Steve Jackson's Munchkin Presents Batman

Steve Jackson's Munchkin Presents Batman Rulebook

Table of Contents

Conflicts Between Cards and Rules

This rulesheet gives the general rules. Many cards 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!

Nothing can reduce a player below Level 1, although card effects might reduce a player's or a Crime's combat strength (p. 2) below 1.
You go up a level after combat only if you successfully commit a Crime.
You cannot collect rewards for committing a Crime (e.g., Treasure, levels) in the middle of a combat. You must finish the fight before gaining any rewards.
You must commit a Crime to reach Level 10. You can't win by playing a Go Up a Level card, for instance!

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 munchkin.game, or start a discussion at forums.sjgames.com/munchkin . . . unless it's more fun to argue.

Setup

Deal a Villain card randomly to each player. Each player takes the matching standie and places it on the space marked "1" on the gameboard. The Villain card, with its special power, stays in front of the player.

Divide the cards into the Door deck and the Treasure deck. Shuffle both decks. Deal four cards from each deck to each player. Place the rest of the cards in the appropriate spaces on the gameboard.

(Card types: Doors, Treasures, Villains.)

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.

In Play: These are the cards on the table in front of you, showing your Motive (if any) and the Items you are carrying. Continuing Curses and some other cards also stay on the table after you play them. Cards in play are public information and must be visible to the other players.

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 (see Charity, p. 2).

Cards in play may not be returned to your hand - they must be discarded or traded if you want to get rid of them.

Character Creation

Everyone starts at Level 1.

Look at your initial eight cards. If you have any Motive cards, you may (if you like) play one by placing it in front of you. If you have any usable Items (p. 3), 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 dice. Play proceeds in turns, each with several phases (see p. 2). 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 committing a Crime, unless a card specifically allows you to win another way.

Combat: Basic Rules

When you attempt a Crime, you compare your combat strength (your Level plus any bonuses or penalties) against the Crime's combat strength (its Difficulty plus bonuses). If your combat strength is greater, you win! If it is tied or lower, you fail, and you have to try to Run Away.

For the full explanation, see Combat, p. 3.

When You May Take Actions

You may perform these actions at any time:

Discard a Motive.
Play a Go Up a Level or Accomplice.
Play a Curse.

You may perform these actions at any time, as long as you are not in combat:

Trade an Item with another player (the other player may not be in combat, either).
Change which Items you have equipped.
Play a card that you have just received (some cards may be played even during combat; see above).

You may perform these actions on your own turn:

Play a new Motive card (at any time).
Sell Items for levels (except when you are in combat).
Play an Item (most Items cannot be played during combat, but some one-shot Items can; see p. 3).

Turn Phases

Your turn begins as soon as the previous player's turn ends. When your cards are arranged the way you want, go to phase 1.

(1) Kick Down The Door: Draw one card from the Door deck and turn it face up.

If it's a Crime, you must try to commit it. See Combat, p. 3. If the card is a Curse - see Curses, p. 5 - it applies to you immediately (if it can) and is then discarded (unless it has a persistent effect or you keep the card as a reminder of an upcoming effect).

If you draw any other card, you may either put it in your hand or play it immediately.

(2) Look For Trouble/Loot The Room: If you tried to commit a Crime in phase 1, skip this phase and go to phase 3.

If you did NOT draw a Crime when you first opened the door, you have two choices: either Look For Trouble or Loot The Room.

Look For Trouble: Play a Crime from your hand and try to commit it, just as though you had found it when you kicked open the door. Don't play a Crime you can't handle, unless you're sure you can count on getting help (see p. 4)!

Loot The Room: Draw a second card from the Door deck, face down, and place it in your hand.

(3) Charity: If you have more than five cards in your hand, you must play enough cards to get you to five or below. If you cannot, or do not want to, you must give the excess cards to the player with the lowest Level. If other 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.

As soon as you are finished with Charity, the next player's turn begins.

Character Stats

Your Super-Villain character is defined by his Level, his Motive (if any), and the items he is carrying. For instance, you might describe your character as "Catwoman at Level 8, with the Whip, the Brutal Boots, and the Grapple Gun."

Each villain has a special power, shown on the card.

Level: You start at Level 1 and you're trying to reach Level 10. When the rules or cards refer to your Level, capitalized, they mean the number in the space where your standie is.

You gain a level when you successfully commit a Crime, or when a card says that you do. You can also sell Items to buy levels (see Items, p. 3).

You lose a level when a card says you do. Your Level can never go below 1. However, your combat strength can be negative, if you get hit by a Curse or suffer some other kind of penalty.

Motive: Super-Villains may have Motives, which can change during play.

Each Motive card gives you a special ability. You gain the abilities of a Motive the moment you play its card in front of you, and lose them as soon as you discard that card. Some Motive abilities are powered by discards. You may discard any card, in play or in your hand, to power a Motive ability. See the Motive cards for when abilities can be used.

You can discard a Motive card at any time, even in combat: "I don't wanna be Insane any more." This would free you to play a different Motive. You may not have more than one Motive at once unless you play the Complex Motivations card.

Complex Motivations: This card may be played whenever it is legal to play a Motive. It allows you to have two different Motives. You cannot have more than one of the same Motive card in play at once.

Treasures

Treasure cards include both permanent and one-shot cards. Any Treasure card may be played to the table as soon as you get it, or at any time on your own turn except during combat (unless the rules below or the card itself says otherwise).

Items

Most Treasure cards are Items. Items have a Gold value. ("No Value" is equivalent to zero Gold, and a "No Value" card is considered an Item.)

All Items you have in play are considered "carried." Items that are actually giving you a bonus are "equipped." You should indicate Items that are not equipped by turning the cards sideways. You may not alter the status of your Items during a combat or while running away.

Anyone can carry any Item (except for extra Big items; see below), but you may equip 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, such as Cheat!, or unless one of the cards says otherwise. If you are carrying two Headgear cards, for instance, you can equip only one of them at a time.

Likewise, some Items have restrictions: for instance, the Question-Mark Cane can only be used by The Riddler. If someone else gets that Item, they can sell it to help gain a Level, or trade it to The Riddler!

You cannot discard Item cards "just because." You may sell Items for a level, trade Items with other players, or give an Item to another player who wants it (see below). You may discard Items to power certain special abilities. And a Curse or a Crime's Bad Stuff (see p. 5) may force you to get rid of something!

Big Items: You may carry any number of Small items, but only one Big one. (Any item not marked Big is considered Small.) You may not discard one Big item to play another; you must sell the first Item, trade it, lose it to a Curse or Bad Stuff, or discard it to power a Motive ability.

If something lets you have more than one Big item and you lose that Item or ability, you must either correct the problem immediately or get rid of all but one Big item. If it's your turn and you're not in combat, you can sell the excess Big items (as long as you have at least 1,000 Gold of Items to sell). Otherwise, you must give them to the lowest-Level player(s) who can carry them! If any Big items are still left over, discard them.

Trading: You may trade Items (but no 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 or your trading partner are in combat - in fact, the best time to trade is when it's not your turn. Any Item you receive in a trade must remain in play.

You may also give Items away without a trade, to bribe other players - "I'll give you my Armor if you won't help The Joker commit that Crime!"

You may show your hand to others. Like we could really stop you.

Selling Items for Levels: At any point during your turn except during combat or Running Away, you may discard Items worth a total of at least 1,000 Gold and immediately go up one level. ("No Value" cards are the same as zero Gold.) If you discard (for instance) 1,100 Gold 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.

One-Shot Treasures

A Treasure card that says "Usable once only" is a One-Shot Treasure. Most of these are used during combat to strengthen the villains or the Crimes, and may be played from your hand or from the table. Some have other effects, however, so read the card carefully! Discard these cards as soon as the combat is over or their effect is resolved.

One-Shots with a Gold value may be sold for levels, just like other Items.

Other Treasures

Other Treasure cards (like Go Up a Level cards) are not Items. Most of these cards say when they can be played, and whether they stay in play or are discarded. Go Up a Level cards may be played on yourself or any other player at any time, even during combat. Discard them once they are played. Exception: You cannot play a Go Up a Level card to give a player the winning level!

Accomplices

Accomplices are also found in the Treasure deck - a successful Crime may attract an Accomplice who will help you in the future. Accomplices are combat cards that can be played to either side. They are not quite one-shots - they sometimes quit after one job, but they often return to the player who used them, and can be used again.

Accomplices may be played at any time, on any turn.

Combat

The attempt to commit a Crime is called Combat (because often, Batman will show up and hit you). It's fun to read the cards aloud and visualize the scene as it's created.

Compare the Crime's combat strength to yours. Your combat strength is the total of your Level plus all modifiers - positive or negative - given by Items and other cards.

The Crime's combat strength is its Difficulty plus any modifiers added by the play of cards. You should expect your rivals to play cards to make your Crimes harder!

If the Crime's combat strength is equal to yours, or greater, you lose the combat and must Run Away (see p. 5). If your combat strength totals more than the Crime's - note that Crimes win ties! - you commit it and go up a level (two levels for some big Crimes). You'll also get the number of Treasures shown on its card.

Sometimes a card will let you get rid of the Crime without actually committing it. This is still "winning," but you don't get a level. Unless the card says otherwise, you don't get the Treasures, either.

Some Crime cards have special powers that affect combat - a bonus for a particular Motive, for instance. Be sure to check these!

Look at the art on the cards! If your Super-Villain's picture is on the card, you get a +5 to commit that Crime!

You and the other players may play one-shots or use special abilities to help or harm you in your combat. Some Door cards may also be played into a combat, such as Batman! (see below).

Remember: while you are in combat, you cannot sell, equip, unequip, or trade Items, or play Treasures from your hand, unless these rules or the card says otherwise.

If you commit a Crime, discard its card and any other cards played, and claim your rewards. But note: someone may play a hostile card on you, or use a special power, just as you think you have won. When you commit a Crime, you must wait a reasonable time, defined as about 2.6 seconds, for anyone else to speak up. After that, you have really succeeded, and you really get the level(s) and Treasures, though they can still whine and argue.

Crime Cards

If you draw a Crime face-up, during the Kick Down The Door phase, you must immediately try to commit it.

If you get a Crime card any other way, it goes into your hand and may be played during your own turn to Look For Trouble.

Fighting Batman and Robin

Sometimes the worst thing happens: Batman shows up! Sometimes it's even worse: Robin shows up too!

You can play Batman! and Robin! cards to increase the difficulty of any combat and give extra Treasure. However, only one Batman! card, and only one Robin! card, can be played into any one combat.

Each Batman! or Robin! card shows a villain being punched. If that villain is committing (or helping to commit) that Crime, the Difficulty of that Crime is increased by an extra +5.

There are two cards that show BOTH Batman and Robin. They don't show a villain. If one of these cards is played, no single Batman! or Robin! card may be played, and vice versa. There is always only one Batman!

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'll probably have to bribe someone to help. You may offer your helper any Item(s) you are currently carrying, or any number of the Treasure cards from the Crime. If you offer him part of the Crime's Treasure, you must agree whether he picks first, or you pick first, or whatever. You may also offer to play any cards from your hand that you legally could, such as Go Up a Level cards, on your helper.

The special "abilities" of the Crime also apply to your helper, and vice versa. For instance, if you are The Penguin, and Poison Ivy helps you, then you get a +5 bonus if her picture is on the Crime card. Or if your helper is a Techno, you get +5 to Exceed Posted Speed Limit!

If someone successfully helps you commit the Crime, discard it, draw Treasures (see Rewards, below), and follow any special instructions on the Crime card. You draw the Treasure cards, even if it was your helper's special ability that let you succeed in the Crime, and distribute them according to the agreement you reached.

You level up, but your helper does not level up for helping you commit a Crime. Exception: The special ability that Harley Quinn has is exactly that. She levels up when she helps another villain commit a Crime!

Interfering With Combat

You can interfere with others' combats in several ways, including:

Use a One-Shot. You could help another player by using an Accomplice or a one-shot Item to strengthen their side. Of course, you can "accidentally" strengthen the Crime with it, instead . . .
Play a Batman, Robin, or Police card. These cards make a Crime more difficult . . . and give it more Treasure. You can play these either during your own combats or during someone else's combat.
Curse them, if you have a Curse card.

Rewards

When you succeed in committing a Crime, you get one level, unless the Crime card says something else . . . and you get its Treasure! Each Crime has a Treasure number on the bottom of its card. Draw that many Treasures, plus bonuses for Batman!, Robin!, or Police cards that were played to stop the Crime. Draw face-down if you committed the Crime alone. Draw face-up, so the whole party can see what you got, if someone helped you.

If you somehow get rid of a Crime card without actually committing it, you do not get a level and you may or may not get the Treasure, depending on the method.

Treasure cards can be played as soon as you get them, even if you are the helper.

Example of Combat, With Numbers and Everything

The Joker is at Level 5, and he's equipped with the Laughing Fish (+3) and wearing X-Ray Goggles (also +3), bringing his total combat strength to 11. He kicks open the door and draws Adulterate Food and Drink, a Difficulty 8 Crime.

"This will be easy!" thinks the Clown Prince of Crime . . . just as The Penguin slaps a card on the table.

The Penguin: Why, look! Who could it be? It's . . . Batman!

Catwoman: And I have a purr-fect companion for him! She plays a Robin! card. Batman and Robin each add 5 to the difficulty of the Crime, so it's now 18 to 11, with The Joker holding the wrong end of the stick.

The Joker: Ha, you fools! My Accomplices will win the day for me! He plays the brutal Blockbuster (+2) and Scarecrow (+3).

The Riddler: Here's a riddle for us! How does he think that gives him enough to help?

The Joker: Read the Crime card! Accomplices count double in this fight! So my five points of Accomplices are worth 10, and I'm winning again, 21 to 18!

The other villains look at each other.

Poison Ivy: Don't look at me. I can't stop him.

The Joker: Ha ha ha haaaa. . . !

No one says anything else, so The Joker wins the fight! He collects four face-down Treasures - two from the Crime card and one each from Batman and Robin.

He rolls to see if he keeps his Accomplices. Blockbuster comes back, but Scarecrow rolls a 1 and is discarded.

And the game goes on . . .

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 win . . . you must 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 escape on a 5 or more. Some special abilities and some Items might make it easier or harder to Run Away. And some Crimes give you a bonus or penalty to your roll for that Crime only.

If you fail to Run Away, you will suffer Bad Stuff, as described on its card. This may vary from losing an Item, to losing one or more levels, to being captured and sent to Arkham Asylum (see below).

If two villains are cooperating and still can't succeed at the Crime, they must both Run Away. They roll separately.

Once you have resolved all Run Away rolls, discard the Crime card(s).

Arkham Asylum

If you fail at a Crime and are sent to Arkham Asylum, you lose all your stuff. You keep your Motive(s) and Level, and any Curses that were affecting you when you were caught. If you have Complex Motivations, keep that as well.

Looting The Lair: Your "friends" descend on your lair to take your stuff. Lay out your hand beside the cards you had in play (making sure not to include the cards mentioned above). If you have an Item attached to a Cheat! card, separate those cards. Starting with the player with the highest Level, everyone else chooses one card . . . in case of ties in Level, roll a die. Once everyone gets one card, discard the rest. If you run out of cards, tough. Looted cards go into players' hands.

Villains in Arkham Asylum cannot receive cards for any reason, not even Charity, and cannot level up or win the game.

When the next player begins his turn, you escape from the asylum and can help others in combat with your Level and special abilities . . . but you have no cards, unless you receive Charity or gifts from other players.

On your next turn, start by drawing four face-down cards from each deck and playing any legal cards you want to, just as when you started the game. Then take your turn normally.

Curses

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

If acquired some other way, such as by Looting The Room, Curse cards go into your hand and may be played on any player at any time. ANY time, do you hear me? It's a lot of fun to reduce someone's abilities just as he thinks he has succeeded at a Crime.

Usually, a Curse affects its victim immediately (if it can) and is then 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. (Curse cards you keep as a reminder may not be discarded to power special abilities. Nice try!)

Note: If someone plays a "your next combat" Curse on you while you are in combat, it counts in that combat! The same is true for a "your next turn" Curse played during your turn.

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. (Some Curses have alternate effects, though, so read the card!)

There will be times when it will help you to play a Curse on yourself, or to "help" another player in a way that costs him Treasure. This is very munchkinly. Do it.

Faster Play Rules

For a faster game, you can add a "phase 0" called Listen At The Door. At the start of your turn before doing anything else, draw a face-down Door card, which you may play or not. Then arrange cards and Kick Down 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 Crime where there was a helper, the helper also wins the game, no matter what Level they are.

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. These 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.

All of the above!!!