Golem III [Dark Sun]

A sand golem is an 8-foot humanoid with hollows in place of eyes and a mouth that cannot shape words, only roars and snarls. It trails a thin stream of sand as it walks, which makes it easy to track.

Its loose body lets many blows pass harmlessly through, giving it AC 3 against physical attacks. Besides the standard golem defenses, no spell works on it unless the caster has 3 or more Hit Dice or levels and is completely immune to transmutation magic at any level. Defilers of 3rd level and up deal 1 extra point of spell damage for each level past 3rd (+2 at 5th, +3 at 6th, and so on).

Its arms hit for 2d6. Whenever it lands a blow, the target must save vs. paralysis or be pulled inside the golem, taking 2d10 at once and 1d10 more every round until dead. To struggle loose, the captive must pass a Strength check at -5, and no one else can help except by destroying the golem first. Attacks on a golem holding a victim risk hurting that victim: avoiding the captive requires a called shot, and otherwise the damage is divided equally between golem and prisoner.

Standing 10 feet tall and weighing up to 500 pounds, a wood golem looks so much like ordinary foliage that it is hard to pick out among trees. In forest or jungle, anyone meeting one suffers -2 on surprise rolls.

Spells from beings below 4 Hit Dice or levels do not affect it, and its spirit's bond with growing things makes it immune to every priest spell of the plant sphere. Defiler magic, so ruinous to plant life, is especially deadly: their spells deal 2 extra points per caster level above 4th (+2 at 5th, +4 at 6th). If the golem falls within a defiler's area of life-draining destruction, it must save vs. spell or be destroyed outright.

It strikes twice per round with its powerful arms for 2d8 each. It can also cast every spell of the Sphere of the Cosmos as a druid would, but needs no components at all. Woodland druids build and use wood golems to defend the lands under their protection, so they are found mainly in the desert world's forests and jungles.