To map out a Heist! (Stand-alone Campaign Session help)

[Arkhios]

As it is, I'm going to run a stand-alone session in the campaign I'm running, and one of the players joked about doing a heist (or at least I think it was a joke), but the more I thought about it, it began to feel a great idea. The group that is able to attend the session is perfectly suited for such a thing.

The problem is that I've never done anything like that before. At least not in great detail, which is why I'm here, asking aid from you, my fellow giants.

Any ideas to provide reasonable challenge to the whole group would be welcome.

The party consists of, funnily enough, an Arcane Trickster, an Assassin, a Thief, and a Tome Warlock. The rogues are all human, and the Warlock is a tiefling disguised as human, if that's of any help.

I have a basic idea of what they're after, and it should be some sort of art object or objects of great value. My intent is to make this adventure stand apart from the rest of the campaign, a sort of breather from the ongoing troubles they have. What I would like to set them against with is a little bit of investigation, a fair amount of traps and locks, perhaps a mystery to be solved during the session, or later, and of course challenging combat. Three rogues of 4th level can deal serious amount of damage on their own, let alone as a group, so I'd hope they don't just assassinate their way through every combat challenge, though I'd like that it was a possibility too.

Also, if you know of any particularly good adventures from anywhere (preferably D&D or Pathfinder) I'm fairly capable of converting existing foes to 5th edition, if needed.

Thanks in advance.


PS. Oh, and to make matters worse (or easier?) the session is tomorrow evening :smalleek: but on the other hand, it should be doable within one session of about 4 to 5 hours, maybe a bit more.

[Honest Tiefling]

Make it a castle on an island. You probably have some castle maps lying around, but that presents the first challenge, getting across the water without being seen. They could do it at night, but sound will still be an issue. If the island is rocky, trying to stealthy get from boat to shore might be tricky without noise.

The second step is locating the object, and there are thee possibilities: The Lord or Lady's room, a study-like area, or a well-guarded treasury. Which one is it in, and which one do you try to search first?

They encounter a poor servant trying to steal extra food for her sick, sick mother. If they can prevent her from screaming at the sight of heavily armed men coming in, she might be able to help them.

A complication that could be happening is that the leader of the guards here thinks that they'd make for a great Lord/Lady, and intend to stab the noble, and blame it upon their tiefling mistress who will be killed like the rest of her tainted kind. See if this gets a rise out of the tiefling player, especially if there are hints the guard captain is working with other nobles who will back him as the heir to the otherwise childless noble.

[Arkhios]

Make it a castle on an island. You probably have some castle maps lying around, but that presents the first challenge, getting across the water without being seen. They could do it at night, but sound will still be an issue. If the island is rocky, trying to stealthy get from boat to shore might be tricky without noise.

The second step is locating the object, and there are thee possibilities: The Lord or Lady's room, a study-like area, or a well-guarded treasury. Which one is it in, and which one do you try to search first?

They encounter a poor servant trying to steal extra food for her sick, sick mother. If they can prevent her from screaming at the sight of heavily armed men coming in, she might be able to help them.

A complication that could be happening is that the leader of the guards here thinks that they'd make for a great Lord/Lady, and intend to stab the noble, and blame it upon their tiefling mistress who will be killed like the rest of her tainted kind. See if this gets a rise out of the tiefling player, especially if there are hints the guard captain is working with other nobles who will back him as the heir to the otherwise childless noble.

I won't lie. I like that. Especially the twist at the end.

The campaign is set in an somewhat ancient metropolis slowly crumbling from inside out due to all manner of debauchery, crimes, and several factions wrestling for control over the districts, but I have not mapped out the whole city in detail, so it should be relatively easy to place a castle of sorts within the city, or perhaps beyond a bay as the city does have a wharf. The isolated island might be tempting target as they might think there's not as much opposition as there would be within the city.

[Honest Tiefling]

Make rumors that the noble was snubbed HARD for a fancy-dancy party. So all of the guards and the nobles in the city will be focused on that party, while this noble didn't score an invite.

If the game is already set in a city, you could make it not a castle, but a villa. A little smaller which might be better for a small one-session heist.

I would consider giving the undesirable mistress some class levels (like champion that is missing a few features). Maybe she (or he) has an agenda of their own, but not a wholly evil one. So there's the question of hiring them or throwing THEM under the cart.

[Dr paradox]

Honest Tiefling's suggestion is great. Pretty straightforward, easy to plot out.

What leaped to mind for me was the idea that it should be self contained. That suggested that wherever was being broken into and whoever was being robbed shouldn't stick around. My conclusion? A treasure ship!

This can either be part of some cult or evil power's tribute system, or maybe it's just a ship that specifically outfitted itself to act as a travelling vault-for-hire. In either case, It makes for an interesting heist location, and a reason for a ship to have a ton of locked doors and even some traps. You can either have side saferooms with more treasure, or you can make a mystery out of why this ship is only carrying this one art object?

Here's what I picture - similarly to the island castle, the ship remains offshore, whether on a river or at sea, while crew members take jolly boats into town for some light shore leave and to stock up on provisions. One of these crewmembers approaches the party - they know there's something valuable on the ship, portable enough to steal, and he's got enough knowledge to make it possible.

They don't have a complete map - nobody but the captain does - but he can sketch out something rough, and suggest a couple ways in. This is idea is a little more complicated, but I like it so I'll probably use it at some point.

A general tip about running a heist game, especially a one shot.

Always provide clear action. It sounds great to build a sandbox and assume the players will be in the right mindset to come up with a devious plan to crack your puzzle box, but in my experience, the prospect always tires them out. If there's ever a part where your adventure calls for them to "sneak through several floors of guarded corridors," take a step back and reconsider. Is there a more decisive and satisfying way to get them from point a to point b? Solving a puzzle to open a secret passage? Bluffing a steward into personally taking them there? Dressing up as guards? Don't just have these options in mind - have ways to subtly point these out to the players.

If you really must have that "sneak through several floors" business, consider how to get through it cleanly and decisively. Don't have them grope around a vast floorplan making stealth and perception checks at every intersection. Instead, give them directions or a map, and cover the general sneaking under a "You work your way to the master staircase, and from there to the second floor mezzanine" kind of exposition, peppered with two or three "stealth encounters." Remember, you never, ever want to have the difference between a stealth run and a protracted fight be one roll of the dice. If guards spot them, give the players until that guard's initiative to silence him. If a body is discovered, don't send guards after them, just let them know that the alarm has been raised and the exits are being sealed one by one. Keep them in stealth for as long as possible, while raising the tension within that state.

[Arkhios]

Honest Tiefling's suggestion is great. Pretty straightforward, easy to plot out.

What leaped to mind for me was the idea that it should be self contained. That suggested that wherever was being broken into and whoever was being robbed shouldn't stick around. My conclusion? A treasure ship!

This can either be part of some cult or evil power's tribute system, or maybe it's just a ship that specifically outfitted itself to act as a travelling vault-for-hire. In either case, It makes for an interesting heist location, and a reason for a ship to have a ton of locked doors and even some traps. You can either have side saferooms with more treasure, or you can make a mystery out of why this ship is only carrying this one art object?

Here's what I picture - similarly to the island castle, the ship remains offshore, whether on a river or at sea, while crew members take jolly boats into town for some light shore leave and to stock up on provisions. One of these crewmembers approaches the party - they know there's something valuable on the ship, portable enough to steal, and he's got enough knowledge to make it possible.

They don't have a complete map - nobody but the captain does - but he can sketch out something rough, and suggest a couple ways in. This is idea is a little more complicated, but I like it so I'll probably use it at some point.

A general tip about running a heist game, especially a one shot.

Always provide clear action. It sounds great to build a sandbox and assume the players will be in the right mindset to come up with a devious plan to crack your puzzle box, but in my experience, the prospect always tires them out. If there's ever a part where your adventure calls for them to "sneak through several floors of guarded corridors," take a step back and reconsider. Is there a more decisive and satisfying way to get them from point a to point b? Solving a puzzle to open a secret passage? Bluffing a steward into personally taking them there? Dressing up as guards? Don't just have these options in mind - have ways to subtly point these out to the players.

If you really must have that "sneak through several floors" business, consider how to get through it cleanly and decisively. Don't have them grope around a vast floorplan making stealth and perception checks at every intersection. Instead, give them directions or a map, and cover the general sneaking under a "You work your way to the master staircase, and from there to the second floor mezzanine" kind of exposition, peppered with two or three "stealth encounters." Remember, you never, ever want to have the difference between a stealth run and a protracted fight be one roll of the dice. If guards spot them, give the players until that guard's initiative to silence him. If a body is discovered, don't send guards after them, just let them know that the alarm has been raised and the exits are being sealed one by one. Keep them in stealth for as long as possible, while raising the tension within that state.

Ooh! That gives me an idea or few. One of the players (the Thief) is a Smuggler by trade, and has been actively co-operating with a certain crew of pirates, and might have heard of this treasure ship from them. I think I heard or read somewhere that Man-o-wars were also known as Floating Castles, and while cannons might not have been invented yet, I guess in a fantasy world, small ballistae could replace them, and therefore there could be ships of equivalent size or smaller.

Although, on second thought, galley is the most expensive ship in D&D, and might be a bit too small for the purpose.

I like the concept of having to cross a body of water wide enough you couldn't swim over it, especially back with your loot, so I think I'll keep the initial idea from Honest Tiefling. The target might not be a castle, but a manor might be fancy enough.

[Dr paradox]

I have to know... how did the heist go?

[Arkhios]

I have to know... how did the heist go?

I wasn't ready in time, so I had to call the session off, sadly. But I intend to refine it and run it later!