The unerring ability to permanently remove my need of a cult leader, for one.

As DnD ?

Probably the worst one. I would chose a old god background from lovecraftian myths, probably Cthulhu. It will set up a beautiful demonic cult : a deep cave surrounded by water, some fog. It is a ruin and in the middle, an altar made of a smooth bright obsidian stone. Like a miror.

So, i took my time preparing the recruitement. Those are the few rare qualities i considered for our new leader :

• The first one, discretion. Staying quiet and clean is the best path for world domination. We can’t reveal ourselve in a public announcement like this one. That’s a fatal mistake. Yet we did.
• the second one, manipulation. Being able to invite lot charismatic peoples to our cause will be very useful. I hope few admins will join our great project.
• an architect. Our print will remain eternal if we build beautiful world’s wonders full of stories to inspire new generation to follow our footsteps.

If you have those 3 qualities, we are already reached you. Don’t be afraid, we are nice 😊

I don’t know so much about their background, I guess I’m open to options there. It’s the personality traits and values that would make me follow someone potentially into cult territory:

• personable, charismatic
• supports personal freedoms (for themselves and their followers, ideally also for non followers too)
• has a sense of personal responsibility too, so, in layman’s terms if you screw up you own up to it and deal with the consequences, deities don’t absolve you
• is not a sex predator of any sort (seems like predatory behavior is overrepresented among cult leaders for some reason, big red flag)
• bonus points if they have a theatrical flair

A successful restaurant chain would be nice.

I’d like the pyromania affiliation of David Koresh combined with a classical case of spontaneous human combustion.

(Although, I am convinced that SHC is just a matter of everything being more flammable in the olden days. “Grandma was just enjoying her cigar and big jug of 150 proof moonshine, while on her rocking chair made from white phosphorus, and then she just like caught fire for no reason! Spontaneous human combustion!”)

Combine the above traits with the suicidal tendencies of a coked up Jim Jones, but in a more solitary way; Possibly with the hubris and stupidity of Michael Hughes (Note: Of all the names mentioned here, I should be fair and point out that he was never a cult leader), just to add that darwin-award aspect of it all.

As you might guess: I’m not very fond of cult leaders, even though they fascinate me.

we talking about in fiction? my favorite fictional ones are the ones that are in some unexpected and fucked way actually supernatural. you know, because then their presence in a non-supernatural setting becomes ominous in its implications

As I started thinking about this my thoughts turned sexual real quick - as do cults.