"Napoleonic Fantasy?" Topic

While I enjoy Napoleonic games, unfortunately, some of my friends still refuse to play an historic war-game missing at least some fantasy elements (be they beasts or magic).

So, while trying to spice up our games, I’ve been thinking of a simple way of introducing magic in a Napoleonic setting:

French “savants” explore previously hidden pyramid chambers, and discover ancient texts that they are able to translate thanks to the Rosetta stone.
French early “archaeologists” are thus able to channel the Gods scrolls magic by reciting ancient verses.
After the first successful use of combat magic, the other major nations try to steal French knowledge by simply trying to bribe scholars, or more dramatically by sending spies (could be a skirmish game set in Egyptian temples and pyramids).

"Archaeologist" sorcerers could be used in field battle to influence the elements (blinding battalions with dust storms), or to raise undead troops.

So… Could you help me by suggesting more magic spells or other fantastic elements to introduce to this setting?

Raid Flintloque by Alternative Armies for ideas. There is a 28mmish Corgi self driven coach from the Golden Compass line of toys. It would make for a neat objective or such.

Napoleon's powers obviously derive from some supernatural source associated with Corsica – a water diety?

Wel, for starters there is the "Temeraire" idea, akaHis Majesty's Dragon

temeraire.org

From your post, I don't think Flintloque is really what you are looking for – although it might be worth a look. Basically, it's Warhammer shifted to Napoleonic Europe.
link

Also look at Castle Falkenstein.

Try elemental magic – fog, rain, mud, wind, fire, lightning etc.

Instead of horses for mounts, you could have "Night Mares" (such as found in some role playing games), hell hounds, dragons, wolves.

The idea might work best as a skirmish type game until you can get the players interested, and it will save on spending a lot of money too.

Want to bring dragons into the Napoleonic Wars? Try "His Majesty's Dragon", the first in the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik.

Hmmmph. Had to answer the phone before I submitted.

Have Nostradamus predict enemy movements.

Johnathan Strange & Mr Norrel ( I think is the right title) could be inspiration…Magicians in the Napoleonic Wars!

Thank you for the suggestions.

I've read Naomi Novik novels, but the dragons are really an overkill in terms of adding fantastic elements.

I was thinking of something more subtle, more like the "Chevalier d'Eon": a suberb animation serie set in pre-revolutionary France.

In Chevalier d'Eon, Poets can summon magic by reciting Psalms from the Bible; and the only fantastic creatures are "Gargoyles": humans turned by Poets in zombie-like beasts by injecting liquid mercury in their blood.

How about Napoleon discovers a stargate while in Egypt and begins the colonization of mars, venus, and the moon? Then Denmark-Norway discover another in Greenland, England in India, Russia in Alaska(or perhaps Siberia somewhere), Austrian Empire/Holy Roman Empire unearths one in Prague or Budapest or maybe in an old Roman/Byzantine town, Prussians get one… somewhere (maybe they find it in the Rhine), the Dutch somewhere in the Pacific, Sweden in Finland or something, Spain in South America, Portugal in Brazil, etc. etc. etc. etc.

Anyway, point is, you can fight Napoleonic battles on earth or on 2 other planets and 1 natural satellite in the solar system(against martians and venusians no less). Usually this kind of thing is more VSF, but if you just throw stargates in instead of Iron spacecraft and airships and the like it becomes plausible. That might get your friends interested….

link

That's the page for Wessex's VICTORIAN SCIENCE FICTION WARGAMES. Voyages Extraordinaires is currently out of print, but you might be able to find a copy somewhere. That sounds like he might fill your need.

Bernadotte gets in touch with all kinds of Nordic deities and they kick *&%£*# out of Napoleon's Egyptian ones.

Why bother? If they only play fantasy, play fantasy!

Chromit,
I'd be very careful with the addition of flying troops. Dragons are an overkill indeed -and tend to be 'tagged' Middle-Ages- but even riding Pterosaurs, Dinotopia-fashion, would be 'too much'. Even more than gunpowder and cannon, 'aerials' would totally change the nature of warfare. First, of course -like gunpowder- siege and naval warfare (all fortification becoming obsolete, a fleet of wooden ship easily destroyed by fire pots); but that land warfare we know and like to 'play' would also be alienated.

It's too easy to turn H&M wargames into late Victorian (or Victorian Sci-Fi) ones with minis in tricorns or shakos. And 'magics' can perhaps go out if hand even more easily than 'weird' technology?
I tried to discuss these questions (mainly about Da Vinciesque / Munchausenian technologies and with regard to a 18th C. setting ["Lacepunk"], but the problems added by Fanatsy are exactly the same as with Sci-Fi) on my blog:
link

Novels-wise, Orson Scott Card's cycle of 'Alvin the Maker'is set in an 'alternate' early 19th C. America where Sorcery works; 'Monster Blood Tattoo' is set at a slightly earlier date, but Magic is far more powerful and omnipresent.

Please keep us informed of any future developments (if not here, on the VSF board: people there are extremely open-minded, tolerant and welcoming).

And my usual final chorus:
Pics, pics, pics?
Blog, blog, blog?

Cheers,
J.L.

The Fantasy Rules! rules have army lists for historical armies as well as fantasy armies. However, it is very easy to add fantasy elements to such lists. Or to use a historical list with fantasy miniatures. I've got an army of 'Barsoom' style Martians that follow the Napoleonic Prussian list.

Find new friends

Chromit,
please keep us aware of future developments – maybe on the VSF board, they welcome such *huge 'what if'*.
Looking forward to read more,
JL