Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 8062023" data-attributes="member: 177">Folks, when discussing rules, being incomplete or vague doesn't help.  The Steel defender explicitly can Dash and Disengage, but needs the Artificer to use a bonus action to order it to do so."In combat, the steel 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 <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/combat#Dodge" target="_blank">Dodge</a> action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take one of the actions in its stat block or the <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/combat#Dash" target="_blank">Dash</a>, <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/combat#Disengage" target="_blank">Disengage</a>, <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/combat#Help" target="_blank">Help</a>, <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/combat#Hide" target="_blank">Hide</a>, or <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/compendium/rules/basic-rules/combat#Search" target="_blank">Search</a> action. "The only "when it couldn't before" (from 77IM) is "when the Artificer didn't use a Bonus action to order it to".I'm currently playing an Artificer.  The GM is reticent to make it work just like a normal mount, because there's exactly zero risk it will misbehave it I allow it to be autonomous.  So, it has a mode switch.  When mounted, the Artificer can take an action (expensive, I know) to change the mode.  In "controlled mount" mode, it can move, Dash, Disengage, and dodge, like a controlled mount - it loses its Attack, Hide, Help, and other actions.  Limiting the possible actions removes the need to take the Bonus action. It keeps the Deflect Attack reaction, but it only applies to the rider.In normal mode, it has all its actions available, but requires the Bonus action from the Artificer.  He's going to be flexible on when the movement can happen, and he thinks he wants to be flexible on the Disengage action as well. As primarily a ranged fighter, I will be extremely happy if he allows the Defender's Disengage to be before my action.  I suffer a whole lot of disadvantage when the enemy gets close....</blockquote>

Verification