Good Music For HERO Game

[Noahjam325]

My group and I have been taking a break from the super hero genre with our current campaign. Now that I have their current campaign fully written and ready to go it's time to start planning my next game. I've been feeling the itch to do a nice traditional Heroes Vs. Villains game and am currently planning that out. One thing I've learned while running my current game is how powerful music has become; the right playlist at the right time really helps set the mood and keep the game going. So I've developed a beautiful playlist for my swashbuckling pirate fantasy, but I'm a little stuck on where to start for a super hero game in terms of music.

 

So I'm just wondering if anybody has experience using music in their HERO games. If so; then what kinds of music do you use? I'm also wondering if anybody has a Spotify, Youtube, or Other playlist that's already curated and ready to go. I'm mainly interested in no-lyrics background music, not so much sound effects. I found sound effects to only be fun the first time, but quickly got old and too hard to manage for me.

[Tech]

I created a list of music pieces for each player years ago. I forget how many I put together but it's 30+ (I know I'm vastly understating that).  Some were instrumentals, some vocals, etc. Sorry, I don't have it ready to go for anyone, but at least I answered about music in HERO games.

[Doc Democracy]

I think you need first to go to the superhero movies and see what is there.  Superman and Batman movies have had great music for setting tone.  I would also look to SF, they probably also have the high and low tones you might be looking for.

 

I dont have the necessary knowledge of classical music but there is likely to be a whole suite of pieces that would work.  Fanfare for the Common Man works for a street level superhero.  Possibly worth listening to a classical station to happen across a few pieces that you can identify.

 

Doc

[Scott Ruggels]

I used to use a CD boom box for my soundtracks. I collect motion picture soundtracks and rather than matching by a specific movie ( which only gives one between a half hour to 90 minutes of music) , pick by composer and genre instead. For instance, Jerry Goldsmith, as a composer, had a broad career, spanning from the 1960’s to his death in 2012.  He did  movies in genres from Horror, to comedy to

action. Honestly, Inprefer his work to that of His contemporary, John Williams. An example, would be if one was running a campaign set in Ancient China. Two recommendations would be The Sand Pebbles, and Disney’s Mulan (minus the musical numbers), both by Jerry Goldsmith, andnthey blend together fairly well. Another suggestion, would be to split the playlists into Introductions, Ambience, and Combat. It takes a little work, but adds so much. Another source of music is from Video games, like Baldur’s Gate, or composer Kevin Riepl’s music from the Unreal Tournament series. The advantage of the game music is that it loops fairly seamlessly, so you can get away with a shorter playlist. Hope this helps!

[Greywind]

I have a hearing problem, so anything that adds to the noise level at the table is inherently a bad idea for me.

 

You might also consider Christopher Franke's music from Babylon 5.

[IndianaJoe3]

There are a lot of different mixes on Youtube. I'm sure you can find something appropriate to your game.

[unclevlad]

There are also always snippets.  Instrumental intros and codas, for example:

 

--intro from Santana's Black Magic Woman 

--several codas from Mark Knopfler, with or without Dire Straits.  Telegraph Road, Sultans of Swing, What It Is.

--guitar wizards.  Van Halen's Jump (specifically), Eric Johnson, Eric Clapton in his Cream days, Jeff Beck, Pat Metheny

--classical...Bach Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, the opening phrases of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, the glorious 9th Symphony's first movement and the first several minutes of the 4th (choral) movement.  When the fur really flies, the latter parts of the 1812 Overture.  The all-time ultimate Nick of Time Rescue music:  William Tell Overture.  Copland's Hoedown from Rodeo is music evoking a barn dance;  it'd be great good fun for a big BAM! SLAP! POW!!! kind of combat with lots of double knockbacks and movethroughs.

--yeah, lots of movie music.  My all-time, definitive Heroic Music...the theme from the Magnificent Seven...the original, 1960 version.  Lots of John Williams.  Queen's soundtrack from Highlander.  IIRC there's some good stuff in the Lost Boys soundtrack.

 

If you've got any streaming music, see about building channels like this and just letting them play as background music.  You hear a "oh now this....." and note it.  I make ringtones every now and again for my phone;  MP3 is a really easy format to edit, and there's several programs for editing on your PC.  

[Noahjam325]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I feel like I have a good place to start now. 

[dsatow]

I always liked Bonnie Tylers "I need a Hero."

 

[archer]

On 11/26/2018 at 3:11 PM, Greywind said:

I have a hearing problem, so anything that adds to the noise level at the table is inherently a bad idea for me.

 

 

Same for me.

[Scott Ruggels]

On 11/27/2018 at 10:56 AM, dsatow said:

I always liked Bonnie Tylers "I need a Hero."

 

 

Elizavita and the Pegboard nerds - Hero