Wooden Protector

A humanoid figure rustles with the sound of leaves as it turns to reveal a wooden mask crowned with feathers, above a body of tangled vines. The creature raises a gnarly club that seems to be an extension of its arms. The same bright green light glows from the crystal embedded in the head of the creature's club and from the eyes behind its mask.

Wooden Protector (CR 3)
XP 800
N Medium plant
Init +1; Perception +8 (low-light vision)

Defense
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 30 (4d8+12); regeneration 5 (fire)
Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +2
Immune plant traits

Offense
Speed 30 ft. (woodland stride)
Melee two-handed shillelagh +6 (2d6+4 bludgeoning)
Ranged thrown shillelagh (range 10 ft.) +5 (2d6+3 bludgeoning)
Offensive Abilities grasping roots (DC 14), wooden weapon
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +6)
Constant—shillelagh
At will—wood shape
1/day—warp wood (DC 14)

Statistics
Str 15, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 13, Cha 14
Base Attack +3; CMB +5; CMD 16
Feats Simple Weapon Proficiency, Toughness
Skills Perception +8, Stealth +1 (+9 in forests); Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth in forests
Languages Sylvan

Ecology
Environment any forest
Organization solitary, pair, or grove (1d4+2)
Treasure none (club or quarterstaff)

Special Abilities
Grasping Roots (Su) As a standard action, a wooden protector can animate a web of roots that bursts out of the ground around a creature within 30 feet. The target must make a DC 14 Reflex save. If it fails, the target is entangled and cannot move. The target can break free by making a successful DC 14 Strength or Escape Artist check as a standard action, or by dealing at least 3 points of slashing damage to the roots. The roots become brittle and break after 1d6 rounds. The save DC is Strength-based.

Wooden Weapon (Sp) A wooden protector can use its wood shape spell-like ability to fashion a wooden club or quarterstaff from its body, or to return such a weapon in its hands back to its body, as a free action. In addition, such a weapon wielded by a wooden protector is under the effects of a constant shillelagh spell. A wooden protector can wield such a club as a thrown weapon with a range increment of 10 feet as normal, but it takes 1d6 points of damage after it throws the club.

Woodland Stride (Ex) A wooden protector can move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at its normal speed without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Undergrowth that has been magically manipulated still affects it as normal.

The wooden protector appears for the first and only time in Into the Haunted Forest, the adventure for the beginner box before the Beginner Box back when Paizo wrote for Dungeons & Dragons. Here is a version for my Pathfinder games. I fixed some wonky interactions—for example, the original wields weapons that plants are not proficient with—and gave PCs a few more ways to overcome grasp of wood and natural movement.

Here are also some additional rules for using wooden protectors in your games.

Table: Knowledge (nature) Checks to Identify a Wooden Protector

DC	Information
13	This creature is a wooden protector. It is a plant, and it is immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms), paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep, and stun due to its type.
+5	For every 5 points, describe one of the following special abilities: grasping roots, regeneration, wooden weapon, and woodland stride.

Summoning a Wooden Protector
A druid or ranger can use a summon nature's ally IV spell to summon a wooden protector.

Some stories describe a wooden protector that failed to keep its summoner safe and was so moved by their death that it outlasted the duration of the spell that summoned it. Such a wooden protector lingers near the remains of its summoner, observing their last wishes or defending their resting place until it is destroyed. Since this deed requires the death of a druid or ranger in a moment of great need, it is not easily replicated.

Growing a Wooden Protector
A wooden protector can be grown much like a leshy. The maker must plant a bush over three gems, a mask carved from dead wood, and an enchanted branch of living wood. As the ritual tangles the vines and branches together into a wooden protector, the protector's face gains the likeness of the mask and the gems become its eyes and its first weapon.

Wooden Protector
CL 7th; Price 8,000 gp

Ritual
Requirements Knowledge (nature) 5 ranks, plant growth, shillelagh, summon nature's ally IV, warp wood, wood shape; Skill Knowledge (nature) DC 19; Cost 4,000 gp (which includes a wooden +1 club or quarterstaff, a wooden mask, and three gems worth at least 50 gp each)