Rank 12 of 14
The Tax Collector
“Taking your gold and your joy.”
Nobody likes the Tax Collector. Not even his coworkers. But they all fear him, and that's what really counts.
Once a junior bean-counter in the royal treasury, he climbed the ranks the old-fashioned way: quietly, persistently, and by “misplacing” anyone who questioned his bonus structure. Now he's the kingdom's top financial enforcer, armed with a stylus, a suspiciously advanced tablet and a deep love for spreadsheets… and other people's money.
He claims it's “just his job,” but somehow he always knows exactly how many copper coins you owe and what you bought last week at the tavern. Some say he'd tax the air if you breathed too loudly. Lavishly dressed, emotionally distant and borderline robotic, he has never smiled, except that one time someone filed late. That was a good day.
Four copies, four lines
There are four Tax Collector cards in the deck, and each one says something different.
- Taking your gold and your joy.
- Your loss is his bonus.
- Nobody really likes him, but everyone wants to be his friend.
- Doesn’t know the amount of your debt, unless you pay less than you should.
In the game: beats ranks 1–11, loses to 13–14 and the Crown. See card ranks.
The real medieval tax collector
England's royal treasury, the Exchequer, was named after the chequered cloth on the table where sums were counted out, like moves on a board. Payments were recorded on tally sticks: notched wooden sticks split down the middle, one half for the payer and one for the treasury.
The tallies stayed in use until 1826. In 1834 someone burned the old ones in a stove under the House of Lords and set the Palace of Westminster on fire. Our Tax Collector switched to a tablet. It's harder to set on fire.
More medieval jobs, and the world they live in: the world of Crown Shuffle.
Want to play the Tax Collector?
Coming to Kickstarter in early 2027. Join the list for early-bird pricing.