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 hit points. If it has died within the last hour, you can use your smith's tools as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The steel defender returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored.
At the end of a long rest, you can 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.
Hit Dice: __/6 d8
AC 15 - STR 14(+2) DEX 12(+1) CON 14(+2) INT 4(−3) WIS 10(+0) CHA 6(−2)
Saving Throws: DEX +4 CON +5 Skills: Athletics +5, Perception +6 Damage Immunities: poison Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, poisoned
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., pass. perception 16, PB 3, Vigilant (can't be surprised)
Actions
Force-Empowered Rend Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d8 + PB force damage.
Repair (3/Day). The magical mechanisms inside the defender restore 2d8 + 3 hit points to itself or to one construct or object within 5 feet of it.
Reactions
Deflect Attack. The defender imposes disadvantage on the attack roll of one creature it can see that is within 5 feet of it, provided the attack roll is against a creature other than the defender.
You can touch a Tiny nonmagical object as an action and give it one of the following magical properties of your choice:
- The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet.
- Whenever tapped by a creature, the object emits a recorded message that can be heard up to 10 feet away. You utter the message when you bestow this property on the object, and the recording can be no more than 6 seconds long.
- The object continuously emits your choice of an odor or a nonverbal sound (wind, waves, chirping, or the like). The chosen phenomenon is perceivable up to 10 feet away.
- A static visual effect appears on one of the object's surfaces. This effect can be a picture, up to 25 words of text, lines and shapes, or a mixture of these elements, as you like.
The chosen property lasts indefinitely. As an action, you can touch the object and end the property early.