How about removing reagents from mages since after all those seems to be
quite hard to handle. Create somekind of mixture of druid pool and spider
points for them. Each mage would have magical pool where they would get
their power to cast spells. The pool power would be increased by putting
magical items in it. The stronger the magic is in item the more spells
could mage cast from it. Mage could choose how much of the pool energy
would be used in spellcasting and that would prolly work like the
reagent levels, power standard poor, works now. Flame away.

Let the mages eat their reagents, like magical drugs or sumthin'.
Could also lead to "Nullnullatte farts/farts brutally/farts almost
unnoticeable and casts a magic missile" depending on reagent's power and other
fun roleplaying shit.