Arkham Horror Investigators
Arkham Horror investigators make up the pool of characters that can be played in the Arkham Horror board game. In order to stop the rise of the Ancient Ones, they will be called on to explore dangerous locations and even journey to other dimensions. They’ll also have to close portals, dispatch foul monsters with weapons and spells, and perhaps even engage the ultimate evil in a final showdown for the fate of the planet.
The life of Arkham Horror characters isn’t easy, and picking the right one can be vital to the success of your mission. While the Arkham Horror rules suggest that a player draws her investigator at random, some prefer to examine the options and choose their favorite. If you want to save yourself some time, read over the following list of Arkham Horror investigators before sitting down to play.
Male Arkham Horror Characters
Whether you’re looking to play a studious bookworm or two-fisted
adventurer, there are plenty of male Arkham Horror characters to
choose from. The following is a complete list of testosterone-fueled heroes
for the Arkham Horror board game:
Ashcan Pete - Plagued by nightmares, Ashcan Pete is a drifter who’s made his way to Arkham accompanied by his faithful dog, Duke (who grants him a +1 bonus to sanity). Begins with 5 sanity and 6 stamina.
Bob Jenkins - After seeing a robed man buy some items with gold coins, this traveling salesman is determined to stick around in search of the big score. Starts with 4 sanity and 6 stamina.
Charlie Kane - He’s an Arkham politician who’s slowly coming to the realization that something is horribly wrong with his city. Charlie begins the game with 4 sanity and 6 stamina.
Darrell Simmons - A photographer for the Arkham Advertiser, Darrell is intent on photographing evidence of the Cthulhu Mythos and sharing it with the world. Begins with 4 sanity and 6 stamina.
Dexter Drake - Begins with a score of 5 in both sanity and stamina. A successful stage magician who’s fascinated with the occult, Dexter has journeyed to Arkham to lean more about the menace of the Ancient Ones.
Finn Edwards - A bootlegger who had a nasty encounter with a group of knife-wielding cultists, Finn is determined to even the score through superior firepower. Begins with 4 sanity and 6 stamina.
George Barnaby - A powerful lawyer whose wife was murdered by two cultists. He’s tracked them to Arkham, intent on getting revenge. Starts with 7 sanity and 3 stamina.
Hank Samson - After killing a bizarre winged creature on his farm, Hank put it in a crate and headed for Miskatonic University with his father. But now that his dad and the crate have both went missing, Hank is ready to spring into action. Begins with 5 sanity and 6 stamina.
Harvey Walters - Inspired by the sample character in the rulebook for the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game. Harvey is a professor who’s become convinced that some nameless horror is about to descend on the good people of Arkham. Introduced in the Arkham Horror basic set, Harvey begins the game with 7 sanity and 3 stamina.
Jim Culver - A jazz trumpet player who can make the dead get up and dance, Jim learned about the approaching calamity from ghouls in the graveyard. Beginning with 6 sanity and 4 stamina, Jim is introduced in the Dunwich Horror expansion set.
Joe Diamond - A tough private eye who was hired to deliver a statue to a man at the Silver Twilight Lodge. When bodies begin piling up and cultists get on his trail, Joe Diamond decides to solve this mystery the only way he knows how…with guns blazing. Begins with 4 sanity and 6 stamina.
Leo Anderson - With a score of 5 in both stamina and sanity, Leo is an explorer who led an ill-fated expedition into the Yucatan. Now his men are either insane or dead, and Leo has returned home guided by the hastily scribbled notes of a madman.
Luke Robinson - After years of living in the Dreamlands, Luke has returned home to New England to oppose the powerful forces of evil that are awakening. Begins with 7 sanity and 3 stamina. Introduced in the Kingsport Horror expansion.
Mark Harrigan - A troubled war veteran who wants nothing more than to kill every foul monstrosity he comes across. Begins with 3 sanity and 7 stamina.
Michael McGlen - Beginning the game with dynamite and a Tommy gun, Michael is a cigar-chomping gangster looking to avenge the death of his friend, “Fast” Louie Farrell. Starts with 3 sanity and 7 stamina.
Monterey Jack - A capable archeologist in the mold of Indiana Jones, Jack has come to Arkham to solve the mystery of his father’s brutal murder. Begins with 3 sanity and 7 stamina.
Norman Withers - After six stars appeared to vanish from the sky, Norman found the answers to the mystery by studying occult tomes. Now, years later, he’s journeyed to Innsmouth in an effort to save the world from the Ancient Ones. Begins the game with 6 sanity and 4 stamina.
Rex Murphy - A cursed reporter for the Arkham Advertiser, Rex is dedicated to discovering the truth behind the recent bizarre happenings in Kingsport. Begins with 5 sanity and 5 stamina.
Roland Banks - Beginning with 4 sanity and 6 stamina, Roland is a no-nonsense federal agent tasked with getting to the bottom of the madness and murder in the coastal town of Innsmouth. Begins with 4 sanity and 6 stamina.
Silas Marsh - A hardy sailor whose family in Innsmouth may have a few skeletons in the closet (literally). Begins with 4 sanity and 6 stamina.
Skids O’Toole - When his weird cellmate burst into flames for no reason, Skids decided to investigate as soon as he was paroled. Now that he’s out, the former bank robber has come to Arkham. Begins with 3 sanity and 7 stamina.
Tommy Muldoon - A rookie cop armed with a rifle nicknamed “Becky,” Tommy is determined to clean up the streets of Arkham. Begins with 6 sanity and 4 stamina.
Tony Morgan - Introduced in the Kingsport Horror expansion, Tony is a bounty hunter who’s stumbled onto the lethal world of the supernatural. Begins with 3 sanity and 7 stamina.
Vincent Lee - A young doctor determined to find the truth behind all the unnatural deaths in Arkham. Begins with 5 sanity and 5 stamina.
William Yorick - An actor-turned-gravedigger who realizes something is wrong when strange corpses begin turning up in the cemetery. Begins with 4 sanity and 6 stamina. Introduced in the Innsmouth Horror expansion.
Wilson Richards - Begins with 5 sanity and 5 stamina. A traveling handyman, Wilson came to Arkham to find work, but he’s staying to battle the supernatural.
Female Arkham Horror Investigators
While other horror board games might favor the guys, Fantasy Flight Games has made sure to include a generous helping of female Arkham Horror characters. From spell-casting nuns to knife-wielding chefs, the following list includes all female investigators through 2011.
Agnes Baker - A simple waitress who fell off a ladder, bumped her head, and unlocked memories of her previous life as a powerful witch. Begins with 5 sanity and 5 stamina.
Akachi Onyele - An African shaman who’s come to America to oppose the rise of the Ancient Ones. Begins the game with 7 sanity and 3 stamina.
Amanda Sharpe - A student at Miskatonic University who’s been tormented by strange dreams and visions ever since encountering an unusual painting in the halls of the school. Starts the game with 5 stamina and 5 sanity.
Carolyn Fern - A dedicated psychologist, Carolyn’s investigation into a patient’s murder has led her to Arkham. Begins any gaming session with 6 sanity and 4 stamina.
Daisy Walker - A librarian who stumbles across a series of occult tomes and comes to realize the mounting threat posed by the Ancient Ones and their followers. Begins with 5 sanity and 5 stamina.
Diana Stanley - After unknowingly joining a cult, Diana has resolved to stop the summoning of the Ancient Ones at any cost. Introduced in the Dunwich Horror expansion, she begins the game with 4 sanity and 6 stamina.
Gloria Goldberg - A bestselling author haunted by strange visions as a child, Gloria has recently been assaulted by the most vivid vision ever: that of the sky tearing open and a foul abomination bringing death and destruction. Begins the game with 6 sanity and 4 stamina.
Jacqueline Fine - While many Arkham Horror characters rely on weapons, Jacqueline uses her psychic abilities to battle the forces of the Cthulhu Mythos. She begins the game with 7 sanity and 3 stamina.
Jenny Barnes - Included in the basic Arkham Horror set, Jenny is a wealthy woman who’s journeyed to Arkham in search of her missing sister. Begins the game with 6 sanity and 4 stamina.
Kate Winthrop - After her mentor was torn apart by an unearthly thing, this shy scientist has been working feverishly to find a way to defeat such beings. As the final curtain lifts in Arkham, she’s ready to unveil her latest invention. Starts with 6 sanity and 4 stamina.
Lily Chen - Born in China, Lily has been trained in deadly marital arts since she was a child. Now that the final days are approaching, she’s been dispatched to Arkham to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Her beginning sanity and stamina range between 4 and 7, and Lilly (unlike other Arkham horror characters) has three skill tracks to adjust.
Lola Hayes - A celebrated actress recently released from Arkham Asylum, Lola continues to ply her trade and seek answers for the mysterious death of her director. Introduced in the Kingsport Horror expansion, she begins with 6 sanity and 4 stamina.
Mandy Thompson - A researcher working for Miskatonic University, Mandy has come to believe that Arkham is on the verge of being destroyed by a powerful being from beyond the stars. She’s right, of course. Begins with 5 sanity and 5 stamina.
Marie Lambeau - A lounge singer nicknamed “The Smoky Velvet,” Marie has been drawn to Arkham by the death of her grandmother and tales of a man who can make the dead dance by playing a trumpet. Begins with 6 sanity and 4 stamina.
Minh Thi Phan - After immigrating from Korea, earning her degree, and landing a job as a secretary, Minh has been exposed to The King in Yellow by her employer. Now that her boss is dead from suicide, she wonders what to do next. Starts with 6 sanity and 4 stamina.
Patrice Hathaway - Believing she’s being watched by an evil spirit, this lovely violinist heads to the Curiositie Shoppe in Arkham seeking a cure. Begins with 5 sanity and 5 stamina.
Rita Young - A track and field star at Miskatonic University, Rita has recently been stalked by a mysterious group of men. As the game begins, she seeks to learn their identities. Begins with 4 sanity and 6 stamina.
Sister Mary - Following the strange events in Arkham, the gentle nun has started to suspect that something evil is lurking just out of sight. Clutching her Bible close, she sets off to investigate. Begins with 7 sanity and 3 stamina.
Trish Scarborough - A spy for the government, Trish has recently started to wonder if her employers are truly working towards the best interest of the United States. She’s come to Arkham to get the answers she seeks. Introduced in the Innsmouth Horror expansion, Trish begins the game with 6 sanity and 4 stamina.
Ursula Downs - With 5 sanity and 5 stamina, Ursula is Arkham Horror’s version of Laura Croft. Her latest adventure has brought her to Arkham, following a collection of stolen relics and a trail of corpses.
Wendy Adams - Torn from her parents by circumstances beyond her control, Wendy is an orphan girl in search of the truth. Begins the game with 4 sanity and 4 stamina.
Zoey Samaras - Introduced in the Innsmouth Horror expansion, Zoey is a chef who’s been guided to Arkham by visions from God. She starts the game with 3 sanity and 7 stamina.
Most Arkham Horror investigators have stamina and sanity scores that add up to 10. Each investigator also has special skills and qualities that help set them apart from others and create a more diverse group of characters. The ultimate key to winning Arkham Horror, however, is teamwork. A group working in tandem can defeat almost any challenge, even if they’re comprised of orphans, hobos, and mild-mannered secretaries.