Wickerman

A burning effigy lumbers across the open plains. It belches black smoke with every step it takes, and the tortured screams of the humanoids inside it fill the air.

Huge construct, neutral evil

Armor Class 8
Hit Points 138 (12d12 + 60)
Speed 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 8 (-2) 21 (+5) 3 (-4) 14 (+2) 1 (-5)

Saving Throws Strength +8, Constitution +9
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
Senses blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10
Languages understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Special Traits

  • Berserk. If the staff controlling the wickerman is broken or is not being worn or carried by a humanoid, the wickerman goes berserk. On each of its turns while berserk, the wickerman attacks the nearest creature it can see. If no creature is near enough to move to and attack, the wickerman attacks an object with preference for an object smaller than itself. Once the wickerman goes berserk, it continues to do so until it is destroyed, until a new staff is created, or until the staff is worn or carried by a humanoid.
  • Blazing Fury. A creature that touches the wickerman or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) fire damage. If the wickerman’s flame is ever doused, it is incapacitated until the flame is rekindled by dealing at least 10 fire damage to it.
  • Water Susceptibility. If the wickerman is on fire, it takes 1 cold damage for every 5 feet it moves in water or for every gallon of water splashed on it. If the wickerman takes at least 100 points of cold damage within a 1 minute period, its flame is doused.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The wickerman makes two slam attacks.
  • Blazing Ray. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (5d10) fire damage.
  • Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 5 (1d10) fire damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). The wickerman has two fists, each of which can grapple only one target.
  • Imprison. The wickerman makes one slam attack against a target it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is imprisoned inside its burning body, and the grapple ends. A creature imprisoned in the wickerman is blinded, restrained, has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the wickerman, and it takes 17 (5d6) fire damage at the start of each of the wickerman’s turns. Up to 6 Medium or smaller creatures can fit inside a wickerman’s body. If the wickerman takes 25 damage or more from a creature inside of it, the wickerman must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or the creature bursts free from it. The creature falls prone in a space within 10 feet of the wickerman. If the wickerman dies, all creatures inside of it are no longer restrained by it and can escape from the burning corpse by using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.

About

Empowered by Sacrifice In ancient times, the druids of the flame burned people alive in giant wickermen as sacrifices to the gods. The druids soon discovered a strange phenomenon when they burned the wickermen: the sacrifices’ souls were trapped within the construct, filling it with rage. The druids of the flame learned to control the wickerman’s rage and turned their sacrifice into a weapon of war.

Staff of Willow. A branch of the willow tree used to create the wickerman is formed into a staff, carved with runes, and conditioned with incense. The wielder can control a wickerman as long as it is within 120 feet of the wickerman and must use its action to command the wickerman to take an action.

Construct Nature. The wickerman doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Creature Codex. © 2018 Open Design LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, James Haeck, Chris Harris, Jeremy Hochhalter, James Introcaso, Chris Lockey, Shawn Merwin, and Jon Sawatsky.