Great Gaming Music, Part Two

Once again, we dive into the realm of some of my personal favorite music to game by.  This time, though, before we start, I'd like to pimp out Ominous Sounds, a great blog that does a far better job of showing off wonderful gaming tracks than I could hope to do here.

With that out of the way, let's begin!

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords Theme
 While I really like this track, it can be a little hard to pinpoint a place for in gameplay.  Personally, I tend to use it towards the beginning of a game, usually during exposition with a major character.  It also works pretty well when the GM is describing an important place, such as a new city or a mysterious keep.  The song has a slight ominous tinge to it, but it isn't too overbearing.

Castlevania Lords of Shadow Main Theme
Quite the epic track, in my humble opinion.  I like this song for epic journeys, maybe accompanies by a 'verbal montage' explaining what the characters face on the months they've spent traveling (assuming it's a situation in which you're not actively roleplaying those months).  Players feel like they're doing something important, and are really making a difference in the world, when you play this track.

Final Fantasy XII Main Theme
Yet another main theme...perhaps I'm lacking originality?  Nevertheless, this track works very nicely at the starting of an adventure or campaign, during the short bit of time it takes to fill the players in on where their characters are and how they got there.  Players feel like they're at the beginning of something big when they hear this track.

Esper Battle Theme
Also hailing from the Final Fantasy XII soundtrack, this song is great for boss fights, especially those of the climactic end-of-dungeon variety.  It's just somber enough to let the players know that they might be in a bit of a bad situation, and, if your final bosses are anything like mine, they are.

There you go, another four tracks certain to perk up gaming sessions!  Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see ya next time :)

Great Gaming Music, Part One

I'm a sucker for a good RPG.  In fact, if you haven't noticed the tags in any of my stories up to this point, they're all tagged with 'Dungeons and Dragons', and take place in my campaign setting for the game.

Anyways, you can find all SORTS of great stuff to help your tabletop games work better, but I think one of the things that is skimped out on is background music.  You rarely see a fantastic RPG video game without hearing pretty great music relevant to whatever you're doing--it helps set the tone, and keeps any silences in the room from being overbearing and taking you out of the game.  That said, here's a list of some of my favorite gaming music.

Requiem for a Dream
Originally composed as the score for the climactic fight between Anakin Skywaler and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, this song makes for a great boss fight.  Not just any boss, mind you--save this score for a big one.  I'm talking the mastermind pulling all the strings.  The guy who your PC's aren't quite sure if they're ready for yet.  The guy whose death signifies a big change.  Players get leery, but resolved, when they hear a song like this, and they know that someone is going to die--hopefully, not them.

Oblivion Battle and Morrowind Theme Remix
A fantastic mix of two songs, I love this song for boss fights.  I find it just a little too epic to use on your run-of-the-mill skeleton fight, but that first miniboss in the dungeon?  Perfect.   Players get pumped with a song like this, and they know that it's time to kick some ass.

Chapel of Skorm
From the soundtrack of Fable, on the X-box, comes this great track.  Personally, I like it for dangerous areas that haven't quite gotten to the point where swords have been drawn, such as the party sneaking through an enemy camp, or walking through a city they know they aren't too welcome in.  When players hear this music in the background, they get the feeling that everything could go South any moment.

Dusk at the Market
This hails from the fantastic Elder Scrolls IV:  Oblivion.  As it's name suggests, it works great for a market/town track, but it also works great for traveling music as the characters walk through plains, forests, and the like.  Players hear this track and are reminded that the world isn't always about killing dragons, goblins, or whatever else they may face in your game.

There you have it!  Four great tracks, sure to liven up a game session.  See you next time!