What I wanted was 3e drawing changes from Unearthed Arcana, d20 Modern, Star Wars Saga (for condition tracks, saves as defenses, talent trees for prcs), Sean K Reynolds's Fewer Absolutes, Book of Iron Might (for maneuvers), Artificer's Handbook (for Magic Item Creation), and a couple of other third party sources
1. Setting specifics and racial names moved to an appendix as a sample campaign and example of campaign building
2. Less gamist than 4e and more concern for verisimitude
3. Fewer Absolutes as per Sean K Reynolds article
4. Removal of Level Drain
5. Removal of XP to cast certain spells
6. Removal of XP to create magic items. Change the magic item creation rules to something like the Artificer's Handbook (Mystic Eye Games)
7. Unified Save Progression (similar to 4e unified defense progression) with characters receiving a good save bonus (or bonuses) only from the initial class.
8. Spellcasters toned down
9. Nonbiological racial abilities (e.g, bonuses against giant, weapon proficiencies) as feats
10. More starting hit points (I like what 4e did)
11. More skill points per level for the 2+int per level classes
12. Multiclassing
- Characters cannot receive armor and weapon proficiencies from multiclassing except through class bonus feats.
- No class save bonuses from multiclassing
13. Book of Iron Might type maneuvers and a system for creating new maneuvers. The Book of Iron Might is why the news of Mearls joining WOTC made me happy. I thought he would introduce a similar system.
14. From Unearthed Arcana made core:
- Spontaneous Divine Casting
- Specialist Wizard variant abilities
- Action Points but working more like M&M hero points for modifying d20 rolls.
- Weapon Groups
- Death and Dying and removal of negative hit points
- Complex Skill Checks
- Incantations
- Turn Undead variant
- either
a) the generic classes + 3 additional hybrids (warrior adept (Warrior and Adept), physical adept (Adept and Expert), and a class that combines warrior and expert));or
b) if keeping the existing classes, providing several UA Style class variants (i.e., barbarian hunter, cloistered cleric, monk fighting styles, urban ranger, wilderness rogue, martial rogue, and battle sorcerer), plus the Complete Champion spelless paladin and ranger variants used as examples of tailoring classes.
15. From d20 Modern
- Occupations
- Talent Trees for Classes and Prestige Classes
- Class based Defense
- Brawl, Combat MA, and Defensive MA Trees
16. Star Wars: Saga Edition
- Condition track
- Saves as Defenses
- Talent Trees for Prestige Classes
17. Animal Companions handled as feats as per the Animal Cohort feat from the website.
18. Spells
a. levels of spells reexamined
b. some spells reworked (e.g, making magic missile a ranged touch attack or changing skill duplicating spells to give a bonus to a skill check or require a caster check)
c. making some spells UA Incantations (e.g., raise dead, speak with dead, scrying, long range teleports)
d. removing some spells (e.g, rope trick)
19. Spycraft or Adamant Foe Factory:Modern quick NPC creation system.