1. First Reckoning drawn in a game was Devil's Bargain: "Either each Investigator with Power discards an Item, or add 1 Doom Token." Since nobody took a Dark Pact on the first turn, I took the Doom Token, but was there anything preventing me from choosing the first option, and then, "Whoops, nobody has any Power, so no discards"?

2. Uncertain Future: the "Story Continues" card of the Reckoning Deck. "Shuffle the Reckoning deck and its discard pile together (including this card) then draw a Reckoning card." Discard Pile? I've just been putting used Reckonings on the bottom of the deck (like the Mythos deck). I checked the rules and the Lurker Herald, and there is no mention of a discard pile. Is there any reason to have to separate the Reckoning deck as you use it? Couldn't I just shuffle the one deck, used cards on the bottom, and end up with the same result? Or is there some card somewhere out there that does something with a "Reckoning Discard Pile"?

1. Good question.

2. There is no problem with putting the used Reckoning Cards at the bottom. You shuffle the "Uncertain Future" card back in anyway, so you'll always be shuffling the deck before you get through the entire deck.

1. I'd say you don't need to take the doom token ... as you pointed out, take the first option and have everyone with power (which is no one) discard an item (no items discarded). If FFG truly wanted to be draconian with this, the second clause would state "if no items are discarded or an investigator with power does not discard an item, add one doom token".

Yeah, I'd say no doom token. It seems like this card was supposed to punish you more as you acquire more power. Since you have no power, you don't receive punishment (yet!).