Hey, I've been wondering how to speed up the game without interferign with game mechanics too much. More like using additional dice for tracking current strength/craft instead of calculating it every time before a battle. Any ideas?

Soon I will be hosting a game for 6 or more players and I want to try something new - people play in two teams, and each team makes their turns simultaneously. All timing conflicts are solved by members of that team choosing which happens thing first.

The main rulebook suggests adding strength and craft to speed up the game or to trade trophy points at lower values.

I have tried both, and I don't like either, honestly.

After some trial and error, I have come to the conclusion that I personally enjoy Talisman best when I play it with standard rules with groups that are willing to spend the time to play it properly, to completion. (Which includes actually reading card text out loud!) As I have experienced, such players are also those who truly appreciate Talisman for what it is - a long, storytelling game - and don't want it to be over soon just because it's a "roll and move."

basically the game is about gaining strength and craft high enough to brave inner region. The best way to speed it up imo is to make that faster, that way you get to play every part of the game (the first, struggling, turns, the rise to power and the race to the finish) just for a shorter time. So just say that whenever you gain S/C you gain 1 more (doesnt apply to items that add rather than allow you to gain).

Alternatively:

Talisman arena:

1. All characters start game on the black knight. Characters cannot leave the middle region, if an effect would cause them to do so, it has no effect.
2. When fighting other characters each player rolls an extra die and adds that to his attack roll after all other modifications. If the roll is a 6 you may add 6 and roll again adding the new roll, continue doing so till you dont roll a 6.
3. If a card causes a character to heal or gain life remove it from game after the turn. If a character gains or heals life from a characterability he may not do so again this game.
4. When you land on warlock’s cave instead of taking a quest you may draw an adventure card, or pay 1 gold to replenish up to 2 fate. You may turn in quests for spells without teleporting to the cave

5. At the end of each turn move all cards on the board to the outer region on a space of your choice, the cards count as being in the middle region for the purpose of targeting with spells and abilities

6. If there are exactly three characters in play and a player ends his movement 1 space from another character he may move to that characters space (choose closest if more than one) and attack the character or use an ability. If there are only two characters in play this happens if a character ends his move within 2 spaces of the other character.
7. Dead characters do not respawn
8. The game ends when only 1 character remains.

can also be played on expansion maps

Hey, I've been wondering how to speed up the game without interferign with game mechanics too much. More like using additional dice for tracking current strength/craft instead of calculating it every time before a battle. Any ideas?

- remove cards from adventure deck that cause turn missing and don't do anything else (maze, evil darkness etc.)

- Only use one from werewolf, reaper, or harbinger (or none)

- Don't use dragons expansion

- You can speed up City exploration by cutting out the streets (and cards). I've tried this and works fine (if you don't mind not using city adventure deck).

The main rulebook suggests adding strength and craft to speed up the game or to trade trophy points at lower values.

I have tried both, and I don't like either, honestly.

I agree! In my experience the game get's more unbalanced if you allow players to trade 6 or less trophy points.

I've commented on this before.

We've noticed that a lot of time spent on the game is actually just used collecting beyond our needs. There have been many games when the winner has SO much strength and craft that he eventually just plows through to the crown or ending, with little to no effort. We've realized, that same player could have won much earlier just by having a full stack of life a bit of Fate.

I think we're often our own worst enemy when it comes to time. Be aware of this, and your games may decrease in time naturally.

When we want a faster game we play with a revealed non-boss ending or use the hidden variant but remove all boss endings. Since players know what to expect they dare to brave the inner region earlier -> shorter games.

Also, house rule:

The next player (in turn) is the one who rolls for enemies, hands counters, flips the time card etc.

This focuses that player more on the game* and makes him ready when it's his turn (-> faster turns -> shorter games).

*than on his/her smartphone... I thought of banning phones once but it's just not feasible for an entire game, at least not around here =P