Okay, looks like we’re in this stay-at-home-situation for a good bit. I’m gonna make the ill-advised decision of resuming work on the heist TTRPG I’ve been whittling away at. I wanna make a game that hits the style of heist fiction like Ocean’s Eleven, Leverage, and The House of Paper.
Here’s some of the things I know I want:
- Smart, complicated plans for pulling off heists, and a way to make them
- Players sticking to the plan—going rogue should be a big deal with dramatic ramifications
- A nice balance between metatechniques and actually coming up with smart ideas; I want players to feel like they’re Danny Ocean, not George Clooney
- Easy generation of obstacles to save the GM from having to think of everything in advance
- Gratuitous violence as a last resort; knocking out a guard should be expected, shooting up the entire place shouldn’t
- Flashbacks—lots of them
I’m obviously looking to Blades in the Dark for inspiration, but I want exactly the planning phase that Blades attempts to sidestep. I want competence porn, but I want it to feel earned.
Here’s some basic rules I wrote ages ago, originally based on Lasers & Feelings. I like the mastermind points and the fact that rolling dice without sticking to the plan leaves you at a pretty significant disadvantage, but essentially everything here is going to change, I think. I don’t particularly like the task resolution mechanic.
Assign stats
Pick one of these stat lines: 5, 4, 3, 2 (Specialist) or 4, 4, 3, 3 (Generalist).
Assign each number to a role (higher numbers are better). The four roles are:
HITTER (dangerous, strong)
HACKER (savvy, good with tech)
GRIFTER (smooth, social)
THIEF (nimble, stealthy)
Rolling dice
When you do something risky, figure out which role you’re filling right now. Some actions may fit multiple roles; work out at the table which role fits better. To see how it goes, roll 1d6. Roll +1d if you’re prepared, +1d if you’re following the plan and +1d if you’ve got some gear to help you out. Now compare each die result to the number next to your role. Any die that rolls under that number is a success.
0: If none of your dice succeed, things get worse somehow. The GM will tell you how.
1: If one die succeeds, you barely manage it. The GM inflicts harm, complication or cost.
2: If two dice succeed, you do it well. Good job!
3+: If three (or more) dice succeed, you get a critical success! The GM tells you some extra effect you get.
!: If one or more of your dice shows your role’s number exactly, you’re a MASTERMIND. Gain one mastermind point. You can hold a maximum of two mastermind points at any time. Spend your mastermind point now or later to gain insight or have a flashback.
HELPING: If you want to help someone else who’s rolling, say how you help them and make a roll. If you succeed, give them +1d to their own roll.
Gaining insight
When you spend a mastermind point to gain insight you get to ask the GM a question which they will answer honestly. Pick one of these questions or think of your own: What are they really feeling? Who’s behind this? How could I get them to _____? What should I be on the lookout for? What’s the best way to _____? What’s really going on here?
Many of these questions might also be answered by gathering information the old-fashioned way, but spending a mastermind point allows you to skip the legwork and the potential risk.
Most of the time, acting on this information will count as being prepared if you’re doing something risky.
Flashbacks
When you spend a mastermind point to have a flashback, narrate a scene in which you prepared for complications, turned the tables in your favor or set up something way in advance. You can use flashbacks to help a team member who’s about to do something risky or even narrate your team making a new plan if the first one is going south (this costs two additional mastermind points which may be taken from any consenting character). Some good flashbacks: I put laxatives in the guard’s coffee this morning; he’ll be out of action for the next hour or so. I got drunk with the bellhop last night; I know exactly which room the Sultan is staying in. I rented a room directly below the Sultan’s. I knew the other team let us break into the vault and steal the statue from us on the way out; I broke in last night and swapped the idol for a replica.
If what you’re doing sounds risky, the GM will have you roll dice to see how it goes. This may significantly change the situation you’re in while having the flashback, for better or worse. This is fine—retcon as much as you want and need to.
You can’t earn mastermind points during a flashback.
NMBJ 