Super Munchkins and Ignoring "Disadvantages"

Really Impressive Title · 07-05-2021, 02:28 PM

Hey guys,

So yesterday I played a game with my (very patient) friends and, early on, I got a Super Munchkin card. I also happened to be a Thief and, when reviewing the effects of the Super Munchkin, I made what may well be a very huge and very wrong assumption about what constitutes as a "disadvantage".

Super Munchkin cards, when applied to a single Class, allow the player to ignore all of that Class' "disadvantages". -- Now while the language of the card gives an example of a Monster that might be stronger against a Thief (and that those effects can be ignored) -- I, in all of my over-ambitious wisdom, concluded that the Theft ability, which usually costs a Level if it fails, no longer had a "disadvantage" either.

It was early in the game and my fellow players innocently agreed to that interpretation. Little did any of us know how much hell we just unleashed... from me.

I then proceeded, little by little, to discard cards and steal items from other players with impunity. -- Every last card I didn't find useful went towards this ruthless endeavor and I eventually made three new frenemies that night.

Without the "disadvantage" of losing a level, my only cost for attempting unlimited Theft was one discarded card. -- This was pretty much a game-breaker.

By the time the last player faced an impossibly low-level monster for the win, I had nothing to lose and, one-by-one, I discarded cards and slowly stole all of their items, dissolving their power bonus to almost nothing.

So while this all seems terribly cruel (even from a Munchkin), I'd like to know exactly what I got wrong and what I got right in all of these scenarios.

I'd assume that our interpretation of the Super Munchkin perk is wrong and that I should rightfully have gambled a Level every time, but I also don't know what limitations there are to a Thief discarding their entire life away to strip another player to nothing. -- Even if I was a Level 1 and they a Level 9 on their last battle, can a Thief (even with no Super Munchkin and no Level to lose) slowly destroy another player roll by roll? Or does a Thief NEED to risk a level in order use that skill at all?

Where does this exploitation begin and end?

Mr_Draco · 07-06-2021, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Really Impressive Title

I'd assume that our interpretation of the Super Munchkin perk is wrong and that I should rightfully have gambled a Level every time,

Very much so. Disadvantages that Super is referring to are things that specifically state a given class or race. For example, an item that says "Not usable by Thief" or a monster that says "Gains +X against Thief".

Being a Super does not protect against Bad Stuff or abilities from monsters unless they specify a class. If the Bad Stuff only says "Reduce your level to level 1", Super doesn't protect against it. If the Bad Stuff says "If you're a Thief, reduce your level to level 1", then Super protects against it.

Super also does not eliminate the cost to use an ability or the punishment should a player fail their roll (losing a level in this case).

Half Breed follows these same rules but for races instead of classes.

Quote:

but I also don't know what limitations there are to a Thief discarding their entire life away to strip another player to nothing. -- Even if I was a Level 1 and they a Level 9 on their last battle, can a Thief (even with no Super Munchkin and no Level to lose) slowly destroy another player roll by roll? Or does a Thief NEED to risk a level in order use that skill at all?

Where does this exploitation begin and end?

The limitation is the amount of cards the Thief owns. Even at level one, the Thief can use his ability as much as he wants as long as he has cards to discard. This is even covered in the FAQ. https://munchkin.game/gameplay/faq/

Q. What happens to a Level 1 Thief who fails an attempt to steal? Does he die?
A. Nothing happens to him. You can't go below Level 1. (Beware the Level 1 Thief – he literally has nothing to lose!)

However, please note a Thief can not steal from a player that is currently in combat. From the same FAQ I linked above;

Q. Can a Thief steal from someone else while THEY are in combat?
A. No. They're preoccupied.

So if another player is level 9 and is fighting for the win, the Thief can not try to steal his items to lower his bonuses.

07-05-2021, 02:28 PM	#1
Really Impressive Title Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: AZ	Super Munchkins and Ignoring "Disadvantages" Hey guys, So yesterday I played a game with my (very patient) friends and, early on, I got a Super Munchkin card. I also happened to be a Thief and, when reviewing the effects of the Super Munchkin, I made what may well be a very huge and very wrong assumption about what constitutes as a "disadvantage". Super Munchkin cards, when applied to a single Class, allow the player to ignore all of that Class' "disadvantages". -- Now while the language of the card gives an example of a Monster that might be stronger against a Thief (and that those effects can be ignored) -- I, in all of my over-ambitious wisdom, concluded that the Theft ability, which usually costs a Level if it fails, no longer had a "disadvantage" either. It was early in the game and my fellow players innocently agreed to that interpretation. Little did any of us know how much hell we just unleashed... from me. I then proceeded, little by little, to discard cards and steal items from other players with impunity. -- Every last card I didn't find useful went towards this ruthless endeavor and I eventually made three new frenemies that night. Without the "disadvantage" of losing a level, my only cost for attempting unlimited Theft was one discarded card. -- This was pretty much a game-breaker. By the time the last player faced an impossibly low-level monster for the win, I had nothing to lose and, one-by-one, I discarded cards and slowly stole all of their items, dissolving their power bonus to almost nothing. So while this all seems terribly cruel (even from a Munchkin), I'd like to know exactly what I got wrong and what I got right in all of these scenarios. I'd assume that our interpretation of the Super Munchkin perk is wrong and that I should rightfully have gambled a Level every time, but I also don't know what limitations there are to a Thief discarding their entire life away to strip another player to nothing. -- Even if I was a Level 1 and they a Level 9 on their last battle, can a Thief (even with no Super Munchkin and no Level to lose) slowly destroy another player roll by roll? Or does a Thief NEED to risk a level in order use that skill at all? Where does this exploitation begin and end?