Ancient Realms

[Great Dragon]

Gothic Lineages Unearthed Arcana

These are an interesting addition for the game.
But, again - placing the ASI (+2 to one and +1 to another) anywhere still doesn't sit well with me. IDK, maybe I'm just too used to the Old Ways?

For Dhampir: I'd prefer a pre-set +2 Con and then allow the +1 to one other. Change the Hungers to a d10 where Blood has 3 points. (1,2,3 or 1,3,7, etc)
Everything else is actually ok. 1d4 damage and get either HP or a Bonus to an Ability/Skill Check or an Attack Roll is pretty good.

Hexblood: This is intesting. The Token is especially intriguing, and the once a day limit seems balanced.

Reborn: Kinda? This is better than the Revenant "Race" but the +1d6 to any skill seems too easy to abuse - I'm picturing a Reborn Phantom Rogue.....

[Great Dragon]

UA: Feyfolk.

Fairy Not too bad, but giving a 2nd level spell (even once a day) is more then most other races, without a feat.

Hobgoblin of the Feywild. Sigh. Not as bad at I expected. But, honestly a new Race with these features would have been preferred.

Owlfolk is interesting. Not too potent for their Racial Features.

Rabbitfolk: Actually rather nice.

[Great Dragon]

My review of Worldbuilding Map Sites.

Worldspinner - I was very unhappy with this 'free' site. It requires an account to access, and the most impressive things requires a paid membership.
The map displayed on the free account is very unimpressive.

Donjon Fantasy This has a decent map display with text information below, and the map is downloadable.

Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator: the details of the map aren't super, but detailed enough for general details.
This is a great resource for a lot of other things: From States and Provinces to Cultures and Diplomacy between States.

[Great Dragon]

Gothic UA
Dhampir: Darkvision = np. Spider Climb = interesting.
Vampiric Bite: I can deal with on a mechanical level, but this needs to be something that the PC needs to keep hidden and not publicly known, lest they be treated no better than an actual Vampire.

Hexblood: Fey Resistance = np. Hex Magic = np.
Magic Token = interesting.

Reborn: a much better option than Revenant, IMO.
Deathless Nature: A little much for a Race, but not super terrible.
Past Life: This seems a little to easy to abuse, especially when combined with the Phantom Rogue.

Fey Options UA

Fairy:
I'll be honest, in that I'd rather have a Fey-descended PC and not a Full Fey PC.
But, Flight is ok. Fey Magic: interesting.
Fey Passage: This is a bit much.... maybe usable a number of times equal to Proficiency Bonus per Long Rest.

Fey Hobgoblin = nope. I'm sticking to what was in VGM.
I'm straight up changing these features to Squirrelfolk. Squr.
Fey Ancestry gets transfered.
Fey Gift gets transfered.
Hospitality gets transfered.
Passage gets transfered.
Spite gets transfered.
Fortune of the Many get dropped.

Owlfolk No real problems here, but different names for different types/sizes of Owls would be nice.

Rabbitfolk No real problems here.

Draconic Options UA.

Dragonborn. Not a fan of the Duplication of Breath and Resistances.
Chromatic Warding: I'm liking this option, but am thinking that it should be a Racial Feat.
Mostly to be something that can be added to the PC instead of replacing anything.
Metallic Breath Weapon: Also thinking that it should be a Racial Feat.

Gem Dragonborn: I'm going to stick with my changes to the damage types for the Gem Dragons.
Amythest: Blunt; Crystal: Fire/blinding; Emerald: Thunder; Sapphire (currently Psychic); Topaz: Acid.
Psychic Mind is ok by me.

Gem Flight? Well, tbh, I've been thinking of allowing a Winged Feat that can be flavored as the Player wishes, and grants a flight speed of 50'

UA Kobold
I'm thinking that I agree with Matt Colville, in that these features should be gained as the PC levels up.
1st grants a Cantraip. 3rd grants the Advantage to Frightening effects. 5th grants Roar.

The Tail Strike? IDK. Even though the 1d6+str mod blunt damage doesn't seem enough to warrant a feat. I don't think that it's bad enough an idea to deny, but would most likely reduce the damage to 1d4 like most other Racial Natural Unarmed Attacks.

[Great Dragon]

Strixhaven UA and now pending Book....

These are interesting....
but . . . . (you saw that coming!)
I would have prefered that they were more limited to a single Class as a Subclass option.
Being interchangable between Base Classes breaks the design of the game a little too much.

Now, I'm not totally opposed to giving the Wizard Healing options, but by updating things like the Magic Intiate Feat:
(1) where the granted 1st level spell (Cure Wounds or Healing Word) can be activated by the expendature of a Spell Slot.
and/or
(2) expanding the spell list granted to be one of each of 1st level (First Rank PC) through 5th level (Ninth Rank PC), and can also be activated by the expendature of a Spell Slot.
to be equal to an Eberron Dragonmark. Extra features optional. (which can also be activated by the expendature of a Spell Slot of the correct level.)

[Great Dragon]

I return with more Opinions and Ideas.
The only new additions to my 5e Collection are:

Dragons of Stormwrack Isle from the Starter Set.
I'm liking this. It's a lot more straight-forward with the set up for a New DM, than either Lost Mines of Phandelver or Dragon of Icespire Peak.
I figured out that the Isle is just South of Neverwinter, along the coast, so it can be added to the Phandalin Region for an Open Sandbox Style Campaign.

Spelljammer. Ok, this is a huge disappointment to me, in that they threw away nearly all of the 2e content. First, I don't like that they made Wildespace so limited, and then running directly into the Astral Sea.
If the DM wants a self contained Campaign Universe, they can choose to create that.
So, I preferred that Wildspace went out to the Crystal Sphere, and on the other side of the Crystal Sphere is the Phlogiston that can allow access to other Crystal Spheres containing new Worlds to explore. I am hoping for lots more Spelljammer Content from WotC.

1dnd UAs
First Custom Races: Personally I liked the Racial Legacy diversity that was in the content before this Playtest came out.

Feats: I like that they are going to be using these going forward. DMs should work with their Players in making the Characters so that everyone understands how all the changes affect the gameplay. For the most part, I am liking the way that they are doing these feats. Of course, I do have my changes, and perhaps I'll edit those into here at some time. Or make a new post if anyone actually asks me Questions.

Spells: I like the dividing of the Magic into three Categories, but I don't like the Master List for each.
I'm a bit Old School in that I think that each Class and Subclass should stand out a little differently

Second The Changes to Bard are interesting. I'll need to playtest these to get more information.

Making the Ranger an Expert Class might actually work to make this Class more appealing to Players.
I look forward to Playtesting this and seeing if it works well as is, or needs some Mixing & Matching with older versions to really make the Ranger shine.

I do not like that they made the Rogue a Dex-only Class. I am of the opinion that it is the Rogue that is doing the Sneak Attack, not the weapon - and as such I want to Playtest having it where the Rogue can Sneak Attack with any weapon they are proficient with.

I do like the fact that the second UA returned Critical Hit Damage to doubling all Dice.

New Homebrew

Spoiler

Show

Figuring out the changes for Alignments to some of the "Monstrous Races" would be the first needed part.

To me, Orcs are fairly easy.
Gruumsh 'created' the Orcs and then found himself in opposition to (almost) all of the other Deities. Thus, Gruumsh encouraged the Orcs to also be in opposition to almost all of the Races.
For the most part, the Orc Pantheon is full of Independent (Chaotic) and Cruel (Evil) individuals. Where Orcs are the only ones that are not constantly targeted, but still need to follow certain Rules or receive harsh punishments.

Now, Time moves on for more generations than most people want to really count. Nations are built and Alliances are made, both on a large scale and on an individual level.

The Culture changed from one of constant aggression to the presentation of personal power through displays of strength and skill. This would cause the Orcs to divide into separate groups, each of a different aspect of the traditions and thus new Cultures. As groups, these Cultures do not always get along, but on an Individual level - an Orc is an Orc.
(Coming up with each Major Cultural Group will be a challenge)

Like it or not, change comes to everything, and new Orc Deities ascend, but do not replace any of the old Orc Deities.
Among these new Deities are a few Kind (Good) individuals, both as a reflection of the change of the Race, as well as an Example to the Race. [For the most part, I don't see very many Orcs being Tradition Bound (Lawful). Being Chaotic Good, Neutral Good, Neutral Evil, or Chaotic Evil]

Creating and defining these new Deities is where the problem lies.
Who where they as Mortals? What Deeds did they do that all Orcs would be impressed by and talk about, leading up to a wide enough following that the foundation of Belief/Faith caused them to Ascend into Divinity?
Once they were Deities, maintaining their status would be the next challenge: Clerics and Paladins are chosen from the Followers, but their Deeds are a reflection upon the Deity.

Another Race that is easy for me to deal with are Kobolds.
Mostly because they are greatly influenced by Dragons.
Thus, different Tribes would have a Culture based on the following
of a breed of Dragon. With there being at least 15 Breeds of Dragon,
of a wide range of Alignments, creating a Culture for each would take some time.

I did create a Kobold Life Deity, Zakorxu (LG), that was in quiet opposition to Kurtulmak.
Zakorxu is the explanation for motivation for the Kobolds to being Kind (Good) as well as granting powers to Clerics and Divine Soul Sorcerers.
Her champion, Rokuq (LG), is the explanation for Celestial Warlocks.
Qutekriz the Destroyer (LE) [Urd] is the explanation for Fiend Warlocks.

Another Race that is easy for me to deal with are Kobolds.
Mostly because they are greatly influenced by Dragons.
Thus, different Tribes would have a Culture based on the following
of a breed of Dragon. With there being at least 15 Breeds of Dragon,
of a wide range of Alignments, creating a Culture for each would take some time.

I did create a Kobold Life Deity, Zakorxu (LG), that was in quiet opposition to Kurtulmak.
Zakorxu is the explaination for motivation for the Kobolds to being Kind (Good) as well as granting powers to Clerics and Divine Soul Sorcerers.
Her champion, Rokuq (LG), is the explanation for Celestial Warlocks.
Qutekriz the Destroyer (LE) [Urd] is the explanation for Fiend Warlocks.

Klar Repel Hobgoblin (LG) War Domain.

Spoiler

Show

From the changes of the world there arose a Hobgoblin Warlord and General.
Klar Repel (LG) Ascended after defeating all the armies that Maglubiyet sent against him.
Upon Ascention, Klar became the Deity of War that personifies
the glory of victory, honorable combat, and codified physical competition.
He is the unspoken bond between soldiers on the eve of battle,
the courage of the standard bearer holding colors aloft in the midst of battle,
and the exultation that comes after a hard-won victory.
Klar pushes his followers to excel in their chosen fields,
particularly war and athletics, and gain honor through
superior skill, training, and dedication.

War is, fundamentally, a terrible experience filled with pain, loss, and fear.
Unfortunately, as Klar sees it, war is also unavoidable.
He sees preparing for and winning life’s essential battles as being of paramount
importance and the highest calling one can experience.

The true warrior fights with honor, courage, and dedication, and values training,
discipline, strength, and esprit de corps. In Klar’s eyes, nothing is more valuable
or honorable than a honed blade wielded by a trained warrior loyal to a just cause.
This message is ingrained in the ethos of Offen, the polis that claims him as its patron.
His precepts and codes of conduct are incorporated in the civil and military laws of Offen.

Klar values strength and determination in less deadly pursuits, as well.
He believes sports are a fine proxy for war, as just as in a battle,
superior skill and strength lead to a victory. What Iroas truly loves is a winner.

[Great Dragon]

Third The changes to Cleric are interesting, and their plan to change Channel Divinity to being Proficiency Bonus based on Cleric levels should work better.

Still not a Fan of the Ardling, and I'd prefer that they created a separate Race/Species for each of the Giantkin.

Fourth Druid. Not a fan of Channel Nature, as I feel that this is too close to the Cleric.
Animal Companion where the Druid can communicate with it at all times seems interesting.
It can be brought back like a Familiar but works differently.

Healing Blossoms was interesting.

Not really a fan of how they changed the Wild Shape upgrades.

Paladin. Seems mostly ok. Allowing Smite to be used by any weapon will make Paladins more versatile.
Although I am going to have the Player dedicate a Spell Slot before taking the shot, but if it misses the Slot is not used.