Entertainers of the Shadowrun World

Shadowbeat (Shadowrun) - Paul R. Hume

I still wonder why I am writing commentaries on roleplaying sourcebooks because it sort of skews the types of books that I have read and are interested in (for instance there is a cloud on one site that gives people an idea of the type of books one reads and fantasy and science-fiction seem to dominate mine). I guess that is why I get all these review requests from people who want me to read their latest science-fiction/fantasy book (which I am probably not going to because, well, I have so many books to read now, and that list continues growing, despite my desire otherwise, that to throw in a modern science-fiction book that I am unlikely to read anyway would simply drive me nuts).

 

 

So, I am sorry if I ignore your requests for a review but, well, you won't necessarily get a review anyway, but rather a commentary, and I am unsure how many people actually read my commentaries because I don't have a huge number of likes (compared to other people on Booklikes, some of whom are my friends) for my commentaries, and even then I am unsure if what I say actually makes people want to read the book. In fact, my commentaries are probably more for people who have already read the book than to convince people to actually read the books (and everybody has their own ways of convincing people to read the books the like – for instance the guy I know who simply puts a book in your bag, or dumps it on you, despite the fact that you tell him that you are not interested).

 

 

As for this book, well, it is about journalists in the Shadowrun game. This I found useful, particularly since the journalist did not appear as one of the archetypes in the original rule books (archetypes are basically character types that you base your character on, and while you can use them as is, making it a lot faster to start playing the game, you do have scope of move things around). The journalist is a difficult character though because they are not necessarily no-bodies because they generally work for some media organisation, and even if they are free lance, they generally need to be known. Anyway, Shadowrunners generally don't want journalists around particularly since they are doing illegal things.

 

Mind you, an investigative journalist might be useful, particularly since they are generally free lance and are trying to get information to expose some evil in the world (or even undermine the competition). However this book details how journalism works in the Shadowrun world, and also provides you with information on the equipment that they generally use. Okay, the equipment does appear in the original rulebook, but this tends to go somewhat deeper. However, the original rules did provide enough information to enable you to create a journalist without having to buy this book, or provide an archetype. However, you do have a rocker, and I believe (the book is locked away in storage so I cannot check it out) this book also covers that aspect of the entertainment industry as well.

 

Source: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/703838613