Hardened Defenses

[Deadman]

Hi Steve,

 

I am a bit confused with hardened defenses when it comes to Normal Attacks.

 

If a character buys Resistant Protection with the Advantage Hardened does it protect vs. both Armor Piercing normal  attacks as well as AP Killing Attacks?

 

Example:  Rock has Resistant Protection 20 PD/ED in addition to his normal 10 PD/ED.  He buys Hardened on the Resistant Protection but not on his Normal PD/ED.  In play he is attacked by Blade with a 3d6 AP Killing Attack and is able to apply his full resistant defense (20) against the Body of the attack.  He is then attacked by Starling with a 10d6 AP Blast vs. ED.  Does his Hardened Resistant Protection apply to the Stun of the damage done by the attack?  Meaning, would he would have 25 ED versus the attack (since his normal ED is not Hardened it is halved) or 15 ED (since the Hardened Resistant Protection doesn't apply to Normal Attacks)?

 

Thank you

 

Tom

[Steve Long]

Resistant Protection provides its defense against both Normal and Killing Damage. In this it differs from Normal Defenses, which do not protect against the BODY of Killing Attacks. So yes, in your example, Rock's Resistant Protection provides defense against both the STUN and BODY of Starling's Blast. Because Starling's Blast is AP, ordinary Resistant Protection would be halved, but since he paid for Hardened for it, his Resistant Protection protects him in full. His Normal PD/ED, which are not Hardened, are halved.

 

Hope that helps!