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Shhalahr Windrider
2007-02-27, 03:34 PM
I've recently begun to associate the song "Moonshadow" (by Cat Stevens) with one of the characters I play. I consider it his theme song. I think it fits his attitude pretty well.

I also tried writing a theme song on piano for a campaign I DM. I really don't use it during games, though. I don't think I ever got around to letting my players listen to it either... :smallfrown:

Do you have a theme song for any of your characters?

If you DM do you have a theme song for your campaign?

"Oh, Im bein followed by a moonshadow—
Moonshadow, moonshadow
Leapin and hoppin on a moonshadow—
moonshadow, moonshadow"

EDIT:
Sorry about the abreviations in the poll answers. the 25 character limit really gets you.

In case you're having trouble:

"Both Char and Campaign" means both your character and campaign have a song.

"Char no, Campaign yes" means only your campaign has a song.

"Char yes, Campaign no" means only your character has a song.

"Neither Char nor Campaign" means neither your character nor your campaign has a song.

Noneoyabizzness
2007-02-27, 03:44 PM
only one I see having a theme song is the bard. and nothing announces a doorshattering, longsword wielding musician in spiked breastplate than...

"Black Wind Fire and Steel" by Manowar

"I am an outcast
On the path of no return
Punisher and swordsman
I was born to burn.
Black Wind always follows
Where my black horse rides.
Fire's in my soul
Steel is on my side."


hmmm CGoodness
just wait untill he gets his level of spellsword and warrior skald.

Quietus
2007-02-27, 03:54 PM
For the most part, no. None of my characters have theme songs. One, however, does - A Large sized halfdragon human (fluff says 3/4 dragon, 1/2 red and 1/4 gold) with an barely-controlled temper and a serious attitude problem. His theme song is "Die M*****F***** Die" by Dope.

I don't need your forgiveness
I don't need your hate
I don't need your acceptance
So what should I do
I don't need your resistance
I don't need your prayers
I don't need your religion
I don't need a thing from you

Fits him VERY well; He's an extreme loner, even when travelling in part of a group. He's impatient, and somewhat prideful. In his backstory, he grew up being either ostracized or patronized by the people around him, and he's EXTREMELY bitter about it; He refuses to accept help from others, focussed on proving that he is fully capable on his own, even if it's a horrible idea.


One of my friends has a half-fiend (devil) halfling rogue, and he considers "Headstrong" by trapt to be that character's theme song. But for the most part, our characters rarely pick up theme songs, only on rare occasions.

Fax Celestis
2007-02-27, 03:56 PM
Recent themes include Kamelot's "Lunar Sanctum" and "Knights of Arabia"; Symphony X's "Divine Wings of Tragedy"; Sonata Arctica's "Don't Say A Word", "Broken", "The End Of This Chapter", and "Gravenimage"; Porcupine Tree's "Piano Lessons"; Dream Theater's "Octavarium"; and Pink Floyd's "One Slip" and "Learning to Fly".

Dhavaer
2007-02-27, 04:00 PM
Something Dark is Coming: Voryn Dagoth, drow pistolero.
Everybody's Fool: Anastasia Markova, drow media maven/up-and-coming deity.
Scar: Natasha Dagoth, drow enforcer.
The World is Not Enough: Lady Victoria Saint-Clair, half-dragon multi-billionaire.
Prelude to War: The Right Honourable The Earl of Hereford Lord Zacharias Cain, human British Secretary of State for Defence.
Regular People: Dr Roberta Cain, shadowkin archmage. See sig.
These are the Times: Brad, half-ogre carpenter.
Battle Without Honour or Humanity: Tala Johanssen, tiefling stripper.
Won't Back Down: Rocío Sanchez, human mechanic.

Reptilius
2007-02-27, 04:06 PM
I went with The Giant's ideas on villain building. I chose Esper and Esper Battle from FFXII for my campaign's villain. It meshes almost perfectly with his entire character. And his other entire character.

Ravyn
2007-02-28, 07:19 PM
My characters seem to pick up theme songs as they go--one, at three weeks of activity, even has three.

As for my campaign, it's hard to say that it has an overall theme, but I tend to theme out events like there's no tomorrow, and what I don't, my Designated Provider of Music does.

Galathir
2007-02-28, 07:33 PM
I don't often have theme songs for my characters, but for my BBEG in a campaign I am about to run I am using "Sign of the Colossus" from the "Shadow of the Colossus" soundtrack.

I plan on using "The Battle of Kerak" and "Wall Breached" both from "Kingdom of Heaven" soundtrack for my campaign theme song.

I am also composing a theme song for my PC in another campaign. Hopefully I'll finish orchestrating it and record it before the campaign is over!

AmberVael
2007-02-28, 07:36 PM
Sometimes characters just fit songs too well...
One of my more interesting character's theme song- well, actually its for two of my characters, but they are kind of the same person... hard to explain.
Crimson King- Vael the gray elf psion and Fenix the really funky Fenixborn/Homebrew thingy celestial.

Brauron
2007-02-28, 11:11 PM
Barroom Hero (Dropkick Murphys) for my barbarian.

alchemy.freak
2007-02-28, 11:21 PM
lol my paladins theme song is Jesus Walks by Kanye West.

not that he is a christian, or that rap is appropriate for a fantasy setting, but it is still totally awesome

Nerd-o-rama
2007-03-01, 03:56 PM
I think the Nextwave (http://www.marvel.com/news/all.65) theme song could be adapted to many adventuring groups, including one or two that I have characters in.

Roethke
2007-03-01, 04:52 PM
Well it's too bad that I don't, but
"Donald Macgillavry" would be an awesome one for a barb.

http://ingeb.org/songs/donaldsg.html

I can't find a clip, but the version I have by the [Now defunct :(] Celtae rocks.

~R
PS-As for you,Shhalahr Windrider, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?u=14312)

your character must be pretty darn paranoid.
"Oh, Im bein followed by a moonshadow—
Moonshadow, moonshadow
Leapin and hoppin on a moonshadow—
moonshadow, moonshadow"

Druid
2007-03-01, 06:00 PM
One of my characters who mowed down monsters unofficially had Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drum as a theme song.

The next character I plan on playing is a psychic rogue from a city named Sacred Heart (going to try and find out how to say that in one of the DnD languages that have had a few words defined and use that). The thieves’ guild he was a member of was however simply called "The Sacred Heart" in common. After he left he was declared a wanted man within the city for the intentionally vague crimes of "Being a rebel against the city of Sacred Heart." Then at some point during the campaign I have to get sent to prison and break myself out so that when people ask how I escaped from prison I can respond "no ball, no chain, no prison shall keep, I'm the rebel of the sacred heart."

Fax Celestis
2007-03-01, 06:05 PM
One of my characters who mowed down monsters unofficially had Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drum as a theme song.

I believe that's called "Pet".

Good song, though.

Matthew
2007-03-01, 06:10 PM
Hmmn. The theme Album for pretty much any D&D Gaming Group I run is the Metallica Black or S&M albums... anybody remember the Treasure Maps series that had aventures named after various Metallica songs?

Shhalahr Windrider
2007-03-01, 06:11 PM
your character must be pretty darn paranoid.
Nah.

Being followed isn't always a bad thing. The song really expresses a rather carefree attitude. It goes on...

"And if I ever lose my hands, lose my plough, lose my land,
Oh if I ever lose my hands, oh if.... I wont have to work no more."

That shrugging off of all those terrible events is the real crux of the song.

Fax Celestis
2007-03-01, 06:12 PM
Hmmn. The theme Album for pretty much any D&D Gaming Group I run is the Metallica Black or S&M albums... anybody remember the Treasure Maps series that had aventures named after various Metallica songs?

YES! If I recall, "Through the Never" was my favorite.

Khantalas
2007-03-01, 06:21 PM
Drink and Fight and Drunken Lullabies are pretty much the theme songs of every gnome I play.

Stormcrow
2007-03-01, 06:34 PM
"no ball, no chain, no prison shall keep, I'm the rebel of the sacred heart."

Classy, Flogging Molly.

Seeing them live in a month.

Orzel
2007-03-01, 06:42 PM
"I'm Bad" LL Cool J- every rogue I'v ever made

I'm like Tyson icin' I'm a soldier at war
I'm makin' sure you don't try to battle me no more

*3 sneak attacks*

Matthew
2007-03-01, 06:42 PM
YES! If I recall, "Through the Never" was my favorite.

Which module was that? Enter Sandman, Ride the Lighntning and The Four Horsemen were in GR3 Treasure Maps, which can actually be downloaded from the Wizards Old Edition Downloads (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads).

Fax Celestis
2007-03-01, 07:00 PM
Which module was that? Enter Sandman, Ride the Lighntning and The Four Horsemen were in GR3 Treasure Maps, which can actually be downloaded from the Wizards Old Edition Downloads (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads).

It has been quite some time. I could be misrecalling. Ride the Lightning is what I was thinking of.

Matthew
2007-03-01, 07:06 PM
Damn. I was hoping for a fourth reference, there. I often wonde if the other adventure titles were based on songs from other bands...

okpokalypse
2007-03-01, 07:11 PM
Old, Cranky, Oft-Inebriated and disheveled Aritificer w/ a Penchant for Alchemy...

"What's He Building?" -- Tom Waits

My favorite line:

"There's poison underneath the sink of course...
But there's also enough formaldehyde to choke a horse..."

Hadrian.M'Kai
2007-03-01, 07:17 PM
Spitfire - The Prodigy : My favorite character, a nearly epic Sorcerer/Rogue (PrC Daggerspell Mage)

Folie
2007-03-01, 07:19 PM
When my rogue entered the party, she had been a convict on a transport ship. She had fought the law, and the law won. :smallwink:
For the campaign, the de facto theme is "He's A Pirate" from POTC. However, the DM likes to play other pieces when we game, such as selections from the soundtracks of the POTC movies, Master and Commander, etc.

Orzel
2007-03-01, 07:26 PM
'Cause of this topic, I'm gonna make a Green Star Adept (eating jade) that sings Run DMC's "Kind of Rock" before battle.

Amphimir Míriel
2007-03-01, 07:31 PM
When I DM, I usually play a loop of movie instrumentals... Lawrence of Arabia, Willow, Conan, Raiders of the Lost Arc...

As for characters... I once had plenty of experience points by singing (real singing, and eventually everybody in the table was singing with me)


Bard enters the tavern. He goes directly to a corner next to the bar, takes out the lute, places the case on the floor, and after a nod to the Innkeep, starts singing:


"In the swampland, the darkest swampland,
Black Dragon sleeps tonight...
In the swampland, the darkest swampland,
Black Dragon sleeps tonight...

In the glacier, the coldest glacier,
White Dragon sleeps tonight...
In the glacier, the coldest glacier,
White Dragon sleeps tonight

[chorus:
Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh
Wemoweh, wemoweh, wemoweh, wemoweh
Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh
Wemoweh, wemoweh, wemoweh, wemoweh ]

In the forest, the deepest forest,
Green Dragon sleeps tonight...
In the forest, the deepest forest,
Green Dragon sleeps tonight...

In the desert, forbidding desert,
Blue Dragon sleeps tonight...
In the desert, forbidding desert,
Blue Dragon sleeps tonight...

[chorus]

In the mountain, the highest mountain,
Red Dragon sleeps tonight...
In the mountain, the highest mountain,
Red Dragon sleeps tonight...

[chorus] [lute solo] [chorus]

Hush my darling, don't cry my darling,
the Dragon sleeps tonight...
Hush my darling, don't cry my darling,
the Dragon sleeps tonight...

[chorus x2]"

Eventually it became his "signature song"

Ranis
2007-03-01, 07:52 PM
One of my players is a Bard4/Pal7, and he plays the bagpipes. He plays a different track from his CD "A Bagpipe Christmas" at the beginning of each session; it's quite amusing and it puts everyone in a good mood for the thrashing I give them.

ExHunterEmerald
2007-03-01, 08:13 PM
I'm planning theme songs by chapter.
Also, oh, DAMN does music add to the environment.
We have a song waiting for use when our party enters a nigh-suicidal situation, and only for that.
And I really, really want the chance to have it played in game.

Shhalahr Windrider
2007-03-01, 08:37 PM
* The Dragon Sleeps Tonight *

That is so cool! :smallbiggrin:

Ishkahl
2007-03-02, 07:22 AM
My assassin's un-official theme song (fits with his backstory) is The Crowing by Coheed and Cambria.



. . .
I severed my ties to shroud this body under the streets of this city
And wait for the day when I am summoned to walk across the face
Well, slowly but clearer now, in visions that play and plague memories
I loved them with all as the son should to mother and father

But you, you were my favorite
But you, you know, you were my favorite

Would I walk through the door, shedding the light of all life?
With the rise and reform, would I come as before?
Pray you're not the only one
Pray you're not the only...
If given mistakes, would I take them back?
If erasing them could, if erasing them would

. . .

I fought the decisions that call and lost
My mark has the revelant piece in this
I will come reformed
In short, for the murders of those I court
I bless the hour that holds your fall
I will kill you all!!

. . .


Basically part of his backstory was him losing a love and facing other repercussions of associated actions, so he has sworn to take revenge

Just to note, this song always makes me think of a cruel DM:


Will the killing veil love should the heroes play dumb
but killing's no fun when the heroes are none

For reference its The Velorium Camper III: Al The Killer by Coheed and Cambria again.

Saph
2007-03-02, 07:41 AM
Rinoa's Theme (My Mind) from FF VIII.

I think I might be the only one who likes quiet, peaceful theme songs for my characters. :)

- Saph

Shhalahr Windrider
2007-03-02, 09:07 AM
I think I might be the only one who likes quiet, peaceful theme songs for my characters. :)
Hey, "Moonshadow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtgXus3eiII)" is pretty easy-going.

Talya
2007-03-02, 09:36 AM
The Mystic's Dream - by Loreena McKennitt.

ExHunterEmerald
2007-03-02, 01:05 PM
I've actually had some trouble finding music for an NPC brother of my PC because I'm a metalhead. Not a lot of softer, quieter songs.

PnP Fan
2007-03-02, 02:15 PM
i don't normally go to any effort to put music to my games, or have theme songs, but inspiration comes from funny places. "Moon Over Bourbon Street" (Sting) was a werewolf campaign I played in once that took place in N.O. with a lot of interaction with Vampires.
I can't think of any others, but it seems like there've been a couple of others.

Amphimir Míriel
2007-03-02, 04:43 PM
i don't normally go to any effort to put music to my games, or have theme songs, but inspiration comes from funny places. "Moon Over Bourbon Street" (Sting) was a werewolf campaign I played in once that took place in N.O. with a lot of interaction with Vampires.
I can't think of any others, but it seems like there've been a couple of others.

Really? I thought "Moon over Bourbon Street" was the almost-official theme song for Vampire the Masquerade! All the GMs that ran Vampire campaigns had that song played at some point.... Usually right in the middle of their overly depressive mixed CD's (Nine inch nails, Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, etc)


The Mystic's Dream - by Loreena McKennitt.

I find that Loreena McKennit's music works quite well for D&D campaigns... Even the Christmas record.


That is so cool! :smallbiggrin:

Thank you!

Fax Celestis
2007-03-02, 04:46 PM
Really? I thought "Moon over Bourbon Street" was the almost-official theme song for Vampire the Masquerade!

No, that'd be Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre.

Indon
2007-03-02, 05:12 PM
I've never used theme songs... but I think I just might from now on.

Shadow of the Sun
2007-03-03, 02:24 AM
I use it out of context, but I will be there when you die is useful for my rogue. I use it in context for my cleric- there are some wounds you just cannot heal.

Krimm_Blackleaf
2007-03-03, 03:26 AM
My campaign: "Am I Evil?" - Metallica

Ariath: "Before I forget" - Slipknot (It just suits him so damned well!)
Malor: "Bat out of Hell" - Meatloaf (Laugh if you want, but it too suits him.)

Gorbad the Limb Rippa
2007-03-03, 12:42 PM
I don have any,but of one of the dm's in my group begins every campaign with the star wars intro and the campaign info on a piece of paper which slowly moves away as we read it

Headless_Ninja
2007-03-06, 01:45 PM
One of my characters, a bard with a dark past that was constantly lying to his friends, had "Can't Catch Tomorrow" by Lostprophets as a theme tune.


I'm sure I've seen this look before
Done a thousand times and a million more
How many lies did you tell this time?
How many times did you cross the line?
It won't help me but I have to ask
Is there something real that's behind the mask?
Something true we don't know about?
A little faith in amongst the doubt?

And maybe someday you will grow
Maybe someday you will know
Maybe someday you will end these tears and go

A little piece of me grows old
I keep on walking down this road
I've seen a million people change
But I will stay the same


Fit him like a glove. Along with the "Good shoes won't save you this time" when his trail of deceit finally caught up with him!

XenoGeno
2007-03-06, 03:22 PM
After reading this, I just developed a villain for a specific theme song. Once my characters reach town, they will encounter a sniper in a clock tower, shooting random people. Obviously, the song is "Sniper" by Harry Chapin.

ExHunterEmerald
2007-03-06, 04:46 PM
Lesse, I have plenty of characters...here are a few with themes in my head.
Terrence Randall: Dropkick Murphys, Bastards on Parade
Shar ir'Deren: Blind Guardian, Age of False Innocence
Marcus Oswin: Flogging Molly, What's Left of the Flag
Nathan Graves: Blind Guardian, Straight Through the Mirror (Yes, eventually I realized I named him after a Castlevania character. Gragh.)

ETA:
After reading this, I just developed a villain for a specific theme song. Once my characters reach town, they will encounter a sniper in a clock tower, shooting random people. Obviously, the song is "Sniper" by Harry Chapin.

Invisible Kid by Metallica made a great theme for a sniper in a game of mine. For various reasons other than the "Invisible" aspect.

OzymandiasVolt
2007-03-06, 05:09 PM
Amon "the Painless". Warforged assassin (Fighter 2/Rogue 6) with unarmored body, disguised as a human with leather armor and a mask. Theme: Misery - Mist Veiled Moon.

The Seraph Squad, a mercenary band lead by an evil half-celestial named Seraphim, a specialist shifty human rogue, and a second-in-command surprisingly well-spoken mountain of muscle half-ogre in an even larger mountain of blade-covered thorium armor. Theme song: Cowboys from Hell.

Kiracthothachithaudelon Maev d'Cannith. A brilliant construct engineer and artist, sees construct creation as an art form and as such his constructs feature a variety of unique shapes and functions, fine cloth, porcelain masks, and so forth. Is also very adept at applying construct and clockwork components to living things. Oh don't worry, he's already tested them on himself... Theme song: Darkesword - Metroid Prime 2 - Torvus Clockwork