Agentorange

It's a great little film in my opinion, some stories are better than others, but if you can get a copy cheap or find it for online viewing it's well worth it.

Apparently, there's several versions of the movie on release, some of better quality than others ( sounds like you got a duff one, or at least one that had been played to death ) As you say a brilliant story. Valley of the Gwangi ? A good monster movie all round, lost valley's, man eating dinosaurs, evil gypsy crones, what more could you want ! Also worth looking at if you get the chance is: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099704/ A mixed bag of horror themed western stories. made for TV I suspect but parts of it are genuinely spooky and unsettling. One of those films you catch on late night TV that turn out to be so much better than you thought they would be. I've got rather a soft spot for this one.

The metaphysics of RQ existence, I knew I came here for a reason

If anybody interested in a weird west setting gets the chance they should watch this: http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/thegeekfiles/2008/05/the-shadow-of-chikara-a-haunti.html saw it in the early 80's and it made a big impression on me.

So....who do we have to bribe ?

Well, if you read Nick's comment and my response you'll get a better idea of my concerns. The fact remains that if Mongoose have the material available themselves it makes it much harder for Chaosium to utilise it, that would be providing direct competition to Mongoose and I can't see them agreeing to that. I just feel that Chaosium have missed an golden opportunity here. They had a good source of ready made material. They obviously had rights to use it as witness Sorcery as one of the core powers in the BGB. They had the rights to the material in the Basic magic monograph. So really how hard would it have been to gather together the rest of the sorcery spells from the various Elric supplements ( including if possible Gods of law, Gods of Chaos etc ) and do a little editorial work on them ? Next they have the Runic sorcery system from the Bronze Grimoire, come up with some more spells for that ( surely not that hard ) Thoroughly edit the Basic monograph to bring it up to BRP standard. Slap it all together with ( maybe ) BRPised versions of the Unknown east magic system and the system from Nephelim. The beauty of it would have been that there's not a huge amount of work involved.....most the material is already there and just needs editing. BRP main rule book came out how long ago ? Two years maybe ? And what have we had from Chaosium since then, One ok Dungeon crawl, and 3 sloppy and lazily presented monographs. it's hardly product support is it ? Hell if they lacked the time I'm sure there's loads of people here would have proof read/edited for them for nothing more than an honourable mention in the credits. Which would you rather have had ? Three poor monographs or a bumper book of magic fun. Incidentally if Nick M is reading this my curiousity got the better of me.....I've ordered several of the Nephilim books

Yup, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Which in a far more coheremt fashion is what I was trying to articulate in my rather ranty post a little further back ( I feel better now ) I do find Chaosium frustrating though, they had a heaven sent oppurtunity to make a great product which would have enhanced one of their pre existing power systems ( sorcery ), expanded it ( runic sorcery ) and introduced possibly 6 new magical systems....and nothing. Bah, humbug, I'm going to get an apple juice and make myself beans on toast before I get on my soapbox again

Having given some thought to it, I can't help but feel that this is a pretty short sighted move by Chaosium. Mongoose already have RuneQuest, with their own Elric version thereof. Now by giving/leasing/selling the Elric game system ( as opposed to setting ) Chaosium have in effect handed a big chunk of the BRP system over as well. Consider: one of BRP's 5 power systems, ie Sorcery is in Elric, major and minor wounds, variable armour, all parts of the BRP system and now they've handed it to a major rival Quite apart from the competition angle it now means ( I suspect ) they can't use material from the Bronze Grimoire etc themselves. Given that there was another 40 odd sorcery spells plus the whole Runic sorcery system in there that they could of used in a BRP magic supplement or BRP companion it seems like handing someone a knife and then baring your throat to them. I sometimes feel playing or buying Chaosium games is like having a friend who suffers from substance abuse issues. You watch them lurch from one short term crisis to another, whilst ( at the same time ) they slowly shut down or close off their long term options, all the while they have their hand out asking you for money...trouble is after a while even the loyalist friend goes " enough of your nonsense....I'm off " After the shabby and lazy presentation of the Basic monographs this latest move seems to beggar common sense. And I must admit I'm rapidly approaching that " I'm off " point. Chaosium sometimes seem so intent on their own self destruction that it's tempting just to let them get on with it.....

None so blind as them that don't look..... I guess it goes back to that old thing of you can trademark names etc but not a game system, that's how they got round re - issuing the old RQ3 books as the basic monographs. I suppose as ling as you stripped out all the Moorcock and young kingdoms references you'd be ok.

Against 75% would be how I'd play it. But you could be harsh....skill check rolls aren't automatic, given it was the spell that allowed her to hit you could say she hasn't learnt anything.

That's surprising, I'd thought they'd sold all the rights to Mongoose....evidently not.

Don't seem to be able to cut'n'paste into a reply here. Daxos, if you want to email me I've got a copy somewhere, I send it on to you.

mmm.... the link seems to be dead. I've emailed the site owner to see if it's just a glitch.

Go here: http://karamo.nexenservices.com/glowar/rqgb.htm Scroll down and look under the spells and magic section

Yes, this is what I've heard. Which does seem a shame. I suppose despite the popularity of well known brands such as D&D it's very much a niche market ( and even TSR imploded didn't they ? ) So fingers crossed for Pete at Mongoose. shame though, I'd got plans to nag him without mercy until he did a Homeric era Greek supplement along the lines of Rome...

If you're looking for shamanic style powers, eg spirit combat, laying on of hands, second sight etc etc it's probably worth getting hold of Sandy Petersons revised shaman rules for RQ3. They're completely free and available on the net...just do a google search.

As long as the teabags are compatible with BRP core rules that's perfectly ok

To be honest I know I'm going to buy this. Along with the RQ3 vikings pack and BRP mythic Iceland there's going to be a bevy of good norse stuff around. All we need now is a BRP translation of Mythic Russia and the Birchback Chronicles and I'd be in scandinavian BRP heaven.

Mmm....it's a toughie, but, yes, I think after much reflection ( well 10 seconds or so ) my response would be.... Show me the money !

Tis true, and also true is that Mongoose is ( I think ) financially bigger than Chaosium with some popular lines eg MRG 1+2 , Traveller, D20. if this is how Pete makes his living he's gotta go where the money is...

But you gotta ask: why didn't he publish it for BRP with Alephtar games. Turn away from the dark side Pete, there's still time Though, in truth it's almost certain I'll buy a copy....

I don't of necessity think that Religion and Science are incompatible. I'm pretty agnostic myself but as I've suggested religious passages could be re interpreted as metaphor or symbolism rather than literal truth. The poet Shelley ( i think ) either gave or attended a series of lectures where new scientific discoveries were discussed. Instead of seeing it as reducing the power of religion , he saw it as increasing the power of religion. As more and more of the way the world worked was revealed , he felt that it allowed us to see how subtle and wonderful the intricacies of God's creation were rather than lessening them.... So science and religion could march off to the stars together quite plausibly As an aside I always wondered if the old Prog rock band Yes were influenced by the Shelley story in the title of one of their songs : The Revealing Science Of God

Probably would, but...that could be a two way process. Now there's plot twist if ever there was one. Also consider this: if interstellar travel becomes cheap enough you'd probably get people doing a Mayflower, heading off into space to build utopia etc etc

Leaving aside the whole Star Trek thing, it's worth pointing out that religions are very adaptable. Consider: at one time all christians believed that God created the earth in one week precisely ( thought he did have a day off ). each day being a standard 24 hour day. Now the rise of the various earth sciences and related disciplines has pretty much eploded that theory ( although it is still believed by some ). Many christians however take the view that the creation myth in genesis is a metaphor, a way of explaining the process in terms that people of that time could understand. That the underlying spiritual messages of the bible remain untouched and constant. I see no reason why that kind of adaptation would not continue if man reached the stars or even if he found alien life. The Church of Christ Spaceman ? Why not ?