Does Talisman involve any skill or is it all random?

[[MOSS]-BurningUp]

Just curious what people think I'd like to get some of the expansions and start getting into this, make some friends and do some multiplayer... but I don't have if I have the heart and drive. Also the game doesn't seem to have much of a playerbase.

[potterman28wxcv]

Yes, there is skill involved.

Typically when you just start the game, it looks like a bunch of "throw dice, select place, read card, repeat". In the short term, strategy doesn't matter very much. But it's the long term strategy that matters - where do you intend to go - what goal do you want to try achieving - when do you decide to run for the crown of command.

But even with the best strategy, you are not necessarily safe. A double 1 with the Reaper suffices to kill you. Or maybe just a load of bad encounters. So many things can happen in a Talisman game, which is why those of us who like the game continue playing it.

If you create a multiplayer game, make sure to check Bloodbath and Random pick + 3 choices. With these settings, a game can last anywhere between 1 hour and 3 hours. Without bloodbath, count more 5+ hours, which is just impossible to do in multiplayer. Without random pick, people will just take the most OP characters from the expansions.

if you are interested in playing Talisman games more or less regularly (i'm organizing one once a week or so), feel free to add me. We always have 3 to 6 serious players in each of our games (aka players that won't ragequit or abuse rejoin mechanisms)

[Gilga ™ |Yonaguni|]

Hey, the key is to avoid mistakes, this is the secret, the rest is luck (also known as the gods of Talisman )

Also this game offers so many combos, that only a few players are aware of, thats why its so important to know the rules and the core mechanics.

Anyway like Potterman said a double 1 roll can and will kill you (Reaper ), yeah luck is a w******.

[☼Desendos☼]

Luck's a huge factor. You spend most of the game making choices to set yourself up for the best odds but there's some strategies that usually give you an edge if the others don't know.

-Highland is a great place early to farm gold and weaker enemies.
-When you've got gold flail will let you farm the dungeon(or head to eyrie/treasure chamber.)
-When you've got gold a spell book will let you cycle spells as well as using them for gold at the sorcerers square(which can also help you get rid of terrible spells to continue cycling). You can stockpile gold using this and buy magic rings, a full plate and a flail.
-Hurting Lord of Darkness enough lets you skip to the crown of command.
-Cloak of feathers and Arnkell(rewards from eyrie and treasure chamber) can be used in the inner region to skip to the crown of command.
-Terrians can destroy shops to stop other players from getting flail/spellbook ect.
-Terrians can be abused at the Sentinel and Portal of Power to avoid doing them.
-Terrians can stop players using the Treasure chamber or Eyrie.

As gilga said, theres a ton of combos and the more knowledge about the game you have more room for finding something to let you combo off or counter another players combo.

Lady luck is fickle though...

[potterman28wxcv]

I want to add that the expansions add a lot of depth to the game.

The base Talisman game still has a bit of strategy, but clearly not as much as the expansions. It's day and night really

[[MOSS]-BurningUp]

Originally posted by CD potterman28wxcv:

I want to add that the expansions add a lot of depth to the game.

The base Talisman game still has a bit of strategy, but clearly not as much as the expansions. It's day and night really

Only the host needs to have the expansions right? for MP i mean of course

[Gilga ™ |Yonaguni|]

Originally posted by MOSS-BurningUp:

Only the host needs to have the expansions right? for MP i mean of course

No, all expansions are shared in mp games (regardless if the host ownes them or not), its explained in the pinned F&Q thread.

[Ragic]

if knowing what cards are in the deck, what each space on the board does, and what the odds are of rolling a 6 out of a 1d6 is skill, then there is skill. granted not everyone has that skill.

you could ask the same question about poker though. and yet the same people keep making it to the final table in tournaments. so yeah there is RNG, but knowledge of the game and the discipline to play for the high probability gains can mitigate it.

[majkel2111]

And more about this reaper... People tend to think that when having double 1 rolloing for him they are unlucky, but that is not exactly the whole truth. If you are in his range, you are also to blame. So it is your mistake followed by bad luck.

[Gilga ™ |Yonaguni|]

Originally posted by majkel2111:

And more about this reaper... People tend to think that when having double 1 rolloing for him they are unlucky, but that is not exactly the whole truth. If you are in his range, you are also to blame. So it is your mistake followed by bad luck.

Yeah, but we have to add that there is also the 5 and Misfortune combo, so even when you are clever enough to avoid the Reaper, you still can be his victim.

[potterman28wxcv]

Originally posted by majkel2111:

And more about this reaper... People tend to think that when having double 1 rolloing for him they are unlucky, but that is not exactly the whole truth. If you are in his range, you are also to blame. So it is your mistake followed by bad luck.

I would agree if you were both in his range and without fate. You would just be asking for trouble to be honest.

But if you have a fate point, you have only 1 chance out of 36 to die.. if he does land on you

[majkel2111]

Originally posted by CD potterman28wxcv:

Originally posted by majkel2111:

And more about this reaper... People tend to think that when having double 1 rolloing for him they are unlucky, but that is not exactly the whole truth. If you are in his range, you are also to blame. So it is your mistake followed by bad luck.

I would agree if you were both in his range and without fate. You would just be asking for trouble to be honest.

But if you have a fate point, you have only 1 chance out of 36 to die.. if he does land on you

The chances are even lower than that. One of the other players needs to roll 1 for the movement, then roll for the reaper exactly the number the reaper needs to get you, and just then you have to roll double 1. But no matter the odds, if you are in range, you can die. So my strategy is to always keep him away from me and often away from others so no-one rolls 5 and use "return to the sender manoeuvre".

[potterman28wxcv]

Originally posted by majkel2111:

Originally posted by CD potterman28wxcv:

I would agree if you were both in his range and without fate. You would just be asking for trouble to be honest.

But if you have a fate point, you have only 1 chance out of 36 to die.. if he does land on you

The chances are even lower than that. One of the other players needs to roll 1 for the movement, then roll for the reaper exactly the number the reaper needs to get you, and just then you have to roll double 1. But no matter the odds, if you are in range, you can die. So my strategy is to always keep him away from me and often away from others so no-one rolls 5 and use "return to the sender manoeuvre".

Yes, and roll double 1 is exactly 1 chance out of 36 :p

[Gilga ™ |Yonaguni|]

Originally posted by CD potterman28wxcv:

Yes, and roll double 1 is exactly 1 chance out of 36

And one Misfortune spell is needed to kill the player, guess how often i saw this in online games.

[potterman28wxcv]

Originally posted by Gilga™:

Originally posted by CD potterman28wxcv:

Yes, and roll double 1 is exactly 1 chance out of 36

And one Misfortune spell is needed to kill the player, guess how often i saw this in online games. :TheSmiley:

Oh right there's this spell. But there's so many ways you can get killed in general in Talisman.. When you see someone heading to the City with 3 gold, and the card hasn't be drawn yet, you should be wary - because of the card that allows you to removes 3 lives from someone at the cost of 3 gold

[Gilga ™ |Yonaguni|]

Originally posted by CD potterman28wxcv:

Oh right there's this spell. But there's so many ways you can get killed in general in Talisman.. When you see someone heading to the City with 3 gold, and the card hasn't be drawn yet, you should be wary - because of the card that allows you to removes 3 lives from someone at the cost of 3 gold

Everything can happen in a game of Talisman.

For example first round kills, rare but they happen ether due a Reaper (1&1), Basilisk, or due the other cards that can work together.

In all my years i saw really strange situations, and was killed in mp games 3 times before i rolled my first die for movement.

Now when a player dies in the first round we start again, but it happens, the current record for rolling a 5 with the reaper is 30+, well that all happend, i could write a book about it, but just my 50 cent.