Why leave the city when that's where all the treasure goes to?
Session report for February 13, 2025. Four players misadventured for five days.
Characters
Deadleaf, elf assassin level 3Fomo Bagful, halfling thief level 3
Hilfred Castaigne, human illusionist level 2
Bendbardo the Bender, human fighter level 1
The perpetrators of the grave robbing in Fenrir came back from training ready for another heist. Deadleaf joined them as they laid low in Hartford, coming up with a target. Someone remembered selling a tapestry and other artifacts to the nerds at the local university.
"Wasn't there a museum in town? Let's hit that!"
Oh no. I wasn't ready for this - there are no maps for Hartford or its locations, only vague ideas. While they discussed plans and potential targets, I scrambled and put together potential maps and encounters. When I was more or less ready, I told them their target was Peabody Museum at Elay University.
Legwork
Hilfred went to the museum during the day. He posed as a wealthy university student with his personal bodyguard, the seven-foot-tall, 365-pound Bendbardo. They chatted up the coed at the front desk, paid for an admission, and toured the building. The first floor contained large rooms with various artifacts. There was a lot to note: tapestries - including one that featured legendary monsters duking it out, a small reading room with old texts and scrolls, giant saurial skeletons, and so forth. The only thing that seemed valuable to them were some carved jade idols in an anthropological exhibit. Hilfred and Bendbardo were excited by pinching those and decided to make that display their target. They noted a few other exits that were not accessible to the public and left for the day.
 |
| sure hope those things stay dead |
At the same time, Fomo was in charge of setting up a fence for the sale. It would have to be someone who would be interested in fine art and artifacts, since they wouldn't be able to sell to the university. His contacts in the thieves' guild brought him some unpleasant news: after the fire at Fenrir, the lord went down to the docks and threw everyone out. The guild lost months of work and were not happy - and Fomo's trainer seems to be blaming the PCs! They insisted on taking an extra cut out of the heist. Fomo begrudgingly agreed and vowed to get even with the snitches.
Meanwhile, Deadleaf scouted the exterior of the building and watched city guard patrols. He would do the same over the next couple of nights to plot the escape route. The party paid for a safe house in a part of town where no one would ask questions: that would be the rendezvous point.
The plan was simple: smash and grab while Hilfred's phantasmal forces made it look like no one had broken in.
Heist
The night of the heist came. The museum was closed for the night. Deadleaf watched for guards from the shadows. Hilfred cast an illusion on the doorway, making it look like no one was there and the door was closed. Fomo and Bendbardo crept up to the front door and broke in.
The lobby was empty. Two different sets of doors led to the exhibits. A third door that was behind the reception desk was locked. They kept on target and went to a set of double doors that led to the anthropological exhibits.
The door opened. A man, probably some professor who was working after hours, blundered right into the pair of them! Bendbardo took advantage of his surprise and knocked him clean out. Fomo slit his throat and Bendbardo relieved him of his two gold rings. He also had a key and a faculty dining card in his pocket.
They left the body and hustled to the jade idols, which were right where Bendbardo saw them earlier. They snatched and headed toward the exit.
There they were, standing in the lobby, about to get away with it all. Then they saw the locked door and remembered the key.
"Let's keep looking," said Bendbardo.
Fomo hesitated. They debated for a minute or two and decided to go for the locked door. For those of you not familiar with the tropes of a heist movie, this is when it all went wrong.
Wandering monster result: guard patrol, party surprised. The night watch found the magic-user's body and heard the PCs talking in the lobby. They charged in and surrounded Fomo and Bendbardo before they could even try the door.
By some miracle, Bendbardo's armor held up enough that he survived the attack. They knew the situation was dire and weren't about to surrender with a murder on their hands. Bendbardo realized his only way out was through boldness, and announced he would pummel the night commander unconscious.
Fomo took advantage of his small size and went for the gaps between the guards' legs so he could make for the exit. But the guards won initiative and fended him off with their swords. He was lucky to be alive. He drew his weapon and prepared to fight.
Bendbardo's explosive action was unexpected by the watch commander. His plate mail deflected the guard's sword as he closed the distance. Bendbardo's massive frame crashed into the guard and sent him sprawling to the ground unconscious.
The guards still outnumbered the burglars, but they had lost their captain, so a morale check was appropriate. By a miracle of the dice, the guards decided that they did not get paid enough to fight off a monster like Bendbardo allowed the burglars to retreat.
By the time Deadleaf and Hilfred reacted to the commotion, the fight was over and Bendbardo and Fomo were running out of the museum. They all beat feet and arrived at the safe house without incident.
Conclusion
Fomo made the deal with his contacts in the theives' guild and got 1500 gold for the party. They took their cut, but Fomo and the party appeared to be off the hook with the guild. Hilfred sold the magic-user's beautiful golden ring to a dealer for another 500 gold. Did I say he had two rings? I'm sorry but I am writing this report two and a half months after the fact and my memory is fuzzy.
A player of conventional D&D games might have guessed this would be a disaster of a session. I had little warning, and no maps, NPCs, or treasure prepared ahead of time. So what made this a success?
After 30 sessions, the setups are beginning to pay off: wealthy buyers of ancient artifacts, a university, and the consequences of setting Fenrir on fire, for example. We are establishing a milieu organically through play.
And the players relish their roles. Hilfred and Fomo are masters of subterfuge. Bendbardo is a pure bully, and Deadleaf put in a lot of overtime plying his trade on those long nights. Top grades for everyone.
THE VANQUISHED1 magic-user level 4
6 museum guards
XP for, er, monsters defeated: 500
THE SPOILS
3 jade idols, sold for 500 gp each
a golden ring, sold for 500 gp
XP for treasure taken: 2000
THE SCORE
Deadleaf earned 500 gp and 625 xp. Grade: E for spycraft and [REDACTED]
Fomo earned 500 gp and 625 xp. Grade: E for brazen thievery and [REDACTED]
Hilfred earned 500 gp and 625 xp. Grade: E for use of illusions
Bendbardo earned 500 gp and 625 xp. Grade: E for outstanding bravery in combat!
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