Since the core set doesn't have investigators that cover the entire set of combinations, I wonder about the viability of making custom investigators.

It looks like the formula is 12 attribute points split among thee four attributes, and 14 hit points split between health and sanity, plus the two class options (e.g. Guardian + Mystic). The hard part seems to be coming up with balanced abilities.

Any thoughts in this direction?

I proposed this over on the Reddit:

1) All stats start at 1. You have 8 Stat points to spread around as you wish, with no stat going above 6.

2) Attributes (Health and Sanity) start at 3. You have 8 Attribute points to spread around, with no score above 10.

3) You may optionally sacrifice 2 Stat points for 1 Attribute, or vice versa.

4) Select a Primary Class. You gain access to all cards of this class.

5) Select a Secondary Class. You gain access to all cards up to level 2. Or you may choose not to have a Secondary class, and you may instead select up to 5 level 0 cards from any other class.

6) Custom characters do not get a special ability, as your special ability is to tailor your stats.

7) Choose one Elder Sign ability. A) +1, add one resource if successful. B) +0, draw a card if successful.

8) For your Investigator Special card, you may select a single card from any class of level 2 or lower. This is set at character creation, and cannot be changed. This card does not count against your deck limit. You can never have more one of the Special card (by name) in your deck. For example: if you choose the level 1 version of the Magnifying Glass, you can never have any of the level 0 versions of that card, nor can you add a second level 1 version. Choose carefully!

9) Randomly draw and include 3 Basic Weaknesses. These cards do not count against your deck limit.

This process can yield investigators with stats a point below or above those we've seen so far. I feel like the additional weaknesses will help balance out the tailored stats, along with the lack of a special ability. I'd like to think of a third generic Elder Sign ability, but so far nothing's coming to me. I considered adding an Elder Sign option which states: "C) -3, heal 1 Health if successful. Optionally, you can select this to heal Sanity at character creation. It cannot be changed once set." I liked the flavor of that option, but it seems to have less of a generic feel. The initial two are very similar (if a bit weaker) versions of existing abilities. This third option is further out there, and would need testing first.

That's been the pattern in the Core Set. But the investigators in The Dunwich Legacy have the same 12 point attribute spread, but they've got combined health and sanity totals of 15, and they don't have subclasses--instead they can use 5 level 0 cards from any other class.

I don't know if there's much more to be done with that Dunwich paradigm of design (if we got another set of investigators with the same "5 level 0 cards" deckbuilding option, that would seem dull), but I also wonder what other options we might see outside of the subclass paradigm in the Core. I suppose another possibility -- and one that might fit the sort of RPG flavor they're going for in campaign play -- would be investigators who started out as pure classes, and could then purchase higher level cards from another class. You don't start out as a hybrid class, you'd earn a secondary class later with XP. I don't know how balanced it would be to, say, only use level 3 through 5 cards of a class; you'd probably want some of the baseline level 0 cards.

Sticking just with subclasses, we have fifteen other combinations. Ten if we're trying to avoid combinations that just swap existing class / subclass order (eg. Skids, Rogue / Guardian, vs. some future Guardian / Rogue).

I remember seeing (I believe) Toqtamish post a google docs listing all the Arkham Investigators and what their possible class could/would be. I can't seem to find unfortunately, it was pretty neat.

Being a co-op game with an RPG flavor, I think coming up with your own custom investigator is a nifty idea.

H.P. Lovecraft

4 willpower/ 4 intellect/ 2 combat/ 2 agility

Reaction trigger: Whenever an act and/or agenda advances: Gain one clue, one resource and draw a card.

Elder sign effect: Automatic win if stray cat is in play. Otherwise it counts a s a +1.

6/8

Deck size: 30

Deckbuilding options: Mystic cards level 0-5. Seeker cards level 0-2. Neutral cards level 0-5.

Can include asset cards of other character classes if they have the word "cat" in the cardname.

Deckbuilding requirements: Stray cat, the necronomicon, 1 random basic weakness