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Advanced rules on Talisman setup and game play

Notes on playing Forever Talisman with Talisman expansions: and Cards

The Forever Talisman rules are designed to be played with most of all the current expansions
of Talisman.
When playing Forever Talisman all Talisman expansions have to be used if owned.
All cards from each expansion are shuffled into their corresponding decks no matter if their
expansion board is being played with or not in the game.
If a Talisman expansion is not owned then it cannot no chance of being used in the Forever
Talisman game.
The Light and Dark Fate rules from the Woodlands expansion are always used even if the
Woodlands expansion is being used or not in the game (even if not owned).
In any instance where a rule written here indicates that a player cannot perform an action
the player cannot do so. In other words, the forbidding effects overrides any other rule
written in these rules.
Before starting the Forever Talisman game setup remove the following Endings from their
deck if you own them: The Gauntlet, Domain of Dragons, Lifebearers and Cult of the
Damned. Keep The Gauntlet and Domain of Dragons separate in case they are chosen by
their corresponding start game cards and remove Lifebearers and Cult of the Damned from
the Forever Talisman game setup completely.
Ignore phase 7 Revealed Ending and Hidden Endings if you only own the Talisman base game
or the Talisman base game and the Reaper expansion.

The expansions (and rules) included before start game draws are:
The Talisman Base Game
The Frostmarch
The Reaper (without Reaper figure) but with the Warlock Quest Cards
The Sacred Pool
The Bloodmoon
The Firelands
The Nether Realm

The expansion boards and rules that can be randomized are:

The Dungeon
The Highlands
The City
The Woodlands
The Harbinger
The Deep Realms
The Cataclysm
Revealed Endings instead of Hidden Endings

How to start a Forever Talisman Game:

The phases that are needed to be done to setup a Forever Talisman game are done in a strict order
the order is set out as follows:
1.

Who has first turn?

2. Character Selection.
3.

Removing Endings

4. Drawing Start Cards

5.

Expansion Included and Drawing Endings.

6. Deciding Omens
7.

Revealed Ending and Hidden Endings

8.

Choosing Characters

9. Revealing Character, Placing Miniature and taking tokens.

1.

Who has first turn?

First all players take a seat (or place) around gaming table (area) then every player rolls a die (1d6)
and the highest roll is the player that has the first turn (rolling off drawn highest numbers until one
player has the highest number on their die). That player goes first followed but the first player
clockwise around gaming area no matter what die roll number they rolled.
2.

Character Selection:

Starting with the player who won the right to go first Who has first turn? phase each player draws
two character cards plus one more character card if at least one of the four following Talisman
expansions is owned The Highlands, The Dungeon, The City or The Woodlands. Each player is free
to look through their character cards (keeping them secret from all other players) Character cards
are placed facedown until the Choosing Character phase.

3.

Removing Endings

All players may (starting with the player who won the right to go first in the Who has first turn?
phase, then continuing clockwise) look though all the Endings and remove one from play (face-up,
excluding the Horrible Black Void Hidden Ending if owned).
4.

Choosing Start Cards

Place all start game cards face up in front of all players then (starting with the player who won the
right to go first in the Who has first turn? phase, then continuing clockwise) each player chooses
one of the face up start game cards and places it face up near their face down character cards. This
continues until four of the following eight start game cards are chosen by any players:
Fight or Flight, The Dark Lord, Hostile Land, Frozen Bridge, The City (at Day), The City (at Night),
Oberons Realm or Titania's Land.
Once any four of these start game cards are chosen no more start game cards may be chosen by any
player.
5.

Expansion Included and Drawing Endings.

Now that the start game cards have been chosen by players add the effects for each one chosen.
The following is a list of all the start game cards and their effects.

Fight or Flight: The Dungeon board is used in this Forever

Talisman game. A new Treasure Chamber card is included place
this with the Talisman side up over the standard Treasure
Chamber.
The Dark Lord: The Dungeon board cannot be used in this
Forever Talisman game.

Hostile Land: The Highlands board is used in this Forever Talisman

game. A new Eyrie card is included place this with the Talisman
side up over the standard Eyrie.
Frozen Bridge: The Highlands board cannot be used in this
Forever Talisman game.

The City (at Day): The City board is used in this Forever Talisman
game. If The City board is included the game must use the special
City (at Day & Night) rule. The special City (at Day & Night) rule is
as follows:
If the Blood Moon expansion is owned then the Time Card is
replaced by The City (at Day & Night) card this now becomes the
Time Card for the game and is flipped when it becomes Day or
Night as stated normally in the Blood Moon expansion. At the
start of the game The City (at Day & Night) card is placed over the Apothecary, Sorcerer and Magic
Emporium spaces, during the game whenever a character draws an Enemy Law from the City deck
The City (at Day & Night) moves from the Apothecary, Sorcerer and Magic Emporium spaces to the
Armoury, Menagerie and Stable spaces and vice versa.
So long as The City (at Day & Night) card is placed on these shop spaces the shops themselves are
considered closed. When a shop is closed no character (other than the Cat Burglar) may move into
the shop for any reason also no character can take or buy any card from a shop space that is closed,
ignore any effect that says so unless its a characters special ability or a rule written in these rules.
If The Blood Moon expansion is not owned then The City (at Day & Night) card is still placed over the
shops listed above but without the The City (at Day & Night) card being flipped itself according to the
Time rules from The Blood Moon expansion. The City (at Day & Night) card then is normally kept with
the day side up.
The City (at Night): The City board cannot be used in this Forever Talisman game.

Titania's Land: The Woodlands board is used in this Forever

Talisman game.
Oberons Realm: The Woodlands board cannot be used in this
Forever Talisman game.

The Deep Realms: If the Dungeon board and the City board are being used in this
Forever Talisman game then The Deep Realms expansion is also used (The Deep
Realm can only be included this way unless The Deep Realm expansion is not
owned of course).

Open War: Can only be chosen by a player if exactly four other start game cards
have already been chosen. In the Revealing Character, placing miniature and
taking tokens sub-phases where players reveal their character card chooses to
play as in this Forever Talisman game. No player keeps their character choice to
play with themselves instead each player gives their character card choice to the
player clockwise around the game table.

Bloodbath: The Talisman Bloodbath Alternative Rule (page 21 Main Rulebook) is

used in this Forever Talisman game. If the Bloodbath start game card is chosen
and The Grim Reaper start game card was the last start game card chosen by
another player both The Grim Reaper figure and the Talisman Bloodbath
Alternative Rule cannot be used in this Forever Talisman game.

The Grim Reaper: The Grim Reaper figure is used in this Forever Talisman game. If
The Grim Reaper start game card is chosen and the Bloodbath start game card
was the last start game card chosen by another player both The Grim Reaper
figure and the Talisman Bloodbath Alternative Rule cannot be used in this Forever
Talisman game.

Revealed Endings: Revealed Endings is used in this Forever Talisman game, draw
the Revealed Ending as normal, this is done now.

Domain of Dragons: The Domain of Dragons Ending from The

Dragons expansion is used in this Forever Talisman game.
The Gauntlet: The Gauntlet Ending from The Neither Realms
expansion is used in this Forever Talisman game.

The Lady: Can only be chosen by a player if at least four or more other start game
cards have already been chosen. The player can choose the Revealed Ending used
if there is more than one is drawn (see including more than one Revealed
Ending). Also if the Harbinger expansion is used in this Forever Talisman game
add the following Ladies Power special rule:
When an event is drawn and the Harbinger model is in any Region, the Harbinger
model is moved back to the Harbinger card instead of moving to the player who
drew the event cards space.

End of Days: The Harbinger expansion is used in this Forever Talisman game. If
The Harbinger expansion is included the Omen has to be chosen as well (see
Deciding Omens). If The End of Days start game card is chosen and the Cataclysm
start game card was the last start game card chosen by another player both The
Harbinger expansion and the The Cataclysm main board cannot be used in this
Forever Talisman game.

The Cataclysm: Can only be chosen by a player if it is the first start game card
they choose. The Cataclysm main board is used in this Forever Talisman game. If
The Cataclysm start game card is chosen and the End of Days start game card was
the last start game card chosen by another player both The Harbinger expansion
and the The Cataclysm main board cannot be used in this Forever Talisman game.

6.

Deciding Omens

When the Harbinger expansion is included the player who chose the Harbinger expansion chooses
the Omen Card that will be used in this Forever Talisman game. In all cases the Omen is chosen now
before play continues to Revealed Ending and Hidden Endings.
7.

Revealed Ending and Hidden Endings

The following phase decides what type of Ending is going to be used from what Endings have been
chosen already and which one is used in this Forever Talisman game. Normally if one Revealed
Ending is chosen (or drawn) that Revealed Ending is used but sometimes more than one can be
chosen (or drawn) or none can be chosen (or drawn) if this is the case these rules apply:
Including more than one Revealed Ending
If more than one player chooses (or draws) a Revealed Ending to include in this Forever Talisman
game, then all the chosen (or drawn) Revealed Endings are placed in a pile and the player who
picked The Lady start game chooses one of them to be used in this Forever Talisman game. If no
player chose The Lady start game card then all the chosen (or drawn) Revealed Endings are shuffled
into a pile and the player who won the right to go first in the Who has first turn? phase) draws one
at random to be used in this Forever Talisman game.

Including no Revealed Endings

If no Revealed Endings are chosen (or drawn) then this Forever Talisman game will include Hidden
Endings and the Ending is drawn now as per the normal Hidden Ending rules but including the
following extra rule:
If the number of Hidden Endings and Standard Endings to draw from is two or less at the point of drawing the
Hidden Ending then no Hidden Ending is drawn this Forever Talisman game (using the standard crown of
command rules printed on the crown of command space).

8.

Choosing Characters

Every player now looks though their character cards from the Character Selection phase. All
players secretly pick one character card from the pile to play as in this Forever Talisman game. If no
player chose the Open War start game card then any player may randomly draw one character card,
which they must play with, then return their character cards from the Character Selection phase
facedown with the pile. All player keep their pick hidden until the second sub-phase of the
Revealing Character, placing miniature and taking tokens phase. All the unchosen characters are
returned to the character card pile facedown with the pile facedown to draw from at a later time.
9.

Revealing Character:, Placing Miniature and taking tokens:

The Revealing Character, placing miniature and taking tokens phase is broken up into two
different sub-phases these are done one after the other, the sub-phases are as follows:
1) All boards, decks and special cards that are included in this Forever Talisman game are now
deployed as their normal rules any deck or card not included does not need to be placed
until it is need to by a triggering effect. When it does decks are shuffled and placed in their
normal place.
2) After all the boards and decks are deployed, every player (starting with the player who won
the right to go first Who has first turn?) reveals their character card from the Character
Selection phase to play as in this Forever Talisman game. Then starting with the player who
goes first then continuing clockwise around gaming table every player takes their Fate and
Life tokens and gold and Spells, special tokens if they start with them (and items etc.) and
their miniature is placed on their starting location. Then and only then does it then move to
next player who does the entire same thing etc. The only characters not done in this order
are:
The Spy: who waits until all players have put their miniature on their starting space then places his on one
space with another Character.
The Tinkerer: who waits until all characters have picked any cards in the purchase deck before taking his
three by his special ability.
After phase 8 the game starts as normal with all the rules generated with the following exceptions.
Page 5 - core rulebook:
Losing All Lives: If a character dies the dead characters player draws a number of character cards to
choose from equal to how many they drew at the start of this Forever Talisman game (see phase 2 Character
Selection).
Other rules for Forever Talisman:

Treat the War of Seasons Ending as a Revealed Ending.

If a Revealed Ending is being used in this Forever Talisman game and it requires an expansion then
that expansion board is added to play if not already.
The player who has the first turn draws the hidden ending needed for play (still not looking at Hidden
Ending when drawn of course).
Any special ability or effect that allow a player to use the special ability or effect at anytime or
anytime this round or turn cannot interrupt another special ability or effect unless it says it can in its
rules e.g. (counter spell).
Buying items (at shops) and healing or any other effect of spending gold for a gain is a buying effect
in the game and thus cannot be interrupted unless the special ability or effect says it can see above.
Every chance has to be given to the player whose turn it is to allow them the opportunity to use any
special ability or effect before another player can use a special ability or effect.
Special ability and effects between players out of their turns is first in first use given no other player
can interrupt another special ability or effect unless written as such in the special ability or effect rules
(and only after the rule above).
Spells are considered effects for the above purposes. Same goes with encountering cards or players
and ditching cards.
Any effect that makes one player pass cards to another player may be done even if the player who
gets the card has to ditch the card. Cards and tokens passed to Toads are treated just like if the
character had the cards, tokens when transformed. Cards that become followers (but are not
followers) can never be passed to another character.
Only cards that say Draw in its game text trigger any effect keyed to Draw (e.g. The Blood moon
Time Card flipped when one or more events are Drawn).
When a player loses a turn they do not have a start of turn or an end of the turn. Moving Werewolf
and Reaper is allowed if losing a turn.
There is no taking back turns if an effect or ability is forgotten and its passes the phase in which it
was meant to be done its effect is lost.
All cards from The Nether Realm expansion can never be burnt, warlock quest and path cards also
can never be burnt
If its needed a player chooses the direction they are moving before teleporting to a space.
If a player travels to the crown of command by teleporting and they encounter an Ending in which
they do not have the right cards to fulfill the Ending they teleport to the portal of power instead.
Being a Werewolf and the Battle Royale Ending: players on the Crown of Command and attacking
each other ignore their Lycanthrope card effects.
Feral Hunger causes enemy that roll two dice for their attack strength to roll two sixes instead of
one.
The Valkyries resurrect ability only effects followers that say Killed in game text effects.
The game includes the amended rules for the Grim Reaper in the Grim Reaper HQ pdf.
The Relic Card: Arnkell can be used to teleport if the player has a cursed follower but cursed followers
are not ditched and stay with the character.
If a character is asked to lose a Strength or a Craft they have to lose at least 1 of either if possible.
An enemy is considered Killed if taken as a trophy.
When any deck has no more cards to draw from the decks discard pile is reshuffled and then used as
a new draw deck.
Automatically win always trumps Automatically defeated.
If any cards effects conflict with an Omens effect the cards effect overrides the Omens effect.
The Barbarian character can take objects-followers that have their own Spells, these Spells cast by
the Barbarian can be affected by other spells.
Characters can only Ditch cards in their turn.
The forbidding effects on cards which is referred to in the Can or Cannot Golden Rule (page 15
base rules) have to state an actual forbidding effect (example: a card that says must does not mean
the opposite on the cards text is a forbidding effect).
The Transformed Woodland card allows the character to keep all cards held by the character before
and after being transformed.