A little atmospheric question

[Ibram Gaunt]

I wanted to know, if anyone of you uses music tunes to augment athmosphere during play.

I used them in another RPG when I was the GM. Tunes like this for example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu4KCLd5kdg

Or the Tune Omen from the Xenogears Soundtrack.

The Xenogears Soundtrack was also the best for this purpose since it actually had it all you need. Forest sounds of animals, Tunes for temple visits, desert worthy tunes. It really was a treasure box. (And to think that if came from a Playstation RPG).

My players found it very good when I used them. So out of curiosity has someone else made experiences like that with athmosspheric music?

[roll4initiative]

I used to back in the day when I played D&D 2nd ed. Not much anymore since we play in public venues. Midnight Syndicate has awesome stuff. Conan soundtrack and most other fantasy movie soundtracks work.

[Triphoppenskip]

If I'm DMing I don't like it, it's a distraction to me. As a player I tend not even notice if music is playing in the background.

[trollbill]

I recently ran The Ruby Phoenix Tournament where I used music from the Mortal Kombat soundtrack, Carl Douglas, The Vapors, and various Japanese Taiko and Folk music. I also used a repertoire of gong and crowd sound effects. It worked out quite well as these all added to the very clear flavor of the adventure.

I agree with Triphoppenskip, in that playing it in the background is usually a distraction. It works much better as an intro or outro or during breaks to keep the tone going.

[Tinkergoth]

I actually used music pretty extensively for my first session of East Texas University. It takes place during the final night of Student Orientation, and involves

Spoiler:

a plot by a security guard to sacrifice all the freshman students using fire runes in an attempt to become immortal by funneling their life force into himself.

Part of the party is that a local band are playing. I had them playing songs that were related in some way to death or fire, and was actually playing the music for the players, starting from vaguely related songs to more blatant ones as the climax of the session got closer. It actually led to them thinking the band was involved afterwards, so I had to just throw something together about how they had nothing to do with it, the guy writing the setlist was just faintly prescient and it came through in his choices without him realising.

[Skeld]

I don't use music, but I have occasionally used sounds. For instance, when my group played Savage Tide, I used a sound file of creaking wood/ropes an sloshing water on loop whenever my players were on the ship. In fact, I think I pilfered that file from Neverwinter Nights.....

-Skeld

[Lord Deacon The Diplomat]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ksn92hjgy0&list=PL5755B7BA7F19B8D2

All you need!

[Ibram Gaunt]

Lord Deacon The Diplomat wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ksn92hjgy0&list=PL5755B7BA7F19B8D2

All you need!

Hmm... I prefer the original series music ;) But it is good nonetheless.

[Pan]

Thought this was going here . Guess I was wrong. Yeah I use pandora often and make channels ahead of time for whatever type of game i'm running.