Define "munchkin"

[Teflon Billy]

Munchkin is what other folks call Powergamers.

Powergamer is what a Mucnhkin calls himself (it's got the word power in it after all)

If the term had been invented in the 1990's, the munchkins would've found some way to work "extreme" into the term

 

[Treebore]

So nobody really knows what munchkin means. However, I have seen it used most often in the situation mentioned by the second poster.

 

[Sejs]

Define "munchkin"

Someone who is related to Munch.

 

[diaglo]

when we used the term munchkin back in the 80's. (yes we used the actual word munchkin)

it referred to a new player, usually someone of a young age or maturity, who tried to break the rules so that he would be the most powerful thing around.

we gave them a lollipop and told them they were a member of the guild. and promptly told them to come back when they wanted to really play instead of spoiling the fun for the other more serious gamers.

the name comes from the Wizard of Oz.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

IMO the difference between munchkinism and powergaming is that you can powergame anywhere - just make most use of anything you have, within the rules. Munchkins bend or break the rules, with the help of incompetent DM.

For example a powergamer probably would like to have the most powerful sword possible. Munchkin would insist to have two of those, bolted together to make the scissors of doom. Or for another example, a powergamer might wield two weapons for maximum effect. Munchkin would triple-wield, juggling three swords constantly.

I hope those two examples clear this somewhat. Bending the rules and making the DM allow strange things are characteristic of munchkins. A bit more over the top. So a competent and strict DM can disallow munchkinism, but powergaming is operating within the rules, so it might be difficult to get rid of it. Not that it even needed to be gotten rid of.

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Pretty much my definition. Most players power game to a greater or lesser extent (why wouldn't you try to make your character powerful?) but very few are actually munchkins.
Also powergamers can roleplay (or use it to justify their powerful chracter), munchkins hardly roleplay at all.

 

[DragonLancer]

The Munchkin/Powergamer is the player who is overdoing his character. Its full of the best feats, spells, high-end stats, magic items...etc, that he can get.

A lot of posters on here seem to blame the DM for allowing the character to get that far, but the blame lies with the player for not reigning in his character.

I read that rant by Monte that was posted earlier, and I disagree with him a farir bit. Theres creating a decent character and then there's building a character that can slay an Ancient Red Dragon in three hits by himself! Monte says its stupid to criticise such a player, but its not. If your whole group plays like that, fine, but if the majority don't, then that player is spoiling it for everyone else.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

To me a munchkin is someone who doesnt have a character personality or concept but instead merely a maximum design for combat effectiveness.

Most munchkins will have 8's or less for charisma because it does not affect any saving throws and only limits a few "useless" skills that the player can make up for "roleplaying" as they put it. Those same munchkins try to use their personal charisma instead of their characters, most of them scream rather loudly when I suggest that we can use the players charisma skill as we want by letting him roleplay but to balance by the same token we are going to use the players strength instead of his characters strength ;-).

A common occurance in my campaigns is for a player to create a character with a low charisma and then try to justify to me that the one character in the party is always along to do every bit of negotiating with every NPC be it King or Merchant while their own character somehow stands quietly in the corner and offends no one with their 6 charisma.

 

[Whisper72]

Wasn't a munchkin the glazed dough from the hole of a donut as marketed by Dunkin Donuts????

 

[Numion]

The Munchkin/Powergamer is the player who is overdoing his character. Its full of the best feats, spells, high-end stats, magic items...etc, that he can get.

Thats not munchkinism, IMO. It's just optimizing your character, except for the high-end stats, which should be whatever the rules tell, except assigned correctly. Every player I know would choose the better of two magic item, spells or feats when given a choice. Thats not munchkin. It's just min/maxing, or powergaming, if you will. (I play with a bunch of powergamers, but since they're all sticking to rules, and encourage curbing stupid rules, there's no munchkinism).

A lot of posters on here seem to blame the DM for allowing the character to get that far, but the blame lies with the player for not reigning in his character.

Munchkinism can be prevented by the DM, powergaming cannot be, as long as players make the decisions about their characters. Munchkinism involves bending or breaking the rules, which the DM can control, by not allowing the often strange and disruptive tactics. Powergamers generally operate within the rules. In an ideal world the players also realize when they're disruptive, but I tend to hold the DM responsible for reigning in his game. He's been given the means, after all.

 

[Numion]

A common occurance in my campaigns is for a player to create a character with a low charisma and then try to justify to me that the one character in the party is always along to do every bit of negotiating with every NPC be it King or Merchant while their own character somehow stands quietly in the corner and offends no one with their 6 charisma.

Any munchkin worth his salt would KILL THE KING AND TAKE HIS STUFF!