Flash Gordon meets Savage Worlds in this week’s RPG ADAPTATIONS. In this column, I review popular properties converted to tabletop roleplaying games and, with this piece, I share my thoughts on Alex Raymond’s classic character, Flash Gordon, and his pulp science-fiction fantasy space action universe married to the Savage Worlds RPG system.
Who is Flash Gordon?
I don’t know how much value there is in explaining Flash Gordon since he’s been around since 1934, featured in a movie, serials, cartoons, TV series, comic books, novels, and a comic strip. He’s a foundational element of sci-fi and a part of popular culture that led to a Queen song that is so odd, it’s memorable in the way many Queen songs are odd and memorable. But, for this column, let’s spin out a few words about the property’s plot.
When Earth is threatened by the planet Mongo, Dr. Hans Zarkov uses his rocket ship and forces Flash Gordon, a Yale University graduate and polo player, and Dale Arden, originally a 1930s damsel in distress (generally, the early stories did not offer a forward-facing view of women), to join him in his efforts to stop the clash of planets. This leads to their encounter with Mongo’s evil ruler, Ming the Merciless. Mongo is a many-peopled world in various states of rebellion against Ming, which prompts a variety of adventures between there and Earth and the rest of space.
What About the Sexist and Racist Origins of the Characters?
Let’s put all of the cards on the table: These characters were created in the 1930s and that shows in the first versions of the characters. Dale is a sexist stereotype and Ming is rooted in the era’s racism with his appearance based on the Yellow Peril style of artwork.
That said, the property has evolved to be more in line with today’s thoughts. This is not just the RPG; this is the property as a whole as it has taken on a modern outlook on gender, race, and other aspects of this setting. For your game, there’s zero need to bring any of the ills born of the original era to your gaming table. In the RPG, Ming no longer has a Yellow Peril undertone and Dale is a fully realized character in keeping with the respect and equality that everyone deserves.
What is Savage Worlds?
The answer to that question is colored by which edition you’re considering. For this RPG, that’s hard to pinpoint as this game straddles two editions of Savage Worlds. Specifically, Savage Worlds Deluxe Explorer’s Edition and Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE). The Savage World of Flash Gordon holds an interesting space in gaming history as it was the testing ground for several of the rules for the revision of the Deluxe Explorer’s Edition over to the SWADE version. When playing it, you can feel both editions in its DNA. The upside to this is it works with the new SWADE rules that dropped within a year of the RPG coming out.
Taking a more generalized view of Savage Worlds, the hallmarks of the gaming engine include combat initiative that utilizes a standard deck of playing cards including the jokers, skill-based dice pools, exploding dice (re-roll crits and add the results), bennies (points you gain for roleplaying to spend for important moments in the game), and catapult-loads of combat. That’s the signature element of Savage Worlds, the action movie levels of adventure that it brings to your gaming table. This is a game that lets action speak loud and clear as combat cracks along at a good piece while maintaining crunch and its simulationist origins.
Gen Con 2018
Jonathan Thompson of Battlefield Press suggested that I try out The Savage World of Flash Gordon at Gen Con 2018. I followed his advice and had an amazing experience (thanks, Jonathan). I attended the session with my author buddy, John McGuire. John has a secret superpower: Doing a voice that is somewhere between Vaudeville and a 1940s Movietone newsreel. News in the McGuire household is always peppy. For this game, he played a mad scientist whose every word was mid-Atlantic accent discussions of why we were winning against Ming’s diabolical forces. The force of that character’s personality made the game memorable and helped me to fall in love with The Savage World of Flash Gordon.
While I doubt he’d remember, Scott Woodard, writer of the Flash Gordon RPG, came to audit our gaming session and see firsthand how the adventure was going. He spoke with the GM to get feedback on the game. Knowing that our session was viewed, to a degree, as a litmus test for how well the game would be received made the experience even more memorable. I left the table with an extremely favorable view of both the setting and the system, and marked it as one of the best con games I’d ever played.
What is The Savage World of Flash Gordon?
192 pages of Flash Gordon, Ming, Mongo, and all of that universe as scoped from your gaming table. If you know Savage Worlds, you’ll find rules meant to take the Deluxe Explorer’s Edition up to the level of the SWADE version. If you know SWADE, you’re ready to game this. For the setting there’s new powers, races, gear, great rocket ships built of retro goodness, and, of course, Edges and Hindrances. Another area where this book is a winner is Mongo. They offer a great gazetteer of the world making uses of the new races, the deep history of the setting, the NPCs, and unique beasts. With that section, you can easily recreate the feeling of your favorite version of Flash Gordon.
This will be obvious to some, but to play, you’ll need a copy of the SWADE rules. That’s something to keep in mind if you decide to pick up the game.
Is Savage Flash Gordon a Good Combination?
Looking for the right fusion of a pulp world and a pulpy system? This is one of the better options available. Something about Savage Worlds feels like it was thought up during the Golden Age of Science Fiction or the Golden Age of Comics. While it’s a great medium crunch, simulationist system, Savage Worlds manages to spark wonder like a product from another era. That said, it’s from today and has a modern edge to it as well. Bringing in Flash Gordon produces a great gaming experience. It’s the perfect meeting of setting and engine.
So, Should I Play?
My first kiss with Origins Award-nominated The Savage World of Flash Gordon was Gen Con, but it was not my last date with Mango. I recommend this game for those that love Flash Gordon. It’s worth your time. For those that want a pulp sci-fi fantasy setting for Savage Worlds, this one is ready to meet your retro needs. This game offers the best version of a historic property matched to a system that explodes with action to create a great time. Especially if one of the players adds that 1940s newsreel voice!
The Savage World of Flash Gordon (Pinnacle Entertainment Group for PDF and print, Amazon for print, or DriveThruRPG for PDF)
Savage Worlds Adventure Edition Core Rules (#SWADE) (Pinnacle Entertainment Group for PDF and print, or DriveThruRPG for PDF)
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