Woodbound

Nature Finds a Way

Woodbound are constructs made of wood and stone that house the soul of a humanoid. In many ways Woodbound are similar to golems, but unlike golems, they maintain their own free will seperate and apart for their creator. It is unclear when the first Woodbound was made or what motivated their creation, but Woodbound have been known to exist in all corners of Thinia. Some anthropologists suggest that the first woodbound were created during the Age of Magic by powerful druids to serve as adaptable warriors and protectors.
There are no large communities of Woodbound and it is not uncommon for a Woodbound to be the only one of its kind in a given area. A Woodbound may not be aware of its life before its infusion or the reason why the individual underwent the infusion in the first place.
Woodbound have the following features;

• Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
• Age: The maximum lifespan of the warforged remains a mystery; so far, warforged have shown no signs of deterioration due to age. You are immune to magical aging effects.
• Size: Your size is Medium.
• Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
• Constructed Resilience: You were created to have remarkable fortitude, represented by the following benefits:
  • You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage.
  • You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe. You are immune to disease.
  • You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep.
• Sentry's Rest: When you take a long rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but it doesn’t render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.
• Integrated Protection: Your body has built-in defensive layers, which can be enhanced with armor. You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
• You can don only armor with which you have proficiency. To don armor, you must incorporate it into your body over the course of 1 hour, during which you must remain in contact with the armor. To doff armor, you must spend 1 hour removing it. You can rest while donning or doffing armor in this way. While you live, your armor can't be removed from your body against your will.
• Artificial Body: You cannot be healed by healing spells or spell like effects, you can only recover hitpoints through long or short rests. Additionally when another character attempts to stabilize a Woodbound they must make a Nature (Int) check or use a repair kit (same cost as a healers kit).
• Specialized Design: You gain one skill proficiency and one tool proficiency of your choice.
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice. The language of your choice may be indicative of your ancestry before you became Woodbound.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Woodbound often take literal names based on their natural traits or personality. Common names include Bark, Moss, Boulder, Rock, Calm, Fury, or Strong. Some Woodbound take on family names but this is uncommon because Woodbound are not able to have children.

Beauty Ideals

Woodbound do not have set beauty standards. Woodbound view the body as a utilitarian thing meant to allow the soul inside to achieve their goals. Woodbound tend to emphasize the content of someone's character over their appearance.

Gender Ideals

If a Woodbound identifies as male or female this is due to their life prior to their infusion. Most Woodbound simply go by their name and do not identify as male or female.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Woodbound tend to make other ancestries uncomfortable or uneasy. Their unmoving faces and artificial bodies are hard for many ancestries to read and understand. However, when people get to know a Woodbound they see the personality of the soul infused into the mix of wood and stone. Woodbound have a history of assisting individuals who are lost in the forest or otherwise distressed in nature. There are many folktales concerning guardians of wooded areas or so called "green knights" these are often about kindly Woodbound that aid others.

A Woodbound monk called Bark.

Lifespan

Unknown

Average Height

5'00"-8'00"

Average Weight

200-300 lbs.

Average Physique

Woodbound vary greatly in size and shape, but all are bipedal and humanoid shaped.