munchkin (thing)

Munchkin is a very fun and wacky card game published by Steve Jackson Games in 2001. The game was designed by Steve Jackson and illustrated by John Kovalic, as with the other games in the Munchkin line of games. The game is a parody of Fantasy Role-Playing games, and especially of some of the people who play them (See the first writeup in this node). The game is absolutely rife with jokes that only gamers would understand, such as "Boil An Anthill" and "Mace of Sharpness."

In Munchkin, the goal of the game is to reach Level 10 before any other player. There are a variety of ways to do this, but the most common is simply to beat up monsters.

Some of the important cards in the game include:

• Races: Elf, Dwarf, and Halfling. The expansion, Unnatural Axe, adds Orc to the list. If you don't have one of the Race cards, you're assumed to be Human. Humans don't have much in the way of special abilities, but they don't have many weaknesses, either. Each race has its own Strengths and Weaknesses, including having some monsters that are stronger or weaker against that race.
• Classes: Warrior, Cleric, Thief, or Wizard. Like Races, there are advantages and disadvantages to each Class. Players are normally allowed to have only one Race and one Class at a time, unless you have...
• Combo Cards: Half-Breed and Super Munchkin allow you to combine two Races or Classes, respectively, to have the strengths and weaknesses of both. In addition, Half-Breed allows you to use just one race, gaining all benefits of the race without suffering any of the drawbacks.
• Gain A Level: There are a number of Treasure cards that let you gain a level, "just because." These include cards like, "Bribe GM With Food," "Invoke Obscure Rules," and "Promise The GM You'll Stop Telling Him About Your Character." Note that these can NOT be used to win the game.
• Divine Intervention: This is the only card in the game that allows a player to win without beating a monster in combat. When it's drawn, all Clerics gain a level immediately. If they win because of it, they get to mock the other players mercilessly.

Here is a quick rundown of the Turn Sequence in Munchkin:

• At any time during your turn except during combat, you can do any of the following: Play new Equipment from your hand, Ready equipment or change which equipment is being used (You are normally restricted to two hands' worth of equipment, one Big item, and no more than one of any type of armor), trade equipment with other players, attempt to Steal from other players (Only if you're a Thief), or Sell items (Each 1000 gold pieces' worth of items gets you a level).
• Kick Open The Door: Turn over the top card of the Dungeon deck so that everyone can see it. If it's a Curse, it affects you immediately. If it's a Monster, fight it. If it's anything else, take it into your hand. If it was not a monster, you may choose to either Loot the Room or Look For Trouble.
  • Fighting Monsters: Add up your Level plus all bonuses gained by Equipped items. Compare that against the monster's Level.
  • Any player can interfere at pretty much any time during combat with any of a wide variety of cards, including Curses that they have in their hands.
  • You may Invite another player to join your combat, adding their combat totals to yours.
  • After a reasonable amount of time without any interference(We use a 3-count), combat ends. Total up both sides of the combat again. If your total is greater than the monster's, you win. If it's equal or lower, you lose.
  • If you won the combat, you have killed the monster! You gain one level (Or more, for a few monsters). If this takes you to level 10, you win. Otherwise, draw the number of Treasures stated on the monster's card. If you had help, these treasures must be drawn face-up, so that all players can see them.
  • If you lost the combat, you may try to Run Away. Roll a six-sided die. On a 5 or 6, you ran away. On any other result (or if you choose not to run away), do whatever the monster's card says under Bad Stuff.
• Looting the Room: If you didn't have a monster, you can choose to Loot the Room. Draw the top card of the Dungeon deck and add it to your hand without showing it to anyone.
• Looking For Trouble: Instead of Looting the Room, you can Look for Trouble. Take a Monster card from your hand and fight it, as above.
• Charity: As the very, very last step in your turn, you have to reduce your hand size to 5 cards (6 if you're a dwarf). If you're the lowest-leveled player, or tied for the lowest level, you may simply discard any extras. Otherwise, you must give any excess cards to the player(s) with the lowest level, divided evenly (as much as possible) if it's to more than one player. Once you've done this, your turn is over, and play passes to the player to your left.