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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 8636564" data-attributes="member: 22779">Ok, let's dig down here shall we?All of the major centers on the Sword Coast are on the coast.  As you head east, there aren't too many major centers for quite some distance.  Most of the trade goes north/south.  Can we agree on that?Now, I would certainly see road networks leading to each of the major cities.  That makes sense.  You'd have roads leading from whatever resource to Neverwinter or Waterdeep or Athkathla.  Kind of a spider web network of roads leading to each center.But, why would I need an overland route from Waterdeep to Athkathla?  Or Baldur's Gate to Neverwinter?  Any shipping is going to go by sea, which is far, far faster, easier and safer.  So, the argument that traders are building this route and maintaining it doesn't make much sense.  What traders?  A single ship carries many times what a wagon can carry, carries it faster and safer.  There's no reason to ship tin (as a random example) overland from Neverwinter to Waterdeep.  Tin is mined (I'm picking a random example here) in the Ten Towns, shipped to Ironmaster, loaded on a boat and then proceeds south.  Why on earth would I try to go overland?  In other words, I could see short roads leading east and west from inland communities, centering on the nearest large port where goods will then proceed by ship to various ports.So, who is paying for these tolls that are maintaining a road that traders have no reason to use?</blockquote>

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