How do/did you guys deal with Taxes in your SCAP campaign?
They are supposed to be an issue and I think cause a riot in Chapter 5 (I'm still playing Chapter 3 so haven't really got into too much reading on 5 yet). But obviously on something like this you want to introduce the tax hikes slowly but surely. Am I too late to start worrying about this now?
I have looked on RPGenius and found there is a tax notice download for each chapter. They look great but obviously I'm already on chapter three so need some ideas for how to introduce them.
Any ideas? What methods did you guys use?
Blakey
I think you can start with Cauldron taxes more or less as written up to the end of chapter 3, with rumors of future tax increases:
So tax payment is every year (income tax of 1GP or 10% each year, whichever is more). Gate tax for 1SP or 1 month pass 1GP for not-citizen.
In my game I also have:
Lax weapon and armor laws (every weapon larger than a light weapon and every ranged weapon must be registred and peacebonded by spell or the owner must pay a tax of 1 GP every month; wearing heavy armour in the streets may be inappropriate).
Moderate spell laws (the use of any damaging spell, or any spell that affects another individual against his will, is forbitten).
At the beginning of chapter 4 put your first tax increase (in my game I put a Statue of Surabar where heralds read the new laws and then post-up the text; the statue is in the marketplace square before the Cathedral of Wee Jas );
Tax increase: increase income tax and weapon tribute. Tax payment every 6 months (income tax 10%, every weapon larger than a light weapon and every ranged weapon must be peacbonded or pay a tax of 2GP every month)
PCs will begin to spot tax collectors roaming the city with half-orc guards.
At the beginning of chapter 5 there will be the last tax increase, announced with Surabar’s statue post-up.
Increasee income tax and weapon tribute. Tax payment every 6 months (income tax 15%, every weapon larger than a light weapon and every ranged weapon must be peacebonded or pay a tax of 4GP every month, 20% tax on every spell cast or magic item used).
Ciao
Mario
I would suggest using as many of the NPCs who they have gotten familiar with to bring up the taxes and can often mention them as something that has been happening and has been becoming more and more of a problem.
The PCs might go to speak to Jenya and they have to wait to see her while she finishes calming someone down (maybe one of the shopkeeper NPCs) who is enraged at the latest tax hike.
A meeting with Maavu might start with him in a hissy fit about how the tax hikes are affecting the common people as the merchants just pass on the expenses.
A tired looking Vhalantru responds to some local businessmen while the PCs wait, calmly and paitently explaining the necessity of the increased taxes.
Once again... use the NPCs, things have been happening to them while the PCs have been doing things.
Sean Mahoney
In Chapter 3, between the Lucky Monkey encounters and the wand recoveries, I had a "flood tax" collected. Each person paid 10 gp in case of damage. The PCs recovered the wands and prevented any damage from occurring, yet the taxes were not paid back. During the Demonskar Ball (before being let in via the Herald), the PCs had a chance to talk to Lord Vhalantru. He told them how displeased he was that the collected tax money wasn't being used for repairs around the city. He pointedly said that others on the council had plans for that money.
My group bought a house, so property taxes were assessed, and then re-assessed as the campaign went on. I also had Skie complaining about the taxes, and had the PC discount removed during Chapter 4 and the start of 5.
Now that the mayor has skipped town (I'm at the end of Chapter 5-6) with the city funds and is missing from council along with all of the flak from the Siege of Redgorge, I'm sure the tax situation will not be resolved soon.
The taxes were announced as part of a "Never Again" speech after Flood Season. The taxes were supposed to pay for gnomish surveyors (now back in Jzadirune) to survey Lower Cauldron, then construct a series of levees to keep the lake from doing property damage during the flood season. Since the party members were the heroes that saved the city from flooding, they were asked to pose for a number of woodcuts that would go on posters exhorting citizens to pay their taxes for the good of all.
So I made the party complicit.
In the spring, they were asked to support an "adventurer's tax" which would be 10% of all loot brought into Cauldron through "exploration, extermination, dungeoneering, pillage, and the other adventuring arts." Since adventurers are in a different economic class than most commoners, they were asked for their civic support. The lawful good cleric ended up paying the entire tax out of his share.
The party wasn't happy.
I kept the party pretty poor up through the tax riot. They were very happy about the repeal of all taxes for a 3 month period afterwards.