Thanks everyone for your replies. Especially this guy.

Spoiler warningSpoiler warning

Attackers cannot kill your settlers, in fact only your missile turrets and artillery can kill them, and anything damaged or broken in the attack will repair itself over time.

For example, I missed the alert that a settlement was under attack and needed backup. When I got the alert that my settlement had been destroyed (I can't remember exactly what the alert said) I went to inspect the damage. Every settler was alive, but all my defense turrets, power generators, crops, and what have you were broken (not destroyed). I went through and repaired all that I could and went to buy resources to repair what I couldn't. When I came back everything had repaired itself.

So settlers can't die (thank god because their AI is programmed to death wish) and broken stuff repairs itself. I build defense turrets because I enjoy doing so and want my water purifiers and artillery functional at all times, but I'm curious if there is any permanent damage attackers can do.


TL;DR: My experience has shown that settlers can not be killed by attackers and gear (shops, crop, generators, etc) cannot be permanently damaged or broken (they even repair themselves). Is that accurate? Have you had anything worse happen as a result of an attack (aside from missile turrets or artillery strikes blowing your stuff up) ?

I ask because I get my big moneys from 2 settlements (that are guarded better than Fort Knox). The rest I use solely for artillery and would save a lot of time and oil resources just leaving settlements undefended.

I've had settlers die after failing to defend, my populations gone down after an attack

Do you remember if they were Provisioners? Because I have had one of them die (I don't know how it happened I just saw a missing supply line and one less person in my settlement), but only once and I've seen settlers lose their health, take a seat, and get back up.

Eight dead settlers including some companions.

I feel they are needed to give the settlements the proper penal colony feel as weapons are best when faced inward from the edge of the settlement. Also they are hilariously awesome when 8-10 turrets open up on the same poor shmuck attempting to raid. Supposedly they factor in to how often a settlement is attacked which is a nuisance interrupting my water monopoly plans.

Also the raiders may steal any gear (armourm weapons) or food, water ect you have stored in the settlement. So I would say build defenses in settlements you plan to manage. I personally am only really looking after 3 settlements ATM the rest have to fend for themselves ( though I will do quests for them) until I get bored working the ones I have now.

Don't forget that the Pip-Boy settlement interface is bugged out. It does not display the proper info at all times. ( Settlement items do repair themselves over time. )The issue is especially noticeable when modifying a settlement. Fast traveling to the settlement after viewing it via workshop tab on pip-boy, will reset the info to the correct info. Settlers can permanently die. I have not visually witnessed it, but I have had 'settler' named corpses in my settlement. I believe they sit down when wounded, and the enemy usually will fight another settler during that time. But if an enemy, not friendly, explosion erupts on that wounded settler, it finishes him off. Experiment with that theory. I plan to in a few mins ( somehow ), and will edit.

Yeah far as i can tell defenses are only really good for lowering attack frequency.

I've lost a few defenses(due to bugs)and my stuff hasn't repaired over time,so not sure why it isn't working for me if it does work.I've also had settlers killed,and a massive stash of water and food in my workbench taken.Now i put everything except junk into normal containers.

I would say yes, they're needed. Why? Because I experienced my first settlement attack earlier today. Heard a commotion going on outside. Went outside to see what was happening. Settlers were shooting at a Super Mutant that appeared to be running towards them with some flashing red thing.

Next thing I know the flashing red thing and the super mutant explode. Turns out it was a ****ing super mutant suicide bomber with a mini nuke. wtf mate.

Heavy turrets are relatively cheap to produce... I'll put 4 of them up one one raised concrete foundation floor in strategic spots... eventually I'll be able to make the missile turrets. The settlers are pretty stupid though... they'll go wandering way outside of their base trying to kill a threat rather than staying close and letting the turrets do the job.

I'd second there needed. I was placing a few turrets at the star lit drive-in, and I saw a few Brahmin making there way into my settlement so I thought cool. Then I see a deathclaw charge out of the brush coming after the Brahmin and after killing them turned to me and my settlers and as soon as the deathclaw was in range EVERY turret I just placed came online and lit it up. The deathclaw didn't even last 3 seconds.

@OP - very incorrect, settlers can and are often killed in two main ways by attacks on settlements. I've had dozen or so attacks I've personally witnessed or responded to.

Some attacks occur with no message as you fast travel to settlement, and some you get the misc quest saying defend a settlement.

Settlers can and do die if:
1. They are shot by attackers or by friendly fire during the attack

2. You fail to respond to a misc mission type of attack and it is auto resolved, always with far more impact and casualty than if you had responded

Settlers do not always die during an attack, RNG and other unknown factors confrol that probability. But settlers do die quite a lot if you dont respond at all to misc quest attacks, and can die when you are present at unannounced attacks if attackers are strong enough to focus fire on an unlucky settler before attackers are wiped out by defenses.

Not building defenses are a recipe for increased attacks (game text, not my observation on this one as I dont have enough data to test this conclusively), and not having enough defenses for sure helps lead to settler deaths while defending (observed many times at less fortified settlements where attackers survived long enough to mow settlers down despite my help)

Synths in particular are bad ones for random probability attack because mutants, raiders, etc usually / almost always spawn with mix of ranged and melee types, giving settlers and defenses little more cushion room as melle types take time to move over distance and obstacles. But synths focus fire quite effectively and far as I've seen, all my synth attacks were by ranged types.

This is essentially a bad info PSA - settlers not dying in one or few attacks is not proof of immunity. After a dozen+ attacks you will see the general pattern noted above re misc mission attacks, unnannouced attacks, and focus fire from attackers overcoming defenders.

Re: damaged items - they do auto repair, but slowly - and are not free. The resources to repair come out of your supply or shared supply lines.

If you do not have access or run out of material needed, they will NOT auto repair. For example, run out of oil and turrets will sit there damaged or broken forever, until supplies are are restocked (can see how much by defense rating left). Manual repair uses same resources but just instantly repairs vs auto repair over time. Choice to auto or manual repair is player decision - personally i usually manual repair unless dmg was very light.

Thank you for taking the time to correct me and thoroughly explain how it works.