Flash Gordon - chapter one

The following ‘Fantastic Worlds’ based scenarios were written as a campaign or simple group of linked scenarios. They draw heavily on the Alex Raymond Flash Gordon cartoon strip and were intended to be used as a 13 part chapter based campaign which should end with Flash Gordon being victorious and Ming overthrown. Any other outcome would have been rejected by the editor!

Flash Gordon chapter one

Dale has been taken prisoner by a group of Ming’s elite troops, who were now making their way to the nearest rocketship launch pad.

Flash, Thun the Lionman and Prince Balin were leading the pursuit, ever mindful that Hawkmen are patrolling the skies under strict orders from Ming, to find Dale.

The first scenario takes place in a small clearing with Flash, Thun and Balin entering from the East. The group take time to rest but Thun is ever watchful and just before they start off again Thun says; something big – over to the right, been tracking us for some time.
Flash; have you’ve seen it?
Thun; no.
Flash; you’ve heard it?
Thun; no,
Flash; then you’ve seen the tracks?
Thun; no.
Balin; so how do you know?
Thun; I’ve felt it.
Balin; that’s bad!

The group of three heroes now need to decide if they make a break for the West side, or continue to track the group of Ming’s troopers and Dale. If the make a dash they could miss clues/encounters, while if they linger – what is it that is tracking them?

Board;
A 2 foot x 2 foot wooded area with a clearing to the centre. Add trees to the outer edges and some rocks.

Encounters;
13 cards
Ace through three; A major clue to the whereabouts of Dale.
Four to six; A false clue (throw a die to see if the group can detect it as a lie – 1-3 seen as true and therefore Dale is lost for at least one additional scenario, 4-6 seen as false and the search goes on).
Seven to eight; Hawkmen attack (three armed Hawkmen swoop down on the group).
Nine; Attacked by a Tree Lizard.
Ten; Encounter a wounded Ming Trooper – who can give additional information on the whereabouts of Dale but if treated will hold up the search.
Picture cards; A major encounter with a huge creature – dinosaur, monster, wild creature, what ever you have available.

The ideal scenario is to pick up some encounter cards as quickly as possible, but hope that the major encounter (a picture card) is not one of the cards picked up.

Tony