Eerie/Scary Encounter Music

[afroakuma]

I'm trying to find some suitable tracks to use to indicate the presence of or an encounter with a particularly terrifying creature.

So far, I've got this one, which is ominous, but sort of low-key, and this one, which has that quick drama but is repetitive and dull.

Anyone have any better recommendations on an instrumental track that's useful for sending that wonderful thrill of terror associated with "Oh gods no, not one of those things again!"

[Saph]

The Welder theme from 7 Days a Stranger is pretty creepy, and very good for an action-horror battle.

[Snake-Aes]

DQ7's orgodemir is not bad.
F.E.A.R.'s got a couple good ones.
mr Nobuo Uematsu make quite a few great compositions too, but they're more centered on ACTION. Liberi Fatali is one of the few songs you'll ever hear whose latin is authentic, and Premonition's a good one for incoming "oh ****".


Movies and Videogames, due to occupying your eyes and reasoning with the story itself, rely greatly on music(and to great effect) to keep you on your toes. You'll have big chances with horror games.

[Zaq]

I'm curious; how do you deal with the fact that most (modern) songs are only a few minutes in length (a lot of people consider anything over 10 minutes to be a true marathon of music... that's a topic for another day, but anyway), while most encounters take, well, much longer (especially in D&D, but by no means limited to it)? I've considered using background music myself, but always end up deciding not to because of this. How do you confront this issue?

[arguskos]

I'm curious; how do you deal with the fact that most (modern) songs are only a few minutes in length (a lot of people consider anything over 10 minutes to be a true marathon of music... that's a topic for another day, but anyway), while most encounters take, well, much longer (especially in D&D, but by no means limited to it)? I've considered using background music myself, but always end up deciding not to because of this. How do you confront this issue?

It sets the mood, it doesn't play for the entire length of the combat.

[Flickerdart]

Tank and Witch themes from Left 4 Dead. There have been instrumental and even heavy metal variants done.

[afroakuma]

The two game ones' synth made them really insufficient, sadly, and the tunes from F.E.A.R. just didn't have any pull. I'm looking for a track that's easily and readily identifiable to keep a consistent tone on this thing.

Anyone have any other ideas?

[arguskos]

The two game ones' synth made them really insufficient, sadly, and the tunes from F.E.A.R. just didn't have any pull. I'm looking for a track that's easily and readily identifiable to keep a consistent tone on this thing.

Anyone have any other ideas?

The most versatile song ever made. Use it for everything.

Obvious joke is obviously joking.

[Thurbane]

I'm know I'm always pimping it, but it's just that awesome, and perfect for this request...

Danzig, Black Aria (1 & 2)

[Zaq]

If it's a consistent tone you're looking for... well, a lot of operas and other large-scale works of music use leitmotifs for pretty much exactly this purpose. A certain melody (or something else) ends up getting associated with a character, a place, an action, or whatever. If it works for them, I don't see why it couldn't work for you. Just appropriate some body of music that uses leitmotifs well, and then you have a bunch of different songs to play which will still remind your players of something specific.

[valadil]

Try Sephiroth/Ulf Soderberg. No relation to FF7. IIRC Cathedron was particularly dark and gloomy.

[afroakuma]

Well, I mean, picture like... the Xenomorph being on the ship, or you throwing the switch that releases the Phazon Metroids into the environment and you have to walk back through them. Or the Terminator showing up at the building you're hiding in.

[Neon Knight]

Maybe some tracks from Metroid Prime might help?

Flaahgra's Theme

Chozo Ghosts Theme

Sheegoth Battle/Miniboss Theme

vs. Space Pirates

I've always felt that the first game had one of the best game soundtracks I've ever heard. The Intro/Title Theme is also excellent, as well as the two themes that the final boss has, although they aren't quite appropriate for what you're looking for here.

[Snake-Aes]

Well, I mean, picture like... the Xenomorph being on the ship, or you throwing the switch that releases the Phazon Metroids into the environment and you have to walk back through them. Or the Terminator showing up at the building you're hiding in.

Another thing to be careful about is that the music is background music. Anything with comprehensible lyrics or too loud will only get in the way.

[afroakuma]

Another thing to be careful about is that the music is background music. Anything with comprehensible lyrics or too loud will only get in the way.

Lyrics, certainly, but if the "too loud" factor is at least comprised of scare chords or makes it feel like an impending attack... all to the good.

[arguskos]

Well, I mean, picture like... the Xenomorph being on the ship, or you throwing the switch that releases the Phazon Metroids into the environment and you have to walk back through them. Or the Terminator showing up at the building you're hiding in.

DUDE I SWEAR IF YOU RELEASE PHAZON METROIDS, I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN PERSONALLY.

[afroakuma]

Who says it's for Team Yellow? Team Blue's on a spelljamming mission, you know...

[The Antigamer]

Here's a suggestion: Nox Arcana – The Awakening just skip the first 9 seconds of talking.

Also, I used this list on my last halloween party, there are some good ones on it.

[Harperfan7]

Stress by Justice. Check it out, it won't be good to play while trying to play D&D because it's too involved and you would be fighting for the players attention, but if you need to stop for a few minutes to prepare for the scary part, play it then.

On another note, my last group played in a friends basement (oh yeah) which was completely quiet, which made things kinda wierd and depressing, and I accidently came up with a cure while spending the night at that friends house. I'm a night owl, and that night I was playing ff9. I got to the part in pandemonium where Zidane is all emo and his friends are trying to be all buddy-buddy to make him feel better while fighting a successive wave of monsters with each group of friends, and the music thats playing then is ULTRA AMAZING AWESOME BACKGROUND MUSIC. The next time I saved, I saved in a different slot and the next time we played, I got to that part and left the game on while we played. It totally livened up the mood without getting in the way at all.

If you have ff9 and are reasonably close to that part with a saved game, give it a shot. (Or find that music on youtube and play it on repeat, whatever).

[RelentlessImp]

This is definitely eerie at the start, but a little further in it starts to pump you up. I use it on occasion to introduce a Big Bad and have it playing quietly in the background when he does his introductory speech.

Then again, if you really want to scare your players, this will make your players scream in utter horror.

[Werekat]

Ooh, so many places to go.. Depends on the setting, so I'll try a few different ones.

For a starter, I highly recommend the "The Thing" theme by Ennio Moricone. Our VtM ST had us jumping every time we heard the thing at one point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meU2gAU7Xss

Next - a lot of anime does have very suitable music. When I DM, I mostly use tracks from XXXholic, Mushishi, Ayakashi (Mononoke), and Slayers, depending on the game that we play.

XXXHolic examples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fmz7...x=0&playnext=1

Especially Shikoku, Challenge, Lethe, Yami Ou. None except Challenge are particularly combat-oriented, but they're certainly creepy.

Ayakashi Classic Japanese Horror (Mononoke): start with Tatakai and go from there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-LN1...eature=related

Kyodai is in also nice in particular, especially if dealing with vaguely cat-like things: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wZaK...eature=related

There's a lot on non-combat ones in there, but I think you'll be able to find them. :)

The Slayers soundtrack is, for my group, the quintessential D&D soundtrack. and the following tracks work well for creepy fights:

Xellos' True Form: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ccp09CPWvU

Saygram the Faceless: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JUzQ...=PL&playnext=1

Break Out Into Battle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7h7U...eature=related

Clair Bible (two part theme, works well with an introduction to a fight): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5zjH...eature=related

Hellmaster Phibrizo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM-Q-...eature=related

[Gametime]

The most versatile song ever made. Use it for everything.

Obvious joke is obviously joking.

Obvious joke is obviously joking, but I would like to point out that if you ever want to utilize musical dissonance for the sake of humor, putting this on during a stressful chase scene out of the crumbling fortress following the defeat of the Load Bearing Boss will crack your players up. Make sure you describe the scene in vivid, tense detail and let them get all worked up before you switch on the music.

[Drakyn]

Maybe some tracks from Metroid Prime might help?


I've always felt that the first game had one of the best game soundtracks I've ever heard. The Intro/Title Theme is also excellent, as well as the two themes that the final boss has, although they aren't quite appropriate for what you're looking for here.

Continuing on this idea, Metroid Prime: Echoes had some nicely weird tracks.

Lower-key stuff:
Space Pirates Lurking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4P344YCLVs
Pirate Fear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7tqD...eature=related
Dark Torvus Bog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TJe0C3Qu7g
Menu Theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7uZf4uiMN8

A little more intense:
Space Pirates Battle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iSU5LPYczE
Vs Chykka Larva: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTr_yccZqsg
Vs Quadraxis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpQ_OQAtgDQ
Vs GFed Trooper: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-aM98uYiDo

[Radar]

Hmm... I might be repeating myself over a few music threads, but Akira has just that great soundtrack: 1, 2 (the second one contains a lot of fragments varying in style).

If you like Bleach, then theese might interest you: 1, 2 (from about 0:46), 3, 4, 5, 6

Something short and quite different in style: 1

And now for something completely different.