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Icelander · 01-06-2008, 03:24 AM

Music is a big part of my RPG experience and I try to score my sessions so that the appropriate music is playing during each scene. This is admittedly made easier by the fact that I usually sit by my laptop, even though I rarely use it during gameplay, and choosing another song on my iTunes is trivially easy.

The specific music appropriate for each genre varies enough so that I've found that it pays to have one playlist for fantasy role-playing and one for modern action (if I play other genres often enough, I might make special lists just for them, but so far, it hasn't happened). In these playlists, then, I have themed parts for combat, social encounters, suspense and other stuff.

I start each game session with Steven Lynch's 'Dungeons and Dragons'. Nothing like a bit of self-deprecating mockery to avoid taking oneself too seriously.

For generic background, I like Celtic music and classical music. Loreena McKennit has a lot of songs on my playlist, as well as Enya and pretty much every classical composer. Bach and Mozart are good for social interaction, especially if there's wealth and sophistication on display. Strauss's 'Blue Danube Waltz' has become a staple of our 'talky' scenes. Phillip Glass also has a solid place during those moments of role-play when little direct action is going on.

Then there's Uriah Heap, Procul Harum, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. All good for scenes which are neither exceptionally quiet nor loud and exciting. Uriah Heap's 'The Wizard' usually plays when my players need to hire a magician's services for their merchant company, Deep Purple's 'Soldier of Fortune' is the theme of their head armsmaster, Led Zeppelin's 'Battle of Evermore', 'Moby Dick', 'No Quarter', 'Achilles Last Stand' and a host of others should be dear to every geek's heart and so on.

More suspenseful backround often turns to Western movie themes. Ennio Moricone stands head and shoulders over the rest, with his brilliant 'Fistful of Dollars', 'For a Few Dollars More', 'Once Upon a Time in the West' and a host of others; but old TV shows can often conceal gems as well.

For when it's raining, I've got several good nature sounds tracks, the foremost called 'Thunderstorm'. That one puts my players on edge when they hear it, since they know it means a penalty on Per checks.

The strains of Tchaikovsky's '1812 Overture' signal to them that there might be something building up and in a similar manner, Phillip Glass's 'Koyaanisqatsi' suggests some lurking menace. 'The Blood of Cuchulain', from the movie Boondock Saints is a good song to play during travel, especially if riding to war (gathering the clans, even). Black Sabbath's 'Iron Man' triggers immediate macho posturing and brandishing of weapons, sometimes sharpening them and fastening armour straps. Iron Maiden's 'Fear of the Dark' has them certain that not only is there a monster in the darkness, it's also going to attack them really soon.

For some reason, almost every single time a clear moral dilemma confronts our brave PCs, some version of Ennio Moricone's 'Ecstacy of Gold' has been playing. Metallica has a good tribute version of it.

Jetro Tull's 'Broadsword' is the first part of three songs that are always played in series and always when combat starts. The other two are Iron Maiden's 'Flash of the Blade' and Manowar's 'Power of Thy Sword'. Stirring stuff. Other notable battle music is Carl Orff's 'O Fortuna' from 'Carmina Burana', Holst's 'Mars -The Bringer of War', Iron Maiden's 'The Duellists', Verdi's 'Dies Irae' movement from the 'Requiem Mass', Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyries', Lordi's 'Hard Rock Hallelujah' and many other Iron Maiden, Manowar, Black Sabbath, Lordi and other songs.

Recently, I started using music by the Finnish cello quartet Apocapalyptica. Great stuff for background and suspense that isn't quite all out battle, although at least some of their songs will do for all out brawls. 'Requiem of the Gods' is especially good for aftermaths.

Speaking of aftermaths, I find music to be especially powerful during the bloody aftermaths of battles, when the bone tired survivors take stock of themselves and note who is not there. The main theme for Saving Private Ryan was written for just this, of course. The main theme from the movies Gladiator and Braveheart are both somewhat tragic, but yet stirring, so I like them for pauses in the action. The songs 'Now We Are Free' from Gladiator and the love theme from Braveheart are heart-rendingly sad. So's 'Lux Aeterna', the theme song for the film Requiem for a Dream.

Military songs work well for honouring the gallant fallen. I like 'Taps', 'Amazing Grace' and the '23rd Psalm' performed by military bands. I also like modern or nearly so Celtic warrior tributes, such as 'Sgt. McKenzie' and 'An Irish Airman Foresees His Death'. And 'The Minstrel Boy'.

My players also select theme music for their PCs. Well, actually, their fellow players have a lot of input and sometimes overrule them.

Young and brash Highlander from the Thunder Peak Mountains, inside Cormyr: 'Blood of Cuchulain'
Devious Sembian thief and now suddenly respectable merchant taking saber lessens to fit with nobility: Los Lobos' 'Cancion del Mariachi' (Desperado's Guitar solo)
Young and annoying wizard prodigy: Harry Potter theme
Crusader of Tyr, armed with mighty hammer and of Turmic ancestry (black skin): MC Hammer's 'Hammertime'

Now, what music do you like with your games, for what reason and what would you suggest be added to my incomplete list? Any situations missing theme music?

Edit: I have raised this thread from its grave to add some links and thoughts about the Game Soundtrack for our Superhero/Technothriller campaign, Jade Serenity. See Post #26.

01-06-2008, 03:24 AM	#1
Icelander Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Iceland*	The RPG Soundtrack Music is a big part of my RPG experience and I try to score my sessions so that the appropriate music is playing during each scene. This is admittedly made easier by the fact that I usually sit by my laptop, even though I rarely use it during gameplay, and choosing another song on my iTunes is trivially easy. The specific music appropriate for each genre varies enough so that I've found that it pays to have one playlist for fantasy role-playing and one for modern action (if I play other genres often enough, I might make special lists just for them, but so far, it hasn't happened). In these playlists, then, I have themed parts for combat, social encounters, suspense and other stuff. I start each game session with Steven Lynch's 'Dungeons and Dragons'. Nothing like a bit of self-deprecating mockery to avoid taking oneself too seriously. For generic background, I like Celtic music and classical music. Loreena McKennit has a lot of songs on my playlist, as well as Enya and pretty much every classical composer. Bach and Mozart are good for social interaction, especially if there's wealth and sophistication on display. Strauss's 'Blue Danube Waltz' has become a staple of our 'talky' scenes. Phillip Glass also has a solid place during those moments of role-play when little direct action is going on. Then there's Uriah Heap, Procul Harum, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. All good for scenes which are neither exceptionally quiet nor loud and exciting. Uriah Heap's 'The Wizard' usually plays when my players need to hire a magician's services for their merchant company, Deep Purple's 'Soldier of Fortune' is the theme of their head armsmaster, Led Zeppelin's 'Battle of Evermore', 'Moby Dick', 'No Quarter', 'Achilles Last Stand' and a host of others should be dear to every geek's heart and so on. More suspenseful backround often turns to Western movie themes. Ennio Moricone stands head and shoulders over the rest, with his brilliant 'Fistful of Dollars', 'For a Few Dollars More', 'Once Upon a Time in the West' and a host of others; but old TV shows can often conceal gems as well. For when it's raining, I've got several good nature sounds tracks, the foremost called 'Thunderstorm'. That one puts my players on edge when they hear it, since they know it means a penalty on Per checks. The strains of Tchaikovsky's '1812 Overture' signal to them that there might be something building up and in a similar manner, Phillip Glass's 'Koyaanisqatsi' suggests some lurking menace. 'The Blood of Cuchulain', from the movie Boondock Saints is a good song to play during travel, especially if riding to war (gathering the clans, even). Black Sabbath's 'Iron Man' triggers immediate macho posturing and brandishing of weapons, sometimes sharpening them and fastening armour straps. Iron Maiden's 'Fear of the Dark' has them certain that not only is there a monster in the darkness, it's also going to attack them really soon. For some reason, almost every single time a clear moral dilemma confronts our brave PCs, some version of Ennio Moricone's 'Ecstacy of Gold' has been playing. Metallica has a good tribute version of it. Jetro Tull's 'Broadsword' is the first part of three songs that are always played in series and always when combat starts. The other two are Iron Maiden's 'Flash of the Blade' and Manowar's 'Power of Thy Sword'. Stirring stuff. Other notable battle music is Carl Orff's 'O Fortuna' from 'Carmina Burana', Holst's 'Mars -The Bringer of War', Iron Maiden's 'The Duellists', Verdi's 'Dies Irae' movement from the 'Requiem Mass', Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyries', Lordi's 'Hard Rock Hallelujah' and many other Iron Maiden, Manowar, Black Sabbath, Lordi and other songs. Recently, I started using music by the Finnish cello quartet Apocapalyptica. Great stuff for background and suspense that isn't quite all out battle, although at least some of their songs will do for all out brawls. 'Requiem of the Gods' is especially good for aftermaths. Speaking of aftermaths, I find music to be especially powerful during the bloody aftermaths of battles, when the bone tired survivors take stock of themselves and note who is not there. The main theme for Saving Private Ryan was written for just this, of course. The main theme from the movies Gladiator and Braveheart are both somewhat tragic, but yet stirring, so I like them for pauses in the action. The songs 'Now We Are Free' from Gladiator and the love theme from Braveheart are heart-rendingly sad. So's 'Lux Aeterna', the theme song for the film Requiem for a Dream. Military songs work well for honouring the gallant fallen. I like 'Taps', 'Amazing Grace' and the '23rd Psalm' performed by military bands. I also like modern or nearly so Celtic warrior tributes, such as 'Sgt. McKenzie' and 'An Irish Airman Foresees His Death'. And 'The Minstrel Boy'. My players also select theme music for their PCs. Well, actually, their fellow players have a lot of input and sometimes overrule them. Young and brash Highlander from the Thunder Peak Mountains, inside Cormyr: 'Blood of Cuchulain' Devious Sembian thief and now suddenly respectable merchant taking saber lessens to fit with nobility: Los Lobos' 'Cancion del Mariachi' (Desperado's Guitar solo) Young and annoying wizard prodigy: Harry Potter theme Crusader of Tyr, armed with mighty hammer and of Turmic ancestry (black skin): MC Hammer's 'Hammertime' Now, what music do you like with your games, for what reason and what would you suggest be added to my incomplete list? Any situations missing theme music? Edit: I have raised this thread from its grave to add some links and thoughts about the Game Soundtrack for our Superhero/Technothriller campaign, Jade Serenity. See Post #26. __________________ Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela! Last edited by Icelander; 01-25-2018 at 09:56 AM.