Darkray's Orb of Spell Patterns
(Enchantment, Invocation)

Range:  Special
Components:  V, S, M
Duration:  Special
Casting Time:  Special
Area of Effect:  Special
Saving Throw:  Special

Using this spell, the wizard can construct a "spell pattern" and place it on a specifically prepared orb. He can then activate the orb and release all the spells at once.
The orb (1-2 inches diameter) must be made of any metal and costs at least 30 gp. The caster must first memorise the spell parts of the desired pattern, plus this spell. He cannot have any other memorised and no other magical items or spell effects should exist in a range of 10 feet from him. The caster begins the spell holding the orb in his hand and then keeps it in touch with him for 2d4 days. If he loses contact with the orb, the spell fails and the orb becomes useless, as well as if he uses other magic or is otherwise interrupted. At the end of this period, the orb becomes noticeably warm. The wizard can then place the desired spells on it, casting it one by one, at the order he desires. When he is done, he finishes the spell and the orb reverts to its normal state.
A command word is used to activate the orb. When someone holds the orb and speaks the word, the spell pattern explodes: all the spells cast on the orb are released, one by one, at the order in which they were cast, with their normal casting time. Activating the orb has an initiative modifier of +3.
If the orb is activated by a non-wizard, the result is a random casting of the spells contained. A wizard of sufficient level to cast the contained spells can control the orb as if it were a normal magical item. A lower level wizard can only control spells he can cast, the others are cast randomly.
The caster can place on the orb one spell for each four full experience levels he has attained. Furthermore, the maximum spell level of each single spell is as follows: fourth at levels 12-14, fifth at 15-17 and sixth at 18 or higher. Finally, all spells must belong to the same school of magic.
Here is an example: Darkray is a 13th-level invoker. He can place a total of three spells, each of them no higher than fourth level.
He decides to place 3 magic missiles. After 5 days of preparation, he has made his orb (supposing he rolled 5). When he wants to use it, he points at the target and speaks the command word. He rolls an initiative of 4. The orb is then activated at 7, the first magic missile going off at 8 and the third at 10.
If he had already placed a fireball, dig and ice storm, this happens when he uses it (after rolling a 1 for initiative):
at moment 4, the orb is activated; at moment 8: fireball, instantaneously; at moment 11: dig, for 1 round per level, and at moment 15: ice storm, for 1 round per level. The result of this is that after the fireball, the poor victims will find themselves struggling not to fall in the pit created by dig as the ice storm makes the ground extremely slippery.
The orb turns to fine powder at the end of the spell and disperses, never to be used again.
If the orb is destroyed before the spells are released, it explodes into a retributive strike. All within 10 feet take 1d10 HP per spell level stored, no saving throw. Those within 20 feet take half this damage and those within 40 feet take half damage or a quarter if they save versus breath weapon. The orb saves as a +3 magical item.
A wizard can only have a pair of such orbs at any given time.

