What Is Keys From the Golden Vault? 13 Heist-Centric Adventures

It's time to get your crew together for one last job because Keys from the Golden Vault is now available! This series of adventures will take your table to the far reaches of the multiverse, where they can plan, execute, and escape a variety of heist scenarios. From classic casino capers to infiltrating parties in the Feywild, Keys from the Golden Vault features challenges for any party. So, get your rappelling line secured because we're about to dive in! 

Snag Your Copy of Keys from the Golden Vault Physical + Digital Bundle!

This specially priced bundle contains a physical copy and a D&D Beyond digital copy of the book that integrates with D&D Beyond's digital toolset Order your bundle now at dndstore.wizards.com.

What's in the Book?

Keys from the Golden Vault contains 13 standalone adventures ranging from levels 1 to 11. Each adventure centers around a heist that will need smart planning, clever problem-solving, and keen roleplaying to pull off. Each mission starts with a brief of the goal, and the players are given a map to formulate their plan for infiltration, acquisition of the required item, and escape routes. Then, it's up to the players to execute their strategy—though they'll have to be quick on their toes to deal with various plot twists that can throw their plan off track.

Adventures From Across the Multiverse

These heists will take your party to unique and exciting locations across the many realms of Dungeons & Dragons. See below for a preview of what's in store for your players!

  • The Stygian Gambit (for 2nd-level adventurers): Case a Nine Hells-themed casino and steal the prize for the Three-Dragon Ante tournament that's currently taking place.
  • Prisoner 13 (for 4th-level adventurers): Infiltrate a remote prison in the tundra of Icewind Dale and extract information from an inmate.
  • Vidorant’s Vault (for 7th-level adventurers): Break into the safe of a renowned thief, bypassing its many security features en route.
  • Fire and Darkness (for 11th-level adventurers): Navigate the grim fortress of an efreeti and retrieve an artifact of unimaginable evil, the Book of Vile Darkness.

Claim Your Copy of Prisoner 13

Now you can unlock Prisoner 13, one of the adventures included in Keys from the Golden Vault! All you need is a D&D Beyond account and to head over to the claim page to unlock the adventure. Once you've done so, you'll be able to view the content in your Sourcebooks collection

What Is the Golden Vault?

The Golden Vault is a decentralized organization of operatives and informants operating from the shadows to correct moral wrongs. They specialize in handling delicate scenarios that go ignored by authorities, so if you've heard of a dangerous magical artifact being taken from an evil-doer, you can assume the Golden Vault was in some way responsible.

This secretive organization is said to be based on one of the good-aligned Outer Planes and associated with benevolent metallic dragons. But, their operatives—who monitor targets, collect information, and refer new talented crew members—can be found in most major cities on the Material Plane. Adventuring groups that have shown they can be trusted are contacted by a representative of the Golden Vault to enter a mutually beneficial relationship with the patron organization.

Once a deal has been struck, the Golden Vault assigns each adventuring party an ornate music box that, when combined with golden keys delivered by Golden Vault operatives, relays mission objectives to the group.

Heist-Centric D&D Adventures

Like the adventure anthologies that have come before it, Keys from the Golden Vault takes a theme and explores it across various scenarios and difficulties. For example, stealing a jewel from a museum might be a challenge for a 1st-level adventuring group, but what will challenge a 10th-level party with access to powerful magic? Running a heist in D&D also takes a lot of planning, first from Dungeon Masters to create the scenario, then from players to play through it. Keys from the Golden Vault takes the prep off the DM's plate so they can focus on making the heist come to life as the party implements their plan!

Standalone Scenarios

Each of the 13 adventures included in Keys from the Golden Vault will have the party encounter a unique environment they must contend with. How will your party approach its mission when the goal is to infiltrate a haunted mansion? Or a high-security prison surrounded by frozen tundra? Whatever task you've been given, the standalone adventures included in the book are setting agnostic, so they can easily be slotted into an ongoing campaign. Or, they can be strung together to form a heist-centric campaign!

The 'Key' Aspects for Heist Adventures

Every great heist, whether in film or some other medium, follows a consistent structure:

  1. The crew is briefed on the mission
  2. They plan the heist using gathered intel
  3. The plan is put into action
  4. The heist is concluded, whether successful or unsuccessful

With each adventure included in Keys from the Golden Vault, your party will be given sufficient information to devise their strategy based on player-specific maps, insider information, and speculation. After the party has worked out their rough sketch of how to complete their job, they will have to put their plan into action. As the party navigates their high-stakes scenario, they'll run into complications, either in the form of bad luck or uncovered information. They'll have to navigate these twists and turns expertly to avoid failing their job.

How successful the party is can open new avenues for future adventures. Maybe a party member was captured and needs to be rescued, or perhaps their mysterious benefactor has another job for them. Either way, there are bound to be heart-pounding moments in your missions ahead!

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Mike Bernier (@arcane_eye) is the founder of Arcane Eye, a site focused on providing useful tips and tricks to all those involved in the world of D&D. Outside of writing for Arcane Eye, Mike spends most of his time playing games, hiking with his girlfriend, and tending the veritable jungle of houseplants that have invaded his house.

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