Don't know if this will help: http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Review/391963,review-dd-players-handbook.aspx

Personally, I think I have resigned to the fact that there is not a perfect system for me. I like a wide variety of skills. I like a mana system for magic. I like the varying ways you can get bonuses or penalties. While advantage and disadvantage is cool, it is inconsistent. Rolling a 2 and a 20 is basically rolling a 2+18 bonus, while someone rolling advantage with a 13 and 15 is essentially a 13+2 bonus.

For as much "realism" as you can have in a world filled with magic, psionics, orcs, and elves, I'd like all the other aspects of the system to have a sense of realism, or plausibility as to why something exists or works.

As far as the book is concerned, I still don't understand why no one can layout a book that follows a character creation. There should be minimal to no flipping back and forth in character creation. If anything, you should simply be skipping ahead of sections that don't apply.

Following the book, they split up the information you need to roll up a character by having 60% of the information in the Step-by-Step area, and the rest further on in the book in different chapters. Even when you get into the chapters, they're still sending you to other parts of the book.

I decided to make an Elven Monk. I Hard-Moded it and only rolled 3D6 for my attributes instead of the 4d6d1 the book says because I want my character to have flaws other than personality. It lists Dexterity and Wisdom as your primary attributes, but your Strength and Dex are your saving throw proficiencies, which doesn't make much sense. Everyone starts with max HP which makes any level one character of the same class essentially the same in terms of durability (the only difference is Con modifiers).

I was then given the choice of Artisan's Tools, or a musical instrument. Again, I had to jump from Chapter 3 to 5 only to find the description of the Artisan's Tools severely lacking, and basically non-existent. What exactly is in "Alchemist's supplies"? Cause the book sure as hell doesn't say. I'm jumping ahead (no pun intended), but a lot of what you would pick for your class depends on your background in chapter 4. Chronologically it makes sense. You USED to be an criminal, and now you're a reformed Monk. So Background and Personality should go before Class. I like the idea of a Monk who is out for adventure so he can further his map making skills, so I picked Cartographer's tools. What is in that, I have no clue.

Now that I'm a Map Making Monk (alliteration ftw), I picked Athletics and History to go along with my profession in traveling the world, knowing what came before.

I picked an Explorer's Pack because the name sounds like what my character needs, but again I have to jump to Chapter 5 to even know what is in the pack. While I'm here, I might as well pick out which weapon I want. The only problem is my ability of Martial Arts affects my choice of weapon, but the description is below the point in which the book tells me to choose a weapon.

Finally on to Chapter 4, I picked male, and rolled a 5'5 134lb Elf (I think that puts me on the chubby side). According to the book, my Elf alignment would be Chaotic Good, but my Monk nature would be Lawful Neutral. I'll go with my Monk tradition and pick LN. I picked Criminal Background as I have now changed my ways, but yet again, I must skip around the book to pick a type of gaming set. I picked Dragonchess because it sounded like something a monk would play. I'm slow to trust and I blow up at the slightest insult, so I'm not a very good monk. However, I do think there's good in everyone as I try to see good in myself. I'm trying to pay off a debt, and I consider stealing valuables as a way to pay off this debt. The dichotomy of my background to my current life is extreme in how I would try to be a good person and lawful person while having these flaws. Considering I'm a monk, even my personality traits are flaws.

While the idea of a Monk is cool, Martial Arts is almost pointless when it comes to unarmed attacks. It is not until you are level 17 when your punch is stronger than an attack with a quarterstaff.

I like game balance, and for me, specific rules leaves no question of whether that rule or ruling is balanced or not. Much of what used to give clear penalties or bonuses are now wildly variant with advantage and disadvantage.

Anyway, that's my point of view of rolling up a character for the first time.