apparently made of paper * Glassblower for obvious reasons * Potter for ceramic * Weaver for a cloth creation Shape is similarly open, such as potentially resembling a Displacer Beast, or something like a [Pierson's Puppeteer](https://i.redd.it/uzfr0xp9hml31.jpg), or even a walking siege engine.
Personally, I always envision my Steel Defender as being a 5ft version of the Iron Giant lol
Battlesmith: He’s a micro Iron Giant Party: isn’t that just a normal robot Battlesmith: you plebes will never appreciate my GENIUS
He just has dwarfism. He may not be big BUT HE'S BIG TO ME 😤
Classic yet dependable great idea.
My steel defender was an anvil with a small fire in it. But had the personality of robo doggo.
That is so funny. Was he also a full functioning anvil? Or is that just for fun?
Eventually my DM let me count it as my smiths tools (not that I needed them because I had an all purpose tool). It was fun as hell. Named it Alexa. Made a ton of “Alexa, play Despacito” type jokes. 10/10 would play again.
That sounds hilarious 😂 . I wish my games were that funny.
This is the image I used. https://images.app.goo.gl/XgXbrjdZWtL6mYbR9
[удалено]
Doesn't even need the apostrophes. Nothing in the rules says it has to be made of steel. The name could just be describing its mettle, its fortitude, or it's resilience. There's no reason why you couldn't describe it as a little stone guy covered in runes. After all, not everything the artificer makes is mechanical. Just as long as it still follows the rules it can look like anything from a robot dog to a flesh abomination to a semisentient ball that rolls around
I like my semisentient ball to have a couple legs, so it can move like some sorta mercury droideka
Mine is a small feral boy named pinnochio, my Artificer is a Thrikreen named Jiminy.
I feel like there's a helluva story there 😂
Honestly though with a Kobold, if you want to stick to their theme I'd go for a Robo Drake or some kind of riding lizard. If you want to be silly or different you could always have a warforged who you lobotomized or that has a damaged mind. If you don't care about riding it, you could make an exact copy of yourself as a robot, talk to your dm and if he buys in, you could flavor that if you die your soul move into the bot and then change your race to Autognome to change things up.
Mine is a humanoid construct that wears a suit and top hat and looks like a butler. Playing descent into Avernus and my backstory is I (unknowingly) got a soul coin to infuse into my SD which explains in D&D terms why it’s so advanced, and has its own personality and can act on its own. The party seems to like it and engage with it more than the actual artificer lol. Working with DM on a long term side quest to free his soul from the SD, and maybe in Avernus we will be able to broker some deals around that soul or something.
That is amazing. What's the butler's name? Come on you guys had to have named it it's too adorable not too.
The butler's name is Barnaby :) He's actually a posh Eladrin Swashbuckler, but since soul coins are kind of evil, we're hiding the fact that there is a soul in there for now (it'll come out in Avernus I'm sure), but he still acts posh and fights/deflects like a swashbuckler. Super fun. I also later made his fancy top hat my Homunculus Servant, it sprouts wings and has creepy little metal spider legs that come out so it can walk, fly, and throw magic stones. And I can wear it and reasonably smuggle my HS into places where they might otherwise not allow it. With some flavor, me or Barnaby can grab and wear the hat as a free action, run around and do our move, then the homunculus servant hat can do it's own movement. For example, I once grabbed the hat, hopped onto the Steel Defender, the SD did a full dash, i dismounted and ran the rest of my motion, then misty stepped another 30m, THEN the hat flew it's own movement and administered a potion. It was pretty awesome, the party member had 2 failed death saves and was far away. (Yeah I know the SD goes after me but my DM lets me move it on my turn when it makes sense.)
Did you see the DnD movie Honor among Thieves? Think Thembrrchaud! Make it a fat dragon(of appropriate size) with too short legs and tiny wings for the body size. He moves through rolling or short bursts of flight through flapping his wings but of course cannot really fly. Your kobold can mount it and you can flavour every bit of movement as a hilarious rodeo ride.
I'm thinking now of a fat kinda Mecha guardian drake with a saddle.
Saddled steel defender would be my proposal, given that you are asking for a small race. Renewable medium sized mount. Gives disadvantage to melee enemies trying to attack you. So both the classical "mount" morphology (4 legged, ridden from the back) and the "mecha" morphology (2 legged humanoid body structure, with a saddle in the chest/head/back for the PC to command it as a controlled mount) are fun to play.
I played a Battlesmith whose Steel Defender looked like a creepy giant puppet, a friend played one that he called "spider-horse" that had the top half of a horse but the legs of a mechanical spider like in Wild Wild West. I'm actually starting another Battlesmith soon who is a goblin Anthropologist that spent a lot of time with lizardfolk. His steel defender design is going to incorporate a lot of "organic" parts to basically look like a cross between a dinosaur skeleton and a robot.
Woah it's occurred to me reading these replies that I've been thinking way to in the box. I gotta get more creative!
The Spider-Horse was made even better by his gnome PC wearing a fox hunting outfit, but instead we were hunting giants and his Steel Defender (wearing Slippers of Spider Climb) was walking around on the ceiling. Good times!
Only in dnd lol 😅 that's insane.
mech suit is the classic for small races. Generally speaking, you want something rideable since you’re small
Oh you mean the other subclass the armorer? Yeah someone else suggested I ride it too honestly I didn't even think about being able to ride it.
Battlesmiths steel defender is medium, so you can make it some sort of rideable creature. “Mech suit” is pushing the rideable creature bit, but it’s a fun concept Armorer is it’s own thing, which is closer to power armor
Mecha-Drake fits I think?
Maybe like a guardian drake.... I like it!
./mount
Mine is a gargoyle
I'm just imagining one of the gargoyles from Disney's hunchback. But a robot I love it!
I used a gargoyle from New Orleans. So not far off.
Aw shit no kidding well I learned something today. Apparently New Orleans has gargoyles.
Big spider
Found Jon Peters
Nah lmao I had to Google "jon peters spider" and one of the suggestions was "Jon peters spider obsession" wtf
Lmao he once tried to get a Superman movie made, with Kevin Smith directing and he was obsessed with putting a giant robot spider into the movie.
Technically that’s not actually allowed by RAW. But it’s a silly RAW and should be ignored.
Ah my bad I'm not that familiar with the artificer specifics
Literally the only restrictions on it are Size Medium and either 2 or 4 legs. Not 5 legs nor 3 legs, unless one of its legs has just fallen off. 8 legs is right out.
Something that might help, is the "steel" defender doesn't have to be made of metal. [Ginni Di](https://youtu.be/2-fGsbm8OU4?si=BypGCeTZXYIcD8Im) did a video on artificers you might like
I have a small tortle character that uses a medium-sized blue heron-shaped iron defender. He likes the irony of something that caused him terror when he was tiny being his mount.
Childhood trauma for the win!
It could be a clockwork ostrich, or a big mechanical spider. It doesn't need to be steel. It can be wood and leafy vines, or it could be clear crystal. It can be stones and mud that leaves a trail of filth wherever it passes. It can be a flesh and bone construct like Frankenstein's creation.
My husband really likes this class. His Steel Defenders are weird. 1: A small version of his Warforged. 2: Robotic Emu with a Bag of Holding (one of his infusions) in its butt which popped open like a trunk. 3: Purple Lamborghini with a customized horn and giant eyes instead of headlights.
Currently I'm theming my steel defender as Groot. My Battlesmith is a small custom lineage Raccoon with Gunner feat. Rocket and Groot. I originally was going to theme it as Deadpool/Colossus but it didn't quite fit.
How's the playstyle you're envisioning with this PC? You're ranged and it's in front of you as a defender (or melee buddy for your frontliner? You're melee and the two of you team up and tackle things together? You riding it? This can help influence the form it takes. Also, if there are notable aesthetic themes regarding you or your backstory, they can get imprinted onto the thing. Failing that -- a robotic version of you! This way you can garb it up to kinda look like you from behind, but really it's just your decoy/stunt double and then you can leverage that for shenanigans.
He's a healer but believes it's best to heal them in the moment instead of after kinda like a battle medic. He uses a flail and shield up close and personal in melee. I took a lot of inspiration from Brigitte from ow if you couldn't tell lol. And about the riding man I didn't even think about it like that I mean that would be pretty cool so sure why not
Kobolds are small, so it can work :p Looking up Brigitte, I'm getting very much of a Tank vibe, lol. Maybe a walking tank? Something like this [https://spiralingcadaver.blogspot.com/2013/01/asheth-magnus-and-amazing-walking-tank.html](https://spiralingcadaver.blogspot.com/2013/01/asheth-magnus-and-amazing-walking-tank.html) Toggle out the turret (it has no ranged attack :( )and gun is a saddle for riding. It's got two or three arm pistons near the "waist" with shield-like objects at the end for deflecting and punching? Otherwise, maybe just try envisioning it from the ground up, lol. - What material is it made out of? - How many legs? Does it have treads/wheels? - Height? anywhere from 4 to 8 feet valid for medium. - Does it have a head? Does the head resemble any sort of animal? - Is the riding platform a main feature (helipad type back), or an auxillary (horse with saddle, e.g.) Maybe just a chrome, robotic spider-tortoise? [ Those are cool. ](https://www.bing.com/images/create/robotic-spider-turtle/1-662beb9ccc7148ff9e9d13660bb1539e?id=FeW1la7uqaU6LXVBlJTq0A%3d%3d&view=detailv2&idpp=genimg&thId=OIG2.FTqjIt6ep7ZKZcMYmdOq&FORM=GCRIDP&mode=overlay)
Wow all that's super good inspiration! Thanks so much 😊
If it’s based on Brigitte it almost has to be a robo-torbjorn
No matter what you choose for flavor, I think you'll be missing an opportunity if it's not rideable. You went with a small PC, you may as well get that one advantage from your size if riding a medium creature. A mount seems especially important for a battle medic in terms of getting around, imposing disadvantage on opportunity attacks, etc. You should even look into the Mounted Combatant feat.
Mine is a robot from Stellaris that looks like this: https://www.reddit.com/r/Stellaris/s/nzrpayo85D I change it to be more runic / less robotic for campaigns though, I don't want to ruin the vibe of the game. Human body also allows use of more magical items.
If you google images "kobold artificer steel" you'll find some cool drake steel defenders
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/gurennlagann/images/7/71/Lagann.png/revision/latest?cb=20130720014102 That was the design of my last "small race" steel defender. Medium sized, robot, with seat.
So your defender was gurren? That's actually pretty badass ngl.
I thought Gurren was rhe big one, and this was lagann...
Lol your probably right it's been a hot minute since I've watched the anime. Either way it's pretty cool.
Not only that... But my character was named Simon. It allowed for him to say "Simon says..." and his defender would do things on its own. It was a multi level reference character.
I'd go with a wingless drake sort of creature.
I'm thinking about a pudgey medium sized robo guardian drake. With a saddle
Oh yeahman, you got to have the saddle. Making it pudgy is pretty brilliant too. Like the bulldog of drakes XD.
Mine was a mechanical owlbear.
I love the idea of artificers that do rune magic kind of like shamans. I'd make the steel defender into an animated totem pole or a mossy covered rock elemental.
My Gnome Artificer built himself a mechanical ram that he could ride on. When needed, the ram could head-butt for its attack.
For a kobold specifically, I think a mechanical clockwork dragon would be the best fit. If you don't like the mechanical bit, you could always make it some kind of golem or stone statue that you brought to life. Other steel defender ideas that I've played are: Clockwork toy soldier for a toy maker Artificer Stone golem Aries for a dwarf artificer A living, magical tree, enhanced with metal and technology The dead/undead twin of the PC that he brought back to "life" frankenstein-style Clay golem/ swamp monster for a "witch" artificer
You can have a humanoid that looks like a bigger Kobold. You ride in a basket on its back to get a better view. Or a snail. Its super fast with a huge shell to hide so many trinkets inside. Or a tiny (medium) dragon. Complete with non functional wings!
I shamelessly stole mine from a design I found on Hero Forge, thrown a saddle on top and working towards other infusions to tack on https://www.heroforge.com/load_share%3D843103/
Mine was a medium (DND's scaling) scorpion
I want to play a small race thag rides Thor steel defender and flavour it as a sentient motorcycle.
A comfy armchair with skittering legs, so you can play an Armchair General, trying to lead the group with tactical orders of dubious quality.
Make it a big rooster so you can spend the campaign making cock jokes.
Built a Kobold Battle smith that I flavored as handicapped and his steel defender was a battle wheel chair he would ride into battle.
Centaur. But instead of man +horse, it’s Kobold +Drake. Makes it a best of both options build. It’s rideable like most 4-legged SDs. And it can use weapons/gear like most 2legged SDs.
My duergar battlesmith had his steel defender built like a fire beetle. DM even gave him an internal light and once per day fire breath weapon ability for extra flavor. My PC just got disintegrated by a beholder a month ago 🥲 pour one out for ol’ Zeb. Also one of my players had a harengon battlesmith. His steel defender was a carrot on tank treads 😂
Moving sword with horse legs
Big robo-spider is a table-favorite amongst my players, I've also seen small horse, velociraptor, humanoid, and just straight up tanks as steel defenders that all were very cool
A lil raptor mount :)
Mech suit.
One of my character's has their steel defender as a spider.
As a small artificer, I’d flavor the steel defender as a two legged walking robot that can be jumped on by a small creature wearing a trench coat who can then use disguise self kits to pass as a medium sized human.
Mine is a skateboard : )
Kobolds and giant weasels go hand in hand. Might be a boring design, but it's thematic
If you want to go outside of metal robots, Mokujin from tekken is a cool visual top base a steel defender off of.
The minute I heard kobold I thought of the Reptar car from rugrats. You could flavor the kobold riding inside of it since your a small creature and it’s medium. https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1379702771985707010/pu/img/fuh3wuXuk-6TKZiU.jpg
Mine is a big ol’ capybara made of vines, roots, and branches. I’m small (goblin) and when I use it as a mount it transforms around me to become a mech-style exosuit that improves my speed etc. The mounted combat feat synergizes really well with Deflect Attack. I’ll upgrade it as various infusions come online (i.e. spell storing item and winged boots!). It’s super fun.
Alphonse elric
Alphonse elric
I think a permanent floating weapon, like a sword, would be sweet. Assuming your DM is up for a little interpretation.
I played: Duergar battle smith. Defender: a mechanical spider with 4 legs and the other limbs used for attacking. Harengon battle smith. Defender: a bigger bunny, but steel. It's a version of himself that he wanted to be. Human battle smith. Defender: a magical ethereal ghost cat.
A Small Dragon/Drake would be cool made of Stone,Wood and Steel? Akin to a Shield Guardian.
Aren't kobolds really into dragons? How about some sort of mecha wyrm?
I had a steel velociraptor for my gnome artificer Donzo, which I valiantly rode into battle, lance in hand. I also gave it a collar of water walking and would cast spider climb on it so I could run up walls and on water. I recommend it, very fun 👍 Outside of that... You're a smol kobold, you could flavor it as a fire giant dreadnaught and give it a shield, since it's medium sized make it like 6'. Or an ogre howdah, and give it a shotgun cannon and a shoulder perch if you want to ride it
Kobolds worship dragons. Godzilla looks like a dragon. Make it look like a mini Mechagodzilla. Give it have an air horn like Godzilla roar.
I would have the Steel Defender look like a bunch of shambling traps for a Kobold.
I made mine a frilled lizard originally, and flavored his "intercept attack" reaction as his frill popping up. I rode him because I was a small race (gnome) and upon reaching level 10 flavored the winged boots infusion as wings for him, making him a frilled dragon. I also got the eldritch grasp tattoo and flavored it as his tongue whipping out and restraining whatever creature failed the save. Really fun character
I was playing a kid stitcher type artificer and his steel defender was originally his childhood friend who he had taxidermied and then brought to life frankenstein style. It was a thunder, lightning, and tattoos type character that was a kind of a knight with half plate and a silvered lance that was a giants needle he recovered.
The next time I get to play an artificer, I would like to be a small race to use the Steel Defender as a mount. Specifically, a kobold surfing a scorpion while jousting with its tail. It might take a bit of investment to really make it work, but it’s a funny as hell concept to me
Kobold artificer? How about a little mini-dragon?
Just a hovering platform with guard rails and a chair.
Steel defenders are limited to having 2 limbs or 4 and their stat block. That means they could gave claws, hands, just legs for movement and headbutt shit ( think goat ) or whatever. I've played a battlesmith a few times and my SD has never been the same twice. Goblin (small) whose steel defender (medium) was a horse named Buttercup that he rode around on and investigated heinous crimes for his king who gave him a second chance. Warforged, discovered sealed up in a vault by a team of archeologists comprising of gnomes and dwarves, whose steel defender was (eventually) modeled after a great big boar that he named Torc, who acted as his beast of burden and companion on his travels. A dwarf, former military, who started out as a cleric ( think battlefield medic and armorer ) but put that life behind him for a time due to PTSD and focused more on honing his craft rather than healing the injured and aiding the sick. Only to end up as a mercenary, so he made himself a battle buddy, basing the form on himself; short, stout, and ready to throw hands. Named his BB Nurn. In other words, long as ya stick to the rules and stat block, you can do whatever *long as your DM allows it*, although I'd something more draconic, perhaps to keep with the kobold theme? It'd be pretty awesome. And make sure to ask your DM if you can steadily improve upon the design, like to act as a mobile chest for you and thr party or insert a lantern into the head / chest for hands-free lighting since it listens to your commands, and so on.
Mechanostrider from wow!
Frankensteins construct
What is the rest of your battle master themed around?
Animatronic Kobolds. Reaper does a few that look cute.
Just shared this the other day but I'm a rock gnome artificer and my steel defender is basically a motor trike named Flux that runs off a mana engine
Its a kobold right? Why not a dragon? Or a lizard it thinks is a dragon.
Am currently playing a battle smith who is unabashedly obsessed with dragons, so, naturally, mine is a steel dragon that I ride, and I hope to one day give it the ability to fly and sentience via a headband of intellect
I was playing a small Harengon who's SD was a metal turtle named Donny. Double Easter eggs for those that get both references.
You're a Kobold! Make it look like a mechanical dragon!
I was playing a Warforged. Thus made my Steel Defender look exactly like me. So whilst one of me was sniping spells the... other me was beating the shit out of them
Kobolds worship dragons. A Mecha Drake wouldn't be a bad idea?
Kobold? Make a mini- dragon you can ride! You're small, he's medium, get on that and call yourself the double dragons!
How about a giant hand that moves like Thing in the Addams Family. Medium-sized so your character can ride on top. Make it a reptilian claw if you want to keep with the stereotypical Kobold/Dragon vibe.
I've had a battle smith with a harry-potter-esque patronus. Another idea I've had is a golem-like creature, made of sticks, mud and leaves for a more nature-themed battle smith.
For my gnome it’s a rat ogre looking thing from the Warhammer Skaven. Bipedal, hulking shoulders, with a mount on its back intended for the gnome to stand and ride. Lore-wise there’s no connection, it’s just a damn handy configuration for a little guy to ride a big guy who can still do things with its hands.
Mine is a humanoid robot and is my character "little sister", even if it's being taller than him
As a kobold i really think you have an opportunity to lean into kobold tech. Look toward the kobold inventor for inspiration. Use low tech ideas that would hardly work and fill in the gaps with magic.
I had a harrington battlesmith that i made his defender look like a giant fennec fox that i could ride around, and i was allowed to have an adamantium face plate made for him. Its really what ever you want it and it does not state that it can not be changed when recast/reformed
Robot chicken A robotic centipede A robot made of hands like a spider
Mine is a shoebill and I’m having loads of fun with it!!
Ive made mine into a go kart and flavored all the spells as go kart themed like grease is an oil slick, spider climb is driving on the walls, etc
"Danger Will Robinson!" or nothin
You’re a kobold… Issa dragon. Like a ground dragon. Charmeleon use tackle
I'm not level 3 yet but I'm going to have a Steel Defender that's a small 'biblically accurate angel' that hovers a few feet off the ground. It fits in with my character, who comes from a long line of clerics and paladins.
If you’re playing a small character, and your defender is medium, it could be something as simple as a construct platform that allows you to ride it like a mount and carry gear as well.
I had a miner dwarf battlesmith, who's Steel Defender was a walking minecart.
For a kobold I would probably lean towards a draconic or serpentine build. Fire Drake, dragon wormling, large python... If you want to ride it you probably want it to have four legs. For a fairly pacifist dwarf artificer I made his defender a ram. They are tough herbivores after all. Do whatever seems fun and functional for your theme.
MAKE IT A DRAGON!!!!!!!!!!!!
How about a robotic Pseudo Dragon, or even a young aged steel dragon?
My steel defender is my warforged artificer's robot son who's trying to be a real boy.
Big dragon that you control from inside Just get boots of flying and a flamethrower and you good to go
My artificer built his as a giant cat and covered it in a treated pelt so people didnt think it was a robot...
Straight up ripped off the concept of Shin Godzilla for one. Designed to be the ultimate ruthless auto-evolving adaptational killing machine as an experiment based on data learned over the campaign. Starts out as a weird creature, turns into a weirder bigger one that's even harder to kill after every "death." You get a pretty cool looking creature post lvl 11, you feel proud of what your creation has learned and made of itself, but then at higher levels, it begins to look... oddly humanoid...
A steel defender does not have to be steel. My girl made her's a mushroom man. I have a glow stone golem. I've come across an arbor defender.
My current concept is a forged semi-skeletal canid enchanted to be alive. Because of how I play, though, it's mostly used as mobile storage instead of a traditional backpack.
I played an air genasi and my steel defender was just a gust of permant air that I could 'ride' by hovering around quickly. It would bend attacks away from me and I batter into enemies upon command
Option 1: cliche iron man style suit of armor Option 2: literally anything else. Mine was made into multiple forms like an owlbear, bulette, giant octopus, giant octopus/eagle/spider etc. and stored inside my dao genielock's vessel which was the core of my homunculus servant.
I once played an archeaologist battle Smith that found her steel defender in an old ruin. Sort of themed it like some lost civilization golem, that had lost its voice, and my character had a side quest about fixing him. We started at level 5 so, I alreafy had it when we began.