Know Your Role: Defenders
By Matthew Sernett
A great defender ties up most—if not all—of the
enemies in melee, freeing strikers to maneuver and
allowing controllers and leaders to attack or aid from
afar. Of course, if your defender is doing the job well,
the character needs high defenses and the ability to
swiftly regain hit points when attacks get through.
TM & © 2009 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All rights reserved.
These needs can make it difficult to equip a
defender. Sometimes the right magic item just isn’t
available. Perhaps your paladin uses a greatsword
and you don’t want to switch weapons to make the
occasional ranged attack. Maybe your fighter ends
nearly every fight with few hit points but plenty of
Illustrations by Alex Aparin
healing surges. Your swordmage might move around
a lot and need more ways to bring enemies into
melee. The items in this article aim to address some
of those gaps. Hopefully you’ll find one or two your
defender can’t do without.
No vember 20 09 | D r ag o n 3 81
31

Amulet of Life Level 5
This shield can fend off an attack against an ally while it in-
flames your enemy’s ire.
Lvl 5 +1 1,000 gp Lvl 20 +4 125,000 gp
Lvl 10 +2 5,000 gp Lvl 25 +5 625,000 gp
Lvl 15 +3 25,000 gp Lvl 30 +6 3,125,000 gp
Item Slot: Neck
Power (Daily ✦ Healing): Free Action or Immediate Reaction.
Use this power when you spend a healing surge. You may
spend an additional healing surge.
Battle Standard of the Hungry Blade Level 9
This black pennant bears the symbol of the hungry blade, an
axe head with a toothy maw like the silhouette of a dragon’s
head.
Wondrous Item 4,200 gp
Power (Encounter): Standard Action. When you plant the
battle standard in your space or an adjacent square, it cre-
ates a zone in a close burst 3. Enemies in the zone when it
is created or at the start of your turn are pulled 2 squares
toward the battle standard and slowed until the start of
your next turn.
The effects of the zone lasts until the end of the encounter
or until the battle standard is removed from the ground.
Any character in or adjacent to the battle standard’s square
can remove it from the ground of as a standard action. If an
enemy attempts to remove the standard, it provokes oppo
tunity attacks from you and you allies.
Belt of the Flanker’s Bane Level 6
When wearing this belt a subtle shift of your weight is all you
need to send a flanking enemy scrambling.
Item Slot: Waist 1,800 gp
Power (Encounter): Immediate Interrupt. Use this power when
a flanking enemy attacks you. Slide one of the flanking
enemies into any square adjacent to you.
Boots of the Mighty Charge Level 10
You footsteps thunder in these boots as you charge, making
bounds of steps and allowing you to deliver a mighty blow.
Item Slot: Feet 45,000 gp
Property: You gain a +1 bonus to speed when you charge.
Power (Daily): Free Action. Use this power when you charge.
You may use any power at the end of the charge so long as
it is an attack that includes the target of your charge. (You
are not restricted to making a melee basic attack or a bull
rush.)
Diplomat’s Sheathe Level 12
Sometimes diplomacy requires swordplay.
Wondrous Item 13,000 gp
Property: When a weapon is sheathed in this item and you
have no weapon in hand, you gain a +2 item bonus to
Diplomacy checks.
Property: You may draw a weapon from this sheath as part of
the same action used to attack with the weapon.
Power (Daily): Immediate Interrupt. Use this power when
you are hit by an attack and have not attacked yet in the
encounter. The attacker must reroll the attack with a –4
penalty and use the second result.
Extending Weapon Level 4
A moment’s thought can cause this weapon to reach out for a
foe’s blood.
Lvl 4 +1 840 gp Lvl 19 +4 105,000 gp
Lvl 9 +2 4,200 gp Lvl 24 +5 525,000 gp
Lvl 14 +3 21,000 gp Lvl 29 +6 2,625,000 gp
Weapon: Any melee
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per die
Property: This weapon has reach and is considered to be part
of the polearm and spear groups in addition to its normal
weapon groups.
Power (Encounter): Free Action. Use this power after you hit a
target with this weapon. Pull the target 1 square.
Know Your Role: Defender
Fey Strike Weapon Level 15
Even distant foes must fear a blow from a warrior with this
gleaming weapon in hand.
Lvl 15 +3 25,000 gp Lvl 25 +5 625,000 gp
Lvl 20 +4 125,000 gp Lvl 30 +6 3,125,000 gp
Weapon: Any melee
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per die
Power (At-Will ✦ Weapon): Standard Action. The weapon dis-
charges a shimmering mirror of itself that flies toward your
foe. Make an attack: Ranged 20; Strength, Constitution, or
Dexterity vs. AC; on a hit, the target takes 1[W] + Strength,
Constitution, or Dexterity modifier damage.
Level 23: Increase damage to 2[W] + Strength, Constitution,
or Dexterity modifier damage.
Power (Daily ✦ Teleportation): Free Action. Use this power
after you hit a target with this weapon. Teleport the target
into a square adjacent to you.
Foe Binder Ring Level 19
This hefty iron ring earns you greater enmity from all whom
you challenge. Such a burden falls heavy on all but the stoutest
heart.
Item Slot: Ring 105,000 gp
Property: When you mark an enemy, the enemy suffers the
penalty to attack other creatures even when you are
included in the attack.
Power (Daily): Minor Action. Until the end of the encounter
enemies you mark take a –3 penalty to attack rolls for any
attack that doesn’t target you instead of the normal –2
penalty.
If you’ve reached at least one milestone today, this lasts
until you take an extended rest instead.
Foe Caller Gauntlets Level 22
No enemy can escape your challenge when you point the foe
out while wearing these gauntlets.
Item Slot: Hands 325,000 gp
Power (Encounter ✦ Teleportation): Immediate Interrupt. Use
this power when an enemy you’ve marked makes an attack
that does not include you. Teleport the enemy to a square
adjacent to you and make a melee basic attack against the
enemy.
No vember 20 09 | D r ag o n 3 81
32
 Know Your Role: Defender

Foe Chaser Boots Level 6
Those you’ ve chosen to fight find escape less likely when you
wear these boots..
Item Slot: Feet 1,800 gp
Property: You gain a +2 bonus to speed when you charge an
enemy you’ve marked.
Power (Daily ✦ Teleportation): Immediate Reaction. Use this
power when an enemy you’ve marked makes an attack
that does not include you. Teleport into a square adjacent
to the marked foe.
Foe Fending Shield Level 6
This shield can fend off an attack against an ally while it in-
flames your enemy’s ire.
Lvl 6 1,800 gp Lvl 26 1,125,000 gp
Lvl 16 45,000 gp
Item Slot: Arms
Shield: Any
Power (Daily): Immediate Interrupt. Use this power when
an attack against AC or Reflex defense would hit an ally
adjacent to you. The attacker is marked (save ends). If the
attacker is already marked by you or an ally, the attacker
instead suffers a –2 penalty to the attack.
Level 16: The protected ally can be within 5 squares.
Level 26: The protected ally can be within 10 squares.
Swiftstrike Shoes Level 20 About the Author
Matthew Sernett is a writer and game designer for Wizards
More supple shoes never touched the foot of a hero, and in
of the Coast who splits his time between Dungeons & Drag-
these shoes a hero’s feet sometimes barely touch the ground.
ons® and Magic: The Gathering®. Recent credits include
Item Slot: Feet 125,000 gp Monster Manual® 2 and Player's Handbook® 2.
Property: You gain a +5 bonus to speed for the first round of
combat.
Power (Daily ✦ Teleportation): Move Action. Teleport adja-
cent to any enemy you can see.
Vortex Mask Level 6
This eerie mask has a mouth from which no light escapes, and
it draws foes toward that darkness in a great inhalation.
Item Slot: Head 1,800 gp
Power (Daily): Standard Action. Make an attack: Close blast 5;
targets enemies; Strength +4, Constitution+4, or Dexterity
+4 vs. Fortitude; pull the target 4 four squares.
Crowd Killer Shield Level 20
Your foe’s might think they have the upper hand, but this
shield ensures you fight on a level field.
Item Slot: Arms 125,000 gp
Shield: Any
Property: Enemies who flank you grant you combat advantage.

Foe Maker Weapon Level 5

No enemy can look upon this foul weapon and not hate both it
and its wielder.
Lvl 5 +1 1,000 gp Lvl 20 +4 125,000 gp
Lvl 10 +2 5,000 gp Lvl 25 +5 625,000 gp
Lvl 15 +3 25,000 gp Lvl 30 +6 3,125,000 gp
Weapon: Any melee
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per die, or +1d10 per plus against a
creature you marked in the previous round.
Property: When you hit with this weapon, you may mark the
target and any foe adjacent to the target. The mark lasts
until the end of your next turn.
Power (Daily): Standard Action. You mark all enemies that can
see you within 10 squares. The mark lasts until the end of
your next turn.

No vember 20 09 | D r ag o n 3 81
33