Animate Wood (Wizard Spell)

By means of this spell, the wu jen is able to cause wooden items to move and bend. It has its greatest effect when cast upon living plants, although it can be used on all types of wooden items. When cast, the spell gives the wood suppleness and motion, possibly allowing the item to move, grasp, entangle, etc. However, this movement is slow and somewhat stiff and thus animated objects always strike last in combat situations.
The spell does not change the form of the item. An arrow is still a single shaft, although it can wriggle and move like a snake. Likewise, the spell does not give fixed items the ability to move about. Thus, a tree cannot be animated to walk since it is rooted in one spot. However, animated items can be ordered to attack as a O level human and cause damage comparable to a weapon of the same size and type. An arrow could strike like a snake causing damage as an arrow, while a tree branch can Club and thrash, causing damage as a club. The DM must determine the exact range of damage possible for the animated item.
The item has an Armor Class from 10 to 5, based on the size, solidity, and maneuverability of the object. An animated stand of bamboo would have an Armor Class of 10 because it does not move and is easily cut. A cypress tree could easily have an Armor Class of 5 because it is quite large and difficult to damage. Furthermore, the item possesses hit points (O hit points indicates the item has been chopped into pieces). As a guideline, each object possesses Idl() hit points for every 10 feet of height or square yard of area. A spear shaft has Id10 points while an arrow has I or 2 at most. A tall tree has 100 to 200 hit points if it is quite massive.
The amount Of material that can be animated depends on if it is living or not. A single plant of living wood (S feet tall or less) can be animated for every level of the caster. For nonliving wood, a piece roughly the size of two arrows can be animated for every level of the caster. If the material is magical (an arrow +1), a saving throw vs. spell
as a 20th-level wizard is allowed (6 or better), further adjusted for any magical plus (the arrow would save on a 5 or better). If successful, the animation attempt has been resisted.
The material component for this spell is a mixture of powdered cinnabar and ground peach pit.
Notes: Common in oriental settings; otherwise very rare.
Category:Oriental Adventures Spells
Category:Wizard Spells
Category:Spells
Category:Spells from Wizard's Spell Compendium