drays and hire-coaches- not to accept anything but
coins minted in Waterdeep.
Though you can trade your coinage for Waterdeep
c urrency with anyone willing to do so, the exchequers at
the Palace of Waterdeep make exchanges with no asso-
ciated fee. The queue there can be quite long, necessitat·
ing that you make an appointment-often a day or more
in advance. For a s wifter transaction, I recommend any
member of the Guild of Trusted Pewterers and Casters,
or of the Jewele rs' Guild. Both have the most reliable
scales a nd abide by guild-wide rates of exchange.
Be sure to exchange taols and harbor moons be-
fore leaving the city, as their value greatly diminishes
elsewhere!
TAXES AND FEES
As established in the first year of the reign of the previ-
ous Open Lord, Dagult Neverember, Waterdeep collects
a monthly tax from all who live w it hin its officia l wards.
The tax is 1 shard per person above the age of ten
years, and is collected door-to-door by patrols of the City
Guard on the last day of each month.
Individuals who so desire can pay a single dragon
in tax and receive a writ exempting them for twelve
months, but the writ must be produced every month
when t he Guard calls, or a new payment is required. If
the Guard knocks at a door and receives no answer, a
notice of lien with an estimation of tax is affixed to the
door. The debt must be dealt with before the next month
ends, with payment to be made to any magister.
Those who have no fixed residence can still be taxed
if they are confronted in any building, be it an inn or an
outhouse. So if you're out and around on the last day of
t he month, you'll no doubt experience "taxing traffic" as
the streets become clogged with people trying to avoid
the collectors.
Waterdeep also raises revenue by charging other fees ,
such as the following:
1 nib per day for rental of a stall in the Market
1 shard (above and beyond any fines imposed) from any·
one convicted by a magister, per conviction
1 dragon per conveyance leaving the city, empty or full
5 dragons per ship that touches dock in Waterdeep (ex·
cept for city ships and diplomatic vessels), collected
from the captain and covering a stay of up to fourteen
days (a ship that leaves the harbor and returns during
that time pays the tax upon reentry)
I n times of trouble, direct taxes can a lso be imposed:
A fire tax (usually 1 dragon per household), levied when-
ever a fire destroys a large portion of the city
A wall tax or harbor tax (usually 1 dragon per house-
hold) raised to directly pay for needed repairs or
expansions
A lance tax raised to provide a payroll for mercenaries
hired by the city when required (usually 1 s ha rd per
household each tenday until the Lords repeal the tax)COINS OF WAT ERDEEP
HER E ARE IMAGES O P' THE CITY' S C O INS IV>OC.H AREN' T TO SCALESHARD
SILVER C.OIN , SLIGHTLY
S M/11.LER THAN THE NIB
(1 SH/IRO • 10 NIBS)Nl6
COPPER C.OIN ABOUT THE
SllE OF /I THUMBNAIL
(1 N I B c I C.OMMON
COPPER C:OIN )6 R ASS C:OIN, l\BOUT T WO I N C.HES SQUARE WITH A HOLE
LARGE E NOUGH FOR /I N 1B TO F IT I N ( 1 T/IOL •^200 N I BS)DRAGON
GoLo c:o1N. HALF 11G 11 1N
/IS LARGE AS A NIB
(I DRAGON e 100 NIBS)HAR60R M OONSUN
PLATINUM COIN , T WIGE
AS LARGE /IS /I N18
(1SUNc1, 0 00 N I BS)PLATINUM C.RESC:ENT INSET \VITH ELEC.TRUM, ABOUT TMRE£ I NCHES
LON G \VITM I\ HOLE Ll\RGE ENOUGH FOR A NIB TO F'IT I N
(1 HARBOR MOON• 5,000 NIBS)CHAPTER 9 I VOLO'S WATERDl::EP ENCHIRIOION