I’ve been looking through some of the various Home Brew Expansions hosted on Talisman Island for cards to add to my Adventure deck. During my explorations, I’ve come across a few expansions and cards that struck a chord on my funny bone. So I’ve been inspired to create a set of cards that feature offbeat, wacky, bizarre and humorous takes on the traditional Talisman adventure card. The cards are similar to Gary Larson’s Farside meets Talisman or Ferris Bulluer’s Day Off with Taliman where the fourth wall gets broken.

So, I’ll be presenting some of the cards that I’ve created or found on Talisman Island. Most of the cards are 2nd Edition because I created them to play with a friend who lives in another state and I only see him about once a year and he doesn’t own the 4th Edition. After working with them, I got to thinking that he shouldn’t have all of the fun. So, I’ll also be converting them later to 4th Edition for use with my regular group.

Some of the cards I’ve made were inspired by cards I found and may have been changed slightly to fit in with my gaming group. I want to thank the original creator’s of my inspired cards and apologize if I don’t give credit to the original creator. In many cases, I didn’t note where the original card originated from. In the future when I use Strange Eons, I plan to make a note about the original source using the “comment” function.

I don’t think that these would be widely accepted for use on a regular basis. I do think that they could be used for one or two games to add a little humor or wackiness to a gaming session.

The first card up is called "Death" or “John Wins” (John being I) Once this card is drawn, I can only imagine the other player’s reaction. Of course, this one will automatically be disallowed after it’s drawn.

The next card is “Magic Stew Pot”. I like die roll #1. Bodily functions can be funny. Probably rates in the Top Ten of Humor. Of course, “Trauma to the Groin” is probably #1 in the Top Ten.

Next for review is “Intermission”. We all need to take a break sometimes and I like the penalty for being late.

Here’s a card that I debated about called “Escort”. It is a little more risqué in tone and picture than many cards. Since I sometimes game with younger players, I wanted to keep the card ratings similar to PG or PG-13 movie rating. I’m not sure if this one makes the grade.

Most people like parties, especially if it’s your birthday party. That was the inspiration for “Birthday”. I like the penalty for not giving a gift. I would hold the offending player to the punishment.

Monty Python is great. I loved the entire 2nd Edition “Holy Grail” expansion. “Killer Rabbit” comes from that expansion and the creator did a great job if capturing the feel of the movie.

Another expansion that I enjoyed was Black’s Tavern. The artwork and card inspirations for the whole expansion are great. The “Gamer” card is from there and I enjoyed the “Magical Quest Game” reference.

The last card is “Playschool”. I like the first line about playing and learning. I’m currently working on a card inspired by the title and the first line. Some thoughts about where I’m going with it are:
Roll a die:
1 – Don’t talk to Strangers. Remove a Stranger card from the board or possibly one of your Followers is a Stranger and you discard him.
2 – Miss your next turn, as you look both ways before you cross the street.
3 –
4 –
5- Eat all of your vegetables – gain 1 life, craft, or strength. (some type of attribute benefit)
6 – Reading is fun. Gain 1 Spell.

Anyway, this is where I’m at with this collection of cards. Any critiques would be greatly appreciated and I would be interested in seeing what others could come up with. If you have any ideas for funny, wacky, or quirky cards or have some, I would love to see them.

I think the gamer is too much of an interruption. Humor is quick or it stops being funny real quick. Change the play school to "Day Care"... just for the heck of it. It's more in keeping with the world at a large. Hmmm... I'm not sure why anyone would leave followers there. Followers in game mechanics are treated like nothing but Character "ability/power" add-ons, usually with no penalties, deficits, or considerations to bother with.

The best two are the "Intermission" and the "Birthday." For intermission, you should add or expand.

"The game resumes in 5 minutes. Any player who has not return by then misses as many turns as pass by before their return."

Also, the Courtesan can be toned down to "family-acceptable" by using a "racy" or "alluring" rather than "risque" image... and maybe a something a little less modern goth. But I think 3 turns lost for 1G is too excessive. You might also word it as "The next player may pay 1G to have your engage you. If so, you miss your next turn."

And perhaps a variation to amuse you. You're welcome to have it if you like. Right-click and save for the 300ppi version.

JC - Great work with the Courtesan. I also questioned how age appropriate the original version was. The graphic looks awesome and is a much better fit for Talisman. We can usually count on you to deliver an outstanding card.

I'm also on base with you about the Gamer. That's the original card. The card options really wouldn't work for my group. So, I saved the graphic in Strange Eons but I haven't come up with a different take on the card. I did like the image and the reference and that's what I found appealing. Anyone have alternate suggestions for this one?

I like the change from Play School to Day Care. I'm not sure about the graphic in the original card and also not sure of all of the card options that should be represented. I posted a few ideas of some options but need a few more ideas to fill this card out. Anybody have any ideas?

Anyway JC thanks for the new card and if you feel inspired to create 4th Edition versions of the cards I posted with any new artwork or tweaks on the card text, go ahead. I always enjoy seeing what you come up with.

Just regards the Play School card. There was a kid's TV programme in the UK called Play School "way back when" and the image used in the card is part of the opening credits from it.

I guess the card was created as an allusion to that so that us "Brits of a certain age" (and Aussies, as ABC made a 'strine version of it!) would get all warm and fuzzy over it! I'm not entirely sure it would have to same meaning (to me a least) if it was called Day Care, as that isn't really a term we use here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play_School_(UK_TV_series)

I'm just off to have a look through.... the ROUND window!

Well, I'm glad you like the Courtesan, and of course feel free to use it. You actually gave me an idea for a 1/4 deck expansion for the future called... "Royal Pains." No schedule on it... just something for which I may make a card or two as they come to me. Need to go back to my spread sheet and see what's necessary for a balanced quarter-deck (sans any alignment influences). I'll keep the other cards in mind whenever I'm virtually out and about... and browsing pieces for assembling card illustrations.

Just regards the Play School card. There was a kid's TV programme in the UK called Play School "way back when" and the image used in the card is part of the opening credits from it.

Ah ha... as one of those "colonists," I missed out on that connection.

And a couple more just for fun. Yours is on the left, my variation on the right. A "coney" is a Welsh / Irish term for a wild hare. I had a devil of a time finding that blasted rabbit in the right pose with such teeth! Had to resort to vector masking one out of an "absconded" graphic, which I usually avoid.

Celtic myths are filled with tales of mundane creatures turned gigantic, miniature, and or horrible and monstrous... hence not animals anymore and why I classified it as a Monster rather than an Animal.

JC - Amazing graphic on the Killer Rabbit. I'd be afraid to encounter it in real life. I like your revised version for regular play. It will definitely be an interesting new monster to encounter and will easily fit in with a regular deck. I'll use the other card for the specialized humor deck.

Humor is a really subjective thing. What may be funny to one group may not be funny to others. My group will be amused by the "Killer Rabbit" card since they are fans of Monty Python and will catch the reference. A good example of that is the "Play School" card. I also was not familiar with the tv program that was the basis for the card and thereby didn't connect to the card the way the original creator intended. Though, I'm sure that his group found it funny. By the way, TalismanIsland, thanks for that info.

I also am thinking about doing a little revision to the Killer Rabbit card. After seeing your revised version, I think the Strength could be lowered. The strength is really high and there are not that many Enemy cards that have that high of score - the Dragon King being one with that score. Reducing the score then makes it appropriate to have a more harsh penalty of a Life and Follower lost when losing a combat. I still would keep the quote from the movie because that is part of what makes this card humorous to "Holy Grail" fans. Keeping the quote then would not allow room for the craft option from the revised card.

JC - A little off topic and you may have discussed this in other forums, but how do you create your cards? I noticed that the text background is different from what is generated in Strange Eons which is what I use. So did you create a personal Strange Eon plug-in or do you edit the cards in something like Photoshop? I also noticed that the template is the same one from your "In the Balance" expansion and only reason I noticed that was because I was trying to edit the card through Strange Eons.

Anyway, I'll be able to use both cards and I appreciate your efforts. Thanks.

jondee986 said:

Yes, those to young to know about M.P., or especially that movie, would look at it and go "huh?"

jondee986 said:

I think your roll for the Followers is just fine; it's just a different way to go; the more Followers, the more likely he'll get one or more. Here's a notion that leans toward what I have, just to let you see it. I can easily tilt back the other way are your command (I reduced the roll to 1 die, and may do the same on my version for my group.) And I did think that even a mutant rabbit shouldn't be stronger than Talisman's atypical Dragon.

jondee986 said:

I created my own multi-layered, multi-grouped template in Photoshop CS4. It allows for image / description areas of any size rather than only the two used in standard cards. The mid-bar can move up and down by the pixel. It allows fitting any illustration I collage and pastiche together... some of which take many layers and effects to blend.

The image for the Killer Rabbit is composed of only 5 pieces with 7 blended effects on 3 layers (plus some touch-up and enhancement on the rabbit).] Text in my template is split between layers for each text block. I can change them any way I want, including kerning, spacing (character / line), weight, size (by even .01 increments). The card template elements are split between 7 layers with shadow and glow-burn effects calculated to roughly match commercial cards. I can also alter all of those elements individually for any alternate color scheme, including as seen on Dungeon cards... or any other way I want for custom color schemes using the same motif. But about the background...

Without a clean copy of the crinkled paper to fill the whole card, so that it would blend with my wider range of adjustments, I had to use something else. There was another more personal issue involved. At 18, I could read a book by moonlight without eye strain; I could see as well as others could at dusk, maybe better. In that, I am an not unique but still a rare anomally in the gene pool, but at a cost. The sensory cells in the backs of my eyes take in almost 4 times the light that a normal human should and thereby were wearing out at an accelerated rate; it also produced extra work (and wear) upon the irises in trying to compensate. I was told I by doctors that I would go blind by 30.

ASIDE: I was driving the California coast on a rainy day in my early 20s wearing dark sunglasses when a cop pulled me over for a dead tail light in my old beat up Riviera. He told me to take off my glasses, which is standard to see the person they are talking to. He backed up, put a hand on his gun, and told me to step out. I was arrested, tested... then forced to be tested again when the first test revealed my blood was squeaky clean. The very sudden collapse of my irises to so startlingly small, along with cringe at the change of light, had freaked out the officer.

I now have many pinpoint scares in the backs of my eyes. As long as they are not in the same position in both eyes, I'm good for now. At nearly 51, I can still see fine (other than reading glasses), but my night vision is gone because of the damage (and of course just age). To keep my sight, I have had to control light all the time; I have worn sunglasses outside at least 80% of the time my whole life. Being a writer working on a computer for long days is a bit ironic. Now...

The background on the commercial cards (for me, or in general) was one of several bad design choices. Even normal people have a hard time reading them in anything but bright light, which I cannot take for very long. So, as long as I had to use something else for a background, I modified other things as well for my own sake. Some changes have actually been preferred by other players, such as taking out the large jewel in the bottom right and making the order number easier to see as well. There are also effects on my text that very subtly contrast them from the background better than the commercial cards. You'll have to look very very closely to see them, but they're there.

So there you have it; another long explanation from J.C. I think I had too much wine tonight (found a REALLY good Cabernet Franc Rose today while out with my wife and a buddy).

Oh, good grief. I really prattled on last night. There's another option that occurred to my this morning. If you want you card to look more like the commercial ones through using SE, then here's the illustration for you to work with. (Or I can just tweak the one I created to your exact adjustments.) Right-Click and save to get the full print resolution version.

And another one. As before, I can simply give you the illustration if you prefer make this card up in SE to fully match commercial ones. Right-Click and Save for the full print resolution version.

Can't say if anyone would ever use this card, but it was fun to toy with it for a little while.

With the size of current adventure decks, it might be best used after the deck is shuffled and stacked. Insert it about where you think an intermission would occur by the number of cards typically cycled in 1 hour. Let's face it, you wouldn't want it coming up too soon.

Right-click and save for the full print resolution version.

I've been away from the forum for a couple of days. I come back and I see that JC has been busy. Thanks for the "killer rabbit" image and the rework of the other cards. They look great.

I deleted the original images off of the image hosting site I used since I figured that JC's cards were much better and no one needed to see the original inspiration any longer - me included. Here's a slight rework of the Death - John Wins. The original was a complete hoax/joke card to be played on the other players without any real Talisman consequence. This card is a different take with a somewhat humorous spin that does have a real if small Talisman penalty. So does this card work or can someone come up with a slightly better take while still maintaining a slight humorous or quirky feel?

Hmm... I'm not sure the Reaper image works for this notion. Certainly the first time it is drawn will be a surprise as the player's hopes suddenly rise... and then there's the second paragraph. Wouldn't mind seeing that, but after that first time it probably would lose its luster. Can't think of any counterpoint to offer. The original card didn't give me any inspirations.

By the by, we have used the Stew Pot and Errant Courtesan along with the Carnivorous Coney in a game. Pot and Courtesan came up, which was a surprise, considering the deck is 250+ cards. The Stew Pot drew some attention; I think most groups would like it, but mine aren't that into the random freebies. However...

When the Courtesan came up... I drew it. I looked at the next player and groaned; she was sitting on 11G. Thank goodness she could spend only 1G. That card went over quite well, even if I was its first victim... or maybe because I was the victim. It was unanimous that the Courtesan was to stay in the deck.

I agree with the Death card. It is definitely a one shot card. Most of the cards in this set originally started out with the intention of just being used in one or two games as a humorous interlude. I really didn't think of them being permanant additions to the adventure deck. Your rework of the cards has made it possible for their inclusion in future games by the rewording of the text.

Regarding the Errant Courtesan: That would be a quite a penalty for the player drawing it if the player paying the gold could spend more than 1 Gold. I'm glad you've had a chance to use these cards. I've been busy and haven't had a chance to try them in game play. I'm looking forward to when I can.