Move Earth
Level 6 · Transmutation
- Concentration
- AOE
Move Earth (druid, sorcerer, and wizard) casts from a 6th-level slot in the transmutation school. Cast time: Action. Range 120 feet, components V/S/M, duration up to 2 hours. Material: an miniature showel. Marked concentration. Effect: Choose an area of terrain no larger than 40 feet on a side within range.
Stat Block
- Level
- 6
- School
- Transmutation
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range / Area
- 120 feet
- Components
- V, S, M
- Duration
- up to 2 hours
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- Yes
- Classes
- Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Material
- an miniature showel
Description
Choose an area of terrain no larger than 40 feet on a side within range. You can reshape dirt, sand, or clay in the area in any manner you choose for the duration. You can raise or lower the area's elevation, create or fill in a trench, erect or flatten a wall, or form a pillar. The extent of any such changes can't exceed half the area's largest dimension. For example, if you affect a 40-foot square, you can create a pillar up to 20 feet high, raise or lower the square's elevation by up to 20 feet, dig a trench up to 20 feet deep, and so on. It takes 10 minutes for these changes to complete. Because the terrain's transformation occurs slowly, creatures in the area can't usually be trapped or injured by the ground's movement. At the end of every 10 minutes you spend concentrating on the spell, you can choose a new area of terrain to affect within range. This spell can't manipulate natural stone or stone construction. Rocks and structures shift to accommodate the new terrain. If the way you shape the terrain would make a structure unstable, it might collapse. Similarly, this spell doesn't directly affect plant growth. The moved earth carries any plants along with it.
5e (2014) vs 2024 changes
This spell has both a 5e (2014) and 2024 Player's Handbook version. Doungim shows the current 2024 stat block above. Differences between editions typically affect components, range, or scaling — check both source books for the table.
Doungim Lore
School Fit
The Transmutation tradition is the school of properties. A spell does not move the target; it changes what the target is. The school tag on Move Earth is earned by the spell rewrites a property of a body, an object, or terrain. At level 6, a single cast of Move Earth can be the most important action of the adventuring day.
Class Fit
- Druid: Land Druids gain bonus circle spells by terrain; if Move Earth is already on the chosen terrain list, save the manual prep slot for something else. At 120 feet, Move Earth stays usable from the caster's typical positioning.
- Sorcerer: Metamagic is the angle for Move Earth on a Sorcerer. Twin, Quicken, Subtle, Heightened, and Extended each change what the spell does at the table. Concentration on Move Earth forces the caster to choose between this spell and the next big concentration play.
- Wizard: Wizards add Move Earth to the spellbook once and prepare it on the days that warrant it — a different decision from the class's known-spell competitors. The concentration tag on Move Earth means a single failed Constitution save can end the effect mid-encounter.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Move Earth
- What level spell is Move Earth?
- Move Earth is a level 6 spell from the Transmutation school. The classes that can prepare it: Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard.
- What is the range of Move Earth?
- Move Earth can target a point or creature within 120 feet of the caster.
- Is Move Earth a concentration spell?
- Move Earth runs on concentration for up to 2 hours. The caster can drop it on their next turn or lose it to a failed save after taking damage.
- What components and casting time does Move Earth need?
- The cast needs v, s, m. The other notable details — Material component: an miniature showel.