No hold barred - how I would develope 5e

[Greg K]

Exactly. The idea of "kitchen sink" D&D seems good on paper, but what you're really doing is making people that don't play kitchen sink D&D feel like they're no longer playing "D&D" and shifting them away from your brand.

It didn't make feel like I was no longer playing D&D. It just made me feel this was not the D&D or settings that I wanted to play.

This is why Savage Worlds is so popular - it's almost infinitely modable. And it encourages such modding and "do it yourselfism". A D&D brand that effectively allowed for personalized campaign settings would be AMAZING.

Savage Worlds is, currently, my favorite rpg for non-supers. Give me the $10 Explorer edition rule book along with
1. Modern Martial Arts, the free Modern Martial Arts supplement (by Brand Manager, Clint Black) which adds some new edges;
2. The free dials for adjusting incapacitation from cartoony to Gritty (also by Clint and free on the forums), and
3. The push/trip maneuver by Clint (also free on the forums)

From there, it just depends on what I am in the mood for:
4. For fantasy, I can just use the free Wizards and Warriors supplement) or, if I want race creation, new edges, new equipment, some new powers and advice, get the Fantasy Companion for $20. If I don't want to build my own setting, I can just buy Hellfrost (Triple Ace Games), Sundered Skies (Triple Ace Games), Legends of Steel , or Sherwood-the Legend of Robin Hood (Battlefield Press).
And, if I want, to tailor the magic system, the free Shark Bytes has various examples or I can go to the official website and get free help (possibly from the brand manager himself).

5. Thrilling Tales 2e (Adamant) if I want to run Pulp
6. Mars: Savage Worlds edition (Adamant) for Planetary Romance
7. Pirates of the Spanish Main for Pirates
8. The upcoming Darwin's World (RPGObjects) for post Apocalypse

Actually, the only complaints that I really have about Savage Worlds are 1)one or two skills being to broad for my taste; 2) there are no official write-ups for beholders, mindflayers or the demons and devils that originated in 1e; and 3) no official Savage worlds versions of Greyhawk, Forgotten Realms, Darksun, or Ravenloft.

 

[pemerton]

As I said before other systems have created rich, interesting mechanics which support and enhance social encounters.

For example

<snip example>

That's what a good social system does.

Chaochou, I can't XP you at this time, but great actual play report.

 

[fumetti]

Goal: Faster play, more long-view content.

1) Advanced abilities should not appear until after the intro/basic set. Powers, feats, etc. should appear around 4-5th level. That gives new players a chance to become familiar with the game quicker, and then add on the complexity they want later.

2) Include up front some content and mechanics about becoming knights, rulers, barons. Give the new players some kind of goal. (It's not like every kid understands the medieval milieu that DnD is largely based on.)

Put players in the mindset that they have a whole world in front of them, and that they can influence that world. (Not just level up stats by killing and taking treasure. Video games have caught up with that. Time to go beyond it.)

Similar to an earlier post, advertise that rpgs are games where ANYTHING can happen. There are no limitations on script, no limitations on affecting the world the player is exploring. (My beef with Elder Scrolls is that I can't take over and rule, and other such things.)

 

[pemerton]

Fumetti, the PHB includes a Knight Commander paragon path.

And from the PHB, p 172:

Your epic destiny describes the mythic archetype you aspire to achieve. Some characters have a clear epic destiny in mind from the moment they began adventuring, while others discover their epic destiny somewhere along the way.​

That page also goes on to briefly discuss the idea of a "destiny quest".

I think at least some of what you are looking for is already there.