From FFG:
Fantasy Flight Games is pleased to announce The City, an upcoming expansion for Talisman!
The City features a supplementary game board, a bustling metropolis that fits against the main Talisman board and is entered through the City space. It also comes with six new playable characters, three alternative endings, its own deck of city-themed adventure cards, and a host of shops to provide interesting items for all your questing needs! Collect bounties listed on the Wanted Posters at the City Gate and fill your pockets with gold before doing some serious spending. Secure a steed from the Stables, pick up Pets or Potions, or head to the Armoury and the Magic Emporium. But adventurers beware, high walls cannot protect you from threats from within, and there are plenty of dangers brewing in the streets of the City.
Scheming Guilds and New Characters
The City provides those who live within it a chance to pursue their lives with a modicum of safety and comfort. However, though the outside world is kept outside, any alert adventurer strolling through the City Gate will feel the tension humming in the air. Many different factions are in a constant struggle to dominate the City’s streets. Ultimately, those with the most money wield the most influence, and the three most powerful of these organizations are the Assassins’ Guild, the Thieves’ Guild, and the Merchants’ Guild.
The City expansion includes three new Alternative Ending cards, which reflect the intrigues surrounding powerful and influential guilds. In addition to variant endgames, these card provide global conditions that convey the sway held by these organizations. Going for a glut of gold gathering? Try out the Merchants’ Guild Alternative Ending:
The City attracts heroes and villains alike from all over the land of Talisman. New to The City expansion, six powerful adventurers have emerged from the City streets as playable characters, each with his own unique skills and agenda. You may take on the role of the sneaky and sinister Spy if you’d like to shadow your fellow players around the board, or play as the clever Tinkerer and lighten your load by turning your Objects into automatons!
Each of these six new faces are out to make a grab at gaining the Crown of Command, and all characters, old and new, must contend with hazards of the City streets if they want to take advantage of what civilization has to offer.
Surviving in The City
The City is safe only when compared to the world outside its borders. Danger still abounds within its walls. The City has its own deck of adventure cards, and these reflect the unique kinds of peril that only civilization can bring. While within the City Region, all events that require a player to draw a card will be drawn from the special City deck.
Ready yourself to face the foul Giant Rats and the swaggering, posturing Bravos that wander the streets looking for duels. You may find yourself caught up in the tumultuous traffic of a festival and have your movement impaired. You could spend some of your gold to bribe a Corrupt Sheriff and have your fellow adventurers thrown in the City Jail. The deck is filled with unique new Events, Places, Followers, Enemies, and more!
Bountiful Bounties and Shopping Sprees
There are those in the city willing to pay good coin to eliminate monsters and men alike. Opportunistic adventurers can fill their pockets by grabbing Wanted Posters at the City Gate. Once you’ve picked up a Wanted Poster,
cash in on the Bounty by hunting down and defeating the offending party pictured on the poster. Kill a bunch of City Rats to maximize your profits, or take on the task of killing off an Evil Character. Help keep the streets safe and your pockets full.
After you’ve spent time bashing heads for bounties and your purse is spilling over with gold, you’ll no doubt be looking to put your riches to good use. The backbone of the City’s stability is its economy, and what’s an economy without commerce? Head to the outer edge of the City board for a variety of shops where you can use your hard-earned gold to get ahead.
Looking for a furry follower? Swing by the Menagerie to procure a useful Pet. If you need a little pick-me-up, the Apothecary has a selection of Potions to help kick you into gear. Whether you’re ready to make a play for the Crown of Command or your just sick of life in the City, you can charter a ship out of the Wharf and get back to the Middle or Outer Region of the board on your next move. Money talks in the City, and there are plenty of conversations to be had for the right price.
Take Your Chances in The City
The City region brings a bit more civilization to the game of Talisman, but that doesn’t mean that adventurers can retire to a life of leisure. Check back often for previews, and brace yourself for the intrigue and excitement of The City, coming in early 2013!
