Munchkin

Let’s start playing Munchkin! First, we need to divide the cards into two separate decks: the Door deck and the Treasure deck. Shuffle both decks and then give each player four cards from each deck.

Managing Cards

It’s important to keep track of your cards in Munchkin. Each deck has its own discard pile where you place the cards that are used and are face-up. You can’t look at the cards in the discard pile, unless a card specifically allows you to. If a deck runs out of cards, simply shuffle the discard pile and use it as the new deck.

During the game, you will have cards in front of you that represent your race, class, and items. These cards stay in front of you even after you have used them. For example, cards like continuing curses will remain on the table until they are no longer in play.

Your hand consists of the cards you hold but haven’t played yet. These cards are not considered in play and cannot directly help you. You cannot have more than five cards in your hand at any given time. If you want to get rid of a card, you can either discard it or try trading it with another player.

Did you know that many cards in this game have special rules that can override the standard rules? It’s pretty cool how these cards can have such a big impact on the game. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to defeat a monster in order to reach level 10.

Creating Your Character

When you start the game, your character is a Level 1 human with no class. Simple enough, right? You get to choose if you want your character to be male or female, so it’s up to you how you want to play. Now, take a look at the 8 cards you start with. If any of them are Race or Class cards, place them in front of you on the table. If you have any items, you can also play them by putting them in front of you.

Getting Started and Winning

Decide who goes first by rolling the dice. You can interpret the results however you want. The game is played in turns, and each turn has different phases. The goal is to be the first player to reach level 10 and win the game. But remember, you can only win if you defeat a monster, unless a card says otherwise.

Taking Action

During the game, you have the freedom to take actions whenever you want. You’re not limited to certain moments or turns. It’s all up to you! So go ahead and play those cards, make your moves, and strategize to gain the upper hand.

• Don’t rely on your race or class abilities too much.
• Use a Hireling or go up a level when needed.
• Be careful of curses.

Outside of combat, you can:

• Trade items with other players.
• Switch to different items.
• Play a card as soon as you get it.
• Equip an item.

Basics of Combat

In combat, you compare your strength to that of the monster. If your strength is higher, you win. If not, you lose.

Step-by-Step Turns

1. Kick open that door! Take one card from the Door Deck and turn it face-up. You can choose to play the card or keep it in your hand. If it’s a monster, you’ll have to battle it. If it’s a curse, it usually takes effect right away, unless it’s a continuous curse. After dealing with the card, discard it.
2. Time to confront some trouble and find treasures! If you had to fight a monster in the previous phase, move on to phase 3. If not, you can create trouble for yourself by playing a monster card from your hand and battling it. Play a monster that you can handle, unless you can get some help. To find treasures, draw a second card from the door deck and keep it face-down in your hand.

Donating Cards: A Way to Share the Wealth

Hey there! I bet you’ve got a bunch of cards cluttering up your hand, huh? Well, no worries. Let me tell you about a little rule called “Charity.”

Charity comes into play when you’ve got more than 5 cards in your hand. To keep things fair, you need to play some of those cards and bring your hand down to 5 or less. Now, I get it, you might not want to play all those cards. That’s totally fine. You’ve got options.

First, you can give the extra cards to the player with the lowest level. That way, everyone gets a chance to benefit from your generosity. If there’s more than one player with the lowest level, just divide the cards between them. Easy-peasy!

But let’s say you’re the lowest level player yourself. In that case, you’ve got to discard the extra cards. It’s a bit of a bummer, but rules are rules.

Character Stats: Who Are You, Really?

Okay, now that you know about Charity, let’s talk about what makes you unique in the game. It all comes down to three important stats: Race, Level, and Class.

Level: Your Measure of Strength

Your level is a reflection of how strong and experienced you are. You can gain levels by defeating monsters or if a card tells you to. But watch out! Some cards can make you lose levels too. Thankfully, you can never go below Level 1, so you’ve always got a fighting chance. Just remember, if a curse gets you, your combat strength can end up in the negative.

Class: Unleash Your Inner Hero

When it comes to playing this game, you have a few different options for your character. You can choose to be a Wizard, Warlord, Thief, or Cleric. Each class has its own special abilities that give you an advantage in the game. These abilities are listed on your class card. However, if you decide to discard your class card, you will lose these abilities. The card will tell you when you can use your abilities, and you can discard your class card at any time during the game. If you have the Super Munchkin card in play, you can only belong to one class.

Now let’s talk about races.

Just like with classes, characters in this game can also have different races. The races are human, elf, halfling, and dwarf. If you don’t have a race card, you are considered to be a human. The same rules for classes apply to races. However, humans don’t have any special abilities. Just like with classes, you can belong to multiple races unless you have the Half-Breed card in play.

SUPER MUNCHKIN & HALF-BREED

Hey there! Let me tell you about these awesome cards called Race and Class cards. You can play them whenever it’s allowed to play a Race or Class card. Just remember, you can’t have more than one card of the same Race or Class in play at the same time.

Now, here’s something cool. If you play Super Munchkin along with another Class card, you’ll get all the benefits of being in that class without any of the downsides. Pretty neat, right? Oh, but don’t forget, you still have to pay for any special abilities you want to use. And the same rules apply to Half-Breeds.

TREASURES

Now let’s talk about Treasure Cards. These babies can be either one-time use or permanent. And the best part? You can play them at any time, except during a battle. So, keep that in mind!

One-Shot Treasures

Hey there! Let’s talk about these special items called treasures. They are pretty cool because they can give you a boost in strength during battles. However, it’s important to keep in mind that treasures can only be used once. Once you use them, they can’t be used again.

When you’re in a tough fight, you can play a treasure card directly from your hand to the table. That way, you can instantly benefit from its power. Some treasure cards also have extra effects, so be sure to read the instructions on the card carefully. It’s always a good idea to know what you’re getting into!

After you’ve used a treasure and its effects have resolved, you’ll need to discard it. That means it goes out of play and can’t be used anymore. It might seem like a bummer, but that’s just how treasures work.

Other Treasures

Now, not all treasure cards are the same. Some of them are called items. These special cards have their own unique rules. They can only be put into play at certain times, and they might have different effects compared to regular treasures. Some items are continuous, meaning they stay in play until something happens, while others are “one-shot” and can only be used once.

ITEMS

So, you know what? Treasures, they’re more than just regular stuff. They’re Items. And guess what? These Items have a value attached to them in the form of Gold Pieces. Pretty cool, right?

Now, when we talk about an Item being “in play,” it basically means that someone is carrying it. But here’s the thing: if an Item is not being used or equipped, it’s shown by turning it horizontally. Makes sense, doesn’t it? If you’re in the middle of a fight or running away, you can’t mess around with your Items. Gotta focus on the task at hand!

Anyone can carry Items, which is great! However, there are some limits. You can only equip one headgear, one suit of armor, one set of footwear, and either two one-handed items or one two-handed item. Simple enough, right? But, there’s always a catch. Some cards in the game might go against these rules, so keep an eye out for those instructions.

Here’s the thing about Items, though. They may have some conditions placed on them. For example, certain items can only be used by specific races. That’s just how it is sometimes.

In this world, nothing is thrown away without a good reason. You have the option to sell your items and increase your level, trade items with others, or donate an item to someone else.

Feel free to carry as many small items as you want, but remember, you can only have one big item at a time. If you want to get rid of a big item, you can’t just discard it to play another card. Instead, you have to either sell it, trade it, lose it, or discard it in order to use a special ability.

The only type of cards that can be traded in this game are items. You can only trade items that are on the table, not the ones you have in your hand. Trades can happen at any time, except during combat. It’s usually a good idea to make trades when it’s another player’s turn. And don’t forget, you can also give items as gifts or use them to persuade other players.

When it’s your turn, you have the option to get rid of any Items you have, as long as you’re not in a fight or trying to escape. If the combined value of the items you discard is at least 1,000 Gold Pieces, you level up! Keep in mind that if you discard items worth exactly 1,300, you won’t receive any change. On the other hand, if you discard items worth 2,000 or more, you level up twice! Just remember, you can’t sell items to reach level 10.

FIGHTS

When you’re in a fight with a monster, it’s essential to compare your combat strength to theirs. Your combat strength is determined by adding your Level and any Modifiers you have (which can be positive or negative and come from other cards, like Items). If your combat strength is equal to the monster’s, you lose the fight. If your combat strength is lower, you lose as well. In that case, you have to “Run Away.” However, if your combat strength is higher than the monster’s, you defeat it and gain the number of treasure cards shown on the monster’s card. The most exciting part is that you level up! It’s important to note that some cards can help you win the battle without having to kill the monster, and if that happens, you won’t level up. So, make sure to read the monster cards thoroughly because they may have special powers!

When I’m in the heat of battle, there are a few things I can do to give myself an advantage. I can use my Race and Class abilities or play One-Shot Treasure cards. These cards can really make a difference in helping me win. But it’s important to remember that during combat, I can’t equip, sell, or trade items. I also can’t play treasure cards from my hand unless the card specifically allows it.

Once I defeat a monster, I have to discard it along with any other cards that were played during the fight. It’s like a clean slate for the next battle.

MONSTERS

When a monster is drawn face-up during the “Kick Open the Door” phase of a turn, it immediately attacks the person who drew it. But if it’s not drawn face-up, I have the option to play it during the Look For Trouble phase of my turn or during another player’s fight, as long as I have the Wandering Monster card.

Monster Enhancers

Hey there! Let me tell you about a cool card game called Monster Enhancers. You see, these special cards can do all sorts of things to mess with the combat strength of monsters. They can make them stronger or weaker, and even change how many Treasure cards they’re worth. And get this, anyone can play them during combat!

But here’s the tricky part: if there’s more than one monster in a fight, the person who played the enhancer has to decide which monster it affects. It’s like choosing who gets a boost or a nerf!

Battling Multiple Monsters

Now, sometimes cards can make other players send monsters to join the fight against you. And guess what? To win, you have to beat the combat strengths of all of them. Yep, it’s a tough challenge! Oh, and don’t forget, special abilities from cards stay active for the whole fight.

Here’s something important to remember: you can’t just fight one monster and then run away from the others. Nope, if you want to win, you’ve gotta battle ’em all. Of course, if you’re clever, you can try to eliminate one monster using special cards and then go after the other like usual. But if you run away from any or all of the monsters, you won’t get any level or treasure rewards. Tough luck, right?

Undead Monsters

So, there are these monsters in the game called Undead. They can be really handy in a fight, especially when you’re going up against other undead monsters. But there’s a catch – you can’t use them if you’ve already got a wandering monster card.

Why Asking for Help is a Good Idea

Now, sometimes you might come across a monster that’s just too tough for you to take on alone. In those situations, it’s totally okay to ask another player for some backup. Here’s how it works: you ask someone to help you out, and if they agree, they join forces with you in the fight. Their combat strength gets added to yours, which can give you a big advantage. But here’s the thing – any player can play cards that can mess with your plans and affect how the fight turns out. So be prepared for anything!

Hi there! Let’s talk about how you can get some help in the game. To receive assistance, it’s important to offer a bribe to the other player. This bribe can be anything you have or even a part of the monster’s treasure. Just remember that the abilities and weaknesses of the monster also apply to the player who is helping you. If both of you win the battle, you can discard the monster and claim your treasure.

Getting Involved in Combat

If you want to interfere with combat, there are a few ways you can do it:

• By using a One-Shot Treasure card, you can choose to either help or hinder another player in their battle.
• You can make the monsters stronger by using Monster Enhancer Cards.
• If you are a thief, you can backstab players in combat. And if you have a curse card, you can curse them using the Wandering Monster card.

Your Win-Win Situation

If you defeat a monster, you’ll level up by one and collect the specified number of treasure cards. When you defeat a monster on your own, draw the cards face-down. If you get help from someone, draw the cards face-up.

Escaping

If other players refuse to help you or if their interference prevents you from winning even with help, you can try to escape. In this case, you won’t gain any levels or treasure cards, and you won’t have the chance to explore the room for more goodies. To escape, roll the dice. You need to roll a 5 or 6 to successfully escape. Keep in mind that certain cards in the game might make escaping easier or more difficult.

If you fail to escape from a monster, it will inflict Bad Stuff on you, as described on the card. There are various consequences that can result from this, including death. When facing multiple monsters and trying to escape, roll the dice separately for each monster. You can decide the order in which you resolve the Bad Stuff.

When two players are unable to defeat a monster, they may find themselves in a tight spot and have no other choice but to Run Away together. To determine their fate, each player rolls the dice separately, hoping for a lucky escape. If they succeed, they can discard the menacing monster and breathe a sigh of relief.

DEATH

Death is a harsh reality in this game, and when it comes knocking, it’s not forgiving. When you die, everything you have accumulated is lost. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but don’t lose hope just yet. There are a few silver linings to hold onto.

You see, even in death, you get to hold onto your Class, Race, and Level. And any Curses that were haunting you at the time of your demise, they stick around too. Talk about a hauntingly persistent reminder of your past life. But fear not, for death doesn’t have to be the end for you.

Although you may have lost everything else, you will be reborn as a new character that looks exactly like your old one. Your appearance may be the same, but you get a fresh start. Well, almost. You do get to keep your Half-Breed and Super Munchkin cards, so not all is lost.

Looting Bodies: When you meet your untimely demise, your possessions are up for grabs. Place your hand beside the cards you had in play on the table. Now comes the tricky part. Each player gets to choose one card from your dead body. The player with the highest level goes first, but in case of a tie, a roll of the dice determines the order. Once each player has claimed a card, the rest of your belongings are tossed aside and put in the discard pile, a sad reminder of what could have been.

Hey there! Just wanted to give you a heads up about a cool rule in this game. If I happen to die during the game, I won’t be able to receive any cards, not even if it’s for charity. But don’t worry, I’ll come back to life when the next player’s turn starts. And when it’s my turn again, I’ll draw four cards face-down from both decks and play the ones I can. The game keeps on going as usual.

Watch out for Curses!

Now, here’s something to watch out for. There are curse cards that you might come across during the Kick open the Door phase. These curses apply to the person who drew the curse card. But here’s the twist – if you manage to get hold of a curse card in any other way, you can use it on another player at ANY point in the game.

So keep an eye out for curses and have fun playing!