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I'm about to start running a Mutant game, but I have some questions about letting a player play a Boss PC.

Specifically how do you stop the Boss PC overshadowing the others if he can demand a whole gang of NPCs?

For example if a player plays an Enforcer, his role will to provide muscle. However what's the point if the boss PC can command half a dozen enforcers?

How do people manage this in game?

Good question! I'll let others speak to this, but I'd just like to add that the Boss generally works best in a game that focuses on the PCs as individuals rather than as a group. In individual play, the Boss can be a very interesting PC to play - powerful but constantly challenged by rivals and others. The boss can easily be used as a focal point for the story, especially in the Ark. The others PCs can be part of the Boss's gang, but do not need to be.

In more classic group play, the Boss can overshadow other PCs, that is a risk. If you are planning a campaign like this, you might want to consider asking the players to think twice before choosing the Boss role, or even banning it outright.

One more point - in the original Swedish version of the game, there is a system for handling the Boss's gang in a more abstract way, partly to reduce bookkeeping but also to limit the Boss's powers. This system had some problems however, and was removed in the English (and the upcoming new Swedish) edition.

My view on this:

Bosses have some pros and cons

All of his gang is considered to be standard NPC and mostly consist of Enforcers. An NPC enforcers have S5; A3; W2; E2; Intimidate 3, Fight 2; Force 1, No talents). A starting enforcer pc have two more attribute points, 4 more skill points and a talent. Also the gang is armed (normally) with clubs and improvised melee weapons. A pc enforcer usually is better armed. A pc enforcer also get experience. So with a starter group, a bosses enforcers can be good to have, but in an experienced group, they can end up being packrats and meatshields (I don't think they like being just that).

A boss can be powerful in the Ark, he can do a lot of things with his gang there and also, in the Ark, he doesn't have to provide grub & water for them. But in the Ark there is other bosses and they might take action if they think one of the bosses has stepped into the wrong area.

A boss in the Zone is less powerful, sure he can order some enforcers to tag along, but he has to provide grub & water for them (and bullets if they have guns). Also can he be sure that the other bosses aren't doing things against him while he is gone?

Another thing is that you actually have to order him around if you want him to do something other than to act has a packrat. Failure to a command roll in the Ark, can be hard, but if you loose, at least you are home and someone (hopefully) can fix you up without any acid rains or monsters. In the Zone on the other hand...

A couple of questions (for Tomas) that I have been wondering.

If some of his gang dies, are they automatically replaced or do the Command skill decrease to represent the loss and then new members are joined when he has spent experience points to increase the skill again? Also if the boss looses a "one-on-one" and lives, he will have to start a new gang. Shouldn't the boss also loose any gangtalents as well?

Edit: So to make my first question a little more clear. Do the size of the gang work like:

* You start with 3-4 members per point, let say 10 if you have Command 3. This is just a measurement of your power, if these members die, new members will over time join you up to 12 (3-4 per point). Or

* You start with 3-4 members per point, let say 10 if you have Command 3. If they die, the GM will adjust your Command skill accordingly to a minimum of 1. New members will join you over time up to your new adjusted Command skill and of course more if you increase the skill (again).

* Some other way.

Thanks guys. I'm tempted just to bang the boss in the first couple of games.

Personally I have ditch both Boss and Slave. They are NPC roles. The boss, just because, I think they are persons that are leaders of the Ark and as such should be there. Slaves because, unless you have a very high level of social gaming, they are OP.

Fenhorn, as to your question - it's option one, the skill level in Command is an abstract measurement of your power and influence, giving a general idea of the size of your gang. If you lose a gang member, you can expect to get replacements in fairly short order. The Command skill level does not change.

Personally I have ditch both Boss and Slave. They are NPC roles. The boss, just because, I think they are persons that are leaders of the Ark and as such should be there. Slaves because, unless you have a very high level of social gaming, they are OP.

By OP do you mean over-powered?

By OP do you mean over-powered?

Yes. Hi skill is very over-powered. Yeah, I know that the downside is that he is a slave, but his social status doesn't mean much outside the Ark and other players can have the bearing roles in the Ark-game.

By OP do you mean over-powered?

Yes. Hi skill is very over-powered. Yeah, I know that the downside is that he is a slave, but his social status doesn't mean much outside the Ark and other players can have the bearing roles in the Ark-game.

I disagree. Becoming an invincible tank doesn't contribute more to the group than say "find the path" or "jury-rig" (both of which are mandatory, imo). I would argue that it's hardly better than "Inspire" (+/-8 dice to any roll from the get-go?) or even "Make a deal" (which is a bit limited but unparalleled at what it does).

"Shake it off" is for sure better than "sic a doc" and "intimidate" (which I think is terrible and should have been a talent instead).

In the end, though, the game master can easily counter-balance percieved "OP-elements" so it hardly matters.

I disagree. Becoming an invincible tank doesn't contribute more to the group than say "find the path" or "jury-rig" (both of which are mandatory, imo). I would argue that it's hardly better than "Inspire" (+/-8 dice to any roll from the get-go?) or even "Make a deal" (which is a bit limited but unparalleled at what it does).

"Shake it off" is for sure better than "sic a doc" and "intimidate" (which I think is terrible and should have been a talent instead).

In the end, though, the game master can easily counter-balance percieved "OP-elements" so it hardly matters.

Yeah, everything comes back to which type of players you have and of course on the GM. Although I do think that the boss is a little bit misplaced. It is a NPC role, not a PC role (according to me), unless you run an Ark-heavy campaign of course.