I've had an idea about how to display talismans in-level that would solve 3 problems:
1) How much space talisman text takes up in the pre-screen
2) Forgetting exactly what the talisman
is whilst playing
3) Players missing multiple-talisman levels due to the pre-screen only displaying one at a time (there also may be solutions in which it's possible to get 2 talismans in one go)
So, here it is:
Add 3 talisman icons to the panel, one for each colour (they would only appear when a relevant talisman is present).
When the player clicks on the talisman, it is highlighted, and the relevant criteria for achieving it are immediately applied to the level: time/skill limitations, save requirement, etc. No text is actually required, it simply adjusts the level according to the talisman criteria. Another possibility might be that the player can choose to select all 3 talismans in one go (N.B. this may need to be specified by the level author during editing in case they aren't achievable in combination with one another - so only compatible talismans could be highlighted simultaneously). Or, they may wish to take them on one at a time; either way, at least the player is aware of how many there are to be achieved altogether.
It could also be that doing this restarts the level as well, as it would no doubt need to be played from the beginning due to there being a different solution.
Furthermore, it could also be that if the player clicks the highlighted talisman(s) again, they become unhighlighted and the criteria is reverted back to normal.
In the case of there being more than 3 talismans, then.... well, I guess this idea wouldn't work for that scenario unless someone brainier than me can think of a way to
make it work.
EDIT: To reduce confusion for new players, the first time a talisman is selected, a dialog box could popup "This will apply the (Colour) Talisman criteria and restart the level. Do you wish to continue? Yes/No" with a "Do not show this message again" checkbox.
Thoughts?