I just watched a movie, streaming on Netflix, called 'Vidocq'... urban fantasy/mystery in 1830's Paris during the beginnings of the July Revolution.
Unbeknownst to me the Vidocq character was a real guy, the first known private detective and an inspiration behind C. Auguste Dupin and Sherlock Holmes.
His adversary in the movie, The Alchemist, is where the fantasy elements come in. He's something like a cross between St. Germain, Batman and the Phantom of the Opera.
Most of the story is investigative mystery/conspiracy but there is a fair bit of swashbuckling action in places... some weird science (the lightning assassin!) and even stranger alchemical gruesomeness.
The whole movie was grossly over-produced and hyper-visual... it had a Terry Gilliam feel to it in places but without most of the humor.

Anyway, that movie rekindled my desire to do some quasi-Napoleonic fantasy (as did The Brothers Grimm)... in this case urban horror set in a rambunctious/filthy/sordid Paris that is still full of social upheavals and old superstitions.

I'd probably just use CoC/BRP for a system but... since I can struggle my way through reading French... has there been foreign language RPG that more closely covered the subject matter? Paris in the early 1800's... maybe a game centering on Vidocq himself? Is there by chance a big sourcebook for CoC on the Paris of that era? What system had decent rules for that sort of baroque-horror alchemy?
Any entertaining books or movies with similar feels to them (I've come across suggestions of Perfume a few times)?
The only thing approaching useful that I have at the moment is GURPS Napoleon.

Thanks for any suggestions...

Quote from: Simlasa;468881I just watched a movie, streaming on Netflix, called 'Vidocq'... urban fantasy/mystery in 1830's Paris during the beginnings of the July Revolution.
Unbeknownst to me the Vidocq character was a real guy, the first known private detective and an inspiration behind C. Auguste Dupin and Sherlock Holmes.
His adversary in the movie, The Alchemist, is where the fantasy elements come in. He's something like a cross between St. Germain, Batman and the Phantom of the Opera.
Most of the story is investigative mystery/conspiracy but there is a fair bit of swashbuckling action in places... some weird science (the lightning assassin!) and even stranger alchemical gruesomeness.
The whole movie was grossly over-produced and hyper-visual... it had a Terry Gilliam feel to it in places but without most of the humor.

Anyway, that movie rekindled my desire to do some quasi-Napoleonic fantasy (as did The Brothers Grimm)... in this case urban horror set in a rambunctious/filthy/sordid Paris that is still full of social upheavals and old superstitions.

I'd probably just use CoC/BRP for a system but... since I can struggle my way through reading French... has there been foreign language RPG that more closely covered the subject matter? Paris in the early 1800's... maybe a game centering on Vidocq himself? Is there by chance a big sourcebook for CoC on the Paris of that era? What system had decent rules for that sort of baroque-horror alchemy?
Any entertaining books or movies with similar feels to them (I've come across suggestions of Perfume a few times)?
The only thing approaching useful that I have at the moment is GURPS Napoleon.

Thanks for any suggestions...

Brotherhood of the Wolf, the Duelists, Les Miserables, Murder in the Rue Morgue, .... I have Vidcoq's biography but its a bit dry considering the guys background.

The French series from which the movie sprang is better.

Anyhoo. Yeah, a Vidocq RPG would be really cool.

Quote from: Benoist;468889The French series from which the movie sprang is better.

The TV series from 1967? That's the only one I've found so far... 'Vidocq' is part of something called 'Dark Portals' but I don't see much info on what that is.

There's something about French fantasy that I really like... I can't put my finger on it... but between this and Cadwallon/Aarklash, and Agone and City of Lost Children and Moebius and Druillet...  and my attempts to read Salammbo in its original form... maybe it's that there's less over macho posturing? Fewer sweaty barbarians shouting monosyllabic oaths... less general focus on battle and bloodlust and more on mystery and magic? Dunno... maybe it's just the language bringing in some ineffable influence.