Important Note #0: The Great 2010 Changeover

Starting in May 2010, the rules and cards in the various Munchkin sets underwent a makeover. The effect was most drastic in the fantasy sets, where we recolored all the card art, but some rules and cards changed in almost every set. If you’re a long-time Munchkin player, or you’re new but you’re using an old set, please consult the 2010 Munchkin Change Log for a detailed list of changes, set by set.

Answers in this FAQ reflect the newest version of the game rules, except where noted otherwise.

Q. How can I be sure my Munchkin purchases are using the updated rules?
A. On the back or bottom panel of the box, there should be a printing date (for instance, “Published May 2010″). If that date is April 2010 or later, it uses the updated rule and card text. If that date is before April 2010, or there is no date at all, it’s the earlier version.

Q. April? But didn’t Munchkin 19th printing ship in May?
A. Umm . . . yes. It was originally scheduled for April, however, and that’s what appears on the box.

Important Note #1: Reaching Level 10

The general rule is that you may not reach Level 10 except by killing a monster. If you are at Level 9 and something else happens that would normally let you go up a level . . . you don’t. You stay at Level 9. If you have a card or an ability that lets you mess with another player and get a level in return, you cannot play that card or use that ability.

BUT

. . . certain cards specifically overrule this. If the card explicitly says that it can end the game, or that the level it grants can be the winning level, then obviously it can be. The corollary is that if the card does not say it can be the winning level, then it cannot be.

Note also that ANY level gained as a result of killing a monster counts as the winning level. If you have a Race or Class ability that lets you get an extra level after winning certain combats, that level can be the winning level. A Go Up a Level card played after combat, however, cannot be, because the card does not itself kill the monster.

Of course, this answer applies to Levels 19 and 20, not to Level 10, during Epic Munchkin games.

Important Note #2: Playing/Using/Switching Items During Combat

This is all covered in the rules, but not all in the same place.

You can’t switch Items during combat. In other words, you can’t chose to wear a different Headgear or different Armor once combat has started. You also can’t “unwield” one Item that uses Hands and “wield” another in its stead. Basically, all the Items you were using or carrying must remain in their current states . . . even if some of them become unusable.
An example of such a case: An Elf is using the Bow with Ribbons and is carrying the Chainsaw of Bloody Dismemberment. He has no extra Hands, so the Bow is using both of the Hands he has available. The Elf then goes into combat and is subsequently Cursed by another player to lose his Race. He now loses the bonus for the Bow, and since he can’t switch out the Bow and replace it with the Chainsaw, he gets no bonus from that, either. As an aside: Should the player have another Elf card, then – assuming it is his turn – he could play that immediately and get back his bonus from the Bow.
You may not play new Items during combat, whether it is your turn or not, except for any one-shot Item (one of those that say “usable once only”) that says it can be used in any combat. One-shot Items can be played by any player during any combat, from the hand or from the cards in play.
Playing/using a one-shot Item during a combat that aids the munchkins (and not the monsters) does not constitute “helping” in combat, as described in the rules. This means that in any given combat, any number of players can play cards to aid or hinder either side as often as they want, as long as they have the cards. Only one other player can actually join the combat as a helper, however.

Important Note #3: “Defeated” versus “Killed” versus “Lost”

For the purposes of the game, “defeating” a monster involves beating it in combat or removing it from play in such a way that you do not have to Run Away. This means that if a Wizard casts a charm spell, or a munchkin uses a Pollymorph Potion, or something else happens that ends a fight without the munchkins Running Away, the monster is defeated. “Killed” means that you defeated the monster with your Level and bonuses in combat, or used some card or special ability that specifically states that it kills the monster. For this, you get levels and Treasure (since you did defeat it, you know). Some Monsters say that they can be defeated immediately, based on circumstances. Unless the card says otherwise, this usually means an instant kill of the Monster, so you would get levels and Treasure in those situations, too.

However, even in a case where a single monster is instantly defeated, other players get a chance to play Wandering Monster to add a new foe that you must defeat before claiming the spoils.

“Lost” means that you are just not buff enough and you gotta Run Away like a little chicken.

Important Note #4: Fighting Multiple Monsters

When you are in combat with more than one monster, you cannot resolve ANY aspect of the combat until ALL monsters are defeated or until the munchkins flee. This means that if you use an ability to make one monster disappear, you cannot claim a level and/or Treasures for beating it (depending on the method used) unless you can then kill or defeat all the remaining monsters. You cannot, for instance, use your Wizard to charm one monster and take its Treasures before fighting the rest. Combat isn’t over until the WHOLE combat is over.

Important Note #5: Hirelings/Sidekicks/Mooks/Minions

When you are combining some or all of the different Munchkin sets together, Hirelings = Sidekicks = Mooks = Minions. In other words, they are all part of a “Hireling” class, you may have only one (not one of each), unless some card or other special ability allows more, and they may be sacrificed for the sake of automatic escape. Beyond that, they have no special ability that isn’t expressly given on each card. When playing a “standalone” game, you must follow the rules for the game in question.

General Questions

Q. The rules say one thing. This card says another. What do I do?
A. As with most card games, the whole point of many of the cards is to bend the rules. So cards override rules. Having said that, if a card does not explicitly allow you to gain the last level and win the game, you can’t, no matter how loudly you whine.

Q. Can yadda-yadda be used to do yadda-yadda? It isn’t in the rules or on the card, but it seems logical.
A. If it’s not in the rules, it doesn’t matter how logical it is, unless you can talk the other players into it. And if you can, go for it!

Q. Is yadda-yadda the same as yadda-yadda?
A. Not unless they have the same name. See above . . . Weapons are not the same as Armor. “Stomps you flat” is not the same as “kills you.” And so on.
Curses!

Q. Is there a limit to the number of Curses (Traps, Madnesses) I can play on a turn? What about on a single player on a turn?
A. You can play as many as you have in your hand. But so can everyone else . . .

Q. If a Curse/Trap could apply to more than one Item, who decides what it applies to?
A. It depends on what the card says. If the card says “Choose one small Item to discard” and not something like “Choose one small Item for Fred to discard, nyah nyah,” it is the victim’s choice. Some cards specify who (e.g., player to the right) and how (e.g., random) the choice is to be made.

Q. I just kicked down a door and was hit by a curse that will force me to get rid of an item. Can I sell the item for a level instead?
A. Nope. You resolve the card as it happens. So you cannot stop the curse in mid-effect in an attempt to not have it affect you by doing something else. In Munchkin, things happen in the order that they happen. Certain cards are exceptions (Wishing Ring) but those exceptions are written on the card itself.

Q. What happens when you die? Do curses that persist go away?
A. There are a number of curses that persist, like Tiny Hands, Big Feet, Sex Change, Chicken On Your Head, and so on. Most of these curses can only be gotten rid of with a Wishing Ring or perhaps some luck. If a curse persists, its effects transcend death. Remember, your new character looks like the last one. So, if your sex was changed, you are still your new sex (but you very likely died because of combat, so that pesky -5 is gone), you still have Big Feet or Tiny Hands, and if you didn’t have Headgear on when you died, that stinking Chicken is going to roost on the head of your new character. Sucks to be cursed, but, well, you knew that . . .
Cards and Items

Q. This says to pick a random card from my opponent’s hand, but I can totally tell his Doors from his Treasures. May I use that information?
A. If it’s important to your group that choices be truly random, then either close your eyes when you pick a card, roll a die, or have the other player mix up the cards below the table and you tell him which number card you want. (The last method is not recommended for groups that play at a glass table.)

Q. So what exactly do you mean by cards in play? Do cards in my hand count?
A. Cards that are in your hand are cards and nothing else. You may eventually play them from your hand, but they are not IN play. Your cards on the table are cards in play and these represent what they say they are. For example, a Race card is a card and a Race.

Q. Okay, I gotcha. But what if I have to discard a card, do I discard from my hand? Or in play?
A. If you have to discard and it doesn’t specify from where (e.g., the Wizard’s charm spell) then you can choose from any of the cards you possess.

Q. If you have to lose items, do you lose the ones from your hand, or just those on the table?
A. Always, always, only those on the table. While cards are in your hand, they’re not carried Items yet. If you are meant to lose cards from your hand, this will be specified.

Q. If I’m a thief, and I steal an item from another munchkin, is that the same as if he was giving me the item?
A. No, you munchkin. Giving is voluntary. The key difference is that the giver gets to choose what card to give you.

Q. What if a card forces another munchkin to give me an item?
A. Giving is giving. It doesn’t matter what reason compelled the munchkin to do it . . .

Q. When does a card move from play to discard? For example, if I use a one-shot item during combat, is it in play during the entire combat or does it immediately move to the discard?
A. The one-shot card does not move to the discard until the battle is over.

Q. We just played a bunch of cards into a fight, and the player to my left is a Cleric. He started to put the cards on the discard pile in the order he wanted – is that legal?
A. The player whose turn it is discards everything. If the order is important, he sets that as well.

Q. Are cards like Yuppie Water, that don’t say “Potion” on them but LOOK like Potions, considered potions for rules purposes?
A. Yes. If it’s a liquid in a container, it can be considered a potion. (But note that other types of one-shot items, such as Grenades and Ichors, must include that specific word! Potions are special. Also note that Ichors aren’t Potions and Potions aren’t Ichors.)

Q. How about other items which are “usable once only”? Do they work like potions?
A. All one-shot items (those which say “usable once only”) may be played directly from the hand unless the card says otherwise (and right now, none of them do).

Q. Exactly what is a “weapon”?
A. In a more rigorous game, we would have labeled all the swords, axes, etc. as “weapons.” Try to use common sense, even if this IS Munchkin. As a general rule, any item that uses Hands can be considered a weapon, as can items like the Singing and Dancing Sword that are obviously weapons.

Q. Can you sell Items that total less than 1,000 Gold Pieces, just to get them out of circulation?
A. No. If the Items aren’t worth a total of at least 1,000 Gold Pieces, you can’t sell them.

Q. Assuming I have at least 1,000 Gold Pieces in Items, can I throw in some Items with No Value as part of the sale?
A. Absolutely. “No Value” is exactly the same as “0 Gold Pieces,” so you can sell these Items unless the card says otherwise. (But “No Value” must appear on the card! If a card has nothing at all listed for a value, it is not an Item and cannot be sold.)

Q. The rules say that cards in play must be traded or discarded. When can I discard them?
A. This depends on the type of card. First, it must be in play in front of you (no discarding other people’s cards, silly). Race and Class cards (including Half-Breed and Super Munchkin) can be discarded at any time, including to power a special ability, but not an ability for the discarded Race or Class (unless the ability requires discarding that particular Race or Class). Curses that remain on the table in front of you cannot be discarded. Item cards are the only cards that can be traded, and, as long as they aren’t prevented from being discarded (say, by a Curse), can only be discarded in the following ways:

As part of a sale (but see above for the rule on a minimum for selling Items)
To power a special ability of a Class/Race or another card
To fulfill the requirements of Bad Stuff or a Curse/Trap
The Item is Big and you MUST get rid of it (because your Hireling died or you are no longer a Dwarf), and there is no one who can take it

Q. I see cards with the same name, but different text, in different sets.
A. That’s not a question. It’s a statement of fact. There ARE cards with the same name but different text in different sets. This was sometimes on purpose, but not always. We don’t think that it’s a big problem, and we DO think that changing card names would cause more annoyance than it’s worth.

For your convenience, we offer a list of duplicate cards to keep them all straight.

That said, you should also be sure that you aren’t mixing old and new sets. Starting in May 2010, the wording on some cards (notably Super Munchkin and Cheat!) was changed, and new printings of all Munchkin sets will use the updated wording. The Change Log includes a list of cards with changed text (except for trivial changes that don’t affect gameplay).
Races and Classes

Q. If I have Half-Breed and one other Race card, is my other half human?
A. Yes. You get the “all the advantages, none of the disadvantages” benefit of Half-Breed for your other Race, but you can’t use Human-only items or claim bonuses against monsters that have trouble fighting Humans. (As a practical matter, there are very few of these, so this doesn’t come up that often.)

Q. Can I use two Half-Breed cards to be more than two Races, or two Super Munchkin cards to have more than two Classes?
A. No. Unless you want to make it a house rule, of course.

Q. Can I use Half-Breed to be the same Race twice, or Super Munchkin to be the same Class twice, and get double benefits?
A. Gaaah. No. (My father was an elf, and my mother was . . . an elf!) Each player may have only one copy of a Race or Class in play. In other words: If you are a Half-Orc and have another Orc card, you can not play it on yourself without discarding the Orc card already in play.

Q. When using Super Munchkin or Half-Breed (or Double Agent or Bilingual . . .), can you discard one of your Races or Classes and replace it with another, or just not replace it?
A. You can turn from a half-breed dwarf-elf to a half-breed dwarf-human, or, if you have the Halfling card, dwarf-halfling. This doesn’t make you lose Half-Breed. Super Munchkin works the same way for Classes.

Q. Can I replace my current Class with the same Class to avoid charity?
A. You can discard a Class at any time. You can play a Class at any time on your turn. There’s no requirement that the new Class be different from the old one. So, yes.

Q. If I only have one Class, and am changing the Class, do I lose any items that say “if you lose your Class, discard this card”?
A. As long as you play the new Class immediately after discarding the old Class, no. Think of switching a Class as one action with two parts (discarded the Class, playing a new Class) so that action has to complete before any other actions would start.

Q. Can I keep a Class or Race out on the table, but sideways so I can use it later?
A. No. The only sort of cards that can be played to the table but not used are Items (and even there there are restrictions; the number of Big items is the most common example, but there can be other restrictions).
Combat!

Q. How do I handle ties?
A. Monsters win ties, unless at least one of the munchkins in the fight is a Warrior.

Q. When you are faced with two or more monsters, can you kill one and flee the other?
A. No. If you have cards that let you abolish one entirely (like Pollymorph Potion) then you may do that, and fight the other one(s). (You will have to win that fight before you can claim any treasure at all . . . you can’t charm one monster, grab its treasure, and then try to fight its mate.) But you can’t fight one and flee the other. They fight you together.

Q. What happens when a Wandering Monster comes along that would ignore or befriend one player in a fight, but not the other? For instance, when the Wandering Monster is an Amazon and one player is female?
A. When one player helps another, the monsters do not fight the players separately . . . so if one player is female, the wandering Amazon would donate a Treasure and leave without fighting. Likewise, the Stoned Golem makes a bad Wandering Monster because the victims can just ignore it. (Remember that Treasures always go to the main fighter to distribute according to whatever agreement was reached.)

Q. I’m at Level 2 and I encounter a Level 9 monster. Another player (Level 5) joins the combat. A third player wanders in a new monster that will not pursue Level 3 or below. We are now losing and have to run away. Does the wandered-in monster go after both of us?
A. In combat, monsters fight side by side. But when it comes to pursue the fleeing munchkins, they act individually and munchkins must attempt to escape from each as normal. So the wandered-in monster will not pursue you, but will pursue your helper.

Q. What about during the combat? You said they fight side by side. Does that mean if one monster is affected (positively or negatively) by fire/flame weapons that all of them are?
A. Exactly. A monster’s immunity (or weakness) is given to all others in the fight.

Q. I’m going to have to attempt to Run Away from a monster. Can I curse other munchkins before I roll the die? What about after?
A. Even though curses can be played at any time, you’ll have to honor the die roll before doing anything else. So yes, you can curse before rolling the die, but not between the die roll and the monster’s Bad Stuff/your escape. After that, you can resume cursing as normal.

Q. Do combat bonuses that monsters receive against Races or Classes stack? For example, if a monster gets +4 against Dwarves and +4 against Elves and I’m a half-dwarf/half-elf, does that monster get +8 in combat against me?
A. Unless it says on the card itself, monster combat bonuses stack. This means that a monster that has bonuses against Dwarves and Elves would be a +8. (Fair warning: this is a change from previous discussions, but it IS the official ruling henceforth.)

Q. If somebody changes your Race or Class during combat (such as with a Curse), does that change your combat bonuses?
A. Yes. If you quit being an Elf, you can no longer get a bonus from Elf-only items, and so on. You can never get the benefit of two Races or two Classes in one combat unless you have a special card that allows it. Powers driven by discards are an exception, however. If a Warrior had already discarded a card to get a +1 combat bonus, and then stopped being a Warrior, he would keep the bonus, but wouldn’t be able to discard any more cards for the Warrior bonus. Yes, this rule can be used to the player’s advantage. Hee hee.

Q. If you use a one-shot Item during combat and someone tries to make it disappear through Curse or Theft, do you get the bonus?
A. Theft doesn’t work during combat. Use of a Curse could destroy an item as you try to use it, but once you play the item into the fight, it’s not yours to be cursed anymore.

Q. Some cards say they automatically defeat a certain type of Monster (like the Snickersnee and Scary Clowns, or the Churninator and Level 1 monsters). Can anyone interfere with this? Can anyone play a Wandering Monster?
A. Yes. You may have automatically defeated the monster in question, but your fellow munchkins still have 2.6 seconds to respond. They probably cannot do anything to help the now-defeated monster, but they can still wander in a new one for you to fight. (But if the monster had special “bring in a friend” rules, such as -goths and Bats, you cannot use those rules, because the original monster is no longer there.)

Q. If a card that affects your “next combat,” like a sex change, is played on you during a combat, does it affect THAT combat, or the next one you’re in?
A. If the combat is still unresolved (and obviously it is, because people are still playing cards on you for it), then that combat is the “next” one. (We wrote that explicitly into the rules for versions 1.5 and later, so there shouldn’t be any more confusion, right?)

Q. Does the “2.6 seconds rule” apply to defeating a monster without killing it, or just to killing it?
A. Any sort of defeat. If you defeat it without killing it, other players still have about 2.6 seconds to play an applicable card to frustrate you. However, if you removed the only monster from the fight (with Magic Lamp, for instance), they cannot play Monster Enhancers or other similar cards that affect a specific monster, because there isn’t one there to fight, and they can’t use any special rules for bringing in monsters (such as the Shark rules from Munchkin Booty) that depend on having a monster in the fight. They can play Wandering Monster to bring in an entirely new monster, though, as long as they do it at once.

Q. If a low-level munchkin encounters a monster that won’t chase him, does the munchkin get the treasure?
A. Nonononono. The munchkin may choose to fight the monster, but if he cannot defeat it, he MUST run away. The monster won’t chase him, so the munchkin dodges the Bad Stuff. But he doesn’t get the treasure!

Q. Can I play Go Up a Level cards on another player – for instance, to make him go up to a level so that a monster that would previously ignore him will now chase him?
A. This is not the original intent of Go Up a Level cards, but it is such a munchkinly and vile idea that we like it too much to say no. So you can play Go Up a Level cards on another player. But just as when playing a Go Up a Level on yourself, the munchkin must legally be able to gain that level. You cannot play a Go Up a Level card, even one with a secondary effect, on a munchkin who has to kill a monster to gain that level.

Q. Do I have to kill a monster? Even if I’m winning, can I just choose to Run Away?
A. You can’t Run Away if you are winning with what you have in play. However, you are not required to play one-shot cards, negative Monster Enhancers, etc., to beat it, even if you could win handily. So then you would be able to choose to Run Away.

Q. Exactly when do you die, and how long do you stay dead?
A. You die when you get Bad Stuff that says you’re dead. (A very few other cards can cause death as well.) If you were fleeing from other monsters, you are excused from their Bad Stuff, because you’re dead. While you are dead, you cannot receive cards for any reason, and you cannot level up or win the game. You STAY dead only until the next person’s turn starts. Your new character appears at that point and may join normally in the combat, though you will get no new cards until someone gives you charity, you get cards as payment for helping in a combat, or your next turn starts. Fortunately, death is temporary . . .

Q. Do I have to run away? What if I WANT to die?
A. Your character does not want to die. Your character will always TRY to run away. If you want to die, then hope for a bad die roll.
Cheat!

Q. If you have the Cheat! card on one Item, can you move it to another one?
A. No. Once you perform the initial cheat, the card cannot be moved to another Item. So if something happens to make the cheated Item legal for you . . . too bad. You can’t transfer your Cheat! to something else.

Q. Can I use the Cheat! card to take an Item from another player, or use it to search through the discard pile to take an Item from it?
A. No and no . . . The Cheat! card allows you to carry (i.e., have in play) and use an Item you normally couldn’t due to Class/Race/slot/etc. restrictions. In other words, a second piece of Headgear, a second Big item (for non-Dwarves), an Item that requires a Hand or two when your other two are full, or the Bow With Ribbons for non-Elves. You have to have the Item already, and cannot use the Cheat! card to take it. (By a strict reading of the text on the Cheat! card starting with the 19th printing, you can play it on an Item you can use, but why would you want to?)

Q. If my only small Item has a Cheat! card on it, and I get Cursed to lose a small Item, can I say that the cheated Item doesn’t count as “small” for the purposes of the Curse?
A. Nice try, but no. Cheat! doesn’t take away the Item’s properties, it just makes the Item usable for you when it otherwise would not be.

Q. If an item has been cursed (e.g., with Cursed Thingy or Antimatter), can a Cheat! card overrule the curse?
A. If the curse has added a negative effect to the item, a Cheat! card will not remove that effect.
Miscellaneous Questions

Q. If I announce I’m going to do something, am I locked into that decision or can I change my mind? For instance, I was a wizard and declared that I was going to fight a monster, but then the monster was enhanced further, can I change my mind and charm it?
A. You’re NEVER locked into a final decision unless a card or rule says so. So, yes, you could change your mind.

Q. If I have two separate cards that both let me roll a die in the same situation (say both let me avoid a Curse) does one take precedence over the other?
A. Pick the one that gives you the best outcome and roll a die. If you fail that roll, try with the next ability you have. You can keep trying as long as you have the abilities to do so.

Q. The art on the card shows the weapon being wielded with two hands, but the card only says one handed. Do I go by the art or the card?
A. Go by the text. If the card says it is a 1 Hand item, it is a 1 Hand item, even if the card art shows it with two hands.

Q. Is the initial sex of a character the same as the sex of the player, or can it be chosen?
A. The rules say to make it the same as that of the player. The designer has no objection to being overridden by house rules for cosplayers, the transgendered, or just people who draw a Class or Race card depicting the opposite sex. And note that a Munchkin or Unnatural Axe T-shirt will override your sex for game purposes. (People playing house rules that might lead to more-frequent gender alterations should remember the standard -5 penalty for changing sex . . .)

Q. I’m a male, but the only Race/Class cards I have in my hand are female. Can I still play them? If I do, does it change my sex?
A. No. Munchkin Classes and Races have a variety of different representations on them to liven up game play. They have no effect on your in-game sex.

Q. If I’m told to draw two cards and keep one but discard the other and one of the cards has an immediate effect does that effect go off?
A. Only if that’s the card you keep. When you are told to decide between cards to keep and discard, the effects of the kept card will go off immediately once you decide that that is the card you are keeping. Otherwise the card you discarded was never in play and never took effect.

Munchkin

Q. If someone makes me help him with the Kneepads of Allure, can I backstab him, play cards against him, etc., so we both have to run away?
A. You bet. You’re required to join the combat, not to try to win.

Q. I hate the Kneepads of Allure. I think they unbalance the game. What should I do?
A. There are several possibilities.

Steal the Knee pads cards out of all your friends’ games and EAT them. If they catch you, lie.
Agree beforehand to play without it, if everybody else hates the card too. Same with any card you don’t like.
If the owner of the Knee pads takes too much advantage, just pick mercilessly on him. Back stab him in every attack. Throw potions at him. Eat his food while he’s out of the room. You get the idea. Nobody can stand against all the other players united.

It’s worth noting that we’ve gotten this question so much that, in the 14th through 18th printings of Munchkin, we replaced the Kneepads of Allure with another Wandering Monster card. Starting with the 19th printing, however, the Kneepads are back (but slightly less powerful). (And we kept the extra Wandering Monster, too, sacrificing one Magic Lamp instead.)

Q. Can I use Help Me Out Here to take the Knee pads of Allure and then make someone help me?
A. As long as the person you force to help you can make the difference between winning and losing (per Help Me Out Here’s requirements), you most definitely can. Don’t expect anyone to like you afterward . . .

Q. Can I use Help Me Out Here to take Pollymorph Potion (or Magic Lamp, or . . .) to take a monster out of the fight?
A. For purposes of Help Me Out Here, “winning” means beating the monster’s combat strength. The Item you take must raise your combat strength enough to beat the monster’s (or, like with the Kneepads, immediately lead to that situation). You cannot use Help Me Out Here if you are already winning, you cannot use it to take an Item that isn’t strong enough to put you over, and you cannot use it to take an Item that doesn’t change your combat strength.

Q. How often can a Thief steal?
A. As long as he has cards to discard.

Q. What happens to a Level 1 Thief who fails an attempt to steal? Does he die?
A. Nothing happens to him. You can’t go below Level 1. (Beware the Level 1 Thief – he literally has nothing to lose!)

Q. Can a Thief steal something while he is in combat?
A. No. He’s preoccupied.

Q. Can a Thief steal from someone else while THEY are in combat?
A. No. They’re preoccupied.

Q. Can a Thief steal from someone while neither he nor his victim is in combat, but someone else is?
A. Yes.

Q. Can a Thief backstab himself?
A. No. It would be very munchkinly, but the card specifically says “another player.”

Q. I have just drawn Divine Intervention face down. What happens now?
A. As the card says, no matter how it is drawn, all Clerics go up a level immediately. Show the card, and, if you are a Cleric, play the card in glee. Otherwise, play the card with disgust to show your contempt for those lucky people who are . . .

Q. What happens if a player gets Divine Intervention in his opening hand?
A. The player should show the card immediately. All players who can become Clerics may choose to do so and go up a level. Once everyone is done, the card is discarded.

Q. If a cleric is facing more than one Undead monster, can he discard 3 cards per monster for a total of +9 against each one?
A. Eeeeeeek! That’s munchkinly thinking, but sorry, that’s a max 3 cards per combat, not 3 cards per monster . . .

Q. Hoard says I have to play it immediately. Does this mean as soon as the card is drawn?
A. Hoard says it must be played as soon as it is drawn. That means if you draw a card, and it’s Hoard, it is played immediately. If you are dealt Hoard, play it as soon as you pick up your hand.

Q. What if I have to choose between cards and one of those is Hoard?
A. If a card makes you draw and choose between cards, and Hoard is one of those you have to choose between, you do not play Hoard until you choose it as the card to keep. Then it is played immediately.

Q. If I play a card that lets me put Hoard in my hand, what happens?
A. It goes into your hand for a split second, then triggers the “play immediately” condition. It is considered to be face-down.

Q. Can a cleric use Hoard over and over by discarding it before he starts drawing his three cards, and drawing it again, and discarding it and drawing three more, and so on?
A. No. Discard Hoard AFTER the three cards are drawn. GREAT try, though! (This is a reason NEVER to have two copies of Hoard in your deck . . .)

Q. Can a wizard use his charm ability if he’s not involved in the combat?
A. No. The card says this is something he may do instead of fighting a monster. It’s not for interfering with others’ fights, so the Wizard in question must be the munchkin who opened the door or is helping.

Q. If a Wizard is helping in a combat and charms a monster, does he get the Treasure from that monster?
A. The Treasures gained from a charmed monster are no different from Treasures from a monster that is killed, so the Treasures (drawn after the combat is over and all remaining monsters, if any, are defeated) are distributed according to the final agreement that the wizard negotiated for his help in the first place.

Q. Faced with multiple monsters, can a Wizard discard his whole hand to charm one, take its treasure, discard that new hand to Charm the next one, and so on?
A. No. Faced with multiple hostile monsters, one does not get any of their treasures until all are defeated.

Q. Can a wizard discard cards to get a bonus to Run Away after the die roll?
A. As of the 19th printing: Yes! (Prior to that, you had to discard in advance.)

Q. Malign Mirror says, “If you draw Remove Curse before your next fight, the curse is lifted.” But there is no Remove Curse card. Does it mean Wishing Ring, which removes curses?
A. Wow, you have an old printing of Munchkin – we fixed that ages ago! Yes, using the Wishing Ring can remove the Curse before the next combat.

Q. The Loaded Die says to change the roll to any number I choose. Could I pick 1,000,000 or -1,000,000 and . . .
A. You’re playing with the very first printing of Munchkin! Congratulations! All the newer printings say you must physically turn the die to show the number you want, and that is what you have to do. (Any modifiers to the roll happen after you turn the die – it’s as though you actually rolled that number.)

Q. Can I use Friendship Potion on a monster if I fail to Run Away?
A. No! The combat ended when you failed to kill it.

Q. What if a monster gets a Mate, or you get a Doppleganger, and then somebody backstabs you or plays potions on one side or the other?
A. Mate duplicates Monster Enhancers, not other types of cards (this is a rule change in the 19th printing to make life simpler). A Doppleganger is an exact duplicate of the player – essentially, figure his combat strength and then double it.

Q. Some cards, like Magic Lamp, Illusion, and Pollymorph Potion, let you get rid of ONE monster. If you get rid of a monster, does its mate (or, in the expansions, its relatives) also leave? In other words, is Mate an enhancement card like Ancient or fully separate like Wandering Monster additions?
A. A Mate is like a Wandering Monster. There are now two monsters, and you have to get rid of them individually. If you play the get-rid-of-it card before somebody plays Mate, though, there’s no monster left for the Mate to join, so Mate can’t be played.

Q. What if the Gazebo appears as a Wandering Monster after the player already has a helper?
A. The helper has to back off and let the player whose turn it is fight the Gazebo, and the other monster(s), alone.

Q. Can I use Instant Wall to force someone to run away?
A. No. Instant Wall allows one or two munchkins to run away willingly. Instant Wall should be used after the players have decided they need to run away but before they roll the die.

Q. Are the Ghoulfiends supposed to be undead?
A. No, they’re like that all the time.

Q. The Ghoulfiends card says only your Level counts in the fight, not your bonuses or items. Can you still use an item to avoid fighting entirely – say, the Magic Lamp?
A. Yes.

Q. King Tut and the Wight Brothers say “Characters of higher levels [than 3] lose 2 levels, even if they escape.” Does that mean you lose two levels even if you defeat those monsters?
A. No. But if you cannot defeat them, then you must try to run away, and you’ll lose the 2 levels even if you do escape. If they catch you, of course, you do suffer the Bad Stuff from those Monsters. (But you don’t lose the two levels twice!)

Q. What does the Bad Stuff for the Plutonium Dragon mean? Did I just die because I failed to run away?
A. This has been clarified with the 19th printing. In earlier versions, even though the text isn’t specific, death is most likely to occur after being roasted and eaten, so yes, you did just die . . .

Q. The Lust Monster says “. . . you must flee” if you cannot get help from a member of the opposite sex. Does this mean I cannot use cards on it like Out to Lunch?
A. Even though it says you must Run Away, it does not say you have to do so immediately. So while you cannot fight the monster, you can use other cards on it, and if you can remove the monster from the fight entirely, the restriction is also removed.

Q. If I’m using the Sword of Slaying Everything But Squid and encounter Squidzilla, can I use an illusion to switch out Squidzilla?
A. No. As soon as Squidzilla appears, combat ends and you must try to Run Away immediately. (This is not 100% clear on the card, but it is the intent!)

Q. When does Magic Lamp let me keep the treasure?
A. If you are fighting one monster, and use Magic Lamp on that single monster, you collect the treasures from that monster. If there are multiple monsters, and you use Magic Lamp to get rid of one of the monsters, you do not get any of the treasures from that monster even if you defeat the remaining ones (you would still get the treasure from those monsters, though).

Q. The Wand of Dowsing doesn’t say “Usable once only,” but I have to discard it after I use it. Can I treat it like a one-shot (play it from my hand rather than the table, or play it during combat)?
A. The clear intent is that this is a one-shot card, even though it lacks the magical “Usable once only” language, and so the rules of one-shot cards apply to this one as well. It can be played during combat, and it can be used from the hand.

Unnatural Axe

Q. Does the Fake Beard override your real Race for monster reactions?
A. Yes. (We don’t understand why this is a FAQ – it’s what the card says.) If you wear the Fake Beard, monsters will think you are a Dwarf and react accordingly. Your real Race does not matter, because they don’t see it.

Q. Can an Orc use his power to remove a curse later? What if he has a Chicken on his Head when he becomes an Orc – can he break the curse at that point?
A. No. If an Orc does not use his power at the moment he is hit with the Curse, it takes full effect, and he can’t remove it later.

Q. What does “every other player” mean on the Generosity curse?
A. It means every player who is not the victim. The intent is for the victim to give all of his stuff to all of the other players.

Q. Why doesn’t an Orc get some kind of bonus for dealing with the 3,872 Orcs monster card?
A. Rather than put a rule on a Race card that refers to a single monster card, we decided that the monster orcs are just as hostile to a munchkin orc as they are to any other PC.

Q. My Find a Map card says Dungeons instead of Doors. Is this an erratum?
A. Yup. (We finally caught it, though!)

Clerical Errors

Q. How does the Casting Couch work?
A. Casting Couch gives you the option to have all the benefits and penalties to being a Wizard along with any other Class(es) you might be. It is, in effect, an optional extra Class card. If you decide to use it, you may use Wizard-only Items in combat, you may use the Wizard’s flight spell and charm spell, you get any bonuses/penalties against Monsters that are sensitive to Wizards, and, if you are playing an Epic game, you may use the Wizard’s Epic feat if you are Level 10 and up. No matter what, you must decide whether you are using the Casting Couch at the start of combat (i.e., right after you Open A Door and find a monster, or when you Look For Trouble). If you do choose to use it, you are -1 to Run Away.

Q. Do the Fake Ears override your real Race for monster reactions?
A. Yes. (We don’t understand why this is a FAQ – it’s what the card says.) If you wear the Fake Ears, monsters will think you are a Elf and react accordingly. Your real Race does not matter, because they don’t see it.

Q. What if I’m wearing the Fake Beard and the Fake Ears?
A. Monsters will react to you as if you are a Half-Elf Half-Dwarf.

Q. How does the Stab-A-Matic work?
A. The Stab-A-Matic allows a non-Thief to backstab like a Thief during combat. I.e., he may discard a card to give a player a -2 penalty during combat, once per combatant. A Thief using the Stab-A-Matic gets a “bonus” to his backstabbing efforts, so each is good for a -3 penalty instead of the normal -2.

Q. Convenient Handles lets me turn a Big item into a small item. So could a Thief put convenient handles on someone else’s Big item, and then try to steal it?
A. No. You can’t play enhancers on other people’s items unless the card specifically says so.

The Need for Steed

Q. If I have two Steeds and Trick Riding Boots, what happens if I lose my footgear? Do I immediately discard the second Steed? Is it killed? And if so, if it was the Tiger Steed, would it come back to my hand?
A. You’d have to lose a Steed because you’re only allowed one. This would not be the kind of event that allows your Tiger Steed to be returned to your hand.

Q. Is there anything special I have to do for Steed Enhancers?
A. Nope. Steed Enhancers work and are played just like Item Enhancers, except they can only be played on Steeds.

Q. If I have a Steed that breathes fire, does that count as having a fire/flame attack?
A. Yes, it does.

Q. Can I play a Steed from my hand when I’m Looking for Trouble?
A. No. Steeds can only be fought when you knock down the door.

Q. Can I discard my Steed to automatically Run Away like I can with a hireling?
A. Not unless the card itself says you can.

De-Ranged

Q. Do I get treasure or levels when I tame a monster?
A. No, you munchkin. You didn’t kill it.

Q. If I’m fighting multiple monsters, when does the taming happen?
A. It happens first; your new Steed will help you against the other monsters.

Q. If I tame a monster, what happens to my old Steed?
A. Same thing that happens when you replace a Steed with a new regular Steed. Discard the old one.

Q. Does my tamed Steed count as a Big item?
A. Yes. Like all Steeds, it carries itself and does not count against your limit of Big items.

Q. If I discard a tamed monster, what happens to the card?
A. It goes to the Door discards. It’s not a Steed any more. It’s a monster again.

Q. Do I keep my tamed Steed if I quit being a Ranger?
A. Sure.

Q. If potions, enhancers, etc., were played on a monster before I tamed it, what happens?
A. They go back to whoever played them.

Q. The Chicken Steed says that my attempts to Run Away succeed automatically. If I face a monster that says cannot be outrun (like the Crabs), whose ability wins?
A. A monster that cannot be outrun will always trump any ability that lets you Run Away automatically, because the monster prevents the attempt.

Q. If I am using Horse Shoes as a Steed and it has a Steed Enhancer on it, what happens if I declare that Horse Shoes is now Footgear?
A. The Steed Enhancer remains on Horse Shoes, but they do not add to its bonus as long as you are using them as Footgear.

Demented Dungeons

Q. In the Dungeon of Comprehensive Curses, it says a curse that affects one munchkin affects all munchkins. What happens with a curse like Income Tax that already affects everyone?
A. Since Income Tax is already effectively a comprehensive curse, play it as written on the Income Tax card.

Q. I was playing a Dwarf and drew the Dungeon of Utter Uncharitability. The dungeon gives all Dwarves a level upon entering it. Can this be the winning level?
A. The card does not say it can be, so no, it cannot be the winning level.

Q. The rules say that when you play a Portal card from your hand or kick down the Door to find a Portal, you draw a replacement card. What happens if I discard a Portal to power an ability or fulfill the effects of Bad Stuff or curses?
A. Because the Portal card was never in play, you would not draw a replacement card.

Q. Can the Dungeon of Elvish Excess (which states that everyone who is not already an Elf gets an Elf card) trump the effect of “There Can Be Only One, and It’s Me” on an Elf? That is to say “There Can Be Only One” says that no other player can become that Race, but the Dungeon makes everyone that Race. So which is it?
A. The Dungeon of Elvish Excess makes everyone an Elf regardless of their own Race already. Because of this, the Dungeon sidesteps the effect of There Can Be Only One, and It’s Me. However, when everyone else leaves the dungeon, they cannot retain the Elf Race.

Q. When we leave the Dungeon of Elvish Excess, it says we have to “discard Races down to the normal limit and our elfishness can now be lost or discard normally”. Does this mean we go back to being what we were?
A. Yes. When you leave the dungeon, you must choose between the Races you have (previous and Elf) and discard down to the number you are allowed to have (normally one.) At this point you can keep being an elf or become something else.

Q. The Dungeon of Extra Effort says that to win the game we must make it to Level 11, but that Level 10 and 11 are treated the same way. Does this mean I can play a Go Up A Level card to go from Level 9 to 10?
A. No, you cannot play a Go Up a Level to go to Level 10. This Dungeon does not change the rules for reaching Level 10; it just adds a Level 11 beyond it.

More Good Cards

Q. I was receiving treasure for killing a monster and one of the cards was a Curse. Does this go off as a normal Curse would? How did my treasure get cursed?
A. This was a misprint. Those curses should be Door cards and not Treasures. Corrected versions will be available in Marked for Death and Go Up a Level. We recommend not using the misprinted curses.

Munchkin Blender

Q. If I am wearing the Freudian Slippers and then don the Revealing Costume, or vice versa, can I rack up a bonus that soon rivals the U.S. National Debt?
A. No. The “change” caused by Freudian Slippers is not an actual sex change for the purposes of cards such as the Revealing Costume. However, if you lose the Slippers and the last sex you declared yourself is different from the sex you were prior to putting on the Slippers, that change will count and add to the Revealing Costume bonus.

Q. If I use Old Edition, can I play an Elf as a Class when I’m already an Elf (by Race)?
A. No. You can only have one of each Race or Class card in play. Even if you play Old Edition to make a Race into a Class or a Class into a Race, you can’t play a duplicate of a Race or Class you already have in play for your character.

Q. Can I use an expansion for one set with a different set? For instance, can I combine Pants Macabre with Munchkin Fu without using the original Munchkin Bites as well?
A. Sure, but there is a trade-off. Much of the effectiveness and full flavor of the expansion may be lost. While Munchkin sets can be combined in many different ways, some ways are more effective than others. In general, if you use an expansion, you should use its associated core set as well.

Q. I’m blending regular Munchkin and Munchkin Bites! Do Elves get two levels for helping kill Your Old Character?
A. No. Elves only get one level per monster they help kill, so they can get the standard Elf helper level or the level for helping you kill your old character, but not both . . .

Munchkin Fairy Dust

Q. I see Fairy Dust comes in foil finseal booster like other collectible card games. Is this a randomized set of cards?
A. No. Every Fairy Dust package contains the set of 15 cards. These are not randomized or collectible.

Q. My Fairy Dust set is curling. What can I do about it?
A. First, try taking them back to your place of purchase for an exchange (we reimbursed all retailers long ago). If they won’t take them or you bought them directly from us, we have set up a

replacement process:

Step 1: Cut the tops from each card in the pack. The top half inch (1.3cm) or so – enough to get the title of the card – is perfect.

Step 2: Mail the tops and your mailing address (don’t assume we’ll be able to read the return address on the envelope by the time it gets to us) to Warehouse 23.

Warehouse 23 Booster Replacement Program
P.O. Box 18957
Austin, TX 78760

Step 3: We’ll mail out a replacement booster set via USPS. We’ll throw in some Munchkin promo items, just to say “thank you.”

Munchkin Waiting for Santa

Q. I see Waiting for Santa comes in foil finseal booster like other collectible card games. Is this a randomized set of cards?
A. No. Every Waiting for Santa package contains the set of 15 cards. These are not randomized and collectible.

Q. My Waiting for Santa set is curling. What can I do about it?
A. First, try taking them back to your place of purchase for an exchange. If they won’t take them or you bought them directly from us, we have set up a replacement process:

Step 1: Cut the tops from each card in the pack. The top half inch (1.3cm) or so – enough to get the title of the card – is perfect.

Step 2: Mail the tops and your mailing address (don’t assume we’ll be able to read the return address on the envelope by the time it gets to us) to Warehouse 23.

Warehouse 23 Booster Replacement Program
P.O. Box 18957
Austin, TX 78760

Step 3: We’ll mail out a replacement booster set via USPS. We’ll throw in some Munchkin promo items, just to say “thank you.”

Q. I got my Waiting for Santa cards as part of the Munchkin Holiday Edition. Am I still eligible for replacement?
A. Yes! Send them directly to us, even if you bought them at Barnes & Noble.

Q. Do Naughty and Nice cards have Epic abilities?
A. Nope.

The Good, the Bad, and the Munchkin

Q. Indians gain a bonus for items with the word “Bow” in the name. Does this include the Bowler Hat?
A. Yes. As long as the word “Bow” appears anywhere in the name of the card, an Indian gains that bonus.

Q: How does the Indian Tracking ability work? Can I fight the Monster I pick up on my next turn?
A: Instead of kicking down a door, you have the option of discarding one card from your hand to take a Monster off the top of the Door discard pile. If there isn’t a Monster there, you can’t use this ability, and you can’t take a Monster later in your turn and fight it later. We (and the other players) have no way to ensure you’ll fight it on your next turn, or that you won’t lose the card to a Curse, or decide to send it to another player’s combat with a Wandering Monster card, or decide that you’d rather fight a different Monster from your hand or take your chances by kicking down a door.

Q. If I choose to keep the Ranch Hand as a sidekick and not kill him, do I still gain the three treasures?
A. No. Unless it says differently on the card, you only gain the level and treasures if you kill the monster in question. In this case, the Ranch Hand does not say differently. You can get him as as an extra Sidekick or you can take the levels and treasures but not a combination of the two.

Q. Trap! Dead Man’s Hand says it can only be cancelled with a card in play. But Medicine Show (which you play from your hand) says it can cancel any drawn or just played card. So can I use a Medicine Show to avoid the Dead Man’s Hand?
A. No. Normally, Medicine Show would cancel another card as though it had never been played – but Dead Man’s Hand is specific that you cannot play a card from your hand to stop it, and in this case that restriction prevents you from using Medicine Show.

Munchkin Bites!

Q. The Rank 1 Power Percontation can only be used in an empty room. What’s an empty room?
A. If there is no monster to be found when you kick down the door, the room is empty.

Q. I’m using Dominion and forcing a player to help me kill a monster. But he played a +5 enhancer on the monster. Can he do that?
A. Yes. Dominion just means he has to be in the combat helping you (i.e. adding his combat strength to yours). It does not restrict him from using cards and abilities to sabotage the combat.

Q. Can I use Transmogrification to bring an item in play back into my hand before it’s destroyed by a curse?
A. No. As soon as the curse is revealed, the item is destroyed. Transmogrification cannot retroactively prevent this.

Q. Form of Mist lets me automatically Run Away without rolling, but I have to discard two cards to use the power. If I’m facing two monsters do I discard 2 cards or 4 cards?
A. Because you have to Run Away from multiple monsters individually, you would either have to discard 4 cards (2 for each) or discard 2 cards and roll to Run Away from the other monster.

Q. Lunar Cycle says to roll a die. What die?
A. Since it doesn’t specify a particular die, you roll the d6.

Pants Macabre

Q. I kick down the door and am fighting The Evil. It states that I lose a level just for facing it, but it gives me a 2 levels for defeating it. So really, I’m just going up one level from where I was before fight it?
A. Yes. But you pay the level up front, which will affect your combat strength.

Munchkin Booty

Q. Do Ships count as Vehicles or Steeds?
A. Ships are not Vehicles or Steeds. Unless the card says they are. Which none does. Yet. (But Vehicles and Steeds are interchangeable. Confused? Good.)

Q. How do/when can I use the Pirate’s Buried Treasure ability?
A. The Pirate’s Buried Treasure ability is meant to be used when you have not faced a monster. So, if you’re a Pirate, and on your turn, you did not face a Monster when you Opened A Door and you didn’t Look For Trouble, when you go to the Loot The Room phase, you now have the option to take a face-down or face-up Treasure card.

Q. I’m using the optional Listening at the Door rule. How does this affect the Pirate?
A. The Pirate still has a choice of taking a face-down or face-up Treasure when Looting The Room. Yes, this means the Pirate is slightly weaker. This doesn’t seem to be much of a problem.

Q. I’m a Level 1 Pirate. Can I still trade a level for a treasure?
A. No. You have no levels to trade. A Level 1 munchkin cannot lose any levels, even voluntarily to pay for an ability.

Q. I’m a Level 9 Munchkin with the French Accent. If I’m in battle, can I use Charm ze Rival to make someone help me and just ignore the level up?
A. You cannot voluntarily ignore the level(s) earned in combat.

Q. What happens if I’m level 7 and using Charm ze Rival and someone wanders in a monster that would make me win the game?
A. The munchkin you charmed leaves the combat. They cannot help you win and you cannot avoid taking the levels. You’re on your own.

Q. I have Charmed my Rival, but she then used the Sextant to change her sex to male. Is she now removed from combat since she is no longer the opposite sex?
A. No. You’ve already charmed her. Him. It. Anyway, the Sextant cannot retroactively change events. She is now a he and still helping in your combat (at a -5, however).

Q. Can Navel Gunnery double the bonus of a Monster Enhancer since it’s used only once?
A. Navel Gunnery doubles cards that include the specific phrase “usable once only.” That phrase isn’t on Monster Enhancer cards, so they are not eligible to be doubled by Navel Gunnery.

Q. Fearsome Tattoos cannot be worn under armor, but Three Years of Dirt can be worn under other armor. Can I just wear the dirt under the tattoos?
A. If you’re wearing dirt UNDER your tattoos, please stop playing the game and see a doctor immediately, because that’s very bad. (In other words, no.)

Q. My favorite Munchkin Booty Accent is British. I’ve seen that Munchkin Impossible also has a British card. Are these the same?
A. They are not the same, but monsters and Items can’t tell the difference. (And, yes, if you mix the two, you can be a British Loyalist with a British Accent.)

[Note: This is a change from the previous ruling, which said these were distinct for all purposes.]

Q. One of the Dutch Accent’s abilities says to draw the top treasure card. Can I draw from the discards?
A. You only take a card from the discards when the card specifically states you can. Otherwise it’s drawn from the appropriate deck.

Q. The Jollyboat says that I can have no Big items other than the Jollyboat itself. Does this mean that even if I was Navy I couldn’t have another Ship?
A. Yes. Ships are Big items. The Jollyboat does not allow you to have any other Big items.

Q. Do I have to play Ship Enhancers on a ship? They are items and have Gold Piece values, so shouldn’t I be able to treat them like other items?
A. You can sell them for levels or use Cheat! to play them on their own, but otherwise, they must be played on a ship.

Q. The Giant Octopus says it will ignore me if I have more than two hands. Would cheating an item qualify as having a third hand?
A. No. The Octopus looks for actual hands. When you Cheat an item you are using it regardless of its hand requirements, not growing an additional hand.

Q. Sir Francis Drake will not fight anyone who has a British Accent. If I’m in combat, and someone helps me who is British, does he still leave? What if there are other monsters?
A. Sir Francis Drake will leave the combat as soon as any munchkin in it has a British accent. However, you will not be able to claim the treasure he leaves behind until any other monsters have been properly defeated.

Q. A munchkin has encountered a Shark. How many Sharks can I play from my hand? What if my whole hand is Sharks?
A. You can play any or all of the Sharks in your hand.

Jump the Shark

Q. Can I use the the Explorer ability Resourcefulness to take an item back into my hand and avoid losing it to a curse?
A. Resourcefulness cannot let you take an item back into your hand to avoid a curse.

Munchkin Cthulhu

Q. All the other other players in game are already Cultists. If I play a card to make myself a Cultist, the game should immediately end. Can another player use O R’lyeh? to cancel the card/my cultism/the end of the game?
A. Very few cards in Munchkin actually cancel the effects of another card, as though it never happened . . . but O R’lyeh is one of them. In this case, the game did not end, because you never became a Cultist.

Q. I have the Cult Membership card. When am I a cult member? How often can I change it?
A. You can change it at will, whenever you wish, for whatever purposes you wish (and no others). For instance, you can count as a cult member for purposes of gaining +2 bonuses in combat, while not counting as a cult member so you do not give the only other non-Cultist a level.

Q. All the other players are Cultists. I have the Cult Membership card. If I’m the highest-Level player, can I now count as a Cultist for the purpose of ending (and winning) the game?
A. Yes. Iä Iä!

Q. If I’m Schizophrenic, can I switch out an equipped weapon that works only with Class A for a weapon that only works with Class B if Schizophrenic makes me Class B?
A. No. Schizophrenia only triggers once you are in combat. You cannot switch items in combat. Additionally, any items that give the first Class a bonus will not work in combat because you are not that Class.

Q. Someone has played Curse! Weapon Becomes Evil on me, cursing a Class-specific item. If I stop being that Class, can I unequip the item and stop being affected by the curse?
A. No. For all practical purposes, once Weapon Becomes Evil was played, the item stopped being an item and instead became a persistent negative effect that is just hanging out with you. Therefore, it was already unequipped. But equipped or not, it’s a penalty that will affect you until the curse is removed.

Q. If I play a Mutation or an Illusion on a Munchkin suffering from Paranoia, does that count as just one card having been played (the Mutation/Illusion) or two cards (the Mutation/Illusion and the new Monster).
A. Any card that requires you to play another card with it (like Wandering Monster) counts as two cards, not one. This would include cards like Illusion and Mutation.

Call of Cowthulhu

Q. If a monster is killed by Bovine Intervention and it was the only monster in combat, does the munchkin still get the treasures?
A. Yes. Because all remaining monsters (i.e., none) were defeated, the munchkin gets the treasure for the single monster he beat.

The Unspeakable Vault

Q. I’ve been affected by Bibliophobia. The card says I cannot use any card with the words “book” or “-icon” in the the name. Does that mean the card Necronookiecon is exempt from that?
A. By designer’s intent, Bibliophobia includes Necronookiecon. We respect your try, however!

Crazed Caverns

Q. The rules say that when you play a Portal card from your hand or kick down the Door to find a Portal, you draw a replacement card. What happens if I discard a Portal to power an ability or fulfill the effects of Bad Stuff or curses?
A. Because the Portal card was never in play, you would not draw a replacement card.

Munchkin Fu

Q. The rules say that “any card that gives bonus levels to monsters can be played on a Mook.” Does this mean if I play a +10 Monster Enhancer on a Mook and am Level 1, my Combat Strength is 13?
A. Yes: your Level (1), +2 bonus on the Mook, +10 for the Monster Enhancer.

Q. I’m a Monk with two Styles and a third style thanks to Extra Style. If something makes me lose a Style, can I lose the one granted by the Monk?
A. If the Extra Style card is connected to a Style and you are made to lose a Style, that’s the Style you would lose.

Q. About that Extra Style card. It’s like Super Munchkin, right?
A. Yes and no. Extra Style lets you have an extra style card, but – unlike Super Munchkin – when you lose that extra Style, you do not have a chance to replace it and keep the Extra Style card. If you lose the Style, the card goes with it.

Q. All Gaki cards say that “anyone may play any card to help a Gaki. Any card that does not normally help monsters is worth +2.” When you say any card, what do you mean?
A. We mean any card. Items, Styles, Classes, monster cards. As long as they don’t already provide a monster enhancement bonus, they can be discarded to give +2 to a Gaki for each card.

Q. Is there a limit to the number of Style Enhancements I can have?
A. Unless another card stops you or conflicts with them, no. Your Style can be as enhanced as you want it to be.

Q. I’m a Ninja. I use the Class ability and discard 2 cards to roll a die as a bonus to my attack. If for some reason I lose my Class after discarding the 2 cards, do I still get to roll?
A. Once you discard the 2 cards, you have paid the cost for the ability and get to roll. You would not lose your Class until after you rolled for (and received) the bonus.

Q. The Style Gaki card text says “It eats your combat bonus skills! Style bonuses are useless against this Gaki.” If my Style has an effect instead of a bonus, can I still use that effect?
A. Yes. The key word is “bonus.” The Gaki only stops the bonus from being used against it.

Q. Do I understand this right? Bad Feng Shui lets me switch any card that I have in play with any card that anyone else has in play as long as the cards are legal in their new positions. This means I can switch a weapon for a weapon or a Class for a Class, right?
A. Yes. But Bad Feng Shui also lets you switch non-equal items (e.g., an item for a Class). The only requirement is that after the switch everyone’s sides are still legal as they stand at that moment. For example, you cannot give someone an equipped item they cannot use, and you can’t change the item’s status (trading an equipped item for an unequipped one). You also cannot use it to swap a card that is attached to another card (like a Class being used with Super Munchkin or a Cheated item) unless you are swapping them for the exact same type (a Class card for a Class card, say). Basically, if you have to say “Well, it would be legal if . . .” then it’s not a legal swap with BFS.

Monky Business

Q. My version of Monky Business does not have the set icon on the cards, but my friend’s does. Is this a problem? Also, are there any other differences between my cards and his cards?
A. There is absolutely no difference between your cards and your friend’s. Due to a printing mistake (or possibly ninja interference), the first two printings of Monky Business are missing the set icon. The third and later printings do have it.

Munchkin Impossible

Q. My favorite Munchkin Impossible Loyalty is the British. I’ve seen that Munchkin Booty also has a British card. Are these the same?
A. They are not the same, but monsters and Items can’t tell the difference. (And, yes, if you mix the two, you can be a British Loyalist with a British Accent.) [Note: This is a change from the previous ruling, which said these were distinct for all purposes.]

Q. Speaking of the British, the card says that even when he doesn’t have a Class, he counts as having the Playboy Class. Does this mean I can use the abilities of the Class? And that monsters react to me as if I was a Playboy?
A. Starting with the third printing of Munckhin Impossible, this wording has changed to indicate that you are treated as a Playboy for the purpose of any card effects, but you do not actually have the Playboy class. This is official errata for the first two printings.

Q. Can I play a Super Munchkin with my British Loyalty’s Playboy ability?
A. No. You do not have the Playboy Class; you just get to pretend to be one as far as Items and monsters are concerned.

Q. I’m a British Munchkin without a Class, so I count as a Playboy. If I have Really Secret Agent in play, does this also remove any disadvantages of being a Playboy?
A. No. Really Secret Agent negates the disadvantages of Loyalties, not Classes. In any event, you do not have the Playboy Class just by being British; you just look like one.

Q. The Extra Training card is like Super Munchkin, right?
A. Yes and no. Extra Training lets you have another training card, but – unlike Super Munchkin – when you lose that extra training, you do not have a chance to replace it and keep the Extra Training card. You lose the training and the card goes with it.

Q. Spy Fly can only be harmed by Guns, not even your Level. If someone plays him as a Wandering Monster, does this mean I can only use Guns for the entire combat?
A. Yes. Monsters fight as a group, and abilities like Spy Fly’s are shared among the group. If something removes the Spy Fly from combat, you can use weapons, your Level, and any other bonuses on the remaining monsters.

Q. The Tourist’s Sorry, I’m Lost ability lets a munchkin avoid fighting a just-discovered monster. Could this be used at any time in the combat? If another player Wanders in another monster, could the Tourist use the ability and negate the combat?
A. The Tourist has to decide before anything else happens, including before anyone plays Monster Enhancements or Wandering Monsters. If another monster is Wandered in, then the Tourist would be in combat and unable to use their ability.

Q. Can I use Diplomatic Immunity to leave a combat even if I was forced to assist someone else?
A. Yes. Diplomatic Immunity does not care how you ended up in the combat, it just wants to help get you out of it.

Q. James Bomb says to fight him with only my Level and not my items. Can I use non-item bonuses in the combat, such as those given from trainings?
A. That sentence should read “Level only, no items or other bonuses.” So, no, your non-item bonuses would not count. (This is official errata.)

Q. If I’m mixing sets, are Steeds and Vehicles the same thing?
A. For purposes of mixing your Munchkins, yes. Steeds are Vehicles. Vehicles are Steeds. Cards that affect one, affect the other. However, Ships are neither one, even in a blended game.

Star Munchkin

Q. Do Mutants have to choose between having three hands and two heads?
A. They can go back and forth between those abilities (or having two sets of feet), but they can’t use them both at once.

Q. The Mutant has an ability to discard cards to get new ones, but that can’t be done during a combat. Does that mean a Mutant can’t do that when anyone is combat, or just him?
A. Just him.

Q. What, exactly, does the Cyborg’s “Level 2″ ability mean?
A. If you start the game as a Cyborg, you start out at Level 2. If you are at Level 1 and become a Cyborg, you jump to Level 2. A Cyborg character can never go below Level 2, in the same way that normal characters can’t go below Level 1. However, if you stop being a Cyborg, you do not lose a level, and if you become a Cyborg when you are already Level 2 or higher, there is no effect. This is clear in all printings after the first, where we wrote something almost but not quite completely different.

Q. I’m not a Gadgeteer. What are my limitations on Complex Items?
A. You can carry as many as you can play, but you can only use one at a time. The others should be turned sideways, like any other item that you can’t use (for instance, something for a Race other than your current one). This is different from Big items in every other set, where you can only carry one Big item.

Q. I’m a Psychic. I ask another munchkin for help. They say no. Do I still get a +2 combat bonus for fighting alone, even though I asked for help?
A. Of course you do. In the combat, you are still alone and that’s all that matters for the ability.

Q. Does a Psychic still get his +2 “fighting alone” combat bonus if he has a Sidekick?
A. Yes. Sidekicks are okay. A Doppleganger is OK. And if another player throws a grenade or something to hurt the monster and assist you, you don’t lose your bonus. It’s only when another player joins the combat as your helper that you lose your bonus.

Q. How does the Feline’s curiosity work?
A. If the Feline opens the door and DOESN’T find a monster, the Feline has three choices: look for trouble, loot the room, or open a second door. If the Feline opens a second door, treat this like opening a door at the start of a normal turn for a non-Feline character; i.e., if there isn’t a monster behind the second door, the Feline may look for trouble or loot the room.

Q. Are there any limits on when you can remove individual -aser cards? In particular, if you have a great big -aser weapon, can someone Antimatter the whole thing?
A. No, you can unequip, sell, or discard individual cards any time you need to (subject to the usual discard rules, of course). And in particular, Antimatter says “one item.” The rules say that each card in the -aser weapon is a separate item.

Q. Will dying get rid of an Antimatter item?
A. No. The card says “nothing else will get rid of it,” and it means it. The card overrules the normal rules for death. You keep this card through death, and it is with you when your new character appears!

Q. What happens if the Foof Gun gets hit by Antimatter? Does it always provide a -6 penalty or is its use still optional?
A. Antimatter only reverses the bonus and makes it impossible to get rid of the item without a significant cost, but affects nothing else about it. So: an Antimattered Foof Gun is still optional to use. If you chose to use it, the penalty is -6. If you kill the monster anyway, the monster is obliterated, you gain no Level for killing it, but you do get its Treasure. Consequently, if you do not choose to use an Antimattered Foof Gun, there is no penalty.

Q. If there are two players in combat and Great Cthulhu catches them both, do the survivors get two levels?
A. No. Though if Great Cthulhu had a clone or mate, and each one caught one munchkin, the survivors (which includes everyone else in the party) would each go up two levels.

Q. I’m used to playing with regular Munchkin where everything costs gold. Here, everything costs credits. If I play with them mixed what happens?
A. For all purposes, credits and gold are the same thing. (In future printings of Star Munchkin and The Clown Wars, we’ve switched to Gold Pieces for consistency with the other sets.)

Q. My favorite Star Munchkin Race is the Mutant. I’ve seen that Super Munchkin also has Mutants. Are these the same?
A. Super Munchkin Mutants and Star Munchkin Mutants have different abilities, so they are not technically the same thing. However, cards that affect Mutants will affect both if you’ve blended them together.

Q. Stasis Field allows me to either immobilize all player(s) or monster(s) when someone is trying to Run Away. This lets someone either automatically escape or automatically fail. Can I wait till after the die roll?
A. No. Stasis Field specifically says it must be played when they try to Run Away. After the die has been rolled, they are no longer trying. They have succeeded or failed.

Q. I’m confused about the Worminator. If I’m a Trader do I have to lose a card? Can I take the level loss instead?
A. Here’s the Worminator in a nutshell: If you are Level 1, there’s no Bad Stuff. If you’re Level 2 or higher and a Trader you can lose 1 card or 2 levels. Any non-Trader Level 2 or higher must lose 2 levels.

Q. I’m a Space Ranger. I’ve discarded my hand and now have another munchkin’s help in combat. If another munchkin curses me to lose my Class, does the other munchkin back out of combat?
A. No. You’ve already paid the cost of the ability by discarding your hand. So you have their help now.

The Clown Wars

Q. The Electric Eye states that no one may play cards out of their hand for this fight. Does this mean that I can’t play cards to help myself?
A. Correct. No one (including you) may use cards from their hand in this combat.

Q. Are Rooms like Curses? Do they affect me immediately when I flip them over or can I put them in my hand?
A. If you draw the Room face-down, you can take it in your hand and play it on someone when they kick down the door (as long as they don’t find a Room themselves). Otherwise, if the Room was face-up you have to deal with the Room (and any Wandering Monsters that happen by.)

Q. If one munchkin is helping another in a Room, are they both affected by the Room?
A. Yes. The Room affects them both. So, for instance, both munchkins would lose a level in the Alien Bathroom.

Super Munchkin

Q. My favorite Super Munchkin Class is the Mutant. I’ve seen that Star Munchkin also has Mutants. Are these the same?
A. Super Munchkin Mutants and Star Munchkin Mutants have different abilities, so they are not technically the same thing. However, cards that affect Mutants will affect both if you’ve blended them together.

Q. What happens if Slackerman is added as a Wandering Monster?
A. Oops . . . Yeah, well, what does it say to do on the card? Roll to see if you have to fight Slackerman and if you don’t, he and all the other monsters get passed on to the next player, who must roll to see if he has to fight Slackerman and if he doesn’t, Slackerman and all the other monsters get passed on to the next player who must roll . . . That just keeps going until someone has to fight the collected horde. Remember, until someone actually rolls a 4, 5 or 6, no one may modify any monster in the horde.

Q. When I die, what happens to my Origin cards?
A. When you die, you discard all your Origin cards. And at that point, if the total ranks of your Powers exceed your Level, you must discard Powers until your total rank is equal to or less than your Level.

Q. I have the Sidekick: Kid With Same Powers as You. If I have two empty hands and Claws, does he have a +6?
A. Kid With Same Powers as You does not duplicate variable powers. Claws – because the number of empty hands you have changes – counts as a variable power.

Q. I have the Sidekick: Kid With Same Powers as You and I encounter Explodoman. Explodoman disables my powers until the end of the next combat. Does this affect my sidekick?
A. Your Sidekick counts as having the same bonus as the bonus from your Powers. In this case, your bonus is 0. So his bonus is also 0.

Q. Is a Giant Magnet too big too steal?
A. No. It does not say Big on it.

Q. If I use Fluoroscopic Vision to look at another munchkin’s hand, can I tell the rest of the table what he’s holding?
A. That is your choice. Just remember, knowledge is a resource.

Q. If I use my Bond By Talking About Sports power on another munchkin to help him in combat, what happens if I’m cursed with a Sex Change? Does the other munchkin still have to help me?
A. Yes. As with other discard-to-use abilities, the effect happens as soon as you activate it. If something changes after you “pay” the cost, it will not retroactively change the effect that already happened.

The Narrow S Cape

Q. In both Super Muchkin and The Narrow S Cape, there are Sidekicks with Gold Piece values. Can they be stolen (either with a Thief in a mixed Munchkin game or with a Theft Power)?
A. If it has a Gold Piece value and doesn’t say “Big,” then it can be stolen.

Q. The Brain Class card says “No Foes have special powers or bonuses against the Brain Class!” Does this mean that Monster Enhancers won’t work on monsters that I fight?
A. No. This just means that no monster has anything written on them that says “+5 against Brains” or “Will only attack Brain Class.” Monster Enhancers may be played as normal. (Better yet, a Brain that has another Class protects from monsters with bonuses against that Class, too!)

Munchkin Dice

Q. Under what circumstances would I get a level as a Dark character?
A. Whenever you play a card or use a Class/Race/etc. ability against the munchkins, and the monsters win. For example, if you play a Monster Enhancer or a one-shot item to boost the monster, or if you backstab the munchkin(s), you would get a level if the munchkins have to Run Away.

Q. Can I be both Dark and High at the same time?
A. Yes, you can.

Q. Can I play Master or Dark or High if I’m a Human?
A. Master only works on Classes, and Human is not a Class. Dark and High state they have to be played on Race cards. Human, while a Race, has no Race card, so Dark and High cannot be played on it. (However, it’s a perfectly fine house rule to allow someone to be a Dark or High Human.)

Q. When can I play (or discard) Master, Dark, or High cards?
A. They can be played (or discarded) at at any time you would play (or discard) a Class or Race card.

Q. The High card lets me exchange all the treasure I would get in that combat for a second level. Do I get to look at the treasure first?
A. The intent of the card is that you forgo drawing Treasure in favor of an extra level, so no, you do not look at them first.

Q. I have a Wicked Munchkin Die. Can I use it to roll on the Munchkin Dice chart?
A. No. It has its own abilities.

Q. I was using Munchkin Dice and rolled to exchange hands with another player. As soon as I picked that player, they played several curses on me. Can they do this?
A. Once you pick the player to swap with, he has to swap his hand as it stands at that moment.

Epic Munchkin

Q. Where can I buy Epic Munchkin? My store doesn’t have it!
A. That’s because it’s a free download, available directly from us at http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG37-2011.

Q. I kicked down my two doors and a Lame Goblin and +10 Monster Enhancer were revealed. If someone were to play Switcheroo and replace the Goblin with the Plutonium Dragon, what would happen to the enhancer?

According to Switcheroo it goes back to its player’s hand, but it came from the deck.
A. The enhancer would now apply to the Plutonium Dragon.

Q: If I’m playing an Epic game that includes Clown Wars, and I draw two Rooms when I kick open the door, what happens?
A: Deal with the first one you turned over; put the second into your hand. Do not draw a replacement card.

Kill-O-Meter

Q. How many Reversal of Fortune cards can I use in a game?
A. Each Kill-O-Meter comes with one Reversal of Fortune for Munchkin and one for Munchkin Quest. You can use the card for your game. If you find a card that lets you pull any card from the discards, you can choose to pull Reversal of Fortune if you have already used it. If your group has a “group” Kill-O-Meter, the fairest thing is to shuffle the Reversal of Fortune card into the deck.

Q. I own both the Kill-O-Meter and a smartphone Level Counter app with the Kill-O-Meter. Does the smartphone Kill-O-Meter count as a Kill-O-Meter? Can I use my Reversal of Fortune with the smartphone Kill-O-Meter?
A. Yes. The smartphone Kill-O-Meter is a Kill-O-Meter. (However, you must have the card – you can’t conjure up a virtual one.)

Q. My Kill-O-Meter showed 18, so I played Reversal of Fortune to change that to 81. Someone else played a +2 one-shot on me, so I’m at 83 now, right?
A. Wrong. Reversal of Fortune is not an instantaneous, one-shot effect – it’s in play until the combat is resolved. So you add the +2 to 18 to get 20, and reverse that to 02, or just 2. Nasty!

Promos, Coins, Plushies, and Level Counter App

Q. Do the Christmas Coins have their powers EVERY year on the dates mentioned?
A. The holiday power will work every year during the holiday season. Outside of that, though, they work like normal coins and have to follow the monthly rules for the year inscribed on them.

Q. Several promo items say they have to be given away. At the end of the game are they returned to their owner?
A. Unless you have an agreed-upon house rule, the point of the promo items is to give them away to promote the game. They are supposed to travel. So no, they do not automatically return to their owner.

Q. Some bookmarks say they have to be destroyed. Can I substitute a piece of paper or something else instead of destroying the bookmark?
A. Again, with agreed-upon house rules, that would be appropriate. But the intent of the bookmarks that require them to be destroyed was to make it impossible to hoard them. They are real-life one-shot items.