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Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!howland.erols.net!torn!kone!news.ccs.queensu.ca!qucis.queensu.ca!dalamb From: dalamb@qucis.queensu.ca (David Alex Lamb) Newsgroups: rec.games.board,rec.answers,news.answers Subject: Talisman Boardgame 2nd Edition FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Supersedes: <faq2_871818907@qucis.QueensU.CA> Followup-To: rec.games.board Date: 21 Sep 1997 11:55:16 GMT Organization: Computing and Information Science, Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada Lines: 1811 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Distribution: world Expires: 2 Nov 1997 11:55:07 GMT Message-ID: <faq2_874842907@qucis.QueensU.CA> References: <faq3_874842907@qucis.QueensU.CA> Reply-To: dalamb@qucis.queensu.ca (David Alex Lamb) NNTP-Posting-Host: requin.qucis.queensu.ca Keywords: FAQ, Talisman, board game Originator: dalamb@qucis.queensu.ca Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.games.board:112641 rec.answers:34220 news.answers:113065 Last-Modified: Sat Jul 8 12:34:45 1995 by David Alex Lamb Archive-name: games/talisman/edition2 Version: 0.75 This is a draft of a regular posting about Talisman, a fantasy board game from Games Workshop. This message covers the older second edition. A companion posting covers the third edition, released in the Spring of 1994. Both FAQs are available on the World Wide Web (WWW) via URL: http://www.qucis.queensu.ca/home/dalamb/Talisman/ The WWW versions are the master copies; these posted FAQs are derived from them. [Note: July 1995: This is significantly reformatted because of new automated generation from the WWW pages. I still have about 120 messages which have arrived since September 1993 that haven't made it into the FAQ yet] Each item starts with a Subject field, which many news readers let you find quickly (in rn/trn use the "control-G" command). Most also have a Date field saying when I last changed it. SUBJECT: WHAT DO I GET IN EACH BOX? Date: 17 June 1993 From: Nicholas.J.Sauer@att.com This is a list of components in the 2nd Edition TALISMAN game and all its expansions. Thanks to Dave Katleman, katleman@corp.sun.com, for the TALISMAN DRAGON listing. * TALISMAN Game Components * TALISMAN EXPANSION SET * TALISMAN ADVENTURE * TALISMAN DUNGEON * TALISMAN TIMESCAPE * TALISMAN CITY * TALISMAN DRAGON Subject: TALISMAN Game Components These are components for the original game; you need this to play at all. * CHARACTER CARDS(14): Assassin, Druid, Dwarf, Elf, Ghoul, Minstrel, Monk, Priest, Prophetess, Sorceress, Thief, Troll, Warrior, Wizard. * SPELL CARDS(24): Acquisition, Alchemy, Counterspell(2), Destroy Magic, Destruction(2), Divination, Healing(2), Hex, Immobility(2), Invisibility, Mesmerism, Nullify, Preservation, Psionic Blast(2), Random(2), Teleport(2), Temporal Warp. * ADVENTURE CARDS(104): + Event(14): Angel, Blizzard, Book of Spells, Cursed by Hag, Devil, Evil Darkness, Imp, Magical Vortex, Market Day, Mephistopheles, Pestilence, Poltergeist, Raiders, Storm. + Enemy: Animal(6): Ape, Bear, Boar(2), Lion, Wolf. + Enemy: Monster(10): Bandit(2), Giant, Goblin(2), Hobgoblin(2), Ogre(2), Serpent. + Enemy: Dragon(3): Dragon(3). + Enemy: Spirit(5): Demon, Ghost(2), Spectre, Wraith. + Stranger(9): Enchanter, Fairy, Healer, Hermit, Mage, Phantom, Siren,Sorcerer, Witch. + Object(25): Armour, Axe, Bag of Gold(13), Helmet, Mule, Raft, Shield, Sword(2), Two bags of Gold(3), Water Bottle. + Magic Object(13): Amulet, Cross, Holy Grail, Holy Lance, Magic Belt, Orb of Knowledge, Potion of Strength, Ring, Runesword, Solomon's Crown, Talisman(2), Wand. + Follower(10): Alchemist, Gnome, Guide(2), Maiden, Mercinary, Pixie, Prince, Princess, Unicorn. + Place(9): Cave, Fountain of Wisdom, Magic Portal, Magic Stream, Market, Marsh, Maze, Pool of Life, Shrine. * PURCHASE CARDS(28): Armour(4), Axe(4), Helmet(4), Mule(4), Raft, Shield(4), Sword(3), Waterbottle(4). * MISCELLANEOUS: Main Board, Talisman Cards(4), Toad Cards(4), Alignment Change Cards(4), Stands(6), Counters(40 Strength, 40 Craft, 40 Gold, 20 Life), Rule Book. Subject: TALISMAN EXPANSION SET * CHARACTER CARDS(14): Amazon, Barbarian, Gladiator, Halfling, Hobgoblin, Knight, Leprechaun, Merchant, Necromancer, Philosopher, Pilgrim, Ranger, Rogue, Satyr. * SPELL CARDS(6): Barrier, Brainwave, Displacement, Metamorph, Mind Steal, Slow Motion. * ADVENTURE CARDS(36): + Event(6): Astral Conjunction, Earthquake, Halloween, Patrol, Taxation, Volcano. + Enemy: Animal(1): Giant Lizard. + Enemy: Monster(5): Berserker, Doppleganger, Gargoyle, Goblin, Golem. + Enemy: Spirit(3): Banshee, Lich, Shade. + Stranger(8): Centaur, Cyclops, Demigod, Judge, Magician, Outlaw, Pegasus, Sphinx. + Object(6): Bag of Gold(3), Casket, Map, Shovel. + Magic Object(2): Rod of Ruin, Winged Boots. + Follower(2): Champion, Genie. + Place (3): Arena, Idol, Secret Door. Subject: TALISMAN ADVENTURE * CHARACTER CARDS(8): Centaur, Ninja, Orc, Samurai, Soldier, Warrior of Chaos, Witch Doctor, Woodsman. * SPELL CARDS(11): Finger of Death, Fireball(3), Gust of Wind, Lightening Bolt, Misdirection, Reflection, Speed, Summon Storm, Water Walking. * ADVENTURE CARDS(37): + Event(4): Fool's Gold, Jester, Werewolf, Whirlwind. + Enemy: Monster(4): Band of Zombies, Cave Troll, Griffon, Harpy. + Enemy: Dragon(1): Chinese Dragon. + Enemy: Spirit(4): Ghast, Shadow, Vampire, Vampire Bats. + Stranger(3): Instructor, Leper, Pedlar. + Object(10): Bag of Gold(3), Concealed Pouch, Golden Statue, Horse(2), Horse and Cart(2), Warhorse. + Magic Object(5): Ancient Artifact, Bag of Carrying, Staff of Mastery, Talisman(2). + Follower(5): Archer, Familiar, Man-at-Arms, Porter(2). + Place(1): Tomb. * MISCELLANEOUS: + Rule Sheet + Character Sheets(6), for keeping track of attributes and possessions. + Alternate Ending Cards(6) Adds the alternative endings: when you get to the Crown of Command space, you choose a card to determine the endgame. o Crown of command: as normal o Demon lord: fight a craft 12 demon with 4 lives, one psychic combat per turn; other characters can't enter the Valley of Fire. o Pandora's box: each turn take D6 spells and D6 adventure cards to inflict on your opponents. o Belt of Hercules: your total strength becomes 12 (or current, if higher than 12); you get 5 lives (or current, whichever is higher). Each turn you can teleport to the location of another character and fight "to the death" (combat continues until one of you loses all lives). o Horrible back void: first person to the Crown gets tossed out of the game (or sent to the Timescape if you have it); the Void card is then replaced with one of the other endings o Dragon King: strength 12 craft 12; his reaction is random, leading to 6 possible sub-endgames Subject: TALISMAN DUNGEON Adds the Dungeon board with its own adventure deck. * CHARACTER CARDS(14): Conjurer, Dark Elf, Inquisitor, Gypsy, Highlander, Martial Artist, Pirate, Saracen, Scout, Sprite, Spy, Swashbuckler, Swordsman, Zulu. * ADVENTURE CARDS(4): + Place(4): Dungeon Doorway(4). + DUNGEON CARDS(36): o Event(7): Cave-In, Fire, Green Mist, Magic Mirror(2), Slaver, Trap Door. o Enemy: Animal(2): Giant Rat(2). o Enemy: Monster(8): Crawling Slime, Giant Beetle, Giant Spider(2), Giant o Worm, Goblin(2), Living Statue. o Enemy: Dragon(1): Bronze Dragon. o Enemy: Spirit(2): Nightmare, Phantom Hound. o Stranger(1): Lone Dwarf. o Object(5): Bag of Gold(2), Decree of Banishment, Torch(2). o Magic Object(2): Crystal of Power, Gauntlet of Might. o Follower(2): Dog, Wiseman. o Place(6): Altar, Chest, Gong, Secret Passage, Snake Pit, Tunnel. * MISCELLANEOUS: Dungeon Board, Rule Sheet, Question and Answer Sheet. Subject: TALISMAN TIMESCAPE Adds the Timescape board with its own adventure deck. * CHARACTER CARDS(8): Archeologist, Astronaught, Astropath, Chainsaw Warrior, Cyborg, Scientist, Space Marine, Space Pirate. * SPELL CARDS(2): Warp Gate(2). * TIMESCAPE CARDS(42): + Hand of Fate(10): Dimensional Rift(4), Orks, Supernova(4), Warp Storm. + Enemy: Alien(10): Astral Hound, Alien Spores, Behemoth, Star Predator(2), + Sun Worm, Psychic Parasite, Space Vampire, Will o Wisp(2). + Stranger(2): Omnipotent Being, Time Travelers. + Object(17): Alien Artifact(4), Anti-Grav Platform, Battle Armour, Chameleon Suit, Combat-Enviro Suit, Force Shield, Gyro Compass, Jet Pack, Medikit(2), Mining Laser, Power Glove, Psi-Helmet, Warp Belt. + Follower(3): Battle Droid, Star Sprites, Symbiote. * PURCHASE CARDS(12): Chain Sword, Combat-Enviro Suit(2), Gyro Compass(2), Jet Pack(2), Mining Laser(2), Power Axe, Psi-Helmet(2). * MISCELLANEOUS: Timescape Board, Timescape Data Sheets(4), Rule Book. Subject: TALISMAN CITY Adds the City board, which replaces the City location on the main board. * CHARACTER CARDS(2): Minotaur, Valkyrie. * SPECIAL CHARACTER CARDS(4): High Mage, King's Champion, Master Thief, Sheriff. * SPELL CARDS(10): Craft, Feeble Mind, Magic Shell, Mini-Vortex, Restoration, Spell Call, Spell Turning, Syphon, Temporary Change, Weakness. * ADVENTURE CARDS(7): + Event(2): River Barge(2). + Event: Law(2): County Patrol(2). + Object(3): Broken Shield, Broken Sword, Damaged Armour. * DUNGEON CARDS(3): + Object(3): Broken Helmet, Broken Shield, Broken Sword. * CITY ADVENTURE CARDS(72): + Event(15): Conscription, Cutpurse, Drunken Revelry, Employment(2), Festival, Gambler, Heretic Priest, Horse Thief(2), Lost!, Market Day, Master Thief, Plague, War!. + Event: Law(10): Corrupt Sheriff, Honest Deputy, Watch(8). + Enemy: Animal(2): Dog Pack, Giant Fly. + Enemy: Monster(7): Bravo, City Rat(2), Drunken Soldier, Militia Man, Press Gang, Thug. + Enemy: Spirit(7): Air Elemental, Earth Elemental, Fire Elemental, Ghoul, Gremlin, Mummy, Water Elemental. + Stranger(10): Baker, Barterer, Beggar(3), Butcher, Grifter, Grumpy Wizard, Salesman, Street Sage. + Object(9): Bag of Gold(4), Broken Helmet, Damaged Armour, Dog, Money Belt, Stiletto. + Follower(7): Dancing Girl, Dragon Master, Druid, Errand Boy, Game Keeper, Urchin(2). + Place(5): Dungeon Door(2), Library, Side Show, Wishing Well. * PURCHASE CARDS(20): Doughnuts(4), Dragon's Bones(4), Full Face Helm, Great Axe, Horse(2), Horse and Cart, Kite Shield(2), Mule(2), Plate Mail, Two-Handed Sword, Warhorse. * MISCELLANEOUS: City Board, Warrant Cards(5), Loan Cards(5), Stands(6), Rule Book. Subject: TALISMAN DRAGON The official board, not David Katleman's "DRAGON'S LAIR". * CHARACTER CARDS(4): Dragon Priest, Dragonrider, Dragon Slayer, Questing Kight * ADVENTURE CARDS(87): + Event(12): Deadly Rivals, Dragon Dawn(2), Dragon Rage(2), Dragon Raid, Dragon Sleep(2), Electrical Storm, Shaman's Bones, Surprise Attack(2) + Enemy: Monster(3): Wyvern(3) + Enemy: Dragon(17): Amber Dragon, Blue Dragon, Cloud Dragon, Dragon's Lair(2), Dragon Prince(3), Emerald Dragon, Frost Dragon, Gold Dragon(2), Mountain Dragon, Red Dragon, Sea Dragon, Shadow Dragon, Storm Dragon + Enemy: (3): Dragon Cultists(3) + Spirit: Dragon(1): Zombie Dragon + Object(6): Dragon Eggs, Dragon's Tears, Lance, Morning Star, Treasure Chest, Wyvern Staff + Magic Object(32): Arcane Scroll, Book of Dragon Lore, Bracelet of Might, Crown of Domination, Dragon Amulet, Dragon Bane, Dragon Blood, Dragonhelm, Dragonscale Shirt, Dragon Skull, Dragonskull Wand, Dragon's Teeth, Dragon Venom, Dragonwing Cape, Exorcist's Blade, Golden Gauntlet, Grimnir's Axe, Healing Potion, Horn of Horror, Magic Arrow, Magic Banner, Magic Harness, Magic Helmet, Magic Mace, Magic Ring, Magic Shield, Magic Tankard, Phoenix Potion, Psionic Wand, Ring of Command, Rod of Dragon Fire, Wand of Terror + Follower(5): Dragon Rider, Dragonet, Dragonslayer, Goblin Fanatic, Storm Giant + Place(8): Alter of Dread, Black Temple, Cave of Bones, Eagle's Lair, Sacrificial Stone, The Great Portal, Treasure Hoard, Wizard's Tower * MISCELLANEOUS: Dragon King, Rule Card, Stands(4) SUBJECT: TALISMAN 2ND EDITION OFFICIAL ANSWERS Date: 4 January 1993 From: 11366ns@hogpa.ho.att.com (Nick Sauer) Nick Sauer (11366ns@hogpa.ho.att.com) send a list of questions to Games Workshop and got back the following answers; they should be considered as official as anything gets until GW publishes another Q&A sheet. * Talisman * Expansion Set * Adventure * Dungeon * Timescape * City * Combat vs Psychic Combat Talisman CHARACTERS 1. Can the Sorceress use her fourth special ability to take a follower that is an Enemy: Monster? (e.g. Could she take a Goblin from the Hobgoblin?) Answer: No SPELLS: 2. Can Mesmerism be used to take a follower that is not normally a follower? Answer: No ADVENTURES: 3. If a Character draws the Raiders while in the Oasis does he get to pick up all of his equipment assuming he doesn't lose his turn and defeats all Enemies in the Space (the Raiders card says that the Character's possessions are placed in the Oasis immediately)? Answer: Yes Expansion Set ADVENTUERS 1. Does the Astral Conjunction stay on the space it was drawn in until it is over (like the Blizzard does)? Answer: Yes 2. Doppleganger 1. When a Character defeats the Doppleganger, does he get to keep him to trade for additional Strength later? Answer: No 2. If you use the Staff of Mastery on the Doppleganger what value is used for its strength in the next Combat you fight? Is it equal to: o a) Your Strength at the time you absorbed it with the Staff. o b) Your opponent's Strength in the next Combat you use it in. Answer: b 3. Does the Patrol return Characters to: + a) Their Starting Space as listed on that Character's Card. + b) The space that they started that Turn from. Answer: a 4. May Taxation be Evaded (as it has a figure on the card)? Answer: No! Adventure CHARACTERS 1. In the first Q&A sheet you specified that the Centaur DOES get to keep Enemies killed with his bow for Strength gains. However, the Samurai, Archeologist, Space Marine, or any Character using the Archer Follower DO NOT get to do this. Does the Centaur get to keep Enemies killed with his bow? Answer: The first Q&A sheet is wrong. The Centaur does not get to keep the enemies for Str. ADVENTURES 2. Familiar + A) How does the Familiar work? Once you give him a life and gain two Craft do you: o a) Immediately draw three spells and choose the one you want. o b) Draw three spells and choose one whenever you gain a Spell? Answer: b + B) In either case, do the two unchosen Spells go to: o a) The discard pile. o b) The top of the Spell Draw Pile. Answer: b 3. If you defeat a Character who owns the Golden Statue do you: + a) Have to take the statue. + b) Take the statue only if you force the other Character to lose a Life. Answer: a Dungeon CARDS: 1. May a Character strike the Gong (and thus place it on the discard pile) even if there are no other Characters on the Dungeon Board? Answer: Yes RULES: 2. When a Character enters the Dungeon he must discard any Horses, Horse and Carts, or Warhorses that he has. Does he: + a) Leave them on the Space that he entered the Dungeon from (as with entering the Timescape). + b) leave them on the Dungeon Entrance Space. + c) Place them on their appropriate discard piles. Answer: a Timescape CHARACTERS: 1. Under the Archeologist's second special ability it says he may add one to his die roll on the Planetfall Space of the Timescape board. Is this supposed to read the Deathworld Space (as you don't roll a die on the Planetfall Space)? Answer: Yes 2. Can the Astronaut replace any of the Objects listed under his first Special Ability if there are none left in the Timescape Purchase Deck? Answer: No 3. If the Scientist uses his second Special Ability to repair the Ancient Artifact does it add four to his Strength in Combat? Answer: Yes CARDS: 4. If a Character defeats all of the Orks, can he keep them for additional Strength (they are an Event)? Answer: No 5. If a Character with equal base Craft and Strength encounters the Sun Worm, does he roll randomly to determine which the Worm attacks (as per the Chinese Dragon)? Answer: Yes 6. A) If a Character encounters the Warp Storm, does the turn that he drew it count as his lost Turn (as per the Talisman rules section 15:4)? B) If not, and he is on Planetfall, does he still get to encounter both Timescape Cards drawn? Answer: He encounters any other cards and misses his next turn. City CHARACTERS: 1. For the Valkyrie's fourth Special Ability, who are human Enemies? Answer: 'Pure-strain' humans only (no orks, elves, etc.). SPECIAL CHARACTERS: 2. If a Character becomes one of the Special Characters does he keep his original Character's Special Abilities as well (it is not explicitly stated whether he does or not in the City rules)? Answer: Yes 3. For the King's Champion's last Special Ability, should Outlaw and Raiders be replaced with Bandits? Answer: Yes 4. Can the Sheriff use his fifth Special Ability, to teleport to any Space in the City: + a) From any other board (e.g. can he teleport from the main board, Dungeon, or Timescape to any Space on the City board). + b) Only while on the City board. Answer: b ADVENTURE CARDS: 5. After the Air Elemental has moved itself and the Character encountering it to one of the two fields Spaces, must the Character then fight a Psychic Combat with it? Answer: Yes 6. + A) If a Character who draws Conscription opts to defeat another Character in Combat and fails to do so (either due to lack of other nearby Characters or he loses the Combat) does he get to choose one of the three remaining options to avoid Conscription? Answer: No + B) If a Character loses three turns, does the Turn that he drew Conscription on count as his first lost Turn (again, as per rule 15:4)? Answer: Yes 7. Will the Cutpurse become a follower of a Character who is the Master Thief? Answer: Yes 8. If a Character uses the Dancing Girl to Evade an encounter does she: + a) Stay on the Space that the Character used her in. + b) Go to the discard pile? Answer: b 9. Should the Dog be a follower rather than an object (like the Dog in the Dungeon Cards)? Answer: Yes 10. + A) If the Dragon Master captures a Dragon for you, does the Dragon increase your carrying capacity to that of the Anti-Grav Platform or Horse and Cart (the Dragon Master's Card seems to imply this)? Answer: Yes + B) Will the Dragon carry a Warhorse? Answer: No!! 11. If a Character with the Druid enters the Timescape, City, or Dungeon does he: + a) Leave the Druid in the Space that he entered from. + b) Is the Druid discarded. Answer: b 12. If the Earth Elemental moves a Character to the Dungeon, must the Character then fight a Psychic Combat with it? Answer: Yes 13. If a Character encounters Employment, does the Turn he drew it on count as his lost Turn (again, as per rule 15:4)? Answer: Yes 14. + A) If a Character loses to the Fire Elemental does he lose any Objects on a Horse and Cart? Answer: Yes + B) If so, does he lose the Horse and Cart, also? Answer: Yes + C) If a Character loses to the Fire Elemental does he lose any Objects on an Anti-Grav Platform? Answer: Yes + D) If so, does he lose the Platform, also? Answer: Yes 15. If you defeat the Gambler, do any unclaimed objects: + a) Stay on the board. + b) Go to their respective discard piles. Answer: b 16. If the Ghoul (Enemy: Monster), taken as a follower by the Ghoul Character, is used in Psychic Combat, and loses, is it placed on the discard pile? Answer: Yes 17. If a Character is Lost, does the Turn he drew it on count as his lost Turn (again, as per rule 15:4)? Answer: Yes 18. If a Character with an Urchin leaves the City, does he: + a) Leave the Urchin in the Space that he left the City from. + b) Discard the Urchin. Answer: b 19. Does War remain on the City Gate for the rest of the game? Answer: Yes 20. + A) Will the Watch arrest a Toad (for having no Gold)? Answer: No + B) Similarly, if a Character is turned into a Toad while in the City does he have to draw for the Watch at the end of each of his Turns as a Toad (for having no Gold)? Answer: No 21. If a Character loses to the Water Elemental, does he: + a) Choose which follower to lose. + b) Roll randomly. Answer: b BOARD: 22. When a Character uses the Enchantress Space to enter the Timescape, does he: + a) Roll two dice under his starting quota of Craft and Strength (as per the Timescape rules). + b) Roll two dice under his current quota of Strength and Craft (as stated on the Space)? Answer: b RULES: 23. Can a Toad rob the Bank? Answer: No!!! 24. As the rules are currently written, a Character with a Warrant does not have to draw for the Watch at the end of his Turn while in the City (having a Warrant does not violate any of the statutes of the City). Is this correct? Answer: Yes it is. Breaking the law causes a 'hue & cry' which may bring the watch. Simply carrying a warrant will not (though you may encounter them normally). 25. If a Character with a Warrant is defeated by another Character in Combat, that Character can opt to move the defeated Character to the Donjon Space on the City board. Does this work: + a) While Characters are on the City board, only. + b) While Characters are on the Dungeon or main board, also. Answer: a 26. If a Character rolls poorly for judgement, and is forced to make an escape, does he still retain his Warrant even though he rolled for judgement? Answer: Yes 27. + A) If a Character draws a Horse, Warhorse, or Horse and Cart from the Adventure Deck, does he replace it with the appropriate Purchase Card (as per rule 20:1)? Answer: Yes + B) If this is the case, does any Character who draws an Adventure Card of an item that is not currently in the Purchase Deck get nothing? Answer: Yes 28. Finally, when a Character enters a City location he must leave any Mules, Horses, Horse and Carts, Warhorses, or Dragons on the Street Space outside of the location. On his next Turn may the Character: + a) Move back to that Space automatically and reclain his Objects (as a person with the Horse may reclaim followers). + b) Must he roll for movement normally. Answer: a SUBJECT: COMBAT VS PSYCHIC COMBAT From: sh666@selway.umt.edu (Scott Hensley) Date: 27 October 1993 During a debate on whether the term "Combat" (sometimes) included "Psychic Combat", Scott reported: I wrote GW about his very exact same question (the 'Combat', 'Psychic Combat' distinction). Their reply was as follows... 'Combat always refers to Strength based combats... Psychic Combat always refers to fights using Craft. They should never be mistaken.' SUBJECT: TALISMAN 2ND EDITION HOUSE RULES "House Rules" means none of these are official - use the ones you like, drop the ones you don't. Sometimes these are "interpretations" of the official rules in places where the official ones were ambiguous (or at least non-obvious). A rule marked "Heli N" is the N'th rule from Rick Heli's gaming group's FAQ (Rick.Heli@Eng.Sun.COM), the April 6 1992 edition. One marked "Mill N" is the N'th rule from The Mill Gaming Dudes' house rules (contributed by Ned Utzig ). Several contributions came from Howard Kim (hkim@cs.cornell.edu) in the summer of 1993, with the aid of Sten Drescher (smd@floyd.brooks.af.mil), Doug Gibson (doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu), Kurt Grossman (KurtG@yang.earlham.edu), Dave Katleman (katleman@corp.sun.com), Jay Lorch (lorch@cs.berkeley.edu), and Petri.Maaninen (Petri.Maaninen@hut.fi). * Principles for resolving issues ("meta" house rules) * Talisman "Dragon's Lair" expansion set * Tournament Rules * Cycling through spells * The Amazing Warp Belt Trick * The Ninja's Secret Attack * The Warhorse and charging into combat * Centaur * Warrior of Chaos * Followers * Priest * The Bandit * Spell casting restrictions * Amulet * Order of encounters * Witch Doctor's curse * Genie * Ghoul * Events left on the board * the Idol * "before rolling the die for movement" * Attacking strangers * Staff of Mastery * The Demon Lord * Dragon King * Magic Pouch * Supernova * Loans * The Town Square * Entering the City * Leaving animals at the Stable * City offices * Dungeon doors * The Watch * Anarchist's Guild * Leaving the City * Dancing Girl * Ninja versus Knight * Isn't it too easy to become the High Mage? * When you leave the Donjon, where do you go? * Crown of Command * Multi-creature cards * Doppelganger * Losing lives to creatures with special attacks * Questing Knight * Characters adapted to the City board * The Horse * Teleporting in/out of the City * The Siren * Snake Pit * Great Portal * The Sentinel * Strengthening monsters * Enemies that Move * The Zulu * The Familiar and Extra Spells * Unwanted followers Subject: Principles for resolving issues ("meta" house rules) From: dalamb@qucis.queensu.ca (David Lamb) Date: 27 October 1993 Having been involved in a few Talisman rules arguments lately, I thought I'd propose some guidelines for helping resolve such disputes. 1. Be clear about whether the argument is about resolving an ambiguity in the "official" rules, or about defining a new "house" rule. 1. If you're resolving an "official" rule, then the rules as written are definitive (including the official answers in the previous section). Check the official rules! Arguing from memory, or from your own group's house rules, is probably counterproductive. 2. If you're defining a "house rule" it makes sense to point out that it contradicts an "official" rule if the other party doesn't seem to know about the official rule, but once it's clear they don't like the official rule and are trying to define a house rule, harping about the official rules is pointless. 2. Combat vs Psychic Combat. A lot of people, including me, tend to think of "Combat" as being generic for both "(Strength) Combat or Psychic Combat". Psychologists and sociologists will tell you about "marked" versus "unmarked" terms and point out there'd be fewer misinterpretations if the "unmarked" term "Combat" meant both kinds, and there were 2 marks, e.g. Strength/Craft, or Normal/Psychic, for distinguishing the two forms of combat. Unfortunately that does not appear to be what Games Workshop chose to do: Combat, unmarked, means combat with Strength. "Combat or Psychic Combat" is what they say when they mean the combat in the generic sense. So: if a rule or card says Combat, unadorned, it means exactly "Combat based on strength". Thus for example we can deduce: 1. Armour doesn't protect against losing a life in psychic combat. 2. A creature you "save" to use in the next "combat" can only be used in the next strength-based combat. 3. The astropath can evade Combat, but not Psychic Combat. Of course, you can always reject this "meta house rule" and substitute one that lets "combat" include "psychic combat" whenever you feel like it - but bear in mind it's just that, a house rule. 3. Any rule change that increases the power of spell-cyclers (those who "always have K spells") is probably "wrong" (meaning "makes the game less fun for most players"). Subject: Talisman "Dragon's Lair" expansion set From: David.Katleman@Corp.Sun.COM (David Katleman) Date: Thu 29 July 1993 While waiting for the official Dragons release, David Katleman developed a "Dragon's Lair" expansion set; contact him directly at the above address if you want a copy. Basically, the Dragon Adventure deck cards are now considered the entrance to the Dragon's lair and are considered places. The expansion is still in a Alpha, maybe Beta test state. Subject: Tournament Rules From: bl375@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Brian G. Greenberg) Date: 27 October 1993 Since the game can be very unbalanced, my group runs a tournament. We have five in our group and we deal out nine characters to each of us. We keep these characters hidden from each other. (We write them down and have my mom initial the peice of paper). We do not allow a character to have more that one spell caster. If this happens those without one may bid as to how many characters to show the person with the extra spell caster and let that person choose two of the shown. Then we play six games. Whoever wins the most is the Champ. If there is a tie there is a tie breaker game. A player who uses all nine characters is then allowed to draw two from those not chosen; the other players choose which one to play. The only time the High Mage is in the game is if two or more spell casters are played in a game or if a six is rolled on one die before the game (after characters are picked.) Because we think the Dragon King (from Dragons expansion) is too easy to beat, we use the alternate endings. Once one is picked it cannot be picked again until the fifth game, when we recycle them. Because the Great Portal and the Cave of Dragon Bones can be very cheap wins (a character may not have enough natural strength to get past the crypt), we only allow each player to use either of these once. Subject: Cycling through spells Date: 11 March 1993 Characters who "always have a spell" can really take over, since so many of the spells can be cast "when needed" (that is, just about any time). So they can cast a lot of spells on their own turn, then cast a lot more on the next person's, and so on. How can we fix this without being too unfair to the spell cyclers? 1. (GW in Talisman City): cast spells only on your own turn, except for defensive spells 2. (GW in Talisman City): cast only one spell "at a time" [DAL - it's unclear what they mean by this, but presumably either "one spell per turn" such as one on your own turn, one on the next person's, and so on] 3. [LondonTowne Gaming Gang]: Make "always have N spells" true only at the start and end of the spell caster's own turn, at which time the caster can freely discard spells, then draw enough to have N spells. 4. [Jeremy Gates ] To cast a spell it must be able to take effect (eg. Heal - subject must be not fully healed). Secondly the player can only get his new spells via the "always have a spell" at the start of his turn. Aside: in the "standard" rules the only way to get rid of a spell is to 1. cast it 2. discard it if you acquire more spells than your limit. So a spell-cycler can get "trapped" with an uncastable spell (e.g. counterspell, if no one ever casts a spell on the cycler). Subject: The Amazing Warp Belt Trick From: KURTG@EARLHAM.BITNET Date: 20 October 1994 If you have the Warp Belt, or if you are the Astropath, you can choose to follow the Red line from the Negative Zone to the Time Loop, returning to "the space you came from" - where you draw another Timescape card. This lets you get all the treasure fromthe Timescape Deck! 1. Do nothing. It's not necessarily so bad if you do this with the Warp Belt, since you also cycle through all the Monsters in the Timescape deck, such as the Str 12 Behmoth or Cra 12 Space Vampire. The Astropath, on the other hand, gets a 2/3 chance to Evade the Behemoth (though not the Vampire), and doesn't even need to find the Belt, so he's even worse. 2. Limit people to a small number of loops, e.g once. Thereafter they roll normally for what path to follow. Subject: The Ninja's Secret Attack Date: 11 March 1993 From: KURTG@EARLHAM.BITNET Can the Ninja make a Secret Attack in an endgame where you have to fight, such as against the Dragon King? 1. No. It says against an upturned Enemy card or player; several of GW's Q&A items show they mean Enemy to refer to cards with the word Enemy on them, and not fixed monsters like the Sentinel, the Spirit at the crags, the Brigand in the forest, the Warp Demon, and so on. Subject: The Warhorse and charging into combat Date: 11 March 1993 From: wrr3118@tamsun.tamu.edu (Rick Russell) The Talisman Rules and Q&A state that the Warhorse allows you to add your Craft to your Strength for *any* combat in which you would normally use Strength. Hence, the Warhorse is exactly equivalent to the Monk's special ability and the spell Psionic Blast. For a measly price of 5G in the City, or for free if you pick it out of the Adventure Deck, the Warhorse seems like an inordinately powerful object. The Warhorse will allow most Strength 2 and 3 characters to take on Dragons and Giants with ease, given a sword and a spot of good luck. Later in the game, characters fortunate enough to have a Warhorse become extremely powerful. In a 2 player game, this is practically a ticket to the Crown of Command. 1. Note the rules and Q&A sheet for some standard limitations: If the owner of the Warhorse loses a life in combat, the Warhorse is lost instead. The Warhorse may not be used more than once per combat round; this is important when the character using the Warhorse is fighting the Pit Fiends, Zombies or characters who have the ability to fight or re-fight a second round of combat. 2. The Warhorse *only* allows you to add your Craft to your Strength when you land on/encounter a face-up Adventure Card or Character. When you are attacked, the Warhorse is useless (i.e. you don't have the opportunity to charge). Comment: This rule is good on the face of it, but has some problems. In the center of the board, the *second* character to enter the Crown of Command space will get to charge, and on their attack they can steal their opponent's Warhorse. The first character is dead meat. If the character at the center gets the Belt of Hercules, then they can do the same thing by teleporting on top of another character. 3. The Warhorse works as originally specified, but you may *only* take Life away from your opponent, not Gold or Objects. Comment: Makes a certain amount of sense, since it would be difficult to use a Warhorse for subdual combat. It still allows low-strength high-craft characters to kick the rear out of dragons and such, which doesn't seem sensible. Instant strength for weak characters. 4. The Warhorse adds a random Charge Bonus (1d6) to your Strength in every standard Combat, whether you attack or are attacked. Instead of rolling one die and adding to your Strength, you roll two dice. Comment: Easy to implement, simple to understand. On average, the Warhorse will provide a Strength bonus of 3 or 4 at a cost of 5G, slightly better than two-handed weapons at a cost of 4G. About the same as the Mercenary. Provides no guarantee of easy success in a given situation. 5. Same as (4), and in addition the Warhorse will not necessarily be killed by attacks which would normally take a Life. The player has the option of allowing the Warhorse to be killed instead of losing a Life in Combat. Comment: My personal favorite. Since the Warhorse no longer provides a constant Strength bonus in combat, it seems unfair to kill it anytime the Character loses a combat while using the Warhorse. 6. Same as (4) or (5), but the Warhorse only provides a bonus if the Character encounters/lands on a face up Adventure Card or character. Comment: Another sensible variation of (3) and (4). 7. By itself, the Warhorse provides adds 1 to your Strength in Combat, and it may be combined with any normal weapons (Axe, Sword, etc) and Armor. A new weapon is introduced into the game: The Lance. The Lance may be purchased at the City Armoury for 3 gold. It is a one-handed weapon which adds 1 to your Strength while in Combat. When the Lance is used with a Warhorse in Combat, both items used together provide a net bonus of +4 to your Strength. When used *against* a Character with a Warhorse, the Lance provides a +2 bonus to your Strength in Combat (then you might call it a Polearm). The Holy Lance works just like a normal lance, except that it is adds 3 to your Strength in Combat with Enemy-Dragons and when combined with the Warhorse provides a net bonus of +6 to your Strength in Combat against Enemy-Dragons. Comment: It would require printing up some new Purchase cards, but otherwise it's a really neat idea. I haven't playtested anything, so I don't know if it's a well-balanced solution. 8. [jjohnson@ccscola.Columbia.NCR.COM (Jeffrey H. Johnson)] Tone it down by: 1. It adds your craft or 6, whichever is less. 2. You may only use it against face-up cards and characters you land upon. 3. You may not use it against foes that you land upon via teleport, etc. This addresses most of the problems save the Crown of Command. We play that you can only take items which you can use, and since you can't use two warhorses, you can't charge someone already on the center space AND take his warhorse. You only get the charge when you enter the space. Subject: Centaur Date: 26 Oct 1993 What "plains" space does the Centaur start in? Answer Player's choice. Can the centaur use his +2 movement in the dungeon? Answer No Can he "outrun" his followers, as does someone using the Horse? Answer Yes, but he can return to them next move, as with the Horse Can he ride a horse or warhorse? Answer No (this being an extension of the Q&A that suggested reasonable limits on how big an object the Mule might carry) Subject: Warrior of Chaos Date: 12 July 1993 If the Warrior of Chaos is turned Good, e.g. by the Mystic, can he still corrupt other characters to Evil? Answer Yes; whenever possible, it's simplest to assume 'change of alingment' has no effect on special abilities. The Chaos Gift ability is very powerful; to tone it down, make the Warrior first pass a roll of 2D6 >= the characteristic just used in combat. Subject: Followers Date: 27 October 1993 [Heli 1] The Minstrel may have an unlimited number of animal followers. [Heli 12] Creatures turned into Followers via special abilities (e.g., the Minstrel's Animal, Ghoul's undead, etc.) can be stolen like any other Followers (e.g., via Mesmerism or the Sorceress' special ability), but these followers are left face up in the space where the former owner is. [Heli 23] The Mercenary, Man-at-Arms and any other followers who add Strength do not count when firing a bow at an Enemy or another character. Followers cannot use objects (although the Porter can carry some). Followers that "add to strength" (e.g. Unicorn) count when opening the Portal of Power and Crypt. Those that "add to strength in Combat" don't count. (And similarly for "add to craft" and the Mines). Subject: Priest [Heli 2] Date: 6 April 1992 The Priest, when he automatically destroys a Spirit in the space he lands in, does not count it as an encounter; he encounters the space as normal. The Priest has a starting Craft of 6. When the Priest is of Good alignment and is visited by the Angel, instead of the normal benefits of the card, he may choose to receive either two Strength, two Craft or a teleport to any space in the same region. Subject: The Bandit [Heli 3] Date: 6 April 1992 When gold is surrendered to the Bandit, it remains there until recovered by the character who defeats the Bandit. If the Bandit card is destroyed with the Destruction spell, the gold is destroyed also. Subject: Spell casting restrictions Date: 6 April 1992 [Heli 4]: The following spells cannot be played unless they are the first spell cast by the player in a given turn: Acquisition, Barrier, Craft, Destruction, Fireball, Mesmerism, Misdirection, Random, Teleport, Temporal Warp [Heli 7]: The Counterspell, Reflection Spell and Spell Turning must be played immediately after the spell is played and before any other activity occurs. A Counterspell, Reflection Spell and Spell Turning may not be used to counter a spell cast by the same player. [Heli 9]: The Immobility and Destroy Magic Spells may be used to prevent casting of the Command Spell. In addition, a Character at the Crown of Command may not the cast the Command Spell if currently a Toad. You need to decide on a house rule for whether Destruction can remove an Event. Some groups play yes, others no. Destruction can remove "any card on the board". So it can't destroy possessions that are off the board, on the character's sheet. We don't know why the Amulet says Destruction cannot be cast on the holder. W.D. Bradford's group (wdb1000@cus.cam.ac.uk) allows Destruction to apply to any card in play, including those in characters' possession. However, this strengthens spellcasters, whom many believe to be too powerful already. Subject: Amulet [Heli 5] Date: 25 March 1993 The Amulet protects the owning player from the following spells: 1. those listed on the Amulet card. 2. the following from Talisman City: Craft, Feeble Mind, Magic Shell, Mini-Vortex, Restoration, Spell Call, Spell Turning, Syphon, Temporary Change, Weakness Subject: Order of encounters [Heli 6] Date: 6 April 1992 When encountering Adventure Cards bearing the same number, the player decides the order in which he will enounter them. Subject: Witch Doctor's curse [Heli 8] Date: 6 April 1992 When cursed by the Witch Doctor, the cursed player must move so as never to end his move further from than his destination than he started. If he overshoots the target, he must overshoot the minimum possible distance, i. e. may not use horse, boots or other means to increase movement. The player remains cursed until he lands directly on the Chapel (or Ruins if evil). Subject: Genie [Heli 10] Date: 6 April 1992 The Genie is not a Player; hence its spell is not affected by the Magical Vortex. Likewise, the Prophetess does not get to see the spell (unless she owns the Genie, of course), and it cannot be stolen by Mindsteal or Nullify. Subject: Ghoul [Heli 11] Date: 6 April 1992 The Ghoul decides in which Combat to use any of his zombie Followers. That is, they do not automatically fight in the next combat. Also, the Ghoul can NOT raise defeated Spirits (for feeding to the Vampire, say). Subject: Events left on the board [Heli 13] Date: 6 April 1992 Note that some Events (Astral Conjunction, Blizzard, etc.) count, until they expire, toward the total number of cards on a Draw Cards space. This does not apply to Spells such as Hex and Barrier. Subject: the Idol [Heli 14] Date: 6 April 1992 If enslaved by the Idol, you re-encounter the space with whatever effects that implies. Subject: "before rolling the die for movement" [Heli 15] Date: 6 April 1992 Whenever an instruction says you may (or must) do something "before rolling the die for movement", interpret it to mean that the action takes place just before the Movement phase of the turn, regardless of whether you actually roll the die. Thus, for example, you can cast Destroy Magic during the Blizzard. Subject: Attacking strangers [Heli 16] Date: 6 April 1992 Despite what the character or adventure cards may say, Strangers may not be killed by bow and arrow. The GW Q&A sheet says no one can ever attack strangers. Subject: Staff of Mastery Date: 20 October 1994 [Heli 17]: When a player loses the Staff of Mastery, the Enemy under control reverts to normal and is placed in the current space. [Heli 18]: Neither the Demon Lord nor the Dragon King may be mastered with the Staff of Mastery. An enslaved Enemy gets used in the next combat in which it could participate; thus a Strength monster doesn't get discarded after a Psychic Combat. Subject: The Demon Lord Date: 25 October 1993 The Demon Lord may not be automatically defeated with the Cross or with the Priest's Special Ability, or anything else that automatically defeats other spirits. [Heli 19, Mill 4] If the Demon Lord slays a character, what happens to their possessions? 1. [impliction of normal "fight first, pick up cards after" rule]: Discard all such possessions; there's no way for anyone to pick them up until they've defeated the D.L and thus won the game. 2. Let the next character to reach the Crown of Command space pick up the items before fighting the D.L. Subject: Dragon King Date: 17 June 1993 [Mill 4] Characters, Magical Items / followers, etc. that automatically defeat Dragons do not defeat the Dragon King. Items that add plusses for Dragons still apply, however. Thus for example [Heli 20] the Holy Lance does add 3 to the Strength of its user when fighting the Dragon King. [Mill 6] If the Dragon King decides to eat one of your followers and you have none, you lose a life instead. Subject: Magic Pouch [Heli 22] Date: 6 April 1992 The Magic Pouch may only contain 1 object. It may not contain aggregate objects, e. g. the Horse and Cart. Objects in the Pouch may not be used, they are in the Pouch. To put something into the Pouch or take something out is a transfer. Only one transfer is allowed per turn. When it is carrying another object, the Magic Pouch does not count against object carrying limits. Subject: Supernova [Heli 24] Date: 6 April 1992 The Supernova causes the character to advance along the blue warp line, not the red as stated on the card. Subject: Loans Date: 6 April 1992 [Heli 25]: Leaving the City (regardless of method) without repaying an outstanding loan causes the character to be turned into a toad. The Loan card is removed from the game. [Heli 34]: The Bank will loan out money only to the extent of its loan cards; when these are all out, no further loans are available. Subject: The Town Square [Heli 26] Date: 6 April 1992 If simply landing in the Town Square, draw one City card unless there is one there already. Subject: Entering the City Date: 6 April 1992 [Heli 27] Do not count weapons in your strength total when wrestling with the guard to obtain entry to the City. You may still count items such as the Potion and Magic Belt which confer basic strength, however. [Heli 39] When bribing the guard to enter the city, a roll of 6 means that entry is denied. Subject: Leaving animals at the Stable [Heli 28] Date: 6 April 1992 Other players may not pick up animals which you leave at the stable. If your character dies, discard any cards left at the stable. Subject: City offices Date: 6 April 1992 [Heli 29]: A single character may only hold one of the City offices (High Mage, Sheriff, Champion, Master Thief) at a time. [Heli 31]: The Sheriff and the Champion may disregard any pre-existing Warrants upon taking office, but may still not discard these Warrants in the event that they later lose the position. [Heli 32] When your character holds a City office, this becomes the character's new alignment for all purposes until something (Mephisto, Mystic, Anarchist's Guild, Temporary Change) causes that alignment to change. Even if the character loses the office, he still retains the current alignment. Subject: Dungeon doors [Heli 33] Date: 6 April 1992 The new dungeon door cards in the City card deck still count against the maximum two dungeon door cards which may be visible at any one time. Subject: The Watch Date: 6 April 1992 [Heli 35] The Market Day card in the City deck allows trading of items between players just as the Market Day card in the Adventure Deck does. Note however that Trading is deemed illegal in the City (without a license); thus, characters currently in the City who trade must thereafter draw a City card to check for the Watch. If you have multiple offences in the same turn (e.g. fighting and being a Troll), you only draw once for the Watch. If you fight the watch, you draw again for the new fight, though. Subject: Anarchist's Guild [Heli 36] Date: 6 April 1992 The Anarchist's Guild automatically changes the alignment of any character using its services to Neutral. Subject: Leaving the City [Heli 38] Date: 6 April 1992 When you are taken to the City Gate as a result of Judgement, you are not allowed to retrieve your animals from the stables. Subject: Dancing Girl [Heli 40] Date: 6 April 1992 The Dancing Girl can be used on human enemies only. Subject: Ninja versus Knight [Heli 43] Date: 6 April 1992 When the Ninja fights the Knight, whoever initiated the attack has his power take precedence. Subject: Isn't it too easy to become the High Mage? Date: 11 March 1993 1. [Heli 41] To become the High Mage, in addition to turning in a magic object, the player must roll his Craft or less on two dice. If successful, he becomes the High Mage. If unsuccessful, he must still discard the Magic Object. 2. [LondonTowne Gaming Gang] Donate N magic objects, then roll D6 less than or equal to the number of object donated. You can donate several objects at once, but can only make one roll per turn. If you fail you can come back later and donate more, counting both the old and the new donations toward the number you must roll. Subject: When you leave the Donjon, where do you go? Date: 12 July 1993 When escaping from the Donjon, or when found not guilty: 1. [Heli 37] Roll a die for movement in the subsequent turn as normal, counting the Royal Castle as the first space entered. 2. Start in Imperial Avenue, and assume your horses (if any) have been left there (if you didn't leave them at the stable already). 3. When escaping (only), start in any square adjacent to the Donjon (you're escaping, after all). Subject: Crown of Command From: utzig@mast.enet.dec.com Date: 17 June 1993 [Mill 1] The Crown of Command spell affects ALL players when cast, not a single player. (text on the C-of-C conflicts w/ the rulebook..) [Mill 2] Loss of life from the Crown of Command Spell cannot be prevented by items such as shields, armour, helmets, etc. Counter-spells may negate the C of C spell, however. Subject: Multi-creature cards Date: 25 October 1993 If you fight an Enemy that consists of several creatures that you must fight in sequence (e.g. Band of Zombies), if you defeat a few before they kill you, the next time someone lands on that card, the Band is back to full strength. Subject: Doppelganger Date: 25 October 1993 Fighting the Doppelganger seems always to be a straight roll-off of D6's, since the card says you fight with the same TOTAL strength, including strength from weapons, followers, potions, and so on. Things that "add craft to strength", e.g. Warhorse or Monk's ability, don't get around this - they add to your strength, and thus the D. gets the same total strength as you. The one exception *might* be the special ability that "subtracts your craft from your opponent's strength" which is phrased not to change your own strength, but many people regard that the D's ability overrides even that. You can't save the D. for strength (see official answers from GW). If the D. shows up on the same square as another tough creature, so that you get to fight "yourself" at big minuses, the best hope is to attack the Doppelganger with a missile weapon or Fireball from a different hex. Subject: Losing lives to creatures with special attacks Date: 27 October 1993 If a moster, such as the Air Elemental, does something special, such as taking you out of the city, when it defeats you, does it *also* drains a life first? 1. In the case of the Air Elemental, there's an official answer: if it takes you out of the City, you then fight a normal Psychic Combat (and similarly for the Earth Elemental). 2. For other cases, take your pick of interpretations: 1. Yes. The only exceptions are creatures whose descriptions say "instead of taking a life". 2. No. It only has the effect stated on the card. Subject: Questing Knight Date: 25 October 1993 Why should the QN start the game with Helmet, Shield, and Armour, since you can only use one of the three, presumably Armour, in any one combat (question 5 in the Q&A). 1. Treat it as another special ability, letting him use each in turn. 2. Treat the Helmet and Shield as Alchemist fodder. 3. Treat the Helmet and Shield as spares, in case someone steals the Armour. Subject: Characters adapted to the City board Date: 26 October 1993 From: hkim@cs.cornell.edu (Howard Kim) and Kurt Grossman. The Thief description dates from before the City expansion. How should he steal from shops in the city? 1. Take an object at random [straightforward extension of Thief card] 2. [variant of Master Thief] Roll D6: + 1-2: Successful, take an item of choice. + 3-4: Successful, take a random item. + 5-6: Failure, lose 1 life. The Merchant can trade with shops in the city. The Inquisitor's victim automatically goes to the Donjon; the Inquisitor's power supersedes the "judgement" that normally happens at the Donjon. Subject: The Horse Date: 26 October 1993 From: hkim@cs.cornell.edu (Howard Kim) The horse can "outrun" followers. Does this apply to the Hag, Jester, and Poltergeist? 1. No. These can never be outrun. 2. Yes. 3. Yes to the hag and jester, no to the Poltergeist. The Poltergeist prevents you from moving +3 with a Horse, so prevents outrunning. If the player uses the +3 movement, then he/she leaves his/her followers behind unless they have horses. Certain followers like the unicorn do not seem to be logical candidates as horse riders. Should these followers have to have a horse to follow a player w/ a horse? 1. Strict interpretation of the rules says they can't follow. 2. A house rule can say these followers need not have a horse: Unicorn, Familiar, Spirits, and Animals. Subject: Teleporting in/out of the City Date: 26 October 1993 From: hkim@cs.cornell.edu (Howard Kim) Since spellcasting is illegal in the city, is teleporting in/out illegal? 1. Draw to see if you get a Law card when you teleport in, but not out. [Kurt Grossman, Petri Maaninen] 2. Neither is illegal. For "out" you're not in the city at the time you would draw, and for "in" you weren't in the city when you cast the spell. Subject: The Siren Date: 27 October 1993 Non-human characters generally appear to be immune to the Siren. Non-human characters added in expansions usually list "immune to Siren" as a special ability. If you're creating a nonhuman character, think about whether they should be immune. One exception appears to be the Sprite. Consistency might suggest making her immune - but she's already quite powerful, and doesn't need to get any better! Subject: Snake Pit Date: 26 October 1993 From: hkim@cs.cornell.edu (Howard Kim) The snake pit only stops those who land on it; it doesn't stop players passing it. Subject: Great Portal Date: 20 October 1994 May a character drink the Dragon Blood (lose one life, but double your strength for one turn) and then attempt to open the Brian> Great Portal and defeat the Dragon King? Answer: Yes; fighting the Dragon King is immediate after moving through the Great Portal, so is still on the same term. Subject: The Sentinel Date: 20 October 1994 If a player attempts to pass the Sentinal and does not beat him it says that he remains on the space. Does he encounter the space? i.e. Pick a card if there is not one already there or fight an existing card? 1. No. You already made a choice as to which aspect of the space you were encountering, and decided on the sentinel. 2. Yes. You would encounter the space at the end of your move if you won, so why not encounter the sentinel space if you lose? Subject: Strengthening monsters Date: 20 October 1994 From: wdb1000@cus.cam.ac.uk (W.D. Bradford) Monsters quickly cease to be a threat to strong characters. We've tried a number of ways to reverse this such as Double Strength Talisman, +1d6 Talisman, and the following scheme: When a monster/animal/dragon/spirit/alien is encountered, roll 1d6 and consul the table below: 1. Strength/craft halved (round up) 2. Strength/craft doubled 3. Strength/craft as normal 4. Strength/craft normal + 1d6 5. Strength/craft at least equal to yours (i.e doppelganger if weaker, normal if stronger) 6. Strength/craft at most equal to yours (i.e doppelganger if stronger, normal if weaker) In all cases the normal strength value applies when enemies are kept for strength. If 1 and 6 seem too wimpy, then instead rolls of 1-3 can indicate normal strength, while 4,5,6 indicate +1d6, double, and "at least" respectively. This type of system really makes the early stage of the game tense - boars and apes are no longer "breakfast" and dragons can be truly terrifying! Even at the end of the game any enemy potentially poses a serious threat, and you never get to the point where picking up Adventure cards becomes a tedious (and pointless) chore. Subject: Enemies that Move Date: 20 October 1994 Enemies that move after combat, such as the Berserker and Vampire Bats, don't encounter the character(s) they land on. Subject: The Zulu Date: 20 October 1994 If the Zulu routs a character, the character does not encounter the space to which s/he is routed (by analogy with the Satyr's panic). Subject: The Familiar and Extra Spells Date: 20 October 1994 If the Philosopher has the Familiar as a follower, how many spell cards does he draw before deciding which one he wants? 1. 4. His special ability gives +1 and the Familiar's gives +2, for a total of +3. 2. 3. This is the maximum of his own ability and the Familiar's. What happens to the extra cards? 1. There's an official answer: the top of the spell draw pile. 2. Some people play that you discard them. Subject: Unwanted followers Date: 20 October 1994 Several mechanisms let you get rid of normal followers: you can outrun them with the horse, the Dark Elf can drain their lives, the Saracen can enslave them. Do these apply to the "unwanted" followers: hag, jester, poltergeist? * The horse was handled above: you can choose whatever rule you like. * No; these uses of special abilities would make those characters immune to the unwanted followers. SUBJECT: TALISMAN 2ND EDITION HINTS, SUGGESTIONS, AND STRATEGIES This page gives hints, suggestions, and strategies for playing particular Talisman characters. In particular it covers: * Are some characters more powerful than others? * Dwarf * Abusive Combinations * Scout Subject: Are some characters more powerful than others? Date: 11 March 1993 Some people don't think so - in that every character *can* win, luck being such a big part of the game. It certainly seems that for most characters, by the end of the game it's the "stuff" you've acquired during the game (objects, followers, extra strength and craft) that matter, not your special abilities (except possibly for spell-cycling ("always have a spell"), which seems very powerful). Others think there's a definite split between "strong" and "wimpy" characters. The LondonTowne Gaming Gang splits characters into the Tough and Wimp decks, and lets each player choose one of 3 randomly-dealt Tough characters, with the option of choosing any character from the Wimp deck. Their Tough characters include: Amazon, Astronaut, Astropath, Centaur, Chainsaw Warrior, Cyborg, Dark Elf, Elf, Gypsy, Gladiator, Highlander, Knight, Leprechaun, Monk, Ninja, Philosopher, Prophetess, Soldier, Sprite, Swashbuckler, Swordsman, Troll, Valkyrie, Warrior, Warrior of Chaos, Wizard, Woodsman, Zulu. Rick Heli's group rates the characters as follows: Weak: Amazon, Druid, Ghoul, Halfling, Highlander, Hobgoblin, Martial Artist, Minstrel*+, Orc, Pilgrim, Pirate, Priest+, Ranger, Samurai, Satyr, Thief*, Warrior Average: Archaeologist, Assassin, Astronaut, Barbarian, Centaur, Chemist[H], Collector[H], Conjurer, Cyborg, Dark Elf, Dragonlord[H], Dwarf, Elf, Gladiator, Inquisitor, Leprechaun, Merchant*, Minotaur, Necromancer, Ninja, Rogue*, Saracen, Scientist, Scout, Soldier, Space Marine, Space Pirate, Sprite, Spy, Swashbuckler, Swordsman, Torturer[H], Warrior of Chaos, Witch Doctor, Woodsman, Zulu Powerful: Astropath, Chainsaw Warrior, Gipsy, Knight*, Mechanician[H], Monk, Philosopher, Prophetess, Sage[H], Sorceress*, Troll, Valkyrie, Wizard * means becomes more powerful with more players + means becomes more powerful with additional rules (Heli's rules for these particular characters; see previous sections). [H] is a special character invented by Rick Heli's group; for details, contact Rick.Heli@eng.sun.com. Subject: Dwarf Date: 11 March 1993 The dwarf seems weak to some people, but, if he is lucky enough to gain an extra few points of craft before others get very powerful, can try for a quick win via the Craft route because of his Special Abilities 4 and 5. Subject: Abusive Combinations From: jdean@nmsu.edu (Jonathan Dean), gitzlaff@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Jim Gitzlaff), bl375@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Brian G. Greenberg) Date: 23 Jun 1993 15:44:59 GMT Sometimes characters get one or two cards that make them nearly invincible or untouchable. For example: 1. The Ghoul with the Runesword. The Ghoul will gain a life at the end of almost every combat. 2. The Valkyrie with the Champion. If the Valkyrie does want to fight she puts forth the Champion. If he dies then she picks him up as a follower again. Thus, she does not need to fight any non-psychic battle. 3. The Astropath with a chameleon suit. If the Astropaths inate ability to evade fails then it has the chameleon suit to fall back on. 4. The Conjurer High-Mage. Always has two spells and can discard one spell while casting another. Eventually he will get the Finger of Death spell. "I cast Finger of Death at you and throw away Alchemy." We limited him to casting one Finger of Death per encounter... 5. The Sprite (or other always-has-a-spell character) with the Familiar. Minimum of two spells at all times, and gets to examine the top three (!) each time one is cast. Limit them a bit by placing the 2 unclaimed spells back on the unused pile, not the discard. 6. The Scientist with the Ancient Artifact. Actually, this seems to be part of his design. He'd get +4 in every combat - but starts off quite weak. It may not be necessasry to "tone down" these combinations. Particular cards "will appear eventually" only if the game goes on for a long time or there are a lot of players - there are a *lot* of adventure cards if you have all the expansions (275 according to numbers in the FAQ). If they occur very late, other characters may have already become quite powerful before the "abusive" one gets this chance. Also there may well be some way to take the object or follower away - Mesmerism, theft, defeating the character in combat or psychic combat. Subject: Scout Date: 20 October 1994 From: David Wildstrom Hide both dungeon doors, and whenever a stream of life, magic stream, or fountain of wisdom pops up, hide it. You can get all the strength, wisdom, or life from the waterays to yourself, and you have your own little "hideaway" (the dungeon). You need the hideaway because as soon as you start hiding things, the other players are going to focus all their abilities on killing you. SUBJECT: NEW CHARACTERS The following are character descriptions submitted by people from the Net. Some contributors have asserted claimed copyright, noted in the individual entries, but have given permision for this work to be included in the FAQ. Playtester comments are not included in the copyright. * Hero character * Robot character * Sentinel character * Space Knight character * Space Ork character * Timelord character Subject: Hero character Copyright: 1993 Nick Sauer (11366ns@hogpa.ho.att.com) Date: 25 Oct 1993 Updated because of playtesting information from Kurt Grossman. Start:Vortex Alignment:Good Str:4 Cra:3 1. You start the game with a sword. 2. You may enter the Timescape at any time from the Main board or the Dungeon. 3. In the Timescape you may move to the Vortex as your next move. Discussion: seemed quite powerful to one playtester, but perhaps not compared to, for example, the Sprite. #3 let him avoid the Warp Demon - but evasion, e.g. via the Chameleon suit, or the Warp Belt/Astropath's select-lines ability, also do the same (and more). Whether #2 is too powerful depends on whether you see the Timescape as too generous - you can get good stuff there, but also run into 12-Str or 12-Cra creatures, too. Subject: Robot character Copyright: 1993 Nick Sauer (11366ns@hogpa.ho.att.com) Date: 12 July 1993 Start:Space Port Alignment:Neutral Str:5 Cra:2 1. No spells may be used against you. 2. You may not use any spells. 3. If you encounter or are encountered by another player he may not use any magic objects against you in combat. Playtester comment: not bad. Subject: Sentinel character Copyright: 1993 Nick Sauer (11366ns@hogpa.ho.att.com) Date: 25 Oct 1993 Start:Sentinel Outpost Alignment:Neutral Str:3 Cra:3 1. You may encounter other players in the Timescape. 2. When you encounter another character in the Outer or Middle regions or the Timescape, instead of fighting him you may arrest him. Arrested players go to Donjon or the Castle (whichever is in the same region) as their next move. Arrested players in the Timescape go to the Vortex as their next move. 3. You may look at the top Timescape card at any time. Playtester comment: interesting. Automatic arrest may be too powerful. Subject: Space Knight character Copyright: 1993 Nick Sauer (11366ns@hogpa.ho.att.com) Date: 25 Oct 1993 Updated because of playtesting information from Kurt Grossman. Start:Space Port Alignment:Good Str:3 Cra:3 1. Every time you lose a life in combat you gain 1 Craft. 2. If you aquire a sword it adds two to your stength in combat. 3. When you draw an Adventure, Timescape, or Dungeon card you may attempt to use the force. If you roll 2d6 under your current craft you discard the current card and draw a new one. You may only do this once per turn. Subject: Space Ork character Copyright: 1993 Nick Sauer (11366ns@hogpa.ho.att.com) Date: 12 July 1993 Start:Space Warp Alignment:Evil Str:4 Cra:2 1. If you draw the Space Ork Timescape card they become your followers and fight for you until they are all destroyed. 2. You are uneffected by the siren. 3. You are safe in the Rad Zone and need not roll the die there. Playtester comment: pretty quiet - comparable to some "average" existing characters. Nick replied: yep, just like the ordinary Orc. Subject: Timelord character Copyright: 1993 Nick Sauer (11366ns@hogpa.ho.att.com) Date: 25 Oct 1993 Updated because of playtesting information from Kurt Grossman. Start:4th Dimension Alignment:Neutral Str:2 Cra:4 1. You start the game with 6 lives. This is your full quota for healing purposes 2. When you land on another player you may take one of his followers or give him one of yours (this includes the Hag and the Poltergeist). 3. You need only roll 1 die vs. Craft at the Portal of Power and 2 dice vs. Craft in the Mines. 4. Whenever you roll a 6 for movement, roll again and move according to the following chart: + 1-4 Move six normally + 5 Move to the warp gate + 6 Move to any space in the region you are currently in (or in the Timescape, if on the Timescape board). All your followers go with you. Discussion: Doctor Who would have been Good, and had more Lives, but it's too easy for Good characters to get healed back to starting quota. -- http://www.qucis.queensu.ca/home/dalamb/