You clench your hand in a grasping motion toward a creature within range, wrapping the target with twisting ribbons of shadow. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or have the Grappled condition and be held in place for the duration. A creature Grappled by this spell can take an action to make a Strength or Dexterity check (its choice) against your spell save DC. If it succeeds, it is no longer Grappled.
If the target of this spell has attacked you or forced you to make a saving throw within the last minute and has never been damaged by you, it has Disadvantage on its saving throw. On a failure, you can choose for the target to take 1d8 Necrotic damage as part of the casting of this spell, and an additional 1d8 Necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns while Grappled by this spell. The spell ends if the target is ever outside the spell’s range.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot.
When you cast this spell using a level 2+ spell slot, the initial damage increases by 1d8 for each spell slot level above 1.
Choose one creature within range that you can see or hear. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become cursed for the duration of the spell. When you cast the spell, choose a topic of conversation. While the target remains cursed, whenever it attempts to speak about the chosen topic, you, or this spell, a phenomenon of your choice spills forth from its lips instead of words:
- Tiny toads, snakes, moths, or other vermin
- Short-lived wildflowers in full bloom
- Black filth or bile
- Fairy tales and nursery rhymes
- Unflattering, unrelated truths about the target or those they are addressing