Munchkin

Never did a post on Munchkin before, and since it’s become the cool thing to do at our workplace.

In short, if you’ve never played “Munchkin,” you’re missing out on a BLAST. It’s a game based purely on cards and very synonymous with a role-playing game like World of Warcraft or “Diablo,” where you assume the identify of a character (you start Human, then you can become Dwarf, Elf, Orc, etc.) and class (Wizard, Warrior, Thief, Cleric) and go around picking up items that help you fight Monsters big and small. (Sound familiar? That’s because it is). The twist is, instead of fighting mosnters exclusively on your own, you’re playing against OTHER PLAYERS, and you have to beat enough monsters, etc. to get to level 10 before the other guys.

Great game. Lots of fun, lots of collaboration, lots of screwing over. And that’s the thing with “games………a lot of the time, they just give you a chance to get around, socialize, not feel like you’re a rat in a maze. And Munchkin plays off of that: It has silly little cards with silly little pictures that make fun of the “serious role playing games” like Dungeons and Dragons by inserting cards like the “Stoned Golem” (Yes, that kind of stoned, you can get past it just by waving), the “Snails on Speed,” and my favorite, the “of Doom!” card: gives any weapon a further +2 bonus because it is now the “Whatever” of Doom!

Favorite cards and how much I would pay for them if in real life.  

1.)    Loaded Die: Play after you roll the die, for any reason. “Turn the die so the number of your choice is on top. That’s your roll.” Of very practicable use at various casino games. Craps comes to mind instantly. Usable only once, but you can make a LOT of money off of that one roll. Price: $300.

2.)    Wand of Dousing: “Go through the discards to find any one card you want. Take that card and Discard this one.” Imagine being to just go back in your life and take one image, one experience, and replace it with something that you’re doing now, like sitting at work. O would I use the Wand of Dousing but good. (I’m starting to use this phrase “but good” a lot).  Price: $200.

3.)    Really Impressive Title: (+3 bonus). Have a “kind of impressive but kinda just means you’re sleezy” title of “Esquire. Not sure it’s a +3 bonus but at least I can practice law and make a living. And it’s for life, no one can take it away from you. Price: $500.

4.)    Coat of Arms: Gives the wearer two extra hands to carry items with. Great to get through the daily grind, play dodgeball. Not a perfect machine, I’d rather have an invention that gave you more TIME, not more appendages. But I can’t complain, I suppose. Price: $100.

5.)    Hireling; Allows you to carry and use one extra item, and a +1 Bonus. You may discard your Hireling for an automatic escape from any monster.

Kind of tainted by allusions to slavery, but how helpful would a great helper be to clear up your daily schedule? And when you screw up, you can always just throw that person under the bus as a “Get Out of Jail Free card?” money. Price: $700.

6.)    Transferral Potion: Any other player (your choice) fights the monster(s), may ask for help normally. Imagine sitting at work having a pile of work to do, then realizing you can just pass it off on someone else and you go and just nap for the day. Lots of value, lots of value!!!! (note: I’m pretty sure a lot of bosses throughout the world have and use transferal potions all the time. It’s called “delegating.”) Price: $200.

7.)    Divine Intervention: All Clerics immediately go up a level. This can be the winning level. Price: priceless. I think the most important item that you can use, and in munchkin actually it’s one of the most valuable cards in that it lets you go to level 10 without fighting a monster. I’m in the camp of we each control less things that we can, that fate decides a lot of what happens to us, like how traffic is going to be like, what the weather is going to be, who your parents are, how many points Jamaal Charles scores for your fantasy football team on any given day, how smart you are, so the most important factor in leading your life IS really luck, or “divine intervention.” Can’t put a price on that.

Fantasize on,

Robert Yan