Bounder - By Bill Silvey

FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 2-12
ARMOR CLASS: -1/7
MOVE: 0"//120"
HIT DICE: 4
% IN LAIR: 0%
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-36/1-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Acid Damage
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Animal
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L (12' diameterl)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil 
Attack/Defense modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: V/90+5 per hit point

The Bounder is a large mushroom-shaped creature that moves by leaping through the air on it's numerous powerful legs.  The creature eats base metals and alloys by secreting a powerful acid through pores in its underside and then it "drinks up" the dissolved metal slurry.  Its great weight (in excess of 25000GP) and the powerful acid (1d12/round) make it a dangerous beast if it happens to land on another creature.  Like the rust monster (of which it may be a relative), the Bounder can smell metal in large quantities, especially in exposed veins above ground.  The creature is rarely if ever encountered in dungeons due to its size and movement mode.  While its thick, tough hide is almost rock-like in consistency, its underside is soft and vulnerable.  If a Bounder can be flipped over it can be made short work of.

Dwarves, gnomes, kobolds and other demi-human and humanoid races hate the Bounder and are in the process of hunting the creature to extinction.  It is most often found in open plains, leaping from one rocky spot to another, "grazing" for sustenance.