Helping another player - against their will?

[Vorbeli]

Can one player help another player in combat against their will? Or must the player who kicked down the door ask for help before another player is permitted to help?

Specificallly, there's a card which dismisses the monster. If someone is level 9 and is winning, can another player use that card to "save" them preventing them from being able to kill the monster and win the game?

[MunchkinMan]

Unfortunately, there are several cards which dismiss a Monster or end the combat outright, so without a question about a specific card, I can't give you a specific answer. Of the cards that do this, some have to be played by someone in combat, but many don't. However, a player can't jump into the combat of his own volition. He must be invited by the player who initiated the combat. On the other side of the coin, anyone can play a one-shot Item to affect either side of the combat, or a Wandering Monster card along with a Monster, or a Monster Enhancer. None of those activities constitute being a helper, which is a very specific thing: Joining in on the combat and adding your Level and combat bonuses to the munchkin side.

[Vorbeli]

Originally Posted by MunchkinMan

Unfortunately, there are several cards which dismiss a Monster or end the combat outright, so without a question about a specific card, I can't give you a specific answer.

Here are some specified cards.

Pollymorph Potion - turns monster into a parrot which flies away leaving its treasure
Instant Wall - allows automatic escape
Out To Lunch - The monster in the room is on break

If you're in combat at level 9 and winning, could another player throw one of these down to prevent you from completing the combat?

Originally Posted by MunchkinMan

However, a player can't jump into the combat of his own volition. He must be invited by the player who initiated the combat. ... being a helper, which is a very specific thing: Joining in on the combat and adding your Level and combat bonuses to the munchkin side.

ok, I got it, the helper part is purely you adding your level and bonuses to theirs and this is by invitation only. I'm still wondering, though, about cards like I listed earlier. If those can be freely used, then I could throw them in to stop a level 9 player from winning if they winning a fight and I don't have anything else to help the monster or hurt them.

[MunchkinMan]

Pollymorph Potion and Out To Lunch can be played during any combat, but the problem with Pollymorph Potion is that it doesn't end the combat: The player in combat could add a Wandering Monster to fight. Instant Wall can only be played to aid the players Running Away from the Monsters, so it can't be used to force the players to Run Away. It couldn't be used to keep someone from winning the game by forcing them out of combat.