Maximilian’s Earthen Grasp: A Fistful of Hollers

Usable By: Sorcerer, Wizard

Spell Level: 2

School: Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S, M (a miniature hand sculpted from clay)

You choose a 5-foot-square unoccupied space on the ground that you can see within range. A Medium hand made from compacted soil rises there and reaches for one creature you can see within 5 feet of it. The target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage and is restrained for the spell’s duration.

As an action, you can cause the hand to crush the restrained target, who must make a Strength saving throw. It takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

To break out, the restrained target can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, the target escapes and is no longer restrained by the hand.

As an action, you can cause the hand to reach for a different creature or to move to a different unoccupied space within range. The hand releases a restrained target if you do either.

Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold

“With a single raised expressive digit, a mirroring enormous fist, middle finger first, erects from the earth. Time to deliver some aggressive hand-stuff.”- me, on any character that can learn Maximillian’s Earthen Grasp

I won’t sugar coat it: Maximilian’s Earthen Grasp isn’t great. At 3rd level it's fine; at 5th level it's pretty bad. Past that, it's basically unusable. HOWEVER: God I love this spell. This is everything I want on a spellcaster; a weird, damage included mobile weapon I can do a bunch of cool shit with.

For an action you’re getting potentially 2d6 damage and a restrained creature; for a 2nd level slot, I’m not THAT excited. Hold Person comes with paralysis, a debilitating condition that comparably dunks restrained. Restrained creatures don’t have to attempt to break free, although they are heavily incentivized to. You’re left in a scenario where against creatures with powerful options outside of attacks, this spell can feel like even when succeeding it's doing very little.

What Earthen Grasp offers up is the option to take the restraining action on subsequent turns with the fist, conceivably moving from creature to creature until all your foes are dead. This can represent restraining four or more creatures in a single encounter as needed, making it flexible. It doesn’t care about size, creature type, or anything else. If you can get the hand within 5 feet of the creature, you can attempt to restrain it. You basically never want to have to move the hand once placed, though, as you’ll be eating your own actions for the opportunity to attempt to eat enemy actions.

My love for it comes around to janky dwarf tank wizard builds where the theming of earthen fists smashing baddies while using almost exclusively reaction spells like Absorb Elements and Shield to thrive in the thick of it. This spell works beautifully in scenarios where your goal is to be part of a front line group controlling a set area, and should you be playing the melee character whose job is getting in there, taking damage, and dealing it back, this spell can work. You won’t ever be the highest damage, nor best utility with the rock fist. You aren’t breaking the game in two with crazy powerful stuff here. The damage probably could get bumped up to 3d6 and still not feel super busted; it’d still feel worse than just a greatsword. Each of the pieces of this messy and hard to use spell brings it to me as what feels like an interesting puzzle I’m always excited to figure out. Its effects certainty outshine its most comparable option, Witch Bolt, but this won’t have an easy home in most builds. Despite that, I love casting it, and maybe you will too.

5e Spells

Maximilian’s Earthen Grasp: A Fistful of Hollers