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Dungeons & Dragons is an excellent place for players to plan some larceny without going to jail. There's something satisfying about a party of rogues coming together and plotting an intricate, stealthy mission.
Seeing these sorts of campaigns through is thrilling, but it doesn't have to be a long, drawn-out campaign. It could also be used as a one-shot with an established or new party to help them come together as a team.
Wizards of the Coast is releasing a Dungeons & Dragons adventure compendium based on heists this month - Keys from the Golden Vault. It will be available in North America on February 21 and March 24, 2023, for the United Kingdom and EMEA.
With that in mind, I wanted to think back to some fun heist missions you could run at your party while waiting on the upcoming book. This isn't a complete guide on running a heist or the mechanics you will need to understand as a tabletop gamer. The following are some ideas DMs or players might be interested in trying.
Examples of Heist prompts players could undertake in Dungeons & Dragons
1) The Prison Heist
Inspiration: The Rock (1997 film)
Dungeons & Dragons heists don't have to be about stealing gold, jewels, or a magical McGuffin. Sometimes, you need to get an NPC out of place safely and silently. A legendary thief is under careful watch in a very special prison. The magically sealed island prison is home to this and several other dangerous individuals. If your current mission is going to succeed, you need this thief.
Whether you can trust them is the least of your concerns. You can't just barge into this place. Dungeons & Dragons parties will need to find transport across dangerous waters, find disguises, perhaps bribe guards, and learn about the magical defenses of the prison.
There are guard routes to watch, secret paths to uncover, and, most importantly, disable the security measures and get the important NPC out. It can be a dangerous task, but if anyone can do it, it's your motley crew of misfits.
2) Loser Leaves Town
Inspiration: Professional Wrestling
Playing with a group of roguish characters in Dungeons & Dragons is pretty enjoyable. Sometimes, you participate in a campaign set in a particular city and must establish yourselves as notable people. In these situations, only one gang or crew member can stand on top of the underworld food chain. Sure, there's plenty of wealth to share, but why share if you don't have to?
Dungeon Masters could pit their players against another crew of thieves with similar skill sets. They could also approach larceny differently in your adventure. This would make an excellent side mission for a larger campaign or even a one-shot to give your party a way to come together and do something clever.
As Highlander said, "There can only be one." In this setting, one of the rival gangs in town is tired of sharing the loot. Whichever faction can put together (and succeed) in the biggest, boldest heist stays.
The losing group leaves town and never returns. What makes this Dungeons & Dragons setting fun is how flexible it is. It's entirely up to the players to figure out what they can do to outdo the DM.
3) Two Rival Wizards
Inspiration: Slayers Season 2, Episode 3: "A Wonderful Business! Being a Bodyguard Isn't Easy!"
What's better than a heist? When the party has a little friendly competition! In this case, a powerful pair of wizards have been rivals in a massive kingdom. Neither wishes to move against the other, and the rivalry doesn't even have to be violent or angry. Your Dungeons & Dragons party could split up and ultimately meet both of these wizards.
Each has goals and ideals and is in the market for mercenaries and thieves. It's part bodyguard mission and part heist. Both wizards have "powerful artifacts" that must be protected while also stealing the other NPC's object.
This Dungeons & Dragons mission could be a side quest or lead to a bigger, more dangerous threat.
I enjoy these kinds of missions because the party now competes with one another without even realizing it at first. It can create some pretty comical moments while setting up a greater conspiracy to loop the party into a powerful monster to defeat.
4) Government Meddling
Inspiration: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, virtually any novel with political intrigue
For the more amoral parties, this might be an exceedingly fun time. Politics are a tricky thing, and there are a lot of opportunities to be sneaky and wealthy. Your party could have a connection with a local lord or king who is looking to deal with some political rivals. It could be a faction tired of a corrupt king or a kind leader with a greedy politician looking to usurp the throne.
You can also make the party choose and determine which appeals to them the most. This means you have lots of fun, political heist action going on. You must bribe, blackmail, or set up other people for crimes. Again, this could also be the set-up for the party's bigger goals.
After all, castles and kings have some incredible treasures. Perhaps the group of adventurers, truthfully, don't care and want access to the castle.
There might be a legendary tome or powerful magical artifact lurking in the castle's shadows. Whether you're meddling in politics or just trying to score big, government scenarios are always a blast.
5) The Traditional Heist
Inspiration: Ocean's Eleven
Perhaps the most famous heist movie, Ocean's Eleven, was a masterpiece of a heist. Each character had a specific role they handled. Sometimes, players are only in the party to be caught or be a distraction. You need swindlers, pickpockets, lockpicks, and various roguish characters.
The most traditional heist style always seems to begin with the party having a clear idea of the goal. Instead of slowly crawling through a dungeon, you'll probably have a map of the area you're infiltrating. You need a hook for the party to get them interested. They'll have to scout, prep, and, of course, make contingency plans.
As with most heists, the DM of these Dungeons & Dragons scenarios will want to create some snags or issues that the party will have to overcome. Few heists go off exactly as planned, and what makes these special is how the party thinks on its feet.
These kinds of heists lean towards a big score, looking for wealth - whether taking away from someone evil or perhaps someone too rich for their good. No matter the reason, the ultimate goal is simple: money.
Heists are so much fun in a tabletop setting. Sure, there's still the occasional moment of combat, but these styles of missions in Dungeons & Dragons are more for being clever and sneaky.
It's an enjoyable way to play Dungeons & Dragons, and even players who aren't experienced with that kind of media can find a spot on the team and have as much fun as everyone else.
