You vs Dragon – The Ultimate ‘Talisman’ Explainer
Scratch that High Fantasy itch and fight a mighty dragon with Talisman, the exciting adventure game from Pegasus Spiel and Games Workshop.
Welcome in, brave adventurers. There are a lot of great “adventure” games on the market, from Gloomhaven to Etherfields. However, only one board game combines the excitement of a roleplaying adventure with the rich lore of Warhammer Fantasy (well, two, I suppose, but Silver Tower doesn’t count). If you want all that fun with the flair of one of the greatest miniature games ever, look no further than Talisman.
What is Talisman?
Talisman is a fantasy adventure board game for 2-6 players set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe. Initially theorized by Robert Harris in the early 1980s, the first game saw players trying to become prefect of a boy’s boarding school. Harris made the game to entertain his friends but decided to shift it to a fantasy setting shortly after.
He called it “Talisman” and signed a royalty agreement with Games Workshop. They premiered it at Games Day 1983, and by the game’s third edition release in 1994, they had bought out the remainder of Harris’s shares.
How Do You Play?
Each player chooses a hero and then makes their way around the ringed game board. The object is to progress through the three rings towards the center, where they fight a powerful boss to claim ownership of the Crown of Command. However, players must have found a magical talisman to progress through to the final ring, hence the game’s name.
Each Hero has unique Strength and Craft attributes, as well as a single bag of gold and four health. Players roll a die and move around the board, trying to move deeper into the board towards the center, where the boss waits. In most versions, the boss is a dragon, but some expansions instead have a wizard, a dangerous warlord, or even Batman! From the Third edition onwards, an experience mechanic was added, allowing the heroes to grow stronger as they completed various tasks.
Whenever a player finishes their move, they draw an Adventure card corresponding to the space they landed on. These Adventures could be loot, locations, or even deadly monsters. Occasionally, those cards remain on the board, and other players can attempt to interact with them. However, the primary goal is finding the talisman, unlocking the central square, and saving the realm.
Talisman: Reception and Reviews
Though the game has many fans across the world, many reviewers note that the game’s emphasis on luck makes it a bit of a slog. It is also exceedingly long since you may never turn up the item you need to reach the final level. However, reviewers also note that there is a wonderfully fun game buried under all the stress. If nothing else, it speaks to those with a high fantasy fascination or those who want to play as a hero in the Warhammer world rather than a whole army.
Talisman Editions and Expansions
Talisman is currently in its Fifth Edition, which came out in February 2024. However, the Fourth Edition had thirteen expansions, adding new characters, villains, and challenges. There’s even a version where you play as Batman’s rogues, trying to escape from Arkham Asylum while the Bat pursues you.
Is Talisman like D&D?
The two games are very similar since you’re playing individual characters and leveling up their skills. However, you don’t “make” a character as you typically do in TTRPGs. Instead, you choose from a list of existing characters with their own set of skills and abilities.
In that respect, it’s like playing a canned oneshot with pre-generated characters. Also, instead of a map or battle turns, you draw encounter cards and either succeed or fail based on a single roll. The two games aren’t entirely dissimilar, but there are enough differences that it’s hard to compare the two.
