I recently called forth an urgent Family Meeting to detail the specifics of what would inevitably become a bloody massacre of epic proportions. It was time to plan our next Talisman session.
For those of you who have not had the pleasure of ever playing Talisman, it's a boardgame with all the grand elements of a fantasy Role Playing Game. You get to pick out a character with unique STATs and abilities. You acquire gear, items, and spells. You wage battle against fierce monsters (as well as the other players)!
The game has been around for quite a long time. I have fond memories of playing it with friends when I was a kid. Over the years, more and more expansions have been produced that expand the core board, introducing new lands to explore. Each expansion also adds new characters, new spells, and new ways to play the game. Here are a few pics from the City, Dungeon, and Highland extensions that we used...
I have learned that one of the greatest pleasures of being a parent is brainwashing your kids to like what you like. It's like manufacturing friends that have to listen to what you say. I must have done a decent job at cloning myself, because our family of 6 was quick to agree that a Talisman Day is exactly what we needed!
That's right. Talisman DAY. This game can take a loooooong time to play.
So we made a list of necessary snacks to feast upon. My wife 
Next, we voted upon any prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Top dog gets money. Runner-ups get things like a free movie or get their feet rubbed by the losers. Things like that.
We started the game in the afternoon and played for 10 dramatic hours!
We own enough expansions so that every game has a different strategy from the last. Everyone loves picking a character. We have a huge stack to pick from now. What we ended up with is:
Bounty Hunter (me)
Sprite (
Alchemist (son)
Dark Cultist (son)
Vampiress (daughter)
Ogre Chieftain (youngest kid 
I like to think of myself as a very strategic player. I selected Bounty Hunter for both his ability to fight and to accumulate Gold. To me, this is important since it allows me to quickly buy up critical items in the City, then using those items to make a mad dash through the dangerous lands that offer the greatest reward in magical artifacts.
My plan worked out splendidly! I was well on my way to winning the game. Unfortunately, I was betrayed by my own wife! She looked like a cute little fairy. Her character card implied that she was of Good Alignment. However her actions were that of an eveel mosquito lady!
She used her vile witchcraft to turn me into a friggin' Toad. All my magical items immediately dropped to the ground. My kids were quick to go snatch them up while I spent 3 long turns hopping around, eating flies.
We were playing an alternate ending version of the game called Battle Royale:
So soon the majority of the family was rolling dice, screaming, pointing, and challenging each other with bloodthirsty gusto.
In the end, it came down to the Dark Cultist and the Alchemist. Everyone else was worm food. The Dark Cultist had spent the majority of the game sacrificing victims to their dark cause to become more powerful.
On the other hand, the Alchemist had spent the majority of their time in the City, turning the economy upside down by buying cheap items and turning them into gold to buy better items, haha.
The Cultist won. I guess that means the forces of darkness took over the world and Cthulhu ate everyone.
The End.
So if you're looking for a fun time indoors while you hide from the COVID monster, try Talisman. May you stay safe from Toad Magic.
