Toll/Tax to enter a city

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Yepesnopes
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Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:29 am

Where can I find information about the tolls or taxes the PCs would have to pay to enter walled cities in the Empire?
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Orin J.
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i don't think there's anything set in stone, since the taxes are set by each city's leadership- after all the empire doesn't care HOW its nobles get their taxes, only that they pay up. i've always done them on the fly, both to keep that feel of "under the surface" corruption with taxes you feel aren't right but can't argue and to reflect the actions of the adventurers- they burn down an inn and suddenly there's a halfling tax to pay for fire brigades the next time the tiny firestarter makes their way back.

helps keep things interesting too. either there's no matters to involve the adventurers in or they decide to travel and i can use a whole new set of adventure tools!

EDIT: considering it, i think taxes are mentioned in the fires of talabecland book with some examples of how to do it but i haven't got it here on me so i might have the wrong book. one of those definitely has a bit about dummying up some entry taxes based on the person's race, if they're bringing goods for sale of visibly pilgrims or suspicious, and different fees for coaches. i think there's a bit on getting around them too. not that your adventuring group would break the laws of the empire, i'm sure!
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Jackdays
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On City of Chaos (Middenheim, WFRP1) it was grown-a-leg. This does sound little harsh, as 2cg could be two months pay for Peasant and even rich farmers months pay. It was for visitors. For example local farmers didn't have to pay. Never did really get, how did they prove, that they were local ? Peasants probably do not have papers…

Well, my idea is, that the toll should be reasonable, that ordinary (poor) people actually can enter the city to sell their wares, buy stuff...etc. Maybe 1s per leg-pair for City or bigger town. So, one person with horse or mule would have to pay 3s to enter.
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hallucyon
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Jackdays wrote: Sun Apr 07, 2019 12:26 pmFor example local farmers didn't have to pay. Never did really get, how did they prove, that they were local ? Peasants probably do not have papers…
I believe the very fact that carts or wagons local farmers were driving were loaded with fresh fruits, vegetables, etc. was the best proof these peasants lived nearby and were exempt from entry tolls. Given that there were no vehicles with coolers, the majority of their products could be transported over short distances, e.g. to the nearest town. I wouldn't be also suprised to hear that locals travelled to their town in groups so that they could mutually attest their place of origin. Besides, the chances were that a watchman at a gate was from a nearby village, too. Of course, it's possible that some strangers could impersonate local farmers to avoid tolls, but that required either buying, renting or stealing a cart or wagon and a horse or mule to hide typical adventuring equipment, or coming on foot without tactical gear and the like. Either way it caused more problems than it paid off. Well, at least this is how I see it.
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