I'm not fond of never ending expansions. I know that sounds weird when looking to buy a Fantasy Flight game. I have the old Talisman and really enjoyed it. It is a family game.

Can you buy just the core game or do you need the expansions to make it complete? If so how many and which ones. For example, Eldritch Horror really needs Foresaken Lore to not get stale quickly. When FFG produced Cosmic Encounter they broke the original game into core and expansion so you had to buy the several expansions to get as much as you had in the original core game.

So my questions are:

A) Is this like the original game?

B) Can I play with just the core or will it leave you wanting?

C) If I do need expansions which ones are necessary for a complete game.

I don't need or really want side boards etc...

Thanks,

Can you buy just the core game or do you need the expansions to make it complete?

By stating the question as you did you basically anwsered yourself. How can you have a complete game if you don't have all expansions?

Now, if you asked if the core is playable the anwser would be yes it is, but it's better with expansions (but not necessarily with all expansions).

If so how many and which ones.

Bare minimum I would say is one of the smaller expansions, my pick would be sacred pool and blood moon.

A) Is this like the original game?

You mean 1st edition?

B) Can I play with just the core or will it leave you wanting?

It will leave you wanting after, say, 10 games.

B) Can I play with just the core or will it leave you wanting?

It will leave you wanting after, say, 10 games.

That few? Too bad.

@Ken at Sunrise

Talisman 4th revised I think you can get a lot more out of it than 10 games. I certainly enjoy playing just the core. It has everything you need.

The expansions will add new mechanics, endings, cards, and characters. You could mix and match those whenever you wanted.

So if you wanted a Halloween theme, add to the Core rules, the Reaper and Blood Moon expansions.

If it's winter where your at, play a game with Core and Frostmarch.

The game with only the core box is ABSOLUTELY incomplete, flat and repetitive.

As for Eldritch Horror, you need to draw tons of cards during the game and the more you have, the more it will be fun, making every turn different from the others.

To play the "real" Talisman experience, you will need AT LEAST 2 expansions (who are, not by chance, the first 2 released):

-The Reaper, because it's for Talisman what Forsaken Lore is for Eldritch Horror, so "more of the same", new Warlock Quests who makes the late game less predictable, and a cool NPC (the Reaper himself) who's pretty scary to face

-The Dungeon, who's the "ending game" zone with high level encounters and powerful equipment

I think there are better games then Talisman to play with only the core box. This game has its power in the variety of adventure cards and boards, and giving up about this feature means your games will be very boaring and, basically, everytime the same.

Thank you for your ideas and posts.

I have the 1983 version and was trying to get close to that.

It sounds like the Core plus Reaper is best if I don't want any side boards. About right?

I recently played with just the core game (it was a gift for my parents-in-law; my husband and I have the core game plus all expansions) and really enjoyed it.

I think core game is enough. It's easy to say it's not enough when you've played expansions. True, expansions add to the game, as they should, but the core game kept us occupied for a long time before adding expansions. Then, start with the Reaper which is, in a manner of speaking, more base game.

I think it depends on how often is the game going to hit your table? Once a month you might want to get one expansion, Once every other month I think the core game is fine for 3 to 4 plays. At this point with FFG and GW ending their partnership you might want to buy up as much as you while you still can. For me having played every edition of Talisman since the 1st I think 4th has become my favorite. But that is just my opinion, As they say your mileage may vary.

I just got done playing a game with all four corner expansions. It was a lot of fun. I added some house rules that made it more difficult to get into the extra boards so that players had to encounter each other more on the main board before escaping to the corners.

That being said, for my next game I am going to leave out the corners and only play with the small box expansions. First, it's cumbersome to play with all of the extra boards. Second, I loved the cards in the main Adventure Deck that I don't get to see very often due to players having to spend more time on the main game board. I'd like to experience that some more.

So for my two cents on the matter, I would say that Talisman is such a versatile game that it can go either way. I'm not sure that just the base game can hold up players' interest on its own for an extended period of time, but it can certainly get a lot of play before people start getting bored with it. Oh, the excitement of getting that Rune Sword and the Unicorn! I don't think I will ever go back to just the base game, but I am going to try it without the extra maps for a bit to see what that does.

I am curious what rules you enforced for this. I have had the same problem that players tend to just explore more then want to encounter each other.

I am curious what rules you enforced for this. I have had the same problem that players tend to just explore more then want to encounter each other.

I tweaked these a little bit following the game because my first attempt was a little too restrictive. I came up with these rules:

• To enter the Dungeon:
  • Find a Trap Door or Dungeon Door or be dragged there by the Burrow Worm
  • Teleport to the Dungeon Entrance using any method that permits you to teleport anywhere in the outer region (e.g., Planeswalker, Tavern Wizard, Reaper/Werewolf, any Stranger who grants a wish, City Wharf, etc.)
  • Freely enter during Dark Denizens
  • Possess the Treasure Map that you can exchange at the Ruins for 2g
  • Be a Dungeon character or any character that starts on the Ruins
• To enter the Highland:
  • Find a Land Slide or Mountain Trail or be carried into the Highlands by the Roc
  • Teleport to the Highland entrance using any method that permits you to teleport anywhere in the outer region (e.g., Planeswalker, Tavern Wizard, Reaper/Werewolf, any Stranger who grants a wish, City Wharf, etc.)
  • Roll a 6 at the Crags or a 5 followed by a second roll of 5 or 6
  • Be a Highland character or any character that starts on the Crags
• To enter the Woodlands:
  • Teleport to the Woodlands entrance using any method that permits you to teleport anywhere in the outer region (e.g., Planeswalker, Tavern Wizard, Reaper/Werewolf, any Stranger who grants a wish, City Wharf, etc.)
  • Roll a 6 at the Forest or a 5 followed by a second roll of 5 or 6
  • Be a Woodlands character or any character that starts on the Forest
• To enter the City:
  • Teleport to the City entrance using any method that permits you to teleport anywhere in the outer region (e.g., Planeswalker, Tavern Wizard, Reaper/Werewolf, any Stranger who grants a wish, etc.)
  • Have 5g (as a credit check) or pay 3g
  • Be a City character or any character that starts on the City

I have to say that's a great idea Osbo25 to allow characters from an expansion a clearway to move into the expansion they came from and then enforce others to complete something else to enter.

Never thought of that.

Other than Reaper which are the small box expansions?

Other than Reaper which are the small box expansions?

Reaper, Frostmarch, Blood Moon, Sacred Pool, Firelands, and Harbinger. The Nether Realm and Deep Realms are in-house manufacturing, but no longer available through the FFG website.

Here's a complete list of all expansions.

@osbo25 - these are great rules! I use similar ones in my games

Thanks for posting these, I'll probably use them instead of mine (as they look much better!)

Personally i prefer just core game, the balance is also better (expansions make characters that depend on landing on other characters much worse, character that depend on spaces in outer region become worse, the core game is balanced so that just when people start becoming strong they can take the chance to go for win whereas bossendings disrupt this mechanism, city makes gold suddenly worth 2 or 3 times as much...and so on)

Core game fits perfectly for a good evening of casual players looking for some hours of fun (its still easily 4 hours if people arent somewhat focused on game), characters make for great variety, enough if you dont play it every weekend.

We play with frostmarch which is basically just coregame but a doubles adventure cardpile and adds a few chars.

I guess the bigger question is... is it worth buying a new edition when I already own the 2nd edition? They are suppose to be very similar. Is the art work worth it?

I guess the bigger question is... is it worth buying a new edition when I already own the 2nd edition? They are suppose to be very similar. Is the art work worth it?

I wouldn't buy it because of art. The game play is more balanced, mostly due to fate, but other factors help. The game play is better and there is more content. Minus the missing Timescape.

I guess the bigger question is... is it worth buying a new edition when I already own the 2nd edition? They are suppose to be very similar. Is the art work worth it?

I wouldn't buy it because of art. The game play is more balanced, mostly due to fate, but other factors help. The game play is better and there is more content. Minus the missing Timescape.

I'm not looking for any expansions just the core, if I do get it. I didn't care for Timescape anyway.

I would consider getting the latest expansion which replaces the base board if you insist on no expansion, as I have heard its great and shortens the game. I recently bought it but haven't tried it myself.

I just realize that I have the Talisman 2nd Edition and Talisman the Adventure and Talisman Expansion .

Are these basically part of the new core?

I just realize that I have the Talisman 2nd Edition and Talisman the Adventure and Talisman Expansion .

Are these basically part of the new core?

You say you have the 1983 Talisman. As far as what I know 1st edition and 2nd edition are exactly the same except there is some black & white art in 1st edition. If you don't have black & white art, you already have the 2nd edition. 2nd edition has several expansions. The ones you listed I would equate to the 4th edition small box expansions. Just more cards, characters, and so one. Someone already listed these:

Other than Reaper which are the small box expansions?

Reaper, Frostmarch, Blood Moon, Sacred Pool, Firelands, and Harbinger. The Nether Realm and Deep Realms are in-house manufacturing, but no longer available through the FFG website.

Here's a complete list of all expansions.

As I already shared, the last expansion replaces the main board, rather than add to the game. But I should let you know that the Dragon expansion also has a part that replaces the center of the board, but has much more, and perhaps half of all fans do not like the Dragon expansion.

If you insist on not getting any expansions at all, not even small ones, the changes between base games is not that big, there are only 3 or so changes to the board, and the biggest game play change is fate, which you can add to 2nd edition.

But just adding 1 small expansion like Reaper, would make a huge difference. I agree with others, that without some new cards, small expansions, the game may get stale. But no staler than 2nd edition does.

Thank you everyone