What would a thief steal from a noble, the noble would literally wage war to find it?
Backstory:
Hank used to work as a smuggler for this noble. He eventually met his wife and wanted out of the dangerous work. He decided to heist the noble to get enough coin to move far away and start a new life. Long story short- it didn’t end well. The noble found out, and has hired thugs to kidnap his daughter.
Literally wage war or kidnap an ex-smuggler's daughter?
You literally wage war when what you hope to get back justifies an outlay of something like 50,000 gp minimum. For most nobles you literally wage war to get back something you can't live without.
So here comes your story twist - It isn't Hank's daughter at all. It's the noble's daughter and he's trying to steal her back.
ETA: OOH! Better!! She isn't the noble's daughter either! The noble needs her to sacrifice in a ceremony! That's levels 8-10.
It could really be just about anything, depending on how vengeful the noble is. A fancy goblet, a large amount of silver coins, a monogrammed pipe, a rare book, the noble's favorite toy from when they were a child that they kept hidden in a locked chest? You can really do whatever you want provided the GM approves.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I'd say it would make sense for it to be either something that gives the holder the right to something incredibly valuable, or some evidence of a wrongdoing or something that would ruin the Noble's standing.
Something that comes to mind for me would be something like a Genie's Lamp. Obviously you're going to have to give some reason why the player can't just open it themselves to get access to the Genie inside... maybe there's another treasure (like a ring or something) that needs to also be present to use it, but either way... the Noble is now short of the most valuable object in his possession... and he's at risk of having all his magically-created wealth just vanishing into nothingness if the Rogue figures out what he's got and how to use it.
Letters from the nobleman's mother, proving he's illegitimate and thus not the true heir of the line. A roughly hewn stone ring that represents an IOU from an ancient dragon. A document that seals a secret alliance between the nobleman and a powerful demon. The family's secret marinara recipe, handed down through seven generations.
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I'd go with an artifact from which the family derives their power and wealth. Like the original writ that was issued by King Old Guy XII that granted the noble's ancestor their title which has been passed down through the centuries. But the way its worded, the titles and land actually belong to whoever holds the writ, not the family. So the noble needs to get it back before anyone realizes that the thief is now rightfully the noble.
One piece of rotten food that the noble discarded.
There are certain types of nobles that would never tolerate that any subordinate would steal from them. That thief has to be made an example of, so that no-one ever (!) considers crossing them in the future.
The thief stole the noble's heart, but love was forbidden between them and the noble kept his feelings well hidden. Now that the noble is the head of the family, he can do whatever the hell he wants. However, although the noble technically kidnapped the thief's daughter, the daughter wanted to go back to the noble's court because she loves the noble's daughter but the thief's wife does not approve. While the noble brought the two ladies in love together, not everyone in the noble's court agrees to their love either, and they plan to assassinate the noble and the thief's daughter and plan to have one of the usurpers take the noble's daughter for themselves.
What would a thief steal from a noble, the noble would literally wage war to find it?
Backstory:
Hank used to work as a smuggler for this noble. He eventually met his wife and wanted out of the dangerous work. He decided to heist the noble to get enough coin to move far away and start a new life. Long story short- it didn’t end well. The noble found out, and has hired thugs to kidnap his daughter.
I get a sense the OP answered his own question and left it for us to read.
However, I was thinking the same sort of things that Pangurjan listed; the noble's personal correspondence that might prove sufficiently embarrassing to call into question his worthiness to be a noble. For a nobleman, safely guarding their dignity and good name would be sufficient to go to war.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
For this scenario I feel like it should be something that can't just be given back.... If someone is sending thugs to kill me or harm my family just to get something back that I stole once, I'd give it back in a heartbeat... No.. I don't feel like it should be something as simple as an heirloom or some secret document.
How about this... on the day the thief breaks into the nobleman's study, a vial of very exotic poison is found along with the cash the thief needs to make a new life... Knowing nothing of poisons, the thief just grabs the money, ignores the vial and makes a run for it.
However that same day, the noble had actually used that very poison to assassinate the crown prince and when the noble realises his secret stash has been broken into, he fears that the thief now has the information to connect him with the murder.
As the noble leads a desperate manhunt, the thief assumes it's about the money, never even knowing why the noble is so obsessed.
What would a thief steal from a noble, the noble would literally wage war to find it?
Backstory:
Hank used to work as a smuggler for this noble. He eventually met his wife and wanted out of the dangerous work. He decided to heist the noble to get enough coin to move far away and start a new life. Long story short- it didn’t end well. The noble found out, and has hired thugs to kidnap his daughter.
It could be incriminating evidence on the noble that would get him imprisoned or executed. It could be lists of all the things that were smuggled/stolen from other nobles or wealthy merchants. It could be that he was not paying the thieves guild their share and that would get him ended, messily. It could be proof that his lineage was faked.
I'm all about stealing one of those Books that raise your attributes once every hundred years.
The noble has an entire library of them, a full set for each generation. So, the heirs of the house get to read them, literally making them faster, stronger, smarter, better than the lowly common rabble. And the thief just stole his son's hierloom, before his coming-of-age.
This isn't just an assault on a single noble. Its an assault upon the very foundation of the rigid class-based society upon which the kingdom is founded.
I've gotta say I find the idea of this noble house with a small library of books which have the ability to make each generation better than the common people really cool. .. I love the idea of these arrogant nobles thinking they're better than you, and actually being right because they've inherited some old magic books through generations... You can imagine how they'd spread this mythology of their surperior bloodline among the locals... How people would look up to their family for the incredible genes...
I will say though, you'd have to have a real good reason not to give em back when the nobles send assassins after your family :P
What would a thief steal from a noble, the noble would literally wage war to find it?
Backstory:
Hank used to work as a smuggler for this noble. He eventually met his wife and wanted out of the dangerous work. He decided to heist the noble to get enough coin to move far away and start a new life. Long story short- it didn’t end well. The noble found out, and has hired thugs to kidnap his daughter.
Literally wage war or kidnap an ex-smuggler's daughter?
You literally wage war when what you hope to get back justifies an outlay of something like 50,000 gp minimum. For most nobles you literally wage war to get back something you can't live without.
So here comes your story twist - It isn't Hank's daughter at all. It's the noble's daughter and he's trying to steal her back.
ETA: OOH! Better!! She isn't the noble's daughter either! The noble needs her to sacrifice in a ceremony! That's levels 8-10.
It could really be just about anything, depending on how vengeful the noble is. A fancy goblet, a large amount of silver coins, a monogrammed pipe, a rare book, the noble's favorite toy from when they were a child that they kept hidden in a locked chest? You can really do whatever you want provided the GM approves.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I'd say it would make sense for it to be either something that gives the holder the right to something incredibly valuable, or some evidence of a wrongdoing or something that would ruin the Noble's standing.
Something that comes to mind for me would be something like a Genie's Lamp. Obviously you're going to have to give some reason why the player can't just open it themselves to get access to the Genie inside... maybe there's another treasure (like a ring or something) that needs to also be present to use it, but either way... the Noble is now short of the most valuable object in his possession... and he's at risk of having all his magically-created wealth just vanishing into nothingness if the Rogue figures out what he's got and how to use it.
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Letters from the nobleman's mother, proving he's illegitimate and thus not the true heir of the line. A roughly hewn stone ring that represents an IOU from an ancient dragon. A document that seals a secret alliance between the nobleman and a powerful demon. The family's secret marinara recipe, handed down through seven generations.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
I'd go with an artifact from which the family derives their power and wealth. Like the original writ that was issued by King Old Guy XII that granted the noble's ancestor their title which has been passed down through the centuries. But the way its worded, the titles and land actually belong to whoever holds the writ, not the family. So the noble needs to get it back before anyone realizes that the thief is now rightfully the noble.
One piece of rotten food that the noble discarded.
There are certain types of nobles that would never tolerate that any subordinate would steal from them. That thief has to be made an example of, so that no-one ever (!) considers crossing them in the future.
More Interesting Lock Picking Rules
The secret that the Noble is actually two gnomes in a cleverly designed suit.
But seriously, if it is something valuable enough to cause the noble to go to war, I'd say one of the following:
The thief stole the noble's heart, but love was forbidden between them and the noble kept his feelings well hidden. Now that the noble is the head of the family, he can do whatever the hell he wants. However, although the noble technically kidnapped the thief's daughter, the daughter wanted to go back to the noble's court because she loves the noble's daughter but the thief's wife does not approve. While the noble brought the two ladies in love together, not everyone in the noble's court agrees to their love either, and they plan to assassinate the noble and the thief's daughter and plan to have one of the usurpers take the noble's daughter for themselves.
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I get a sense the OP answered his own question and left it for us to read.
However, I was thinking the same sort of things that Pangurjan listed; the noble's personal correspondence that might prove sufficiently embarrassing to call into question his worthiness to be a noble. For a nobleman, safely guarding their dignity and good name would be sufficient to go to war.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
For this scenario I feel like it should be something that can't just be given back.... If someone is sending thugs to kill me or harm my family just to get something back that I stole once, I'd give it back in a heartbeat... No.. I don't feel like it should be something as simple as an heirloom or some secret document.
How about this... on the day the thief breaks into the nobleman's study, a vial of very exotic poison is found along with the cash the thief needs to make a new life... Knowing nothing of poisons, the thief just grabs the money, ignores the vial and makes a run for it.
However that same day, the noble had actually used that very poison to assassinate the crown prince and when the noble realises his secret stash has been broken into, he fears that the thief now has the information to connect him with the murder.
As the noble leads a desperate manhunt, the thief assumes it's about the money, never even knowing why the noble is so obsessed.
It could be incriminating evidence on the noble that would get him imprisoned or executed. It could be lists of all the things that were smuggled/stolen from other nobles or wealthy merchants. It could be that he was not paying the thieves guild their share and that would get him ended, messily. It could be proof that his lineage was faked.
Or it could simply be that he feels being burgled is a slight against his honor that can only be erased with bloodshed.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I'm all about stealing one of those Books that raise your attributes once every hundred years.
The noble has an entire library of them, a full set for each generation. So, the heirs of the house get to read them, literally making them faster, stronger, smarter, better than the lowly common rabble. And the thief just stole his son's hierloom, before his coming-of-age.
This isn't just an assault on a single noble. Its an assault upon the very foundation of the rigid class-based society upon which the kingdom is founded.
I've gotta say I find the idea of this noble house with a small library of books which have the ability to make each generation better than the common people really cool. .. I love the idea of these arrogant nobles thinking they're better than you, and actually being right because they've inherited some old magic books through generations... You can imagine how they'd spread this mythology of their surperior bloodline among the locals... How people would look up to their family for the incredible genes...
I will say though, you'd have to have a real good reason not to give em back when the nobles send assassins after your family :P