What are the key differences between 1e & 2e?

And what's the new edition trying to achieve mechanically that's new?

Second Edition added more skill definitions, much more setting content (but it's still pretty lean until you get to the regional books). Same basic system - skill driven but effectively just a cleaned up version of 1e.

I don't know *anyone* that uses 1e. But it's completely compatible with 2e. (as all editions are at the basic level). The biggest mechanical differences are 3e vs. everything else.

As for what they're bringing mechanically to the new edition? I don't know, I'm being asked to do the Savage Worlds edition. But my opinion is this: they're likely going to keep it in the Talislanta family, and not make changes that don't need to be made. It'll probably riff off of 2e, since that was the edition is the one Steve likes best, which is perfectly fine with everyone. 3e and 4e did a good job of differentiation without actually breaking anything.

Talislanta: Savage Lands was made off of the 2e engine and frankly it works with all the editions pretty easily. You could use it on the fly without any real issues that you couldn't eyeball easily. I imagine it'll be very similar with the new edition, but I know know that for fact.

Quote from: tenbones on February 01, 2023, 11:18:21 AMI'm being asked to do the Savage Worlds edition.

How will that be implemented? A supplement with SWADE stats? How will people get access to it? I don't think I saw any information on that on the crowd funding page.

Quote from: dbm on February 02, 2023, 08:23:31 AM

Quote from: tenbones on February 01, 2023, 11:18:21 AMI'm being asked to do the Savage Worlds edition.

How will that be implemented? A supplement with SWADE stats? How will people get access to it? I don't think I saw any information on that on the crowd funding page.

To be determined. Things are in a big shuffle since they were mostly done with the 5e version, then after the OGL debacle, they dropped the 5e version entirely. I came in after. For now it's going to be a PDF version that will be an option in KS. Still working out all the details behind the scenes. It could become more? I'm currently working on all the core stuff - races, archetypes (think Professional Edges/Cultural Edges) and of course converting the magic-system and gear.

I may do a modified ship-combat system because... airships are a *thing*.

The decision to convert to other systems is a direct reaction to the OGL debacle, and I think it's a good idea as it will give the Talislanta some potential options for fans of other systems to get a taste for the setting. Savage Worlds fans seem to love anything running on the engine... and the system is a very good fit for the Talislanta sword-and-high sorcery, feel.

It would certainly flip me from 'interested' to 'backing'...

Quote from: tenbones on February 02, 2023, 10:28:44 AM
Savage Worlds fans seem to love anything running on the engine... and the system is a very good fit for the Talislanta sword-and-high sorcery, feel.

This is pretty accurate. It's the point of the system, after all. For me, I wouldn't say I love everything running on the system, but I am positively inclined.

The artwork for the Talislanta campaign looks pretty good, but I'm not terribly motivated to read through all of the legacy material to run or play a game. It's a different game, sure, but how different is Talislanta that I want to expend that effort when I have two shelves full of various editions of D&D?

Put it in Savage Worlds and I probably back the project. I have a shiny new Fantasy Companion on the way and no particular plans for what to do with it.

I see the campaign has launched; no mention of Savage Worlds rules at the moment?

Talislanta has so many races and concepts that get ruined by political correctness, I just assumed any new version would get rid of ideas like "A race named Thrall that was bred to be warrior-slaves and have a penalty to Intelligence rating as a result".

Is the setting really not getting fucked up the ass by the current hellscape?

I tried getting into Talislanta a couple decades back with the blue book and it just felt... murky to me, for lack of a better word.  The huge variety of races and places and groups was overloading and made it difficult for me to get a solid picture on who was doing what.  It's been forever since I last took any kind of look at it, so I'm vague at best now on particulars, but the setting just bounced off of my brain from the density of the presentation.  Which is weird, I can tell you all about the countries in Conan which also has plenty of vastly differing cultures and I'm all about cool detailed settings.

Quote from: Venka on March 14, 2023, 02:54:15 PM
Talislanta has so many races and concepts that get ruined by political correctness, I just assumed any new version would get rid of ideas like "A race named Thrall that was bred to be warrior-slaves and have a penalty to Intelligence rating as a result".

Is the setting really not getting fucked up the ass by the current hellscape?

I'm not familiar with the past editions, so I can't really say what's been changed. On the bright side, the game still uses "race" and has non-SJW art--females are allowed to be attractive and show skin. So that's a plus. Looking over the preview pages, the Thrall Warrior seems to have a low intelligence score if you pick the Talislanta archetype, though there's no intelligence penalty when you look at the D&D 5e conversion stats (they get +2 to Str and Con).

Quote from: Brand55 on March 14, 2023, 06:13:31 PM
I'm not familiar with the past editions, so I can't really say what's been changed. On the bright side, the game still uses "race" and has non-SJW art--females are allowed to be attractive and show skin. So that's a plus.

Those are both positive signs for sure.  The "race or species/ancestry/bloodline" thing is about to become a serious shibboleth.  Like many of these things, it's easy as pie for the movers in this field (anyone who says "race" is blood in the water for the twitter sharks), but not so easy for the side of reason, as there are valid reasons (especially in science fiction games) to say something else.  The ability to show skin is definitely great, but I will point out that feminism is not the ascendant head on this hydra at the moment.  Still, together, that's something.

QuoteLooking over the preview pages, the Thrall Warrior seems to have a low intelligence score if you pick the Talislanta archetype, though there's no intelligence penalty when you look at the D&D 5e conversion stats (they get +2 to Str and Con).

Well, 5e almost never offers stat penalties even when it very badly needs them.  As long as the real game still gives a penalty or simply sticks the player with a low score though, I'd say it's legit.  Remember that D&D 5e is so far gone that it's considered racist to even have racial stat bonuses, because having a +2 to Str and a +2 to Con means that you can't have a racial bonus of +2 to Int, which is what the "optional" Tasha's rules allow.  So even having that is a political statement.

Quote from: Spinachcat on January 30, 2023, 04:12:18 AM

Quote from: Batjon on January 29, 2023, 08:44:36 AM
What is the setting like for Talislanta? I really know nothing about it.

All the old editions are free downloads. 2e is quite good.
http://talislanta.com/talislanta-library

Definitely a setting worth checking out. I'm very surprised it didn't catch on.

Perhaps the lack of elves?

That's a pretty incredible resource - thanks!

I pretty much always find it's best to start off with the 1st edition of an old game, before there's too much accumulation, then maybe look at 2nd edition if 1e's an unsatisfyingly rough draft.

Quote from: S'mon on March 15, 2023, 03:51:39 AM
I pretty much always find it's best to start off with the 1st edition of an old game, before there's too much accumulation, then maybe look at 2nd edition if 1e's an unsatisfyingly rough draft.

1e Tal is still my favorite version: concise, clear and complete. You could run just about any setting with the core system (it was "True20" before True20). Start with 1e, and if you like it DriveThru has a POD of it, in hardcover.

What is the magic system for the new (non-Savage) edition of Talislanta going to be like compared to other editions?

Magic has always been central to Talislanta for me and was the big reason I never got The Savage Land. I really liked a lot of what 4e was trying to do with magic, but I don't feel that it succeeded. The ideas were good but the numbers never quite worked on a mechanical level.


Other than that this sounds like something to look out for. Though hopefully it won't be coming too soon as my disposable income for this year has already been reserved for the DCC Dying Earth boxed set and the Dolmenwood kickstarter at physical reward levels when those come out. (Damn it, now I'm going to drag out Talislanta books and start brainstorming a DCC Talislanta game that I know I'll never get round to running.)

Seems interesting. I've got the "New Talislanta" maybe a few years ago? 2018 or something?

The PCs looks good, but there are some drows and orcs in there, no matter what they call them. I like the tattooed folks and four armed people, wish they could focus on them.

The landscapes seem a bit AI but cool.

I'll probably get that someday... regardless of system, since I'm playing exclusively OSR nowadays (although I do think talislanta has a decent system of its own).