Brains and Brawn - Strangelight’s Investigator and Jammer Classes
From the pen of agent, Matt Goetz
Front‑and‑center and eyes forward, Agents!
First up, Investigators! Those are the eggheads with spines—picture a mix of battlefield quartermaster, crime‑scene bloodhound, and that one nosy aunt who never stops asking why you’re still single. Their minds lock onto clues like an ogrun on a ham shank. They act as bonus brainpower for when you can’t manage on your own. Accept the help, thank them politely, and for the love of Morrow, don’t smudge their spectrographs with your greasy fingerprints—unless you enjoy a lecture about ‘contaminated data’ longer than a trollkin family reunion.
Next up, Jammers! These brave fools? They wear something called a Hostile Encounter Suit. Looks like regular armor but breathes a dust made from the Ashes of Urcaen. What does that do? It yanks the ectoplasm right out of a spirit’s comfort zone so our Jammer can clothesline it back to the afterlife. A good Jammer will shove you out of harm’s way, smack trouble in the teeth, or soak up punishment like a Winter Guard on double vyatka rations. They’re zealots with fists of steel, mobile brick walls, and wrecking balls with a pulse.
The Investigator has a mind like a steel trap, analyzing every clue, scrutinizing every statement, and leaving no stone unturned during an investigation. With a suite of abilities designed to maximize their teammates' efforts, an Investigator provides scientific observations and helpful information at every step of an investigation. Similar to the 5e Bard class, the Investigator supports their teammates and can give out Scientific Hunch dice, which other characters can use to modify rolls.
Investigators are also trained in the use of the portable lumitype, one of the most advanced pieces of equipment included in a team’s standard gear. Equipped with its own miniature strangelight projector, the lumitype can capture images onto thin metallic sheets called spectrographs. When treated with the proper alchemical solutions, the lumitype produces an accurate reproduction of whatever the Investigator aims it at. Thanks to the strangelight projector, custom-coated lenses, and alchemically treated spectrograph plates, the lumitype can gather various information, from the true visage of a disembodied soul to invisible runes etched into the walls of an infernal gateway.
As an Investigator gains experience, they have the opportunity to specialise their skills. The Forensic Examiner improves the Investigator’s core abilities and broadens their capacity to interpret information from a crime scene. The Lumitype Specialist focuses on maximizing the potential of the Investigator’s specialised lumitype, even gaining the ability to use one as a short-range weapon. Lastly, the Spiritual Analyst navigates the intersection between scientific inquiry and the occult, developing extrasensory perception and the capacity to access the spirit realm for profound benefits.
The Jammer is one of the more specialised careers in the Strangelight Workshop, and one who possesses some of the more unusual gear. A Jammer’s job is to protect their teammates–especially the Caller–against threats that can bypass the team’s Bouncer. Entities that can move incorporeally are often surprised by their inability to pass through a Bouncer. This is because of the Jammer’s Hostile Encounter Suit, a lightweight armor that circulates a fine dust of Ashes of Urcaen when activated. This alchemical compound strips spirits of their intangibility, enabling the Jammer to block and grapple with them. Along with the Jammer’s charged gauntlets, this setup has earned them the nickname “ghost punchers.”
Jammers are a defense-oriented class. They have a unique resource called Block, which they can use in various ways to support their teammates. A Jammer can spend Block to make counterattacks, gain an extra reaction, boost their defenses, or intercept enemy attacks targeting allies. Combined with the Jammer’s potent unarmed combat and grappling abilities, they are uniquely suited to protect more vulnerable members of the team.
Experienced Jammers have the chance to specialise further in several ways. Resolutes are formidable fighters who are unstoppable and unyielding in battle, using their faith and strong will to defeat otherworldly enemies. The Protector, meanwhile, focuses on boosting their defensive skills and blocking deadly attacks aimed at allies. The Rowdy emphasises using a Jammer’s raw physical strength and stamina to be the foundation of a team’s defense, capable of enduring waves of enemy assaults and continuing to fight despite the pain.
Check back next time as we move to the Strangelight Mechanik.
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