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- Munchkin 101 (https://forums.sjgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=78)

- - abilities (https://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=99470)

Thief ability mainly

can you steal someone elses items during someone elses turn or when you are in combat ?

i had a swifty pulled against me, but i wasnt 100% sure

A Thief can attempt to steal an Item during someone else's turn, but only if neither the Thief nor the target of the Theft are in combat.

This is explained in the Character Stats section of the rules:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rules

See the Class cards for when abilities can be used. Note that a Thief cannot steal while he or the target is fighting – and as soon as a monster is revealed, the fight is on!

Specifically theif and backstabbing,

Can one player, during a different player's combat, both renounce their class and play another class during said combat? For examble, can a player switch their class from an warrior to a theif, during another player's combat, for the purpose of backstabbing? Our house rules thus far have followed that when any player is in combat, all played cards (race, class, items) are temporarily locked and may not be changed to help or hurt the combating player.

Thanks in advance,

AFAIK, a player can discard an active race or class or accent or power or mojo or loyalty or other 'thingie' (there's an official list somewhere) at Any time, but they may play one Only during Their turn, and only on themselves, and within the normal limits.

Very close, six's monkey, but you missed that you can also play them as soon as you receive them (although it is rare to receive Door cards on others' turns, it can happen). Otherwise, you are correct that you can only play them on your turn, but can discard them whenever you feel like it.

The rules are clear on when you can play or discard these cards. For example, the Munchkin Rules state in the Classes and Races section of When to Play Cards:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rules

These cards may be played to the table as soon as they are acquired, or at any time during your own turn.

And in the Character Stats section, we have:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rules

You can discard a Race card at any time, even in combat: “I don’t wanna be an elf anymore.”
...
You can discard a Class card at any time, even in combat: “I don’t wanna be a wizard anymore.”

So to fully answer Dave's question... Generally, only the turn player can fully switch from one Race and/or Class to another. The other players can stop being something, but they can't become something else (except Human) unless they happen to receive an appropriate card.