do you use music when you GM??

I've never used music, but it sounds like a good idea. Maybe I'll try it.

 

Check some of Jerry Goldsmith's music.
LionHeart, and Wind & the Lion, especially.

Other soundtracks:
Army of darkness, Record of the Lodoss War, Tenchi Muyo, Highlander, x-men, THe Rocketeer, Hercules, Xena, running Man, Flash Gordon, Simila's Sense of Snow, Leviathan, Battlestar Galactica, Last Starfighter, Babylon5, Black Hole.

Also music by Phil Coulter or The Chieftans.

A lot of these are also good as fantasy music. I rotate in whatever I think will help flavor the adventure.

Forever Knight, Frightnight, Dracula, Hamlet, Richard V, Warlock, Atlantis,

 

Dude..my campaign totally cues up with Dark Side of the Moon. I played them both at the same time and I was like....whoa, man

 

Tonight we used the Cowboy Bebop and Trigun soundtracks.

Fit like a glove.




Anata Baka?!

 

Some of the more instrumental stuff from the Animatrix CD would make interesting cantina music, or for urban action or infiltration scenes if the pacing were steady (I was surprised to hear a couple of the songs from Animatrix on the show Alias when I watched the DVDs for that show's first season, so it translates pretty well to different modern and futuristic genres.)

My personal preference would be to try and find new music rather than use Star Wars tracks, with the exception of things like the Imperial march that are staples of the setting. I like Duel of the Fates, but to me that's too much the sound of the battle with Darth Maul. It would help make the character's encounters more distinct from the movie characters.

 

i can not stress the usefulness of the soundtrack from The 5th Element

 

ok.. so who out there is looking forward to using the as yet unreleased score form return of the king.. i think it will be an awsome rpg backdrop of sound??

 

Yeah, I use TPM and AOTC along with Braveheart, Last Crusade, and Fellowship. For D&D, I have about 4 or 5 compilations that I've made with different music ranging from Magus's Theme from Chronotrigger and Metallica's S&M version of Call of Ktulu to Mozart's Dies Irae Requiem and some of the music from Cowboy Bebop and Trigun. I once had a half-elf sorcerer/Ghostwalker whose entry theme was Magus's music (it fit him quite well, he wanted to be Death). Unfortunately, many times I can't use any music because we rarely play at my house because it's not quiet enough (my parents stay around, my older brother shows up from time to time to harass me, etc, etc) and the place where we usually play (my friend's house) doesn't have a stereo close enough to hear (even for background). Music really adds a lot, but I avoid anything with English vocals because it's distracting and many of my players have the attention span of a crack-baby on acid.

 

Just had to chime in as this has come up with our group recently...

We are currently using just about any good music that fits...Sadly my Co-Gm and I hear songs and go "wow...what do you think about this song for when the group falls out of hyperspace to see the death star orbiting the planet" lol

My personal favourite is the Metallica Imerial March when the PCs enter a room to find Dark Leia and her two henchmen The " If we die, I want it remembered I suggested we ran away" response before she was described was the best.

Plain and simple: If you have a group of good players, music frames certain situations perfectly and will not cause a distraction.

 

Ever have a moment in real life that had live accompanying soundtrack? Something that was so odd I feels like it's out of an RPG?
Back in High School I was on my way to school with a couple of friends when I suggested I needed theme music. Something imposing, loud, and sure to get me attention. I suggested the Imperial March. No sooner did I walk through the side gate of my school campus than did the marching band break out into a very well played version of the Imperial March (they were practicing for an upcoming homecoming game). Both friends jaws dropped, and I walked in gloriously to my adoring and loathesome masses.
I know this is somewhat off topic, but I needed to share. And no, I wasn't on drugs or hallucinating.

 

hey trem.. that is the most beautiful thing i think i have ever read

 

i couldn't possibly function as a GM without music.

i had a long-running Vampire: The Masquerade game, which my CD collection was perfect for (especially at that time), but it's a bit limited for SW. i've tried using just SW music (the movie soundtracks and the Shadows of the Empire CD), but there just isn't enough of it. i started branching out into anime themes at a player's suggestion - the soundtrack to Escaflowne is fantastic...

 

anime s/t should work well..

as i have said i looove using movie scores..
just the othe night i used the music fromt he car chase in matrix 2 during an ariel battle in the coruscant skies

 

William Orbit's "Pieces in a Classical Style" is perfect for non-action sequences.

E_S

 

As a relatively new game master; I've found Tomita's version of 'Holst the planets' offers a good intro for the occasional ship to ship engagements in its theme song for Mars. Whenever we have a heavy show up, (oozing with evil and malice), I often will use 'The Battle of Endor I,II & III'. That set of music can really get the players motivated for a battle royal. When the game is out of combat mode for the most part I've been experimenting with Goth music such as Unquiet Grave, just for a change so as to prevent S.W. music burnout.

 

The XXX soundtrack is fun. Also, something I sugest to any GM out there. If you want to hear your players moan in discust or laugh till it hurts (the only two emotions I get), play the Mission Impossible song during a sneak attack or spy-action. Gets 'em every time.

 

Or you can just start singing the theme to Secret Agent Man under your breath!

 

Anime soundtracks have the problem is that they are erratic, sometimes masterly, flowing themes, sometimes the sound of bunny-rabbits on electronic zylaphones.

 

Anime soundtracks have the problem is that they are erratic, sometimes masterly, flowing themes, sometimes the sound of bunny-rabbits on electronic zylaphones.

Yeah, but dependig on the type of game you play, it'll work real good.

Hell, in our game, we play the Cowboy Bebop and Trigun soundtracks, and it fits so well.

It gets kinda freaky when a song that was played during a dogfight in the Bebop movie plays during a dogfight in the game.

When I GM occasionally, I control the music, with playlists. Real fun to have a lighthearted theme from Love Hina playing when the PCs are relaxing.




Anata Baka?!

 

I try to use a subtle mix of music from all genres.

Its amazing how the 30s Glenn Miller Big Band Era can mix just as well as a Cantina with varied instruments.



Whereas in another more "alien" capcafe, I could play a more modern theme.

"...the capcafe is alive with a small musical duo, a Rodian is belting out a great keyboard sequence and a Yuzzum is just out there with the lyrics..."

*Cues up Blackstreet*



Ive also taken all the CD's out there for the star wars movies and made a "call sheet" of all music tracks and gave notation for each one.

I want a mystical moment, play a track from Emp #1.

Need a score of a "welcoming new world' play the "landing on cloud city theme," from Emp #2.

Invading armies? No problem. Cues up "Trade Federation theme from TPM"

One recommendation I MUST say:

Try to secure a copy of "Shadows of the Empire," soundtrack.

The tracks are DAMN useful.

 

the SotE st has been a staple of gaming music for me since it came out...

another good one i can recommend.. the Wyatt Earp soundtrack.. some of the most dramatic music... and it was scored to four guys walking!!!!!!!!

HOOOHA

 

and in this weeks session i had to dig out and play " march of the villians" from the superman soundtrack...

this was right as one of the heros thought it would be a good idea to stun his partner and then turn himself and the stunned partner over to the mandalorians..

 

I have a CD burner on my computer and a wave editor, so I splice and edit selections from the SW scores to create a custom soundtrack for the pre-generated encounters and scenes in my game. For random encounters, I will usually burn some custom edited fight music or "mood music" for the scene. I'm still trying to figure out how to mix sound effects in with the music.

I've been using music in my RPG's for many years, and my players seem to like this method best. Give it a try.

 

I envy you. I'd love to splice select soundtracks from my SW discs!



I'd make specific discs (battles, new worlds, chases, mystic moments, ect ect) and throw 'em on for each encounter.

*sigh*

 

From Darth Digital:

<I envy you. I'd love to splice select soundtracks from my SW discs!



I'd make specific discs (battles, new worlds, chases, mystic moments, ect ect) and throw 'em on for each encounter.

*sigh* >

It can be very rewarding if you have the time to do it. It can take a lot of time to edit multiple tracks together to make one track of music. It's also a lot easier to put together music for a pre-scripted "cutscene" or RP moment with the characters than it is for random encounters or combat. My players really look forward to big encounters since they know that I will have customized a few music tracks for the encounter.

If you can get a burner and a wave editing program, I highly recommend doing this.