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Can someone walk me through how players could use a Stronghold to generate wealth. I've seen people mention it in other threads and I've read the section but I'm having trouble connecting all the pieces in the abstract.

Also, shouldn't a stronghold be able to tax local peasants? If so, how much and how often should they generate in this way?

I think the intention of a stronghold is to create something that PCs can spend their cash on, not to generate cash in itself but there is a point that it does become self-sustaining but I don't think the rules really cover either generating income or taxing the local populous.

I would say a stronghold in itslef can't charge taxes, that is more to do with a recognised nobleman that owns the land that peasants live on.

I think the intention of a stronghold is to create something that PCs can spend their cash on, not to generate cash in itself but there is a point that it does become self-sustaining but I don't think the rules really cover either generating income or taxing the local populous.

I would say a stronghold in itslef can't charge taxes, that is more to do with a recognised nobleman that owns the land that peasants live on.

Then how does a party manage it? I mean, the treasures are so small in FL, I can't even begin to imagine how a party could ever afford the barest minimum. If they don't have some sort of income stream, leaving a guard for a couple of weeks is prohibatively expensive, not to mention the other hirelings.

Using the Raven's Purge as an example of the sites, players simply cannot gain the resources to ever hold or develop a stronghold without making money outside of adventuring.

Also, while I would generally agree with you vis-a-vis noblemen and taxes et al...but the post apocalypse nature of the Raven Lands basically does away with that conceit. What you have is gangs and petty warlords. There are no 'kings' or 'nobles' left, and those that could claim that title rule very little directly (Zytera, et al). Maybe the dwarves and elves have working political structures but humans really don't. Consequently a bunch of peasants in a village probably would have to pay protection money (which is really what early taxes basically boiled down to). That being said, I see no reason that a party of combat heavy reavers...er, adventureres couldn't take over a village if they wanted to and force the peasants to serve them...basically as every political entity did throughout ancient history.

Tax revenues would be pretty meager. But no impossible to get enough to support a couple guards. But the PCs would need a bigger gang or co-opt the local power structure.

The easiest thing would be to abstract arrangements. Your stronghold has a field and a hired farmer and you hand over half your produce each harvest to the local village for the farmer and a guard, as well as providing them room and board.

My players just list expenses and then income (income yield that they don't need). They have a market and we their stronghold is fairly near a couple of other settlements. We just assume that there are people at the market every now and then so they can exchange (normal) goods if they want to.

Technically my players, once a week, look at their net gain, for example 10 silver. They then look at their various yields and add 10 silver worth of resources that they have produced and add that to their stash. If they players are home, they can go to their market and trade whatever they have in their warehouse. Since these goods are not silver, we just assume that the people that lives in the players settlement (a handful) go and trade at the market and live their lives as best they can. So while technically the guard is paid with milk and vegetables, we assume that he trade that for whatever he needs to function as guard.

My players just list expenses and then income (income yield that they don't need). They have a market and we their stronghold is fairly near a couple of other settlements. We just assume that there are people at the market every now and then so they can exchange (normal) goods if they want to.

Technically my players, once a week, look at their net gain, for example 10 silver. They then look at their various yields and add 10 silver worth of resources that they have produced and add that to their stash. If they players are home, they can go to their market and trade whatever they have in their warehouse. Since these goods are not silver, we just assume that the people that lives in the players settlement (a handful) go and trade at the market and live their lives as best they can. So while technically the guard is paid with milk and vegetables, we assume that he trade that for whatever he needs to function as guard.

INteresting. Thank you for the details. Do you just assume they can sell excess resources each week?

I've a post from a few days ago where I'm trying to integrate taxes and income in the stronghold rules. Check it out!

INteresting. Thank you for the details. Do you just assume they can sell excess resources each week?

When it comes to the NPC, they get paid in whatever the stronghold produces. We then just assume that they trade the best they can, either in a nearby settlement or in the market in the stronghold. If the players want to trade their resources that they have in their warehouse, then that is something that we play out. Abstractly if it is just other resources (not produced by them) or in a scene if it is for ordinary items.

I just made a simple excel file where i listed the following:
all material produce (leather, food, wood, stone, etc.)
all expenses of hirelings (in silver)
what amount of material to stockpile
what amount of material to sell (in silver)
then pay the expenses of hirelings
the rest silver is income money of stronghold

so strongholds material production value has to be higher than the wages
when the stronghold grows in different material productions and there is a bunch of guards consuming money, it's simply impossible to manage all with pen and paper.

it takes a bit work out of actual play to manage and calculate everything, but not too much.
I prefer to adventure rather than manage a stronghold.

We don't use strongholds money in personal expenses if it isn't absolutely necessary