The Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff introduces a brand new freelance career, Paranormal Investigator. This allows your Sim to venture to haunted lots and take care of the specter problem in exchange for a nice wodge of Simoleons. If you've ever wanted to be a Ghostbuster then this is your chance. It's an active career so you get to be fully involved in how you tackle the spooks.
The Paranormal Investigator career works in a similar way to the other freelancer branches, using an agency and gig system. However, there are also a few differences, namely that you need to do some prep work before you can begin. In this guide, we walk you through the steps to becoming a successful Paranormal Investigator.
Becoming Licensed
The first step is to gain a Paranormal Investigator License. Unlike the regular freelance careers, when agencies will take you on without any experience, you can't just join the Federal Bureau of Spooky Investigation unprepared. You'll need a Paranormal Investigator License which can be gained through the pack's spirit guide Guidry or the rewards store.
If you want a license fast then you can simply head into the rewards menu and purchase one for 3000 reward points. However, this career also benefits hugely from the Brave Trait, which costs a whopping 8000 reward points, so you may want to take the alternative option and level your Medium Skill. The skill itself also helps the gigs go smoothly so we recommend this option.
The Medium Skill
The Medium Skill can be leveled quite quickly using the various different options on the Séance Table. It's a five-level skill so doesn't take too long to level, as long as you don't encounter any hiccups along the way. If your Sim is a spellcaster, they'll level the skill faster but even regular Sims can get through it quite quickly.
Once your skill level has been maxed out you can speak to Guidry and ask him about the license. How you do this will depend on what type of lot you live on. If you live on a Haunted House Residential lot then he'll automatically appear and introduce himself on the second night. If you're on a regular lot you'll need to seek him out.
While you don't need to live in a Haunted House, you will need one to find Guidry. This is because his initial appearance is triggered by the traits that come with this lot type. To find him simply visit a Haunted House occupied by another Sim or Sims and then hang around until the specters come out and he appears.
Once you've introduced yourself to him you'll see the "I want to become a Paranormal Investigator" option and can select this to get your license. If you need Guidry's help again you'll be able to summon him from a séance table or circle after the initial contact.
Joining The Paranormal Investigator Career
Once you have your license then it's a simple matter of using the regular career menu to select Freelance and then joining the Federal Bureau of Spooky Investigation. This will give you the option to select gigs.
When you hit Check for Gigs in the career menu you'll notice that it's a little different from normal. Instead of a variety of options you simply have three difficulty levels to choose from; beginner, adept and expert.
All gigs will take place at 9:30 pm and last until 6:30 am. The day your job takes place will always be the closest to the time you select the option. This means that you can select a gig at 9.00 pm and leave 30 minutes later. Gigs also take place seven days a week so you can work any night you choose. This can be a seven day a week job if you are really enthusiastic!
Your First Gig
We recommend starting with the beginner gigs until you've got the hang of how everything works, especially if you don't have the brave trait. This is because your Sim will become easily terrified and that will hinder your progress severely.
Each gig will begin in the same way, with your Sim being sent to a random occupied lot in any of the worlds in your game. This could be a pre-built lot or one you built yourself.
- Note: The ghostly events you are stopping are contained to the gig. Any lots that are haunted during your investigations will not be haunted at any other time, even if you fail.
Once there you will have tasks to undertake in order to exorcise the lot. These are split into three categories, things to destroy, things to expel, and ceremonies to perform. The items you'll need to destroy are known as accursed objects and comprise tendrils, creepy dolls, slime puddles, and occult symbols on the floor. You simply need to click each item and then your Sim will clear it up.
When it comes to the specters you'll have different options. you can try asking them to leave, offer them a handmade gift or give up a piece of your soul. These choices all have different consequences.
Assuming you have level five medium skill you'll also be able to use a séance circle. From here you can perform a ceremony to increase spiritual harmony on the lot.
Every successful task undertaken will increase the progress bar. Once it hits the top the gig is complete. If you are struggling to complete the tasks there are a few ways that you can get help and increase your chances of success.
Becoming Brave
You'll quickly discover that the biggest hindrance to your progress in this career is the terrified moodlet. Many different things can trigger it including flashing lights, loud noises, and specters. Once your Sim is terrified they'll be unable to clear accursed objects. Since destroying these is the fastest way to clear the lot this is a considerable hindrance.
To counter the terrified moodlet you can hide under covers, although the household occupants won't like this, or light sacred candles and stand close by. You can also talk to a Hello Dahlia Doll if you have one.
Sacred Candles are available from the rewards menu and cost 500 reward points for three. You can also craft them with no skill required from wraith wax dropped by specters you've given gifts to. Sacred Candles lit and placed by a séance circle can also help negate bad consequences to spiritual ceremonies so are worth having in your inventory. Hello Dahlia Dolls are one of the random rewards given for completing gigs.
The most reliable way to counter terror is to purchase the brave trait for 8000 reward points. While this is a hefty amount you can gain reward points quicker by living in a haunted house. Every night on a haunted lot will reward points, with these being doubled if you set the lot to heroic mode.
The brave trait will mean your Sim can deal with more supernatural activity before they become terrified and will also snap out of it quicker. It's well worth the investment for anyone in this career.
Calling In Some Help
Why do all the dirty work when you can call in some help? Assuming you've already introduced yourself to Guidry then you will be able to summon him onto the lot using a séance circle. Once there he will help clear up and can also offer your Sim some useful advice and items that can help you. Simply navigate to the menu marked Guidry in his social interactions and ask away.
Bonehilda can also be summoned to a lot and she's most useful if you encounter Temperance. While Guidry has a rocky history with her, which can lead to trouble, Bonehilda has no qualms about dispatching the angry ghost.
She'll bring out her fighting skills and make short work of the irritable visitor, saving you a huge amount of time and energy. Alternatively, if you have a Bizarre Idol place one down near Temperance and it will start flaming, causing her to cower in fear.
The final thing it's worth taking with you is homemade gifts. These can be anything a Sim makes themselves and includes baked goods as well as items from other DLC packs including knitted items, crafted candles, fizzy juice, etc. You can offer these to specters and often they'll leave you a little gift and leave the lot, especially those which are green or yellow.
You can of course simply gift part of your soul but this does reduce your Sims lifespan by a few days. While you can sometimes get some of it back by collecting soul scraps, giving away too many pieces of yourself can quite literally kill you if you play with aging on.
Tips To Get To The Top
While this all sounds very complicated there are a few simple things you can do to help you complete those gigs. Here are our top tips.
- Go Slowly
The beginner gig is easy once you've got the hang of the mechanics but the difficulty ramps up very fast with higher levels. Since your entire night can be ruined with a lengthy terrified moodlet we recommend building experience and purchasing the Brave trait before you ramp up to the highest level.
- Be Prepared
Before you go to the gig make sure you have everything you might need. The checklist is: a bizarre idol in case Temperance shows up, some homemade items to offer to angry specters, and some sacred candles to help negate fear and aid summoning. You may also want to take a Hello Dahlia Doll to talk to.
- Prioritize Tasks
Stomping on tendrils and dolls and mopping up slimes and symbols are quick ways to increase the meter. Since you can't do these when terrified, try doing as many as you can before you do anything else.
- Use The Outside
Most lots have outdoor space and this can often be filled with tendrils and other accursed objects. While specters may also wander around, these are often more spread out, especially in larger lots. This means you can do more without flashing lights and noises you'll encounter inside triggering the terrified moodlet.
You can also create a séance circle outside which is equally helpful. Once the outside is clear, summon your backup and knock on the front door to enter the building and clear the rest.
Rewards
Successful completion of a gig will reward $750 for beginner, $1,500 for adept, and $3,000 for expert. You'll also gain a random reward that will appear in your inventory. The rewards are as follows.
- Bizzare Idols - Used to stop Temperance.
- Wraith Wax - Used to make sacred candles.
- Specter Sips - Can be drunk to gain a random skill point.
- Ectocake - Can be eaten to grant positive moodlets.
- Clay Hands - A display item.
- Specter Buddies Jars - Decorative but can be named.
- Hello Dahlia Dolls - Can be named and talked to.
- Soul Pieces - Can be absorbed to gain some extra days on your Sim's life.
- Unassuming Candy Jars - Can be eaten for positive moodlets but too many have the opposite effect.
If you start to become overrun with rewards you can add them to the world and click them to sell to an oddity collector. This will also increase your fame if you have Get Famous so you too can become a famous Ghostbuster. All together now...
"We ain't afraid of no ghost."