Mood Music

[mattie_p]

So, I know that a lot of DM's out there play mood music to get their players in the swing of things for traveling, chases, fights, boss fights, etc. I know that when I play an video-game RPG, the music can either enhance or clash with the overall experience.

What music do you guys like to play or listen to while running various scenes? Links are a plus, but if I like it enough I'm willing to pay 99 cents a track wherever available.

[Karoht]

So, I know that a lot of DM's out there play mood music to get their players in the swing of things for traveling, chases, fights, boss fights, etc. I know that when I play an video-game RPG, the music can either enhance or clash with the overall experience.

What music do you guys like to play or listen to while running various scenes? Links are a plus, but if I like it enough I'm willing to pay 99 cents a track wherever available.

I use a lot of OC Remix, which is extremely high quality remixes and reimaginings of video game music. I like them because they aren't entirely techno (I love their classical work, especially the violin they use for their Legend of Zelda remixes), they cover a lot of musical styles, and it's stuff that my game group is familiar with. Best of all, free, directly from their website, and there is an incredible amount of material they've done. A friend of mine just sent me over 6 gigs of their music, and that probably wasn't even 10% of their stuff.

You can also punch in "epic music" in youtube and get plenty of good leads on other groups. Instant Awesome or Instant Epic does an incredible amount of music, easily movie soundtrack quality material.

And then there is movie soundtrack stuff. I'm a big fan of big orchestral heroic scores.

Just some suggestions.

[mattie_p]

I'm on OC Remix's website now, I'll have to check them out in detail. I'm familiar with some of the games they remix so that is a good starting point. Also familiar with and love Neskimos.

Other genres? Classical music I'm sure has plenty of stuff to use. I also want to broaden our horizons, so please don't limit yourself to available RPG video game music.

[Riverdance]

My GM uses tons of different playlists but the only ones I can remember are the Bourne and Inception Soundtracks. It works great for our space campaign. I don't know how it would be for a dungeon crawl but feel free to try.

[Anxe]

My favorite is the Van Helsing soundtrack. A lot of Alan Silvestri, Hans Zimmer, John Williams, and Danny Elfman's soundtracks can be used for D&D.

Other good stuff is Blind Guardian and this guy on youtube called makkon06.

I'd give you links, but I think you know how to do a search on youtube for yourself. From there you can buy the CDs of the stuff you like off iTunes.

[Karoht]

Surprisingly, I found the Transformers movie (recent ones) soundtrack to be awesome music for Paladins and such. Light choir, not heavy choir. Has a 'holy' or sacred or maybe righteous? sound to it if you let your imagination run, and it has a slow but steady rise.

That said, "The Touch" by Stan Bush (yes, THAT song from the 1986 Transformers Movie) is the greatest "I am going to save the day right now by being awesome" theme I have ever heard.

EDIT:
Seconded on Alan Silverestri.

[Riverdance]

Classical can be great too, but it has to be the right kind. Unfortunately I don't know jack about classical so I can't point you in any direction, but if you find a good one it can really slip subtly into the background and set the mood.

[Water_Bear]

I know this is tipping my Weeaboo hand a little, but the OSTs from anime are often really good sources of music. I've gotten a ton of mileage from my Code Geass OST, and there's a lot of other ones with great soundtracks. Just avoid the ones with words, or which get a little too J-Pop-y.

Video Game music is also good, ideally the more modern and less easily recognizable ones, because they usually are made to loop decently and have good ambiance.

Other than that, troll You-Tube* for instrumental music. The same goes for "Trailer Music;" basically anything that makes it into an 'Epic Music Mix.'


*Do not be a troll on You-Tube; that's like pissing into an ocean of piss.

[mattie_p]

Yeah, it's mostly D&D 3.5 that I'm looking for right now, but I'm looking at getting some Star Wars books for a break for everyone. Really, any music suggestions are awesome.

Keep them coming! I got a lot of youtube listening ahead.

Note: The suggestion for links and such is if they aren't on youtube. Or at least give me enough info to find them.

[TheCountAlucard]

I know this is tipping my Weeaboo hand a little, but the OSTs from anime are often really good sources of music. I've gotten a ton of mileage from my Code Geass OST, and there's a lot of other ones with great soundtracks.

The Akira OST is the first thing I bring up when I'm running a game that has anything to do with the Demon City.

[BRC]

A lot of Game and Movie soundtracks are good for generic background music. I am particuarly fond of the Bastion soundtrack, for example.

Sometimes I like to give certain characters a theme song, for example, I played This whenever a sinister demon named Mister Sunshine showed up (The party warlock owed him a debt).

[Hylas]

I've listened to some of the demos, but haven't bought the album but these guys advertise their music as good for RPG ambiance.

http://www.cthulhumusic.com/

[SamBurke]

Ah, this thread.

Dear heavens, this comes up once a month. Here are a few selections of past brilliance:

Playlists:
Welknair. If you search the great Bloodline King's name, this is the first result.
Here.
Radio Rivendell.
Pretty Decent, Linked-up Thread.


Ask Threads:
Here's another, set up similarly to this.
Here.


Common Responses:
Two Steps from Hell
Video Game Soundtracks
LotR
Movie Soundtracks

TL;DR: Here. Done.

[mattie_p]

@ Sam,

Thanks, even if you are sick of this (these) thread(s), thanks for your response. Consider it heritage for me and the next responders for reference.

I have a lot of listening to do.