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.
