Preview the new dual-sided Inner Region overlay from Talisman: The Dragon
originally published 18 July 2011
The dragon slayer could feel the air growing warmer as he tried stepping quietly up the stone stairwell. His axe haft felt warm in his hands. It seemed he’d fought his way through a horde of dragons to get inside the Dragon King’s tower. And since he made his way inside, the dragons had only grown stronger. The last one nearly tore open his chest with its massive talons, but luck allowed him to escape with superficial cuts. Suddenly, the air rippled with heat and smoke. An echoing voice called from further up the stairwell. “I hear you coming, manling. I hear your bootslaps and smell your sweat. I feel your heat and hear your pulse racing with each step. Come forward, slayer. Come forward and be destroyed.”
Danger lurks around every corner of the Dragon King’s realm. Prepare for an epic journey to the Crown of Command when The Dragon expansion for Talisman releases in the third quarter of 2011!
With The Dragon expansion’s new dual-sided Inner Region overlay, characters can follow either one of two new routes toward their ultimate confrontation with the Dragon King. At first glance, the Dragon Realm appears much like the main game board’s Inner Region. However, characters need to adopt new tactics to pass through these lands, and their challenges grow deadlier as the numbers of dragon scales on the Draconic Lord Cards increase. The Dragon Tower forces characters to inch their way up a long, curving stairway that spirals toward the Crown of Command. Characters do not roll dice to advance through the Dragon Tower, but must instead fight their way forward.
A new take on an epic confrontation
Talisman designer John Goodenough shared additional insights into the conception of the new dual-sided Inner Region overlay:
The intent of the Dragon Realm is to keep the spirit of the original Inner Region, but ramp up the challenge to meet the epic feel of the expansion. On the other hand, the Dragon Tower is meant to be unpredictable because you never know what you’re going to encounter from turn to turn. Also, in the Dragon Tower, there is a chance of being pushed back if you’re defeated on a stairway, which gives other characters a chance to catch up if they’ve fallen behind.
We grappled with the idea of presenting a plastic tower, like in earlier editions, but more often than not, the tower just got in the way. It looked cool, but many players started setting it aside for most of the game to reach the board without the obstacle. We decided to focus instead on offering players more meaningful options and increased replay value.
Combined with the dragon scale mechanic for encountering cards from the Draconic Lords’ decks, the two sides of the Inner Region overlay present much greater exploration of the themes and stories for each of the Draconic Lords. The heart and soul of Talisman is exploration, and the new Inner Region overlay allows us to offer players new twists and surprises that we couldn’t offer otherwise.
Embark upon your journey
Your characters will be able to choose their approach to the Dragon King’s lair when Talisman: The Dragon releases. Until that time, you can discuss your quests with other characters in our community forums and explore our website for updates.