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karnokoto
2009-10-21, 07:42 AM
What are your thoughts on using background music while DMing?
Stuff like OSTs from movies with the general feeling of the campaign you're running.

I've had bad experiences with it but I think I'm just very obsessive. Sometimes the wrong song would come on at the wrong moment...or the mood would shift and I had trouble keeping the flow of the story while looking around for the dang combat music that was coming up.

I had one good experience with it but I wasn't DMing then.
It was a one-off Star Wars campaign with a very scary Aliens/Deadspace feel. The music got us REALLY into the story and we were actually a little jumpy while playing the campaign.

Anyone have any methods they use for keeping the story streamlined? Good/bad experiences? Is background music even necessary?

Serpentine
2009-10-21, 07:47 AM
I have several playlists-under-construction for D&D: Combat, Wilderness, Civilisation, Horror, Sad, Triumph annnnd... I think there's something else. I forget. Film soundtracks, classical music, and a few other - mostly instrumental - pieces.

industrious
2009-10-21, 07:52 AM
The problem with background music is that the mood of a story can change in a heartbeat, and getting a playlist might be a problem.

But for my games, I find that Handel's Water Music leading directly into an Iron Maiden song works pretty well for sneak attacks. I also play that riff from Firefly after they win combat.

AslanCross
2009-10-21, 07:55 AM
My bad experiences with it so far are limited to my laptop crashing while combat is running. When that happens, it emits a "BRRZRZRZRZRZRZRZRZRZRZRZRZRZR" sound.

Apart from that the music is either ignored or enjoyed by the players. Nobody's ever told me to turn it off.

I now hook up my iPod to speakers since it's less likely to experience a crash and is far easier to manipulate than having to minimize my document windows.

Chrono22
2009-10-21, 07:58 AM
I use most of my background music from Celestial Aeon (http://www.mikseri.net/artists/?id=48147).
As has been noted above, organizing playlists in such a way as to be easy to access can be difficult... so, I'd advise using a personal Wiki to organize each song according to a set of keywords.
I'd do it myself, but right now I'm short of time for such a comprehensive project...

AslanCross
2009-10-21, 08:07 AM
Here's my current playlist:


Aslan's Red Hand of Doom Soundtrack
Since this campaign is set in Eberron, I mixed in some metal and techno. I did keep orchestrated themes for the dragons, however.

1. The Tale of the Elsir War (Prologue F from Macross Frontier: "Opening Theme") (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKYpL--2V2U)
2. We Are the Kulkor Zhul (FFXII Theme of the Empire: Used in the read-aloud intro) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4_Qi49ZdKg)
3. Just Another Day in Eberron (FF IX Remix battle: Regular Battle theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW17fei7YKw)
4. Shadow of War (The Druid Grove from Baldur's Gate II: Drellin's Ferry Theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRsCWpK41CE)
5. The Witchwood (Boy from Britannia from Code Geass: Witchwood Ambience) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVZM6ILJLro)
6. Fight For Your Lives (Decisive Battle x Metal Max from Final Fantasy VI and Metal Max: Generic Boss Theme) (http://ssh.ne.jp/mp3/fm_bat2.zip)
7. The Lords of Dust (Dark Prison from Super Robot Wars: Rakshasa Boss Theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNUgLz8X4rQ)
8. Betrayers of Siberys (The Locked Girl from Touhou: Scarlet Weather Rhapsody: Ozzyrandion and Regiarix boss theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Rda4JOvYNI)
9. Glimpsing the Red Hand Banner (Overwriting from Code Geass R2: Played when the PCs see the Cinder Hill encampment) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fhOSNu6f_Q)
10. The Massacre at Drellin's Ferry (What's Justice from Code Geass R2: Played when Drellin's Ferry is sacked) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h2BjXdHhwc)
11. Wake of the Daelkyr (nocturne from BlazBlue: Rhest ambience) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijerql4S8nU)
12. The Crushing Coils (The Fierce Battle from FFVI: Varanthian's boss theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoFoMZSp96s)
13. Temple of the Rotting Lion (Wheel of Fortune from Parasite Eve: Ghostlord's Lion ambience) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC63E9xH1ig)
14. Dancing in the Dark (Searching for "The Answer" from Super Robot Wars OGG: Battle in the Ghostlord's Lion) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sPNo4Cz430)
15. The Ashen Aria (Omoikane Sousou, remix of Eirin's theme from Touhou:Imperishable Night: Ulwai's boss theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApGSOFP4nVE)
16. Defiler (Son of Chaos, remix of the Shinra Company theme from Final Fantasy VII: Ghostlord dialogue) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5yl8K8kedw)
17. To Defile or be Defiled (Suwa Foughten Field [S.S.H. Remix] from Touhou: Imperishable Night: Ghostlord boss theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXmd-PzHYb0)
18. Five Sorrows (Reversed Thinking from Code Geass: Brindol theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPHfQSe5e20)
19. Warrior's Rest (Le Repos du Guerrier from Code Geass: Tavern theme. Very good pizza break theme too. :P ) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJniLZSV4fA)
20. Waiting for the Dawn (Paris Cathedral from Deus Ex: Cathedral of Dol Arrah ambience) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF_ih1V9ZP8)
21. High Tension (Monster Express 666 [remix of Rumia's theme] from Touhou: Regular battle theme after Ghostlord) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIw21NxcHCw)
22. Dance of the Three Progenitors (The Grimoire of Alice from Touhou [Pizuya's CellxMyonMyon remix]: Boss theme after Ghostlord) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9oNhinGkik)

The following haven't been used yet:

23. Fire in the Night (Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom from Touhou: Subterranean Animisim: Abithriax's Boss Theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Br7AcIiu84)
24. Our Finest Hour (Midnight March, remix of Onigashima in the Fairyland ~Missing Power~ from Touhou: Immaterial and Missing Power: Battle of Brindol theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnxkLiSFgKc)
25. The Crimson Carnage (Rage, remix of Onigashima in the Fairyland ~Missing Power~ from Touhou: Immaterial and Missing Power: Kharn boss theme--yes, it's the same song, different remix) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAP124dQZk4)
26. Path of the Dragon (The Last Judgment from SRW OGs: Wyrmsmokes Ambience) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxZu4j2Wagg)
27. The Fane of Tiamat (Poison Prison from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Fane of Tiamat ambience) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtfOn_6MZd4)
28. Talons of Sorrow (Nameless Warriors from SRW OGG: Fane of Tiamat regular battle theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYTaUZZVQNw)
29. The Onrushing Storm (CHAOS from SRW OGs: Tyrgarun's Boss Theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vds5cJ_RnAU)
30. Harbinger (ZEST SEVEN from SRW Alpha 3: Indravan-Yagna*'s theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQLUXVa5CwE)
31. HEXAGRAMMATON (World's End Est [remix of World's End from Touhou: Mystic Square]: Azarr Kul's boss theme) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jl6oNX2HBA)
32. Hymn of Tiamat Triumphant (Yama of Xanadu [remix of Fate of 60 Years from Touhou]: Aspect of Tiamat) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nYwHXJY-7s)
33. The Story Stops, But Never Ends** (Battle Frontier from Macross Frontier: Ending Theme for the escape from the Fane and the aftermath) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ss4eZuk65U)


*Indravan-Yagna is the boss rakshasa who is Azarr Kul's close associate
** "The story stops but never ends" is a traditional closing to goblin legends in Eberron

I find that music worked incredibly well for a horror campaign. Diablo I's music works excellently in such a case. Here's an example. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbJcv2w2soY)

bosssmiley
2009-10-21, 09:21 AM
Cheesy rock/metal is always good. Deep Purple, Sabbath, Judas Priest, Motorhead, Iron Maiden + any other NWOBHM band are fun. NuMetal? Not so much. I like my fantasy like I like my music: loud, bombastic, and with entirely too much posturing and bellowing. :smallcool:

Hey, if you're going to to spend your time playing games about black swords, magic axes, man in leather who use hot chicks as decorative elements, dragons, the undead, fire and lightning you should have an appropriate soundtrack. Basically the Brütal Legend OST is on loop in my head. :smallamused:

Oh, and Hawkwind, Yes and other prog rock (but no Muse - EVER!) for the more high fantasy/astral space odyssey stuff. Even non-gamers get the intended trippy associations.

Brendan
2009-10-21, 05:45 PM
At the end of a long and difficult battle against a level 8 paladin, my DM played the ewok celebration song from star Wars (6?). It worked very well, and definately helped us celebrate.

jokey665
2009-10-21, 05:48 PM
Nox Arcana has stuff that's great for background music during a game.

Inhuman Bot
2009-10-21, 06:18 PM
My brother made an elaborate soundtrack for the game he/I/his friends DM, but otherwise I just stick to Iji and Castlevania music. Or whatever songs on my Ipod are appropriate. >.>

Oh right, and we also use X-ray Dog music alot.

Sila Prirode
2009-10-21, 07:30 PM
We tried some ambient, but it was to slow for tastes. Mostly we jump around playlistes on Youtube, stuff like Offspring playlist, then half an hour later White Stripes, then some Arctic Monkeys, etc. Mostly short, catchy stuff.
I mean there is nothing better the refrain going: "I know you want to hit that, I know you want to hit that hit that" when you are facing a Boss Battle(TM) :smallbiggrin:

But the best soundtrack ever was when listened Rammstein for whole 6 hours. They worked surprisingly with a bit gritty DnD campaign we were playing at the time.

Prak
2009-10-21, 07:33 PM
My experience with background music in the past was that it was distracting, between vocals on the track and every going "Oh #$@&! Is this [insert band name here]" and getting the group off track for a good five to fifteen minutes before we could resume gaming.

karnokoto
2009-10-21, 10:09 PM
My experience with background music in the past was that it was distracting, between vocals on the track and every going "Oh #$@&! Is this [insert band name here]" and getting the group off track for a good five to fifteen minutes before we could resume gaming.

This is one of the reasons I'm hesitant to use mainstream (or even known within my group) music, because I've had this happen before.

Also why I tend to stick with soundtracks from movies I know most of them havent seen, or if they have, they won't remember.
But I can barely contain myself when, for some reason, we're on a pirate ship...'Hes a Pirate' is gettin PLAYED, by thunder!!

I'll have to see about making a playlist then...I use iTunes so it shouldn't be too hard.

I've heard a lot of good game music suggestions, what about movie OSTs?

Deepblue706
2009-10-21, 10:15 PM
Music has been working out great for my 4E group. We don't really go for ambient stuff, but mostly resort to over-the-top music for when the moment is just right (usually a battle). Sometimes there's classical, sometimes there's JOURNEY! And Dragon Force.

It's a pretty light-hearted group, so it works. I think it adds excitement to the game, and also gets a few laughs when someone turns on "The Final Countdown" or whatever.

Farlion
2009-10-22, 03:25 AM
I almost always use:



http://garbledzombie.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/1147472872summoning_logo.jpg

Summoning


They have such a large variety of Songs, I always find a fitting one.

Cheers,
Farlion

Totally Guy
2009-10-22, 03:27 AM
I have several playlists-under-construction for D&D: Combat, Wilderness, Civilisation, Horror, Sad, Triumph annnnd... I think there's something else. I forget. Film soundtracks, classical music, and a few other - mostly instrumental - pieces.

I've tried this method and I think it's really is the best way to do it.

Also I nominated one player as the music master. His job was to keep on an appropriate playlist.

Zaydos
2009-10-22, 03:47 AM
I've had a mixture of failure and success with it; my most successful application was the use with the Final Battle against a BBEG for the campaign where I made an 80 minute disc just for the fight. Everyone enjoyed it, although the music stopped for something like 20 minutes at one point and nobody noticed.

Gromovnik
2009-10-22, 04:51 AM
I humbly suggest the Manowar album ( Gods of war ) for the battles, and warrior funeral-like moments.

AslanCross
2009-10-22, 06:17 AM
My experience with background music in the past was that it was distracting, between vocals on the track and every going "Oh #$@&! Is this [insert band name here]" and getting the group off track for a good five to fifteen minutes before we could resume gaming.

This is why I always use instrumentals. There were times when I was tempted to use songs with lyrics (Rhapsody's Queen of the Dark Horizons would make an EXCELLENT last boss theme apart from its cheesy vocals), but I always thought it would ruin moments of tension.

Cieyrin
2009-10-22, 01:34 PM
Some of the best battle music I've ever heard is from the Berserk soundtrack, the song specifically being Murder by Susumu Hirasawa (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xho9thsoUo). It starts a little slow but could last you the first half or third of the battle, considering the song is almost 10 minutes long.

Unfortunately, that doesn't make up for the rest of the soundtrack. I totally expected there to be awesome battle music and it's not so much other than the aforementioned track.:smallsigh:

Zovc
2009-10-22, 02:59 PM
I'm quite specific with music I like during games.

My friend insisted on playing music from Final Fantasy Tactics, and I spent 90% of the time when it wasn't my turn in combat thinking about how cool that game was. When it would be my turn I had to figure out what happened since my last one.

I think it's best if its music without vocals, and not likely to distract players. It's also good to have a player that can fade between tracks, and to have playlists for different moods.

Radar
2009-10-22, 03:08 PM
(...)

I've heard a lot of good game music suggestions, what about movie OSTs?
Well, you can't overrate Basil Poledouris works.
The most notable is Conan the Barbarian soundtrack - it complements the movie exceedingly well:
1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTw_9cO_wNs), 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhZeJAUERBI), 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyXKXBPjlMQ)
The first is the prologue - actual music starts about at 1:00.
The Hunt fo Red October can also work outside a nuclear submarine:
1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FIan94l65A), 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLKS3oOXY4Q), 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q09fTDqPuLE)
It could be used together with Hans Zimmer's Crimson Tide score:
1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBTIoL5vaOM&feature=related), 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3NJqEnauX0&feature=related), 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-0of4fVAFo)

Apart from that, you can't go wrong (probably) with Howard Shore's et al. Lord of The Rings soundtrack.

Music from Akira is all shades of awesome insanity if that's what you're looking for. Seriously - it has written madness all over it. Take this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmr8ieEXQwU&feature=related) as an example.

Anything that Clannad touched. Especially their score for Robin of Sherwood TV series (also Braveheart): 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnkWvh1pvU8&feature=related), 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuDgDmd1XFw&feature=related), 3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCe2ryrQHYE)

Ennio (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6BQKFs3-VM) Morricone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awskKWzjlhk&feature=related) is a genius, but his music wouldn't probably fit into a typical fantasy settings. Deadlands on the other hand... :smallcool:

From things sadly unknown, there is a composer of unspeakable name (Krzesimir Dębski - yes, you can choke on it): 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FS-gNL1qls&feature=channel_page), 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0drHclGf0oE&feature=related)

That's from the top of my head. :smallsmile:

lesser_minion
2009-10-22, 03:16 PM
In my experience, we usually just grab 20-30 reasonably heavy songs and leave them on shuffle. Occasionally a specific song might be requested for a particular event.

We usually don't use Muse for gaming, even though they are Awesome. They don't always fit.

Off the top of my head, I've been at games which used the following bands:


- Motorhead
- 30 Seconds to Mars
- Bullet for my Valentine
- Evanescence
- Iron Maiden
- Dragonforce (not recommended for Call of Cthulhu games)
- Lostprophets
- Machine Head
- Deep Purple
- Killswitch Engage
- Metallica
- Dream Theater
- Queen
- Muse
- Rage Against the Machine
- Rob Zombie
- Rammstein
- Slayer
- Slipknot
- Stone Sour
- Korn
- Shinedown
- Within Temptation
- Lacuna Coil


We actually tend not to use OSTs.

Woodsman
2009-10-22, 03:27 PM
I always think of Journey's "After the Fall" when paladins show up.

The lyrics just fit the stereotypical paladin so well, though.

"Saints or sinners/Take no pris'ners"

Mordokai
2009-10-22, 04:08 PM
Midnight Syndicate works just great, at least to my experience.

Anonomuss
2009-10-22, 04:19 PM
I tend to get by well with a mix of Guild Wars OST, the less bombastic Lord of the Rings tracks, some of the instrumental tracks from some Movie sountracks (Currently Watchmen, Sweeney Todd, and a few others.) I agree that non-vocal tracks are best, although I make the odd exception at the request of my players, or if I feel like it (There are some times when Jimmy Hendrix perfectly describes what I need to express :smallbiggrin:)

Dust
2009-10-22, 04:48 PM
I'm a big believer in background music, but less as a constant thing and more to be played during big, important events.

Unless, of course, I'm playing in a setting which already has attributed music to it. You're running a Final Fantasy game? You can expect me to pout if I don't get at least one good battle theme followed by a fanfare when we win. Star Wars? The opening song and story recap is SO important, I'd be saddened greatly if a SW game began without that. Taken leave of your senses and dropping...I don't know, the Ghostbusters into a CoC game? Salvage the situation by dropping a few minutes worth of '...Something strange in the neighborhood...who you gonna call?' on your players. And so forth and so on.

The Dark Fiddler
2009-10-22, 05:16 PM
I think background music is good.

I personally wouldn't use it except for anything except fights, because otherwise it would simply get in the way. My player's aren't big roleplayers, and break characters constantly, so mood-music is near pointless normally.

My DM did play Super Macho Man's theme as we fought a clone of him though, and it was awesome. A shame he didn't let us quote him though.

Thurbane
2009-10-22, 08:35 PM
We used to use b/g music - classical compliations, movie soundtracks (Aliens, Terminator), Gregorian chanting, Black Aria by Danzig...

Galileo
2009-10-22, 10:21 PM
I prefer instrumental music while we're playing, because it means I can still hear the DM. However, my current character is an atheist Warforged Archivist//Crusader, trying to learn everything he can about his divine powers. So, Reach Out To The Truth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzFl6sWHmXI) seemed perfect.

Inhuman Bot
2009-10-22, 10:55 PM
I'm fairly sure the only times we've used BG music with lyrics would be...

Otherworld (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYhhLkiIBcg)
Asha's theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utiWJAUDvtU), but the "radio talk" isn't too hard to hear/talk over.
Creeping in my soul (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE3oIXrnQWc), as I wanted to use it for an underwater 1-shot we did. :smalltongue:
and The communist internationale (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suVB3YGIUk0) is regurally used in our Iron Kingdoms games.

As for music without lyrics, Bloody tears (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIQr5W4AGcI) is used as one of our battle themes.
Dracula's castle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qh_uhV0ta0) is used for when we're wandering around dungeons.

Deth Muncher
2009-10-22, 11:07 PM
I've got the FFVII soundtrack from iTunes, and rarely does it lead me wrong. Battle? There's like 4 songs. Boss battle? Another 4. Then there's random songs for random places.

Anyway, if I have my music laptop, I'll generally just go and type in a phrase into iTunes to find something. I have almost 30 gigs of music, so I generally have something.