Wood

Wood is the main material for carpentry, and is the primary material for Armoury for most low-tech weapons or weapon hafts--not including their metal striking surfaces, like bronze and iron blades.Low-Tech Companion 2, p.23-24 describes the composition of plenty of wooden and wood/metal weapons. There are countless different species of trees, and therefore countless different colors, patterns, and rarities of wood.
== Stats ==
* Tech Level: Most wooden tools are developed at TL0, or can be made at TL0. 
* Damage Resistance: Wood typically has DR 0.5 to DR 1 per inch, and has varying flammability depending on how old and dry it is (see Making Things Burn).
** Wooden structures effectively have ablative DR--repeated attacks to the same surface (for instance, a log, or a wooden door) reduces the DR. Typically, this can't reduce the DR below 1, as a minimum.Basic Set: Campaigns, p.559
** HP and DR of Objects and Cover: DR 1-12, HP 23-54; based on thickness not wood type.Basic Set p 558
* Flammability: Wood is generally considered flammable as an intuitive rule, but it varies highly depending on its dampness!
** Ignite Fire will ignite "heavy wood" in two secondsGURPS Magic p 72
** Paper is Highly FlammableMaking Things BurnPaper is also made from rags and grasses
** Dry wood is Flammable
** Seasoned wood is Resistant
** Green wood is Highly Resistant
=== Extrapolations ===
*Given how Ignite Fire compares "heavy wood" to coal (which requires other flammable material to get going) Resistant seems to be the most logical
== Vehicles ==
Wood is the default and primary material for most vehicles from TL0 to TL4--from dogsleds to canoes to galleons.Vehicles, p.19 As expected, it's quite buoyant on its own (useful for solid-bodied rafts), and can be found in abundance on Earth's forests. At TL6, only very cheap, very light structures are made with wood (for instance, updated carriages). By TL7+, almost all vehicles use hybrid materials (wood, metals, synthetics, etcetera), although some may be made at a deliberately lower TL, such as historical replicas!
Around TL5, some more expensive or specialized vehicles become metal-hulled as standard--such as ironclad ships or steam trains. Carpenters and shipbuilders around this transition may need to update their skill TL.
== Cool Woods ==
In fantasy settings, woods tend to be a lot more varied and strange...
Wood 	Appearance 	Description
PoisonwoodFanon 	A slightly gray-violet wood, usually strangely sappy.	Poisonwood trees are thin and grow in small, birch-like stands. they're mainly used for treated-and-poisoned arrowheads or spear-tips.
Essentialized Woodbased on Essential Wood spell	Any 	Not a wood in and of itself, Essentialized Wood is any wood that's enchanted (usually after being cut and carved) to become about x3 harder. "Essen" Oak and Maple seem to be most common. It's unknown if this is the same material as "ironwood"...
Treantheart 	Varies, usually richly colored. 	This part of a magic tree is still alive, given freely as part of a pact. Treantheart is used in magic staffs, wands, and occasionally masks. It's only slightly harder than other woods, but it tends to heal damage and scratches over time. As expected, it helps greatly with plant magic--and it's considered a great crime to have a stolen treantheart item.
Skystruck Char 	Charcoal black 	Without magic, lightning-struck wood is fragile and nearly useless. But with magic, it can become a powerful tool for storing and unleashing magical might. This material is used in staffs, wands, and even bows, and improves effective skill when casting missile spells, especially Lightning. Skystruck items tend to also have a few extra points of FP storage.
== Related Skills ==
* Professional Skill (Forester) for gathering/preparing wood,Low-Tech Companion 3, p.23 and Carpentry for making furniture. 
== Notes ==
==References==
Category:Rules
Category:Concepts