The Mastermind
Reprinted from "So They Laughed At You at Univeristy? The Fools!", a Rather Subversive Tract issued by the World Crime League.
So you have decided to become a Mastermind. Bravo for you! In this age of Invention and Adventure, becoming a Mastermind is quite a suitable carreer for a young man of grit and Ambition; a carreer for those who are willing to dare to defy convention (and not a few paltry laws) to gain Fame (or infamy) and Fortune beyond their wildest dreams. And it is a carreer of opportunity for the Ladies as well; for the ranks of the Mastermind value intellectual prowess and ruthlessness above any mere limits Society places upon the fair sex!
Yet, because of the narrow-minded prejudices of others, it has frequently been the lot of those seeking to become Masterminds to wander in the wilderness seeking the best way in which to achieve their aims. Spurred by sympathy for their plight, the officers of the World Crime League have thus compiled this andy Pamphlet for the Edification of those Hardy Few who feel that They Alone have what it takes to be a Mastermind.
Firstly, What Is Your Motivation?
Before embarking on a Carreer as a Mastermind (or perhaps the related occupation of Mad Scientist), it is most important that you establish your motivation for this choice of Carreer. Difficult, dangerous, and fraught with Perils such as malfunctioning Infernal Devices, Misguided Heroes and Lengthy Terms of Imprisonment (if Captured), the life of a Mastermind, especially a Criminally Minded one, is simply not for everyone. Before you set out to enact your first Master Plan, ask yourself: who or what is it I truly hate? How much is this worth to me personally? Will it truly require inverting the magnetic field of the Earth (and, incidentally, destroying all life upon it) to avenge myself upon this person, or will a good public snubbing at the Club suffice?
All successful Masterminds have a solid motivation, whether it is to conquer the world (a good and honest motivation with the weight of tradition firmly behind it), establish world peace through selective destruction (fashionable right now among this idealistic generation of the 1870s), or to gain vengeance upon a particular person, place or thing (we suggest a large or powerful Nemesis, as a small one will hardly require more than a momentary use of your Infernal Death Ray Projector, rendering the question moot). Your first step is to choose yours, and stick by it firmly.
Henchmen
Your next step in becoming a successful Mastermind is to gather to yourself a Loyal Cadre of Like-Minded Souls, known in the Mastermind trade as henchmen. Much like the students that surround the Scientist, henchmen are useful for dealing with mundane tasks (such as Malevolent Device construction, petty theft, and administering thrashings to Those Who Dare Oppose You), freeing the Mastermind to get on with the important areas of Planning and Inventing. As with students, Henchmen should not be too bright; otherwise you may soon find yourself dealing with an ambitious one who seeks to take your Occupation for His Own. In general, brutish, base men whose only desire is for the money (or other illicit pleasures which only you can provide) work best in the henchmen capacity. Do not concern yourself with the money required for these things, as these are the sort of men who will readily join you for a chance to share in the spoils of your Plan. (But never more than a 1% share, understand!)
Location
Motivation established and henchmen gathered, establishing a Base of Operations is the next important step in becoming a successful Mastermind. Traditionally, a Mastermind should locate his establishment in a place which will be off of the Beaten Path; this is because what he will be about will often be quite dangerous and most often against the laws of both Man and Nature. In addition, many Masterminds and Mad Scientists soon discover that an Infernal Device such as a Radium Submarine or Magnetic Ray Projector requires more room than can comfortably be provided in the typical two-room flat.
One of the most common solutions to this question is the Abandoned Ruin, be it a castle, schloss, fortress or factory. The advantage to this choice of Accomodations is that inhabiting ruins is quite inexpensive (usually there is no owner of record, and as such no rent), and also secluded, as only the hardiest soul would ever desire to visit a mouldering, vermin-infested pile of dank stone. To locate a suitably abandoned ruin, we suggest that you examine areas recently ravaged by War, Famine, and Other Disasters, with an eye towards those structures of lerge size which have an Unsavoury Reputation. After finding such a place, visit the local church recorder or burghermeister's office on a pretext, and search the deeds on file there while the official is distracted with other matters (this is a good use of your henchmen, as it will keep them entertained and out of Mischief). Appropriate the deed to the place you have designs upon, arrange to have a clever forgery inserted in its place, and you should have little or no problem setting up shop.
A more congenial location for both the Mastermind and the determined Mad Scientist is a Deserted Warehouse in the City. While it is subject to greater Public Scrutiny than the abandoned ruin, the deserted warehouse has the advantage of being closer to chemical and electrical supply shops, better restaurants, and (especially important if your work requires cadavers or other specialized materials) morgues, graveyards, hospitals and so on. In most cases, it is no problem to move directly into the structure without a title search first, as warehouses are constantly being abandoned by bankrupt firms. And if there is an Owner, it is usually a small matter to buy him off for a pittance or eliminate him altogether (another constructive use of idle Henchmen).
Finally, there is much to recommend the Deserted Island for those Masterminds requiring great amounts of space in which to operate. The Desertrd Island (or its cousins, the Extinct Volcano and Underground Cave) takes advantage of a natural feature in which to hide your Base of Operations. The rare visitor can easily be disposed of, and you are unlikely to be disturbed by the Police or other agents of the Law.
The Plan
However, you cannot truly call yourself a Mastermind until you have Set Out Upon a Plan. Remember, every plan actually involves many smaller plans. For example, if your Plan involves construction of an Infernal Device of any size, you will need to gather Funds together to build it. (Unless you are possessed of an Exceptional Exchequer or have discovered a River of Molten Gold, this will often require extreme measures, such as first holding up the Bank of England, or absconding with the Hannoverian Crown Jewels -- both adventures in themselves.) Expect these methods to, of course, gain you new Nemeses in the form of Secret Agents, Policemen, and other unsavoury sorts.
Once you have formed your Plan, you must of course still implement the steps: locate your target, establish your demands (if global extortion is your goal), build and place any necessary Infernal Devices, and train Henchmen. But if done with Diligence and Care, the financial results can be quite gratifying, not to mention the Thrill you will Feel In Your Soul when you see your name emblazoned across the London Times, as DARING MASTERMIND HOLDS ALL THE WORLD AT BAY! And just think -- it could all happen to you!