Game Elements from Other Systems

[Rune]

For instance, ChattyDM took elements from Apocalypse One, Mouseguard and Burning Wheel to change the Skill Challenge mechanic to what I think is pretty dang cool. Here's an example of it in action.

Burning Wheel has a concept of failed checks, called "Let it Ride", in that to do A task, you only get one try. So no "I failed my search check, I search again". A failure stands. This would move away from continually making a check - screeching the play to a halt - when PCs need to succeed at a skill for things to move forward.

Which goes nicely with Mouseguard's idea of failure - when you fail at something, you succeed at what you're trying to do. But a new complication is added. For instance, failing to jump over a river doesn't mean you fall in the river - it does mean you drop your pack with the McGuffin in the river, and have to chase it down stream.

One other thing I really like about Mouseguard--and would like to see in D&D--is the ability and incentive for players to use their own PCs' traits and flaws against themselves.

 

[hanez]

I dont know if Arcana Evolved qualifies as "non D&D" but if it does:

-heightened and diminished versions of spells (such a simple way to make spells more interesting)

-racial leveling (take a level in your race instead of class)

-talent type feats (stronger feats that you can ONLY take at level one)

 

[batrok]

A Hit Point/Injury system similar to A Song of Ice and Fire RPG.

Basically here the idea is that Hit Point are a measure of your ability to evade being hit even if your opponent's attack is successful.
So if your opponent hits, you have the choice between spending Hit points to make a last second parry or making your shield/Armor absorb the impact, or you choose to not spend Hit Points and the hit definitely connects and you have to take an injury which translate in a penalty or negative condition.

Of course the real problems start when you don't have enough Hit Points left to compensate your opponent's hit, so it's not so rare that you have to take an injury early in order to avoid your Hit Points pool being dangerously depleted.

it's truly a very elegant system and it allows the players to narrate in very cool way the means by which they dodge and parry the powerful blows of their adversary.

I've tried it with high level PCs in a house ruled version of 3ed and all my players truly had a blast with it.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

I'd like to see adapted and ported the Burning Wheel concept of a "resource cycle". In BW, the rough idea is that the resource cycle determine how often you have to pay out and take in for whatever stuff you are doing on a regular basis. But it is relatively neutral about what you do or care about.

Thus, if you want your campaign to be pretty much about adventuring, quests, etc. you set the resource cycle to something like every season, or six months, or even longer. At the upper end, bring in a big treasure haul, and you'll be set for a cycle or two. But if you want to emphasize this aspect of the campaign, you set it more frequently. Suddenly, that you are a hardscrabble knight with no land shifts emphasis from the knight part to the hardscrabble part. Of if you are merchant with a lot of resources invested in land and shops, you get to push those resources hard to try to achieve campaign goals.