Lunch Money Rules
Lunch Money is a game for two or more people. Here, we will attempt to play with 8 players, but I will play with fewer if demand is not that high.
The rules will follow along with the official Lunch Money Rules, with one big exception. The
Humiliation
cards can only be played by the player being attacked (the official rules allow any player to play it at any time). This change is simply to keep the game moving faster. A few other smaller exceptions were made as well, but none change gameplay drastically.
Each player starts the game with fifteen "damage points." Each player is dealt five cards. The remaining cards are used as a draw pile. When the draw pile is depleted, all used cards will be shuffled to make a new draw pile.
You play cards to take your opponents' damage points from them, and to defend your own damage points. A player who runs out of damage points is "unconscious" and out of the game. The object of the game is to be the last person with any damage points left; in other words, the last person still "conscious" and in the game.
Play begins with a randomly-chosen player and proceeds down the list (you will be numbered in order). This player may initiate an action: She may
play
a card,
discard
any number of cards from her hand and draw back up to five cards, or
pass
. Any card used (except Weapon Cards) are lost. After her action has been resolved (meaning other players have had a chance to respond with their cards -- defending against attacks, for example, or intervening with a special card), all players receive cards (if necessary) to return the number in their hands to five, and it is the end of her
turn
. The sequence of one turn for each player is called a
round
.
Making Attacks:
On your turn you'll usually play a card to attack another player. Cards that do this include Basic Attack Cards, Weapon Cards, and certain Specialty Cards. Sometimes you will play a sequence of cards (such as
Grab
,
Powerplay
, and a Basic Attack Card together). Your opponent may have cards to prevent you from succeding, or to stop you from continuing the sequence of cards. You can also spend your turn playing
First Aid
Defense Cards.
Defending Against Attacks:
When someone plays a card on you, you may be able to respond with a Defense Card.
Table Talk
: Colorful banter is an important part of Lunch Money, so don't be afraid to get into the game by describing in vivid detail the insults you perform upon your opponents. Don't be surprised by the imaginative things they do to you in return, and remember: it's just a game.
There are four types of cards. Each type has its own coloration, to make them easy to recognize at a glance:
Basic Attack Cards
(green),
Defense Cards
(blue),
Weapon Cards
(magenta, or dark red), and
Specialty Cards
(orange). The colors do not have to be used by the players, but will be used by the Moderator to ease players in understanding the action.
Elbow
,
Hail Mary
,
Headbutt
,
Hook
,
Jab
,
Kick
,
Pimp Slap
,
Uppercut
: Each one of these cards has a number. This is the amount of damage points taken from the victim if nothing stops the attack. These cards may be
Dodged
or
Blocked
.
Roundhouse
,
Spinning Backfist
: These Basic Attacks have one special trait: If they are avoided by a
Dodge
card, the attack proceeds to the next player (left or right, chosen randomly) and that player must defend against the attack or suffer the damage. If the second player dodges, the attack proceeds again in the same direction. If everyone between the original target and the attacker dodges, there is no effect (i.e., the attacker doesn't hit herself). If one of these cards is
Blocked
, the attack does NOT proceed to another player.
Dodge
,
Block
: A player who has been attacked may defend herself with either of these cards. Simply play the Defense Card, and you don't lose any damage points. See individual Basic Attack and Specialty Cards for their interaction with these Defense Cards; sometimes a Defense Card is not permitted (in the case of "free attacks").
First Aid
: Each
First Aid
is worth 2 damage points, restored to the player who plays the card. You can play as many
First Aid
cards as you have in your hand on your turn. You can play
First Aid
(as many as you have) when another player attacks you, but only if the damage you otherwise take sends you to zero or fewer damage points.
Freedom
: This card counters or breaks any
Grab
,
Headlock
, or
Choke
.
Disarm
: This card is played against any Weapon Card attack. No damage points are lost by the defender, and the Weapon Card is lost.
Humiliation
: This card can be played as any defense card to humiliate the attacker and ruin her best laid plans.
The holder of this card may use this card at any point a typical defense card could be used. When using the card, the holder will describe a sequence of events that will humiliate, but not physically harm, the victim. Once properly humiliated, the victim is open to (and cannot defend against, except with another
Humiliation
) one free Basic Attack or Weapon Card from the player that played this card.
Knife
,
Chain
,
Pipe
,
Hammer
: Each one of these cards has a number. This is the number of damage points taken from the victim if nothing stops the attack. Unlike Basic Attack Cards, Weapon Cards return to your hand after use (unless countered by a
Disarm
). These cards may be
Dodged
,
Blocked
, or
Disarmed
.
Big Combo
: The
Big Combo
entitles the player with this card to dream up any two fancy moves (such as a front kick followed by a spinning elbow strike) and announce them as the card is played. Defending against this attack requires two Defense Cards. If a defender only has one Defense Card to play against the
Big Combo
, then only half of the attack landed and half damage (i.e., 3 points) is taken.
Choke
(
Grab
+
Choke
) or (
Block
+
Grab
+
Choke
)
: A
Choke
card is only played after a
Grab
card and immediately takes one damage point from the victim. (Assuming the
Grab
wasn't avoided, the only immediate defense against the
Choke
is
Humiliation
and
Freedom
.)
Cards that will break a
Choke
when the victim's turn comes are:
Freedom
,
Stomp
,
Headbutt
, and
Humiliation
. Until the victim plays one of these cards, she will continue to lose one damage point each time the attacker's turn comes around until she is unconscious. On her own turn, the victim can play one of those cards (to escape the
Choke
), discard cards from her hand in an attempt to draw an appropriate card, or play Basic Attack cards on players other than her attacker at half damage (round down).
As long as the
Choke
remains, both attacker and victim are helpless and cannot defend themselves from attacks by other players. The attacker may choose to release the
Choke
at any time (e.g., in order to
Block
or
Dodge
an attack from another player).
Grab
: A
Grab
card is usually played in combination with other cards. A successful
Grab
permits the player to one free Basic Attack or Weapon Card, which cannot be
Dodged
or
Blocked
. A
Grab
also sets up certain specialty cards:
Choke
,
Headlock
, and
Powerplay
(see their descriptions).
A
Grab
may be played as the start of an action on a player's turn. In that case, the
Grab
may be countered by
Dodge
or
Freedom
, but not
Block
.
A
Grab
may also be played immediately after a
Block
has been played. The defender who played the
Block
has the first option to play a
Grab
card (and follow up). But if a defender plays
Block
and has no
Grab
, the attacker now has the option to play a
Grab
and follow it with a free attack.
Headlock
(
Grab
+
Headlock
) or (
Block
+
Grab
+
Headlock
)
: A
Headlock
card is only played after a
Grab
card (assuming the
Grab
wasn't avoided, the only immediate defense against the
Headlock
is
Humiliation
and
Freedom
). The
Headlock
card renders the victim completely helpless and entitles the attacker to as many free
Jab
,
Uppercut
, and
Stomp
cards as she has in her hand every round.
As long as the
Headlock
remains, the victim is helpless and cannot defend herself from attacks by other players. Cards that will break a
Headlock
when the victim's turn comes are
Freedom
,
Stomp
, and
Humiliation
. On her own turn, the victim can only play one of those cards (to escape the
Headlock
), or discard cards from her hand in an attempt to draw one of those cards she needs.
The attacker may choose to release the
Headlock
at any time; for instance, she may engage a
Headlock
, deliver the appropriate attacks, and then release the
Headlock
in the same turn. While the
Headlock
is in place, the attacker may not attack players other than the
Headlock
's victim.
Poke in the Eye
: If this attack is successful (it may be
Dodged
or
Blocked
), the victim loses one damage point and is completely helpless for two turns (the turn she was attacked and the turn of the next person after the attacker; if the victim would be next, she loses her turn), and may not attack or defend herself in that time. The player who did the poking gets the first free shot (but only with a Basic Attack Card).
Powerplay
(
Grab
+
Powerplay
) or (
Block
+
Grab
+
Powerplay
)
: A
Powerplay
card is only played after a
Grab
card (assuming the
Grab
wasn't avoided, the only defense against the
Powerplay
is
Humiliation
). The player using the
Powerplay
must describe how she manhandles the victim to cause 3 damage points and set up the victim for any single, free Basic Attack card.
Stomp
: The victim of this attack must make her next attack at half damage (round down) regardless of when that next attack is made. The
Stomp
may be
Dodged
or
Blocked
.
Uppercut2
: This attack is an uppercut so powerful it lifts the victim off the ground and onto her back, making her helpless and open to one free Basic Attack Card. The
Uppercut2
may be
Dodged
or
Blocked
.