HUDs are great. They free up the damage bar, they can reflect item NBT data, and best of all, they look awesome. Switch all the items using damage to use HUDs and NBT instead. This goes hand in hand with the UUID-linked NBT adjustment I'm going to try, so that we can streamline NBT data handling without having it on the actual item.

Here's a list of the items I want to do a HUD for and ditch the damage value on:
Tome of Alkahestry - Image of redstone with a number by it.
Destruction Catalyst - Image of gunpowder with a number by it.
Elsewhere Flask - (eventually) Show current potion it holds, list of effects (could get crazy)
Ender Staff - Image of ender pearl with a number by it
Ice Magus Rod - Image of snowball with a number by it.
Glacial Staff - Image of snowball with a number by it
Void Tear - Image of the item or block it contains with a number by it.
Midas Touchstone - Glowstone dust with a number by it
Harvest Rod - Bonemeal with a number by it
Infernal Chalice - Current liquid stack (eventually) with a number (in ML) by it. Switch to NBT.
Sojourner's Staff - Already shows the item, add a number by it.
Hero Medallion - Show how much experience is in it, in bright green
Pyromancer's Staff - Image of fire charge and blaze powder, and numbers for each
Rending Gale - Image of feather and amount

The NBT system failed hard, but the HUDs look great. I probably need to tweak the positioning of the HUD elements before I'll be sincerely happy with it, but it's functional and still aesthetically pleasing. I will OCD on it another day.