Unwilling Wood

A caster can transform one or more living creatures within a 30-foot radius into unwilling wood, causing them to sprout roots, branches, and leaves. The creatures become trees of a type native to the region and of the characters' age before the transformation. The spell works only if cast on beings occupying ground that could support a tree; recipients flying or suspended in water at the time of casting remain unaffected.

This spell can mutate a number of creatures equal in total Hit Dice (or levels) to the caster's level. If the area of effect holds a group of creatures with Hit Dice (or levels) totaling a number greater than the caster's experience level, the caster decides the order in which the creatures are affected. Unused Hit Dice or levels are lost.

For example, a 14th level druid casts unwilling wood into a target area containing a giant with 12 Hit Dice and two 3rd level warriors. The druid can transform either the giant or two warriors, but not all three.

Each creature affected is allowed a saving throw vs. polymorph. The spell mutates all those failing their saving throw, along with any items they carry. A new tree has a height of 5 feet per level (or Hit Die) of the creature. The effect is permanent; a creature transformed into a tree ages as a tree and dies as a tree. However, affected beings retain awareness, memories, personality, and intelligence. Only damage severe enough to kill the tree can kill an unwilling wood creature.

Tree-characters can return to normal if a spell-caster of greater level than the original caster uses remove curse. The original caster can release a transformed entity at will.

The material components are a bit of tree root and the caster's holy symbol.