Talislanta is a fantasy role-playing game set in a world of its own. It was originally published by Bard Games in 1987 and has seen seven English-language editions through 2024. Several foreign editions have also been published.

Contents

Setting

The game is set in Talislanta, a continent on the world of Archaeus. Magic is common and has reached a high level of technology.

Character creation

In the 1st to 4th editions, characters are essentially pre-generated, with over 80 character types defined by race, nationality, ability scores, skills, equipment and background. Players pick the type of character they wish to play, then individualize it by increasing one ability by three points; decreasing one ability by one point; and adding an additional skill. Sechi pointed to the Dying Earth fantasy novel series by Jack Vance as the primary influence, but there are many other sources of inspiration as well, including H. P. Lovecraft’s Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath, Marco Polo’s Travels, and Sir Richard Burton’s collection of the Arabian Nights.

After publication of the rules in The Talislantan Handbook in 1987, Sechi also published three supplements: The Chronicles of Talislanta, A Naturalist's Guide to Talislanta, and Talislanta Sorcerer's Guide.

1988 2nd edition (Bard Games)

In 1988, Bard Games published a second edition of Talislanta starting with The Cyclopedia Talislanta. This 88-page softcover book included continental and local maps; a listing of urban centers and important geographical features; and expanded list of flora and fauna; new character types; new types of transportation; and variant rules.

In 1990, Bard Games published Talislanta Worldbook, a 183-page atlas of the world of Archaeus and the continent of Talislanta. However, Daedalus went out of business before its version was published.

Failed 10th anniversary edition (Pharos Press)

In 1997, Pharos Press acquired the license to Talislanta in order to produce a new edition of the game in time for the tenth anniversary of Talislanta. Pharos had an ambitious plan to expand and revise all previously published material, then combine it one book. Plagued by production delays, Pharos got as far as producing a few ashcans, but failed to publish a product by the end of the year. Because they had missed the tenth anniversary, trademark holder Stephen Michael Sechi rescinded their license.

In the March 1989 edition of Dragon (Issue #143), Jim Bambra called Talislanta "something out of the ordinary". Bambra found the art "visually appealing, and does an excellent job of conveying the atmosphere, places, and peoples of Talislanta. A flick through any of the four books reveals that Talislanta is special." He concluded, "Some may find the Talislantan game system thin on rules and mechanics, but it does an admirable job of handling all kinds of tests without interrupting the flow of the game. With only a few rules to learn, you can concentrate on role-playing rather than rule-playing."

In his 1990 book The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games, Rick Swan called the 1st edition "entertainingly written ... a model of clarity and elegance." Swan enjoyed the character creation system, noting that "Distinctive, enthralling characters can be created in a matter of minutes — it's an inspired system, one of the best of any fantasy RPG." The only flaw Swan found was a "lack of structure", wishing that more examples of play could have been given. Swan concluded by giving the game an excellent rating of 3.5 out of 4, saying, "For the adventurous, Talislanta is a role-playing nirvana."

In his 2023 book Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground, RPG historian Stu Horvath called the game "a land of many regions, each unique in character. Some might call this tonal inconsistency, and that is true, to a degree, but the result is so varied and strange a world that it is easy to forgive its silly bits. How can a player be upset with a game that offers 84 types of characters right out of the gate?" Horvath concluded, "Talislanta is neither tidy nor gestalt. It never feels entirely cogent, and the tone is all over the place. What Talislanta is, though, is fresh, even 30-years later. The world jumps off the page."

Reviews

  • Black Gate #4
  • Backstab #34

Publications

  • The Chronicles of Talislanta (1987)
  • A Naturalist's Guide to Talislanta (1987)
  • The Talislantan Handbook (1987)
  • The Cyclopedia Talislanta (1988)
  • Talislanta Cyclopedia (1988)
  • Talislanta Sorcerer's Guide (1988)
  • The Cyclopedia Talislanta II, The Seven Kingdoms (1989)
  • The Cyclopedia Talislanta III, The Wilderlands of Zaran (1989)
  • The Cyclopedia Talislanta IV, The Western Lands (1989)
  • The Cyclopedia Talislanta V, The Eastern Lands (1989)
  • Talislantan Handbook and Campaign Guide (1989)
  • The Cyclopedia Talislanta VI, The Desert Kingdoms (1990)
  • The Cyclopedia Talislanta VII, The Northlands (1990) (Never Released)
  • The Cyclopedia Talislanta VIII, The Central Regions (1990) (Never Released)

See also

  • Tribes (supplement)

References