Dam said:

A priest need only 4 strength to have a chance at the pits, so that should be possible.

You can easily get strength at the enchantress with fate or the temple.

You just need to focus on craft and you are ready to go to the inner region.

The dungeon is too dangerous for the priest, if you only rely on craft..

But if the other player will also go to the inner region, then you have a problem. The priest can not attack with craft and if his strength is low, then he has no chance, so he must be as quick as possible to boost himself up..

You can make the priest evil too, then he can replenish up to 5 fate after that, try to make yourself good again ( should not be too easy but you can try...

Fourth edition revised includes an innovation called 'Fate', which allows players to re roll a die by spending a fate token. This adds some much needed strategy to the game, as you have a limited supply of fate and it can be hard to replenish sometimes. With fate in play, you'll see fewer toads. Toads are fun, but the large piles of dropped stuff can add more randomness to the game (undermining stragey). An upcoming expansion should help bring more toads into play.

Also, although you don't care for expansion, you might change your mind one day. A freind or family member might become keen and wish to contribute expansion. It's best to keep your options open I think.

So, if you buy Talisman I recomend FFG over BI. But since you have an older (though inferior) copy and don't play it much, I would recommend another game. Cosmic Encounter is one of my all time favourites and FFG has done an outstanding job. This classic game is fast to play and easy to learn but has great depth in strategy and flavour. It will provide a more diverse gaming experience than another adventure style game would. You should at least check it out!

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=30&enmi=Cosmic%20Encounter

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_temas.asp?efid=50&efcid=1

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39463

Going back to the Assassin, now I actually have the revised 4th edition in my hands (YAY!!!) I have noticed that the assassins rule of NOT being allowed followers in the 3rd edition does NOT apply in this version. So the only things restricting the assassin is that he MUST force the losing player (if it is PvP) to lose a life and not a gold or object, and he can't assassinate while on the CoC. So in the 4th he can indeed have followers. Hmm. I will have to play with him or against him one game to see how powerful he is, and see if I need to add a house rule or two for him.

wastedyuthe said:

If you attack a other player normally with the assassin and you win, then you can take a object or gold off course.

And he may not use his assassinate skill if he is attacked by a other player.

Well, even if the assassin can have followers in this game, he is still overpowered.

Believe me. his assassination skill is more activer than the third edition version.

I have won with him twice, and i never lose with him so far.

He is too good..

( if you want to house rule him... then you can also use the third edition assassination skill

But i want to play without house rules ( well, i have only house rule the trapdoor) but that's it..

I don't mind adding house rules, but I don't like going against rules that are written down on the board or cards. If a game is balanced perfectly, then house rules aren't required. But if the assassin can win most games he is played in, then that is something that DOES need addressing with house rules- as you suggest, perhaps using the rules from the 3rd edition (roll 1-3 lose, 4-6 win).

The exact wording the card uses is "when you attack a character or creature". Perhaps that should be made to be "character or monster", leaving him unable to assassinate dragons and animals. Or as already suggested too, only allowing him to assassinate cards on the board. Shame. They could easily fix this with the expansion pack by supplying a replacement character card for him with fairer rules.

wastedyuthe said:

But the assassin can be defeated.

The problem is that he start with evil. If the assassin can not become good soon, then it is possible that he will die...

His ability will not help against craft creatures.

And if other players will attack the assassin earlier in the game, then he is in trouble..

It's difficult for evil characters to heal, they need gold for that...

Yes, as you say my friend, it could be good fun ganging up on the poor assassin

On the other side is Assassin + Fate Stealer (if he gets Magic Carpet on top of that, look out). Try and land on a char (use Fate if needed), Assassinate, take Life, get Fate back. That combo has happened more than once, with the Assassin being in radar-guided mode, taking lives left and right, sitting on 8+ Fate most of the game.

Dam said:

I think that the Dark cultist need that weapon !

Getting fate's will increase her chance of survival and landing in village or city for healing by using fate...( you need luck too)

awesome