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I think spells will be divided according to their power sources, or the main caster class of their source, excluding psionic abilities. So they'll probably be divided into arcane (AKA Wizard), Divine (AKA Cleric), Primal (AKA Druid) spells and psionic abilities.

Psionics should be optional rules, implemented as a feat which grants you psionics when you first take it, and gives you more powers as you take it multiple times, and supplemented by metapsionic feats, and be based around power-points. I think psionic abilities should be divided into minor abilities, which function like minor spells, lesser abilities, which require power points equal to their level, and greater abilities, which require power points equal to twice their level.

Example idea:
A fighter takes the aforementioned psionic feat and gains power points equal to his highest mental ability score, adding 2 every time he gains a level. He gains a number of psionic abilities equal to his highest mental ability score modifier, none of which can be of a higher level than him....

I think that sneak attack's only option shouldn't be extra damage, but should vary according to your rogue scheme. For example, assassins get the extra damage, thieves can immediately make a skill or ability check to steal an item or an amount of gold, and thugs can knock the target etc.

OR:

All rogues deal sneak attack as extra damage, but assassins take decide to take 3 on each die or roll when applying it, and other schemes gain extra effects to sneak attack as normal.

For players and GMs who want combat to last longer, WotC could make a very simple rule module like this in the Next DMG or upcoming playtest packets:

• High-HP Combat: Multiply base character HP and the base HP they gain at every level by 3. Multiply all monsters' HP by 3. 

To adress the extremely low HP of many caster classes in Next:

• Smart Fighter: You can predict the abilities of your foes instead of dodging them.

Benefit: You can substitute your intelligence modifier for your dexterity modifier while using no armor or light armor you are proficient with.

• Dodge the Worst: Even if they hit you, you can make sure they don't strike a vital spot.

Benefit: You can substitute your intelligence modifier for your constitution modifier when determining starting hit points and hit points you gain every level.


I think wizards should have the option of taking these as bonus feats instead of meta-magic feats.

To prevent front-loaded class abilities, weapon and armor proficiencies and class features should be gained every time a character takes a level in a class other than their own, while miscalleanous abilities, such as spells and CS dice should progress normally, since they aren't front-loaded. Thus, classes should have different progression tables for characters who take them as their first class and characters who multiclass into them. This type of progression is more realistic, as, unlike their first level in their first class, which represents the fruit of years of training, taking a level in another class means beginning to learn its techniques.
Here are two sample scenarios, one with a wizard taking a level in fighter, and a fighter taking a level in wizard:

• A wizard takes a level

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If you follow my Twitter feed you may have noticed that I have a love of both the Dungeons AND the Dragons. Basically… Wizards of the Coast has me. In a platonic sense. I’m hooked on multiple aspects of Wizardry. I’ve been a Magic player since I was a [c="Wee Dragonauts"]wee[/c] lad with flowing golden locks, wrestling [c]Grizzly Bears[/c] in the frozen highlands of Dominaria. My love of Magic led me to play both Duels of the Planeswalkers and Magic Online. I’ve owned and spent hours playing NetRunner and Axis and Allies. I also have plans to one day steal THIS statue and turn it into a full body suit (don’t you tell nobody).
 

 

However, unlike a lot of Wizards of the Coast fans, I never found myself entering

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If a wizard chooses to specialize in a school, they gain benefits at certain levels, in exchange for only being able to cast wizard spells from that school, and having less spell slots. So, a generalist wizard has more latitude in spell casting more spells per day, which makes up for not having special benefits. On a side note, I think all wizards should get an extra meta-magic feat whenever they take a level in wizard when they would gain a feat, and wizards should be able to substitute their intelligence modifier for their DEX and CON modifiers for AC and HP, respectively.

• Evocation: Evokers (Which could be also called warmages, due to most evocation spells being focused on dealing damage) have 1 favored spell per level of wizard spells they can cast (1 favored spell when they can

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