Along those lines, I’d find it useful to have a setting in each pattern to set the tempo, with an option of none (zero, perhaps), which would then follow the last active tempo from the prior pattern. Ideally, tempo would follow a priority of pattern first, last tempo or project second, and global third, depending on what was stored or not. Except, of course, when receiving and following external clock, that would override internal tempos.
Sequencer jump mode (à la Volca): you could deactivate pattern trigs and the sequencer would just skip them - which would make the pattern shorter - to allow for easy/crazy rhythmic variations.