When followers Defend

When a PC Orders Followers to Defend and gets a 7+, the follower holds Readiness but the player decides when and how they spend it.

When a player spends their follower's Readiness, consider whether the follower would actually do what the player wants. Would they really suffer this attack in place of their ward? Would they really draw all attention to themselves? If the answer feels like "no," then the player has to spend both 1 Readiness and 1 Loyalty—they're unlikely to have time to Persuade the follower!

When a PC Defends and a follower Aids them, that PC holds the Readiness but they can spend it to have the follower suffer the damage/effects of an attack, or to have the follower draw all attention from their ward to themselves. Ask the player what this looks like. If they're slyly using the follower as a meat shield, then the follower doesn't get much say in the matter (but they might have lots to say if they survive). If the player just expects the follower to take one for the team, well… that might require spending Loyalty, too.