My wife wants to know when you use the Raft/Axe to move across the river, is the space directly across or if there is a sliver can you hit that space instead.

I say no, it is the space that is directly across (the space that a majority of your space lines up with).

For example moving from Woods to Oasis (instead of Desert). Is this legal?

I look forward to see what other here thinks of this qustion. My wife and I just chose a space that touches on the other side of the river. So it is legal in our grupe.

cheers

I do read the directly opposite as the space that has most shared area, so Woods to Desert, not Oasis in your example.

Yes you can move to the Oasis from the Woods with an Axe. As long as the space would be intersected by one of the space border lines!

Ell.

Dam said:

i agree

Page 17 of the Revised Rulebook.

"Any character acquiring a Raft may cross the river at the start of his next turn. The character may cross the river to any space of his choice directly opposite the one he is in. This is his move for that turn; he does not roll the die to determine his movement."

Its a bit open to interpretation, but the bold clause (my emphasis) implies there may be more than one space to choose from. Hence any space on the other side of the river that overlaps your current space's vertical borders is fair game.

Yeah oke..

But i always felt that there is only one real opposite.

JCHendee said:

That is a convincing bit of text for choosing either or. Otherwise there would be no choice, just the space directly opposite.

Thanks!

Hey V., you know I'm one for choosing a ruling that works best for one's own group, but...

Are there any spaces on the board where more than one space qualifies as being directly opposite, as you say, between Middle and Outer regions? If not, then the instruction of choice makes no sense. I suppose some Middle region corner spaces might qualify, since they have a corner-to-corner and two sides. By your ruling, is one of the Fields or the City directly opposite of the Portal of Power, where you might draw a raft?

Dam said:

Same as you, directly on top, never sideways and since there's always clearly 90/10 or 95/5% shared river area, it was kind of obvious and it's been played like that since 1st edition for us.

Not for my group. We figure that the spaces could have been easily design to be in full alignment (seriously). So there had to be reason they weren't. Combined with the working in the rulebook, we interpreted the "choice" wording as key as well. But I have played with groups that rule it either way, and so long as all present agree BEFORE the game starts, it works either way.

And either way, I still don't see someone coming up with an answer for when someone draws a raft in a corner space in the Middle Region to crossover the river. Ruling that diagonal is "directly" across doesn't work because no other space references diagonal as a directly opposing space. So that leaves three spaces to choose from if you draw a raft on the Portal of Power or the Cursed Glade.

We play with directly across and interpreted the "choosing" wording to be refering to the corner spaces in the middle region where there are more than 1 space that's directly across.

But really I think any of these interpretations could be right, and all of them work in the game.

I think there is a distinction between directly opposite the space and directly opposite the centre of that space. If the rules intended us to assume the later, there would be no need to give us a chioce because there could never be one. "Choose one of any" indicates more than one.

ive wondered about this b4, but never asked about it. weve always played " 1 space, directly across the river" i think it would be fun to try it the other way. ive always assumed it was just one space you could go to, but it would be cool to draw the raft, or buy it, at the ruins, and raft to the temple

JCHendee said:

Hi JC,

Yes,

The portal of power and the fields space on the other site(outer region) are real opposites.

The largest space is the real opposite to cross the river.

_________________

The plains next to tavern is the real opposite of the temple in the middle region. I am not counting the desert as a opposite.

the hills and desert are real opposites. i am not counting the oasis..

This is how i want to play it.

Ah well, another quirk in Talisman. And of course none of us have ever seen that before, cough cough. As always, as long as all players agree with any ruling, this one's really not that big of a deal.

No Quirks, Since Ver. 1 you can choose any space directly opposite (and some overlap) to travel to.

i.e.

middle region Desert AND Oasis are opposite of Woods in outer region (in between the two plains). You could raft to either space.

There is no 90/10 rule etc. just follow the lines of each space across the river if the current space intersects more than one space they all are opposite.

But, if you want to house rule it your way that is fine as long as everyone agrees to it before hand.

talismanamsilat said:

BTW any answers from Ell are official in case you all dont know this

Actually, the only clarifications that should be considered official here are those directly from FFG (read John Goodenough).

talismanisland said:

Well unless John is changing the rules from Robert Harris the original designer of the game then the above answer is correct ;p And since the rules about rafts are word for word the same as Roberts I would go with the above.

And as much as I love John Goodenough for some of his ideas for games, his rules are very shaky in content imho (i.e. Runebound) with little clarifications given. Heck they are still thowing out expansions for Runebound and there are so many open questions that are never answered for that game (FAQ hasent been updated for what 2 years?).

Irrespective of an answer being "correct", nothing on these forums should be considered official unless it comes directly from FFG.

talismanisland said:

True if there ever is a official answer Generally with any game, your gamer group just needs to adopt a ruling in lew of a offical rule then stick with it.

As for this rule it has always been any opposite space including overlaps since version 1 so unless FFG overrides it you most likely should follow it.

i think that directly opposite means the spot where most of the space overlaps but that just me and my playgroup

First of all, hi everybody. Long time D&D and Talisman fancy, basically more of a role-player that loves board games, and especially Talisman than the other way around. This is important as such rules discussions where arbitrariness is concerned have a part role-playing (DM-arbiter) thinking and a part of board-gamer (where rules should never be arbitrary). At least this is how I see it. I understand and respect that many people here are pure board gamers and might not understand this distinction, just felt like saying this as an old-school role-player (first)..

Personally, I lean more towards having a DM/RPB-bias even though Talisman is a board-game, but the beauty of the game often leaves the aura of being in the DnD-world at times without some of the hardcore sweat If this was a D&D scenario and I was DM, I would rule only the most overlapping opposite space, but this is a board game and therefore there should be no need to interpret by a "neutral" DM. Especially since most Talisman games have no judge at the sideline.

The outer region has 24 spaces. Arbitrariness actually starts here, as I count 11 spaces that connect in it's entirety to only 1 space in the middle region. The woods space close to the CITY barely touches two spaces, so I counted that one as having two. Which means we got 13 spaces with two "landing" options in the middle region.

So about half of the outer spaces have only one connecting middle region space and the other half has two. I personally don't like that is is designed like this, but if it is for the sake of allowing more options that makes it a different story. Not sure what the intention is here, but I can only assume that the designers have intended to give a choice half the time. Note that most of the time (Axe) there are two options (3/4), except for the woods opposite the hidden valley with it's lucrative 3 adventure cards, yum yum.. This is advantageous to the Elf especially when he gets axe and then could move to this woods space and build a raft. Also, would be easy for the druid to go to this space, reload all his spells, hopefully with 6 craft and then do the same.

Five ways to cross the river: Tavern, offered direct ferry to chapel (one space only) ; Use spell (water walk- any space); Axe (Forest&Woods 4 spaces), Adventure card (18 possible spaces) and Market Day (all spaces). Did I forget any??

A long tirade about this question, but I see both points here. However, from a board-game rules pov, it seems clear that wherever two overlapping spaces exist, player should get to choose. I think it would have been optimum if there were only directly overlapping spaces and this would not be an issue, but maybe this is something to add in when 5th edition comes out in 2100 :)

DrSher said:

Sentinel Bridge ?