The domain system alone is great if the players spend most of their time adventuring, rather than running their domains, and if the party doesn't have a mixed group of nobles, some being kings, others counts, and other lords or squires of a single fief.
If the majority of the action happens below the levels of kings (and by that I only mean sovereign regents) where PCs are lords of a single province or smaller, how do you calculate their income? How can they play at the domain game too? Is it possible to scale from a knight with a single fief up to the Prince of Avanil, with his very extensive holdings?

[top]Demographics

Land Area5318 sq miles
Pop Density36/ sq mile
Quality75%
Population191,452
City People2154
Town People8615
Village People170,392
Isolated People10,291
Farmland1418 sq miles
Fortifications3 civilized, 1 wilderness
Cities0
Towns2
Villages243
The agricultural quality if the Taelshore is 75% because of the cold climate.

City people have no agricultural production at all.

Town people's primary form of production is craft production, but who may farm part time.

Village people produce agricultural products primarily, though they produce some crafts for their own use.

Isolated people live away from villages as hermits, mountain men, or nomadic clans.

The farmland constitutes 26.7% of Stjordvik. The rest of the land in uninhabited.

Stjordvik contains four fortifications. One, the capital city of Hollingholmen includes Ravenroost Castle, and is a level 3 fortress complex. It is nearly invincible. The second fortress is the castle of the Eorl of Arvaald, a level 2 fortress, Castle Ylvarrik, at the south end of Goblin's Neck, and is very defensible. At the northern end of Goblin's neck is the village of Djurgundsby, in Udvika, with a palisade around the village and a motte and bailey in the village. Lofkirdik also have a level 1 fort at Karls Pass, which protects the easy route from the upper Lofkirdik, near the Blood Skull Barony to lower Lofkirdik where the Northbyrn River.
Hollingholmen has 5251 residents, of which about 40% of them are city people, and another 60% are town people.
Begger750...Dairy Sellers33...Caravaners15...Fishmongers7
Infants525Furriers33Masons15Saddlers7
Laborers525Launderers32Bakers15Purse Makers7
Elderly438Prostitutes32Soapmakers13Blacksmiths6
Food Servers150Bricklayers30Cooks12Goldsmiths6
Fishermen105Livestock Merchants27Chanders11Toymakers6
Clergy105Tailors26Vermin Killers11Wool Merchants6
Peddlers88Weavers26Visitors10Artists6
Porters88Pages26Watercarriers10Beer Merchants6
Apprentices75Barbers23Coopers10Herbalists5
Domestic Servants58Basket Makers22Mercers10Leatherworkers5
Municipal Guards53Carpenters21Pastry Makers10Wetnurses5
Students53Drapers21Engravers9Plasterers5
Thieves53Flowersellers21Pawnbrokers9Spice Merchants5
Cobblers44Guides21Grooms9Rope Makers5
Furniture Makers43Parchment Makers21Midwives9Tanners5
Used Clothes Sellers42Potters21Haberdashers8Culters4
Grocers42Tavern Keepers21Silversmiths8Fullers4
Warehousers42Wheelwrights19Butchers8Glaziers4
City Officials35Jewlers17Physicians7Wood Sellers4

[top]Income

In Arvaald there are 54 manors, 61 villages, and one town. 54 villages are part of the 54 manors, leaving 7 villages and one town to be calculated as towns. Varri owns one manor, Olfjor 8 manors, Styr Porsgrunn 4 manors, and the other lord 4 manors. This leaves 37 manors owned by individual gentry. Each of the lords claims 4 additional manors as vassals, and the remaining 29 manors are vassals of Olfjor.
Each manor collects an income of 5,200 and pays an overlord tax of 20% to their liege. So each gentleman keeps 4,100 gp.
Each lord collects 5,200 for four manors for a total of 20,800. He also collects the overlord tax on four gentlemen. This is 4,400 more gp. It totals 25,200. Styr Porsgrunn and the other lord keep 20,200 gp and pay 5,000 in taxes to their liege.
Olfjor collects 41,600 for his eight manors, 31,900 in taxes on his gentry, and 10,000 in taxes from his two lords. This adds up to 83,500 gp's. Olfjor too must pay 20% to king Varri and sends him 16,700 gp's and keeps 66,800 gp's for himself.
Varri gets his 16,700 from Olfjor and another 5,200 from his own manor, or 21,900 gp. We'll round to 22,000.
Now we can imagine that:
a gentleman has an income of 4,100 gp.
:a lord has an income of 20,000 gp.
Olfjor has an income of 67,000 gp.
:and Varri earns 22,000 in Arvaald.

Then there is justice. The total income from fees, fines, tolls, taxes, rents, and revenues from fairs and markets. Fees and fines are an income of the law, and go mostly to the holder of the law holdings, Olfjor.

Law Holdings income are 234,000 gp. Olfjor keeps most of it, 144,000 gp. 900 gp is earned at each fief's court. 42,000 is collected by the king in courts of appeal and the king's court.
Tolls, rents, and revenues from fairs and markets go to the land owner. The total value in Arvaald is 6700 per manor.
Now we can imagine that:
a gentleman has an income of 11,700 gp.
:a lord has an income of 50,400 gp.
Olfjor has an income of 319,000 gp.
:and Varri earns 71,600 in Arvaald.

Then there is the tax. 26,800 goes to Varri. 13,600 goes to Olfjor. 100 gp goes to each manor. Finally there is mine income and shield money. There are two mines in Arvaald and a quarry. Varri owns a salt mine and earns 10,000 gp. Olfjor has am iron mine and earns 6000 gp, and a stone quarry and earns another 10,000 gp. Shield money amounts to 1200 gp per manor and goes to the king.
Now we can imagine that:
a gentleman has an income of 10,600 gp.
:a lord has an income of 46,000 gp.
Olfjor has an income of 339,000 gp.
:and Varri earns 172,000 in Arvaald.

[top]Expenses

Nobles pays to support by giving away surplus wealth, usually old and undesirable animals, items, and tools. Things no longer fit for the noble, but of some use to those who have very little. This amounts to 5% of income.
The gentry lives in a reasonably modest state. There are yeoman who own enough to live like gentry and be reckoned among them, but many do not want to pay the expenses to live so lavishly. The gentry pays 5% of his income to maintain his lifestyle.
The nobility, high and low pay 15%, and this supports their basic court costs.
Royalty, like Varri pay 30%, and while we don't have Varri's total income yet, one can see how expensive it is to be king. This expense supports basic court costs.
All nobles pay 5% of their income for their kitchen staff.

4% of their income for laborers.

3% of their income on management.
2.5% of income goes to maintain the infrastructure of the manor. If there are special buildings, 3% of their construction costs are required for their maintenance.
A steward costs 360 gp and collects 10% of any manor he manages in place of the lord. Gentry pay the 360 gp if they have a steward and most do. They only pay the 10% of income when they are away from their manor. Lords and higher nobles have more manors than they can supervise. Styr Porsgrunn is always paying 10% for three of his fiefs, and sometimes for all four. Olfjor always pays for seven of his fiefs, and often plays for all eight. Varri does not supervise his fief in Arvaald, so he pays 10%.
A chamberlain takes care of the house. If the manor has a residence for the lord, it requires a chamberlain. They are paid 300 gp. A lord cannot supervise a manor without a residence. Lords will generally maintain a residence on a manor unless one manor is very close to another. Gentry with stewards do not require chamberlains. Failure to have either a steward or chamberlain reduces the value of your court and saves you only 300 gp.
Gentry may avoid the cost of most other servants, but many will spend 50-200 gp for assorted servants. Servants are prestigious and may improve the value of your court. A falconer or a huntsman each cost 300 gp. Few would have both, except perhaps jarls and royals. Doctors and barbers look after the health of the lord, his family, and officials in the manor. These would cost 300 gp and few would employ both. A valet, or keeper of the wardrobe, keeps the clothes of the lord or lady, packs them for travel, and helps dress and undress the master and mistress. Such a person would cost 300 gp though higher nobles and royals can often get knights or lower nobles to perform this function for the access it provides. Such a person would need to be paid as well and such a strategy might cost as little as 200 gp or as much as 500. Generally both the lord and lady maintain such assistance. Finally there is a tailor, who makes and mends the clothes of the household. He requires 200 gp. Other special assitance or servants might cost 50-200 gp depending on what is required.
Considered this way,
  • The gentry spends 26.5% of his income on maintenance. Given an income of 10,600 gp, this means he spends 2800 gp on expenses, and keeps 7800 gp.

  • A noble spends 42% of his income on maintenance. Given a lord's income of 46,000 gp, this means he spends 19,300 gp and keeps 26,700 gp.


Given Olfjor's income of 339,000 gp, he's paying 149,200 gp and keeping 189,800 gp.
We don't have Varri's complete income, but 59.5% of his income is spent on maintenance.
It's also worth noting the gentry almost certainly spend 360 gp for a steward and that the nobles are spending 1300 to 1800 or more on servants.
Generally a manor is expected to be able to supply a knight and six armed men to accompany him to battle.

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