The Heist - 5e D&D Game
Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2018 11:37 am
So, I've been thinking about RPG-style forum games recently, and I've noticed a pattern. Usually these games start with players at Lv1, have biiiig long-term plots involving saving the world or some such, and end up lasting for years IRL. Because of this, most of them end in one of two ways - either the players get bored and leave, or the GM burns out and ends it. And I'm talking as someone who's been on both sides of the coin here
So, to get around these problems, I got to wondering....would a more focused one-shot adventure, starting at mid-level and with a set ending point, work better?
What I came up with was a heist-style adventure, set entirely in a homebrew city of my own creation. The goal for the PCs would be to rob a bank in the city's rich district - more specifically, a single, heavily guarded vault, filled with various traps and alarms. You would have a week or two (in-game) to plan and commit the robbery. How easy the theft is will depend not only on how you approach the challenges within, but also how much set-up you do beforehand. For example, you might want to try and find where the keys are kept and make your own copies, instead of relying solely on your lockpicking rolls. Or, you could find out what defences the vault actually has and prepare for those. Guard rotations, building layout, and so on will all be available for you to find out.
Attempting the heist on the very first night would be possible, sure. But probably not recommended....
Starting level would probably be Lv5, and progression pretty much non-existent. I want players to start and end with roughly the same character strength, with most advancement coming from the loot you pick up and allies you make. You might get 1 level-up if I feel the game has been going on for a while and you've accomplished enough in-game. But don't count on it when thinking about character progression.
Anyway, at the moment I'm only looking to find out who's interested in this. I'm aiming for a relatively small group - 4 players, maybe 5 if interest is high. Don't worry about planning out a full character just yet, since I'll want to post some more details about the setting first. Feel free to ask if you have any specific questions/ideas, though.
So, to get around these problems, I got to wondering....would a more focused one-shot adventure, starting at mid-level and with a set ending point, work better?
What I came up with was a heist-style adventure, set entirely in a homebrew city of my own creation. The goal for the PCs would be to rob a bank in the city's rich district - more specifically, a single, heavily guarded vault, filled with various traps and alarms. You would have a week or two (in-game) to plan and commit the robbery. How easy the theft is will depend not only on how you approach the challenges within, but also how much set-up you do beforehand. For example, you might want to try and find where the keys are kept and make your own copies, instead of relying solely on your lockpicking rolls. Or, you could find out what defences the vault actually has and prepare for those. Guard rotations, building layout, and so on will all be available for you to find out.
Attempting the heist on the very first night would be possible, sure. But probably not recommended....
Starting level would probably be Lv5, and progression pretty much non-existent. I want players to start and end with roughly the same character strength, with most advancement coming from the loot you pick up and allies you make. You might get 1 level-up if I feel the game has been going on for a while and you've accomplished enough in-game. But don't count on it when thinking about character progression.
Anyway, at the moment I'm only looking to find out who's interested in this. I'm aiming for a relatively small group - 4 players, maybe 5 if interest is high. Don't worry about planning out a full character just yet, since I'll want to post some more details about the setting first. Feel free to ask if you have any specific questions/ideas, though.