THE GROUNDS 33PP CORPSE RIDER.

33PP CORPSE RIDER. A pale obese figure rides in an endless circle upon the backs of a dozen zombies. In the center of the circle is a throne holding a golden figure. If the circle is breached, or if the the corpse rider or its zombies are attacked, they will move to attack the party. Otherwise they will ignore intruders.

12 Zombies (AC 8; MV 6"; HD 2; hp 9 each; #AT 1; D 1-8; SA Always lose initiative; SD Limited spell immunity; XP 38 each)

The Corpse Rider, Restless Dead (AC 6; MV 1"; HD 8; hp 36; #AT 0; D Nil; SA Spit corrosive from nostrils for 1d12; SD Limited spell immunity, corrosive blood; XP 1185)

The corpse rider is so impossibly corpulent that it is impossible to distinguish original gender. The arms and legs have rolls of clammy, flabby tissue and even the face has so much excess flesh that no eyes or mouth is visible, Instead the long, prehensile nose moves about like an antenna, able to pinpoint the position of any person in the room. It is able to spit an acidic substance from this obscene organ anywhere in the room. The blood of the corpse rider is also acidic, and any weapons striking it must make a saving throw vs acid (see page 80 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). Any character killed by the corpse rider will rise as a zombie.

The zombies will move to protect the corpse rider as they carry it, so there is a 3 in 6 chance that any strike that is aimed at and hits the corpse rider will actually hit a random zombie. Because the zombies are busy carrying the corpse rider, only one out of every two will be able to attack at any time. They can move at there normal rate (6") as long as 8 are still functional. For every two destroyed after that, the rate decreases by 1".

The floor where the group walks is stained red and black from the blood and effluvia of the rotting zombies.

On the throne is a humanoid figure made from golden wire (600 gold crescents worth) and bearing a large ruby at the center of the forehead (5000 gold crescents). The figure acts as a cage for about 40 naked human-like figures, each about an inch tall. These tiny living beings show deformities such hunchbacks, extra eyes, and malformed limbs. Each being in a state of extreme lethargy, but if the ruby is removed they will begin bloodily cannibalizing each other until only a few are left, so bloated that they cannot move.