Hi everyone!

While we're all excited about The City, I thought I would start a thread on speculations or STRONGLY-WORDED hints of what we might like to see in the final board.

As the City set will seem to incorporate well with the base game - but also existing board expansions {examples: the Wanted List indicates 'cultists' which abound in both the Dragon and Dungeon decks, and also 'constructs' which are in the Dungeon set, and elsewhere too}

I propose that the final board is converse to the City. The City will deal in earnest with matters of finance, mundane : buying what you need or can, whether earthly or magical.

I'd like the last board to deal with more magickal stuff: Possible title: The Mystic Woods - a homage to a late '70s board game we used to play (anyone remember that one?).

a space, "Dragon's Hollow", when you land there a die-roll may draw face up Dragons to the space? I'd say make it a 1, so its not immediate death, but you mechanics folks could tweak that better if you like.

I want a Healing Water Fall, please! Or a roll can offer fate, craft, etc.

Maybe if the set is called "Woodlands" or similar, than a space would be better suited for the homage themed: "Mystic Woods" which might offter other possibilities (gotta make it different than the village space, which may or may not be enhanced as the City will be), draw 2 or 3 cards? Or alignment based options: Neutral: gain 1 fate, Evil: Fight a Ranger strength 4, Good: Fight Evil Fairy Craft 4?

Something about woods, mystic or otherwise makes me think of spiders… evil and intelligent ones…. and giant too perhaps? [end boss? elsewhere/space? Hey… how about a recurrent and rollable situation: As we have multiple tunnel or cavern spaces in Dungeon and similar in Highlands, what if there is a space that you must roll to determine if a random spider invasion happens. Just normal size, mostly, but like a big number of them and you and your followers have to roll safe, or can possibly lose lives or followers from venom bites, or lose turns to heal. I don't know what to call that space… Spider-web Passage?

Okay, someone else's turn!

Both of these are connected to the fact that the storm river flows off the board in this corner.

• Swamp, very similar to a wood, still can have trees and spiders etc but more dangerous. Also, domain of toads…….

• I think it would be great to recognise the work that Mr New has done and have the river run into a sea that contains…. the Talisman Island.

BanthaFodder said:

SWAMP! exactly what I should have said, Thanks! Okay swap, roll 1, infected with toadism? spider swarm on 2 -3, 4 lost, lose a turn, 5 - "SAFE" 6 - Find treasure?

Remember how I keep harping on mini-boards that fill up the space NOT encircled by expansion boards ? One of those might be the right size for the river to lead to the sea and Talisman Island?

0beron said:

I agree.

The Mystic Woods is a nice title.

I think it should have craft enemies like spirits etc. ) at least more than strength enemies)

It´s also a place for animals. The Minstrel will be happy with this.

And some Wood spaces for the Elf:)

The End boss from that Region is the Wraith Lord.

But how strong should he be?

Do you want him to be weaker than the eagle king, or should he be stronger?

BanthaFodder said:

Hear Hear . We should get together and just do it. Maybe we can fit a 5th (4th will be coming) board between 2?

I am totally unfamiliar with the 3rd edition; Wraith Lord was how powerful or what did he do?

Mystic Woods was a game back in the '70s at least. There were slightly larger index type cards. You had pre-set gates or entrances, but all the other cards were shuffled and then placed face down, probably rows of 6 by 6 or whatever; seemed like plenty. So each game you started at the same point, but as you "moved" you revealed the cards, entered spaces, drew encounter cards,e tc. Different properties to the main space cards and also the possibility of deadends or re-routes, etc. Other than that, there were some similarities to Talisman, I suppose.

0beron said:

Wraith Lord has only a craft of 6. If you win, then you get a talisman and 2 gold. Same as the lord of darkness that fights with strength 6

FFG will probably change it, but how powerful should he be?

Maybe he must have the same power as the eagle king? hmm..

Ahh, mystic wood!
I recently printed it off as a quick game to throw between long bouts of Talisman or MTG and it's gone down really well with my playing group (I'm going to remake the game for myself with a few new mechanics- The game is definitely worthy of homage!)…

As for the next corner, I definitely like the idea of swamp or forest themed boards… elaborating the village would seem a bit unnecessary with the City expansion, though I do hope that the 4th corner, whatever it is, allows for non-linear movement (as appears to be the case with the city)… But not the Timescape!

Maybe a combination of Dungeon/highland style linearity with the City's perceived sprawl could work well; Imagine having to go through a long linear treck through the dangerous forest or swamps only to reach a remote hub of spaces that form a sprawling village or settlement that houses great rewards for those who dare to visit… I dunno.

Or even better, if the 4th corner was linear, like the first two corner expansions, but had a river flowing through it leading on from the river on the main board, that grants players a shortcut through the area, assuming they have a boat (alas, the existing raft may not survive such a trip!)- like, the boat could be an item which requires you to roll a dice to see what happens (something like 1,2 - the boat is destroyed in the rapids, lose a life and discard the boat / 3,4 - the boat carries you to the adjacent space (like the raft, but allows the player to skip sections of the expansion board!) / 5,6 - The boat carry's you anywhere downriver from your current space)…

exion said:

I mentioned spaces I'd like to see such as Waterfalls or Dragon's Hollow (a space that summons face up dragons to it!), and someone or three has mentioned swamp spaces with invading spiders or other things (well I mentioned the spiders), but I see a need for (hold for it)

a whirlpool! And maybe that is 'a way out' of the board; ie the whirlpool has / can have magical properties and short cut you to CoC or other main board/Forest board spaces.

Forest board from third edition has a different route as the other boards.

I hope that FFG will create the same idea with the new board.

Not from left to right, or from right to left. But up down, or down up lol

Logically thinking about the corner boards so far I feel certain it wil be some sort of forest theme, though with a darker more fearful theme rather than just an intriguing "Mystic". Maybe the "Forest of Fear" or "Sylvan Depths" or "Darkling Woods". I expect it will just be "The Forest" though.

I fully expect more board expansions over the next few years. If this edition has shown me anything it's that it can always have something new to add. John godenough has done an excellent job of improving the game in all aspects. The Dragon expansion is outstanding and if you notice in the beginning of the instructions the expansion was labelled as "An epic level expansion" basically something that an be tacked on to provide an overall story and setting plot, a bit like a campain setting in an RPG. We could see future "Epic Level" Expansions with themes of Undead Lords, War, Demon invasion….go nuts with your imagination.

Also I have noticed that as yet there is no Pirate or nautical themed characters. So i say stand by for an off the board "board" with sea and pirates and all that good stuff. Those rivers flowing off the board on each side have been left to tantalise the imagination for too long and I believe this edition is now the time to make the most of it. After all, rivers lead to the sea……….right!!

Now what would really make me drool like a starving dog with a t-bone would be a radical overhaul and improvement of the Timescape idea. Think about common fantasy concepts (think Dungeons andn Dragons now) and bring to mind alternate planes of existence and parallel realities. Hey where does the Angel and evil come from. What about mephistophodude and the devil, they must exist somewhere. Even that craft 10 demon. Now that would be an epic expansion with a strong shortcut to the crown of command space but terrible danger and artifact level magic objects. Timescape despite it oddities was immensly popular and done right would be a must have expansion. A respectable attempt has already been done and can be aquired through Talisman Island.

For those familiar with the Arkham horror game, an epansion called Miskatonic horror was released with a little bit of everything for all expansions released to date for Arkham horror. I expect to see this for Talisman also as it's easily doable. I mean whowouldnt want more Dungeon, Highland, City, "Forest" and adventure cards. Also going back to the Dragon expansion in the story description the Cultists found 3 of the "Draconic Lords" So that means there is undoubtadly more. Awesome I say. (probably if say 3 more Dragon Lords were released then only 3 would be randomly picked though.

And finally I would like to see an expansion for those players who love details with optional little boards and rules to expand those fixed locations on the main board. Examples could be a Tavern scene or Mini Graveyard board.

Talisman could just go on and on in scope.

BanthaFodder said:

I really like this idea; a tense sea voyage, followed by adventures on a spooky island. Maybe your boat could have 'hull points' - so if you lose a life against sea monsters or weather, your boat takes the damage instead. Also, you could have the option of sacrificing 'crew' (followers) instead of the hull points.

Then on the island, in addition to the expected enemies and stuff (maybe a King Kong-ish end boss with a great treasure?), you might find new 'crew' (followers) for the journey home, and maybe even wood that you can trade in for hull points.

Then once you've had all your fun on the island, to get back to the main board, you have to sail back the way you came.

Depending on its viability and overall popularity, Talisman could have expansions beyond the final corner. I've mentioned enhanced themes myself.

I've thought of "The 4th Draconic Lord" before. I like the idea of either a Death or Hell realm.

There could be either a small set or extra board on "Elder Gods" with all the demons, monsters, cultists and possible alternate endings.

I like a Death or Hell realm that is entered through the Graveyard, maybe the Cursed Glade. It could be a small board that fits between the corner spaces on the long side… with some sort of space/exit-space that has a die roll that might summon the Reaper to that spot (and a roll on his chart), or other nasty things to happen alongside another route to the CoC.

Of course you realize that there is a Talisman Island expansion already, done by Jon for 1st/2nd edition.

It is the one from which his site takes it's name.

There is a "Pirates!" expansion by him too…

http://www.talismanisland.com/expansions.htm

Funny how it has never been converted to 4th edition….

Well, tbh the old expansion was going to get a remake for 3rd Edition just before they announced 4th Edition!

There are some bits of it that I think work, but really it needs a fairly major overhaul. If life allows some time to do so at some point in the future I might have a go.

Hi from Madrid, (Spain, Europe)

Well, i would like to see new full-sized board expansions, or maybe, new boards in the space of the middle and inner regions, or another new board like you have just said: The Talisman Island, beyond the sea, for example. It would be amazing!

The four corners of the main board are not the end of the possible expansions, i think… So, another boards, or inner boards are possible.

In fact, like you have said, it is all matter of imagination. If the game sells good enough (hahaha), there are a lot of ways to expand Talisman… I would like to see a forest expansion, first of all, certainly, but too, an Island expansion, and, yes, a DESERT expansion. A bit like Runebound´s Sands of Al-kalim, but in the Talisman game.

I started in the world os fantasy games by the way of the RPGs, 20 years ago, and, in the last times, i have been captived by the charm of the FF fantasy and sci-fi board games. They are a more visual thing of the same feelings. I studied firstly the Runebound game… it is very interesting. Then, only a few of time ago i discovered a misterious new Warhammer 40.000 board game. It is created by John Goodenough too, on the Talisman System. Since that moment, atracted by the RELIC news, i started to study Talisman, and i must say that, despite of the base game was a bit simple to me, but yet full of charm, when i have readen the rules of all the dazzling Goodenough expansions, now i like more Talisman than Runebound.
Besides, the work of Goodenough weaving the lore since the base game, expansion after expansion, is very coherent, nice and interesting.

I think that expansions like The Dragon leads the way toward new Talisman concepts, yet to be exploited with new expansions…

Deserts, forests, islands…

A desert board would be amazing. I would like it to be hard to get to. Either you have to enter through the Desert space in the Middle regions, somehow, or if you have the Flying Carpet you can get there, somehow.

One of the spaces I would like to see in a Forest or Woodlands board would be The Ancient Cemetary, which would have some similarities to the main board's Graveyard, but maybe more fearful. Like "Pet Semetary", maybe - if you take a dead animal/trophy there you can ressurect it, but there should be a danger element to yourself in the doing of that. Or the Ancient Cemetary can have a catcombs beneath it that may take you to other boards.

The concept of an ocean or sea would seem to be daunting, not that I'm against it. Sea monsters would be pretty much Dragons in water, so I don't see individual battles being impossible. But I want the scale of ships on the sea, so … ? The dynamics of sea voyage, in a fantasy setting may be challenging to sync with Talisman's normal sense of play. Does that make sense?