Annihilate Matter
(Invocation/Evocation)

Range:  10 metres per level
Components:  V, S, M
Duration:  1 turn per level
Casting Time:  6
Area of Effect:  1-yard radius sphere
Saving Throw:  Negates

This spell causes a spherical region, 1 metre in radius, to appear anywhere within range of the wizard. In this region all matter vanishes. When it appears, a hurricane-force wind blows into the sphere as the air inside it is annihilated. All human-sized or smaller creatures in the vicinity who have no means of support must make a saving throw versus death magic or lose their balance and be sucked into the sphere and destroyed (in which case a wish or possibly a limited wish is required to recover them). "Means of support" can include, for example, holding onto something solid being held by another character, being under the influence of a fly spell or having the natural ability to fly or levitate (eg. a beholder).
Note that the wizard is not necessarily immune to being sucked into the sphere. Light objects which are not being held by anything or anyone (eg. papers lying on a desk) are also liable to be sucked into the sphere and destroyed. Anything thrown into the sphere, short of an artifact or relic, is automatically destroyed. While the sphere can move under control of the wizard, it is not a useful weapon because it moves only at walking pace, hence even the clumsiest creature can easily dodge it. If an attempt is made to actually cast the spell at a target, a saving throw indicates whether the target dodges or is hit and destroyed. A successful dispel magic will destroy the sphere, otherwise it neither affects nor is affected by spells. The material component for this spell is a 1000 gp ruby.

