A little while ago I came across The Printed Gamer whilst looking for some alternative card trays. At the time the range was quite limited, for games like Zombicide and X Wing, but the card trays they had were sized just right for the Revised 4th Edition of Talisman.
I was a bit worried about how strong the trays would be, but despite their lightness, they are remarkably tough. I wouldn’t like to throw one across the room, but normal play should be no problem at all.
After getting hold of a set of standard card trays, my mind started to think of the possibilities for the various decks in the game, even the larger cards for characters and the like.
Several conversations later, it was possible to have single card trays produced, along with special “half-height” versions for some decks and it hasn’t stopped there!
Next up was a prototype character card tray, which can be used with 12mm dice instead of the standard tokens in the game. The reasons for this will be discussed later.
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| 2, 3, 4 and 5 card trays with various cards | |||
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| Large card holders for Characters and Alternative Endings | Adventure cards and Spells (Base Game to Cataclysm) | ||
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| Special half-height 3 card trays | Special single card trays for Region decks | ||
The next thought was for some 3D printed character trays, but using dice instead of the normal tokens that come with the game. The idea is not to everyone’s taste, but there are a couple of reasons behind this –
The use of tokens can be a little fiddly, and dishing them out during the game can take away a large portion of playing time.
Rather than rely on the limited resources rule, Relic and Talisman: The Horus Heresy have introduced caps of 12 on attributes, which can help speed up the endgame as players are unable to keep grinding until their character is invincible.
Using two six-sided dice for each attribute seemed the most obvious (not to mention easiest!) way to mirror these level caps. The stability of the dice in the frame is also a selling point for me as they are difficult to knock over/out accidentally.
I managed to source a number of dice in the normal colours for Talisman’s attributes, and added a couple of options depending on which rules you are using for fate.
Purple (or black) has been chosen for dark fate, and orange (or white) for light fate. Either colour can be used if you are playing with the original fate rules.
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| Sleeved Character card with “Oblivion” 12mm dice | Unsleeved Character card with standard 12mm dice |
I have a few more ideas for 3D printed goodies that I want to try out, such as a slightly taller single card tray to house all of the Spells, and something to manage all of the many small decks in the game.
I’ve even had thoughts for storing the cards in the game box using some larger (3 x 2) card trays!
If you have any particular projects in mind, or if you require something slightly different than what is on offer, then you can certainly ask. If it is possible, I am sure they will be able to sort it out for you.