Talislanta: does anyone here play this little gem of a forgotten

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>>51859506
>homebrewed the magic system
Which version? The Big Blue Book one?

The setting is definitely exotic and hard to relate to at first. I find it very easy to relate to because I grew up on weird fantasy fiction and Talislanta was my first RPG, but I can see how it can be too strange for most people.

>>51860115
It's only strange for normies raised with closed minds. Once my players saw those pages and pages of character pix, they were hooked. Djaffa, Jaka, Mandalan, Mirin, Zandir swordmage, Amazon, and Saurid(? metal whip lizard) - and I had to come up with a campaign for them. Great times.

>>51858936
I'd like to know more obscure 80's and 90's ttrpg settings.

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We wuz Kangs and shit.

There was a handful of really good Talislanta threads a few months ago.

2nd edition / 3rd edition rules with 2e fluff confirmed for A Best.

I ran my players through a couple different games, good times every one. No greentext I can remember though, sadly.

First game: !WW2 blitz, with Cymril taking the place of London. Lots of Big Damn Hero moments, lots of monologing. A Muse with a thousand yard starehappened.

Second Game: Finding a floating amusement park left over from another age. Declaring themselves lords of the paradise and attempts at weaponizing the Teacup ride were highlights of that game.

This actually looks pretty sweet, and I kind of like the idea of archetypes to enforce uniqueness.

I'm downloading the 4e rulebook, is that what people suggest I should use starting out?

There's so many god damn versions of this game.

I don't know much about Talislanta, but what I do know is right up my alley, could anyone explain this setting to me?

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>>51862811
>>51863814
Yes, the Big Blue Book for 4E is the best all-around version you can get, IMO.

Talislanta is an exotic fantasy game with some unique magic systems and traditions and very non-Tolkien non-European world in general (though everyone will quibble about whether it's that original after all).

Worth at least checking out since all the books are available for free legally on talislanta.com.

>>51865281
Thanks for repeating the exact thing I did know about Talislanta.

>>51865281
>>51862811
Why not 5th edition?

>>51860190
SkyRealms Of Jorune, scifantasy post apoc on another world
Torg, pmuch rifts
World of Synnibarr, total clusterfuck is all I can remember
Reich Star, nazis in space
Tekemul, swords and sorcery and aliens sort-of indian but mostly orientalist
Ars Magica, wizards and shit in sort of 1000

That's all I remember from old whitewolf magazine reviews and adds.

For a tagline of "Still No Elves" they have plenty of elf looking motherfuckers. They have a straight up fairy. Also, since when does wearing a mask make you another race?

Some of it's ideas are good, others are babies first new setting.

Someone give me a quick rundown on the Magic system that makes it so great.

I don't care about the fluff, but just the mechanics behind the magic system. I'm at work so I can't get a rulebook PDF on this potato phone.

>>51866411
Yeah the Ariane in particular are literally just ebony-skinned Tolkien elves completely embodying the stereotype.

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>>51866411
>since when does wearing a mask make you another race?

Since it was cool as fuck.

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>>51866545
I think this sampler has an overview.

>>51866411
It's okay when some ideas don't work in such a huge setting where you're free to ignore them. There are lesser settings with worse ideas.

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This looks like something I would enjoy, but idk which edition to go for. Do they still support the older editions, or does the source move on to whatever the latest is? Generally I just go for the most recent with these things; WHFRP being my personal exception. ITT we've got people saying 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, are the best candidates. Stands to reason that 1e can be improved upon, as they're generally prototypes, but does 5e suffer from forced trends, or does it actually build upon the previous editions? Because as far as I know 2e and 3e are notably esoteric, and it's a fundamentalist thing to recommend them.

>>51868995


2nd edition is pretty much a straight improvement over the 1st edition.

3rd edition has better rules than 2nd edition but has some annoying metaplot stuff.

4th edition is a much more substantial overhaul of the rules but a lot of people like it. The main complaint is that the magic is less interesting.

I wouldn't call any of them esoteric.

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>>51868995
I've read mainly into 5e and it seems to be mostly the same as 4e, with the notable exception of character generation.

4e has out of the box archetypes with some customization.

5e has life paths/careers, which are slightly comparable to Traveller terms without randomness (though you naturally could decide to roll anyway). You choose a race and get some basic skills and items and then you add terms to your character depending on what he has done with his life. They can modify attributes, give each a choice of various skills, add perks and give additional items. Each career takes a few years depending on the complexity of the subject matter. How many careers you are allowed is up to the GM.

You can make an old Marukan with 4 terms in beggar or be a hunter wo then learned talismancy from his shaman.

>>51868995
Generally the editions get more complex with the rules as they progress.

2e is the simplest, and probably easiest to get into. The others have feats, more skills, more magic options, more lifepaths and character backgrounds, etc.

>>51869505
Well, that's certainly an interesting reversal of the common trend (from FATAL insanity to the the contemporary "roll d6 to resolve everything")

>>51871715
That's because even the new editions are old.

I notice it got the obligatory d20 edition.

I'd love to play Talislanta. It's the first fantasy setting I've ever found interesting, really (more of a scifi guy), but every time I bring something new to my group they just want to keep on with DnD instead

>>51874088
>D&D
>setting
here we go again........

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>>51874088
I haven't had much luck convincing various groups to try Tal either. "Too weird", they say. "I don't get it", they say.

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>>51874993
>"Too weird"
It is painful how little imagination and curiosity people seem to have.

>>51875141
It really depends on what kind of fictional media you grew up on. There are plenty of people who watched Thundarr the Barbarian or Pirates of Dark Water and have no issues with Talislanta...but if all you ever read was The Belgariad, then your horizons may be limited.

Anyone running a campaign? I've been interested in both the setting and system for a while.

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>>51876572
True. But one would think Star Wars, which is far from obscure, would acclimatize people to that level of "weird" as well.

>>51876700
Talislanta is fantasy Star Wars. In 20 years I've introduced the game to 4 or 5 different groups and at least one person always makes the comparison.

If I am just starting the game and getting into the overall setting, would the 4th Edition blue book be all that I need to go? Are there any must have supplements?

>>51877627
4th ed blue book is enough. The rules are complete, the lore is deep enough, and the art conveys enough.

The world book offers much deeper lore with no stats. A good read but also a bit of a rabbit hole.

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>>51877627
You might want to grab the menagerie for creatures to encounter.

>>51877716
>>51877728
Thanks anons, that's all I needed to know.

>>51877591
>Talislanta is fantasy Star Wars.
Really? How? I play Tal and I don't see the comparison.

>>51876700

Unless you go into the EU Star Wars isn't really that weird, and most of the fanbase consists of movies only or movies with a small smattering of EU material.

At a base level it's just a fantasy story with space ships, which isn't that hard to grasp.

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>>51878228
That was kind of my point, I don't know about EU stuff and I think they are a comparable level of "weird". That is conceptually not at all. Only the quantity of standard fantasy settings makes Talislanta stand out as unusual.

Any good fallible sheets out there for this game? Can't find any for 5th or 4th.

>>51874993
>>51875141
You know why I never got into Talislanta? Because each time I ask about it, people tell me "lol why don't you read the book, it's only marginally shorter than war and peace".

>You should try it mate, it's so full of creativity!
>Can you give me examples of this creativity?
>book

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The rules on movement are a little confusing.
Says at SPD 0 you can move 50ft a round; 10 spaces in D&D terms. Pretty swift.
It then notes that 1mph would be about 9ft/round, and says a character may double this distances at a full sprint, but could only maintain it for a number of rounds equal to their CON.
It then says that all combat movement is either Advancing or Retreating, which are both done at half-speed, and Feeling which requires a roll to not suffer consequences from booking it.
Right?
Would it not have just been easier to say that character's Movement is equal to 25ft + SPDx5 in combat, x2 outside of combat? The numbers in either case sync up to using a grid even, if you wanted to, it's just not worded very well.
Almost creates an image of people booking it at 5-6mph everywhere they go, even though they're just walking, like a poorly coded video game.

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>>51883645
-also suffers from ye old fallacy of people being able to support over a hundred pounds without being slowed down (one's own body weight + 25% for every +1 STR)

>>51882719
I just started reading it yesterday; simming the lore mostly, just going over the mechanics. It's very Morrowind, very other-worldly. Nothing really ground-breaking yet, but it's much more colorful than your usual affair of dwarves and wizards and what not.

>>51883693
also the penalty for hitting a moving target is based on their SPD, not how fast they're actually moving.

>>51883645
It doesn't use minis or combat maps, so nobody really cares much about it.

>>51882719
If you're too lazy to even quickly flip through a book with fancy pictures in it and read a few paragraphs for yourself, then this hobby is clearly not for you.

>>51882719
You're literally asking to be spoon fed right now. The books are free and are the link when you search "Talislanta".

>>51882719
Do you know those people who are like "Elder Scrolls turned to shit after Morrowind"? This is the kind of RPG they would enjoy.

It's a type of fantasy setting you rarely see, divorced from the norms of LotR style fantasy. Just as an example, if you pick a character from the major races of the Seven Kingdoms, here are your choices.

>Democratic Green-Skinned Wizards
>Two-Brained Lizardmen Scholars
>The Clone Army of Warriors who Differentiate With Tattoos
>Goblin-esque Trapsmiths, Lockmakers, and Thieves
>Fairies who are All About Love and Beauty
>Avian Warriors
>Sturdy Gnomekin

Then there's a bunch of other off-kilter shit you can get your hands on if the DM lets you run hog wild. What's cool to me is that if you have an experienced DM, it is very easy for them to keep surprising you as a player

Also the magic system is rather creative, letting you basically cast anything so long as you explain why your magic lets you do it, and the DM can give you a DC.

>>51886220
To go on really briefly, Talislanta gives me the same feeling that Conan stories do. It's an intangible sensation, but there are places with whacked out religions, you're constantly bumping into new threats and strange encounters, and a decent chunk of the civilizations operate on a tribal level.

>>51860115
I just noticed there's writing on this image saying breeding-black
???

>>51887023

That is his name.

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>>51887057
>>51887023

I believe it is a woman, hence the double name.

>>51886250
So... low-tech?

>>51887057
>>51887196
>I believe it is a woman, hence the double name.
Hohoho. Yes, Patricia Breeding-Black is a fantasy artist and a woman.

>>51874233
What kinds of BBEGs do your players encounter throughout the campaign?

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>>51887259
Depends, it is after a magic apocalypse.

>>51886220
>Do you know those people who are like "Elder Scrolls turned to shit after Morrowind"? This is the kind of RPG they would enjoy.
Can confirm. I discovered this yesterday in this very thread and I've added it to my very small list of settings that represent what I like best in a fantasy setting.

What is the ETA on Savage Lands?

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>>51892521
I think it's out but hasn't ended jet.
New chapters monthly or something?

>>51885479
>>51884481
the worst of the fat men

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>>51893524

>>51893613
I love that picture. So casually devouring some Sawila like a quarter roast chicken.

And the wheels on the skull-throne! Like a mobility scooter.

>>51894777
>>51894812

From the pit, I summon thee

These guys are cool. They are undead trafficking with devils but still aren't 'capital E' evil.

Even if they did resurrect the Thane how bad could it be?

>>51885479
>>51884481
Excuse me if I'm not an obese failure with free time out the ass.

>>51886220
Amazing, an entire person in the thread who's not a cunt. I'll probably not get into the game anyway if that's the player base we're dealing with.

>>51892239
I sorely miss the time when it was okay to put pictures of slavegirls into fantasy rulebooks. Let's be honest here: 90% of the people who read these books enjoy this kind of imagery.

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>>51895495

Pornography!

>>51895449
>Excuse me if I'm not an obese failure with free time out the ass.
Sorry I didn't realize you were working overtime on posting on 4chan. Fuck off with your shitty time management, it's never been more clear that a poster isn't in to the hobby.

>>51895495
But it's Current Year, anon!

Bad political comment aside, nice to see a new Talislanta thread on /tg/. The game is underrated AND it has nearly all editions and books available for free in good quality pdf on the website.

Does anyone have any advice for creating archetypes, if the need arises in a game?

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>>51900646
The game itself embraces that archetype will seldom share the exact same powerlevel and strives to be more flavorful and true to its setting than balanced. A Xambrian Witchhunter is in another league than a Marukan Dung Merchant, and that is intended.

My advice would be to eyeball the general rough volume of statistics that is given out and paint a picture with the selection, remember including the less glamorous skills.

>>51901124
>Dung Merchant
Is that really a class?
t. real life dung merchant actually fertiliser distributor

>>51900646
There are guidelines in the back of the 2e core book. They're not great though. It basically says use an existing archetype as a guideline for ability bonuses then give skills based on the rough list provided. There's no real sense of balance or anything but that is how the game has always been.

As suggested by >>51901124 it's mostly an exercise in eyeballing. Look at other archetypes that are close to what you are after and tweak them. So if you want to make an Aamanian Assassin look at the Arimite Revenant or maybe the Torquar and figure out appropriate skills from there.

Some things are not mutable, or at least shouldn't be if you want to maintain the feel of the game. So no Thrall wizards, Jhangarans are superstitious by nature, Mandalans and Green Men are pacifists and so forth.

I believe it is fifth edition that where the complete Omni-system was used as the core rules. It has a much more open character creation system and you are less restrained by archetypes. The d20 version is also more open to guided tweaking but then you have to deal with the issues that system brings to the table.

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>>51903075

Yes, NPC class, but there is no mechanical difference between PC and NPC.

The people of the city state Maruk are believed to be afflicted by an ancient curse of bad luck. The old wealth of their state and populous is all but gone.

>>51903075
Yup. The Maruk were cursed in a past age to have supernaturally bad luck and as a result their once thriving society crumbled. There horrible luck has made them a culture of pariahs. I think 3 archetypes are offered in the 4e guidebook: Dung Merchant, Mercenary, and Talismancer. The Talismancer sounds cool but true to Marukian stereotype they're kinda shit. They craft magical talismans to mitigate their horrible misfortune. They're mid-tier magicians at best.

>>51903693
The Marukian Mercenary actually isn't that bad for a starting warrior type. He's no Thrall or Kang but a CR +3, HP 22, and a decent array of skills is nothing to sneeze at.

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Behold jung Vivec had his humble beginnings in Maruk.

When he saw the poor mudfarmer at the fields of Kummu, he was really just overcome by nostalgia.

[DEEPEST LORE]

>>51903792
>Kang
Now I know you're trolling.

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>>51904051

>>51904051
Whu? Kang are tough. They have one of the highest starting CRs and lots of combat skills. They're a culture of warriors.

Where's the troll?

>>51904197
>Kang are tough.
Growing up in ghettos does that to you.

>They have one of the highest starting CRs and lots of combat skills.
Combat Running Away: double your running speed when running away from any combat engagements where you don't outnumber the enemy at least 2 to 1.

>They're a culture of warriors.
I'd call them a culture of rogues.

Aren't ten-year-olds adorable?

>>51904414
Ah, I see. You're retarded. Well that's sad but at least you're trying to contribute to the conversation.

Good luck little guy!

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>>51903075
>t. real life dung merchant

Lol, that's pretty funny.

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bamp for the night

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>>51905151

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>>51909739
>being unimpressed by a stale meme is autism

>>51904414
Is Combat Running Away an actual thing?

>>51911849
As a game mechanic or irl?

>>51912725
>To Quaff or Not To Quaff, that is the question

What does Pulpe de Poulpe mean?

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>>51912749
I don't know, it's art from the french release. Likely artist or publisher.

>>51911849
Everything is a real thing in rpg's, mate. Just make up a rule and run with it.

>>51903740
Man I love the Maruk. Just the fact that so many of them live off of piling shit from invulnerable behemoths is hilarious but in addition to that everyone of the carries around a rabbit's foot or some equivalent because of their perpetual misfortune.

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>>51916446
It's the underdog factor.

Reading the menagerie now and the way they portray elementals is cool af

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Hadn't though of Talislanta in too close to two decades. I had been wanting to run Dark Sun as a "gladiator-slaves turned ruins-explorers." But fuck that shit. Running it as a game in Talislanta will be way more fun.

The exact same thing works right at the mouth of the Dead River. Plop down a Hadjin "safari" palace with gladitorial stadiums, a nearby Farad villa trading to it, an outpost of Imrian slavers, and the natives of the nearby jungles. Endless adventure into the jungles, against wicked slave-masters, into safe-harbors with people who will trade anything... it works well.

Ive never heard of this, but Ive been reading about it for 3 hours now. This shit is cool as fuck

>>51920063
>I had been wanting to run Dark Sun

I'm of the opinion that Dark Sun was influenced by Talislanta in more than a few ways.

Thralls, one of Tal's most iconic races, definitely spawned the Mul.
The whole magical post-apocalypse aesthetic. Dark Sun really ran with that but it was always a core premise of Tal.
Magic is pervasive, but still mistrusted.
Tons of races that are are weird magical hybrids or remnants of servitors of the ancients.
Exotic animals. Everything is scaly or chitinous, even the horses.

Don't get me wrong. Dark Sun was it's own thing and is a fine setting. But Tal blazed some of them trails.

>>51924572
Jaka and Blue Aeriad?

Is that from a foreign addition?

>>51923987
Eh, maybe. These ideas were kinda floating around at the time, though. To claim direct influence of one on the other might be stretch, unless the authors themselves said it. Plenty of cartoons, movies, video games, comics and other media were all kicking around the same ideas.I can see plenty of parallels, but you can just as easily attribute those same influences to a hundred other sources.that predate either one.

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>>51927359
you don't have to squint very hard...

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>>51927359
>>51929606
to see the similarities

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>>51924626
french release

>>51919833
Elemental Demons is pretty awesome indeed.

>>51920063
>.. it works well.
Yes...but every civilized place in the vicinity is run by slavers or slave-owning people. So you either have to hang out, trade with or work for slavers all the time, or resign yourself to eating mud-insects with the primitives of the region.

Might not work for some groups.

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>>51914797
>loincloths
>on bird-people who fly around all the time

>>51930708

It makes the most sense actually because birds can't choose when they poop.

>>51930620
>Might not work for some groups.
There is no setting in existence that works for all groups.

>>51930746
Interesting fact, but I still don't want to see their junk flapping around above me all the time, assuming they have humanoid genitalia, of course.

>>51931639
You can't even see if the junk is covered or not in the image.

>>51930708
>>51930746
uhhhh...that's not how loincloths work.........

>>51930620
Well yeah. But I want to run a campaign centered around slavers and gladiator stadiums, with adventures into the ruins. Besides, the Farad might be willing to trade in slaves sold to them, but they're not slavers. Come back a free man after killing the person they had a deal with? Meh--you're free now. They still honored their contract.