[Method T]

It's called a specialization because you are supposed to specialize in it. Not have a shitton of other spells with it. Call me old fashioned but the costs should be increased more!

Yeah, let's make it impossible for someone to use Sand or Metal without being a human using either melee, or another earth specialization.

While you're at it, let's also reduce the hotbar down to 8 spells from 10, because as a specialization, you won't even be able to afford a full hotbar, like the game has always intended.

In-fact, we should further specialize existing trees and limit them to two spells per piece. Metal's two spells shall be Stun 1 and Root 2. Sand's spells shall be Root 1 and Shield Invuln 1. Having any sort of flexibility or interesting spell combinations shouldn't be allowed, because it hurts the playerbase's immersion.

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Your viable build options currently are a combination of Metal or Sand, alongside an earth elemental spec, or any non-elemental specialization. As long as you are fine with never having any hiddens. 

Just as an example of the other three Earth Specializations and their costs alongside Metal/Sand currently, it's like this.
Crystal (180 rpl Human, 200 RPL Racial 8Spells 1 aura), Nature (185 RPL Human, 200 RPL Racial, No Hiddens. 9 Spells 1 aura). Bone (155 RPL Human, 175 RPL Racial. 7 Spells, No Aura.)
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The excuse of 'Specializations should entail exorbitant costs to prevent branching' only really works if the specialization has enough in it to be specialized in. Instead of four spells that are essentially CC and little else.