Tradition Book: Dreamspeakers

Rating:
Summary: The Tradition of many Traditions
Review: Dreamspeakers continues the Revised edition Traditions books which I've been enjoying very much. Though I've personally never been much of a Mage fan, I do try to keep abreast of the different groups out there for when I run a game of my own to make my World of Darkness a more well-rounded experience for all.

That said, I often found the previous edition Tradition books dull and clunky. The newer Revised editions are not so, and have a much better narrative structure around them, despite using most of the same narrative conventions. This may work because there seems to be less melodrama and more instruction for the Mages working their way through their individual Traditions.

Not so for the Dreamspeakers for whome such generalizations are hard, since the Tradition name is here revealed to be a catch-all for any Mage who works with spirits, and this Tradition seems to be the most disorganized and chaotic so far. Dreamspeakers (or "Shamans" as they are more likely to be referred to in the book) can come from any walk of life, from any culture, and can even be Awakened by powerful Spirits, making them a highly eclectic group which is difficult to characterize or give mutual goals to as a group. Of the Revised books so far, this one makes the best case for an all-Dreamspeaker game (as opposed to an all fill-in-Tradition-name-here game).

Best of all is the Tradition is no longer made out to be a bunch of drum-beating tribalists stuck in the modern era. This gives the Tradition more depth and is greatly appreciated by me.

Rating:
Summary: The Tradition of many Traditions
Review: Dreamspeakers continues the Revised edition Traditions books which I've been enjoying very much. Though I've personally never been much of a Mage fan, I do try to keep abreast of the different groups out there for when I run a game of my own to make my World of Darkness a more well-rounded experience for all.

That said, I often found the previous edition Tradition books dull and clunky. The newer Revised editions are not so, and have a much better narrative structure around them, despite using most of the same narrative conventions. This may work because there seems to be less melodrama and more instruction for the Mages working their way through their individual Traditions.

Not so for the Dreamspeakers for whome such generalizations are hard, since the Tradition name is here revealed to be a catch-all for any Mage who works with spirits, and this Tradition seems to be the most disorganized and chaotic so far. Dreamspeakers (or "Shamans" as they are more likely to be referred to in the book) can come from any walk of life, from any culture, and can even be Awakened by powerful Spirits, making them a highly eclectic group which is difficult to characterize or give mutual goals to as a group. Of the Revised books so far, this one makes the best case for an all-Dreamspeaker game (as opposed to an all fill-in-Tradition-name-here game).

Best of all is the Tradition is no longer made out to be a bunch of drum-beating tribalists stuck in the modern era. This gives the Tradition more depth and is greatly appreciated by me.

Rating:
Summary: Wow
Review: This Tradion Book just blew me away. While the narrative was slightly confusing in the begining, but it does pick up after a bit.

The character archetypes, Rotes and spirit creation information makes this book a valuable resource.

The main shortcoming of this book is that it contantly references other books such as 'Axis Mundi', 'The Spirit Ways' and 'Werewolf'. However, the information on spirits completely makes up for this.

This book is an absolute MUST for any Storyteller or Dreamspeaker player.

Rating:
Summary: Dreaming Beyond the Stereotypes
Review: Wow! And I thought the original Dreamspeakers Tradition book was good. This one just blew me away. It was so amazing. This revised edition really expands on just what it means to be a Shaman. Following the journey of a young Shaman, we learn just about every aspect of Shamanism in this book. Starting from the introduction, which explains the mood, theme and set-up of the book, we go into a brief history of the world, as told by the spirits themselves. Then they go on to take us on a tour of the Americas, Africa and other lands, and the shaman who work in those lands. Sidebars fill us in on spirit perspectives and how words really can matter when dealing with spirits. We go on to get Dreamspeaker views on other Traditions, supernatural beings and even dealing with spirits. The first chapter closes out with word on Dreamspeaker philosophy and how shamanism can be integrated with other religions, from New Age faiths and Shinto to Christianity and Islam.
The next chapter goes into more details on Dreamspeaker structure, giving write-ups for each major Dreamspeaker faction: the Baruti (wandering storytellers), spirit-trained Independants, the Ghost Wheel Society (techno-shamans), Keepers of the Sacred Flame (traditional shaman), Red Spears (warriors), Spirit Smiths (fetish makers) and Solitares (lone shaman). Then we get more on animism, ecstasy and transvestite shamanism, followed by how Dreamspeakers view magic and the spheres. Some new mechanics for madness, Awakened items, coping with the Avatar Storm, Spirit allies, Totems and lesser Shaman paths, as well as more spirit Rotes (many quite inventive) and Fetishes than you can shake a stick at, close out this chapter.
The next chapter goes through famous Dreamspeakers, including a Siberian master who survived the Avatar Storms and Xoca, the Dreamspeaker signature character. Then we get some interesting suggestions for Dreamspeaker chronicles, and a group of NPCs who serve as shamans by helping educate poor communities across the world. Then we get the usual sample NPCs, including some unique ones like an Armenian vigilante who speaks to ghosts of his murdered relatives, a Native American shaman attached to the American military as an advisor, the shaman without a tribe and an African pirate who follows Shango, the Orisha of thunder.
The end of the book brings the story of our Shaman-in-training full circle, though I won't give it away. We also get some very good recommendations for books and movies, most of which I agree embody Dreamspeaker ideals or themes quite well. Over all, its a great resource for playing Dreamspeakers, or even shamans in general. After all, most of the infomation is very general, so it can apply equally well for Orphans, Kopa Loei, Ba'ata, Sons of Tengri and Ecstatic or Akashic Shaman.
My only comment on the book is that it is very broad. Shamanism is a varied practice found in all cultures. Sure, you've got Native American, Siberian, African, Aboriginal, Korean and Pacific Islander Shamanism. But Shamanism exists elsewhere; followers of Voudon and Santeria, Shinto priests, Christian mystics who speak to Angels and Demons, Bedouin wisewomen, Bluesmen who learn from the Dark Man at the Crossroads, Mexican curanderos, Bon Po priests in Tibet, Chinese peasant wizards and beyond. If you really want to add cultural depth to your character, it might help to get a good book on anthropology, mythology or a specific culture (Hmong, !Kung, Aboriginal, Cree, Aztec, etc) as well.