Never Enough Hours - Why Talisman Is My Favourite Thing

I was challenged to write up an article explaining in great detail why the old /new / re-released boardgame Talisman is so utterly loved by yours truly, much to the detriment and punishment of those that over the years have been foolish enough to be a friend and agreed to play it with me.

I considered for a long time the unpredictable nature of the game, how chance plays a larger part of proceedings than any skill ever could. I wondered about the RPG-lite rules, and the storytelling that dwells deep in the bones of every edition of the game. I delved deep into each edition from the 1983 paper minatures original to the resin 4th Ed Revised currently available from Pegasus Spiele with every lead or plastic, GW or Fantasty Flight release. I spent time thinking about the game is played, with each player starting with low stats, 1 gold and 1 fate and by moving from square to square, setting off Adventure cards that could be a monster to fight, or a witch that curses you.

Also the Jester.

Kill. Jester.

I realised early on that all these things are important to the foundations of my love of Talisman, as much as the Garry Chalk art of 1st and 2nd Ed, and the wonderful chaos of Wayne England's art of 3rd. All of this will be covered later in a separate historical article, as this was a challenge to explain simply: the tale of why I love Talisman.

What this story ends up being though, is the story of a man called Geoff.

Geoff was the Chairman of the wargaming club I attended in my early days of Warhammering, back when my army was a ton of Monopose Goblins and cardboard chariots and rocklobbers. He was a man that did one thing above all others that always stays with me:

He welcomed everybody. No matter what. You came to Westcoast Gamers, you were welcomed and you were shown all sorts of things. Somethings…you didn't want to be shown.

The memory of winning a collection of completely naked and realistically painted naked Amazon Warrior minatures springs to mind, as was the hiding them from my mother until I could get them to school to be swapped. This didn't work and I was Spoken To.

Geoff was always aware when people were socially anxious and made great efforts to involve people in games, be they the D&D skirmish game or as a constant choice: Talisman.

As I write this, I can smell Trades Hall, I can feel the carpet beneath my feet and the oddly uncomfortable after a while school style seats. I can remember in great detail everytime a newbie came to the club and hung around the edges until Geoff uttered the words “go get Talisman, there's a good lad”. I made many friends from that sentence, I've been to weddings and christenings, in fact I recently became a godparent to the child of someone I met when adventuring for the Crown of Command.

“Go get Talisman. There's a good lad”.

It's simple, but it's genius. It's hard to stay quiet when Talisman gets into the middle game. The frustrations and and victories become tales in of themselves, as the crowd around the table congratulate and curse each other in equal measure, form alliances and backstab. The simplicity of the rules gave a solid foundation to those who came and didn't know either the people or the systems enough to get involved. So many times it came out and did the job it needed to do.

“Go get Talisman. There's a good lad. “

My time with West Cumbria Wargaming lasted close to a decade and only really came to an end when I stood down as treasurer for exams. I must note that I gained that position purely down to Geoff's support. A gawky 15 year old was voted in, and Geoff would give that quick satisfied knowing smile, I never realised at the time he felt it would be good for me to take more responsibility for the club I loved so much, and he was right. I had responsibility there, and part of that became a very simple thing that stayed with me through my life and even now as a fourth year old man. There is nothing more important as feeling you belong, and have importance which started with a sentence that I inherited:

“Go get Talisman. There's a good lad.”

Also. Turning people into toads continously is great fun