Alright, let's try this. We'll go with the Increased Power Selection option. I also think we need to up the mana cost of items, but we can make the first use free.
Mana Pool Option
All characters have two pools of mana that limit how much they can use their powers. Their Daily Mana Points (DMP) pool governs their use of daily powers, while their Encounter Mana Points (EMP) pool governs their use of all powers in an encounter. When a character uses a power or ability that costs mana, that power or ability cannot be used again before the end of the character's next turn. A character's EMP is fully recovered after a short rest, however, their DMP is only fully recovered after an extended rest.
All abilities that cost DMP cost an equal amount of EMP, and the EMP cost will be ommitted for brevity from the costs below. DMP can be used in place of EMP at no additional EMP cost, if say a player wants to use an encounter power but is out of EMP.
The first use of a power granted by your race or a magic item per encounter or per day (as per the type of power) is free. Using racial abilities beyond the first use or multiclass feat abilities costs 1 EMP or 1 DMP. Using attack powers, utility powers, or item powers beyond the first use costs 1 EMP or 1 DMP for Heroic tier powers, 2 EMP or 2 DMP for Paragon tier powers, and 3 EMP or 3 DMP for Epic tier powers.
Item powers are determined by the lowest tier where the power becomes available, and if you have a more powerful weapon, you can still access the lesser effects at the appropriate costs. For example, the Duelist's Weapon's activated power always costs only 1 DMP even for a +6 Duelist's Weapon. A player with a +6 Frost Weapon can choose to activate its power to deal 2d8 damage at the cost of 2 DMP (the 1d8 version costs 1 DMP, and the 3d8 version costs 3 DMP). Of course, a player with a +4 Frost Weapon can't pay 3 DMP to use the 3d8 damage version of the power; the weapon does not have that ability.
Your maximum Encounter Mana Pool starts at 2 mana and your maximum Daily Mana Pool starts at 1 mana. Every level where you would learn an attack power of the appropriate type, the maximum mana in that pool increases by 1. Every level where you would learn a utility power, the maximum mana in both pools increases by 1, except at level 2 where only your Daily Mana Pool increases by 1. At level 30, the maximum for both of your mana pools is 15.
[sblock]Encounter Mana Points
Level 01: 2
Level 03: 3
Level 06: 4
Level 07: 5
Level 10: 6
Level 11: 7
Level 12: 8
Level 13: 9
Level 16: 10
Level 17: 11
Level 22: 12
Level 23: 13
Level 26: 14
Level 27: 15
Daily Mana Points
Level 01: 1
Level 02: 2
Level 05: 3
Level 06: 4
Level 09: 5
Level 10: 6
Level 12: 7
Level 15: 8
Level 16: 9
Level 19: 10
Level 20: 11
Level 22: 12
Level 25: 13
Level 26: 14
Level 29: 15[/sblock]
Increased Power Selection Option
Exactly as in the PDF in the OP, or so I understand. Basically you don't replace your old powers when you learn new ones right? /* Perhaps the option could be better explained in the PDF though, and actually give an example at say level 17 where usually a power is replaced. */
/* Usually, a level 30 character has 2x Epic tier and 2x Paragon tier attack powers of each type (Daily and Encounter). That's 2x2+2x3=10 mana points. I threw in another 5 for utility powers and whatnot, and +1 for the Encounter Mana Pool so you can use both your daily and your encounter in the same fight at level 1. Coincidentally, that worked out to be exactly +1 mana per level when you'd learn a power. I love it when things work out like that
.
This works out to be about 6 powers an encounter that isn't at-will, assuming they use the most powerful powers. With 10 rounds, that comes out to at least 4 rounds per encounter where at-wills are used. I'm a little worried about the use of at-wills. For instance, even assuming a player uses 5 EMPs worth of utility powers per encounter, they could spend the full 10 rounds using heroic encounter powers with a daily or two thrown in. I'm not sure if that's better or worse than using at-wills with more powerful encounters and dailies.
We could incentivize it with a power recharge option using at-wills. However, I think that might lead to power creep. Even if we do use a +1 EMP if the first attack of an at-will power hits (or ally's hit with powers like Commander's Strike), I don't think a Power Surge option is a good idea. It just takes too much away from the PP abilities or feats or whatever that grant power recovery options. */
Powers and abilities that usually recover other powers are for the most part self-explanatory. Most powers whose only effect is to recover one other power does not costs mana (i.e. Soul Burn doesn't cost mana, while the [Class] Resurgence powers do). Powers that recover daily powers are usable only once per day, regardless if they cost mana to use or not. Divine Miracle sets your EMP to 3 if it's under 3. Epic Trick costs mana, but can only be used once/day. Unlike other powers that recover daily powers, its recover daily powers option does not recover EMPs. For Spell Recall, the first time the chosen spell is used, it doesn't cost any mana. Powers that have a special effect if you have no more daily or encounter powers remaining instead have that special effect if you have no more than 3 DMP or EMP, respectively, remaining after using the power.
