Equipped Items Question

[whassumattuh]

Say I have a weapon equipped that is usable by a Human only. I also have armor equipped that is usable by a dwarf only. I am a dwarf and I get in a battle with a monster. Another player plays a Curse! Lose Your Race card on me. I no longer get the bonus from my armor, but I am now a Human. Should I get the bonus from my weapon? Can I have an item equipped if it doesn't actively give me a bonus? Would it just be considered to be in my backpack?

[Andrew Hackard]

If both Items are in use, not just in play, then yes, you could start using your Human-only Item when you lost your Dwarf card. But you cannot equip that Item if it's not already in use when the fight starts.

[Kirt]

Originally Posted by whassumattuh

Say I have a weapon equipped that is usable by a Human only...I am a dwarf...Can I have an item equipped if it doesn't actively give me a bonus?

Originally Posted by the rules

Anyone can carry any item, but some items have use restrictions:for instance, the Mace of Sharpness can only be wielded by a Cleric. Its bonus only counts for someone who is, at the moment, a Cleric...You should indicate items that can’t help you, or extras not being worn, by turning the cards sideways. You may NOT change your used and carried items during a combat or while running away.

If you are a dwarf, how is it that you have equipped an item that is usable by Humans only?

Cf. MM here.

[whassumattuh]

When I play, I equip armor/weapons to my body as if it were an actual body. In other words, body armor would go in the middle, headgear on top, foot gear on bottom, and hand items to the side. If I am not actively receiving a bonus from the item, I turn it sideways. I don't know that this is written into the rules, but this is how I indicate that items are equipped.

[snarky]

That's an interesting way to play, but it's not how the rules work. If an item is "equipped", it is "in use" and gives its bonus.

There are only three states for cards you control in Munchkin:
1. In your hand.
2. In play, not "in use", generally indicated by turning the card sideways on the table.
3. In play, "in use".

Items in state #1 or #2 grant no bonuses.
One-shot items in state #1 or #2 can be used during combat.

You cannot otherwise change the state of a card during combat. In your example, having the Human sword out puts it in state #2, since at the beginning of combat, you were a Dwarf. Once you ceased being a dwarf, you cannot change the state of the sword to state #3.

[Palmer]

Originally Posted by whassumattuh

Can I have an item equipped if it doesn't actively give me a bonus? Would it just be considered to be in my backpack?

Your question is worded wrong.

You CAN have equipped items that give no bonus.
Sandals of Protection are footgear that give no bonus (they have an effect though). So the answer is "yes", but that's not really your question.

Here's the point of clarification you're looking for.

"Usable by Human only" does NOT mean "Dwarves can use this, but get no bonus". It means they CAN'T USE IT. At all.
If you get race-changed, it does not make you "lose the bonus" from your dwarf armor, it makes you stop USING the armor. It immediately goes in the "backpack" (which is not actually a game term)

"Equip" is not a term in the rules. "Equip" is just a slang term for "Use".
Can't use = can't equip.

[Andrew Hackard]

Originally Posted by Palmer

"Usable by Human only" does NOT mean "Dwarves can use this, but get no bonus". It means they CAN'T USE IT. At all.
If you get race-changed, it does not make you "lose the bonus" from your dwarf armor, it makes you stop USING the armor. It immediately goes in the "backpack" (which is not actually a game term)

Unless you're in combat at the time, because you can't change the "in use" status of Items during combat, not even in this case.

EXCEPTION: If you have multiple Big items and lose the ability that lets you have them, you must IMMEDIATELY ditch the extras, because that's what the Big item rule says.

[aeronaut]

Originally Posted by Andrew Hackard

Unless you're in combat at the time, because you can't change the "in use" status of Items during combat, not even in this case.

Andrew, so does this mean that since the dwarf only armor (in this example) was equipped at the beginning of the fight, the character, now stripped of the dwarf race, still uses the armor for that fight and gets the bonus from it? Or does the armor remain equipped during the fight but confer no bonus since the character is no longer a dwarf?

I would assume that after the fight, the character must unequip the armor, and would have the option of equipping the human-only weapon.

And this issue would also apply to a character who voluntarily discarded a race during a combat. For example, fighting a +n vs. elves monster, ditching the elf race, but still having the bow with ribbons (elf only) equipped, etc.

Regards,
aeronaut

[snarky]

I'm pretty sure the moment they cease being a dwarf, they cease being able to use the item and lose their bonus from it. Otherwise, what's the point of tossing the curse at them during combat?

Similarly, if the monster had a penalty to fighting dwarves, that penalty would disappear (making the monster stronger) when the Change Race curse was played.

[Andrew Hackard]

Originally Posted by aeronaut

Or does the armor remain equipped during the fight but confer no bonus since the character is no longer a dwarf?

This is correct.