What Happens if Your Steel Defender Dies?
As a D&D player, you’ve invested time and effort into creating your Steel Defender, a loyal companion that has fought alongside you through thick and thin. But what happens if, despite your best efforts, your Steel Defender falls in battle? In this article, we’ll explore the various scenarios that can occur when your Steel Defender dies, and provide guidance on how to navigate these situations.
Reviving Your Steel Defender
If your Steel Defender dies within the last hour, you can revive it using your Smith’s Tools as an action. To do so, you must be within 5 feet of your Steel Defender and expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. Your Steel Defender will return to life after 1 minute, with all its hit points restored.
Table: Reviving Your Steel Defender
| Time Since Death | Smith’s Tools | Spell Slot Required |
|---|---|---|
| Last hour | Yes | 1st level or higher |
| More than an hour | No | N/A |
Using Magic Items
Your Steel Defender can use magic items, unless its anatomy or a rule precludes such use. For example, if your Steel Defender has a magical amulet, it can benefit from its abilities. However, if the magic item requires a specific anatomy or physiology, your Steel Defender may not be able to use it.
Familiar and Steel Defender
You can have both a Homunculus Servant and a Steel Defender. There’s nothing that prevents an artificer with the Steel Defender feature to also choose the Homunculus Servant as one of their infusion known and make use of it.
Steel Defender’s Anatomy
Your Steel Defender’s anatomy is designed to withstand the rigors of combat. It can use magic items, and its anatomy is not precluded from using specific magic items. However, some magic items may require a specific anatomy or physiology, in which case your Steel Defender may not be able to use it.
Death Saving Throws
As a creature, your Steel Defender can use death saving throws. If it falls unconscious, it will start making death saving throws. If it succeeds, it will regain consciousness. If it fails, it will die.
Table: Death Saving Throws
| DC | Success | Failure |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Regains consciousness | Dies |
Attuning to Magic Items
Your Steel Defender can attune to magic items, just like any other creature. If it finds a magic item, it can try to attune to it by making an Intelligence ( Arcana) check. If it succeeds, it will be able to use the magic item.
Riding the Steel Defender
You can ride the Steel Defender if it is one size bigger than you or larger. For example, if you are a gnome, you can ride a Steel Defender that is human-sized or larger.
Table: Riding the Steel Defender
| Size of Steel Defender | Can You Ride It? |
|---|---|
| Same size as you | No |
| One size bigger than you | Yes |
| Larger | Yes |
Conclusion
When your Steel Defender dies, it’s not the end of the world. With the right actions, you can revive it or create a new one. Remember to use your Smith’s Tools to revive your Steel Defender, and to attune to magic items that it finds. With this knowledge, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the challenges of combat and keep your Steel Defender by your side.