Can you help me define a munchkin? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Can you help me define a munchkin? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
DarkStevenson
03-28-04, 03:32 PM I know what is a munchkin, but it's sorta like instictive, for example I know a player of mine is a munchkin but if I tell him he is he will quite understandably want to know what that means (I'm Greek by the way so I haven't found any translation to the term) so I would like some help defining what is a munchkin even with big phrases and examples I don't mind

thank you
Seeker95
03-28-04, 03:45 PM From :Trollbill's Dictionary (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46916)

Munchkin (noun) 1: (considered derogatory) A player who creates an extremely unbalanced and over-powered character by using ludicrous loopholes in the rules or by outright breaking them.
Faraer
03-28-04, 04:26 PM You don't even have to successfully create an overpowered character. You just need a juvenile attitude that your selfish momentary pleasure in being 'powerful', beating the rules, or beating other players or the DM is more valuable than the longer-term collaborative satisfaction of the campaign.

That said, I don't use the term much because it's inflammatory, doesn't have a universally agreed meaning, and is unfair to L. Frank Baum.
DarkStevenson
03-28-04, 04:33 PM Well my player compains all the time about being treated unfairly about the other players not protecting him (he is a wizard) about how bad his stats are (he rolled 18 15 14 14 14 14, in my campaign the highest number is replaced with 18) how weak he is how he is sick and tired of dying (and yes he caused most of his deaths, for the ones that wasn't his fault I let him not loose xp) etc. etc. etc. doesn't that make him a munchkin?

who is L. Frank Baum?
Faraer
03-28-04, 05:01 PM L. Frank Baum is the author of the Oz books, including The Wizard of Oz, which coined the word 'munchkin' 90 years before its RPG use.

Your player does sound 'munchkinish', but I suspect that discussing the details of how the behaviour hurts your campaign, and encouraging teamwork, will be more effective than slinging a name at him which neither of you even knew before reading it online.
DarkStevenson
03-28-04, 05:17 PM well we have done that and the attidute doesn't seem to change, it sorta like shifted, worsened some aspects and bettered some but the overall effect is the same, so I wanted to gather up arguments (which I have on my own) and definitions (so I needed your help) so as to explain things in case things get rough
halzmar of geoff
03-28-04, 11:31 PM Be sure to consider the rest of the definition trollbill's dictionary (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46916) :

"2: (considered derogatory) A player whose gaming style the user of the term disapproves of; often including, but not limited to, power gamers, min/maxers, Monty Haulers, hack’n slashers, metagamers, rules lawyers and/or twinks. 3: A young gamer. Etymology: Modern American, refers to a race of midgets in The Wizard of Oz. "

Monte Cook discussed it here. (http://www.montecook.com/arch_anrant3.html)

He doesn't sound like a munchkin to me - a whiner yes - munchkin no. If you can't resolve the issue without resorting to name calling chances are you can't resolve the issue. Basically it's just a way of telling someone having fun that they suck because you don't want them to have fun any way but your way and nobody changes because somebody insults them.

But I'm prejudiced on the issue because I like munchkins - they sing such joyful songs when you drop a house on some evil lady's sister making you feel so much better about the possible negligent homicide rap.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DarkStevenson 03-28-04, 03:32 PM	I know what is a munchkin, but it's sorta like instictive, for example I know a player of mine is a munchkin but if I tell him he is he will quite understandably want to know what that means (I'm Greek by the way so I haven't found any translation to the term) so I would like some help defining what is a munchkin even with big phrases and examples I don't mind thank you
Seeker95 03-28-04, 03:45 PM	From :Trollbill's Dictionary (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46916) Munchkin (noun) 1: (considered derogatory) A player who creates an extremely unbalanced and over-powered character by using ludicrous loopholes in the rules or by outright breaking them.
Faraer 03-28-04, 04:26 PM	You don't even have to successfully create an overpowered character. You just need a juvenile attitude that your selfish momentary pleasure in being 'powerful', beating the rules, or beating other players or the DM is more valuable than the longer-term collaborative satisfaction of the campaign. That said, I don't use the term much because it's inflammatory, doesn't have a universally agreed meaning, and is unfair to L. Frank Baum.
DarkStevenson 03-28-04, 04:33 PM	Well my player compains all the time about being treated unfairly about the other players not protecting him (he is a wizard) about how bad his stats are (he rolled 18 15 14 14 14 14, in my campaign the highest number is replaced with 18) how weak he is how he is sick and tired of dying (and yes he caused most of his deaths, for the ones that wasn't his fault I let him not loose xp) etc. etc. etc. doesn't that make him a munchkin? who is L. Frank Baum?
Faraer 03-28-04, 05:01 PM	L. Frank Baum is the author of the Oz books, including The Wizard of Oz, which coined the word 'munchkin' 90 years before its RPG use. Your player does sound 'munchkinish', but I suspect that discussing the details of how the behaviour hurts your campaign, and encouraging teamwork, will be more effective than slinging a name at him which neither of you even knew before reading it online.
DarkStevenson 03-28-04, 05:17 PM	well we have done that and the attidute doesn't seem to change, it sorta like shifted, worsened some aspects and bettered some but the overall effect is the same, so I wanted to gather up arguments (which I have on my own) and definitions (so I needed your help) so as to explain things in case things get rough
halzmar of geoff 03-28-04, 11:31 PM	Be sure to consider the rest of the definition trollbill's dictionary (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46916) : "2: (considered derogatory) A player whose gaming style the user of the term disapproves of; often including, but not limited to, power gamers, min/maxers, Monty Haulers, hack’n slashers, metagamers, rules lawyers and/or twinks. 3: A young gamer. Etymology: Modern American, refers to a race of midgets in The Wizard of Oz. " Monte Cook discussed it here. (http://www.montecook.com/arch_anrant3.html) He doesn't sound like a munchkin to me - a whiner yes - munchkin no. If you can't resolve the issue without resorting to name calling chances are you can't resolve the issue. Basically it's just a way of telling someone having fun that they suck because you don't want them to have fun any way but your way and nobody changes because somebody insults them. But I'm prejudiced on the issue because I like munchkins - they sing such joyful songs when you drop a house on some evil lady's sister making you feel so much better about the possible negligent homicide rap.