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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 5450119" data-attributes="member: 8835">I think part of the problem is who's doing the planning?The GM's job is to provide an environment that enables and encourages a heist.to encourage a heist, you've got to provide information and opportunity.this means the PCs need to be able to discover:the macguffin is at location Xthe nature of security precautionsthe schedule of people who might interfere (guards, BBEG)Now getting some of this information may be its own session worth of info.  But if you want them to seriously consider it, at least some of these elements need to fall into the players lap so they can make the mental leap of "Hey, let's steal it!"Setup the Timing Vulnerability:Detemine if there's a special occasion or not.  If there is (like a party), plot out what that normal timeline would be (prep, the event, post-event) and let the PCs get that info.  The event could be a party, or a trip, etc.If you don't have a special occasion planned, the PCs will generate something or break in during a "safer" time like at night, changing of the guards, etc.The PCs will be wanting to identify a vulnerable time to do the heist.  Your job as GM is to invent/expose it if the players don't find a way to generate one (like inviting the BBEG to a party somewhere else).  If there's no timing vulnerability, the PCs will be less likely to pursue a heist (ANY vulnerability increases the perception that the heist is a doable idea).The typical Twist on this is that schedule deviation occurs, causing somebody to show up early/late.The Security Precautions:figure out  when the guard changes are and patrol patternsfigure out when people go to bed, etcfigure out each security and alarm system (even passcodes and signals)Make sure the PCs can get this information, otherwise, they will be less likely to enter the BBEG's house with ZERO intel.  Perhaps they go to the installer, or bribe a BBEG's employee, or somebody disgruntled babbles about how they know how easy it would be to break in to that bastard's house in bar.The typical Twist on this is that the information is mostly correct, except something has been changed (perhaps as an upgrade or response to a prior break-in).Other twists:somebody else shows up for the macguffinthe BBEG was waiting for them at the macguffinthe macguffin reveals some new world altering informationthe macguffin isn't what they thought (perhaps it's a live person)The point of all this is to create a play space for the players to get the idea to do a heist and give them the info to plan it, and execute it as THEY want.You shouldn't tell the players that they HAVE to break in.You shouldn't tell the players HOW they're going to break in (even if the HOW is obvious by nature of the security)You shouldn't neutralize the players good planning just to make it harderthe key to all the heist movies is the protagonists know an aweful lot about the mark.  You have to give them that info rather readily.  You then making challenging by nature of the actual security (knowing there's lasers doesn't mean its easy to get past them).  You also increase the challenge by adding complications to the situation that weren't known during the planning stage.Out of all this advice, remember these don'ts:You shouldn't tell the players that they HAVE to break in.You shouldn't tell the players HOW they're going to break in (even if the HOW is obvious by nature of the security)You shouldn't neutralize the players good planning just to make it harder</blockquote>

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