Suggestions for removing minor material components?

[Aesmael]

Since I currently have no intention of enforcing these, it seems natural to remove them. However, now I am wondering what purpose the more expensive material components are supposed to serve once those are gone.

The most natural idea to me is that without their expensive component these spells would be considerably more difficult to cast (i.e. higher level). So, if I choose to go that route, are any suggestions? How does +1 level/100gp or 100exp sound? Should I apply one adjustment universally or go case-by-case? I did not originally intend to include exp costs but they are in the post now, so they will stay for now.

After reading the preview, I realise it seems like I want to also remove expensive material components entirely. I do not, it is intended as an option available to the caster. However, it is interesting to consider if this was the only way of castig these spells. True Ressurection has a cost of what, 9,000gp? Then it will require an 18th level slot and an epic caster to cast it, even though it is not an epic spell. Some people will like that, I suspect, and the idea seems worth persuing.

Edit - Ah me, I just noticed a rather embarassing math error. True Resurection would become 99th level, may as well ban it a do that. It seems this idea will not scale well on its own.

 

[Veritas]

Well, I guess since the components are put in there for a balancing factor, so that a cleric isn't firing off 10 True Resurrection spells in a row without some cost (or the PCs going and getting these on a regular basis from their church)... maybe make these spells only useable with a certain "downtime." A priest can cast True Resurrection once per year... sooo... maybe... 1 day for every 30 gold or so (that would make it every 300 days for TR).

Most of the spells with expensive components seem to be rather "involved" spells... Leomund's Secret Chest, for example... where you cast it and it lasts for a loooooong time... or True Res, where it's a permanent effect. I may be missing a few, since I don't have my books available and I don't wanna look up the SRD from work. So, for the most part, these aren't the ones that need to be cast on a regular basis, so giving them a "downtime" duration would be okay, I think.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Why not just eliminate the "costless" material components and retain the expensive ones, allowing them to continue to perform their balancing role as-is?

 

[Li Shenron]

It's hard to say which level increase would be appropriate...

Usually - but not always - a spell has a costly material comp when it has a permanent effect, and I think you should decide on a case by case. See some lower-level examples:

Permanent:
Identify 100gp
Arcane Lock 25gp
Continual Flame 50gp
Phantom Trap 50gp
Animate Dead 25gp/HD
Wall of Iron 50gp

Permanent until discharged:
Magic Mouth 10gp
Sepia Snake Sigil 500gp
Fire Trap 25gp
Symbol 1000gp or 5000gp
Programmed Image 25gp

Not permanent:
Nondetection 50gp
Illusory Script 50gp
Stoneskin 250gp
False Vision 250gp
Legend Lore 250gp
True Seeing 250gp

Some of them are used to make traps, so the cost is simply to prevent free traps around. Other make items like holy water or continual flame, and basically you pay for the item.

However the nonpermanent spells IMO they just have a cost because they are very good spells, and they don't want you to cast them every single day or every single encounter without a cost, especially Nondetection, Stoneskin and True Seeing. However I see no reasons why they couldn't just put them at higher levels, something like +3 would be reasonable (maybe +2 for True Seeing).