Generic Militia Member
Role: Emergency defender, local muscle, mob-in-waiting
Threat Layer: Ambient → Intentional → Persistent
Design Goal: Dangerous in the moment, unreliable over time, socially combustible
Militia members are civilians who have been armed, organized, and pointed at a problem.
They are motivated by fear, loyalty, anger, or survival, not law.
They escalate fast and remember poorly.
Attributes¶
Attribute Sum: 8–9 (armed civilian, not a professional)
| Attribute | Value | Justification |
|---|---|---|
| Vigor | 2 | Physical labor, toughness |
| Finesse | 1 | Awkward with weapons |
| Will | 1 | Stress cracks morale |
| Cunning | 2 | Street-smart, situational |
| Presence | 1 | No institutional weight |
| Influence | 1 | Emotion-driven persuasion |
| Sorcery | — | None |
Compared to guards: less polish, more instinct.
Skills¶
Militia members are unevenly trained. They know a few things well and improvise the rest.
Core Skills¶
- Melee (Vigor or Finesse): Novice (+2)
- Athletics (Vigor): Novice (+2)
- Intimidation (Vigor): Novice (+2)
- Survival (Cunning): Novice (+2)
Optional Skill (pick one): - Skullduggery (+2) - Society (+2) - Ranged (+2)
Untrained skills: +0
Fixed Action Benchmarks¶
Militia numbers are less consistent than guards. Fixed values represent confidence, not discipline.
-
Threatening or bullying civilians
12.5 + Vigor 2 + Intimidation 2 ≈ 16.5
→ Treat as 14–16, swings with mood and numbers -
Standard melee strike
12.5 + Vigor 2 + Melee 2 ≈ 16.5
→ Treat as 14–16, reckless, rarely defensive -
Spotting outsiders or suspicious behavior (Survival or Society untrained)
12.5 + Cunning 2 + 0 ≈ 14.5
→ 14 if alert, 12 if distracted -
Resisting provocation or panic (Resolve untrained)
12.5 + Will 1 + 0 ≈ 13.5
→ Often rolled, failure escalates behavior
Equipment¶
- Spears, clubs, axes, or farm tools
- Improvised shields or bucklers
- Minimal or mismatched armor
- Local colors, armbands, charms
Weapons are personal. Discipline is not.
Health¶
Uses standard PC wound rules.
Militia members:
- Panic when wounded
- Flee, freeze, or lash out
- Rarely fight to the death unless cornered or enraged
Behavioral Doctrine¶
Default Posture¶
- Nervous
- Territorial
- Reactive
They watch people, not procedures.
Combat Behavior¶
- Aggressive opening
- Poor coordination
- Overcommitment
- Morale collapse if things turn
Militia members fight like storms: loud, brief, and destructive.
Disengage Triggers¶
- First serious wound
- Loud, decisive retaliation
- Loss of perceived numerical advantage
- Clear authority intervenes
They flee individually, not as a unit.
What Militia Punish¶
- Outsiders
- Rumors
- Ambiguity
- Fear
Militia violence is often misdirected.
What Militia Reward¶
- Familiarity
- Shared identity
- Immediate compliance
- Reassurance
Appealing to fear works. Appealing to reason sometimes does.
Scaling the Template¶
Veteran Militia¶
- +1 Will
- One Apprentice (+4) skill
- Slower to panic, faster to escalate
Fanatical Militia¶
- +1 Influence
- Resolve treated as Novice (+2)
- Disengage conditions delayed
Desperate Militia¶
- No armor
- Reckless behavior
- Ignore first wound for one exchange
Guard vs Militia (At a Glance)¶
| Aspect | Town Guard | Militia |
|---|---|---|
| Authority | Institutional | Social |
| Discipline | High | Low |
| Escalation | Slow | Fast |
| Memory | Long | Short |
| Violence | Controlled | Emotional |
| Aftermath | Political | Chaotic |
This contrast is intentional. Use both in the same settlement to create tension.
GM Guidance¶
- Militia encounters should feel unstable.
- Violence spreads socially.
- The danger isn't one militia member.
- It's who joins next.
Militia are how Ambient Threat turns Persistent.
Design Summary¶
- Not trained soldiers
- Not cowards
- Not reliable
- Extremely human
They are what happens when fear gets organized.