After seeing a Youtube video that narrates and explains the story of someone dropped in a real life sized Runescape, OSRS. As an RS3 player, I became curious on how lodestones would actually effect the life and economics of the world. It can't be written off as a game mechanic there simply by the fact quests exist to build lodestones. We build one in Havenhythe to attract more people to come to the eastern lands.
Is it limited to those attuned to the ways of magic? Or a cost the player's avatar just doesn't know about? Would the ritual longer be 10minutes instead of 30 seconds?
Would traveling merchants still be a thing to transport good, if only in bulk? There must be as highway men still are on the roads, right?
What about military applications? Would the lodestone be guarded, have limited access to those with approval? Or, worse, taxed?
The way I currently view this is anyone can use the spell, but the ritual is longer until you channel enough local anima mundai to operate the spell. Better magic levels make this faster with better control. Lvl 5 magic is 30 minutes, but lvl 50 is 10 minutes, and lvl 99 is the down to 30 seconds. Runes consumption would still be the instant way to teleport. This make the mundane travel over the roads still the common form of travel when (by the books) it could be days from one city to another.
Lodestone access is governed by the local lord. Ones inside the city would be more guarded with the initial access with a fee, and a regular annual permit for another if you don't want taxed after every teleport.