Some of the most intriguing games in the book were "race" games, where players simply go from start to finish. There was Gold Rush, with its maze of mines; Up the Klondyke, (with spaces that read: "Miss turn in rapids - man overboard"); and The Travellers, with its exquisitely etched map of the world complete with important landmarks. Though these games had unchallenging rules, their boards evoked a world of imagination.

Now, in this era of 30-page rulebooks and two-tone mapboards, comes Talisman, from Games Workshop of England. Designed by Robert Harris and with Gary Chalk's fine art, Talisman takes the old-fashioned race game and adds elements from the world of roleplaying.

In Talisman: The Magical Quest Game, the object is to acquire a magical talisman that allows you to enter the Valley of Fire. From there you can attain the Crown of Command which allows you to use a Command spell to destroy or subdue the other players. In short, getting the crown menas victory.

The board has three distinct sections. The outer section includes spaces like the Chapel, the Tavern, the Village, and the City, as well as fields, woods, and plains. Some spaces allow you to buy weapons or learn spells, while others require that you draw an "adventure" card. These turn up everything from magic items to monsters.

Separated from the outer edge by a river, the middle section includes a Cursed Glade, a Temple, the Warlock's Cave, and the Portal of Power - the gateway to the inner region.

The inner region includes such pleasant squares as the Werewolves' Den, the Vampire's Tower, Dice With Death, and the Valley of Fire. Dead center on the board is the goal - the Crown of Command.

Each player begins by picking one of the 14 character cards. These include such well-known folk as the thief, the wizard, the troll, and the giant. These cards list each character's alignment (neutral, good, or evil), starting space, and any special abilities that character has. These abilities (such as the thief's ability to steal from other players) can be very important in the game. The characters also receive counters for their strength, craft, gold, and lives - all of which can change for good or ill as the game progresses and characters make their way to the inner region.

There are a number of things that make Talisman special. Though it is a boardgame, you do not have to move in one direction a la Monopoly; if a space appears unappetizing one way, you can always try the other direction. Most spaces require players to draw an adventure card - sometimes picking up a magic item or powerful sword, other times revealing an attack. If the attacker revealed by the card is not defeated he/she/it remains in that space. In addition, any items that can't be picked up (each character has a four-item limit) stay in the space where they were found. There are also followers, like the Dwarf, who turn up and can be crucial to winning the game.

Pretty soon the board is filled with cards; the more you play, the more changes occur. Items are picked up and others are dropped. Monsters appear and suddenly make certain parts of the board a bit tricky. Weather cards can affect movement, Some cards reveal secret places, such as the Shrine, where you can acquire gold, or a life, or even teleport to any other space.

Luck plays an important part in Talisman. A good basic strategy is to pick up some extra lives and gold, and maybe a follower or two, before crossing the river to the middle region. Crossing can be done by fighting the Sentinel (very difficult), building a raft (you'll need to get an axe), or going to the tavern and waiting to be ferried across to the Temple. Whichever path you choose, make sure you've brought all the weapons and shields you may need before you cross the river.

Once in the middle region you can try to get a talisman in one of two ways: by going to the temple and risking some of your lives, or by carrying out a quest for the Warlock (killing another character, for example). Then it's off to the Portal of Power where you can test your Strength or Craft against the locked door which bars the way to the innermost region.

The last part of the journey is a real joyride: The Mines can send you back to the outer region; the Vampire's Tower will gobble up your lives; the Dice with Death space involves a grisly little gambling game with Old Mr. Bones; and the Werewolves' Den can make mincemeat of all but the strongest characters.

And after you've suffered through all that, you might have to battle another player for the prize - the Crown of Command - a battle that only one can win.

A tough little game, and a lot of fun, too. It takes a few playings before you start to see what must be done to win. But the game, with its ever-changing board, always seems to hold surprises: A magical weapon turns up that you have to have; thieves take all your stuff and sump it in the desert; the Warlock can demand an exorbitant price for a talisman. With over 100 adventure cards, there's plenty of variety.

I have only two small complaints: The typeface on the board spaces is difficult to read from across the table. Also, since there are only a few ways to get a talisman, that process becomes somewhat automatic. This aspect of the game would be more interesting if there were many different ways to get one and you were never sure exactly what you wanted.

This is an ideal fantasy game for your non-gaming friends or relatives. There's enough familiar "boardgame" here so that they'll be comfortable, but Talisman adds subtle and challenging elements from the FRP world. Who knows? You may yet get Grandma to play Dungeons & Dragons (Made my saving roll, sonny...heh, heh.)

And if all else fails, you can frame the board - it's a knockout.