I had a conversation with one of my cultists. He had just discovered that there was the old old OLD version of Arkham Horror, and I sent him some pics of it. One of them was of the original eight Investigators, all now updated for the new version. He commented that if Vincent Lee the Doctor looked as sharp as his old pic, instead of the "shocked bumpkin" he looks like now, maybe he wouldn't be so far down on the popularity ladder. I'm not sure I would agree--pretty sure Dam wouldn't--but it raised an interesting thought (and it's Friday and I'm bored):

(1) Which Investigator do you love to play, but can't stand their picture?

(2) Which Investigator do you love to look at, but would rather burn the rest of their sheet?

(1) I love playing Lola, chewing through the Skill deck on a whim and having decent Stats and Starting Possessions...but her picture creeps me right the hell out.

(2) I love Mark's shot--the cool cigarette-lighting being the only source of light, the gun eclipsing the cross ("Okay, God...guess we're doin' this my way...")--but his 3-Will 3-Sanity is too close to the edge for me to ever have an "awesome" time playing him.

Daisy Walker is a horseface. Ursula's picture bugs me too. George Barnaby and Jacqueline Fine have portraits that are kind of "meh."

As for stats, I really truly enjoy all the characters, but Patrice will not be played in my presence without a house rule.

I guess I can see what you're saying with Mark. Likewise with Dexter: low max sanity and poor Lore/Luck sliders is a questionable pairing for someone who's supposed to be a master spellcaster.

Yeah, no saving Vincent, not even with a kick-ass pic .

#1: Jacqueline Fine. If she had Mandy/Trish-esque picture, she would be totally awesome.

OT: If going purely by pic, Trish #1, #2 overall.

#2: Jenny Barnes. Looks like action, but she just keeps failing. Slow, wannabe spellcaster, but you want Luck as well, Focus 1 just don't cut it. Oh yeah, horrible Personal Story to boot. Die Jenny die! Die Jenny's sister as well!

1) The pictures don't make me no nevermind. I'm glad Daisy is rather plain looking. If that keeps people from playing her, that's fine. I picked Monterey Jack as my first investigator. He just didn't and doesn't live up to his rep.

2) Does it have to be those I "love to look at"? If stats include the special Skill, then I'm most irritated by the politician. Whenever he's picked, players always ask what does this mean and I say I don't know. Play it like you like. No one plays him the same way. No matter how we play him, he's still not much, even when taking an ally each time it goes to the warp. In my world, he simply automatically passes all tests to take any ally when they come in an encounter card.

Dr. Vincent and Patrice are the other two that I can't stand their skills so much, they have been surgically altered.

Many investigators get Unique items without any reason for them having them (such as Michael McGlen and Tony Morgan) (Hank Samson should have a monster trophy and not an Unique item). One of the investigators that should have an unique item but doesn't is Leo the expedition leader. What did he do, sell them before he got to Arkham?

mageith said:

What's his rep ?

Dam said:

Indiana Jones. Clearly a cheesy rip off. But he turned out to be Limburger. 3 Sanity/ 3 Will is a way too beatable combination. I don't remember Indy spending a lot of time in Asylums.

mageith said:

Those scenes were edited out! And he did keep his eyes closed when "people" used the Exhibit Item in Raiders ! Heart-scene in Temple probably ate at his Sanity or at least he used Clue(s) to pass the Will check.

Dam said:

Those scenes were edited out! And he did keep his eyes closed when "people" used the Exhibit Item in Raiders ! Heart-scene in Temple probably ate at his Sanity or at least he used Clue(s) to pass the Will check.

I'm not really comforted that Limburger Jack actually lives down to the "Truth about Indiana Jones" you have so heartlessly revealed.

but there are so many =)

Marie may well be my favorite Investigator to play. The picture bugs me a little. Something about the way her hands are positioned, I think.

From the last few months of stats reports, it seems that Trish might be in the "look-but-don't-touch" category. .... Not for me though, she's another one of my favs, =). So my pick is probably Jack as well, for already stated reasons.

Incidentally, Mark is da bomb. If you're fighting with him, then you're doing it wrong. Mark is a stealthy character, not a fighty one. This is why I prefer him leaps and bounds to Monterey, who's sneak maxes at 3.

Dam said:

I don't think anything will beat the reporter's personal story. 10 clue tokens to get blessed?

I know I've said this before, but Monterey Jack looks exactly like Farva from Super Troopers :-P

GrooveChamp said:

What do you mean? I'd much rather pass Rex's story than Jenny's. It's easy for Rex to get 10 clues; it's not like he's doing anything else in the meantime because he's cursed. The payoff is great: 1 clue per turn (2 if it's on Rex), and he gets money and loses his curse! I make sure to clear that story every time. Jenny's I only try when she has nothing better to do any everybody already has a ton of clues.

GrooveChamp said:

What Tibs said. Not that I have Rex, but know enough about him. Rex starts with 3, gets 1+1 even from normal, safe 1 Clue spots, so he'll hit 11 on T4, pass on T5. And that's if he doesn't get any Clues during encounters. Cool play would be if Unnamable got another Clue from pre-game Mythos, Rex went there and got the double your Clues encounter. Holding 6, double to 12. Oh, you're Cursed if you gain more than 3 Clues, but it's Rex, so nyah-nyah.

Rex loves peering into warped mirrors in haunted houses. He's not cursed--just careless.