Defenses

Defenses represent the martial prowess and readiness of the steading: how well-trained and well-armed the residents are, how many veteran warriors live there, how wellorganized they are. Refer to a steading's Defenses to help decide how quickly and effectively they respond to an outside threat.

Defenses starts play at +0, and can range from -1 to +3.

When Defenses are low, there are few competent warriors in the steading. Arms and armor are limited and/or in poor repair. Folks tend to panic, and are easy to catch off guard.

As a steading's Defenses increase, there are more and more capable warriors, with better training, more experience, and/or better arms and armor. Folks are braver and more vigilant.

When a PC sends a steading's people into danger or rallies them against an attack, the player rolls +Defenses to see how it goes (see Deploy).

In Stonetop, every able-bodied adult is expected to train with the militia, maintain their spear and shield, and take shifts on the watchtowers. If Stonetop's militia suffers significant losses, then mark the diminished debility. If those losses are permanent (for example, death and dismemberment, not just injury), then Defenses goes down, as well.

To increase Defenses, the PCs should complete the Weapons of War or the Well-trained Militia improvements. Other improvements provide a bonus in certain circumstances. If the PCs want to raise Defenses even higher, or raise it via some other means, then they can Make a Plan.