Munchkin: Vox Machina – A Critical Role Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Contents
• Starting and Finishing the Game
• Set-Up
  • Character Creation
  • Card Management
• Conflicts Between Cards and Rules
• Turn Phases
• Character Stats
• Combat: Basic Rules
• When You May Take Actions
• Treasures
• Combat
  • Interfering with Combat
  • Asking for Help
  • Fighting Multiple Monsters
  • Undead Monsters
• Monsters
  • Monster Enhancers
  • Rewards
  • Running Away
  • Death
• Curses
• Example of Combat
• Faster Play Rules
• Super-Sized Munchkin
• More Munchkin!

Game Contents

This game includes: 96 Door cards, 76 Treasure cards, 7 Character cards, 7 standies and their plastic stands, 1 twenty-sided die (d20), 1 six-sided die (d6), 1 gameboard, and this rulesheet.

Starting and Finishing the Game

Each player rolls the 20-sided die to see who has the highest initiative and will take the first turn.

Play proceeds in turns, each with several phases (see Turn Phases). When the first player finishes a turn, the player to the 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 another way.

Set-Up

Each player takes a Character card and the matching standie and places the standie on the space marked "1" on the gameboard. The Character card goes 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.

The numbered spaces on the board represent your Level (see Character Stats). When your character goes up (or, ugh, down) in Level, move your standie accordingly. You can never go below Level 1, and once you kill a monster to reach Level 10, you win! It's perfectly fine for more than one player to be at the same Level.

Character Creation

The members of Vox Machina start the game at Level 1, each with a special ability listed on their Character card. Look at your initial eight cards. If you have any Role or Drive cards, you may (if you like) play one of each type by placing it in front of you. If you have any usable Items or Guest Stars, 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 go ahead and do it.

Note: Character cards are double-sided. The special abilities are the same on both sides, and either side may be used.

Example Character card ability (Vex'ahlia): "Resourceful: Your maximum hand size is +1."

Card Management

Keep face-up discard piles for each deck in the matching "Discard" space on the gameboard. You may not look through the discards unless you play a card that allows you to do so! When a deck runs out, reshuffle its discards.

In Play: These are the cards on the table in front of you, showing your Role and Drive (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).

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

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

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!

1. Nothing can reduce a player below Level 1, although card effects might reduce a player's or a monster's combat strength (see Combat) 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, and you cannot force another player to help you do it.

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.

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 monster, you must fight it. See Combat. If the card is a Curse (see Curses), 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 fought a monster in phase 1, skip this phase and go to phase 3.

If you did not draw a monster when you first Kicked Down The Door, you have two choices: Either Look For Trouble or Loot The Room.

Look For Trouble: Play a monster from your hand and fight it, just as though you had found it when you kicked down the door. Don't play a monster you can't handle unless you're sure you can count on getting help (see Asking for Help)!

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 fewer – for instance, you can play Curses, sell Items from your hand, or play Items to the table. If you cannot reduce your hand to five cards, 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 character, including the Character card, consists of weapons, armor, magic Items, and Guest Stars, and has three key stats: Level, Role, and Drive. For instance, you might describe your character as "a Level 8 Assassin, driven by Self-Discovery, armed with The List and Whisper, wearing the Deathwalker's Ward, and accompanied by Shaun Gilmore."

LEVEL: This is a measure of how generally mighty and menacing 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).

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.

ROLE: Characters may be Assassins, Guardians, Sages, or Priests. Each Role has special abilities, shown on the cards. You gain the abilities of a Role the moment you play its card in front of you and lose them as soon as you discard that card. Some Role abilities are powered by discards. You may discard any card, in play or in your hand, to power a special ability.

You can discard a Role card at any time, even in combat: "I don't wanna be a Sage any more."

You may not have more than one Role at once unless you play the Critical Role card.

Example Role cards:

• Priest – Healing Prayer: When you are not in combat, you may give one player +1 to Run Away. If they succeed, draw a face-down Treasure. Shield of Grace: When someone plays a card against you in combat, you may give them a card from your hand. They must return their card to their hand and cannot play other cards during that combat.
• Assassin – Stealth Strike: If you are not in combat, you may discard your whole hand (minimum three cards) to add a +5 bonus to either side. Double the Distance: If you are the helper in a fight and the munchkins lose, you may discard any card to Run Away automatically from all monsters.

DRIVE: Characters may be motivated by one of four Drive cards: Found Family, Self-Discovery, Sanctuary, or Courage. The rules for discarding Drive cards and their abilities follow the Role card rules above.

You may not play more than one Drive at once unless you play the Driven card.

Example Drive cards:

• Sanctuary: You may discard one card from your hand to get a +1 to your Run Away roll. Roll the d20 when another player plays a One-Shot against you. If you roll a 13 or more, discard that card with no affect.
• Self-Discovery: Draw a face-down Door when you, or a player you are helping, gain a level. You may discard a card to double the combat bonus of a One-Shot as you play it.

CRITICAL ROLE and DRIVEN: These cards may be played whenever it is legal to play a Role or Drive, as long as you have an appropriate card (Role for Critical Role, Drive for Driven) to attach it to. You cannot have more than one of the same Role or Drive card in play at once.

If you play Critical Role with a single Role, you get all the advantages of being that Role (the ability to equip Role-only Items, and monsters with penalties against that Role suffer those penalties) but none of the disadvantages (you may equip Items forbidden to that Role, and monsters do not get bonuses because of your Role). If the Role has an ability that has a cost, however, you must still pay it.

If you play Critical Role while you have two Roles, you have all the normal advantages and disadvantages of both Roles.

All of the above is also true for Driven, just for Drives.

Guest Star: You may have one Guest Star accompany your character. When you draw a Guest Star, either face up or face down, you may play it immediately or keep it in your hand to play later, at any time, even during combat. While in play, your Guest Star may grant you combat bonuses or special abilities. You can choose to play a new Guest Star and discard the old one whenever you like. Guest Stars are not Items, and you may not trade a Guest Star away to another player.

Guest Stars can be sacrificed to allow you automatic escape from all monsters in a combat by discarding the Guest Star instead of rolling to Run Away. If someone was helping you in combat, you can even decide whether or not your helper automatically escapes when you sacrifice a Guest Star. The choice is yours!

Combat: Basic Rules

When you fight a monster, you compare your combat strength (your Level plus any bonuses or penalties) against the monster's combat strength. If your combat strength is greater, you win! If it is tied or lower, the monster wins. For the full explanation, see Combat.

When You May Take Actions

AT ANY TIME:

• Discard a Role or Drive.
• Play a Go Up a Level or Guest Star.
• Play a Curse.

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).

ON YOUR OWN TURN:

• Play a new Role or Drive (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-Shots can; see One-Shots).

Treasures

Treasure cards include permanent and "One-Shot" cards. Any Treasure card may be played 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 say otherwise).

ITEMS: Most Treasures are Items. Items have a Gold Piece value. ("No Value" is equivalent to zero Gold Pieces, 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 a Guest Star or 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. Items have an icon to identify their type (Headgear, Armor, Footgear, 1-Hand Item, 2-Hands Item).

Likewise, some Items have restrictions: For instance, the Symbol of the Everlight can only be wielded by a Priest. Its bonus only counts for someone who is, at the moment, a Priest.

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 Trading). You may discard Items to power certain Role and Drive abilities. And a Curse or a monster's Bad Stuff (see Monsters) 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 Role or Drive 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 Pieces 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 Cabal's Ruin if you won't help Grog fight Kevdak!"

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 Pieces and immediately go up one level. ("No Value" cards are the same as zero Gold Pieces.) 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.

"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 munchkins or the monsters, and they 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-Shot cards with a Gold Piece value may be sold for levels, just like other Items.

Example One-Shot (Rites of Prime Banishment, 500 Gold Pieces): Use during any combat. Discard all monsters in the combat. Each player draws 1 face-down Treasure. Usable once only.

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. A couple of specific examples:

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!

CHEAT!: Attach this card to an Item you have in play or as you play an Item from your hand. You gain that Item's full benefits and none of its disadvantages, even if otherwise you could not use it at all. Discard this card when you lose the Item it is attached to.

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 Running Away). If your combat strength totals more than the monster's – note that monsters win ties! – you kill it and go up a level (two levels 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. Unless the card says otherwise, you don't get the Treasures, either. If the last monster is removed from a combat, the fight ends immediately.

Some monster cards have special powers that affect combat – a bonus against a particular Role or Drive, for instance. Be sure to check these!

You and the other players may play One-Shot Treasures or use Role or Drive abilities to help or harm you in your combat. Some Door cards may also be played into a combat, such as Monster Enhancers (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 say otherwise.

If you kill a monster (or monsters!), discard the monster(s) 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 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 Treasures, though they can still whine and argue.

Interfering with Combat

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

• USE A ONE-SHOT ITEM: You could help another player by using a One-Shot to strengthen their side. Of course, you can "accidentally" strengthen the monster with it, instead . . .
• PLAY A MONSTER ENHANCER: 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.
• ADD A MONSTER FROM YOUR HAND: to join the combat, by using a Wandering Monster card.
• CURSE THEM: If you have a Curse card.

Asking for Help

If you cannot win a combat on your own, you may ask any other player to help you. If they refuse, you may ask another player, and so on, until they all turn you down or someone helps. Only one player can help you, adding their 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 the monster has. If you offer part of the monster's Treasure, you must agree whether they pick 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 or vulnerabilities of the monster also apply to your helper, and vice versa. For instance, if a Priest helps you fight a Banshee, the Banshee suffers a -2 to its combat strength unless you are also a Priest and the monster's combat strength has already been decreased.

If someone successfully helps you kill the monster, discard it, draw Treasures (see Rewards), and follow any special instructions on the monster card. You level up for each slain monster. Your helper does not go up any levels. You draw the Treasure cards, even if it was your helper's special ability that defeated the monster, and distribute them according to the agreement you reached.

A few cards or abilities allow you to compel another player to help you in combat. These abilities do not work if you are fighting for the win – and if you force someone to help you and then the fight becomes one for the win, your helper gets to back out without penalty. However, if you voluntarily help someone, you don't get to back out just because they're about to win the game – so pay attention!

Fighting Multiple Monsters

Some cards (such as Wandering Monster) allow your rivals to send other monsters to join the fight. You must defeat their combined combat strengths. Any special abilities, such as forcing you to fight 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 Away from the other(s). If you eliminate one monster, but then run from the other(s), you don't get any levels or Treasure!

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.

Monsters

If drawn face up during the Kick Down The Door phase, monsters immediately attack the person who drew them.

If you get a monster card any other way, it goes into your hand and may be played during your own turn to Look For Trouble, or played with the Wandering Monster card to join another player's fight. (See Fighting Multiple Monsters.) Each monster card is a single monster, even if the name on the card is plural.

Example monster: Umbrasyl (Level 12) – +3 against anyone not wearing Armor.

Example monster: Delilah Briarwood – Delilah Briarwood can join Sylas Briarwood in combat without using a Wandering Monster card. Bad Stuff: Lose your Role(s) and a level.

Example monster: Kevdak (Level 10) – You must face Kevdak alone. No other players can help you. Other players can only play One-Shots to help him. Bad Stuff: Lose the Item that gives you the biggest bonus.

Example Bad Stuff: "Your hope is devoured. Discard your hand."

Monster Enhancers

Certain cards, called Monster Enhancers, raise or lower the combat strength of individual monsters. (Penalties to monsters are still considered Enhancers.) They also affect the number of Treasures the monsters are worth. 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.

Rewards

When you kill a monster, you get one level per monster, unless the Monster card says something else . . . and you get its Treasure! Each monster has a Treasure number on the bottom of its card. Draw that many Treasures, modified by any Monster Enhancers played on it. 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.

If you defeat a monster by nonlethal means, 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.

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 six-sided die. You escape on a 5 or more. Some Role and Drive abilities, and some Treasures, might make it easier or harder to Run Away from all monsters. And some monsters give you a bonus or penalty to your roll for that monster only (for example, "-1 to Run Away").

If you fail to Run Away from a monster, 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 (see below).

If you are fleeing from multiple monsters, you roll separately to escape each one, in any order you choose, and you suffer Bad Stuff from each one that catches you as soon as it catches you.

If two players are cooperating and still can't defeat the monster(s), they must both Run Away. They roll separately, and each player chooses in what order to Run Away. The monster(s) can catch them both.

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

Death

If you die, you lose all your stuff. You keep your Role(s), Drive(s), and Level (and any Curses that were affecting you when you died) – your new character will look just like your old one. If you have Critical Role or Driven, keep those as well.

Once you have died, you don't have to Run Away from any remaining monsters.

Looting The Body: 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 carried by a Guest Star or 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 the six-sided die. Once everyone gets one card, discard the rest. If your corpse runs out of cards, tough. Looted cards go into players' hands.

Dead characters cannot receive cards for any reason, not even Charity, and cannot level up or win the game.

When the next player begins their turn, your new character appears and can help others in combat with your Level and Role or Drive 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? Reducing someone's abilities just as they think they've killed a monster is a lot of fun.

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 Role or Drive 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 Role and you have no Role, 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 or monster on yourself, or to "help" another player in a way that costs them Treasure. This is very munchkinly. Do it.

Example of Combat

Pike is a Level 4 Priest accompanied by Jarett Howarth (+1), and wearing the Plate of the Dawnmartyr (+2). She Kicks Down The Door and finds Delilah Briarwood, a Level 8 monster. Pike's at a 7 and Delilah Briarwood is at an 8, so Pike is losing.

Pike: I was hoping to save this card . . .

She plays the Spark Stone, giving her +3 for this fight. Now her combat strength is 10, beating Delilah's 8.

Pike: Ha! Delilah is going down!

Vax: Not so fast, Pickle. Now she has a Skeleton Army!

Vax plays . . . With a Skeleton Army, adding +5 to Delilah Briarwood's combat strength. Now Pike is losing, 13 to 10.

Pike: What did you do that for?

Vax: Because now you need my help? (Vax is a Level 3 Assassin driven by Found Family and equipped with Bottomless Jug, so his combat strength is 6. Combined with Pike's 10, they have 16, enough to defeat Delilah's 13.)

Pike: And your Bottomless Jug gives us another Treasure? Sure, I'll take your help. I'll give you the last two Treasures.

Vax: Great. So we win?

No one says anything, so Pike goes up a level and draws Delilah's Treasures – two from the monster's card, one extra because of the Skeleton Army, and another because of Vax's Bottomless Jug. She chooses two of the Treasures, and Vax takes the remaining two.

Vax: And because I just helped you win a combat, I can play The Grey Hunt and go up a level, too.

Pike's turn is now over, and the game goes on . . .

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 the 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 fight where you are the helper, you also win the game, no matter what Level you 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! Cthulhu plus Zombies? Steampunk apocalypse? No problem!

Expansions. These add still more monsters to kill, new Treasure to loot, and sometimes entirely new kinds of cards.

More Munchkin!

Munchkin comes in lots of flavors! You can get classic fantasy, sci-fi, superheroes, pirates, cowboys, the apocalypse, steampunk, and zombies . . . and they're all compatible!