Cult leaders as BBEG

Cult leaders aren't crazy, cult followers are.

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>>48673129

>>48673156

Some cult leaders are genuinely crazy. OP pic related.

>>48673129

They've gotta be the functional kind of crazy, OP. And crazy charismatic. It works best when you have the kind of world or region situation where people are really desperate for something to cling to, preferably something with immediate results.

Think about why Scientology got so popular, for instance.

Created in an era where the solution to people's problems was to throw them into mental hospitals, lobotomize and drug them up, and let them rot: Seeking help for your problems more often than not got you killed or destroyed.

So here comes along this "philosophy", not a religion(or at least that's what they'll tell you) about self-improvement and self-help a good decade or two before self-help becomes a thing, telling you that you can take your well-being into your hands and become a better person.

Wouldn't you hop on board?


The thing about transformative experiences is that you feel indebted to people who made you better. And that support groups can use the same kind of social pressure around making you keep promises on self-improvement to shut up, or to do things you really shouldn't do.


Focus on the HELPFUL aspects of the cult behavior first. Label things in the setting that definitely need to be corrected. And then build around this single charismatic, sociopathic person who may either be manipulative, or who may be a true believer, who is bringing genuine good to people, but that it leads them down a terrible path.

Keep in mind that the cult could be right or at least not completely wrong. There really is a UFO coming, or the apocalypse is about to start, or whatever.

>>48673238

While I'm loathe to point to South Park as a good resource, the Scientology episode actually is a great example of how cults rope people in. It starts with them manipulating Stan into thinking he's depressed through a free consultation. Then they start wringing money out of him all while telling him he's missing out if he doesn't pay up. That kind of shit isn't fake Hollywood humor; that is exactly what cults do.

Successful cult leaders are masters at manipulation. Jim Jones wouldn't have gotten almost a thousand people to kill themselves if he was some frazzle-haired freak blindly ranting about aliums coming to wipe out the world.

>>48673323
Only use elements of that though. Another cash-grabbing cult leader is boring. Don't do it exactly like Scientology

>>48673323

There's even better resources.

cultwatch and worldcultwatch are both amazing resources. The ICSA has tons of academic resources on the matter.

They go and label specific cult-related behavior that distinguishes legitimate groups from cultish ones.

I read through a lot of shit nearly 8 years ago while doing /x/ digging on the Robert Ray Hedges child immortality webcrawler tulpa thing.

http://www.csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm
>>48673360

Cash-grabbers can be pretty sinister, man. If there is actual genuine occult power involved? Think about how some sort of cash-grabbing asshole could externalize all the soul-damning shit onto idiotic rubes and then use old-fashioned hucksterism and psychology to steal the wealth and power that selling their souls gives them, in an attempt to dodge selling his own soul.

>>48673406
>cultwatch and worldcultwatch are both amazing resources.

Isn't one of those owned by scientologists?

>>48673129

Oh, right.

I want to add on:

It's kind of expected that the cult leader is this super-powerful asshole, but what if he isn't?

The cult is an extension of his personality, after all.

A cult leader end-of-story encounter could just as easily be done by social means, and may HAVE to be done by social means.


It is entirely possible for instance, that a cult leader who has led half a city into satan-worship has all the blessing of the community behind him, because "We believe the LORD has a plan for all men and women. Anyone with TRUE FAITH would not have been led astray! The LORD has seen fit to enrich me with wealth for rooting out these weak men and women filled with sin, and you have done great good by destroying them once and for all!"

....Calvinists and other Christians who believe in extreme predetermination might actually back this guy up. "The sin was in their hearts all along, this guy was doing us a service, how kind. The lord has looked out for him and that's why he survived the raid on the cult headquarters and is wealthy as all hell with money taken from those evil sinners".

It might take some measure of intrigue or inspiring words to take down the villain in that case.

>>48673129
You're in luck, anon. I actually work for an organization that attempts to get people out of cults, so I can help you out here.

>Cult leaders are almost without exception extremely charismatic.
>Usually college educated.
>They target weak individuals, and people who have no family or home. They suck them in with promises of companionship and "being a part of something greater," before they start layering on the crazy.
>Cult leaders do NOT tolerate any challenges to their authority. Any group member who challenges the leader usually winds up exiled, physically beaten or tortured, or deal (Usually tortured in some way - exiling opens up the practices of the group to outsiders, and killing them happens enough to be something to worry about but isn't universal).
>Cult leaders dominate every aspect of their "flocks" life. What they eat, what they drink, where they go, even who the have sex with (usually the cult leader himself is obligatory) is controlled by the leader.
>Cult leaders will deal with direct challenges to his authority within his own cult, but when dealing with outside challengers he uses "enforcers" and other front-men to do his bidding. It is rare for him to personally take charge of a situation dealing with an outsider.
>Cult leaders must always be in control of the situation. No exceptions.
>Cult leaders are often at least somewhat attractive - this enables them to better woo and charm individuals, most especially young women.
>Cult leaders almost without exception build some sort of "harem" or other sexual hierarchy within their cult. That doesn't necessarily mean they have sex with everybody, but he controls who has sex with who, and usually they have sex with any member they choose to at some point.
>Cult leaders are usually cowards, and will always seek a way out whenever the shit hits the fan. Some, however, are not, and will fight to the death under their own delusion.

I'll post more as I think about them.

>>48673524
>I actually work for an organization that attempts to get people out of cults

Go forth, anon! Continue your noble quest to lead people away from the darkness!

t. Paladin

>>48673505

Don't think so. Both of those groups have denounced scientology.

They've got a lot of former scientology folks behind them, though.

>>48673524

That was actually very helpful, thanks.

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>>48673129
>>48673524
Sounds familiar.

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Cults, you say?

>>48673129
>cult leader says he's the messenger of an eldritch god
>says anyone who worships his god will become powerful
>to prove this, he shows his own power
>others start to join and gain powers too
>eventually cult becomes a large enough threat for your party to investigate them
>you reach the leader's lair
>he reveals that he's a bbeg from a previous campaign
>he literally created the cult to turn everyone against you, to make you suffer[/spoiler
>he doesn't even believe in the cult -- he made it all up

>>48673360
>Another cash-grabbing cult leader is boring.
I've always thought an interesting premise would be a classic cash-grab cult where the leader died unexpectedly (a car crash or something), and never got a chance to pass on the secret that it's all a sham to a successor, so the cult gets taken over by one of the members who is a true believer and it becomes a legitimately scary organization.

>>48673608
Actually, not quite. Ironically, most of us in the organization are very religious, and there are some major differences between a cult and a religion.

>Cults control your entire life, dominating everything you do. Most religions, while having specific rules for certain parts of life, are not nearly so harsh or controlling. Even Islam isn't that strict by average cult standards.

>Cults almost always require that you live exclusively among other believers, usually under the watchful eyes of the leader. If they don't require this, then they almost always keep their beliefs secret to non-believers. Religions are not nearly so concerned (though many people will voluntarily do this, it isn't a requirement for most) and actually often encourage believers to live among non-believers.

>Cults will typically have "compartmentalization" within their organization - how much information a person can know is regulated depending on your standing in the organization, and most non-believers aren't even allowed to know anything whatsoever about their beliefs. In most religions except Mormons, who tread the line between sect and cult this is not the case - you can walk into a Catholic Church, Mosque, or Hindu Temple, for example, and theoretically be allowed to ask and know everything about the particular religion (to the best of the clergyman's knowledge that you ask). Cults are exclusive, while religions are (comparatively) much more inclusive.

>When a cult looks for new members, it looks almost exclusively for very specific individuals that meet a specific criteria (such as being a young, attractive, down-on-her-luck woman, which is the most common target) to approach. If they don't meet that criteria, they're usually turned away, especially once the cult reaches a certain size. Even non-proselytizing religions such as Judaism are theoretically open to anybody who chooses to join, so long as they take an openly discussed initiation.

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>>48673784

Sounds kinda like reverse Scientology.

>>48673129
Interesting that you posted Do. He's an exception among cult leaders. While many famous cult leaders like L Ron Hubbard, Joseph Smith and Mohammed were clearly charlatans making shit up for their own gain, the leaders of Heaven's Gate seemed to genuinely believe everything the preached.

Hell, Do actually had himself surgically castrated in a bid to rid himself of sexual thoughts.

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>>48673129

>In 1972, Marshall Applewhite met Bonnie Nettles, a nurse with an interest in theosophy and biblical prophecy,[4] and the two quickly became close friends.[5] He later recalled that he felt like he had known her for a long time and concluded that they had met in a past life.[6] She told him their meeting had been foretold to her by extraterrestrials, persuading him that he had a divine assignment.[7][8]
They were just a bunch of lonely /x/ chuuni roleplayers looking for friendship before the internet existed.

>>48673819

Miscavige really creeps me out.

>>48673799
This is really interesting man, thanks for sharing.

>who tread the line between sect and cult
What would be the difference between a sect and a cult?

>>48673784
That's actually pretty cool. Consider it stolen.

>>48673129
In D&D, he'd have some pretty serious competition.

I mean, that Pelor guy over there is also recruiting, and can demonstrate real physical acts of his god. Worship enough and the god gives you the power to literally bring back the dead.

>>48674119
Not that anon but I believe a sect is an organization that formed by breaking off from an existing cult.

>>48674138

Meanwhile other gods also give rewards and shit, too.

BUT OUR GOD IS MORE LIBERAL WITH THE REWARDS AND IS EASIER TO WORSHIP

>>48674119
As >>48674153 said, it is usually an offshoot of an already existing religion (and it's a religion, not cult). For this reason, they will typically share many traits with their "original" religion, and may even consider themselves the "real" version of the religion. They may even still exist under the umbrella of the original religion, and still be a part of their hierarchy.

>>48673129
Include Trump quotes in his rants.

>>48674252

But Trump makes sense.

>>48674320
No dude. No. Don't drink the Kool-aid. Just step....

...hmmmmm....

no, you know what? If it ever comes down to Kool-aid, go for it. I hear it tastes great.

>>48674252
>>48674320
>>48674374
Please just go yell at each other on /pol/ or fuck already on /d/. One, both, simultaneously, I don't care.

>>48674374

Cool story, man.

But I can't hear you over my patriotism.

Globalist shill agendas can get fucked.

>>48673524
Are cult leaders ever female? If so, how are they different from male ones?

>>48674252
>>48674320
>>48674374
>>48674438
All of you, go fuck yourselves. Don't shit up a good thread with politics.

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Some cults are not religion per se.

>>48673238
wait, if Scientology calls itself a philosophy, and not a religion, why does it receive the same status as a religion?

>>48674683
It started out describing itself as a philosophy. Over time, people got more and more into it and they applied for church status to get all those sweet benefits.

>>48674604
How would you roleplay an Apple fanboy in a fantasy setting?

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>>48674758

>>48674574
They can be, but I've never had to deal with one.

Female leaders rely much more on manipulation than intimidation, especially if they're dealing with male members. From what I've heard and read, though, female cult leaders usually lead female-only cults though, so the rules still apply.