Instead of only being able to get crafting ingredients by destroying mountains or forest with spells (which is ok, but one off - and a bit evil) - how about also being able to cast a spell to create a lumber camp on a forest, an iron mine on a mountain, or an alchemists camp in a swamp. The Fine Iron mine would usually just produce Fine Iron, but have a small chance when created of being a Platinum or Fine Crystal Mine instead.  A lumber camp would just get you production 9 times out of 10 - but say a 10% chance that when you create it it produces cedar oil instead. An alchemists camp would produce mushrooms for potions.