Jenny Barnes: Jack-of-All-Trades

DECK OVERVIEW

True to her subtitle of "The Dilettante", Jenny Barnes is a Jack... er, Jill-of-all-trades; yet master (mistress?) of none. This is well-represented by her equal level in all four skills, nearly equal health & sanity, and classification as a Rogue--arguably the most flexible class to-date. Additionally, her deck-building ability to include up to five 0-level cards from any of the other classes adds to her Renaissance Woman potential. Some may see her lack of a 4- or 5-level skill to be a drawback. Me?; I like flexibility. So, this deck is designed to play to her strength as a generalist and, as such, is well-suited for one-handed solo play. ["Partners are a liability; I work alone."]

Thus, the deck includes assets to boost each of her skills: Holy Rosary for , Flashlight for , .41 Derringer for , and Peter Sylvestre for . And, since each of these assets fills a different slot, she can use them all simultaneously. Likewise, between her Arcane Studies ["I've dabbled in the occult."] and a life of Hard Knocks ["Waiter, this champagne is flat."] she can use her recurring wealth to boost any of her skills. Lastly, over half of her skill cards have the icon, providing even more flexibility.

INVESTIGATING

Flashlight and Perception give Jenny a 5 or better while investigating to discover clues or gain resources with Burglary ["'Burglary' is such an ugly term. I prefer 're-distribution of wealth'."]. Double or Nothing can turn a successful investigation into 2 clues or 6 resources.

FIGHTING & DIRECT DAMAGE

.41 Derringer, Jenny's Twin .45s, and Overpower can all give Jenny a respectable 5 or more. ["I'm your worst nightmare, bug-eyes--a dame with a gun. Two guns, actually."] Since it requires 2 hand slots, Jenny's Twin .45s is probably best saved for the endgame. Also, by then, she should have a surplus of resources to load it with beaucoup ammo. Alternately, she can Backstab to fight using her , boosted by Peter Sylvestre & Manual Dexterity. Weapons, Backstab, and Dynamite Blast provide direct damage, and Double or Nothing can turn a single attack with a firearm into 4 damage or with Backstab into 6 damage.

EVADING & MOVEMENT

Once Peter Sylvestre and Pickpocketing are in play, Jenny may prefer to evade enemies rather than fight them using the former's +1 and gaining a card from the latter when successful. ["Yoik! Let's blow this gin-joint, kid."] Elusive and Think on Your Feet also help her avoid enemies, as well as move closer to Searching for Izzie, once it has materialized. Note that Elusive can move her to any revealed location with no enemies, not just to a connecting location. Though, when used to move to a connecting location, either card can set up a Dynamite Blast against enemies she leaves behind.

DEFENSE & HEALING

When Jenny can't outgun or outrun an enemy, Leo De Luca and Peter Sylvestre can absorb damage and/or horror. ["Men will do anything for a Jane with nice stilts."]. Leather Coat & Holy Rosary can also absorb damage & horror, respectively.

RESOURCES & CARDS

With her innate resource acceleration, Jenny will have a steady stream of resources that, in turn, will benefit her Elder Sign effect. ["It pays to have a trust fund."] Burglary can provide a quick windfall when needed for pricey cards like Leo De Luca and Dynamite Blast or just before playing Jenny's Twin .45s. Card drawing comes from skills & Pickpocketing.

ACTION ADVANTAGE

While the Fast events Elusive & Think on Your Feet provide movement action advantage, Jenny's innate effect & Pickpocketing mean she'll never have to spend an action to gain a resource or draw a card. Double or Nothing can let her discover 2 clues or fight an enemy twice for the cost of only one action. Lastly, Leo De Luca gives her a fourth action which can be used for anything, especially tracking down and removing Searching for Izzie. ["Why does it seem like every time I'm close to finding her, she gets further away?"]

EXPERIENCE

1XP: Replace Peter Sylvestre with Cat Burglar for the same +1 , better stats, and another method of evasion. [Sorry, kid. But he's got the goods..."] This also opens up one of her five card slots from other classes. Alternately, upgrade Leo De Luca to Leo De Luca I.

2XP: Replace/upgrade both allies above.

3XP: Replace 1x Opportunist with Sure Gamble. ["It's a lock, I tell ya!"]

4XP: Replace Peter Sylvestre & Opportunist as above.

5XP: As per 2XP & 3XP above.

6XP: Replace both copies of Opportunist with Sure Gamble. IMHO, it's that good. ["What's better than a sure thing?: Two sure things. It's a win-win!"]

OTHER CARDS

Several cards from other classes would also work well with Jenny:

Scrying - Since she's not using her Arcane slots. When solo, gives her up to 9 rounds of Encounter Deck premonition.
Ward of Protection - A great way to avoid treacheries. Pairs well with Scrying.
Barricade - Gives her the option of staying in one place when needed, rather than running away with Elusive/Think on Your Feet. Plus, it has 3 skill icons.
Shortcut - Another movement advantage option for her.
Working a Hunch - Helps speed up clue acquisition. And 2 resources is chump-change for Jenny.
First Aid - Can heal both damage or horror, as needed.
Lucky! - More flexibility for her, since it can aid any skill test.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. The forthcoming Permanent asset, Adaptable, will give her even more flexibility, with her able to tailor her deck between scenarios to mitigate acquired weaknesses and/or address perceived future threats.