The economics of Birthright are fairly abstract, and significantly simpler than those presented in the Rules Cyclopedia*. Every domain turn (3 months/1 season) you generate revenue in Gold Bars (GB) based upon your different holdings. Province rulers collects taxes, while temples and guilds collect tithes and profits. Magic holdings provide no revenue forcing wizard regents to either collect money from other regents or to convert Regency Points (RP) into gold via a realm spell (if they have it!). Law holdings (distinct from ruling the realm) can be used to claim money from Temple and Guild Holdings.
Taxes
Taxes
| Province Level | Light Taxes | Moderate Taxes | Heavy Taxes |
| 0 | - | - | d3-2 |
| 1 | d3-2 | d3-1 | d3 |
| 2 | d3-1 | d3 | d4 |
| 3 | d3 | d4 | d4+1 |
| 4 | d4 | d4+1 | d6+1 |
| 5 | d4+1 | d6+1 | d8+1 |
| 6 | d6+1 | d8+1 | d10+1 |
| 7 | d8+1 | d10+1 | d12+1 |
| 8 | d10+1 | d12+1 | 2d8 |
| 9 | d12+1 | 2d8 | 2d8+2 |
| 10 | 2d8 | 2d8+2 | 2d10+2 |
Guild + Temple Collections
| Province Level/Holding Level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4-5 | 6+ |
| 0 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | d3-2 | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | d2-1 | d2 | - | - | - |
| 3 | d2-1 | d3 | d4 | - | - |
| 4 | d2 | d3 | d4 | d6 | - |
| 5 | d2 | d3 | d4 | d6 | - |
| 6 | d2 | d3 | 2d2 | 2d3 | 2d4+1 |
| 7+ | d3 | d2+1 | d4+1 | d6+1 | 2d4+2 |
Law Claim
| Comparitive Holding Level | GBs Generated | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4-5 | 6+ | |
| Law < Target | - | d4-3 | d3-2 | d2-1 | d2-1 |
| Law = Target | - | d3-2 | d2-1 | d3-1 | d4-1 |
| Law > Target | d4-3 | d2-1 | d3-1 | d4-1 | d3 |
In addition to revenue from holdings, Trade Routes can be created. These generate an income for the creator equal to the average of the two linked province levels. Linked provinces need to have a road running between them, and they have to be of a different terrain type. Coastal provinces can have sea routes, which provide half the provinces level in revenue. A province can only have a limited number of trade routes. Level 1-3 can have 1, 4-5 can have 2, and 6+ can have 3. The rules say that only someone with guild holdings can create a trade route, however the rules for what a wizard can and can't do with a Source Holding say that with a level 7 holding they can create trade routes.
Next Birthright post will address Expenses. I know you just can't wait!
*I remember late in one campaign when a name level fighter decided he’d try his hand at clearing and holding a domain, that the costs of upkeep, namely the staff, was simply exorbitant, and rather unrealistic for such a small realm. Almost immediately thereafter a Dragon Magazine came out with revised prices.
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If Birthright was written in the 3x era, I wonder if Wizard regents would be able to generate income via the production of magical goods, since there was a codified system for doing so.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that if you count Pathfinder then the answer would seem to be yes...
ReplyDeleteI'm running the Kingmaker Adventure Path for Pathfinder right now, and magic items figure importantly in the kingdom building economy.
@Christian - There is a domain action you can do called Profession, where you engage in your profession and earn gold doing it. It isn't nearly as effective as simply using the domain spell.
ReplyDelete@morrisonmp - Well, I don't actually see that Birthright couldn't easily be used with 3.x or Pathfinder. Actually it would be a pretty easy fit....