1) Can the city above claim taxes on those who live in Jzadirune?
Absolutely. There is no reason that this shouldn't be considered "in the city." The party will find that cities are very good at finding good reasons why something is taxable. Of course... what the property value of it is... that I am not sure.
I wouldn't make taxes for the location that big of a deal though. Focus on them just enough to make the characters mad about increasing taxes before the tax riots, but that is about it.
2) How easy/hard should I make living in Jzadirune? These guys are about to hit chapter two, & will not be able to "stay at home" to maintian Jzadiruen.
I would make it fairly easy. Having an elaborate home base doesn't really change the story appreciably, nor will it make any of the adventures easier. The only excepetion is with Chapter 4 and the access into the Underdark. Supposedly these passages get collapsed about 1 month prior to the chapter by the Stormblades. That will be tough with the PCs camped in Jzadirune (unless someone else is in the Malachite Fortress I guess). So come up with another reason and you are just fine.
3) Should 'The Vanishing' still be in effect for any new magic items created in Jzadirune?
Unless you are short on XP somewhere and want to create a sidetrek adventure to cure it so the PCs get caught up, I wouldn't think so. Could be a fun side adventure though.
4) What are the chances of the gnomes returning to claim their ancient home? (I'd say slim-to-none, considering what they went through!)
That is exactly what I planned to have happen in my game prior to the sessions shutting down when real life got in the way. However, as above there is no reason to mess with it if the PCs want it as a base... it makes them feel good and has little practical affect on the game.
Sean Mahoney
1) Can the city above claim taxes on those who live in Jzadirune?2) How easy/hard should I make living in Jzadirune? These guys are about to hit chapter two, & will not be able to "stay at home" to maintian Jzadiruen.
3) Should 'The Vanishing' still be in effect for any new magic items created in Jzadirune?
4) What are the chances of the gnomes returning to claim their ancient home? (I'd say slim-to-none, considering what they went through!
1) Absolutely.
2) Make them contract some servants. Cleaning and maintanance are important. If they don't, during Flood Season, let the flood come in, or due to humidity let some crumbles on them ;)3) Absolutely. The Vanishing is still active, ALthough I may have diminished. Hey, no one said it was perfect... :)
4) High changes. I seem to recall that the MTA agents are a pair of Gnomes. Why couldn't they be of a new clan returning to Jzadirune after rumors of the PC's acts spread?
Q. (Sorry for my bad english)
I believe that there is no chance of the gnomes wanting to move back in. The gnomes all volinarily left Jzadirune because of the curse. They had 75 years to move back in, but they didn't. I don't remember but I think that they never did figure out that the curse was caused by using magic items crafted there, and therefore just regarded the entire location as cursed.
However, some gnome somewhere still lays claim to the property. If he hears that there are squatters in his building he will compel the residents to pay him rent or move to have the town guard evict them out of his property. Craft this scenario as a social challenge, where research, social skills, and cleverness can overcome this challenge. After all, this could all be a con. The gnome doesn't own the location, but has strong knowledge of local law, some political contacts, and some well forged documents.
1) Can the city above claim taxes on those who live in Jzadirune?
2) How easy/hard should I make living in Jzadirune? These guys are about to hit chapter two, & will not be able to "stay at home" to maintian Jzadiruen.
3) Should 'The Vanishing' still be in effect for any new magic items created in Jzadirune?
4) What are the chances of the gnomes returning to claim their ancient home? (I'd say slim-to-none, considering what they went through!
1) Of course!
2) It shouldn't be easy, unless someone takes the Stronghold feat from Stronghold Builders guide book, I'd let that cover lots of the minutia you could really hammer them with.3) Oh yeah, I'd definitely keep the Vanishing. I would even make newly forged items have a stronger version of the curse (as this one on the old items could have diminished over the years).
4) I wouldn't think the Gnomes would return.
How I handled Jzadirune in my game:
Somewhere high in the government, as a magical advisor is a gnome who was a young apprentice when Jzadirune fell. Once he caught wind of the re-opening of Jzadirune, he went down there and stone shaped Jzadirune off from the stairs to the Malachite Fortress. So, Ghelves still connects to the M.F. (In my well thought out scenario that my players never went back and encountered, they'd have also found this gnome advisor was a member of the Chisel and the soon to be head of the MTA).
So all in all, I sealed Jzadirune off as a health hazard to all of Cauldron, with such a warning engraved in the wall that blocks entry to the magical enclave.
They will eventually learn all of this, most likely when they go to find the underdark passage in the M.F. during the Zenith Trajectory chapter.
To comment on your situation, if they do stay, be sure to have some Spellweavers return once they are higher level to check on the place. After all, it was something to do with Spellweaver magic that cursed the gnomes. It could be a nexus of some kind or something.
-c
I'm just hoping that they will be happy to claim Jzadirune & not it AND the MF!! hehehee If they decide that the MF would be greater as a base of Ops, I can assure you that the random encounters from the Underdark will be enough to push them back up to Jzadirune! I'm cool with the idea of them having Jzadirune, but not so cool with the idea of them claiming the Malachite Fortress....
In a game I'm playing, PC are from the Splintershield clan who returns to the MF to reclaim it to the clan. Once they clear it, and the rumors spread it, a gnome clan will come to reclaim Jzadirune. I'm gonna steal your idea about the Spellweavers and Underdark random attacks, in order they finally block the entrance. I'll use some Tercival/Terseon/Navalan/Valanthru requirements in this issue.
Q. (sorry for my bad english)
My players said something like, "Oh, kool! We own an underground city with a fortified basement!!"
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My players said something like, "Oh, kool! We own an underground city with a fortified basement!!"
Additionally, depending on what happened to Ghelve in your campaign for his duplicity in the kidnappings, if he is no longer a free citizen (or even alive), perhaps his building has now become property of the town or someone else that Ghelve owed money to for the property, and now it has been foreclosed.
Now another buys that property and expects the PCs who dwell there to pay a passage tax each month to continue to use the basement as an way in and out. (i dont think there is another way at the moment).
It could be a gnome descendant / rightful heir of Jzadirune that buys the building previously Ghelves' Locks, and essentially bars up that entrance/exit and explains to the PCs that he would be willing to let them out if they promise to vacate Jzadirune to allow his people to finally reclaim the halls as their own.
Robert
Or they could just invite the Gnomes in and share the place with them, provided they break the curse. The gnomes would be grateful and take care of the place for them.
As the DM I wouldn't discourage them (my players didn't hit upon the idea) but I wouldn't encourage them either. I feel setting up a base of ops above ground in the city proper is much more important to the flow of the story. In the later chapters the plight of Cauldron is one of the primary motivators for the PC's as long as this connection is maintained then I think its great. My players proabably never considered the idea because they are all human or elven, neither of these races would probably feel very comfortable living full time underground, were a party of gnomes, orcs, and dwaves may be much more inclined.