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F1zban
2014-10-02, 11:42 AM
Hi Forum,

I typically use music in my games to help create the appropriate atmosphere for each scene, mainly because I'm not all that good at fully setting the scene myself. I can describe it down to the last detail if asked, but adding an emotional aspect is beyond me.

Anyways, I am looking for pieces of music that are sad/mournful whilst being on a grand scale. e.g:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbdTeKo14Jw&index=4&list=PLego6Q6sf5n1XzRgr5MMIi_wgnQga8AbB

The scene itself is at the end of a campaign (which will be continued but only when my slot rolls back around) where the party (adventuring sailors/pirates/depends on where they take it) return to their home port, a city from which they were exiled. They return to find the city burning, and I mean totally destroyed, with no hope of any survivors. Heavy artillery having pummelled it for days, not one brick left on top of another. As this will be part of a triple whammy of events (Captain dying, home destroyed, ship destroyed) I would like to music to be sad but also really... well big about it. Hope you guys can help.

Thanks in advance.

Red Fel
2014-10-02, 12:31 PM
I'm rather partial to Diva's Song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33pw2nEAHgc) from the anime Blood+. It starts off soft and mournful, and builds over a period of five minutes into this powerful, overwhelming sense of sadness and drama.

As a bonus, because of its sinister tones, you can use it to subsequently introduce the villain responsible for the tragedy. :smallamused:

Silus
2014-10-02, 12:41 PM
Well, there's always Guile's Theme (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcIjFeWE4fE) from Street Fighter.

Tragak
2014-10-02, 02:00 PM
Since British telly always has such amazing music:

Doctor Who:
The Daleks (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDaEQYEV-TA)
Doomsday (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq-DhjidQxk)
The Rueful Fate of Donna Noble (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64kM-0tRjeA)
Vale Decem (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAeu7_jRySA)

Sherlock:
SHERlocked (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbXiis9ZOkM)

And from my own side of the pond:

Star Wars:
Duel of the Fates (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzVBqBosf5w)

Lord of the Rings:
The End of All Things (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGDXZR5SjK8)
The Last March of the Ents (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QfHKv86gRQ)

F1zban
2014-10-03, 03:39 AM
Nice suggestions all! Really good choices here. Unfortunately my players are quite discerning and if I tried anything from popular media they would likely criticize and ruin the moment. Were this not the case Gandalf's Fall would be ideal! I'll go through some of these and let you guys know.

@Red Fel. It's not a single villain that causes it. It's a technologically advanced (1940's ish) organisation sweeping almost unopposed through the world in an attempt (from my end) to modernise the global political structure. This is to prepare my campaign setting for the transition to D20 modern.

Storm_Of_Snow
2014-10-03, 05:20 AM
If you're set in and around WW2, maybe start with the soundtracks for things like the first Captain America, Band Of Brothers/Saving Private Ryan etc.

And you're kind of at the start of the end of big band music, so some jazz songs, either of that period or from later on, might fit in - there's a really good jazz/blues tune which could have come straight out of the 30's/40's (Slow Love Slow) on Nightwish's Imaginarium album, for example.

F1zban
2014-10-03, 07:11 AM
Another fantastic idea! I hadn't even thought of keeping the music on par with the timeline. Ok, time to research some of this stuff. There are enough documentaries and movies to provide ample material. Thanks again.