A large collection of feats for use in D&D 5th Edition games. Some do fit fairly well alongside official 5th Edition feats (though many are plainly OGL-friendly versions of those official feats)... but most are largely in the style of D&D 3.5, with many clearly and directly derived from 3.5 material. While some of the latter category can still work in 5E, in certain styles of games, a number raise balance concerns (especially feats of the "Extra" and "Improved" types). Others seem to overlook some compatibility questions with 5E (such as those that should factor in death saves and don't). Still, there are some fun and useful inclusions here and there... but there's also a lot of material DMs should be careful about including. (Originally posted on Goodreads)

A selection of charisma-based features for NPCs (and monsters) in D&D 5th Edition. Unlike the material in the other Advantageous Abilities products, a large number of these options are suited to social situations, rather than combat; this makes them particularly interesting designs, worth perusing just for the ideas. Fortunately, they do share the other products' strengths: everything is excellently explained and easy to add on. But also like those products, this is just two pages of rules material...

A selection of defensive options to add to NPCs (and monsters) in D&D 5th Edition games. The options include some fun ideas and are well-considered, with instructions and exact CR adjustments that make them easy to apply. However, these are definitely intended for a more tactical game, and won't suit all campaigns or play styles. Be also aware that there are only two pages of actual new rules material.

Three new monk subclasses for D&D 5th Edition:

• Way of Lost Souls: A monk that binds themselves to an undead spirit who can aid them in battle, with different abilities for different types of spirit. Very fun concept and features, with immediate roleplaying elements to boot. Definitely the best of the three.
• Way of the Silver Chain: Ostensibly a monk that deals in things astral and dream, but also adept at fighting with a silver chain. It feels like a mashup of concepts that probably should have been distinct, but has some fun elements and actually doesn't work too badly. Still, it's probably the weak link here; the sidebar even seems to acknowledge this to some degree.
• Way of the Wild: A monk that can select from various animal-themed fighting styles. Definitely a martial-arts concept lacking from the core monk, and decently well-executed here with lots of customizability. While there are hiccups ("Otter Style" gets misidentified once as "Crocodile Style"), and the various features don't all seem perfectly balanced with one another, there's a lot to like here.

All in all, a decent trio of options worth picking up. Though the $1.95 price is slightly high for five pages of material, so you may wish to wait for a sale...

A product for playing dragon-like characters in D&D 5th Edition. "Dragon-like" because you're not technically playing dragons, but closely related beings called taninim. This product is converted from a Pathfinder predecessor, and much of that legacy is still plain here - including some Pathfinder-isms that slipped through like arcane mark, and a selection of decidedly Pathfinder-like feats - but the material is still quite usable in a D&D 5th Edition game. The problem with this product, however, is that they don't present a clear enough path to reproducing any particular iconic D&D dragon. The base taninim race and the Draconic Exemplar class would be the obvious route, but they provide an overwhelming array of choices that will likely take players some effort to sort through. It would also be better if the three subclasses (Scaled Juggernaut fighter, White Worm Apostate cleric, and especially the Trueblood Sorcerer) had been more clearly presented as alternative paths from the Draconic Exemplar. That all said, some players might appreciate the significant amount of customization here, even if it's not very 5E in feel. The only other issue worth raising is minor - $5.99 is a bit expensive for just 24 pages of material.

A small, third-party collection of monsters for D&D 5th Edition, focusing on creatures from Asian cultures. The authors made a point of drawing on cultures outside Japan or China, including Cambodia and Vietnam, though they also didn't feel bound to be strictly accurate to the source material. This is also a conversion of material originally designed for Pathfinder, like many Legendary Games products... but other than a reference to Pathfinder's nagaji, it's not particularly noticeable. As for the monsters themselves, they're reasonably well-done, with the most interesting probably being the neak ta (spirits that bond with buildings), quyrua (turtle guardians of magical weapons), and srin-po (artistocratic undead that feed on fear). (Originally posted on Goodreads)

A third-party sourcebook on ogres for D&D 3.5. This includes details on biology and culture (including multiple suggested origins), roleplaying tips, combat tactics, adventure hooks, and PC/NPC options (including feats, items, and a prestige class). While primarily focused on the standard ogre, they also spend time on the ogre mage and the oft-neglected merrow, with some nice contrasts from the baseline. Like other books in the Slayer's Guide series, however, this doesn't go too far from the core concepts... but it does do a decent job of working within that framework. (Originally posted on Goodreads)

A third-party sourcebook on yuan-ti for D&D 3rd Edition. This breaks from the formula of the other Slayer's Guides somewhat, with the bulk of the book focusing on an original take on the yuan-ti and their culture that draws heavily on Chinese myth and legend. The author clearly put a lot of thought into this new yuan-ti culture, to the point that the detail might be a little excessive at times. Meanwhile, there's comparatively little rules content, and some of what is provided seems overly detailed even by D&D 3E standards. The book also has one major issue... there's a section missing! There are references to a section detailing "penitents" and the "Ritual of Contrition" that's nowhere to be found. In short, the author's enthusiasm can't be questioned, but there are structural issues that set this product back. (Originally posted on Goodreads)

An adventure module for D&D 4th Edition, weaving a number of plotlines around a fetch quest to assemble the scattered Deck of Many Things. There's a lot of great stuff in this adventure, particularly the flexibility in terms of how it progresses (making this very replayable) and many interesting encounters throughout. They also seemed to make a conscious effort to defy stereotypes about 4E, by including non-combat methods of resolving many encounters, as well as solid roleplaying notes for the various NPCs (even some of the generic monsters).

There are some weaknesses, however. One, for as central as the Deck is supposed to be, they largely leave it to the DM to explain how to set them on the fetch quest, and also how the NPCs figure out the PCs are looking for the Deck. Another is the decision to split the adventure overview (Books 1 and 2) from the majority of the setpiece encounters (Books 3 and 4), which results in having to go back and forth a lot between booklets to understand the big picture. The Deck's individual card powers are also less exciting than they should be, due to the typical 4E focus on what can affect a battle map.

Still, complaints aside, there's a lot to like in this adventure, and it's definitely one of 4E's best. If you're a 4E DM, this would be an excellent choice for your next campaign. (Originally posted on Goodreads)

A neat little supplement filled with magical candies. Besides the wealth of new minor magical items, the booklet is just plain fun to read. Admittedly, a few of the common and uncommon candies might look a little strong, but keep in mind that they are all single-use items. The only minus is the price tag: $4.99 for 12 pages of material is a bit much. If you can get this on sale or as part of a bundle, though, it's definitely worth it for campaigns that don't mind some whimsy.

Love the concept of this domain, but the actual mechanics are flawed. The domain spells are being granted at their spell level, not the level where a cleric should be casting them. There's a missing feature (Improved Tuck In). Also, the low-level features are either weirdly specific (the effects of the level 1 feature disappear after 24 hours?) or overly powerful (the level 2 feature effectively gives you a dozen upgraded uncommon healing options). Basically, be expected to rework this if you want to use it in your games. Also, $1.95 is a lot for two pages of (broken) material...

A fun new option for monks, based around the strength of their aura. The formatting isn't very fancy and there's no art, but the content is great and seems well-balanced. And the price - free - is certainly nice!

An impressive attempt at updating D&D 4th Edition's iconic warlord class to D&D 5th Edition. The base class is a definite success, operating something like a hybrid of fighter and bard. (They also address one criticism of the warlord by making most of the HP they grant temporary.) Things get slightly shakier once you get to the subclasses, however. For one, when you have six subclasses, they need to have a stronger individual identity than these have. Which isn't to say that they're bad; they just needed some key mechanics or flavor to really distinguish them. (The Hordemaster and Shrewd Commander are the chief examples, as their mechanics only vaguely connect to the name and premise.) Also, some of the mechanics are a bit hard to parse (Daring Gambler's Risky Gambit and Golden General's Rally the Troops in particular) and the resource management seems inconsistent (sometimes it's a flat bonus or number of uses, when it should probably be tied to the bonus die or a character stat). Still, all in all, this is one of the best takes on a D&D 5E warlord out there, and definitely worth checking out. (4E fans should also be on the lookout for a few extra hidden 4E mechanics: Resourceful Leader's Find a Way feature, for example.) $2.49 for 9 pages of material is a bit too high, however, so wait for a sale.

A fun subclass for the ranger that gives them extra magical features related to whistling. While the theme seems more like the bard's territory than the ranger's, Guiding Tune is the key feature that makes it all work, with a number of interesting options for altering the course of battles. The middle features seem slightly underpowered by comparison, but they still have uses (and again, Guiding Tune makes up for a lot). The product also includes a bonus feat (Musical Traveler, which makes travel easier) and a bonus magic item. Note, $1.95 for just two pages of material is asking a lot, but if you buy this as part of a bundle it's fairer.

An unofficial overview and update of Waterdeep's Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors for D&D 5th Edition, and a fairly solidly conceived one at that. The book also includes new options for players who want to be members of the Watch Wizards:

• Subdual Spell: A feat that explicitly permits players to make their spells non-lethal. While this is well-designed, one wonders why you couldn't just allow the player to decide if it's non-lethal, as in the core rules. (Also, why the insistence on "subdual damage" as the term?)
• Watch Wizard Arcane Tradition: For players who actually want to be Watch Wizards proper. To be honest, this seems pretty powerful, especially if you're fond of countering other spellcasters.
• Guild Wizard background: A Sage-type background for wizards who either want to increase their Watch Wizard-ness, or non-wizards who want to be part of the club too. Pretty straightforward stuff.
• New spells: Probably the most broadly useful section, this includes some distinctive spells (such as Analyze Portal or Reveal Magic) as well as some stealth updates of spells from older editions (check out Trobriand's). Wound Bind might step a bit on healer turf, but the rest are all pretty good (if occasionally - and understandably - pretty specialized).

Definitely worth picking up if you plan to include the Watchful Order in your games, despite a few hiccups in the player options. Less useful for those who don't, though the spells are still probably worth a look.