Obscure elements of D&D you would love to rescue

[ArmoredSaint]

I'd like to see the old 1e feature of Field/Full plate armour in which it provided a small measure of DR to the wearer.

I want the best mundane armours to have access to some special features like that and would rather not see such things restricted only to magical armours.

 

[Shemeska]

I'd like Modrons (or any additional Planescape stuff). I have a soft spot for them and more Modrons makes me happy. We had one instance in 4e of them. Maybe we, or WOTC rather, could get [MENTION=11697]Shemeska[/MENTION] to do up some info on them.

It's WotC's sandbox so to speak, but I would happily and eagerly help them build some pretty sandcastles, no questions asked, if they let me play with virtually any of that planar IP.

 

[Frostmarrow]

System Shock and Resurrection Survival. I find it exciting that there is a chance albeit small that a raise dead spell might not work as planned. I like System Shock because it sounds really cool and makes shapeshifting dangerous.

 

[fuindordm]

I agree with a lot of the things others have mentioned, so I'll try to make some new suggestions:

From 1e, ruled that made players cautious using magic:
Cursed items that look identical to good magic items
System shock and potion miscibility

Otherwise:
Cube of Force from 1e
Alternative magic styles from 2e (wild magic; S&P had a witch variant who had to sacrifice to a patron to get spell points)
Racial levels from 3e, especially as implemented in Arcana Unearthed
The concept of a Star Pact caster from 4e

Any spell/item/ability with a strong impact on the applied setting. For example, when I read the Awaken spell for the first time, I was blown away.

 

[Yora]

Allegiances from d20 Modern.

 

[avin]

- Sigil factions, ignoring Faction War and DVD. Yes we can!

- Lynnorms, presented like 3E's MM II.

- Random treasure tables.

 

[Sadras]

Wandering prostitute table

A decent slapper encounter could engage all three Pillars of the game and allow any class a chance to sign.
Kinda like a "screw-you to balance" if you will.

 

[grimslade]

Intelligent weapons and weapon ego. Do you wield the weapon or does it wield you?
I had a secondary PC in a long running campaign, Hans Nieberlungen, a cleric with low int and chr. He had virtually no personality because he was a walking heal bot. Until the fateful day he found 'Krenkald', a three headed flail with desire to out smite all paladins vs evil. Hans went from being a cutout to a real fun PC having to wrestle with his flail to cast a healing spell rather than swing Krenkald and crush the enemies before him. My DM would play ride of the Valkyries every time The Flail won.

 

[Retreater]

Most of my wish list come from 2nd edition:

System Shock; Resurrection Chance; Racial Level Limits; Racial Ability Score minimums and maximums; Ability Score maximums to qualify for "advanced" classes (such as paladin, ranger, bard, etc.); chance to learn spell; mage schools and opposition schools of magic; specialty priests; "strange" psionics system.

I would also take the awesome campaign settings: Planescape, Ravenloft, Dark Sun, Greyhawk, and Al Quadim.

I think I miss most the feeling of wonder and emotion we would feel during the game, which was lost somewhere around 3rd edition due to the codification of all the rules (and giving the power to the players from the DM) and the constraint to the battlemat and miniatures limiting our imagination. I don't know how a game company can sell feelings, but I would like to find a way to get it back.

 

[Ellington]

Xvarts!