Pukachu Clarification

[Deaths Crowbar]

Hey guys, so Ive been playing Munchkin for a little while now with friends. Well Ive been teaching family members to play and ran into much frustration last night.


As you guys may know Pukachu has text which says "Gain an extra level if you defeat it without using help or bonuses."

So my argument is that you would have to unequip all of your items that give bonuses/modifiers to be able to qualify for the extra level. From my understanding it is that way so you can attempt to gain the extra level, but get very screwed due to not using items.


Another player though believes that you would not have to unequip anything as long as your level is higher than its level, effectively leaving you safe is some one wants to mess with the monster.

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Ill give you an example of how this happened

Player 1 knocks down the door. Upon drawing an elf card, he decides he wants to play the Pukachu from his hand by "looking for trouble". I(player2) being more experienced tell him about the ability of Pukachu and give him the chance to unequip his items before fighting it. He decides to go along with it as he is level 7 and Pukachu is at a 6.
Knowing he has the Pukachu beat I play a +5 Magic Missile to aide the monster.
Here is where the trouble comes Player 3 decides that Player 1 should not have had to unequip his items to use Pukachu's ability and may know use them since I messed with the monster Player 1 should now be allowed to use all his items/bonuses. Player 3 believes as long as a player has the ability to kill Pukachu without bonuses/items he can just decide not to count them until he is in trouble.
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Player 3 refuses to believe otherwise until I can get an official ruling so Ill need an answer if youll give one.


Thanks,

Death

[Clipper]

You are not allowed to unequip Items during combat, so that is not the way to play the card. With Pukachu, the way you determine if you get the extra level is just to ignore the bonuses you are getting from your Items and elsewhere. When you kill Pukachu, check if your Level (apply any penalties too) is higher than Pukachu's combat strength (add the other monsters too if ones have been added) to determine whether you should get an extra level. So your friend is effectively right, but you must also apply any bonuses or penalties that Pukachu has (i.e., not only its Level).

Thus, there is no need (or even possibility) to unequip anything and no risk involved.

[beatytc]

And just to clarify, combat begins as soon as the Pukachu is revealed, so you could not legally unequip your items.

[MunchkinMan]

Correct. But, for the sake of Pukachu, you don't have to. All that matters is that your Level be higher than Pukachu's combat strength, or the combat strength of the Monster side, should other Monsters be added.

[Deaths Crowbar]

Originally Posted by beatytc

And just to clarify, combat begins as soon as the Pukachu is revealed, so you could not legally unequip your items.

yah I know that, but I was trying to teach some of them to play. I have to let some of them know how cards work occasionally.