Talisman Second Edition Rating System

The basic system is as follows:

-Add base Craft and Strength scores together.
-For each attribute 5 or more: +2
-Minor power: +1
-Good Power: +2
-Begins with Object or 1 Spell or extra Gold: +1
-Always has or can always recover Object: +2
-Always has 1 spell: +3
-Really good power: +3 or more

The last item gives you a bit of a fudge-factor. Some of the ratings are strictly based on how good a particular Special Ability is.

Also, an Ability may increase or decrease in power with the addition of the various expansion sets. For example, the Dwarf's ability to add 1 to dice rolls made in the Cave dramtically increases in value with the addition of my Cave set. The Sprite is more lethal with some of the Spells found elsewhere on this site.

For purposes of the following ratings, the Prophetess' ability to take an extra Adventure card, the Monk's addition of Craft to Strength, and the Chaos Warrior's gifts are rated at +8. This is the maximum used here. Other Special Abilities fall in a range of below zero to +7.

Negative Special Abilities?! That's right. Some of those "Abilities" are really restrictions. As a quick guide to the handicaps to be had, use the following table:

-Can't use 1 category of Objects: -1
-Other Minor restriction: -1
-Major restriction: -2 or more

In cases where there are several minor powers or restrictions of the same type, they are usually counted as being worth 1 point (Safe in Crags and Forest = +1) and several together as worth 2 points (Evade Goblins, Hobgoblins and Wolves = +2). Cases where a power or restriction applied to everything increased in category by 1 or more (i.e. draw 1 more card and put 1 back (normally +3) in the Prophetess' case (ALL Adventure cards)became a +8.
The ability to ignore the Siren is such a non-power that it was ignored.

Following is the list of "Official" Talisman characters, except those from the Timescape set. They will be added later, along with a variety of Home-Grown characters.

Without further ado, here's the list:

8 pts. (6)
Martial Artist
Ninja
Assassin
Dragon Slayer
Space Marine
Space Ork [3]

9 pts. (9)
Samurai (Archery worth +2)
Druid
Priest
Swordsman
Highlander
Halfling (Craft reroll and must be beaten by 2 pts in combat combine for a +3)
Troll (Massive strength offset by miniscule craft)
Cyborg
Chainsaw Warrior

10 pts. (16)
Elf
Satyr
Minstrel
Orc
Questing Knight
Dark Elf
Spy (SA#1 not as powerful as the Scout's equivalent ability)
Witch Doctor
Leprechaun
Saracen
Inquisitor
Amazon
Pilgrim
Rogue
Hobgoblin
Gnome [1]

11 pts. (24)
Scout (SA#3 is worth +3)
Centaur
Soldier (SA#3 is only +2 because a> you have to go to the City, & b> Helmets ain't great)
Merchant (SAs worth 6 points)
Thief (SA#1 +3 because you don't have to trade)
Gladiator (SA#2 +3)
Minotaur (SAs#3&4 = 0)
Gipsy (SA#3 +3)
Dwarf (SAs combine for +6)(+2 more if Cave set is in play)
Sorceress
Zulu (SA#2 not as good as Barbarian's equivalent SA)
Ghoul
Swashbuckler
Dragon Priest
Knight (SA#1 only +2 because it only works on Players)
Pirate
Ranger
Adventurer [1]
Torturer [2]
Mechanician [2]
Dragonlord [2] (+2 more if Cave set is in play)
Robot [3]
Sentinel [3]

12 pts. (15)
Woodsman
Warrior (SA#1 +3)
Necromancer
Conjurer (always has 1 spell: +3, SA#3 +3)
Dragonrider
Valkyrie
Philosopher (SAs#2, 3 & 4 combine for 5 pts)
Barbarian (SA#2 better than Zulu's equivalent SA +2)
Scientist
Space Pirate
Sage [2]
Collector [2] (lots of SAs, but mostly weak)
Hero [3]
Space Knight [3]
Timelord [3]

13 pts. (3)
Archaeologist
Astronaut
Chemist [2] (Based on the idea that it will take a lot of Gold to use well, but will have a lot, too)

14 pts. (2)
Warrior of Chaos (SA#1 = +8, SAs#2&3 cancel each other out)
Wizard
Miner (+2 more if Cave set is in play) [1]

15 pts. (1)
Astropath

16 pts. (2)
Sprite (low Strength countered by Spells)
Monk (effective 5/3 counts 10, -1 because 5 is for Combat only, +8 for SA#1, +1 for SA#2, -2 for SAs#3&4)

18 pts. (1)
Prophetess (SA#3 +8, SA#4 only +1 because you can't do anything about it)

Master-Level Characters:
King's Champion (+10)
High Mage (+10)
Vampire King (+10) [4]
Sheriff (+9)
Mystic (+9)
Master Thief (+5)
Templar (+4)
Herald (+4)
Champion of Chaos (+2)

Unofficial Character Sources:
[1] The Talisman Cave by Sam Wallace
[2] Talisman Variant Characters by Rick Heli
[3] New Characters by Nick Sauer
[4] Talisman Master-Level Character by Sam Wallace and Jon New


Do you feel lucky? This ratings system is easy to use and as fun to play with as any rating system I've ever used. That really doesn't go very far in recommending it, but it can be useful. If you are designing a new set of characters (please pass them this way) or trying to decide which really is the best, this should help out a bit.

A special thanks to Eric Hallstrom for compiling the bulk of this list. The basic system is as follows: -Add base Craft and Strength scores together. -For each attribute 5 or more: +2 -Minor power: +1 -Good Power: +2 -Begins with Object or 1 Spell or extra Gold: +1 -Always has or can always recover Object: +2 -Always has 1 spell: +3 -Really good power: +3 or more The last item gives you a bit of a fudge-factor. Some of the ratings are strictly based on how good a particular Special Ability is. Also, an Ability may increase or decrease in power with the addition of the various expansion sets. For example, the Dwarf's ability to add 1 to dice rolls made in the Cave dramtically increases in value with the addition of my Cave set. The Sprite is more lethal with some of the Spells found elsewhere on this site. For purposes of the following ratings, the Prophetess' ability to take an extra Adventure card, the Monk's addition of Craft to Strength, and the Chaos Warrior's gifts are rated at +8. This is the maximum used here. Other Special Abilities fall in a range of below zero to +7. Negative Special Abilities?! That's right. Some of those "Abilities" are really restrictions. As a quick guide to the handicaps to be had, use the following table: -Can't use 1 category of Objects: -1 -Other Minor restriction: -1 -Major restriction: -2 or more In cases where there are several minor powers or restrictions of the same type, they are usually counted as being worth 1 point (Safe in Crags and Forest = +1) and several together as worth 2 points (Evade Goblins, Hobgoblins and Wolves = +2). Cases where a power or restriction applied to everything increased in category by 1 or more (i.e. draw 1 more card and put 1 back (normally +3) in the Prophetess' case (ALL Adventure cards)became a +8. The ability to ignore the Siren is such a non-power that it was ignored. Following is the list of "Official" Talisman characters, except those from the Timescape set. They will be added later, along with a variety of Home-Grown characters. Without further ado, here's the list: 8 pts. (6) Martial Artist Ninja Assassin Dragon Slayer Space Marine Space Ork [3] 9 pts. (9) Samurai (Archery worth +2) Druid Priest Swordsman Highlander Halfling (Craft reroll and must be beaten by 2 pts in combat combine for a +3) Troll (Massive strength offset by miniscule craft) Cyborg Chainsaw Warrior 10 pts. (16) Elf Satyr Minstrel Orc Questing Knight Dark Elf Spy (SA#1 not as powerful as the Scout's equivalent ability) Witch Doctor Leprechaun Saracen Inquisitor Amazon Pilgrim Rogue Hobgoblin Gnome [1] 11 pts. (24) Scout (SA#3 is worth +3) Centaur Soldier (SA#3 is only +2 because a> you have to go to the City, & b> Helmets ain't great) Merchant (SAs worth 6 points) Thief (SA#1 +3 because you don't have to trade) Gladiator (SA#2 +3) Minotaur (SAs#3&4 = 0) Gipsy (SA#3 +3) Dwarf (SAs combine for +6)(+2 more if Cave set is in play) Sorceress Zulu (SA#2 not as good as Barbarian's equivalent SA) Ghoul Swashbuckler Dragon Priest Knight (SA#1 only +2 because it only works on Players) Pirate Ranger Adventurer [1] Torturer [2] Mechanician [2] Dragonlord [2] (+2 more if Cave set is in play) Robot [3] Sentinel [3] 12 pts. (15) Woodsman Warrior (SA#1 +3) Necromancer Conjurer (always has 1 spell: +3, SA#3 +3) Dragonrider Valkyrie Philosopher (SAs#2, 3 & 4 combine for 5 pts) Barbarian (SA#2 better than Zulu's equivalent SA +2) Scientist Space Pirate Sage [2] Collector [2] (lots of SAs, but mostly weak) Hero [3] Space Knight [3] Timelord [3] 13 pts. (3) Archaeologist Astronaut Chemist [2] (Based on the idea that it will take a lot of Gold to use well, but will have a lot, too) 14 pts. (2) Warrior of Chaos (SA#1 = +8, SAs#2&3 cancel each other out) Wizard Miner (+2 more if Cave set is in play) [1] 15 pts. (1) Astropath 16 pts. (2) Sprite (low Strength countered by Spells) Monk (effective 5/3 counts 10, -1 because 5 is for Combat only, +8 for SA#1, +1 for SA#2, -2 for SAs#3&4) 18 pts. (1) Prophetess (SA#3 +8, SA#4 only +1 because you can't do anything about it) Master-Level Characters: King's Champion (+10) High Mage (+10) Vampire King (+10) [4] Sheriff (+9) Mystic (+9) Master Thief (+5) Templar (+4) Herald (+4) Champion of Chaos (+2) Unofficial Character Sources: [1] The Talisman Cave by Sam Wallace [2] Talisman Variant Characters by Rick Heli [3] New Characters by Nick Sauer [4] Talisman Master-Level Character by Sam Wallace and Jon New


Distribution of Character Scores 07 08**** 09***** 10************ 11******************** 12*********** 13* 14** 15* 16** 17 18* 19