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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ruin Explorer" data-source="post: 9632615" data-attributes="member: 18">If I was doing this, I would primarily be aiming at creating an unholy fusion of the best elements of 4E and OSR, which might not seem like a natural mix, but I think it's very doable. Various goals/design points:1) More HP at level 1, but linear HP gain would be smaller, and basically cease at L10.2) Spells should be able to fail, including non-combat spells - when I was suggesting this repeatedly years ago, it was kind of a wild and wooly idea that really only Dungeon World subscribed to, but since has become pretty popular, with Shadowdark doing it, and Mike Mearls' upcoming RPG doing it, and so on.3) Significant rebalance/redesign of magic, with an eye to also making the magic seem more, well, magical, and less like science fantasy stuff (which naturally many Wizard spells seem like given they're derived from a science fantasy source!). Psionics introduced in the PHB, doesn't use spells, but has a fairly simple system only requiring say, six to eight pages at most (can always be expanded later).4) A new "default setting" that wasn't the FR. Definitely Points of Light, learning from the Nentir Vale, but also looking at what trends in fantasy are popular at the time. It doesn't have to be an immortal and perfect setting - none ever is - but it should be in and of itself intriguing. It's actually kind of cool if a setting says something about the time it was written, so long as what it says isn't bigoted!5) More fleshed-out actual options for DMs - the 2014 DMG has some of this and the 2024 has very little (as I understand it), but I think it's very important that, even if I'm designing primarily for what I like, I create a game that people can customize for their own games, and actually support this mechanically. It doesn't have to be for everyone, but it should have a lot of options.6) Solve a bunch of D&D's long-term problems. I can't think of most of these off the top of my head, but one example is not being able to sneak up on people and take them out. It's an absolute staple of all fiction involving conflict, with no exceptions, it's a real thing, and it happens constantly in fantasy fiction specifically. That's it's basically impossible in any edition of D&D unless you're a Thief/Rogue and the enemy is a wimp is ridiculous. Worlds Without Number basically solved this, so we can rip them off.7) Kill Bonus Actions (this seems pretty popular) and find a better way to handle stuff like that, probably more exception-based (and  just rarer). Same goes for Reactions.8) Get rid of saving throws as a general thing everyone has, going to 4E-style defences. Saving throws them become this special thing certain classes/species/etc. get against certain things, even if their defences got hit. Which I think would be a lot cooler.9) Insane art budget and production values - And make sure the art appeals to the current, actual audience and draws new people in. In the core books, the styles should be pretty consistent.10) Really strong digital tools that exist from day 1 of the edition, and support both players AND DMs. Ideally including an easy-to-use and decent-looking 2D VTT which runs in a browser so has no difficulty working across tons of devices.11) As others have said, playtest aggressively and in depth. Do NOT rush the game out in like 18 months as 4E and 5E both basically did. If it takes three years to get it right, it takes three years.12) Reconsider which classes need to be in the PHB. I'm not saying I'd definitely remove or replace any, but I'd probably add Psion at a minimum.13) Huge reworks of most classes. Fundamentally take a more 4E approach to classes - i.e. there can be more than one version of a class, and they share abilities etc., but they don't have to be the same. Probably eliminate subclasses by doing this. Ranger, Fighter and Barbarian need to hold some sort of conference and sort out their identities, as do Sorcerer and Wizard. I think Ranger and Barbarian being merged would make a lot of sense, then you select abilities to make the wilderness warrior you want. Cleric would stop being single-god-specific by default, Druids would probably move away from shapeshifting as a default, and more as an option.I could go on, but that's enough for now.</blockquote>

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