D&D 5E As you the you all see Steel Defender being ridden by a miniforged.

[ManBagel]

So back to Iron Defenders. I read the mounted combat rules, and I feel they aren’t made that well. I doubt they meant an Iron Defender to be an option, but a new question has been brought up. Can a Iron Mount take multiple actions?
Mounted Combat Rules

Mounted Combat - 5th Edition SRD

Rules for mounted combat from the 5th Edition (5e) SRD (System Reference Document).

5thsrd.org

Battle Smith

Artificer: Battle Smith - DND 5th Edition

dnd5e.wikidot.com

In mounted combat rules a mount can disengage, dash, or dodge on your turn. For a Battle Smith they can use a bonus action to have the Iron Defender to do an attack and other actions on a turn after them as a bonus action. for example. I feel that I read RAW incorrectly and if not, RAI should be used here.

 

[NotAYakk]

Mounts are either controlled or independent.

Independent mounts move on their own turn, and do actions as normal.

Controlled nounts do not get their own turn, and can only do the controlled mount actions.

So no, basically one set of actions by RAW.

Myself, I'd let a BS use a bonus action to let the defender mount attack instead of dash/disengage as a controlled mount.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

So back to Iron Defenders. I read the mounted combat rules, and I feel they aren’t made that well. I doubt they meant an Iron Defender to be an option, but a new question has been brought up. Can a Iron Mount take multiple actions?
Mounted Combat Rules

Mounted Combat - 5th Edition SRD

Rules for mounted combat from the 5th Edition (5e) SRD (System Reference Document).

5thsrd.org

Battle Smith

Artificer: Battle Smith - DND 5th Edition

dnd5e.wikidot.com

In mounted combat rules a mount can disengage, dash, or dodge on your turn. For a Battle Smith they can use a bonus action to have the Iron Defender to do an attack and other actions on a turn after them as a bonus action. for example. I feel that I read RAW incorrectly and if not, RAI should be used here.

It's not a mount (for the purpose of the mount rules). It is a creature the character happens to be riding on that they are controlling by other means. If the mini-warforged rides on some other character's shoulders that also does not make them his mount. Only certain creatures are willing and able to serve as proper "mount rules" mounts.

Note this means the Steel Defender actually makes a fairly poor mount in some ways, as it takes its turn immediately following the Battlesmith and can't move or take any action before the end of the Battlesmith's turn, which means that the rider's action always has to take place wherever they start the turn if they want to stay on this robo-ride and rely on it for movement.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

You have two options, controlled mount or uncontrolled mount.

For the uncontrolled mount, everything would be as normal battle smith.

For controlled mount, it says, "It moves as you direct it, and it has only three action options: Dash, Disengage, and Dodge. "

They way I read it, it's saying that these are the only things it can do no matter what, so using the bonus action to make it attack would not work, since attacking is not one of the options above, and you'd still have to use your bonus action to command it to dash or disengage because of the limits on iron defenders.

 

[Flamestrike]

You choose to use it as a controlled mount (free dash disengage or dodge) or uncontrolled (functions normally).

Your call.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

You choose to use it as a controlled mount (free dash disengage or dodge) or uncontrolled (functions normally).

Your call.

The creature can only dodge, move, and take reactions without the use of the Artificer's bonus action. I see no reason why making it a controlled mount would allow it to dash or disengage without the Artificer's bonus action being used to command such, the limitation is intrinsic to the creature by the subclass that causes it to exist.

Not that letting it function as a normal controlled mount would be horribly unbalanced or anything.

 

[Umbran]

You choose to use it as a controlled mount (free dash disengage or dodge) or uncontrolled (functions normally).

Your call.

Dash and Disengage are things that a horse can choose to do of its own volition, in general. With a rider, the pair takes those actions as a unit.

The Steel Defender, as written, is not capable of taking Disengage or Dash actions of its own volition, in general. I requires an instruction from the Artificer to do so. So, I can see the reading that the Artificer's Bonus action is still required.

This becomes more clear when you consider someone other than the Artificer riding the Steel Defender. Does the Artificer give up control of their creation because someone happened to jump on its back?

 

[Umbran]

It's not a mount (for the purpose of the mount rules).

Why not? It is certainly smart enough to be trained as one.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Why not? It is certainly smart enough to be trained as one.

So is the party Goliath.

 

[NotAYakk]

Dash and Disengage are things that a horse can choose to do of its own volition, in general. With a rider, the pair takes those actions as a unit.

The Steel Defender, as written, is not capable of taking Disengage or Dash actions of its own volition, in general. I requires an instruction from the Artificer to do so. So, I can see the reading that the Artificer's Bonus action is still required.

This becomes more clear when you consider someone other than the Artificer riding the Steel Defender. Does the Artificer give up control of their creation because someone happened to jump on its back?

It does if the rider is capable of riding the creation as a controlled mount.

If it isn't able to ride the creation as a controlled mount, then the artificer controls it as normal.

So is the party Goliath.

debatable.