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Keys from the Golden Vault is all about taking yourDungeons & Dragonscrew and going on several exciting and daring heists in adventures that can be played separately or as a campaign. However, not just any crew can take on daring tasks; you’ll need to build the perfect heist crew to accomplish your thievery goals for some of these adventures.
Related:Dungeons & Dragons: Classic Side Quests
When considering what class you’ll make and what your group will comprise, there are a few things to consider when building your party. From the perfect classes to the items in your toolkit, here’s everything you’ll need to know to build the perfect heist crew.
While there are currently builds you can create to make the perfect character regarding your player race, this guide will not cover that.
As the gamemoves away from race-specific stat increases and skills,choose whatever race you would have the most fun playing.
The Best Class For The Job
When considering what classes to choose for your adventure in Keys from the Golden Vault, you should remember tocreate characters that suit the situation.
Most ofyour job will center around subterfuge and stealth, but you should always have a backup plan. Consider the following classes and subclasses when creating a heist crew.
Rogue
The quintessential heist partner, of course, rogues will excel in any adventure in Keys from the Golden Vault. With the necessary skills to get in and out of any situation and stealth their way out of danger, a rogue on your heist crew is a must.
Player’s Handbook
Thief
Withthieves' tools for disarming traps and locks, and someextra mobility for climbing, running, and hiding in stealth, this subclass will allow you to get in and out of any heist situation quickly. You’ll be reliable for your skills and able to slip out of danger if things get too dangerous.
Assassin
While additional damage is nice, the main draw iscreating an unfailing false identity. While it may take more time than you have on an average heist mission, if you can pull this off, you can walk right into any situation and do whatever you need to accomplish your goals.
Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
Inquisitive
With the ability topick out lies, advantage on perception and investigation checks(great for a heist), andsee hidden creatures and objects,you would benefit greatly from the early-level abilities here.
Mastermind
For roleplay and mechanic use, this subclass is one of the best if you can find the time to utilize its abilities. You’ll gain necessary proficiencies fromdisguise and forgery kits, learn additional languages, mimic speech patterns, and identify your enemies' capabilities.
This is the perfect subclass for those who want to support the party and use roleplay and useful information when planning the heist to gain insight and gain information while blending in with the crowd.
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Phantom
While not the first choice, this subclass has some fun mechanics that you can utilize to make the most out of any heist. You can learn any skill or tool proficiency you don’t know for a limited time, ask questions of the dead, and, if you can get to at least level thirteen, fly and hover like a ghost.
Bard
The versatility of the bard makes them a class you’ll definitely want on your team. From providing inspiration to the team when things get hard to crowd control and utility spells and healing in a pinch, bards are useful in a heist crew in more ways than one.
College of Lore
Here you gain anadditional three proficienciesfor yourself, which can make you an all-around go-to for any specific checks needed during your heists. Cutting words is always helpful, and the ability tolearn two spells from any classand your extra proficiencies make you the perfect situational filler. Just make sure to prepare spells that work around heists and the party’s needs.
College of Glamour
Give yourself a wondrous appearance, captivate your audience with inspiring words, and getfree use of the command spellwith this subclass.Charming multiple people at onceis perfect. They will all speak glowingly of you and possibly fight for you, creating the perfect heist distraction and a backup plan.
Eloquence
Theadditional help granted for Persuasion and Deception checkshere is worth picking this subclass. The utility also makes it a good choice. You have abilities for mitigating damage should a fight occur, but abilities such asUniversal Speech allow you to chat with anyone, regardless of your language.
Creation
You’ve got to be very careful if you decide to go with this subclass; however, it can be well worth your time if you’re able to get creative with how it plays. Your biggest issue to remember is thatyou may make a lot of noise. However, you have the unique ability tocreate and animate items. This creates theperfect distraction in the right heist setting.
Cleric
With better armor and an extra set of useful weapons, Clerics can be your second line of defense in any heist crew. Should you need healing, a strong hand in the back, or some prayers for your next adventure, don’t count out how useful a cleric can be in a heist.
Knowledge Domain
Two extra languages mean you’ll have more time to hide conversations from others or hear what they have to say. Your ability tobecome proficient in a single tool or skill for 10 minuteswill come in handy when your rogue is incapacitated, or no one knows how to work the device you all need. Couple this with your ability toread thoughts and command creaturesand your Cleric spell list, and you’ve got the perfect backup party member.
Trickery Domain
Grantadvantage onthose commonly usedStealth checks to yourself or someone else,create a double of yourself or go completely invisible. The perfect subclass choice that still offers the strength and constitution of the Cleric but a more deceptive playstyle of a rogue. You can even cast spells from the place of your illusory double.
Monk
While they tend to be known for being peaceful, it does well to remember that monks take their work very seriously. They’re usually not out for the prize, so you may be able to convince them to grab their share of the spoils.
The base class is surprisingly useful for a heist, asextra movement and slow fallcan ensure you’re out of harm’s way more readily. Stun your enemies from moving, anduse evasionto skip out on damage you’re able to dodge, all before level 11. Some subclasses can make even further use of the monk for a heist.
Way of the Shadow
You’ll gain access to the spells you need for sneaking around likedarkness and pass without trace. You canteleport between shadows and eventually become invisible.
Way of the Astral Self
More arms are better than just two. Summon your astral self tosee in darkness, speak soonly one creature of your choice can hear you, and have a bit of extra damage if it comes down to it. See if your DM allows you to have fun with your astral arms, possibly using them to help you with that pesky lock holding the treasure you need to grab.
Ranger
Another class useful for its utility. With their ability tohide in plain sight,rangers arenaturally good at camouflageand can use it in these adventures. You can travel stealthily at a normal pace,track other creatures, and have some great utility spells at your disposal.
Beast Master
If your DM allows, you can utilize your pet to your advantage. If it’s small, it can be a mini rogue, accessing places you can’t and being an extra hand when necessary. You can also go the other route, using a large animal for intimidation, as a lookout, or an extra set of damage if things go bad.
Fey Wanderer
TheFey Wanderer spellsyou learn areall about crowd control and an easy escape, perfect for a heist. You get an additionalproficiency in skillsthat’ll help with the mission, such asDeception and Persuasion,you have advantage against being charmed, and you cansummon fey reinforcements. Get creative with using your fey companion to solve the latest situation.
Sorcerer
You may not think Sorcerer when you think of planning a heist. However, there are some fun roleplay aspects you may try, along with some great utility in subclasses—choosing Metamagic, such assubtle spell to cast in silence and avoid detection, or quickened spell to save your action. Couple that with the following subclasses for some perfect options when going on a heist.
Shadow Magic
With access to abilities such asdarkvision and the darkness spell, you’ll have utility for hiding yourself or the party when necessary. Your ace will besummoning a hound of ill omen, which can protect itself andmove through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain—a great way to access places without risking the party’s safety.
Aberrant Mind
You’ll gain access to spells such ascalm emotions and detect thoughts, and you’ll have the ability tocommunicate telepathicallywith someone else in case there are things that need to be said but can’t be said out loud.
Warlock
Call upon your patron to help create scenarios of subterfuge and stealth. With access to the warlock’s spell list and specific abilities granted by your patron, you’re able to find a place in any heist party as well.
The Archfey
You quickly gain the ability tocharm those around you, targeting multiple creatures for useful crow controlwhen necessary. You canturn invisible and teleportand will eventually be immune to being charmed. This subclass offers utility for escape and crowd control and a fun way to roleplay your place and your patron’s interest.
The Great Old One
You gain freetelepathic speech and can’t have your own thoughts read. Communication in these adventures is key, and you may impose disadvantage should something attempt to attack you.
Wizard
Choosing the right school of study and customizing your spell list can make the wizard a surprisingly handy spellcaster for the Golden Vault adventures. The right subclass can get you into the thick of the action or help prepare you to support your allies.
School of Conjuration
The two specific skills here are the ability to teleport, which is always useful for a spell caster, and the ability toconjure an object. The Golden Vault adventures are all about being creative, so being able to create objects on the fly is as limitless as your imagination and what you’ve seen before. Your teleport also allows you to alternativelyswap places with another party member, helping get the team in position for the heist.
School of Illusion
Minor illusion is a great cantrip for a heist; you gain that for free.Your illusion spells last longer, and you can create an illusory double of yourselfwhen you’re attacked. This choice will help most if you choose proper illusion spells to benefit the heist you’re going on.
Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount
Chronurgy Magic or Graviturgy Magic
Chronurgy magic allows you to freeze creatures in their tracks. Importantly you may create a mote that holds a spell and pass it along to someone to use when the proper time comes. You can give your rogue a handy spell to escape a sticky situation.
Graviturgy magic willdouble or half the weight of creatures or objects, while situational, its uses are only bound by your imagination, as objects or items can become easier to carry, move, teleport, destroy, and more.
While some classes aren’t included here, there’s no reason you’re able to’t make them for the campaign. You’ll always need healing and a tank like a hardy Barbarian behind you if things go wrong.
You cansupplement some of these classesthat aren’t necessarily stealthywith items, skills, and proficiencies to help them fit the campaign.The key is balancing a heist crew that has a little bit of everything but excels at stealth and subterfuge.
The Best Skills For A Heist Crew
You’ll want to coordinate with your party members here to ensure everyone has a useful skill to take into each scenario. It’s easy to have everyone using different skills, but there’s definitely merit to having the most important skills on more than one character in the party.
Consider the following skills:
Some skills are more useful than others, and most subclasses can offer you proficiency in them, so be sure to capitalize on what skills you get for free and what your party still needs.
Suggested Tools And Proficiencies
Tools and tool proficiencies can help make a character who isn’t suited for the role of a heist crew member into a party staple for their proficiencies. These tools allow you to do things you normally wouldn’t and are worth picking up.
Tools And Proficiencies
Disguise Kit
Perfect for any heist, creating a disguise for yourself or your party members can change the way you plan for the next heist.
Artisan’s Tools
This gives you access to calligraphers' supplies and cartographers' tools, among others, helping create or edit the maps given in the adventure.
Forgery Kit
Create forged documents and back up your false identity. If your DM allows, you can use this to talk your way into a place you wouldn’t normally be invited or prove to be a false identity you’ve created. Make yourself the guard of the museum you’re robbing as a barbarian with these forged documents, for example.
Gaming Set
Dice and card decks can be useful when you’re doing heist missions. Use them in casino settings to help you cheat your way or challenge NPCs to gamble or card battles to win your way to the treasure instead of fighting for it.
Thieve’s Tools
Lock picks, disarming traps, all the essentials for a heist are here.
Spells are completely up to you, but keeping an eye on illusory spells and protecting and boosting allies is well worth the investment.
Proficiency in any of these skills will allow you to add your proficiency bonus, performing each task a little better the higher your level. If you’re using a non-traditional class for your heist crew, ensure they can help with these proficiencies.
Next:Dungeons & Dragons: Unique And Unconventional Backstory Ideas
