Hey, I'm looking for a DM who's willing to run a D&D 4th edition game that is either a solo campaign following the exploits of a single thief in a big city (and possibly elsewhere eventually), or a campaign focused on a group of thieves or covert operatives engaged in a series of heists, clandestine missions, or some kind of cloak-and-dagger themed adventures. A band of burglars and treasure hunters, a team of (original series) Mission Impossible-style special agents, or a handful of diverse adventurers caught in a tangled web of intrigue and subterfuge are some possible examples of what I'm seeking. Following are some additional preferences:

• Strong focus on stealthy, undercover, and intrigue-based challenges
• Combat-lite, 'thinking'/'problem-solving'-heavy gameplay
• Plot(s) involving semi-localized dramas rather than epic, world-shaping conflicts
• Character-driven (rather than setting-/module- or metaplot-driven) storyline
• Events focused (at least to start) in a dark, sprawling city somewhere

Would anyone be interested in running something like this?

It sounds like an interesting challenge, but I imagine you're expecting the DM to actually craft mysteries and puzzles and I'm terrible at that.

Good luck. My thanks for thinking of 4th Edition D&D as a good system for such a game. I agree that it could work quite well.

Thanks for your supportive sentiments. Regarding expecting the DM to craft mysteries and puzzles, well, yes and no. In a solo campaign focused primarily on thieving jobs involving infiltration and stealth gameplay, actual mysteries might not be as necessary (since the player having to figure out ways to bypass security and avoid detection is a puzzle in itself — and one that doesn't necessarily require the DM to design solutions to each challenge; instead relying on the player to come up with his own solutions to the problems the DM presents).

Also, often mysteries and puzzles (or just weaving more intricate plots in general) can develop organically over the course of gameplay, and be inspired by various choices and actions taken by the players which open doorways to new story ideas the DM may not have initially considered on his own. Thus, one possible approach is to start with some pre-generated adventure module or relatively simple and straightforward job/mission, and then lean fully into derailing that adventure path as the players' actions cause events to veer off course from the anticipated plot — charting new paths through the undeveloped 'fog of war' as you go along, and allowing new plot ideas to arise spontaneously.

Regarding 4th edition, I've always appreciated the tactical elements of the game, and have found those elements can lend well to interesting challenges which call for more cunning and resourceful problem solving than combat alone can offer. And I'm interested in exploring that potential with a DM who shares that kind of objective.