On the City expansion set thread, I mentioned an idea I've worked on that could tie into (and needs) all board expansions (the City and beyond) and other small sets.

Basic idea: Once you have all board expansions, 4, around the basic board, this set proposes a quest to find 4 keys that unlock a secret chamber in the Temple.

4 regular Adventure style cards representing 4 keys, are randomly placed in the 4 regions that border the Outer, Middle and Inner regions. Assume they are the Dungeon, Highlands, City… and Forest or whatever it will be. Setup: Beginning of game players take turns placing each Key face down, in each region by rolling 3 die and adding your Craft or Strength. Count that number of spaces from the entrance of that board in, and place the key there. So most Keys will be at least 6 spaces in.

The Keys add various attributes on their own, but 2 or more give extra abilities: 1 Key adds 1 Strength. 1 Key adds 1 Craft. 1 Key replenishes Fate to starting quota at your turn start. 1 Key replenishes Spells to starting quota at your turn start. If you have any 2 Keys, you can heal to starting quota each turn. If you have any 3 keys you can combine Strength and Craft for each battle, psychic or otherwise.

And if you have all 4 keys, you are teleported to the Temple. At the start of your next turn, you use the 4 keys to open the Secret or Hidden Chamber in the Temple (you must do this, over the usual Temple stuff). The Chamber houses a portal or device with other Teleportation properties. Roll one die and there is no Fate or spells or objects that can change or enhance the roll. You are stuck with what you roll:

1) The Grim Reaper comes to you, follow His card 1) The Werewolf comes to you, follow "its" card 3) The reigning Dragon Lord attacks you 4) You are turned into a Toad, etc. 5) Teleported to the Valley of Fire (must have the talisman, etc.) 6) Teleported to the Crown of Command

NOTE: When I posted some of this on the other thread, I had some differences, which I think are possibly better: 1) was Horrible Black Void, then 2) Reaper, 3) Werewolf 4) Dragon Lord - or - Dragon Rage? 5) Toad, 6) Crown of Command. ** I could see making 1) the Toad, as that works in all things Toad, and 6) the Void, with the others retaining their order, but from 2 to 5. I'm obviously nixing the Valley of Fire.

New Spells for this small set: "Key-Pull", when cast will pull the key you choose towards you, as much as possible, in a straight line (ie; through regions/boards even, BUT only about half the distance (all players should agree on what that is?). UNLESS you already have at least 1 Key, then it pulls right to you. "Key-Hide" makes a key invisible, perhaps until the next change from day/night or vice a versa? Cast as needed (when a player lands on the space to claim?) Of course the Key is invisible to everyone, so timing is important! Key-Trade, can only be cast when you have a key, on a player who has a key (so you could get the one with renewing fate, when you don't want the one that adds to Strength, and so on)

New Character: Locksmith - He can "fabricate" a key, if he has one real key and by losing a turn (or more) in the Village Blacksmith, additionally the key can only be used in the Temple; it neither gives a natural bonus (+1 Strength, etc.) nor can it "combine" with other keys for the additional bonus ( combine Strength and Craft, etc.).

In the Temple: If you don't get to the Crown on your roll, you can try again, but have to leave the Temple first, then come back.

Other: I sorta fancy the Keys being like Trinkets, that is no weight in the carrying. Unless you have the various secret pouches or whatever, they can be lost in most normal ways, by encounters with other characters, spells, abilities or enemies that can steal objects, etc.

If the keys would somehow be 'lost' or destroyed by an effects of the game, they are merely placed randomly again in any available region (1 per) with the normal set up procedure.

As mentioned previously I'm mostly an idea person, so I have not thought out all the balance issues involved, and once again

I realize no one is likely to ever create such an expansion, but I like going on and on about it. The only ideas or expansion I have yet to tie in, would be Sacred Pool and Frostmarch.

any ideas?

this post is obviously over long and over speculative, but after looking at the similar "after the 4th board" thread, I invite people to comment on either about - in general - sets that could integrate expansions.

I just had an epiphany about "implying without specifying" day/night mechanics with descriptive wording that could work with or without day/night being in play.

Here's some examples, but I posted a couple on the After 4th thread:

"Evening breezes scatter leaves revealing _____ with a strength/craft of ___" (if you're using day/night, the counter goes/stays at night, with the consequence of +1 for the enemy; if not, play as is)

"The hot, mid-day Sun causes swarm of flesh eating ants to ravage the area, hungry" (likewise) This would be a cool new Adventure card, or possibly Highlands or Forest.

Does Day/Night really affect the Dungeon? I prefer my vampires to only come out at night, but years of "Buffy" and others show vamps merely avoiding the sun, rather than having to sleep.

Dungeon Adventure card: an opening high above allows sunlight to reveal hidden treasure - and the fierce Troll guarding it.

Highlands Adventure card: An ancient Vampire Warrior (Think Viktor from Underworld?) rises at night riding his Undead steed throughout these hills searching for prey (okay a little wordy, and to me Vampires imply night, *anyway*

These would be good as thematics for small expansion or DLC extra quest

Cheers

I like the idea, I think im the only player from my group to ever visit the highlands

NemaLive said:

Sometimes, i am going to the Highlands too.

But i have seen that you will level up quicker on the mainboard, than in the highlands, even if you can draw more cards there.

It´s because of all the goodies that you can find there. It will slow you down.

Velhart said:

I tend to go for the Dungeon, more than the Highlands. My co player likes Highlands more than Dungeon. She is not as interested in the "continuity" of future sets having tie-ins or ways and reasons for more connectivity.

So, "Keys" has the idea of questing the eventual 4 regions surrounding the Land of Talisman, to gain individual and joint "gifts" that might get you to the CoC faster/differently.

We can speculate on other ways that the sets could work alongside each other. A new dynamic mechanic, such as "Blood Moon" has?

0beron said:

I don´t like the Dungeon so much.

I think it miss the excitement what you can draw there, because it´s full of enemies.

I gladly want to replace my Dungeon board with a other region.

The Blood Moon has the werewolf, but i don´t know yet if the mainboard becomes more dangerous with him.

If this would be the case, then maybe that the players will decide to run away to another board.

I think that the Highland is just a region to collect some stuff, and it´s not meant to level up quickly, but there are some cards there, that can power you up:)

If the city is released, then i hope that you can buy a lot of goodies there. Then there is more reason to go to the Highland, and you sell your stuff later in the city, to collect some good weapons. This can happen early in the game.

Maybe that there could be a alternate ending that you need to visit each region etc:)

Yes, the City will make the Highlands "make sense", because at least more ways to use money.

Maybe we can get something like but beyond the Stables? Other sorts of vehicles? King's Royal Carriage, if you have the Prince or Princess you can ride non-stop to the Castle on the Middle Region. If you don't you can either offer up one of the trinkets , rubies, etc for a limited ride, or same deal?

Those keys seem far too powerful and game breaking. Here is my 2 cents.

First, and foremost,

I am honored that you saw something worth building on, in my premise! Thank you.

(for a minute I thought you were Velhart, since you have the same image)

I think I like your ideas very much . . . quite frankly they make more sense. Great job!

I'm sorry that I was in a rush and didn't start my post as I originally intended. So here is what I meant to start with.

I really love the idea of a small expansion that brings all of the different expansions together and rewards those who have purchased and use everything!

The game balance of your original idea was just too powerful. Not a bad idea, it's just that nobody would go for anything BUT those items. My rendition is a little more in line with something nice to have, but not a must have. Using the Temple was a great idea, as skipping a chance at prayer is a big deal, a dragon scale could prevent its use, and a lot of adventure cards like to put bad guys (dragon decks) on the Temple. I will probably create home versions of these to play test. Thank you for the great idea and please continue the brainstorming.

Gigerstreak said:

And I thank you, because you took my idea and actually made it MUCH better. I truly think your spin is far better. I am an idea person, but I need someone who knows or understands the game / mechanics better to sort it out. Again, very.cool.ideas.

On another "what comes next" thread, someone mentioned that future small sets could expand board sets *and* other previous small sets.

Midnight! Introducing 2 or 4 new cards, events that distinguish High Noon from Midnight events/affects of followers, strangers, places, etc, or

/ also: Dawn and Sunset.

So… new spells that have to be cast during Midnight. Evil spirits return to the Graveyard (s) at Dawn.

also mundane: Get out of town by Sunset - a City card that may force you out of the City? A duel, arrest, posse, etc at High Noon?

If an event card, they can change the day/night card appropriately when Blood Moon is used. Or they qualify or fit in an action - Spells that must be cast at Midnight. Not sure how a redundant event, say after its Midnight, another card event indicates Sunset - Is it the next night, same night?

0beron said:

I like the idea! Rather than every event card flipping the day/night we could have it so that every complete round turns it. (specific event cards still trigger high noon and midnight like usual, and drawing a new event can end their effects). Dawn and Dusk (sunset) could give a +0 but have their own effects.

Dawn and Dusk or '0' as a + for battles. Check.

Other effects? Hmmmmm. At Dawn it would make sense for most spirits to 'stand down' or something. A zero effect in that neither the player or the Spirit are evading or attacking. They're just indifferent. Is this immunity; ie; You can't willfully attack a spirit - just consider them "not there"?

On second thought that might be way too powerful - why wouldn't all such Spirits just be at rest until Dusk and Night? That would take a lot out of the game.

Maybe 'Dawn' is a one turn opportunity for players to attempt a prayer/heal and 'Dusk' something else.

I'm going to leave this thought now, and let you or someone else give an idea. But I like this too, No bonus or detraction at dawn or dusk, but a possible other effect. I like this because it could be something or different thing for a mundane (Sheriff says out of town by sunset!) or magical (Spirits are weakest at Dawn, cannot attack at that time/always move 1 space away/until alone).

How about at Dawn all spirits roll twice and take the lowest result in psychic combat?

There could be a new character "The Gunslinger" and he rolls twice and takes the higher result during the round of "High Noon". Maybe a Grit ability where he can spend a fate to auto 6 the roll in battle.

A spell called Sacred/Dark Ritual that has different effects based on "the time of day".

Place cards that only activate at specific times. (cult gathering at midnight)

I'm just throwing stuff out there but I do like the idea of a time passing mechanic. Perhaps even include an event that lasts "one whole day" or even something that must be accomplished within a certain number of days (rounds).

Gigerstreak said:

yes, that is a cool idea. I only played a little D/D, way back but that was one of the things I liked, the time passage between days and nights. Talisman, in a way, draws its strongest similarities as a variation, kinda sorta like D/D in outward themes, characteristics and merit-driven advancement and development.

It will be important to find balance with these elements, you don't want all the cards to advantage day or night at the disadvantage of the other.

Although I can't quite articulate it, I see an opening for how one might use dark or bright 'fate' tokens.