How about this. Just like affinities were added to let players who don't like spamming spells play invokers, the system I describe below can be added to let players who don't like re-exploring with each mage character.


- A/B/S wands can be crafted, but require materials/ingredients that are in the same place for all mages, are limited, but have a very high limit, so that they are always available. (So essentially the only consequence of them being limited is that you have to carry them in your inventory).
- After being crafted, the wands crumble after a certain time (maybe 20 ticks).

- This system address your concerns (1) and (2). In fact, there maybe a lot more PK risk involved in getting the ingredients, if there's not a lot of these locations.
- It partially addresses (3), because wands that are not crafted are still more valuable, since they don't crumble. So there is still some value to finding wands the old way. You can make the difference more significant if you make the crafted wands give slightly weaker versions of a/b/s. (Also see below)
- Depending on how much mana and time crafting takes, the system may address (4): if it doesn't take much mana and time, then you can craft the wands and zap yourself, quickly prepping for an unexpected fight. If it takes significant ammount of mana/time, then (4) will be more of the concern, however the wands acquired the old way would become even more valuable, making (3) less of a concern.
- As I already said, it addresses (5), in fact it will be better than the current system in that respect.
- It can address (6) if crafting thickens the veil or if getting the ingredients requires killing a powerful mage mob.
- And it empowers dexy races! (it's a goo dthing, right? =))

There can be a lot of tweaking done: # of ingredients required to make each of A/B/S, # of ingredient locations, crumble timer, mana/#of ticks required for crafting, etc., etc.