Isabelle Barnes
The Returned

Ermittler

Chosen. Hunter.

Überlebender
  • 4
  • 2
  • 3
  • 3
Health: 5. Sanity: 9.

During a skill test you are performing, take 1 direct horror: Commit an eligible skill from your discard pile to this test. After this test resolves, shuffle that card into your deck. (Limit once per round.)

effect: +1. If you succeed, heal 1 horror.

"My sister's sacrifice won't be in vain."
Aleksander Karcz
Core Set (2026) #13.

Isabelle Barnes - Back

Ermittler

Deck Size: 30.

Deckbuilding Options: Survivor cards () level 0-5, Mystic cards () level 0-2, Neutral cards level 0-5.

Deckbuilding Requirements (do not count toward deck size): Isabelle's Twin .45s, Breaking Point, 1 random basic weakness.

Isabelle Barnes has been on the run for as long as she can remember. She finally escaped from the Olmsteads, a family cult who thought of her as the "final piece" for some dark and twisted ritual. She doesn't know what made her so special to the cult. But now, thanks to her sister Jenny, Isabelle is finally free. But freedom comes at a cost. Her sister gave everything to get Isabelle back, and for that, Isabelle intends to make the Olmsteads - and all those who prey on the weak and innocent - pay in blood. Armed with her lost sister's twin .45s, Isabelle can finally turn to face her pursuers head on.
Isabelle Barnes
Isabelle Barnes
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Reviews

Izzy is a great start for the new core set, both in terms of flavor and in terms of the characters. She is simultaneously something new and somewhat old, since we've all been searching for her every time we played Jenny Barnes. Her stat line is perhaps a tad underwhelming, but that's not really surprising given that she is a survivor and historically, they have/will get lots of ways to buff their skills, especially the defensive ones like Will and Agility.

I think Izzy's strongest point is that she has access to Mystic 2. While it isn't the best access, it provides at least enough to give her ways to use her Will so that you can focus on buffing that over trying to get her Fight and Agility up. It makes her signature asset all but useless, and I have to imagine that most of the time, it is going to end up either committed to a test, or used to deal with swarms of weak enemies that pop up.

The most interesting part of her design by far though is her ability. The ability to recur a clutch skill from the discard pile cannot be overstated, and makes it almost possible to try to run some cards that could get her gun into a usable position. Overpower becomes +2 and draw to on a successful attack, as do Guts and Manual Dexterity. That says nothing of the other cards that you might want to have repeated access to. If you're not limiting to the new card pool, Take Heart becomes stupid powerful, as do any of your leveled commits like Last Chance (3) or Enraptured (2) (to put charges back on the spells that you may want to investigate with). The only disappointing thing about this ability is that it is limited to once per round. It's powerful enough that I understand this choice, but with the current card options for healing horror, I do think you could let the player take a bigger risk. That said, I still think 1 per round is plenty. Just means you need to choose carefully.

Vardaman · 2
Sorry, but Nothing Left To Lose isn't a level 2 skill, it is a level 3 event — HeroesOfTomorrow · 98
You are correct, I was thinking of Last Chance (3), not sure how I made that mistake — Vardaman · 2
Tbf I also did similiar mistakes often, like mixing up Versatile for Adaptable — HeroesOfTomorrow · 98
If you're looking to do something with her guns, she might be the best candidate for at least two of the Empower Self copies. — Xenas · 7