Dungeon! for the World of Talisman

For those of you who are not members of the Talisman 2nd Edition Discussion Group, this comes from a post I made there a little while back (12/13/1999). I've gone back through it a bit and added a little to it. Not much, though, as it was a pretty good idea to begin with. I hope you agree with me and get some quality play in using this alternative to the Talisman Dungeon.

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There is an old game by TSR called Dungeon! (literally, including the exclamation point). There were two editions put out that I am aware of, but very little changed between the two. I've thought up some rules to go with the set that might allow use with Talisman as an alternate Dungeon board.

First, for those of you who do not have Dungeon!, let me describe the layout of the board. There is a central starting space with Corridors winding away from it. They lead to various Rooms and Chambers, with a number of additional features (Secret Doors) thrown in for good measure. The Rooms are color-coded by level (there are six levels) but the Chambers are basically large open areas.

1. SETUP
I recommend using the Dungeon deck or my combined Subterranean deck (blatant plug) when it comes out. Before play, remove all Objects and Magic Objects from the deck and set them aside. These cards become the Treasure Pile.

2. MOVEMENT AND THE BOARD

2.1 Characters can roam about the Dungeon! board much as they do for any other expansion: roll one die and move that many spaces. Characters may not move from or through the same space twice during a turn except as a result of a missed turn or the inability to go through a Secret Door (2.7).

2.2 Entering a Room or chamber immediately ends movement and causes a card or cards to be drawn. After a successful Combat or Psychic Combat, Characters may get some Treasure for their pains (see 2.5, 2.6, 3.)

2.3 Here is a table of the kinds of spaces to be encountered and the numbers of cards to draw on each type.

Space # of cards taken
Corridor 1
Room 1 per level
Chamber 1 per level

2.4 Corridors: Draw and encounter 1 card for each Move that ends on a Corridor space. Regardless of the outcome of the encounter, cards are never left on Corridor spaces. They are either taken by the Character or discarded.

2.5 Rooms: Draw 1 card per level of the Room and encounter them. If successful in defeating any Enemies, etc, you may draw some treasure. Take a number of cards from the Object/Magic Object pile equivalent to the number of the level of the Room, rounded down. So for levels 1-3 you get 1 card, for levels 4 and 5 you get 2 cards, and you get 3 treasures for clearing out a level 6 Room.

2.6 Chambers: Chambers are treated exactly the same as Rooms, except you draw 1 treasure card per level (if successful in your encounter) and replace half of them, rounded up (you keep the same number as you would in a Room). You do not encounter anything on the Entrance space, even though it is a Chamber.

2.7 Secret Doors: As mentioned earlier, there are Secret Doors marked on the map. To pass one, simply state that you are attempting to do so, roll under your Craft on one die, and continue on your merry way. If you fail to pass the door, your movement ends and you encounter the space you are on.

2.7.1 The Thief, Master Thief, Ninja, and Assassin Characters need not roll to pass Secret Doors; they do so automatically.

3. COMBAT

3.1 Combat, Psychic Combat, and encounters in general take place in much the same way they do on the main board. The main difference lies in the results.

3.1.1 Nothing ever remains in a Corridor. If an Adventure card is drawn and cannot be taken by the Character encountering the space, it disappears at the end of that Characters turn.

3.1.2 Rooms and Chambers retain their denizens if they are not defeated, as well as any items left on those spaces, either dropped there or as a result of a Character being defeated. If there are items on such a space, they may be claimed in addition to any Treasure the vanquished Enemy might have had.

3.1.3 Treasure may only be claimed if an Enemy is defeated on a particular space. Dungeon! comes with little grave markers to indicate that a Room or chamber has been cleared out. I recommend doing the same for the Talisman adaptation of the game as this will help keep gaining the treasures to be had there from becoming to easy to gain. If a Place or other non-Enemy card is drawn for a Room or Chamber, continue to draw cards on those locations (during each successive encounter of the space) until an Enemy is drawn.

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First one out with the most stuff lives a little while longer!

Please let me know what you think of this adaptation.


DUNGEON! For those of you who are not members of the Talisman 2nd Edition Discussion Group, this comes from a post I made there a little while back (12/13/1999). I've gone back through it a bit and added a little to it. Not much, though, as it was a pretty good idea to begin with. I hope you agree with me and get some quality play in using this alternative to the Talisman Dungeon. ******* There is an old game by TSR called Dungeon! (literally, including the exclamation point). There were two editions put out that I am aware of, but very little changed between the two. I've thought up some rules to go with the set that might allow use with Talisman as an alternate Dungeon board. First, for those of you who do not have Dungeon!, let me describe the layout of the board. There is a central starting space with Corridors winding away from it. They lead to various Rooms and Chambers, with a number of additional features (Secret Doors) thrown in for good measure. The Rooms are color-coded by level (there are six levels) but the Chambers are basically large open areas. 1. SETUP I recommend using the Dungeon deck or my combined Subterranean deck (blatant plug) when it comes out. Before play, remove all Objects and Magic Objects from the deck and set them aside. These cards become the Treasure Pile. 2. MOVEMENT AND THE BOARD 2.1 Characters can roam about the Dungeon! board much as they do for any other expansion: roll one die and move that many spaces. Characters may not move from or through the same space twice during a turn except as a result of a missed turn or the inability to go through a Secret Door (2.7). 2.2 Entering a Room or chamber immediately ends movement and causes a card or cards to be drawn. After a successful Combat or Psychic Combat, Characters may get some Treasure for their pains (see 2.5, 2.6, 3.) 2.3 Here is a table of the kinds of spaces to be encountered and the numbers of cards to draw on each type. Space # of cards taken Corridor 1 Room 1 per level Chamber 1 per level 2.4 Corridors: Draw and encounter 1 card for each Move that ends on a Corridor space. Regardless of the outcome of the encounter, cards are never left on Corridor spaces. They are either taken by the Character or discarded. 2.5 Rooms: Draw 1 card per level of the Room and encounter them. If successful in defeating any Enemies, etc, you may draw some treasure. Take a number of cards from the Object/Magic Object pile equivalent to the number of the level of the Room, rounded down. So for levels 1-3 you get 1 card, for levels 4 and 5 you get 2 cards, and you get 3 treasures for clearing out a level 6 Room. 2.6 Chambers: Chambers are treated exactly the same as Rooms, except you draw 1 treasure card per level (if successful in your encounter) and replace half of them, rounded up (you keep the same number as you would in a Room). You do not encounter anything on the Entrance space, even though it is a Chamber. 2.7 Secret Doors: As mentioned earlier, there are Secret Doors marked on the map. To pass one, simply state that you are attempting to do so, roll under your Craft on one die, and continue on your merry way. If you fail to pass the door, your movement ends and you encounter the space you are on. 2.7.1 The Thief, Master Thief, Ninja, and Assassin Characters need not roll to pass Secret Doors; they do so automatically. 3. COMBAT 3.1 Combat, Psychic Combat, and encounters in general take place in much the same way they do on the main board. The main difference lies in the results. 3.1.1 Nothing ever remains in a Corridor. If an Adventure card is drawn and cannot be taken by the Character encountering the space, it disappears at the end of that Characters turn. 3.1.2 Rooms and Chambers retain their denizens if they are not defeated, as well as any items left on those spaces, either dropped there or as a result of a Character being defeated. If there are items on such a space, they may be claimed in addition to any Treasure the vanquished Enemy might have had. 3.1.3 Treasure may only be claimed if an Enemy is defeated on a particular space. Dungeon! comes with little grave markers to indicate that a Room or chamber has been cleared out. I recommend doing the same for the Talisman adaptation of the game as this will help keep gaining the treasures to be had there from becoming to easy to gain. If a Place or other non-Enemy card is drawn for a Room or Chamber, continue to draw cards on those locations (during each successive encounter of the space) until an Enemy is drawn. ******* First one out with the most stuff lives a little while longer! Please let me know what you think of this adaptation.