Artificer: Battle Smith

Artificer Specialism


Armies require protection, and someone has to put things back together if defenses fail. A combination of protector and medic, a Battle Smith is an expert at defending others and repairing both materiel and personnel. To aid in their work, Battle Smiths are accompanied by a steel defender, a protective companion of their own creation. Many soldiers tell stories of nearly dying before being saved by a Battle Smith and a steel defender.


Level 3

You gain access to the following spells at the specified levels. You always have them prepared, and they do not count against the number of spells you can prepare:

Artificer levelSpells
3rdheroism, shield
5th@branding smite, @warding bond
9th@aura of vitality, @conjure barrage
13th@aura of purity, fire shield
17th@banishing smite, @mass cure wounds

You gain proficiency with smith's tools. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice.

Your combat training and your experiments with magic have paid off in 2 ways. You gain proficiency with martial weapons. Additionally, when you attack with a magic weapon, you may use your INT, instead of STR or DEX, for the attack and damage rolls.

Your tinkering has borne you a faithful companion, a steel defender. It's friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the Steel Defender stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus in severel place. You determine the creature's appearance and whether it has 2 legs or 4; your choice has no effect on its game statistics. 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. If the mending spell is cast on it, it regains 2d6 hitpoints. If it has died within the last hour, you may use your smith's tools and a 1st level spell slot as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5ft. of it. The steel defender returns to life after 1 minute, with all its hitpoints restored. At the end of a long rest, you may create a new steel defender if you have smith's tools with you. If you already have a defender from this feature, the first one immediately perishes. The defender also perishes if you die.

Steel Defender

Source: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

Medium construct, unaligned


The steel defender is summoned as part of the Battle Smith Artificer Specialism.

Hitpoints


2 + your INT + 5 * your artificer level. The defender has a number of hit dice (1d8) equal to your artificer level.

Armor Class


15 (natural armor)

Speed


40ft.

Senses


60ft. darkvision
Passive Perception 10 + 2 * proficiency


STR


14 (+2)

DEX


12 (+1)

CON


14 (+2)

INT


4 (-3)

WIS


10 (+0)

CHA


6 (-2)


Damage Vulnerabilities


None

Damage Resistances


None

Damage Immunities


poison

Condition Immunities


charmed, exhaustion, poisoned


Skill Proficiencies


+2 + proficiency to Athletics (STR)
+0 + 2 * proficiency to Perception (WIS)

Saving Throw Proficiencies


+1 + proficiency to DEX saves
+2 + proficiency to CON saves

Proficiency Bonus


Equal to yours.

Challenge Rating


N/A (0 XP)

Traits


Languages

The defender understands the languages you speak, but cannot speak.

Vigilant

The defender cannot be surprised.


Actions


Force-Empowered Rend

Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d8 + proficiency force damage.

Repair
3/day

The magical mechanisms inside the defender restore 2d8 + proficiency hitpoints to itself, or to a construct or object within 5ft. of it.



Level 5

You may attack twice instead of once whenever you take the attack action on your turn.


Level 9

You've learnt new ways to channel arcane energy to harm or heal. When either you hit a target with a magic weapon attack, or your steel defender hits a target, you may channel magical energy through the strike to create one of the following effects. You may use this energy a number of times equal to your INT (minimum of 1) per long rest, but no more than once per turn.

  • The target takes an extra 2d6 force damage.

  • Choose one creature or object you can see within 30ft. of the target. Healing energy flows into the chosen recipient, restoring 2d6 hitpoints to it.


Level 15

Your arcane jolt feature and steel defender become more powerful:

  • The extra damage and the healing of your arcane jolt feature both increase to 4d6.

  • Your steel defender gains a +2 bonus to AC.

  • Whenever your steel defender uses its deflect attack, the attacker takes force damage equal to 1d4 + your INT.


Source: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything