Splatbook*

DEPLOY

When you send a steading's people into danger or rally them against an attack, roll +Defenses: on a 10+, it goes as well as can be expected; on a 7-9, it works but someone picks 1 from the list below. If the steading is acting from a position of strength, you choose. Otherwise, the GM chooses.

  • It's less effective than you expected
  • Injuries abound; the steading marks diminished (disadvantage to Deploy, Muster, Pull Together)
  • The GM picks a named NPC involved in the action; they die

Sending a steading's people into danger could mean a raid, a patrol, a pitched battle, or a trip through dangerous lands. Rallying them against attack might mean raising the alarm, or organizing a response, or standing shield-to-shield, blood splattered and weary, urging their neighbors to hold the line.

Deploy only triggers if the PCs take charge. When villagers go into danger on their own initiative, or come under attack with no PC to rally them, the move doesn't trigger—you decide what happens, based on your principles, your prep, and the established fiction.

Before the player rolls, say what a 10+ looks like. Does it mean winning the battle, or pulling off a single desperate ploy? Does it mean "rout the enemy, taking minimal casualties," or "fight to a draw but with heavy losses," or what? If there will be unavoidable costs, tell them the consequences and ask if they're sure.

On a 7-9, "a position of strength" means solid fictional positioning: the high ground, superior numbers, surprise, magic, etc. Or, it means using a tactic in which the village has trained (per the Well-trained Militia improvement), one that gives them an edge against their foe. Using "formations" against a rabble counts as a position of strength, but against an elite unit of legionnaires, it simply turns a slaughter into a fair fight.

On a 6-, the villagers might refuse the PC's orders. Or maybe they get out-fought or outflanked and suffer heavy losses (mark diminished). Or maybe you put them in a spot, and it'll be carnage unless the PCs step in and save the day.

If a PC (like the Marshal) sends a group of followers into danger, decide whether to resolve it with Order Followers or Deploy, or a mashup of the two. If you opt to use Order Followers, remember that you can choose to abstract exchanges between groups Abstracting groups.

Caradoc bangs the alarm bell, yelling, "Crinwin! At the east wall! Awake! Crinwin from the east!" He's rallying the village against attack, so he rolls +Defenses to Deploy. It's too late to keep the crinwin out, but on a 10+, folks will be up and armed, with homes shuttered and children tucked away, the warriors gathered at a spot of Caradoc's choosing.

Alas, he gets a 7. The steading has the "readiness" tactic (from Well-trained Militia) and Caradoc is raising the alarm, so this counts as a position of strength; Caradoc picks the consequence. He opts for "it's less effective than you expected."

"Cries go up through the village. Folks stumble out in their nightshirts, spears and shields in hand, and good thing too, because the crinwin are among them. A number of small skirmishes start, and a crinwin is clambering up the tower towards you, Caradoc, what do you do?"

"Rhianna, Odrain's at his door, harried by three crinwin. Eira chops one down from behind. Rheinal and Pryder are fending a few off at the pavilion. But if this keeps up, you'll be taking casualties soon. What do you?"

She bellows, "GRANARY! FORM UP ON THE GRANARY NOW!" She's Deploying (using Stentorian, Stentorian, to gain advantage). A 10+ will mean the militia safely rallies at the granary, getting a chance to organize a response. (And on a 6-, I think I'll have a crinwin tackle Rhianna mid-yell!)

But she rolls an 8, so it works with a consequence. The villagers are no longer acting from a position of strength, so this time I pick. "Rheinal doesn't make it. He hangs back to cover Pryder, and like four crinwin dogpile him in a spray of blood. But the militia forms up in front of the granary, in good order, the crinwin circling warily. What do you do?"

"Okay, here's the plan," says Rhianna. "Half of us stay to guard the granary. We send out six groups, each with a hunter and four shields. We sweep the village. You hear someone call for help, remember, they mimic voices. Stay tight, stay cautious. No one plays hero. Got it?"

This is definitely Deploy, and Rhianna's having her crew of hunters Aid. I ask if she'd rather they grant advantage or a position of strength. She opts for the advantage and, hey, she gets a 12!

"It's a long, tense night, but when dawn arrives, the crinwin are long gone. There are a few injuries, but nothing bad. Rheinal's your only real casualty."

The next spring, the crinwin are still a problem. Rhianna Musters the village and sends out patrols. That's Deploy, and a 10+ will both keep the crinwin at bay and give the PCs a lead on their nests. Alas, she rolls a 5 and I advance towards impending doom.

"The third patrol, led by Lowri, doesn't come back until after sunset. 'Found 'em,' he mutters. 'Great big nests, more than I ever seen. But they got Leuca, Padrig, and Caron. It... it was bad, boss. It was bad.'