So I had the thought, like many before me, of a gnome/halfling artificer riding their steel defender into battle. But, there is a fighter subclass which is the cavalier. I haven't had the time yet to fully read its abilities, but what kinds of fun/powerful things would one be able to do with this combo?
The Cavalier fighter only has one ability that directly pertains to being mounted - 'Born to the Saddle', at third level. Many of their other abilities are usable while they're mounted, but the Cavalier in general is the 'Bodyguard' class, not the 'Horse Dood' class. Combinations from a Cavalier/Battlesmith depend on which way the split is leaning.
A primarily Battlesmith with three levels in Fighter for basic Cavalier is hard to dismount, and it can force attacks targeted at anyone but itself to have disadvantage. This combines with Defensive Pounce from the Defender, allowing the Battlesmith to force disadvantage on any single attack, as well as keeping its Defender in top shape. It's an effective tanking combination, though whether it's worth sacrificing three levels of artificer is up to the player - especially as that robs the Defender of a significant chunk of HP.
More levels of fighter dilutes the character, especially as Cavaliers in specific very much want their late-level abilities. I wouldn't go past fighter 4 myself, if one needs an extra ASI.
So I had the thought, like many before me, of a gnome/halfling artificer riding their steel defender into battle. But, there is a fighter subclass which is the cavalier. I haven't had the time yet to fully read its abilities, but what kinds of fun/powerful things would one be able to do with this combo?
The Cavalier fighter only has one ability that directly pertains to being mounted - 'Born to the Saddle', at third level. Many of their other abilities are usable while they're mounted, but the Cavalier in general is the 'Bodyguard' class, not the 'Horse Dood' class. Combinations from a Cavalier/Battlesmith depend on which way the split is leaning.
A primarily Battlesmith with three levels in Fighter for basic Cavalier is hard to dismount, and it can force attacks targeted at anyone but itself to have disadvantage. This combines with Defensive Pounce from the Defender, allowing the Battlesmith to force disadvantage on any single attack, as well as keeping its Defender in top shape. It's an effective tanking combination, though whether it's worth sacrificing three levels of artificer is up to the player - especially as that robs the Defender of a significant chunk of HP.
More levels of fighter dilutes the character, especially as Cavaliers in specific very much want their late-level abilities. I wouldn't go past fighter 4 myself, if one needs an extra ASI.
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Go Gnome and take the Rock Gnome subrace. Level 3 cavalier and then the rest into battlesmith.