[DM resource] Trade Routes

[Olive]

While doing some research work this morning i discovered this site:

http://www.ciolek.com/owtrad.html

It's a site mapping and studying trade routes. Haven't explored it properly yet, but it seems pretty interesting...

 

[MarauderX]

This is COOL!

Gives a lot of stuff through real history. What I didn't find was some of the reasons for the trade routes, like why they only went so far and stopped. Information like that more than anything would provide a good backdrop for a campaign setting. Presently I use modified info from the old Gazetteer of the Minrothad Guilds. It had trade routes and provided a reason for demand of products, giving a good way to introduce the details of economy in an urban setting which is often overlooked. Money is still a motivation for evil characters, and trade is one way to make it.

 

[Mark]

Thanks!

 

[Olive]

glad it was useful guys...

 

[Stigums McGarnigal]

pretty cool! I'll suggest this sight to a couple DM buddies of mine...

 

[DDK]

Ack! That was scary! Informative, but scary

In a similar fashion, this web page gives information based on population and trade. However this one is geared towards use in RPG's

http://www.io.com/~sjohn/demog.htm

 

[Horacio]

Thanks for both links!

 

[mythusmage]

While doing some research work this morning i discovered this site:

http://www.ciolek.com/owtrad.html

It's a site mapping and studying trade routes. Haven't explored it properly yet, but it seems pretty interesting...

I wrote Professor Ciolek (his real name) about the site, informing him of the interest it's engendered here on these boards. He would like to see people in the RPG community join him in the project. An online collaboration if you will. Click on the link above, you'll find contact information on the site itself.

The Old World Trade Routes project is a multidisciplinary effort covering, well old world trade routes. From antiquity to around 1900. From what I've seen, he only includes trade routes that he has verified as having existed at one time or another.

Go visit, look the place over, and drop the professor a line. I'm sure he'd enjoy hearing from you. I figure he'd appreciate any sort of help with the effort.

At the very least, knowing that people are using the OWTRAD project as a resource should brighten up his day.

Update: The OWTRAD Project also has a mailing list. You can subscribe directly from the front page.