Munchkin Bites! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Setup
• Card Management
• When Cards Can Be Played
• Contradictions Between Cards and Rules
• Character Creation
• Starting and Finishing the Game
• Turn Phases
• Combat
• Fighting Multiple Monsters
• Asking For Help
• Interfering With Combat
• Running Away
• Death
• Treasure
• Character Stats
• Level Counters: It's Not Cheating, It's Using the Rules!
• Example of Combat, With Numbers and Everything
• Race
• Powers
• A Munchkiny Note on the Vampire Power
• Items
• Minions
• When to Play Cards
  • Monsters
  • Undead Monsters
  • Monster Enhancers
  • Items
  • Other Treasures
  • Curses and Traps
• Races and Powers
• Bats
• More Munchkin
• Super-Sized Munchkin
• Faster Play Rules
• Credits

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 Race and Powers (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 (see When to Play Cards, below).

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 (see Character Stats, below) 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 www.worldofmunchkin.com, or start a discussion at forums.sjgames.com . . . unless it's more fun to argue.

Character Creation

Everyone starts as a Level 1 human with no Powers and no Class. (You'd think we'd be tired of that joke by now.)

Look at your initial eight cards. If you have any Race cards or Power cards of Rank 1, you may (if you like) play one of each type by placing it in front of you. If you have any usable Items (see Items, below) or Minion 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 in any way you can agree on. (Snicker.)

Play proceeds in turns, each with several phases (see below). When the first player finishes his turn, the player to his left takes a turn, and so on.

The first player to reach Level 10 wins . . . but you must reach Level 10 by killing a monster, unless a card specifically allows you to win outside of combat.

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 curse or a trap – see Curses and Traps, below – 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 – see below. 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 Race, for instance. Be sure to check these.

One-shot items, such as potions, 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 (see Monster Enhancers, below).

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 (see below). 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) and some special monsters (see Bats, below) allow your rivals to send other monsters to join the fight. 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, 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 Changeling, but a Changeling helps you, the Banshee will be at a -4 against you. But if you are facing the Sunbeam and a Vampire helps you, the foe's level is increased by 4 (unless you, too, are a Vampire and the foe's level has already been increased . . . don't increase it twice).

If someone successfully helps you, the monster is slain. Discard it, draw treasure face up (see below), 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.

Interfering With Combat

You can interfere with others' combats in several ways:

Use a one-shot item. You could help another player by casting a potion against his foe. Of course, you can "accidentally" hit your friend with the potion, 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.

Curse or trap them, if you have a Curse or Trap card.

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).

Death

If you die, you lose all your stuff. You keep your Race(s), Power(s), and Level (and any Curses that were affecting you when you died) – your new character will look just like your old one.

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 legal Race, Power, 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.

Character Stats

Each character is basically a collection of weapons, armor, and magic items, with three stats: Level, Race, and Power. For instance, you might describe your character as "a 9th-level Vampire with Celeterousness and Dominion, the Dark Compact, and the Axe of Contrition."

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 (see Items).

Level Counters: It's Not Cheating, It's Using the Rules!

If you have an iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Android phone, you'll like our Level Counter smartphone app. Just search for "Munchkin level counter" or click the link at levelcounter.sjgames.com. Even better, it gives you personal in-game advantages to make your friends jealous!

Example of Combat, With Numbers and Everything

Jenn is a 4th-Level Werewolf with the Finger Claws (which gives her a +2 to her combat strength). She kicks open the door and finds Pumpkinhead, a Level 8 monster . . . but it's -2 against Werewolves, and it's Undead, so Jenn gets +4. Jenn's at a 10 (Level 4, +2 for the Finger Claws, +4 because it's Undead) and Pumpkinhead is at a 6 (Level 8, -2 because Jenn is a Werewolf), so Jenn is winning.

Jenn: Anyone wanna interfere?

K.C.: Sure. Now he's Horrific, Steeped in Evil, Yet . . .

Jenn: Just play the card.

K.C. plays Horrific, Steeped in Evil, Yet Somewhat Pitiable, adding 10 to Pumpkinhead's combat strength. Now Jenn is losing, 16 to 10.

Jenn: Curses!

K.C.: Want some help? (K.C. is playing a Level 3 Human with the Sword of Beheading People Just Like In That Movie, so his combat strength is 7. Combined with Jenn's 10, they would have 17, enough to defeat Pumpkinhead's 16.)

Jenn: No, I think I'd rather win this one alone. He's Horrific and all that, but he's also Fluffy, and I'm going to weep Virgin Tears on him.

Jenn plays Fluffy, giving Pumpkinhead a -5, and plays Virgin Tears on herself for a +3.

Jenn: That's +3 to me, and -5 to Pumpkinhead, so now I'm winning, 13 to 11. I'm killing Pumpkinhead unless someone else plans to mess with me. Anyone?

No one says anything, so Jenn goes up a level and claims Pumpkinhead's treasures – two from the Pumpkinhead card, plus one extra because it was Horrific, Steeped in Evil, Yet Somewhat Pitiable (which adds 2) and Fluffy (which removes 1). And the game goes on . . .

Race

Characters may be Vampires, Werewolves, or Changelings, with the appropriate Race card. If you have no Race card in front of you, you are a puny human.

Humans have no special abilities. Each other Race has different special abilities (see the cards). You gain the abilities of a Race the moment you play its card in front of you, and lose them as soon as you discard that card.

Some Race abilities are powered by discards. You may discard any of your cards, in play or in your hand, to power a special ability.

You can discard a race card at any time, even in combat: "I don't wanna be a vampire anymore." When you discard a race card, you become human again.

You may not belong to more than one race at once unless you play the Half-Breed card. You may not have two copies of the same Race card in play.

Powers

There are 19 of these mystic abilities (and 21 cards, because Celeritousness and Rodomontade have two cards each). You gain the advantages the moment you play its card in front of you, and lose them as soon as you lose or discard that card.

Some are limited as to what race can or can't have them, in the same way that Items are. Each Power has a Rank of 1, 2, or 3. You may have any number of Powers as long as their total Rank does not exceed your Level.

Powers are treated like Races. You can't trade them to other players, but you may play a Power from your hand at any time you can legally use it. You may not play Powers that you cannot legally use. But you may discard Powers at any time and replace them with Powers from your hand.

If your Level goes down to less than the total Rank of your Powers, you must discard some Powers so that their total Rank is once again less than or equal to your Level.

(Exception: A Changeling keeps all his Powers even if his Level goes down. For example, suppose he was Level 7 and had a total of Rank 7 in Powers. If his Level went down by 1, he could keep all his Powers. But if something then happened to take away a Power, he could NOT build back up to 7 until he once again achieved Level 7.)

Duplicate Power cards give no extra effect.

When you die, you keep all the Powers you have in play, just as you keep your race.

Some Powers have obscure and convoluted names. This is to show how mysterious and intellectual we are. If you play this game, and wear a lot of black, you will be mysterious and ineffectual too.

Some Powers require discards. You may discard any card, in play or in your hand, to power a Power. Note that if you have NO cards in your hand, you cannot "discard your whole hand."

A Munchkiny Note on the Vampire Power

You can only go up to Level 10 by killing something, and you cannot steal a level you cannot use. Therefore, a player at Level 9 cannot steal a level. This means that a Level 9 Vampire can't use his power to hurt another player. Good try, though!

Items

Each Item card has a name, a power, a size, and a value in Gold Pieces.

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.) You may not simply discard one Big item to play another; you must sell it, trade it, lose it to a Curse or Bad Stuff, or discard it to power a Power or Race ability.

Anyone can carry any item, but some Items have use restrictions: for instance, the Coffin can only be used by a Vampire. Its bonus only counts for someone who is, at the moment, a Vampire.

Likewise, you may also use only 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.

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 Powers and Race abilities. And a Curse 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 the Schadenfreudian Slip if you won't help Bob fight the Thesaurus!".

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.

Minions

If you draw a Minion, 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 Minion in play at a time. You may discard minions at any time. You may not trade Minions . . . they are not "items."

A Minion can sacrifice himself for you. If you lose a fight, then instead of rolling to run away, you may discard a Minion. You automatically escape from all monsters in the fight, even if a monster card says escape is impossible. If someone was helping you in the fight, YOU decide whether that person automatically escapes as well, or must roll to escape.

When to Play Cards

A quick reference guide . . .

Monsters

If a monster is drawn face-up during the "Kick Open The Door" phase, it immediately attacks the person who drew it.

If a monster is acquired any other way, it goes 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.

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.

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. Exception: Anything that enhances a monster also enhances its Evil Twin . . . if Corrupt, Venomous, and Evil Twin are played on a single monster, in any order, you are facing a Corrupt Venomous monster and its Corrupt Venomous Evil Twin. Good luck . . .

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 Race or Powers, or because you are already using other Items of that type). Turn these Items sideways. These Items are "carried" but not "in use." Exception: You may have only one Big item in play at a time unless you have a card that will let you use more.

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.

Curses and Traps

If drawn face-up, during the "Kick Open The Door" phase, Curse and Trap cards apply to the person who drew them.

If drawn face-down or acquired some other way, Curse and 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 Curse affects its victim immediately (if it can) and is discarded. However, some Curses give a penalty later in the game or have a continuing effect. Keep these cards until you get rid of the Curse or the penalty takes effect. If someone plays a "your next combat" Curse on you while you are in combat, it counts in that combat! (Curse cards you keep as a reminder may not be discarded to power Power or Race abilities. Nice try!)

If a Curse can apply to more than one item, the victim decides which item is lost or cursed.

If a Curse 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 Curse, Trap, or Monster on yourself, or to "help" another player in a way that costs him treasure. This is very munchkinly. Do it.

Races and Powers

These cards may be played to the table as soon as they are acquired, or at any time during your own turn. Half-Breed may be played similarly, but you must have a Race to play Half-Breed.

Bats

This place is full of bats, and when you see one, there are more nearby. Whenever any Bat appears, any player may play any other Bat from his hand to help it out.

More Munchkin

Visit www.worldofmunchkin.com for errata, updates, Q&A, and much more. To discuss Munchkin with our staff and your fellow munchkins, visit our forums at forums.sjgames.com. Check out www.worldofmunchkin.com/resources.html for reference cards, play mats, and dozens of links.

Other ways to connect to the Munchkin social network:

Twitter. Our Twitter feed often has Munchkin news (or bonus rules!): twitter.com/SJGames.

Facebook. Connect with other fans on our pages for Munchkin (www.facebook.com/sjgames.munchkin) and Steve Jackson Games (www.facebook.com/sjgames).

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 genre-crossing 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 for all the Munchkin sets and expansions at your local game or comic store – find it using our Store Finder, gamerfinder.sjgames.com – but if you don't have a local store, we'll sell them to you from www.warehouse23.com.

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, e23.sjgames.com – it's completely, absolutely FREE!

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.

Credits

Game Design by Steve Jackson. Illustrated by John Kovalic.

Development Help: Monica Stephens. Chief Operating Officer: Philip Reed. Munchkin Czar: Andrew Hackard. Munchkin Baron: Leonard Balsera. Munchkin Hireling: Keith Blackard. Art Director: Steve Jackson and Wil Upchurch. Production Artists: Fox Barrett, Justin De Witt, and Alex Fernandez. Prepress Checker: Monica Stephens. Print Buyer: Philip Reed. Director of Sales: Ross Jepson.

Playtesters: Michelle Barrett, Moe and Paul Chapman, JHG Hendriks, Andrew Hackard, Jim Karcher, Jennifer and Tobias Loehr, Chris Rentz, Giles Schildt, Mark Schmidt, Mia Sherman, Loren Wiseman, and Erik Zane.

Thanks for horrible card ideas to Moe and Paul Chapman, Douglas Cole, Steven Ehrbar, Mark R. Ford, Andrew Hackard, John Jeffryes, and Fade Manley.