Corpse Rider [Thrall Upgrade]
Prerequisite: A thrall must receive the Ghostly upgrade (see IKUA, p. 74) to be able to receive the Corpse Rider upgrade
Rune Points: +2
Special Rules: A thrall with this upgrade can “step into” a corpse that may only be one base size larger or smaller than the thrall and possess it. Remove the thrall from play when it rides a corpse. All continuous effects, spells and animi on the thrall expire when it is removed. The thrall takes control of the corpse, which becomes undead and regains a single dot of vitality in each of its aspects, and can use all of its living stats and abilities (though it is restricted to the knowledge and language skills of the riding thrall).
The thrall can choose to exit the corpse during its Maintenance Phase, and will reappear within 3” of the corpse when it does so. The corpse is not destroyed by the thrall exiting, but simply becomes a normal corpse again. If the corpse was destroyed by damage while the thrall was riding it, however, the thrall is expelled once the corpse loses all of its vitality, with the thrall suffering any damage in excess of the corpse’s vitality. A thrall cannot ride a corpse again that was destroyed while it was being ridden.
Morgan’s Notes: This thrall upgrade is quite popular with necromancers intent on raiding urban cemeteries for the purposes of forensic necromancy, as it allows the unearthed corpses to simply walk off, pretending to be living, rather than requiring carts or needing to be conspicuously carried by the graverobbers (though this requires thralls of at the very least warrior-grade intellect to pull off; most necromancers also douse the ridden corpses in copious amounts of rotgut, both to provide an excuse for them struggling to speak as well as to hide the stench of decay).
Comments welcome, as usual.