Munchkin

My personal quick reference for the Munchkin board game.
(revised 2024/6/10)
Other references are here.

Setup

  • Shuffle both decks; each player draws 4 cards from each
  • Each player chooses a gender and starts at level 1
  • Before the first turn, players may play Race, Class, or Item cards
  • Choose who goes first by rolling a die and shouting

Turn flow

  • 1. Kick the door down: turn one Door card face-up:
    • If a Monster, you fight it
    • If a Curse, it affects you immediately
    • Otherwise: add the card to your hand (or play it).
  • 2. If the door card was not a monster, choose between:
    • Look for trouble: play a Monster from your hand and fight it
    • Loot the room: draw a face-down Door card and keep (or play) it
  • 3. Charity:
    • If you have more than 5 cards when turn ends, give excess to lowest-level player.
    • For ties, distribute evenly. If you are (tied for) lowest level, discard.

Card types

  • Item: any card with a value (including “no value”).
  • One-shot: any card that says “usable only once”
  • Monster enhancer: cards that change monster stats (level, treasure..)
  • Other card types (Monster, Race, Class, Curse..) say what they are
    • Cards that grant an extra race/class are considered race/class cards

Card states

  • Cards in your hand are out of play.
    • E.g. a curse that says “your armor” does not affect armor cards in your hand.
  • Face-up cards are in play. They never return to a player’s hand.
  • Any item card can be carried by playing it face up in front of you.
    • Except: if you are carrying a big item, you cannot play another.
  • Carried items can be equipped if you meet all requirements.
    • Equipping is limited by slots - only one headgear, only two hands, etc.
    • Turn unequipped items sideways.
    • You cannot equip or unequip items during combat. If you stop meeting an item’s requirements mid-fight, the item still “equipped” but you stop receiving its effects.

When you can do things:

  • Any time:
    • Discard a Race or Class
    • Play a Curse, a One-shot, a Hireling or “Go up a level”
  • Any time while not in combat:
    • Trade carried items (other player cannot be in combat either)
    • Equip or unequip carried items
    • Play any card that you just received
  • Any time during your turn:
    • Play a new Race or Class
  • During your turn, out of combat:
    • Carry items from your hand
    • Sell 1000gp+ of items to gain a level (or 2000+ for 2 levels, etc)

Note: only Race/Class cards can be discarded at will. Others remain in play until they expire, get sold, etc. E.g. you cannot discard a big item in order to carry a different one.

Combat

  • Player and monster’s combat strength is their level plus all card bonuses.
  • You kill the monster if you exceed its strength when combat ends
  • Anyone can play combat enhancers to either side, but items cannot be equipped or traded during combat
  • If you kill a monster, you gain 1 level and any treasures listed (face-down).
  • Otherwise, you try to run away. Roll 1d6, and escape on 5+.
  • If running away fails, suffer bad stuff per the monster card.
  • If the monster gets removed but not killed, you “win” but do not (necessarily) get levels/treasure.

Extra monsters:

  • If more monsters get added, their combat strengths add. You get levels/treasure for each.
  • If an undead monster is in combat, anyone may add another undead monster to it.
  • Enhancers modify only a single monster (unless it has a Mate).
  • No levels or treasure are gained until all monsters are killed or removed.
  • If running away, you run away from each monster separately (in any order).

Help from another player:

  • One other player may commit to help you in combat - they add their strength to yours, plus all effects from their race/class/etc.
  • If you win, helper does not get levels or treasure. If you promised treasure for the help, you draw and then distribute as agreed.
  • If you get help and lose, each player runs away separately in the usual way
  • You cannot force someone to help you if winning the game is on the line. If you force someone to help and the combat later becomes for the win, they are removed from combat.

Death

  • Keep only your current race, class, and any persistent curses.
  • Your remaining cards are turned up, and other players (from highest level) each take 1. The rest are discarded.
  • When the next turn begins: you’re alive and level 1, but with no cards.
  • Before your next turn: draw 4+4 cards, then take your turn normally

Other misc

  • The game-winning level can only can only be gained by killing a monster
  • If a curse could affect any of several items, the victim chooses
  • Cheat! attaches to an item and makes it equppable despite its properties (big, etc). The item retains all its properties.
  • “Go up a level” cards can be played against others if you want.

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