Hi Everyone,

I wanted to make this topic because i have (wednesday) a game evening and we are playing Talisman.

All the players are new to this game, and i think i must explain a lot about the game.

I was wondering if there are people around here, who do this a lot.

I am sure that if you know the right way to explain everything, then the game will play faster and smooter.

I don't want to over-run those players with a lot of rules etc.

So i am thinking to play it step by step... ( explain a little about the cards and then start playing, while i am explaining the things you can do..

Feel free to post your experience with new players !

Greetings,

~Velhart~

When we were demoing Talisman I used to have a bit of blurb that I used to explain to everyone about how easy the game was to play.

Just explain the aim of the game, i.e. to start with a character and you have attributes for combat and that you can move around the land powering up until you are able to face the middle and inner regions.

The game basically explains everything you need to know as you go along with text on the spaces and on each card you pick up and encounter, so it tells you what to do.

Anything that is not 100% clear can be explained by the experienced player or by referring to the rules.

BUT

Be sure to emphasise that the trick to the game is to allow yourself to have FUN!

I always liken playing Talisman to watching a film with Arnie in it. You do not have to think too much. Switch off and play and let yourself enjoy the experience.

We just go thru the rules quite fast, answer some quick questions and them jump in, But with this edition we may have to emphasize which piles of card is what as they are not label with text in the back as before.

Cheers

I think previous editions, especially 2E, were better for the "learn as you play" approach. 4E® might take a little more intro, maybe some brief "example" scenarios, demonstrating how Battle and Psychic Combat work, with and without the addition of basic Magic Objects and/or Followers. That should be enough to jump right in and keep to the "learn as you play" paradigm. PvP would be the next most complicated thing to demostrate. Beyond that, I'd agree with all other comments made.

You might also explain the difference between the starting value (terrible change of term for Starting Craft/Strength), additional "skill" points, and modifiers from Objects, Followers, and Spells... and the sometime situations where only some of those apply to a particular roll. Such instances are rare by the standard rules, and cards usually explain them, but a little briefing before hand would take out the sting of a new player suddenly feeling "cut short".

Thanks for the answers

The one spot that I had trouble explaining was the Sentinal and Portal of Power. I sometimes forget to mention that the player's turn does not have to end at those spaces in order to cross them. I have taken to calling them 'pass through spaces' that connect the seperate regions. It is a useful bit of wordage that has helped a lot.

So when a player wants to get pass the Sentinal they 'pass through' with the remainder of thier die roll if they beat the Sentinal.

For the PoP they may 'pass through' and stop at the Plain of Peril if they beat the PoP test and have some movement left from thier die roll.

We also play it so you can try to cross if your turn starts on one of the spaces.

I recommend you print off the player mats from boardgame geek. By having the player mat, newbies will have a reference point for total items, weapons, spells etc.

Tell them to throw a die and then decide if they want to go left or right - it's not exactly rocket science.

Everything goes well, and we finish the game after 4 hours with 4 players and a 5 trophy limit

Today we played for the second time. They where no new players, but we where with 3 people. We finish the game again in 4 hours with a 5 trophy limit( only base game)

We have added the reaper mechanic, but that guy have not buy the reaper expansion yet, so i have write it on a piece of paper.

I have ask him, if he could find a reaper figure, but he don;t have one, so he brought a cartoon figure with him haha

It was very funny to see that cartoon figure moving on the board

On thursday we will play again , and maybe that new players will join with the game !

TeufelHund said:

Lol, indeed. That is one of the awesome things about Talisman, it's not really that hard to learn or teach compared to a lot of newer games that come out.