Try to survive in a hostile world ravaged by centuries of sorcerous warfare and a terrible disaster. The world of Talislanta: the Savage Land is like a nightmarish version of the Dark Ages. There are no nations, no laws, and no civilization. Illiterate and ruled by superstition, you are a warrior, nomad, slaver, or refugee struggling to survive in a hostile wasteland torn by incessant warfare and a chaotic magical maelstrom known as the Gyre.
Talislanta: the Savage Land is a role-playing game created by Stephen Sechi set in a unique world with a large variety of people, cultures, and customs. It is a prequel to the previous editions of Talislanta.
It is a dark age, a time of war and strife. The Last Kingdoms have fallen, and the old cities lie in ruins. The Sorcerer-Kings are gone, slain by their own creations or fled to other realms. With them went all knowledge of magic, leaving only primitive rituals, superstition, and a constant struggle for survival in a harsh and unforgiving land.
The rules are driven by a simple action table rolled against using a d20 plus skill. A difficulty modifier applies to the roll as well and can be based either on the task itself or be based on an opposed resolution. Mishaps, partial successes, and critical successes are all possible.
Combat is skill driven with opponents comparing skill ratings. Armor reduces damage. Damage that gets through reduces hit points. A variety of combat actions include charge, parry, and dodge. Most hits are dangerous and a critical can render a PC unconscious and on the verge of death. Mass combat uses the same action table and similar rules including HPs and Speed. Each PC gives their army a +1 on the role when they fight.
Archetypes cover both species and profession. Species range from drakken (reptilian humanoids) to imazi (humanoid) to narada (plant-folk). Players choose from eleven archetypes each with two to three professions like bandit, merchant, shaman, and warrior. There are also twelve archetypes used for NPCs. Each archetype provides starting attributes, hit points, special abilities, skills, and gears. In addition, extensive roleplaying information is provide divided into ancestry and history, culture, names, tribal governance, and worldview.
The skill list is extensive and covers combat, crafts, general skills, languages, and primitive magic rituals. There are no spells in the game but primitive magic rituals cover things like talking to animals and spirits, concoct potions, and curses.
Eight territories describe the Savage Land with encounter tables. The bestiary is eight pages long covering creatures like the nightgaunt, eerie, cadaver thin bat-winged humanoids who lair in caves and cliff-side warrens.
The book is rounded out by an appendix covering the major tribes of the Savage Lands. Each tribe gets a description, game stats for tribe members, and mass combat statistics. An example is the chaotic Ghost Tribe which reacts with a random D6 roll with results like attacking, talking, or ignoring the PCs.
The physical layout is well done, the art is evocative, and everything is laid out making it easy to find information you are looking for. The book does not have an index, however.
Talislanta the Savage Land has everything a gaming group needs in one core rulebook. Players have many options to create characters and build armies. The GM has not just creatures but also NPCs, random encounters, and tribe information. A fantasy RPG with no spells is a nice change of pace and the system itself has been refined over the last few decades. The PCs can attempt to carve an empire out of Talislanta: The Savage Land.
Addendum:
As noted in the comments below this review is a backer only preview PDF, which has not had an index applied yet, published by Nocturnal Media in 2018. Once all three editions (5e, Talislanta Original, WEG OpenD6) are completed it will become widely available in PDF and print.
This article was contributed by Charles Dunwoody as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. Please note that Charles is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
Talislanta: the Savage Land is a role-playing game created by Stephen Sechi set in a unique world with a large variety of people, cultures, and customs. It is a prequel to the previous editions of Talislanta.
It is a dark age, a time of war and strife. The Last Kingdoms have fallen, and the old cities lie in ruins. The Sorcerer-Kings are gone, slain by their own creations or fled to other realms. With them went all knowledge of magic, leaving only primitive rituals, superstition, and a constant struggle for survival in a harsh and unforgiving land.
The rules are driven by a simple action table rolled against using a d20 plus skill. A difficulty modifier applies to the roll as well and can be based either on the task itself or be based on an opposed resolution. Mishaps, partial successes, and critical successes are all possible.
Combat is skill driven with opponents comparing skill ratings. Armor reduces damage. Damage that gets through reduces hit points. A variety of combat actions include charge, parry, and dodge. Most hits are dangerous and a critical can render a PC unconscious and on the verge of death. Mass combat uses the same action table and similar rules including HPs and Speed. Each PC gives their army a +1 on the role when they fight.
Archetypes cover both species and profession. Species range from drakken (reptilian humanoids) to imazi (humanoid) to narada (plant-folk). Players choose from eleven archetypes each with two to three professions like bandit, merchant, shaman, and warrior. There are also twelve archetypes used for NPCs. Each archetype provides starting attributes, hit points, special abilities, skills, and gears. In addition, extensive roleplaying information is provide divided into ancestry and history, culture, names, tribal governance, and worldview.
The skill list is extensive and covers combat, crafts, general skills, languages, and primitive magic rituals. There are no spells in the game but primitive magic rituals cover things like talking to animals and spirits, concoct potions, and curses.
Eight territories describe the Savage Land with encounter tables. The bestiary is eight pages long covering creatures like the nightgaunt, eerie, cadaver thin bat-winged humanoids who lair in caves and cliff-side warrens.
The book is rounded out by an appendix covering the major tribes of the Savage Lands. Each tribe gets a description, game stats for tribe members, and mass combat statistics. An example is the chaotic Ghost Tribe which reacts with a random D6 roll with results like attacking, talking, or ignoring the PCs.
The physical layout is well done, the art is evocative, and everything is laid out making it easy to find information you are looking for. The book does not have an index, however.
Talislanta the Savage Land has everything a gaming group needs in one core rulebook. Players have many options to create characters and build armies. The GM has not just creatures but also NPCs, random encounters, and tribe information. A fantasy RPG with no spells is a nice change of pace and the system itself has been refined over the last few decades. The PCs can attempt to carve an empire out of Talislanta: The Savage Land.
Addendum:
As noted in the comments below this review is a backer only preview PDF, which has not had an index applied yet, published by Nocturnal Media in 2018. Once all three editions (5e, Talislanta Original, WEG OpenD6) are completed it will become widely available in PDF and print.
This article was contributed by Charles Dunwoody as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. Please note that Charles is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
