Who shall play the leader?

[Mohammed As`Zaman Bey]

Would these make this character passable at your game table?

  Every character is passable at my game table. It is up to the player to make it work.

If player decides try get this character face his internal demons, what should this character do in order to remove Combat Paralysis from traits list?

  I would say it would be a gradual development, say a slow reduction in the Combat Paralysis TN for every successful combat experience with losing it (equal or worse, not for easy missions) plus post-operation therapy (not just getting drunk...) so the the character and supporting cast all have a hand in the remedy.

  There is also a possibility that the condition could get worse, such as losing control at the worst possible time against very bad odds.

[Matti]

Thank you, my Bey. I'll go with that when I get a chance. Weekend long game event starts tomorrow (friday), but it looks like I'll be stuck at work through whole weekend #P

[Tycho]

Battletech is not a democratic society, it is feudal to the core: Social Standing and Rank are really importent.

Just go with the Rank, it would be rather strange if a commisioned officer wouldn't be the leader.

[Belisarius]

I would stick with the officer. It might take some 'wall-to-wall counseling' from the more senior (in age and experience) characters to get him to be smart, but there are certain tasks that an officer does that most enlisted folks have little time or interest in/for (paper counseling packets, logistics, contracts, dealing with politicians, etc). Leave him to it. Let the others advise him and ensure that he does the right things.

[Mohammed As`Zaman Bey]

  We are discussing a mercenary unit -Previous military rank means nothing and social standing only means something to those who respect it. If they are just a collection of freelance mercs tossed together then the guy with the highest Leadership or Intimidation might put himself in charge before allowing some green butterbar to give any orders.

They men might allow the officer to play accountant but he'd better obey orders when the shooting starts.

[Belisarius]

Previous rank does not mean nothing. Previous rank means past experience (or lack thereof) and training (or lack thereof). A green butterbar isn't leading that platoon anyway, despite what rank may say. That platoon sergeant is in charge (if he's worth his salt) because he's training that PL to do and say the right things at the right time. That doesn't mean that the PL doesn't give orders. Rank exists for a reason beyond power. The two jobs are discreet and different. NCOs and Officers aren't in a simple 'mine is bigger than yours' relationship. They are teams wherein the experience of the NCO informs the decisions of the officer and the officer provides deniability and top-cover to enable the NCO to get business done. I'm not saying the LT is in charge, but I am saying that they should retain the relationships inherent in the ranks and positions they had before. The LT can, and should, be the nominal leader. If the LT is worth his salt he'll consult with those with experience before making decisions.

Whose orders? An NCOs? Maybe, if they make sense and the LT has no better answer. It's not as simple as you're making it out to be.

[Mohammed As`Zaman Bey]

It's not as simple as you're making it out to be.

  It isn't as complicated as you're making it out to be.

  A mercenary unit is based upon whatever its founder/funder decides. It could be along military lines, as are most, or it could be run as a business. Either model works.
  Since the scenario in question is a small collection of contract employees there isn't any urgent requirement for a central leader, just a consensus of indivudual duties based upon available material, ie., 'Mechs, and expertise of contractors. The only obligation the contracors have is adhering to their contracts and no leader is necessary for that.

  I have played campaigns without defined leaders and if entertainment value is your goal (and it central with me) campaigns with rigid chains of command can be downright boring.

  There is more to leadership than knowing which proper fork to use or the regulation paint for rocks. 

[Belisarius]

That's a true statement. But you also neither need nor should ask a bunch of guys who've never held the roles you're asking them to hold, to spontaneously build a new skillset. The folks that have been NCOs should be NCOs, Warrants - Warrants, Officers - Officers. And then whoever leads, leads. Leadership isn't about who has rank, it's about who gets things done. Putative leadership is absolutely about rank, and should be.

Rank, particularly in that scenario, can be a great hook to develop a character around. Spontaneously deciding that the investment the character made in that rank (or the investment the dice made for him/her) is worthless because the characters are in a mercenary unit now doesn't make a whole lot of sense. If the character with the rank screws the proverbial pooch, then it's on his head (and that means both in terms of tactics and in terms of dealing with his partners/minions).

It's not my table, but the OP asked, and I'm answering. Let the guy who mustered out with rank, retain the rank when entering the mercenary unit. If the other players take issue with that, you can resolve it at the table and let the character with the rank work through those problems. If it proves too much, then you resolve it with fiat.

[Matti]

I got to the game event, I got the players, and we played the game. I was GM and I frakked up, LOTS! I forgot whole lot of things and I had to say things like: "I forgot something! Let's back up to the DropShip in transit..." I'm dissapointed to my own performance as GM, even though it was my first time ever with RPG...

What comes to selection of lance leader, I just had my NPC say: "Who wants play the leader?" Player character with officer training volunteered and nobody argued against it. So young Leutnant it is.

[Mohammed As`Zaman Bey]

Matti -That's what training is all about! You won't make those mistakes next time, you'll find other mistakes to make. ;)

  Sometimes you'll have a group where nobody wants to be leader so instead of one stepping forward the other players simply take a step back -That takes a lot of responsibility off of the shoulders of the subordinates and is a good test for the guy who plays leader.

 

[Paul]

Yeah, don't sweat the mistakes too much. They happen, you get better. Often, those mistakes can actually bring up cool new events and memories, even if they're not IC.