1. Simple "base/big 4" classes. They were there...and then it seemed they continued to pile stuff on. Now, how much of that was them testing "additional/optional" bits n' pieces and how much was to be taken as "default" I can't really say.
Fair enough, hopefully we will see the basice versions unfiddly enough. However I wouldn't hold my breath for the standard versions being so simple, they gotta be flexible enough in there.
2. Easily added "sub-classes" through backgrounds and "specialities." I should be able, with minimal trouble, to take a Fighter and get a knight, non-"barbarian" berserker, a swashbuckler, hand-to-hand/pugilist/martial artist, professional mercenary crossbowman/axeman, a tribal spear-chucker/javelin user, etc...I should be able to take a mage and with a background or specialty make a rural "wisewoman/witch-type", or ceremonial magic/ritual specialist magician, a barbarian clan's run-caster/soothsayer type, etc...not necessarily an arcane "tradition" in the sense of specialist schools. The illusionists, necromancers, etc... seem easy enough to do and/or easy enough to come later with extended spelllists, splat books, and the like.3
Probably didn't get the memo, specialties are long gone, subclasses and single feats carry way thet weight. I don't particularly care about wizard -for me they could as well be removed from the game and I'd still play it- but I'm sure wizard players won't take it well to have to await for splat before getting the eight specialists, core 3.x was bad enough with not having those two spells per level needed to support them.
3. A SIMPLE/minimal feat list. Enough options for non-casters to be comparable to casters in player options, but not so many as to invoke option paralysis or require pages and pages of reading just for feats.
I think this point strictly goes against your points 2 and 3.
6. A severely pared down spell list...for all casters/types of magic. Adding spells after in supplements, online resources, "Unearthed Arcana" and "Ultimate Magic" hardbacks and such is a no-brainer. Not to mention, we have 40 years of backlog of spells. If there's not something you want in your games in the initial release spell lists, it should take minimal effort to port/convert your favorite spells into 5e terms.
I'm not a fan of feeding splat potential, it only encourages the dreaded edition treadmill, "core" (as in Trinity core) should be complete enough on it's won, to me if there is a phb1 then the edition won't hold my interest. One Phb to rule them all or no sell.
8. Warlocks and Sorcerers that have good flavor, moreso than kewlz mechanics, that do not make the Wizard/mages lame or inconsequential. IMHO, the Wizards are the WIZARDS! There is a somewhat unspoken implication that they are the masters of magic. Witches, sorcerers, and other arcane classes are just trying to figure things out on their own, steal and/or take the easy way to power, and/or keep up with actual wizards. Obviously at higher levels this isn't necessarily so, but for the beginner/starter PCs, yeah a wizard should be able to "out magic" a warlock or sorcerer.
It might be me, but IMO a sorcerer that is propperly fleshed out and well designed makes the wizard superfluous, thematically they are more diverse and flexible -and for me MUs have always been lame and unconsequential, sorcerer or not- on my ideal world all 'wizards' would be sorcerers or druids with the scholar background and a feat or two to get spellbooks and cast from int. Good thing for the rest of the world wizards are the one sacred cow that will never die, so I don't expect a fully fleshed sorcerer anytime soon, instead I will be happy to get a propperly balanced one, and a propperly balanced sorcerer has to out magick a wizard at every level, specially at low levels, since the two things the sorcerer had over the wizard are long gone -increased casting and tactical flexibility- and the other stuff doesn't mesh well with them -ritual casting and spell preparation-,only awesome remains on the table. Mages -as it is the correct name on the new edition- should be roughly equal with the other arcane casters, they could be the "Masters of arcane Magic", but sorcerers are Magic Incarnate and Warlocks aren't doing any actual work.
10. Non-"shouty healer" Warlords. Warlords are what? Lords...of War. Give me the battlefield stuff and combat effectiveness, and yes some "leadership/inspirational" skill or persuasion. Mid-combat shout healing, while yes, very handy for winning combats, is just not good for immersion. This seems already in the works, if not the bag, so that's good from my perspective.
Not a fan of inspirational healing, but it has its fans, and the Warlord "that shouts wounds closed", is a 4e poster child, it has to be included in some form, I would say preferently on the very first player book.
In the 3 corebooks, I'd like to see:
- more subclasses, at least 4-5 per class
- many, many more feats
- a few more wizard spells, but not that many, just the iconic spells still missing
There are also some changes I'd like, but one by one they are ruling them out so I'm losing all hopes. The only one hope left is at least getting a decent human race, with something that (at least optionally) replaces the horrible stat bonuses.
Yes yes and more yes. humans treathen be the one deal breaker for me this edition, hope they get them right.
