In the early 6th century, there was little money in circulation in Britain, taxes being collected in honey or beer (I like that, 6 tuns of Good Ale & 10 tuns of Welsh Ale, hmmmm), bushels of corn or heads cattle. However, to keep matters simple, we will use money equivalents, Pounds and shillings of silver, naturally. For those of you who do not remember currency before the influence of French Utilitarians became all pervasive, it goes something like this:
One pound weight of silver is represented by £1. Pound coins were ideally cast in gold, but since this was very rare in Northern Europe, silver ingots were the usual currency for large sums.
This can be split into 20 shillings (20s), each weighing four fifths of an ounce. A shilling (1s) could be further split into 12 pence, or denarii (12d). These were occasionally silver, but more commonly copper, and could be further cut (literally) into quarters, or farthings (forthings).
Five shillings (5s)
were often cast into a Crown coin (or dollar). In some countries coins were also
cast to the value of two thirds of a pound. This was the mark. Don't worry about
the complexities, in Excalibur, we will chiefly be concerned with pounds; and
anyway, the program will handle the details, players need only give orders.
Tax.
Each Winter, you set the tax rate for the year. In peace time (ho-ho) Kings were expected to live off their own, in other words, to live off their own income, and not collect any tax at all. However, few did.
In war time, you may only collect ordinary tax from those counties from which you call for no military service. Counties from which you call up troops are deemed to have answered their tax obligation by service. You may, of course, decide to collect an extraordinary tax, as well as service, but this will be far more likely to cause Unrest.
Tax is set at a rate per hundred households, the names of the hundred will vary from area to area, but it's all the same really. The Normal rate of tax is equivalent to the county's prosperity level. You may however, set a tax at above or below that level. If you set a tax rate higher than the county's prosperity rate, this will be adversely effect the county's economy, and increase the possibility of the county going into Unrest. (Your set-up sheet will tell you how many households there are in each county you control.)
The prosperity of a county can normally be expected to grow each year. The level of growth will depend on your background policies. Collecting a tax from a county will severely reduce the possibility of growth for that year. Collecting a tax higher than the prosperity level will result in no growth whatsoever, and may indeed actually reduce the prosperity level.
The percentage of Potential tax that you collect in an county will be limited to your authority.
E.g. Constantine of Dumnonia
taxing Dorsetshire
Dorsetshire, contains 36 Hundreds, rated at £16 each. Constantine has 60% Authority and 70% Popularity in the county. The county's Potential Tax is: 36 x £16, i.e. £576, but the king will collect only £345.12s (i.e. 60% of the Potential).
The basic chance that the tax is collected without causing the county to fall into
Unrest is equal to the
Administration Rating of the Official collecting the Tax. If that fails, an
additional test is made against King's Popularity in that county, only if this
too fails, will the county fall into Unrest. If the initial test fails, the Tax
will be deemed
Unpopular and
the King's popularity rating in the County will fall. Thus there will be at
least a 70% chance of success, i.e. a 30% chance of causing Unrest. If the county falls into Unrest, less tax will be collected.
Any attempt to tax a county already in Unrest, may result in that county rising in rebellion against its King. Collecting a tax in excess of £16 will cause an increased risk of unrest and a limited chance of direct rebellion.
Other income.
There are safer forms of income.
Royal Manors.
Warlords were land owners in their own right, and in your Home County, you will certainly own certain Royal Manors, from each of which will derive an income which is free from all risk. You may well also have Manors in other counties in which you have Authority.
E.g. Constantine of Dumnonia
has 3 Royal Manors Dorsetshire, each rated at £24, so he will collect £72 per anum free of risk.
Trade and Excise.
Each county will have a Trade rating, which you may tax. This is normally set at One in Ten. You may increase this, as you wish, but increases may damage trade. Decreasing the Excise may increase trade, but there is no guarantee of that.
E.g. Constantine of Dumnonia collecting Excise in Dorsetshire. The county's Trade is rated at £480, so he will collect £48 per anum free of risk.
Mineral Wealth.
Some counties have mineral wealth, from which an income is derived. You may set demands of this income as you see fit. However, excessive demands may kill the trade, so beware.
E.g. Constantine of Dumnonia collecting Mineral Duties in Dorsetshire. The county has two Salt Workings rated at £50 each, so he will collect £100 per anum free of risk.
Thus Constantine's other income from Dorset totals: £220, as opposed to his tax income of £345. 12s.
Background
A soldier's wage in the early middle ages, (actually somewhat later than Excalibur) was 2d per diem, 6d if mounted, paid only for the campaign; so say, averaging 200 days per year. That is £1.13s.4d (13s.4d = (1 i.e. one Mark) for an infantryman or £5 for a mounted man.
All Household troops are considered mounted.
Therefore, I have set upkeep/gifts for a household man at £5 per year for base level. Spending anything less than this on your household, and they will begin to desert you. The more you pay, the more contented they will become, and the more likely you will be to attract international adventurers to your ranks. Attracting these men will raise the quality of your household and your prestige.
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