Superhero team Leader: PC or NPC?

[Balabanto]

Re: Superhero team Leader: PC or NPC?

 

The thing is, that we figured out a long time ago that this sort of resistance is artificially created by the GM/PC divide. Leadership is touchy sometimes.

[Scott Baker]

Re: Superhero team Leader: PC or NPC?

 

Like many others have already noted, in my games, the team leaders have always been PCs. They often have a boss, sponsor, etc. that they (usually) take orders from, but that's not out in the field. I can only think of one campaign where the team leader was "chosen" by the NPC organization; in reality the choice was made by the players and how they interacted, so it was more of a formalization of how they were already working together.

[Martin2]

Re: Superhero team Leader: PC or NPC?

 

In most games do you need a leader?

 

It would depend on the game being played and the players. If you were playing a military type game with a structured ranking system for characters and these players believed in these rankings it would work but few games are like that.

 

In a supers game it would realy depend on the players and if anyone wanted to be the "leader". Some players like to lead and want to play characters who boss people around. But looking back through my various gaming groups I have never had a player that has taken over the role of a character that took over and acted like a leader and ordered people around and got the rest of the player acting like a military unit.

 

I GM a now reduced player number Champions game and the group even when on full strength we never had a player that said they wanted the role of leader of the group (or was volenteered). We had and still do have strong willed players who have lots of opinions on what needs to be done but we have a similar ones who will have different opinions and will not be ordered about. We also have different leaders for different tasks depending on the problem.

 

I as a GM would like a leader I could have all my NPC's dealing directly with that person and they could then tell the rest of the players what to do but I find that does not happen in a bunch of people who want to roleplay super heroes and not a military unit.

 

I just have NPC's that are around to point them (or push them) in the right direction if they need to but currently they just do it at their own speed.

 

So currently the group is leaderless but going in the right direction, some how .

 

So I think most players will not want a NPC leader bossing them around but NPC's that are there to advise them on what they should do next but not actually order them to do things in a certain way. It is their game isn't it and the GM is there to entertain the players and not force them into everything the GM wants them to do.

[Zen Archer]

Re: Superhero team Leader: PC or NPC?

 

In most games do you need a leader?

 

Fair question.

 

A leader isn't necessarily someone trying to control every detail of combat or throw their weight around. In a lot of cases, a leader is basically the decision maker. As a GM, I wanted the input of all the players and I wanted the players to work things out amongst themselves. But if there's an impasse, and their often is, I've found it a good thing for game pace to have somebody make the final call.

[Cassandra]

Re: Superhero team Leader: PC or NPC?

 

Professor X should be an NPC. He gives the team the assignment, with Cyclops in tactics command.

 

Justice League, Legion of Superheroes, The Avengers leaders are team members.