I’ve been playing with short, flavorful classes for Maze Knights, inspired by Daniel Sell’s work on Troika! Here’s one I just typed up:

skeleton king

You awoke suddenly and clawed your way out from your crypt, life suddenly surging through your brittle bones from the final incantation placed upon you at the moment of your death. You now find yourself in a world you do not understand, surrounded by lowborn fools and barbaric customs. Your monuments lie in ruins, your deeds forgotten, your servants gone to dust. But your time is not over. Among the endless dead there must yet lie those who remember your glory, ready to rise at your summons and bring the world once more under your heel.

STARTING LIFE: 4

STARTING MANA: 6

SKILLS: Roll six times on the following table and add the results to your character sheet. If you roll the same skill more than once, add the bonuses. If a roll would raise a skill above +3, reroll.

Outdated Etiquette +1 Ancient History +1 Dead Languages +1 Obscure Philosophy +1 Willpower +1 Ceremonial weapon of your choice +1

EQUIPMENT

Crown

Ceremonial weapon of your choice

As many gold coins as you can carry (200 coins fill an item slot).

ABILITIES

You can speak the language of the undead and the secret language of all royalty.

You can spend 1 mana and take 10 minutes to reanimate a skeleton. Upon reanimation, roll on the reaction table to find its disposition. Hostile skeletons were enemies of your empire in life, while helpful skeletons are utterly loyal to you. Those in the middle may have to be incentivized.

You are undead and are immune to hunger, thirst, exhaustion, poison, disease, etc.

I’m working on more of these as part of the slow but steady development of Maze Knights, the expansion/revision of Maze Rats. You can join the Patreon if you want to get regular draft documents.