Long Distance Roads or Travel by Ship

[smcc360]

so if the city can run toll gates, why arent the trolls allowed to run a tollgate on their bridge too? Seems a little unfair

Hey, if the trolls build their own bridges, they can charge whatever they want.

Until the local nobility takes it over. To ensure compliance with newly-instituted construction safety standards, of course.

 

[Scott Christian]

I introduced Road Wardens, like Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying had. Underfunded and overworked, they're always willing to hire some adventurous mercenaries willing to clear out a bandit-infested wood, or a gang of toll-extorting trolls camped under a bridge.

I like that idea. An entire government service set up to protect roads. Interesting.

 

[Fenris-77]

I like that idea. An entire government service set up to extort people using the roads. Interesting.

There you go, I fixed that right up for you.

 

[Doug McCrae]

These excerpts are both from JRR Tolkien's The Return of the King, after Sauron has fallen and Aragorn has been crowned king of Gondor and Arnor.

Frodo speaking to Bilbo:
'It won’t be dangerous any more. There is a real king now, and he will soon put the roads in order.'

Gandalf speaking to Barliman Butterbur:
'Then the Greenway will be opened again, and his messengers will come north, and there will be comings and goings, and the evil things will be driven out of the waste-lands. Indeed the waste in time will be waste no longer, and there will be people and fields where once there was wilderness.'

 

[Scott Christian]

There you go, I fixed that right up for you.

Ha! Thank you!
I generally break down lands into civilization, outskirts, and wilds. Civilization has safe road and ship travel. Outskirts is a little iffy, but mostly safe. The wilds are a coin toss. My trouble always came with long distance roads from one large kingdom to the next that went through stretches of wildlands. This is especially true where ocean or river travel is much easier. Think loggers on the upper Missouri river that could float their goods downstream 300 miles, yet the road, due to terrain, would veer quite a distance from the river - and it wasn't always safe, let alone if there would have been creatures like an owlbear around. But, I like the thought of a wealthy government having an entire staff devoted to the road, especially if the trade or relationship is important.

 

[jasper]

People you forget. Commoners are common. They don't taste all that great. (Think McDonalds dollar menu.) Real monsters are foodies, they want the rare stuff and high price stuff.)