Community

Good ideas so far.  Before I get into my own, I would like to point a few things out:

1) Bloodied mechanic.  This is in D&D Next, under one of the options for healing.  No reason you can't use it with any other healing options (I use the standard healing and also the bloodied condition).  Currently there aren't things that key off bloodied, but that makes sense as it is optional.

2) Minions.  This is also in D&D Next, just not exactly the same.  Many low level monsters have so few hit points that they will be killed in one hit.  Also, every monster lists average damage so you don't have to roll if you don't want.  What would be nice is for the DMG to talk about counting low level monsters as having 1 hp.  Perhaps some sort of level threshold: monsters more than 5 levels lower than the PCs count as minions and are considered to have 1 hp.
I don't care as much for the whole "No damage on a miss" aspect.  Especially when it comes to daily powers...I feel if you are bringing out a daily, the minions should go down.  Even something like Glancing Blow...the Fighter is still using his action to take out a single minion, when he could be bringing some serious pain to the big bad.  That minion did his job.

3) Striker Mechanics.  Sneak attack and Martial Damage Dice serve this role.  Next takes a step forward, in that you don't need to use either.  You can make a rogue without sneak attack, and you can make a fighter who never uses his dice for extra damage.

4) Powers.  Between spells, maneuvers, and skill tricks, it is pretty clear that powers are here to stay.

5) Cleaner, simple rules.  This is subjective I know, but I find the rules for Next very simple and streamlined.  I have been able to run every session without looking up a single rule.

6) XP Encounter design.  Next has this.  Might need some tweaking of the numbers, but it is there.

7) Healing as a class feature.  While it doesn't work in the same way, this concept is still there.  All healing spells are (cue reverb) WORDS....OF....POWER!  You can cast them and still attack or take another action (in 4E terms, a minor action).  In addition, one of the Channel Divinity powers allows you to cure your allies.  You don't get a healing mechanic 2/encounter, but I don't think that specific number is the important part.  The point is that you can heal AND do something else.

8) Monsters do not follow PC rules.  While monsters use the core mechanic of checks and saves, other aspects of their statblock doesn't conform to PC rules.  They don't get feats, and their attack bonus is higher than their stats would indicate.  However, I would like to see more done here.  Damage and AC are still following the same rules that PCs use.  This is fine, but it means we will need more complex guidelines regarding customizing and creating new monsters.  For example, how much extra XP would orcs in plate armor be?  What about kobolds with more damaging weapons?  Etc.

Streamlined rules for monster creation/customization is a big thing that I want to see as a DM.

Other things that I would like to see:

1) Warlord.  One of my favorite 4E classes, I really hope this guy makes it into Next.  Expanding from this, just the idea of other classes that can heal (even if the healing works in a different way) is a great idea.

2) Solos that are well made.  This is something 4E struggled with.  It got a lot better toward the end though.  Having just looked up some monsters (Dragons and Dracolich), I see that Next is going in this direction too.  They are immune to paralysis and sleep.  But other big monsters (such as the Pit Fiend), do not have this immunity.  Also, rather than immunity, I think it is more interesting if monsters are resistant.  For example, instead of getting paralyzed, the monster might just be slowed.  If you can hit it with another paralysis effect, it will be immobilized.  A third such effect will paralyze it.  These monsters can also make the check to end such spells in addition to taking a regular action.

I liked how 4E handled Disease format with stages to worsen, stable or get better based on DC checks and hope D&D Next adop a similar format for disease and perhaps even curses or poisoning! 

Also Fantastic Terrain Powers really help make combat more dynamics.