Keys from the Golden Vault - Get yer heist on! 🤏

[@Zorkman95]

Man, I was hoping they would have a section on running your own heist. I find advice from professional writers/ game designers so valuable as a DM.

[@notanotaku1101]

The advice section on running horror in general and different genres of horror specifically was my absolute favorite part of Van Ricten's Guide to Ravenloft, so I agree I would have loved a bit more of something like that from this book. I expect that a good DM might be able to dissect the adventures and see the common traits that work well, but laying it out for newer DMs would be even better.

[@dungeonmastering123]

While you can layout map, plan guards, etc... if you want to run quick simple Heist Rules like "Leverage" or "Blades In the Dark", we got your back here's some quick Heist Rules. Rather then run a fully fleshed out heist, we're going to resolve this as a skill challenges. In essence the basic concept is, is that we assume that the PC's already have done all their leg work, they've gotten special gear, passed bribes, etc... They just now need to actually do the job. Rather then plan it out, we ignore the small details, either hand waving them, or covering them with a flash back. To do this the players will have to resolve several challenges, in order to complete the job. The standard is five, and the players must succeed in the majority of the challenges (three) or the heist fails. The DM sets the problem (challenge), and the players suggest the solution and what skill might be used. The DM sets the difficulty for that solution, and what the cost will be for failure. If the players are comfortable with cost and difficulty they make the test. If they're not, they can suggest a different challenge, or the DM might suggest a compromise. No two challenges should be the same. So if you used disguise to get past the guards at the gate, you might need a forgery check to get the guard at the door to accept your credentials, but you couldn't use disguise again. If the players pass the challenge, they move forward to the next challenge in the heist. They need three out of the five to succeed. NOTE: Passing a challenge might be a individual roll, or it might be a group test. Depending on the nature of the roll. It might also require some supporting rolls. If the players fail a challenge, they take the penalty and don't move forward, and now must suggest a different solution. Remember they need to pass the majority of the challenges to succeed. If they fail too many times. The Heist fails, and they have to escape. NOTE: The PCs are assumed to have done all the leg work, bought all the gear, etc.. that they need for the job. If they need special gear, that they don't already have but is readily available just charge them and assume they bought it before the heist started, but if they wanted to buy rare gear or something else that would require extraordinary measures. Resolves this with a flash back. A flash back is just another challenge, it was just assumed to happen before the heist started. Players suggest the flashback the DM sets the difficulty and the costs, for the challenge, and the challenge is resolved as normal. Note each player only gets one flash back. So use them wisely. Ok those are the thread bare basics lets look how we can use them... EXAMPLE: DM: You've choose to steal the shipping ledger Camdus Marcus, the Hirpeon Merchant. He lives in a fortified house near the port district where he can over see his ships coming and going. Security is higher then your average manor, and you know he has at least a dozen personal guards securing his home. Your contact tell that he keeps the ledger somewhere in his office on the third floor. He has a guard posted out by the gate, and pair of dogs patrol the interior of the fence. How do you want to approach? Willis the Bard: We brought meat for the dogs, to keep them quiet. Once their eating we're going to cross the yard and climb to the third floor. (Assuming gear they didn't have) DM: Ok, spend 5 gold for a bag full of rotting meat and make an Average Animal Handling roll, if you fail the dogs will make enough noise that they might alert the guards. [18 Success] DM: With the dogs fed you cross into the compound. The guard out front doesn't seem to notice you and even complains a bit about noisy dogs, before continuing his watch. Ok, your inside the compound. There lower windows are shuttered and assumed locked, although you can see lights in the kitchen and on the second floor. The only open window is on the third floor, do you want to climb it? Duncan the Rogue: No, I met with one of the guards and bribed him to leave the back door unlocked. We're going in that way... (Suggesting a flash back) DM: Ok, it was two days ago you found Rodrick complaining about his boss, and saying that he wasn't paid enough to this job! A proper bribe is gonna be at least 50gps, and require hard Persuasion roll, if you fail he's gonna know about the heist. Did you try to bribe him? Player: Yeah, but I gave him 100gp instead. DM: Ok, make that an average Persuasion roll. [Player rolls 12. Failure] DM: You go around back and check the door, but its STILL LOCKED! With that you hear voices. Make a hide check. [Players make their checks] and see two guards come around the side and check the locks on the back door. GUARD 1 "Too bad Roderick got fired. Its supposed to be his job to lock these doors!", one guard says to the other. And so on... From here the players have one failed challenge and once successful one . Until they get to three of one or the other we wont know if they failed or succeeded. So how to do they get in now that they know the door is locked? That's up to them to decide. Maybe the pick those guards pockets and lift the keys Maybe they put them to sleep with a spell Maybe they climb to that third story window Etc... But you keep going until the heist is resolved. Either succeeding and collecting your loot, or getting caught and having to escape. I hope these help Good Luck and Good Gaming ()===={';;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;>

[@dustanmcarthur6658]

If only they were professional game designers. Instead, Wotc has vegan cookbook writers making adventures for you.

[@thommc]

There’s a setting/game agnostic adventure on dms guild, kidnap the archpriest, which has decent guidelines for creating your own heists.

[@dragonmk123]

Anthologies seem good. I do agree if they includes some tips to make heists it would be better.

[@357Dejavu]

I wish that came out last year. I am a fan of thieves guilds and heists. But no longer a WotC fan.

[@WASD20]

I hear ya. I think that’s where a lot of people are.

[@bartekwwa]

Looooong time no see. Great you are back. You're my fav dnd creator

[@eukelar]

a fun way to run this might be that they owe some mysterious benefactor for saving them and he keeps procuring their help to pull of near impossible heists, considering picking it up just for being able to easily slot these into a campaign for a session or two to catch up on other stuff or for an introductory session for a new player.

[@mikesands4681]

Good point, the Ghosts of Salt Marsh had material on doing maritime adventures, so it would have been nice to brief the DM on making heists.

[@bytecode5834]

As always, the best reviews. Thanks for the gift!

[@oniminikui]

I'm running a string of modules for my group. Starting with a heist (KftGV), then a Candlekeep mission, and finally - at level 5 - taking them to Bryn Shander to begin SKT.

[@WASD20]

Nice! Sounds fun.

[@davidruiz2474]

I recently discovered your channel more specifically your videos on map making/cartography and have challenged myself to create one of my own. Great content by the way

[@ricefields9121]

HI! I have a small problem and I really don't know how to solve it. I wanted to create an adventure where players can travel around the game world based on a map, they can follow roads or create a new path of their choice. They have to have a clean map, I have to be able to see the hidden points of interest they can find (eg fixed points for buildings and random points for enemies). The problem is that, having to represent an entire world, I created a map of 40075x22542 pixels (~2 GB, each pixer is equivalent to about 1 km²) and I can't find any program that allows me to have a double view of the map (DM/player) and which allows me to edit the hidden points of interest. The only thing that came to my mind is to create an ad hoc program, but I would like to avoid 😅

[@roberttheguy4974]

If you have a map making software you should be able to make a copy of the player map and add the hidden points of interest then if you run it off something like world anvil you should be able to have accosiated entries for each of the maps one of them being hidden

[@mortgagedad]

Thanks as always Nate! Keep rocking it out and stay strong.....Spring Break is soon and then School is out!

[@maxwellboven9760]

Trudging through Icewind Dale now, but always fun to look ahead!

[@dagush]

Amazing hands-on review!! I love this channel!!! ;-)

[@darkagesvampire6926]

I love your contents nate, i hope you can become more active again with more mapping contents. Ive been watching you since you had only 10k subscribers

[@WASD20]

Thanks! Honestly struggle with new mapping ideas. What sorts of map videos would you like to see?

[@madcapmagician3130]

Why would WotC want to encourage you to think for yourself? Us thinking for ourselves created all sorts of drama recently, that’s something they don’t want to encourage.

[@old_geeky_Michael]

Thanks Nate! Really good overview. 5E adventure books never really grab me, but the art and settings for each of them look cool enough to pique my interest. Like you, I'm not sure 5E is best suited for heist (or mystery) gameplay - too many spells that can reveal stuff, too many Insight checks, too much firepower etc. - but it can certainly be done well. Personally I'd love it if they put out a megadungeon, but yeah, that's unlikely to happen! Also, did you bang up your thumb again? Need to be more careful when practicing those broadsword moves late at night 😄

[@WASD20]

Haha! My hands are always super beat up. This one was a kitchen incident.

[@And-c7n]

Not buying it on principle because of the corporate attitude displayed a few months ago. Home-brew and other systems all the way!

[@WASD20]

I don't blame you one bit for that!

[@HookandHike]

quick question, will we be able to see session two of One Ring

[@WASD20]

Some day I hope! Going through some tough life stuff and had to call it off for a bit.

[@bartekwwa]

Also, digging the thumbnail 😀

[@KristensEpicAdventures]

Thanks for this great review! Still on the fence about picking up this one - I'll admit I have been planning a Blades in the Dark game instead. Love the content 🤓

[@WASD20]

Ooh. Are you enjoying blades in the dark?

[@KristensEpicAdventures]

@@WASD20 Yes! The system seems pretty cool - still reading the basic rules and watching lots of actual play videos. Even picked up "Alone in the Dark" rules to play solo! Have you played in Blades games or run them or both?

[@joshualichkay7047]

Makes me think of the Hobbit

[@ajaykatal4026]

Can u plz help❗❕ Hey i am a new player i want to play d&d😅😅but i don't know how to find a campaign online i really wanna play it and take a chance I've already made a cherecter sheet 😅so can any of you help me

[@Antiprogressivepraxis]

I'd heist.

[@Carlos111]

Another great heist book is Waterdeep Dragon Heist