Talisman 5th Edition

By JediKnightAmoeba, in Talisman

So now that we have all 4 corners and the Dragon expansion of 4th edition along with all these other goodies, I don't think the question is what "big expansion" is next, I think it is WHEN and IF they will make Talisman 5th edition? Barring Timescape we have everything previously seen and expanded upon PLUS all the new stuff like Reaper, Werewolf and Firelands. They remained nostalgic by keeping the 4 corners similar to 3rd edition but upping the size and artwork.

With 4th Edition we have the best looking, biggest and most complex version. Fantastic artwork? Check. New mechanics never previously seen? Check. Diverse line of characters to play? Check. Timescape? Well, to be fair, they did separate themselves from the Warhammer Universe this time around by keeping everything relatively generic. I still have my fingers crossed we will get an all new Timescape board and mechanics.......

But 5th edition is an intriguing idea, no? Do they keep the system the same or do they tweak it to mimic Relic? Some would appreciate the updated system, others would scorn the concept. Some would still swear that 2nd edition trumps them all and continue playing it.... Either way, not many games stand out like Talisman. 4 releases, each one different in its own way. My favorite part of 3rd edition was the dragon tower with the large dragon perched on top. BUT when I compare 3rd to 4th edition the sheer magnitude of cards, pieces and the artwork really stand exemplary.

I would probably buy a 5th edition if it was the old style or an updates system but in the meantime I am excited to see some more releases for 4th edition and am trying to replace my 3rd edition. With homebrews and where we stand with technology the possibilities of expanding 4th edition are seemingly endless....

So how does everyone feel about the possibility of a 5th edition in a few years? 5 years? 10 years? Never?

I would have to say I'll pass on the 5th edition until its out for a while.

We're only occasional players - our game boards are hardly worn enough to merit us moving into 5.0

Unless they did something really different and cool...

I personally think R4th still has a lot of possibilties left. We don't need corners to add boards! At the very least, another Inner Region can be made. :)

Plus, don't forget the Digital Edition has to catch up.

Edited by Artaterxes

While I like Relic, I wouldn't want to see Talisman with those mechanics. To me it would become a different beast. I would probably buy it, but would prefer 4th edition.

I believe 4th has lot's of life in it yet.

5th edition? After the hundreds I have spent on this game? It will have to be way, way better for me to throw away my current investment.

Or make a 5th edition only new rules and cards. That way the boards and components are not wasted.

Since FFG has a lot of GW licences I'm kinda hoping for a warhammer based version, similar to relic and 3d edition talisman.

Or maybe keep the rules but change the setting:

Steampunk fantasy world

Post apocalyptic world (Fallout/ Gamma world)

Edited by Robin Graves

Plus, don't forget the Digital Edition has to catch up.

That is a very good point! As soon as I get my laptop replaced I will probably be purchasing it....the Prologue on the phone has bored me out.

Since FFG has a lot of GW licences I'm kinda hoping for a warhammer based version, similar to relic and 3d edition talisman.

Or maybe keep the rules but change the setting:

Steampunk fantasy world

Post apocalyptic world (Fallout/ Gamma world)

I am a HUGE fan of Gamma World, and would love to see such a board game, I am not a fan of Warhammer, tho I am a fan of Timescape. Steampunk has some interest to me as well.

The apocalyptic genre is my favorite. Though there have been some movies that put me off, I hated the film "The Road", and made me cringe at such a world.

I really like Deadlands: hell on earth. It's post apoc setting filled mutants/supernatural horrors, and one of the playable classess is a radiation worshiping mutated cleric who can use reactor rods as lightsabers!

No way should it be changed to that Warhammer Relic game or the childish Talisman 3rd Edition!!!

For me the 5th Edition already has been released and it is called "Relic". If anything, hey should think about releasing the 6th Edition. But I think it is too early to release it. In fact I think it is even to early to design it.

Playing Warhammer and 40K all these years I realize it is never popular but GW loves to make something obselete months after your army is released. Always good times. (Sarcasm)

So in my mind it would not be without precedent if they decided to release a 5th edition sooner rather than later. If they do, I would want the fantasy theme to stay similar but have a new mechanic that makes the game more interactive. I do not really like Relic as much so going to that sytem would be a bummer. GW has always kept their Fantasy and 40K systems separate, even talking Mordheim and Necromunda, so they will hopefully not want to make Talisman and Relic similar.

Edited by JediKnightAmoeba

No way should it be changed to that Warhammer Relic game or the childish Talisman 3rd Edition!!!

Childish? I love 3rd edition! The Dragon Tower is the best! :-) I seriously need to replace it.....

I've mention a 5th edition some time ago on this forum, but I would, personally, like to see how far FFG (and Jon at TalismanIsland) can go with 4th revised edition.

POD, room for new region around the game board and new overlay board can makes Talisman very customizable (mostly if you get new corner board with, until now, unused themes.

A friend with whom I'm playing mention that it would be awesome if the chapel could be turn into a "haunted chapel" with ghost and such, if a custom adventure card is picked during the night cycle if you play with the BloodMoon mechanic, an overlay tile can be place over the chapel space with new result from a dice roll, that is until it is clean up by good character in the daytime.

Same can be done for the Castle, Tavern, Forest..... morphing places with lasting event.

I agree with Nemomon, the potential for 4th revised edition is too great to start thinking design for a 5th edition.

I rest my case just by looking at the huge amount of homebrew available for Talisman.

Cheers.

I don't think that having completed the 4 "classic" corners means that the time has come for Talisman 5th Edition. On the contrary, I believe FFG has the opportunity to finally make the history of this game. A lot of original content has been added, along with updated reissues, but now it's possible to add new boards that have never been imagined before. The originality of Reaper (I mean the Reaper figure and chart), Blood Moon and Firelands has left a sign in Talisman fans; now we can wait for a reissued Timescape, and/or hope for completely new material, including boards.

The idea of Talisman 5th edition tickles me a lot. A "streamlined" Talisman, where much of the base set rules are reworked completely considering the huge amount of material issued by 4th Edition. Relic updated the Talisman game system a bit, most notably it added a turn sequence, but there's still much work to do to make Spells and cards work properly without timing conflicts and removing clunkiness in wordings and definitions (e.g. save space on cards by cancelling those recurring wordings like "It will remain here until it is killed" or "will remain here for the rest of the game", and replacing them with general rules). Moreover, Relic has a system to scale the difficulty of encounters depending on the ring where you are, but Talisman needn't have it.

But it's just too early to have a 5th edition. Talisman has a big fan base, thanks to its long history, but it's not a "trendy" game such as Descent was. After being comforted for years by a juicy 4th edition, there are few people wanting to buy Talisman from base set again. It took a couple of years to switch from Descent to Descent 2nd Edition, but in that case there was a potentially great game with major problems in gameplay that required a fix. Talisman has a lot of unclear situations, due to the infinite possible card combinations, but play is straightforward and ultra-tested after 30+ years. What's mostly needed now is a FAQ, addressing at least a few of the hundred issues collected in the Rules Question forum.

Edited by The_Warlock

I agree with Warlock. A good FAQ/Errata would be nice, especially for new players.

Edited by Bolithio