Absolute Beginner, Read the Rules, still confused!

[shoggoth]

Ok.

I'm a camp counselor at a Lovecraft live action role playing camp for kids. For the camp I bought Munchkin Cthulhu having never played Munchkin before in my life. I really want to get into it, but darn it despite having read the rules and looking on youtube I can't seem to get a straight answer on the very first problem, even the flash how-to doesn't address this issue!

In the beginning of the game you get 4 cards from each deck. If you don't have any items you can use or play do you have to just discard cards until you get down to 5 cards in your hand? You're meant to only have 5 in your hand I get that. Can you just randomly discard anything to make room for, say, a three-barreled shotgun or another useful item to come?

for example: I tried to play a mock game with myself to start and my first draw was 4 monsters with level 12 and higher and a couple of curses and items I couldn't use. I sat there like an idiot not knowing what I was supposed to do with 8 cards I couldn't use when I'm only supposed to have 5! Do I discard until I get down to 5 cards?

I have a few more questions but this is the first big noodle-cooker of the game. If I can't figure this out I can't even begin to move on to the next questions!

THANK YOU!!!

[Andrew Hackard]

The five-card limit only matters at the end of your turn. Any other time, your hand size doesn't matter.

If you have more than five cards at the end of your turn, then you must play enough cards to bring your hand size down to five or fewer, or you must either give the excess cards to the lowest-Level players (if you are higher Level than they are) or discard the excess cards (if you are lowest Level or tied for lowest).

Hope that's helpful! Please don't hesitate to ask more questions when they come up.

[Blazinjsin]

Also bear in mind that just because you can't use an item right away doesn't mean you can't put it in play. You just put it into play sideways to indicate that you are carrying it, not equipping it. You can have any number of small items in play (an item is considered small unless it says Big in the corner), and 1 Big item in play, regardless of how many you actually have equipped.

[shoggoth]

OK! you won't believe how long I've tried to find that answer! Don't know why that was left out of the rule sheet! THANKS!

you also answered my second question in your follow up. just to be clear:

I could be a Class with a two handed weapon in use, but MULTIPLE items In Play (on the table?) just not In Use. What about the cards that aren't items or curses, but something like: "Pick up the next discarded card" Where do those go? Are they automatic required tasks, can you just discard them as soon as you draw them? Do they have to stay in your hand? etc...

I played a second solo game to see if I got it a little more and your tip helped. I'm hoping all I need is one real game with an actual player to get the rest down.

cheers!

[Herpopotamus]

Originally Posted by shoggoth

OK! you won't believe how long I've tried to find that answer! Don't know why that was left out of the rule sheet! THANKS!

you also answered my second question in your follow up. just to be clear:

I could be a Class with a two handed weapon in use, but MULTIPLE items In Play (on the table?) just not In Use. What about the cards that aren't items or curses, but something like: "Pick up the next discarded card" Where do those go? Are they automatic required tasks, can you just discard them as soon as you draw them? Do they have to stay in your hand? etc...

I played a second solo game to see if I got it a little more and your tip helped. I'm hoping all I need is one real game with an actual player to get the rest down.

cheers!

Any -item- cards may be played sideways on the table (to indicate that they are carried). The only exception to this is Big items. Curses, Races, Classes, and anything else that is not designated as an item can not be played in this manner. Non-item cards must be played, discarded, or given to charity (which is what Andrew described in an earlier post). From the rules pdf: "You can carry any number of small items, but only one big one."

I'm not totally sure what you are asking so I hope this helps. If not, could you please try to clarify the question? I am having trouble following what you are asking.

[shoggoth]

Great! Thanks guys! You've answered my questions so far!

Now, whether or not I'll be able to teach this in English to my German kid-campers is a whole other can of tentacles.

ah yes! one more pesky question!

I know the rules say that if you are a Cultist you cannot discard that class unless the game dictates it. But say, during gameplay you are dealt or draw two classes like a Monster Whacker and a Cultist do you have to automatically play/become a Cultist? Or can you discard the Cultist card if it's in your hand, but not on the table? If you're already playing as one class and you pick up a Cultist card do you have to change to Cultist?

again, cheers!

[Bampop]

No. You don't need to become a Cultist if you drew the card while Kicking Open a Door. The only way you must become a Cultist is if a card makes you, and you have no way to avoid it. For this reason, should you be the lowest level character early on, and discard one during Charity, the rules tell you to form a separate discard pile for Cultist Class cards. (That's why I have three copies of the Cultist Promo cards. I start my game with an already established Cultist discard pile.)

[MunchkinMan]

Originally Posted by Bampop

No. You don't need to become a Cultist if you drew the card while Kicking Open a Door. The only way you must become a Cultist is if a card makes you, and you have no way to avoid it. For this reason, should you be the lowest level character early on, and discard one during Charity, the rules tell you to form a separate discard pile for Cultist Class cards. (That's why I have three copies of the Cultist Promo cards. I start my game with an already established Cultist discard pile.)

Just to be clear, you can choose to play Cultist to become one.

[Mister Ed]

Originally Posted by shoggoth

OK! you won't believe how long I've tried to find that answer! Don't know why that was left out of the rule sheet! THANKS!

Just to be clear, that wasn't left off the rule sheet. This is from page 2 of the Munchkin Cthulhu Rules:

Charity:If you have more than five cards in your hand, you must play enough of them to get down to five, or give the excess to the player with the lowest Level. If 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.

[mook]

Originally Posted by shoggoth

I'm a camp counselor at a Lovecraft live action role playing camp for kids.

Glad to see you're getting your questions answered!

I just wanted to mention that this is the greatest thing I've read this week :)