Best Soundtrack for your FH sessions?

MordeanGrey · December 18, 2003

Music goes a long way in setting the mood for fantasy games.

Here is a list of some of my favorites.

Last of the Mohicans

Conan

X-MEN (dark)

13th Warrior

Gladiator

Bram Stoker's Dracula (dark)

Sleepy Hollow (dark)

Dark means that the music is particularly suited for a gothic/horror themed adventure. Excellent stuff for the party's exploration of a haunted castle, etc.

I'm sure I'm forgetting a few, but I recommend and use all of the above titles.

keithcurtis · December 18, 2003

For gothic horror, the Dracula soundtrack from the movie with Frank Lengella works very well, too.

Keith "I do not drink... wine" Curtis

BlackSword · December 19, 2003

Originally posted by TheTemplar
Why "Scheherezade" (awesome for a desert or middle eastern style setting!!)

For a middle eastern setting I would suggest Kronos Quartet Caravan. When running a Lot5R game, the GM played the soundtrack to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Greenstar · December 20, 2003

Some suggestions that I've not yet seen amongst all the really great ones:

- Stavisnsky (particularly "Firebird Suite")

- Some of the "gradiose" themes from 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail"

- The music track from the old PC Game "Fantasy General" - the best game music I've ever heard.

- Glass Hammer (some of it, anyhow)

- Robin Trower's "Bridge of Sighs" - parts of it.

- Tangerine Dream

- Wishbone Ash

- Loreena McKennant

Toadmaster · December 20, 2003

Originally posted by TheTemplar
Seems like Rimsky-Korsakov had another piece that would lend itself nicely to gaming...can't for the life of me think of the name of it though (And I've got a music degree, for crying out loud!!) It's a very regal processional type piece...the theme behind it was that the listener was progressing through a Great Hall, or perhaps a museum. Please....somebody throw me a bone on that piece before I bash my head into my desk trying to remember what it was called! Thanks!!

Oh..and incase I forgot to mention it...gaming to Wagner is top-notch, too.

I wonder if you are thinking about Mussorski's Pictures at an exhibition? It is often put together with Rimsky Korsikov music in collections.

Carmina Burana by Orff is good (used in Excalibur), Wagner's Ring (ride of the valkarie etc) has several good bits (several also used in Excalibur). Gloria by Vivaldi (particularly if you can get the version done for the movie Runaway train). Joe Satriani's surfing with the Alien has several good songs (particularly the second side, I've always thought Hill of the skull would be good for a last stand Boromir vs the orcs kind of scene). The sound track from Backdraft also has some useful stuff.

TheTemplar · December 20, 2003

Ahhh....MUCH thanks, Toadmaster. I stand corrected. That piece IS by Mussorski. I KNEW it had to be one of the Big 5 in Russian Composers. Yes...Pictures At an Exhibition. I believe it's either the first or second movement...Standing at the Great Gate, or something along those lines. It's a wonderfully regal processional for giving the feel of a Royal Castle or something along those lines.

(Not to throw this discussion on a tangent..but I dig the avatar, Toad. I keep my fingers crossed for a sequel to that game someday.....someday...)

chaos_engineer · December 20, 2003

the Best Soundtrack for a sword & sorcery game is caustic Death Metal, like Gorgasm, Teen Cthulhu, Nile, and the like. if the players complain that they can't concentrate because of "that @!*# racket", just turn it up louder and throw more eldrich horrors at 'em!

Toadmaster · December 21, 2003

Originally posted by TheTemplar
Ahhh....MUCH thanks, Toadmaster. I stand corrected. That piece IS by Mussorski. I KNEW it had to be one of the Big 5 in Russian Composers. Yes...Pictures At an Exhibition. I believe it's either the first or second movement...Standing at the Great Gate, or something along those lines. It's a wonderfully regal processional for giving the feel of a Royal Castle or something along those lines.

(Not to throw this discussion on a tangent..but I dig the avatar, Toad. I keep my fingers crossed for a sequel to that game someday.....someday...)

Glad I could help, I think its The great gate of Kiev or something like that. That is an advantage to having a Dad who really likes classical music, I got a good informal education on the subject. Throw in a younger wife who grew up in a rural area (country and rap :confused: ) and my growing up with 80's rock and I've got quite a weird CD collection. Someday I'm going to have to burn a CD combining a little bit of everything just to annoy the neighbors, perhaps as a celebration for the release of Starcraft 2 "I am about to distribute some indescriminate Justice!!!"

Speedball · December 22, 2003

When I was playing D&D waaay back when, the guy running the game had us trained to start either screaming or whimpering every time he hit 'play' on the Terminator soundtrack. We knew something nasty was about to happen. To this day, hearing it gives me images of thieves getting hacked to pieces by relentless hordes of kobolds or some such nonsense.

Jhereg · December 28, 2003

My FH campaign gets kind of dark and gritty.

-We use the Soundtrack for Stoker's Dracula quite a bit.

-We use O Fortuna almost every climactic combat.

-For a lighter mood, the Score from Princess Bride.

-I tried LOTR Soundtrack but found it to be a little too specialized. I use a couple of the more powerful tracks.

-I avoid Danny Elfman like the plague. Everything he writes sounds exactly alike to me. I don't want my players thinking they're Batman.

-If you can make the mental seperation, the Star Wars score has real potential. Don't knock it till you've tried it.

Now the stuff you didn't expect:

-The score from Crimson Tide (Players' favorite)

-If you think you're up for it, try Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. I know what you're thinking, and true, it looks incongruous before you try it. But it lends a great fantasy feel, and creates the perfect role-playing mindset, and other-worldly atmosphere (without the need of psychoactive substances).

Susano · December 28, 2003

Originally posted by Plastick Hero

-I avoid Danny Elfman like the plague. Everything he writes sounds exactly alike to me. I don't want my players thinking they're Batman.

I agree completely. *Everything* he does sounds like his original Batman score.

Toadmaster · December 28, 2003

Originally posted by Plastick Hero
-I avoid Danny Elfman like the plague. Everything he writes sounds exactly alike to me. I don't want my players thinking they're Batman.

Even Nightmare Before Christmas? :rolleyes:

"That's right, I AM the Pumpkin King"