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Earthquake

Earthquake
  • Level: 8
  • School: Transmutation
  • Class: Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: 500 feet
  • Components: V, S, M (a fractured rock)
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Choose a point on the ground that you can see within range. For the duration, an intense tremor rips through the ground in a 100-foot-radius circle centered on that point. The ground there is Difficult Terrain.

When you cast this spell and at the end of each of your turns for the duration, each creature on the ground in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature has the Prone condition, and its Concentration is broken.

You can also cause the effects below.

Fissures. A total of 1d6 fissures open in the spell's area at the end of the turn you cast it. You choose the fissures' locations, which can't be under structures. Each fissure is 1d10 × 10 feet deep and 10 feet wide, and it extends from one edge of the spell's area to another edge. A creature in the same space as a fissure must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall in. A creature that successfully saves moves with the fissure's edge as it opens.

Structures. The tremor deals 50 Bludgeoning damage to any structure in contact with the ground in the area when you cast the spell and at the end of each of your turns until the spell ends. If a structure drops to 0 Hit Points, it collapses.

A creature within a distance from a collapsing structure equal to half the structure's height makes a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 12d6 Bludgeoning damage, has the Prone condition, and is buried in the rubble, requiring a DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check as an action to escape. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage only.

Tactical Usage​

Massive Area Control: Earthquake provides devastating area denial and environmental destruction. This 8th-level evocation spell excels at reshaping battlefields and eliminating structures.

Optimal Timing: Deploy against fortified positions, when enemies are clustered, or when massive environmental control is needed.

Resource Management: Uses an 8th-level spell slot - available from character level 15+. 1-minute concentration provides sustained area control.

Target Selection: 100-foot radius area centered on point within 500 feet. Affects all creatures and structures in area.

Spell Combinations​

Synergistic Spells:

  • Area Control: Combine with wall spells to channel or contain earthquake effects
  • Environmental Magic: Layer with control weather for comprehensive natural disaster
  • Earth Magic: Pair with move earth or stone shape for enhanced geological control

Class Feature Interactions:

  • Elemental Mastery: Features that enhance earth magic improve earthquake effectiveness
  • Spell Save DC: Higher spellcasting ability improves success against creature saves
  • Natural Magic: Druid abilities complement massive environmental control

Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple earthquakes can affect enormous areas for ultimate environmental control.

Material Component Details​

Component Acquisition: Pinch of dirt, piece of rock, and lump of clay - common geological materials.

Component Handling: Earth-based components representing geological forces and seismic power.

Roleplay Opportunities: Different earth materials might reflect regional geology or personal connection to elemental earth.

Economic Considerations: Minimal component costs for ultimate environmental destruction capability.

Creator Notes​

Encounter Balancing: Massive area control and structural destruction fundamentally alters encounter geography.

NPC Usage: Archdruids, powerful earth elementalists, or geological specialists might control seismic forces.

Environmental Considerations: 100-foot radius affects enormous area. Can damage or destroy structures.

Campaign Integration: Ultimate environmental magic for climactic encounters requiring massive geographical change.

Environmental Interactions​

Terrain Effects: 100-foot radius creates difficult terrain and can open fissures. Affects entire encounter area.

Weather Influence: Unaffected by weather conditions, though may interact with earth-based environmental factors.

Structural Interactions: Deals 50 bludgeoning damage to structures in area. Can collapse buildings and fortifications.

Elemental Interactions: Earth and stone-based effects. Can trigger additional geological phenomena.

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Timing Questions: Action casting time with 1-minute concentration. Effects occur throughout duration.

Target Limitations: 100-foot radius area within 500 feet. Affects all creatures and structures in area.

Duration Interactions: Concentration required. Effects persist and recur throughout 1-minute duration.

Mechanical Interactions: Dexterity saves vs being knocked prone. 1d6 bludgeoning damage per failed save.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses: Demolition work, geological modification, mining operations, or massive construction projects.

Social Encounters: Demonstrations of ultimate power, environmental terrorism, or geological negotiations.

Exploration Applications: Creating new passages, accessing underground areas, or massive landscape modification.

Utility Functions: Ultimate demolition, geological engineering, mining assistance, or environmental warfare.

Same School: Other evocation spells like fireball (3rd level area damage), meteor swarm (9th level ultimate destruction), sunburst (8th level radiant area).

Similar Effects: tsunami (8th level water disaster), meteor swarm (9th level cosmic destruction), storm of vengeance (9th level weather disaster).

Progression Options: earth tremor (1st level minor earth), earthquake (8th level major seismic), wish (9th level reality alteration).

Complementary Magic: move earth (geological modification), control weather (environmental disaster), wall of stone (earth magic).

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression: Ultimate environmental control for highest-level play (15+) where massive area control is needed.

Upcast Benefits: No improvement from higher spell slots - pure 8th-level environmental devastation.

Campaign Phases: Most valuable in epic-level campaigns where massive environmental control changes everything.

Comparative Value: Exceptional area control magic that justifies 8th-level slot for ultimate environmental dominance.

Narrative Flavor​

Casting Description: The ground begins to shake violently as seismic forces answer your call, reshaping the battlefield through geological power.

Effect Manifestation: Massive tremors wrack the earth as fissures open, structures collapse, and the very ground becomes a weapon.

Personal Style: Druids channel primal earth forces, while wizards calculate precise seismic mathematics for controlled geological destruction.

World Integration: Represents ultimate earth magic available only to master spellcasters, often associated with geological disasters, environmental warfare, or earth elemental mastery.