5 Common Problems to Avoid • 11.01.07
Everyone thinks the whole “amazing escape of the hero while the villain is gloating and revealing the genius of his plan and how it might be thwarted” is just an overused movie cliche. But once you’re in the moment it’s easy to get caught up and overconfident. As “the bad guy” here are some things to keep in mind to make sure you don’t fall victim to the all-too-common problems of today’s despot:
If ever someone says something like “Before you kill me, will you at least tell me what this is all about?” you’re doing perfect! Shoot them right then. Don’t even bother saying no, and definitely don’t give in to the temptation to say anything else at all. Believe me, the feeling of relief you get after brutally murdering your adversaries and removing them permanently from your consideration is worlds ahead of any temporary happiness you might experience while gloating. When trying to figure out what to do with the noble leader you’ve usurped make sure you give murder the consideration it really deserves. Sure, locking them in a tower sounds like a good option, and it seems like you might be playing it safe. But the way to really play it safe is to remove your adversaries completely. If you want to ensure you avoid murder accusations down the line, consider burning or dissolving the corpses instead. Do not include a self-destruct mechanism. Seriously, why would you do that? Never accept a challenge from the hero. Just cause they’re the good guy that doesn’t mean they don’t have something devious up their sleeve. If a group of soldiers from your Legion of Terror fails to complete a basic task necessary for your plan you’re going to need to kill them. Especially if your other soldiers are held up in some way. It might seem overly brutal, and good henchman are hard to come by right? But they failed. They’re can’t really be fantastic henchmen if they came back before getting the job done. Believe me, the remaining henchman will respect you for it. No one wants to work with scrubs.
