Wood Golem — The Timber Sentinel
The bridge timbers have climbed out of the river. A watchman swears that the beams were stacked for repairs at dusk. By dawn, they stood in the shape of a person at the old tollgate, their joints grinding as rain ran from the newly fitted planks.
A wood golem is a working construct made from cut timber, carved beams and magically joined pieces of fine wood. Its roughly human shape is plain: shoulders of squared lumber, thick hinges at the elbows and mismatched pieces still bearing saw marks. Unlike the carved heartwood Oak Golem, it need not resemble a living tree.
Who Built the Timber Sentinel?
The wood may come from a lord’s estate, a guild workshop or an ancient forest dismantled for construction. An artificer can make a guardian out of planks that would otherwise become a gate. The purpose is simple: bar a bridge, protect a workshop, watch a storehouse or retrieve stolen material. It follows the terms of its binding without judgement; the maker’s authority may have passed to people who no longer know the command.
Some woodland guardians despise these manufactured sentinels, especially if sacred trees were cut to build them. Others accept them when a village uses fallen timber to guard itself from soldiers. A party can discover which by examining the cut marks, the carpenters’ sigils and the instructions hidden in its joints.
What Is Happening Right Now?
Rains have wrecked the bridge serving a market town. A carpenter’s guild has laid out beams for its repair, but someone has enchanted the workmen’s stock to guard a locked riverside storehouse instead. Each night the timbers rise, carrying away another wagon of planks. A merchant insists the wood was paid for; the guild refuses to open its accounts.
Only the old master carpenter knows who gave the order. He has vanished from his workshop, leaving a half-cut command rune and a tally of timber stolen from a protected grove. Soldiers plan to seize the storehouse before dawn, while the river continues to rise. The characters can track the golem’s route, examine the binding or strike a new bargain between the guild and the grove’s wardens.
Behaviour and Warning Signs
A wood golem can stand amongst crates and planking without drawing attention. It seldom uses deception knowingly; its inert state is simply difficult to distinguish from stacked material. When a named intruder approaches, a loose hinge tightens, nails begin to click, and sawdust shakes from its arms. It attacks with two blunt wooden fists before breaking splinters from its own frame and flinging them into a crowd.
The party may notice that certain beams carry marks indicating the original forest or quarry from which they came. Reassembling the command inscription on the joints can be more effective than chopping the golem into pieces, and the damaged timbers could be returned to the structures they were taken from.
The scars of its making can tell a more precise story. Axe-hewn faces, saw kerfs, peg holes and joints cut by different hands reveal which timbers came from a bridge and which from a workshop. Let a carpenter or attentive explorer match a beam to a missing railing or trace the maker’s sign beneath old pitch. A golem may be incapable of explaining itself, but the materials of its body can expose its owner’s lie.
Wood Golem Stat Blocks
Choose one edition. The Pathfinder 1e Wood Golem is a published CR 6 creature. The fifth-edition CR 5 interpretation and the D&D 3.5e adaptation below are original conversions. This D&D 3.5e conversion is not the separate Wood Golem from Dragon #341.
Wood Golem — D&D 2024
Medium Construct, Unaligned · CR 5 (1,800 XP; PB +3) · Original D&D 2024 Conversion
Initiative +0 (10).
AC 16 (timber plating); HP 93 (11d10 + 33); Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 (+4) | 10 (+0) | 16 (+3) | 3 (−4) | 11 (+0) | 1 (−5) |
Saving Throws Str +7, Con +6; Skills Perception +3. Immunities Poison and Psychic damage; Bludgeoning, Piercing and Slashing damage from nonmagical attacks except adamantine weapons; Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified and Poisoned conditions. Vulnerability Fire damage. Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 13. Languages Understands its creator’s languages but cannot speak.
Traits
Immutable Form. The golem cannot have its form altered by spells or other effects. Magic Resistance. It has Advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects. Magic Weapons. Its weapon attacks count as magical.
Fire Vulnerability. The golem has Vulnerability to Fire damage. Cold damage doesn’t heal it in this fifth-edition version unless the GM chooses to use the optional Pathfinder-style interaction below.
Optional Cold Repair. If the GM wishes to retain Pathfinder’s cold-healing interaction, magical Cold damage instead restores HP equal to one-third the damage it would normally deal, rounded down. This is a conversion option that changes the creature’s challenge; do not apply it silently to the default CR 5 version.
Actions
Multiattack. The wood golem makes two Slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Attack Roll +7, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) Bludgeoning damage.
Wood Barrage (Recharge 5–6). The golem releases a cloud of splinters from its joints. Each creature within 20 feet makes a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) Piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. Wooden cover or a solid wall blocks the splinters as normal for an area effect.
Original 2024-compatible adaptation of the pre-existing site’s CR 5 Wood Golem. This is not an official 2024 Monster Manual or SRD 5.2.1 creature. Pathfinder’s splintering burst is translated into Wood Barrage here with an appropriate recharge.
Wood Golem — D&D 2014
Medium Construct, Unaligned · CR 5 (1,800 XP) · Original D&D 2014 Conversion
AC 16 (timber plating); HP 93 (11d10 + 33); Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 (+4) | 10 (+0) | 16 (+3) | 3 (−4) | 11 (+0) | 1 (−5) |
Saving Throws Str +7, Con +6; Skills Perception +3. Immunities Poison and Psychic damage; Bludgeoning, Piercing and Slashing damage from nonmagical attacks except adamantine weapons; Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified and Poisoned conditions. Vulnerability Fire damage. Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13. Languages Understands its creator’s languages but cannot speak.
Traits
Immutable Form. The golem cannot have its form altered by spells or other effects. Magic Resistance. It has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects. Magic Weapons. Its weapon attacks count as magical.
fire vulnerability. The golem has vulnerability to fire damage. cold damage doesn’t heal it in this fifth-edition version unless the GM chooses to use the optional Pathfinder-style interaction below.
Optional cold Repair. If the GM wishes to retain Pathfinder’s cold-healing interaction, magical cold damage instead restores hit points equal to one-third the damage it would normally deal, rounded down. This is a conversion option that changes the creature’s challenge; do not apply it silently to the default CR 5 version.
Actions
Multiattack. The wood golem makes two Slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Wood Barrage (Recharge 5–6). The golem releases a cloud of splinters from its joints. Each creature within 20 feet makes a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. Wooden cover or a solid wall blocks the splinters as normal for an area effect.
Original fifth-edition rules retained and corrected from the earlier page. The 2014 form uses the same CR 5 encounters and is distinct from the published Pathfinder CR 6 original. These are not official 2014 SRD statistics.
Wood Golem — Pathfinder 1e
Published Pathfinder 1e · CR 6 (XP 2,400) · N Medium Construct
Initiative +3; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Low-Light Vision; Perception +0.
Defence
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +6 natural); HP 64 (8d10 + 20); Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +5; DR 5/adamantine; Immune construct traits, most magic; Weakness vulnerable to Fire.
Offence
Speed 30 ft.; Melee two slams +12 (2d6 + 4); Special Attack Splintering.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 (+4) | 17 (+3) | — | — | 17 (+3) | 1 (−5) |
BAB +8; CMB +12; CMD 25 (30 against trip). Environment any; Organisation solitary or gang (2–4); Treasure none.
Special Abilities
Splintering (Su). As a free action once every 1d4 + 1 rounds, it throws razor-sharp wooden splinters in a 20-foot-radius burst. Creatures in the area take 6d6 Slashing damage (Reflex DC 14 halves). The printed save is Constitution-based despite the golem having no Constitution score; the fixed DC is retained.
Immunity to Magic (Ex). The wood golem is immune to spells or spell-like abilities allowing Spell Resistance except Fire spells, which affect it normally. Warp wood and wood shape slow it for 2d6 rounds without a save. Repel wood forces it back 60 feet and inflicts 2d12 damage. Magical Cold ends the slow effect and heals 1 HP for each 3 Cold damage it would otherwise take, adding excess healing as temporary HP; it makes no saving throw against Cold effects.
Construction
A rough wooden body, around 6½ feet tall and 400 pounds, assembled from fine timber. Treat the pieces with 300 gp of powders and crushed herbs. CL 12th; Price 19,300 gp; Cost 8,800 gp; Craft Construct, alarm, animate objects, cat’s grace, geas/quest, limited wish. Creator caster level 12th; Craft (carpentry) DC 17.
Published Pathfinder source: Paizo, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, Wood Golem. Read the Pathfinder Wood Golem reference. The statistics, weakness, cold healing and construction rules in this panel follow the published PF1e creature.
Wood Golem — D&D 3.5e
Original D&D 3.5e-Style Conversion of Pathfinder’s Wood Golem · CR 6 · N Medium Construct
Hit Dice 8d10 + 20 (64 HP); Initiative +3; Speed 30 ft.; AC 19 (+3 Dex, +6 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 16.
Base Attack/Grapple +6/+10; Attack Slam +10 melee (2d6 + 4); Full Attack two slams +10 melee (2d6 + 4); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 (+4) | 17 (+3) | — | — | 17 (+3) | 1 (−5) |
Special Attacks Splintering; Special Qualities construct traits, DR 5/adamantine, immunity to magic, vulnerability to Fire, Darkvision 60 ft., Low-Light Vision; Saves Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +5; Environment any; Organisation solitary or gang (2–4); Treasure none.
Special Abilities
Splintering (Su). A free action once every 1d4 + 1 rounds releases a 20-foot-radius burst of splinters, dealing 6d6 Slashing damage, Reflex DC 14 half.
Immunity to Magic (Ex). Immune to effects permitting Spell Resistance except Fire. Warp wood and wood shape Slow it 2d6 rounds, repel wood pushes it back 60 ft. and deals 2d12 damage, and magical Cold dispels the slow effect while repairing 1 HP per 3 damage it would cause, with excess as temporary HP.
Construction — Campaign Conversion
Fashion 400 pounds of carefully selected timber into an articulated figure, with alchemical powders worth 300 gp; Craft (carpentry) DC 17. Suggested CL 12th, Craft Construct, alarm, animate objects, cat’s grace, geas/quest and limited wish. Adapting the Pathfinder price yields an indicative Price 19,300 gp, Cost 9,650 gp + 772 XP, subject to the GM’s normal d20 crafting adjustments.
Edition note: This is an original 3.5e conversion based on the published PF1e version, NOT a transcription of the different Wood Golem printed in Dragon #341 (2006). D&D 3.5e constructs use ¾ base attack progression, so its BAB is +6 and Slam +10, not the Pathfinder +8/+12.
Using the Wood Golem in Play
Make the fight about a place: a narrow bridge, a timber yard, scaffolds crowded with workers or a warehouse where every timber is precious. Its splinter burst can hit allies as well as enemies, so a clever party will use barriers, doorways and angles to prevent surrounding it. Put the maker’s seal somewhere players can discover before the first blow.
Fire is powerful but costly: setting a timber store alight might win the fight and destroy the town’s only material for the bridge. In Pathfinder and the 3.5e conversion, magical cold can repair the golem, while wood-shaping magic can slow it. Fifth-edition players should rely on the rules in their chosen tab rather than borrowing the original spell exceptions unannounced.
Show the splinter attack before it strikes: fibres flex outward from the golem’s joints, fresh cracks appear across its shoulders, and loose chips rattle on the floor. Players can spread out, use substantial cover or lure it into an empty yard rather than a crowded workshop. An intact joint bearing the command mark is worth protecting even during combat; if it survives, the guild can discover who ordered the guardian to take the stolen beams.
Adventure Encounters
The Bridge That Walked Away
The new crossing is almost ready until the central beams disappear one night. Tracks of splintered timber lead to a manor where its steward insists the wood belongs to him. The missing planks have assembled into a golem guarding a sealed strongbox. The characters can retrieve the beams, uncover a forged bill of sale or force the creature to recognise a new lawful owner before the flood destroys the old crossing.
The Carpenter’s Reckoning
A guild master has made a guardian from wood taken out of an ancient grove. The local foresters demand its return, but dismantling it will leave the town’s workshop defenceless against raiders. When the golem begins attacking anyone who carries a woodworking axe, the party must find the hidden command rune and decide whether the old oath, the guild’s need or the forest’s claims take precedence.
Sawdust at the Locked Gate
A warehouse door is found sealed from inside, though its owner has been dead for years. The shelves shift at night, and a wood golem has been building a barricade around a crate marked with a vanished noble family’s arms. It holds the ledger proving a murder, but removing it may release the guardian from the last instruction it knows. The party can disarm the enchantment, lure the golem away or decide who deserves the ledger.
Remains and Rewards
The golem carries no coins. Its maker’s stamp, arcane dowels, fine timber and engraved command rune may be useful in repairs or another construct’s making. A skilled craftsperson can determine where the wood was felled, who made the joints and how to break the binding safely. Destroying it without tracing the seal may leave its master’s plans undiscovered.
Related Creatures and Magic
Compare the Oak Golem, Stone Golem, golem collection, and the Treant. Useful spells include warp wood, wood shape, repel wood, animate objects, and geas/quest.
Sources: Paizo, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, Wood Golem, Craft Construct and related construction rules; reference: d20PFSRD Wood Golem. The Pathfinder stats follow that source; all other rules conversions, scenarios and descriptions were written for the campaign. A different D&D 3.5e Wood Golem appeared in Dragon #341 (2006).
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