"Ashcan" Pete the Wandering Bard

This is an all purpose build suited for solo or group play. The key concepts are:

Encounter control: Ward of Protection and A Test of Will give you the ability to counter most of the random events that come up during the Mythos Phase that you (or an ally with "A test of wills") are unprepared to deal with.

Self Buff: Arcane Studies and Scrapper allow Duke to be more efficient with his investigation and fighting by increasing his already respectable base skills. Also the above cards allow Ashcan himself to perform his own investigations and fighting especially in combination with Rise to the Occasion while duke is Exhausted.

Zero XP Starting Build: Replace A Test of Will with Rabbit's Footor Cunning Distraction