Mana pool

Mana pool is a term which refers to a character's total amount of mana by mana points. Most characters who use mana strive to increase this amount though different mana-increasing factors, which usually makes "mana pool" the result - or sum - of these factors. A character's mana pool and base mana will be the same (have the same values) if the player isn't affected by any such factor.

For example, a level 60 character may have a mana pool of 6000, while a 85 character may have 100000. Albeit a large mana pool is useful to all classes using mana, it is considered especially important for healers. A large pool will allow the casting of several healing-spells before the healer is oom. In fact, a healer's ability to heal is often estimated from the mana pool, in a similar manner to how a tank's (role) ability to tank (action) is estimated from his/her health (although this is rather simplistic).

Affecting factors
A player's mana pool may increase or decrease depending on different factors / effects.
 * Player level - a player's mana pool is primarily based on the character's base mana. As the player becomes stronger to adjust to the environment, base mana and thus the mana pool will increase.
 * Equipment - equippable items with intellect on them will (among other things) increase a player's mana pool. This is usually regarded as the most important factor. This includes enchants and gems, such as Enchant Chest - Exceptional Mana and Beaming Earthsiege Diamond.
 * Buffs (and debuffs) will often affect the amount of mana. Many of them are given by consumables such as Flask of Distilled Wisdom and Severed Sagefish Head. Others may be abilities, such as Arcane Brilliance.

Comparison to regeneration
A character's "effective total mana" is not only decided by the mana pool, but also by the character's ability to regenerate mana (mana regeneration). For healers, this causes spirit to be a second important stat beside intellect. A large mana pool is however often considered more important than a powerful regeneration, possibly due to the fact that it's much easier to estimate a mana pool than the effective total mana based on regeneration. Mana regeneration was previously also "weaker" than the mana pool when the five second rule was in use.