I’m now entering my second session of TFoE and am happy to use the PCs time spent in the caverns trying to come up with an answer to my question:
What happens now that they have set up house in the Old Observatory?
It’s only a day after they decided to move in, but the group has announced to much of the town their intentions of ownership. They also feel they should have it for free. I’m of a different mind and believe that Mayor Neff wouldn’t take too kindly to rough folk moving in and would charge them a tax for doing so. But what is an appropriate amount?
It’s acknowledged that the place was once a site for priests of Celestian, and I think that would be a factor in the pricing. I also want it to be something fairly heavy so the gold-laden PCs feel the dent in their accounts, so I’m thinking of placing it at around 300 gp yearly.
Has anyone else had a similar problem or any advice on the question?
Wasn't there a Dragon article on owning property in Diamond Lake? Let me see... Dragon 333 I think it was. Also, look up the Astrologist prestige class in Dragon 340 to make the best use of the Observatory.
Hope this helps even a little bit!
A couple of notes on the way it's going to work in my game:
1) Yep, the observatory is an old temple of Celestian. I just happen to have a cleric of Celestian in my group. isn't it funny how that works out?
2) Since Balabar Smenk owned the observatory prior to my characters running him out of town after 3foE, the property will revert to the state.
3) If the players want to purchase it, they will need to bribe the governor-mayor at least 500 gold, and then pay the state another 1000 gold for the title.
4) repairs and cleaning taking at least 3 weeks and costing upwards of 500 gold will be required to make the place liveable. If they want to replace the telescope, they'll need to have it specially commissioned by an artisan in the Free City, and it will cost 5000 gold.
5) taxes will be 100 gold per year - however, after AGoT, there won't be much left of the town anyway, so taxes may become a non-issue.
I don't have those articles. Can someone give me a summary?
I don't think there was a general article on property ownership in DL, but you can adapt the first wormfood article here. Dietrik Cicaeda maintains the archive of property titles, in the garrison.
I was under the impression that the observatory is merely an abandoned building, which Smenk and Filge took advantage of to have Filge move in secretly, and to avoid having such a disreputable figure openly associated with Smenk. (Yes, everyone knows Smenk is an unscrupulous slimedog, but his vices are relatively conventional, not sick and morbid ones like Filges that might get you run out of town on a rail.)
Yes, and make sure they purchase a cartload of lime to get the rid of the smell of dead bodies from the dining area and the operating theatre. This ain't no refrigerated morgue. For an idea of the smell, just think back to high school biology--it's a hot May day, and your class is on the third day of a project of dissecting fetal pigs. Yes, maybe two cartloads of lime.
I'm DMing a campaign where our four unlikely heros also felt that the observatory would be an impressive upgrade from the old mining shack, and want to own it. I told them that in a lawful town they couldn't just occupy it, so they enquired with Smenk, who it turns out does have the deed. They bartered with the cultist-stricken Smenk for the deed to it, and for Smenk's men to restore the desicrated graves of the Land family (insisted upon by the group's Wee Jas cleric). They are deep in the TF0E now, and if they make it out, Smenk has no intenion of giving up the property, and I don't think they will have the resources quite yet to secure it. Soon perhaps, as they acquire additional. And if they survive...
That's my PC's did. They ended up killing Filge in combat after making a deal with Kullen and his gang for information. As no one knew anyone was living there, they moved themselves in and cleaned it up and puts some new locks on it. No one in town really knows they are staying there, except Smenk who of course has other plans for our PC's. Once they clean up Diamond Lake, should they decide to stay there in their new found celebrity I will probably have Mayor Neff Tax them retroactively if they want to keep it.
Thanks for all the advice everyone!
The town wouldn't know that they had taken up there if the naive elf hadn't said so to Tyrol Ebberly, who blabbed it to the rest of Diamond Lake within the day.
The dwarf in the group (a ranger with undead as his favored enemy) tossed the zombies in the dining room from the sides of the bluff and will get the group in trouble for littering, at the least. :)
I plan for Smenk and Filge to hide behind the law (assault for Smenk and attempted murder for Filge) to get the group in some legal issues. The observatory may be a point of contention in the case. Bribery of the Lord Mayor could actually come in handy.
Thanks again!