Talisman (Revised 4th Edition): The Cataclysm Expansion Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• The Cataclysm Icon
• Using Only Portions of This Expansion
• Object of the Game
• Setup
• A New World
• Rolling on Denizen Spaces
• Denizens
• Remnant Cards
• Mixing Expansions
  • Cards Remaining on Spaces
• The Inner Region
  • Plain of Peril
  • Lich
  • Frozen Spire
  • Mutant's Den
  • Pits
  • Crown of Command
    • The Eternal Crown (Alternative Ending card)
• Other Rules
  • Terrain Cards
    • Terrain Cards and Movement
    • Terrain Cards and Denizens
    • Terrain Cards and Other Expansions
• Encountering Alternative Endings
• Alternative Ending Cards
  • Setup
    • Revealed Variant
    • Hidden Variant
• Trinkets
• Talisman Cards

Components

Talisman: The Cataclysm contains the following components:

• Cataclysm Board
• 40 Denizen Cards
• 47 Adventure Cards
• 25 Remnant Cards
• 6 Warlock Quest Cards
• 10 Spell Cards
• 6 Talisman Cards
• 24 Purchase Cards
• 10 Terrain Cards
• 5 Character Figures
• 5 Character Cards
• 4 Alternative Ending Cards

The Cataclysm Icon

Cards in The Cataclysm expansion are marked with an Expansion Symbol to differentiate them from the cards in the base game.

Using Only Portions of This Expansion

The Cataclysm expansion is intended to be used as a whole. Players are welcome to play Talisman using only some of the elements of the expansion. Unless specified on the card, the new Character and Alternative Ending Cards may be used without including the other new cards or the Cataclysm board.

Object of the Game

The object of the game remains the same as the Talisman Revised 4th Edition base game. Characters must reach the Crown of Command in the centre of the board and then, by casting Command Spells, force the other characters out of the game.

Setup

When playing with The Cataclysm expansion, add the following steps to the base game's setup:

1. Replace Main Board: Replace the main board provided in the base Talisman game with the new Cataclysm board.
2. Place Remnant Cards: Shuffle the Remnant deck. Then, on each space with a Remnant symbol, place one Remnant card facedown for each Remnant symbol there. Then return the Remnant deck to the box.
3. Set Up Denizen Deck: Shuffle the Denizen deck and place it facedown next to the board.
4. Set Up Talisman Deck: Shuffle the Talisman cards together to form a Talisman deck and place it facedown next to the board.
5. Set Up Warlock Quest Deck: Shuffle the Warlock Quest cards together to form a Warlock Quest deck and place it facedown next to the board.
6. Set Up Alternative Ending: Place "The Eternal Crown" Alternative Ending card on the Crown of Command. Optionally, if players wish to use other Alternative Ending cards, one player shuffles those cards, draws one at random, and places it on the Crown of Command (see "Alternative Ending Cards" below).

After these steps have been completed, the game is ready to begin!

A New World

The Cataclysm broke the world and left it in ruins for centuries. But a new age is dawning, one in which humankind will rebuild its civilisation and claim the wild and dangerous reaches of the world once more. It is an age of hope, of light, and of heroes.

The Cataclysm expansion includes a brand new board that replaces the board provided in the base game. When using this new board, players follow all the rules for the old board provided in the base game rulebook, with the exceptions detailed below.

Rolling on Denizen Spaces

Some spaces that once instructed players to roll dice (City, Tavern, Chapel, etc.) now have players draw Denizens. If a card instructs a player to roll one die and use the listed results of another space, he instead chooses and visits a Denizen on the named space. If there are no Denizens on that space, then nothing happens. For example, if a character encounters the Carnival and is instructed to roll one die with the same results as the Tavern, he instead chooses one Denizen at the Tavern and visits it.

Denizens

There are a number of spaces on the Cataclysm board, along with the "Settlement" Terrain card, that instruct a character to draw a Denizen. When a character encounters any of these spaces, he draws one Denizen card from the top of the Denizen deck and adds it to his space. Then, he visits one Denizen on his space.

When a character visits a Denizen, he resolves the text on the card. If there is a numbered list without special instructions, he rolls one die and resolves the effect listed next to the result of his roll. If a character cannot resolve the text on the Denizen he is visiting, nothing happens, though the Denizen still counts as having been visited. For example, if a character visits the Doctor and has no lives to heal or gold to pay the Doctor, nothing happens.

After a character visits a Denizen, that Denizen is discarded unless the trait on its card matches the name of the space the character is currently on. Denizens with the "Any" trait are never discarded after being visited, and Denizens without traits are always discarded after being visited.

Denizen cards do not count as Adventure cards, and do not count towards the number of cards on a space. Denizens can only be visited if a card or board space instructs a character to do so.

If a character is instructed by a card or rule to visit a specific person at a space (for example, the Hag requires that character to visit the Village Mystic at the Village), that character can instead visit the Denizen with the same name, no matter the space that Denizen is on.

Remnant Cards

Buried and lost for hundreds of years, ancient treasures, creatures, and places lay scattered across the land of Talisman, available to the first hero who digs deep enough at the right location.

At the start of the game, place one Remnant card facedown on each space with a Remnant symbol, except for the Ruins, upon which two Remnant cards are placed. A facedown Remnant card does not count as an Adventure card and does not count towards the number of cards on a space.

When a character lands on a space with a facedown Remnant card, he flips it faceup before deciding to encounter the space or a character on it. A faceup Remnant card counts as an Adventure card for all abilities and effects.

When a Remnant card is discarded, it is placed in the Adventure deck discard pile. If the Adventure deck discard pile is shuffled back into the Adventure deck, any Remnant cards in the discard pile are also shuffled into the deck. After the game ends, return these cards to the Remnant deck.

Mixing Expansions

Cards Remaining on Spaces

Adventure cards in The Cataclysm do not list the default way that cards are removed from the board. Instead, cards are removed from the board depending on their type, as follows:

• Event cards are discarded after they are encountered and their effects are resolved.
• Enemy cards stay on their space until defeated.
• Stranger cards stay on their space after being encountered, unless otherwise stated.
• Object and Follower cards stay on their space until taken.
• Place cards stay on their space after being encountered, unless otherwise stated.

The Inner Region

The Inner Region has been transformed by the Cataclysm, and though its flames have been replaced by a chilling cold, it proves no less dangerous to those who would explore its icy wastes.

All movement and encounter rules for the Inner Region provided in the base game rulebook still apply when playing with the Cataclysm board. Rules for spaces which have changed are provided below.

Plain of Peril

A character must end his movement on the Plain of Peril. During his turn, if there are any other characters on the Plain of Peril, he cannot encounter the space, but must instead attack one of the characters in battle. The winner must take one life as his reward.

Lich

Where Death once stood a terrible Lich now dwells, demanding the life essence of anyone attempting to pass. A character here must roll one die and lose life equal to the result. He may reduce the loss of life by one for each Follower he chooses to discard.

Frozen Spire

No one knows what became of the vampires that once lived in the spire, but now their tower emanates an unnatural cold that will freeze even the bravest hero. A character here must roll one die and either lose life equal to the result or stay on the space and encounter it again during his next turn.

Mutant's Den

While the Werewolf has long departed its lair, another dreadful monster now resides in this den. A character here must fight the Mutant in battle. Three dice are rolled to determine the Mutant's Strength each time it is encountered. A character cannot move on until he defeats the Mutant.

Pits

The Pits are now the home to a vicious Snowbeast that will try to pull down and devour anyone who tries to cross over the Pits. A character here must fight the Snowbeast in battle. The Snowbeast's Strength is equal to the Strength of the character fighting it, including any bonuses. A character cannot move on until he defeats the Snowbeast.

Crown of Command

The Crown of Command's use in stopping the Cataclysm has left it forever altered; while it has grown more powerful, it has also grown more dangerous and erratic.

When using the Cataclysm board, the default victory condition is listed on "The Eternal Crown" Alternative Ending card.

The Eternal Crown (Alternative Ending card)

Card text, as printed on The Eternal Crown Alternative Ending card:

If a character is on the Crown of Command and no other characters are present, he must cast the Command Spell at the start of each of his turns by rolling 1 die and consulting the chart below.

1. Lose 1 life.

2. All characters lose 1 life.

3-5) All other characters lose 1 life.

6. All other characters with the lowest life are killed.

If a character is on the Crown of Command and there is another character present, he must encounter the other character instead of casting the Command Spell.

Other Rules

This section clarifies rules regarding new cards and special abilities featured in The Cataclysm expansion.

Terrain Cards

In the aftermath of the great Cataclysm, much of civilisation was destroyed and the land changed forever; now the world is being rebuilt, and wild places can quickly become bastions of civilisation.

Certain game effects instruct players to place a Terrain card on a space of the game board. While a Terrain card is on a space, the text and name of that space is ignored and the text and name of the Terrain card is used instead.

If an effect refers to a space that is no longer on the board because that space contains a Terrain card, that effect is ignored. For example, if the Portal of Power space contains a "Monastery" Terrain card and a "3" is rolled at the Crypt, the effect of moving to the Portal of Power is ignored. Terrain cards can only be removed by effects that specifically remove Terrain cards.

Players cannot place Terrain cards on spaces in the Inner Region. If an effect instructs a player to place a Terrain card where he cannot, he ignores that effect.

If an effect causes a player to place a Terrain card on a space and there are no cards of the required type left in the Terrain deck, he must choose a Terrain card of that type on the board and move it to that space. If a player places a Terrain card on a space that already contains a Terrain card, he removes the original Terrain card from that space and returns it to the Terrain deck.

If a player places a new character on the game board, he ignores any Terrain cards when placing that character.

Terrain Cards and Movement

If the Sentinel space contains a Terrain card, characters may cross freely from the Outer Region to the Middle Region; they do not have to defeat the Sentinel. Likewise, if the Portal of Power space contains a Terrain card, characters may cross freely from the Middle Region to the Inner Region; they do not have to pick or force the lock, nor are they stopped by the Warlock if they have an uncompleted Warlock Quest.

Terrain Cards and Denizens

If a Terrain card is placed on a space with any Denizen cards, then all Denizens on that space are discarded.

If there are any Denizen cards on a space with a Terrain card and the Terrain card is removed from that space, then all Denizens on that space are discarded.

Terrain Cards and Other Expansions

When using an expansion board, if a Terrain card is on a space that allows movement between boards, characters can still move to and from the expansion board following the normal movement rules of that expansion.

When using The Cataclysm expansion with The City expansion, Terrain cards cannot be placed on the "Jail" or "Town Square" spaces of The City expansion board.

If a Terrain Card is placed on the last space of an expansion board, such as the "Treasure Chamber" from The Dungeon expansion, a character must end his movement when entering that space, then encounter the Terrain card on that space.

Encountering Alternative Endings

Characters on the Crown of Command must encounter the Alternative Ending card and follow the rules printed on the card; they cannot cast the Command Spell or encounter other characters on the Crown of Command unless the Alternative Ending card specifically states otherwise.

All other rules regarding the Inner Region still apply when playing with Alternative Ending cards:

• None of the creatures in the Inner Region (nor any of the Alternative Ending cards) can be affected by any Spell. They also cannot be evaded.
• Characters on the Crown of Command cannot move and must remain on that space unless the Alternative Ending card specifically states otherwise.
• After any character reaches the Crown of Command, any character who is killed automatically loses the game.

Alternative Ending cards often affect only characters on the Crown of Command. However, instructions that have a star icon at the start of their text affect all characters, no matter what Region they are in, including characters on the Crown of Command.

Alternative Ending Cards

The Alternative Ending cards included in The Cataclysm expansion are usable with Alternative Ending cards from other expansions.

Setup

Setup for Alternative Ending cards is determined by which of the two game variants players decide to use. Players can start the game with the card either revealed or hidden.

Revealed Variant

The revealed variant has a greater impact on characters during the course of the game and offers players more strategy.

If players use the revealed variant, remove all Alternative Ending cards that have a hidden icon (shown at right) in their upper-left corner and return them to the game box. Then shuffle the remaining Alternative Ending cards, draw one Alternative Ending card from the top of the deck, and place it faceup on the Crown of Command at the centre of the game board.

Hidden Variant

The hidden variant adds mystery to the Talisman experience by preventing players from knowing the dangers that await them at the Crown of Command.

If players use the hidden variant, remove all Alternative Ending cards that have a revealed icon (shown at right) in their upper-left corner and return them to the game box. Then shuffle the remaining Alternative Ending cards at the start of the game, draw one card at random, and place it facedown on the Crown of Command at the centre of the game board.

Trinkets

Some Objects feature the "Trinket" keyword printed above the card's special ability. Trinkets are treated like normal Objects, except they do not count toward a character's carrying limit.

Trinkets may be ditched, discarded, stolen, or sold like normal Objects.

Talisman Cards

When playing with the Cataclysm expansion, Talisman cards are kept in a facedown deck. When a character is instructed to gain a Talisman, he draws the top card of the Talisman deck and gains it. When a Talisman card is discarded, it is placed in the Talisman discard pile. If there are no cards remaining in the Talisman deck, the Talisman discard pile is shuffled and placed facedown to form a new Talisman deck.