When you cast this spell, you choose a creature that you can see within range. The ground beneath the target opens up and attempts to swallow them whole. The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall into the pit, becoming buried under dirt and stone.

While buried, the target is restrained and unable to breathe or speak. At the start of each of its turns, the target takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage from the crushing weight of the earth. If the target is still buried when the spell ends, they are subject to suffocation rules.

As an action on your turn, you can cause the earth to spit out the buried creature, which ends the spell. Alternatively, the creature can attempt to dig its way out as an action, making a Strength (Athletics) check against your spell save DC. On a success, the creature claws its way to the surface and the spell ends.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 4th. The creatures must be within 30 feet of each other when you target them.