The Munchkins have watched WAY too many spy flicks…
and now the dungeon is full of enemy agents. Kill them and take their cheesy gadgets!
This game includes 168 cards, one six-sided die, and these rules.
The foes in this game are enemy agents, but the rules still refer to “monsters,” for consistency with other Munchkin games. Of course, since all of them want to take over the world and then blow it up, or at least hold it for ransom, “monster” is a pretty apt term!
Setup
Three to six can play. You will need 10 tokens (coins, poker chips, whatever–or any gadget that counts to 10) for each player.
Divide the cards into the Door deck and the Treasure deck. Shuffle both decks. Deal four cards from each deck to each player.
Card Management
Keep separate face-up discard piles for the two decks. You may not look through the discards unless you play a card that allows you to!
When a deck runs out, reshuffle its discards. If a deck runs out and there are no discards, nobody can draw any of that kind of card!
In Play: These are the cards on the table in front of you, showing your Loyalty and Class (if any) and the Items you are carrying. Continuing Curses and some other cards also stay on the table after you play them.
Your Hand: Cards in your hand are not in play. They don't help you, but they can't be taken away except by cards that specifically affect “your hand.” At the end of your turn, you may have no more than five cards in your hand.
When Cards Can Be Played: Each type of card can be played at a specified time.
Cards in play may not be returned to your hand–they must be discarded or traded if you want to get rid of them.
Contradictions Between Cards and Rules
This rulesheet gives the general rules. Cards may add special rules, so in most cases when the rulesheet disagrees with a card, follow the card. However, ignore any card effect that might seem to contradict one of the rules listed below unless the card explicitly says it supersedes that rule!
1. Nothing can reduce a player below Level 1, although card effects might reduce a player's or a monster's combat strength below 1.
2. You go up a level after combat only if you kill a monster.
3. You cannot collect rewards for defeating a monster (e.g., Treasure, levels) in the middle of a combat. You must finish the fight before gaining any rewards.
4. You must kill a monster to reach Level 10.
Any other disputes should be settled by loud arguments, with the owner of the game having the last word. You could also read the Munchkin FAQ and errata pages at World of Munchkin, or start a discussion at our forums…unless it's more fun to argue.
Character Creation
Everyone starts as a Level 1 character with no class. (Heh, heh)
Look at your initial eight cards. If you have any Loyalty, Class, Hireling or Training cards, you may (if you like) play one of each type by placing it in front of you. If you have any Item cards, you may play them by placing them in front of you. If you have any doubt about whether you should play a card, you could read below, or you could just charge ahead and do it.
Starting and Finishing the Game
Decide who goes first by rolling the die. The owner of the game can then shoot anyone who doesn’t like the result.
Play proceeds in turns, each with several phases. When the first player finishes his turn, the player to his left takes a turn, and so on.
The first player to reach 10th level wins…but you must reach 10th level by killing a monster, unless a card specifically allows you to win another way.
Turn Phases
At the start of your turn, you may play cards, switch items from “in use” to “carried” or vice versa, trade items with other players, and sell items for levels. When your cards are arranged the way you want, go to phase 1.
(1) Kick Open The Door: Draw one card from the Door deck and turn it face up.
If it's a monster, you must fight it. See Combat. Resolve the combat completely before you go on. If you kill it, go up a level (or two, for some especially nasty monsters!) and take the appropriate number of Treasures.
If the card is a trap–it applies to you immediately (if it can) and is discarded.
If you draw any other card, you may either put it in your hand or play it immediately.
(2) Look For Trouble: If you did NOT draw a monster when you first opened the door, you now have the option of playing a monster (if you have one) from your hand and fighting it, just as if you had found it when you kicked open the door. Don't play a monster you can't handle, unless you're sure you can count on getting help!
(3) Loot The Room: If you did not find a monster by kicking open the door and you did not Look For Trouble, you loot the room…draw a second card from the Door deck, face down, and place it in your hand.
If you met a monster but ran away, you don't get to loot the room.
(4) Charity: If you have more than five cards in your hand, you must play enough of them to get down to five, or give the excess to the player with the lowest Level. If players are tied for lowest, divide the cards as evenly as possible, but it's up to you who gets the bigger set(s) of leftovers. If YOU are the lowest or tied for lowest, just discard the excess.
It is now the next player's turn.
Combat
To fight a monster, compare its combat strength to yours. Combat strength is the total of Level plus all modifiers–positive or negative–given by items and other cards. If the monster's combat strength is equal to yours, or greater, you lose the combat and must Run Away. If your combat strength totals more than the monster's, you kill it and go up a level (two for some big monsters). You'll also get the number of Treasures shown on its card.
Sometimes a card will let you get rid of the monster without killing it. This is still “winning,” but you don't get a level. Sometimes, depending on the card, you might not get the treasure, either.
Some monster cards have special powers that affect combat–a bonus against one Class or Accent, for instance. Be sure to check these.
One-shot items may be played directly from your hand during combat. You can also use one-shot items that you already had in play. One-shot items say “Usable once only.” Discard these cards after the combat, whether you win or lose.
Some Door cards may also be played into a combat, such as monster enhancers.
While you are in combat, you cannot sell, steal, equip, unequip, or trade items, or play items (except for one-shots) from your hand. Once you expose a monster card, you must resolve the fight with your equipment as it stands, plus any one-shot items you choose to play.
Discard the monster card, including any enhancers and one-shot items played, and draw treasure. But note: someone may play a hostile card on you, or use a special power, just as you think you have won. When you kill a monster, you must wait a reasonable time, defined as about 2.6 seconds, for anyone else to speak up. After that, you have really killed the monster, and you really get the level(s) and treasure, though they can still whine and argue.
Fighting Multiple Monsters
Some cards (notably Wandering Monster) allow your rivals to send other monsters to join the fight. (And see “in Black” Monsters). You must defeat their combined combat strengths. Any special abilities, such as fighting with your Level only, apply to the entire fight. If you have the right cards, you can eliminate one monster from the combat and fight the other(s) normally, but you cannot choose to fight one and run from the other(s). If you eliminate one with a card or your Loyalt or Class power, but then run from the other(s), you don't get any Treasure!
Asking For Help
If you cannot win a combat on your own, you may ask any other player to help you. If he refuses, you may ask another player, and so on, until they all turn you down or someone helps. Only one player can help you, adding his combat strength to yours. Anyone can play cards to affect your combat, however!
You can bribe someone to help. In fact, you'll probably have to. You may offer your helper any Item(s) you are currently carrying, or any number of the Treasure cards the monster has. If you offer him part of the monster's treasure, you must agree whether he picks first, or you pick first, or whatever.
The special abilities or vulnerabilities of the monster also apply to your helper, and vice versa. For instance, if you are not a Tourist, and a Tourist helps you, the Agent Orange will be a -2 against you. But if you are facing Clan Destin and a Tourist helps you, the foe's level is increased by 2.
If someone successfully helps you, the monster is slain. Discard it, draw treasure face up, and follow any special instructions on the monster card. You go up a level for each slain monster. Your helper does not go up. You draw the Treasure cards, even if it was your helper's special ability that defeated the monster.
Running Away
If nobody will help you…or if somebody tries to help, and your fellow party members interfere so the two of you still cannot defeat it…you must run away.
If you run away, you don't get any levels or treasure. You don't even get to Loot the Room. And you don't always escape unharmed…
Roll the die. You only escape on a 5 or better. Some items or abilities make it easier or harder to run away. And some monsters are fast or slow, and give you a penalty or bonus to your roll.
If you escape, discard the monster. You get no treasure. There are usually no bad effects…but read the card. Some monsters hurt you even if you get away from them!
If the monster catches you, it does Bad Stuff to you, as described on its card. This may vary from losing an item, to losing one or more levels, to Death.
If two players are cooperating and still can't defeat the monster(s), they must both flee. They roll separately. The monster(s) CAN catch them both.
If you are fleeing from multiple monsters, you roll separately to escape each one, in any order you choose, and suffer Bad Stuff from each one that catches you as soon as it catches you.
Discard the monster(s).
Interfering With Combat
You can interfere with others' combats in several ways:
Use a one-shot item. You could help another player by gassing his foe. Of course, you can “accidentally” hit your friend with the item, and it will count against him.
Play a card to modify a monster. These cards (usually) make a monster stronger…and give it more treasure. You can play these either during your own combats or during someone else's combat.
Play a Wandering Monster along with a monster from your hand to join any combat.
Trap them, if you have a Trap card.
Death
If you die, you lose all your stuff. You keep your Class(es), Loyalty(ies), Training(s), and Level (and any Traps that were affecting you when you died)–your new character will look just like your old one. (This includes Super Muchnkin, Double Agennt, and Triple Agent cards and any Cards that say you keep them even if you die.)
Looting The Body: Lay out your hand beside the cards you had in play. Starting with the one with the highest Level, each other player chooses one card…in case of ties in Level, roll a die. If your corpse runs out of cards, tough. After everyone gets one card, the rest are discarded.
Dead characters cannot receive cards for any reason, not even Charity, and cannot level up.
When the next player begins his turn, your new character appears and can help others in combat…but you have no cards.
On your next turn, start by drawing four cards from each deck, face-down, and playing any Loyalty, Class, Training, or Item cards you want to, just as when you started the game. Then take your turn normally.
Treasure
When you defeat a monster, either by killing it or using a card to eliminate it, you get its Treasure. Each monster has a Treasure number on the bottom of its card. Draw that many treasures. Draw face-down if you killed the monster alone. Draw face-up, so the whole party can see what you got, if someone helped you.
Treasure cards can be played as soon as you get them. Item cards can be placed in front of you. “Go Up a Level” cards can be used instantly. You may play a “Go Up a Level” card on any player at any time.
Example of Combat, With Numbers and Everything
Agent 747 is a 4th-Level Assassin with Fruit Combat Training (+2 bonus) and Knife Training (each Knife gives an extra +3 bonus) and Shoe Blades (a +1 Footgear that also counts as a Knife). 747’s total combat strength is therefore 4 (Level) + 2 (Fruit Combat Training) + 4 (Shoe Blades, modified by Knife Training), for a total of 10.
747 kicks open the door and finds the Obnoxious Kids In Black, a Level 4 monster. 747 is at a 10 and the Kids are at a 4, so 747 is winning.
Agent 747: So much for those meddling kids…
The Ain’t: Beware the wrath of evil mothers protecting their evil kids!
The Ain’t adds the Women In Black to the fight (using the special “……In Black” rule), adding 10 to the Kids’ combat strength. Now 747 is losing, 14 to 10.
Agent 747: I’m about to be shaken, not stirred.
The Ain’t: I’d offer you some help, but it’s more fun to watch you try to escape my fiendish plan.
Number Nine: I hate to see anyone imprisoned–I’ll help you for the first and last Treasures. (Number Nine is a 6th-Level American with no Class and, currently, no Items.)
Agent 747: Doesn’t look like I have much of a choice. Does anyone else want to make me cry UNCLE, or will I Die Another Day?
No one says anything, so Agent 747 goes up two levels, one from each monster, and draws five face-up treasures–two from the Obnoxious Kids In Black, and three from the Women In Black. Number Nine picks first, Agent 747 picks three of the remaining Treasures, and then Number Nine takes the one that’s left. And the game goes on…
Character Stats
Each character is basically a collection of weapons, armor, and magic items, with three stats: Level, Loyalty, and Class. For instance, you might describe your character as “an 8th-level Russian Assassin with Interogation Training, a License to Maim, and a Sniper Rifle.”
Your character's sex starts off the same as your own.
Level: This is a measure of how generally buff and studly you are. When the rules or cards refer to your Level, capitalized, they mean this number.
You gain a level when you kill a monster, or when a card says that you do. You can also sell items to buy levels.
You lose a level when a card says that you do. Your Level can never go below 1. However, your combat strength can be negative if you get hit with a trap or have some other kind of penalty.
Loyalty:Characters may be loyal to the Americans, Russians, British, or Chinese. If you have no Loyalty card in front of you, you have no loyalty.
Each Loyalty allows you different special abilities or penalties (see the cards). You gain the abilities of a Loyalty the moment you play its card in front of you, and lose them as soon as you discard that card. Loyalties are fragile things in the world of munchkinly spies! You can discard a Loyalty card at any time, even in combat: “I don’t wanna be Russian any more.”
You may not have more than one Loyalty at once unless you play a Double Agent or Triple Agent card. You may not have two copies of the same Loyalty card in play.
Class: Characters may be Assassins, Playboys, or Tourists. If you have no Class card in front of you, you have no class. Yeah, I know, we did that one already. Each Class has different abilities, shown on the cards. You gain the abilities of a Class the moment you play its card in front of you, and lose them as soon as you discard that card. Some Class abilities are powered by discards. You may discard any card, in play or in your hand, to power a special ability. See the Class cards for when abilities can be used.
You can discard a Class card at any time, even in combat: “I don’t wanna be a Tourist anymore.” When you discard a Class card, you become classless until you play another Class card.
You may not belong to more than one class at once unless you play the Super Munchkin card. You may not have two copies of the same Class card in play.
Level Counters: It's Not Cheating, It's Using the Rules!
If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch*, you'll like our Level Counter application in the iTunes Store. Just search for “Level Counter” or go here. Even better, it gives you personal in-game advantages to make your friends jealous. Which is what being a munchkin is all about!
*Coming soon: a version for Android!
Items
Each Item card has a name, a power, a size, and a value in Gold Pieces. (Of course spies use gold pieces! Briefcases full of Krugerrands!)
An Item card in your hand does not count until you play it; at that point, it is “carried.” You may carry any number of small items, but only one Big one. (Any item not designated Big is considered Small.)
Anyone can carry any item, but some Items have use restrictions: for instance, the American Pie can only be used by an American. Its bonus only counts for someone who is, at the moment, American.
Likewise, you may also use only one Vehicle, one headgear, one suit of armor, one pair of footgear, and two “1 Hand” items (or one “2 Hands” item)…unless you have a card that lets you ignore these limits. If you are carrying two Headgear cards, for instance, only one of them can help you.
Some cards are labeled Gun and Knife. Other cards specifically affect Guns and Knives, and your ability to use them.
Similarly, some cards are labeled Vehicle. You may only use one Vehicle at a time, unless you have a card that lets you use more.
You should indicate Items that can’t help you, or extras not being worn, by turning the cards sideways. You may NOT change your used and carried items during a combat or while running away. You cannot discard Item cards “just because.” You may sell Items for a level, or give an item to another player who wants it. You may discard to power certain Class and Loyalty abilities. And a Trap may force you to get rid of something!
Trading: You may trade Items (but not other cards) with other players. You may only trade Items from the table–not from your hand. You may trade at any time except when you’re in combat–in fact, the best time to trade is when it’s not your turn. Any item you receive in a trade must go into play; you can’t sell it until it’s your turn.
You may also give items away without a trade, to bribe other players–“I’ll give you my Flying Car if you won’t help Bob fight Dr. Maybe!”
You may show your hand to others. Like we could stop you.
Selling Items for Levels: During your turn, you may discard items worth at least 1,000 Gold Pieces and immediately go up one level. If you discard (for instance) 1,100 Gold Pieces worth, you don’t get change. But if you can manage 2,000 worth, you can go up two levels at once, and so on. You may sell items from your hand as well as those you are carrying. You may not sell items to go to Level 10.
When to Play Cards
A quick reference guide…
Monsters
If a monster is drawn face-up, during the “Kick Open a Door” phase, it immediately attacks the person who drew it.
If acquired any other way, they go into your hand and may be played during “Looking For Trouble,” or played on another player with the Wandering Monster card.
Each Monster card is a single monster, even if the name on the card is plural.
Monster Enhancers
Certain cards, called monster enhancers, raise or lower the combat strength of individual monsters. (Yes, you can have a negative enhancement.) Monster enhancers may be played by any player during any combat.
All enhancers on a single monster add together. If there are multiple monsters in a combat, the person who plays each enhancer must choose which monster it applies to.
“…In Black"
Several monsters in this set have “…In Black” at the end of their names. Any “…In Black” monster can join any other “…In Black” monster in combat, without the use of a Wandering Monster card.
Items
Any Item card may be played to the table as soon as you get it, or at any time on your own turn other than in combat (unless the card itself says otherwise).
Any one-shot Item can be played during any combat, whether you have it in your hand or on the table. (Some one-shot Items, such as the Wishing Ring, may also be used outside of combat.)
Other items stay on the table in front of you once they are played. You may keep Items in front of you that you cannot legally use (because of your Class or Loyalty, or because you are already using other Items of that type). Turn these Items sideways. These Items are “carried” but not “in use.”
You get no benefits from Items turned sideways.
Other Treasures
Other Treasure cards are “specials” (like “Go Up a Level”). You may play these at any time, unless the card itself says otherwise. Follow the card’s instructions, then discard it, unless it has a persistent bonus like an Item.
Traps
If drawn face-up, during the “Kick Open The Door” phase, Trap cards apply to the person who drew them.
If drawn face-down or acquired some other way, Trap cards may be played on ANY player at ANY time. Any time, do you hear me? Reducing someone’s abilities just as he thinks he has killed a monster is a lot of fun.
Usually, a Trap affects its victim immediately (if it can) and is discarded. However, some Traps give a penalty later in the game or have a continuing effect. Keep these cards until you get rid of the Trap or the penalty takes effect. If someone plays a “your next combat” Trap on you while you are in combat, it counts in that combat! (Trap cards you keep as a reminder may not be discarded to power Class or Loyalty abilities. Nice try!)
If a Trap can apply to more than one item, the victim decides which item is lost or trapped.
If a Trap applies to something you don’t have, ignore it. For instance, if you draw Lose Your Armor and you have no armor, nothing happens; discard the card.
There will be times when it will help you to play a Trap or Monster on yourself, or to “help” another player in a way that costs him treasure. This is very munchkinly. Do it.
Classes, Loyalties, And Training Hirelings
These cards may be played to the table as soon as they are acquired, or at any time during your own turn. Super Munchkin and Double/Triple Agent may be played similarly, but you must have a Class to play Super Munchkin or a Loyalty to play Double/Triple Agent. You cannot be a Double-Double or Double-Triple Agent.
You do not have to have a Training in play to play Extra Training
Hirelings
If you draw a Hireling, either face up or face down, you may play him immediately or keep him in your hand for later. You may play him at any time, even in combat, as long as you have only one Hireling in play at a time. You may discard Hirelings at any time. You may not trade Hirelings…they are not Items.
Super-Sized Munchkin
Studies have shown that 8.4 out of 9.7 Munchkin players just can't get enough of the game. Here are some ideas to take your Munchkin games to new heights–or lows:
Combining different Munchkin sets. You can mix two (or more) base sets and expansions together for a genrecrossing mega-Munchkin adventure! Space plus Old West? Kung fu vampires? No problem!
Expansions. Most of the Munchkin core sets have expansions that add still more monsters to kill, new Treasure to loot, and sometimes entirely new kinds of cards. Ask at your friendly local game store, or visit Warehouse 23 to buy directly from us.
Turn it up to EPIC! Playing to Level 10 just isn't enough for some people. To satisfy their insane cravings, we've created Epic Munchkin, a new set of rules that gives all your Munchkin sets that high-octane boost you need to make it up to Level 20! Look for it on our online PDF store–it's completely, absolutely FREE!
All of the above!!!
Faster Play Rules
For a faster game, you can add a “phase 0” called Listen At The Door. At the start of your turn, draw a face-down Door card, which you may play or not. Then arrange cards and Kick Open The Door normally. If you Loot The Room, draw a face-down Treasure, not a Door.
You can also allow shared victories–if a player reaches Level 10 in a fight where he had a helper, the helper also wins the game, no matter what Level he is.
Game Design by Steve Jackson • Illustrated by John Kovalic
Top Secret Database Encoding and Prepress Checking: Monica Stephens • Chief Operating Officer: Philip Reed • Munchkin Czar: Andrew Hackard • Munchkin Hireling: Angie Kreuser • Production Artists: Alex Fernandez and Monica Stephens • Marketing Director: Paul Chapman • Director of Sales: Ross Jepson
Playtesters: Fox Barrett, Paul Chapman, Scott Haring, Jan Hendriks, Andrew Hackard, Richard Kerr, Birger Krämer, Randy Scheunemann, Christian Stenner, Monica Stephens, Thomas Weigel, Loren Wiseman, Shadlyn Wolfe, and Erik Zane.
Special thanks go to the winners of the WarpCon 2006 auctions (Cork, Ireland), whose generous donations to charity put them into the game: Ben Harrison (Karate Training), Andrew Gordon and Stephen McShane (Guinness and Stout), and Jonathan Glover (Bush Knife).
Munchkin, Munchkin Impossible, Warehouse 23, e23, the all-seeing pyramid, and the names of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are trademarks or registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license. Dork Tower characters are copyright © John Kovalic. Munchkin Impossible is copyright © 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. Rules version 1.6 (November 2011).
Undead Monsters
Several monsters in this set are tagged Undead. You may play any Undead monster from your hand into combat to help any other Undead, without using a Wandering Monster card. If you have a card that can be used to make a monster Undead, you may play it with a non-Undead monster to use this rule.