One of the somewhat uncommon topics that I read about is the use of music in people's sessions (not saying that the actual event is rare, it just doesn't grab that much magazine space).
I find myself sometimes using music (usually in the last few sessions of a campaign) for atmosphere, or when they encounter musical characters (anyone remember the Dungeon module with the singing Troll? Genius...).
The recent thread of 1001 Adventure ideas got me thinking, with music being a relatively common appearance in some games, and with a Bard being a base class, why is it that Dungeon has not published an extensive musical adventure?
With different events in the adventure suggesting music to play in the encounter would be an easy and cheap way to do it (without supplying a CD which would no doubt cost a fortune), couldn't it be simple to have an all-singing, all-dancing adventure ala Buffy/Xena/Lexx/god knows how many other shows? With multiple songs to choose from for a scene so that the DM may have access to at least one, this could be a unique adventure that everyone could get into. And you can't tell me that that half-dragon cleric/fighter of Hextor can't belt out a tune or two....
I'd love to hear what people think of the idea, and also what the Powers That Be think of the validity of the concept.
Crivens.
Interesting, but only in limited doses.... might be good for late nights when the "elven juice" or "Shire-puff" is flowing freely, maybe as an area encounter..... wander into the "forest of song" or "tower of tunes".... characters can't help but sing to communicate, or lose a hit point / charisma point unless save vs "lyrical magic" ;))
Must be a spell / enchantment that can be adapted. Some stylistic limits could be imposed as pitfalls or penalties..... Rap songs generate a couple of arrow hits from "drive by drow", a Britney tune triggers the falling of multiple 'skank sticks' from overhanging trees, etc. Of course good classic rock songs (ala Led Z.) bring the blessings of dieties.... even if out of tune.... who can tell anyway!
Interesting, but only in limited doses.... might be good for late nights when the "elven juice" or "Shire-puff" is flowing freely, maybe as an area encounter..... wander into the "forest of song" or "tower of tunes".... characters can't help but sing to communicate, or lose a hit point / charisma point unless save vs "lyrical magic" ;))
Must be a spell / enchantment that can be adapted. Some stylistic limits could be imposed as pitfalls or penalties..... Rap songs generate a couple of arrow hits from "drive by drow", a Britney tune triggers the falling of multiple 'skank sticks' from overhanging trees, etc. Of course good classic rock songs (ala Led Z.) bring the blessings of dieties.... even if out of tune.... who can tell anyway!
It need not be as 'Beer and Pretzel'-esque however. For example: I ran a game where a ranger left her intelligent singing sword behind because she was about to go on a suicide mission. The PCs were hired by the sword to rescue her, and it (along with other NPC bards and the ranger herself) provided applicable music.
The PCs were not required to sing, or provide music, and it generated a unique feel to the game that they enjoyed. It wasn't a regular game in the sense, and the different atmosphere left it as a standout night.
Good point....though B&P-esque events / actions sometimes have a funny way of spilling over into later, more focused sessions ["Does anyone in the party remember the tune / lyrics to the song they sang to set the magical lock on their treasure vault last ime in/out? Maybe too much celebrating after the last great haul?".... starts an interesting discussion on memory retention skills]
Anyway, something else I've seen, but not used, was a bard having to sing & play an old dwarven hero's ballad to soothe an enchanted, animated large warhammer guarding a tunnel (an 'easy' way out). Had heard it twice over the past 4 adventures, and actually remembered 90% of the words + 3/4 of the tune.... got away with it on a 19 roll, with two dwarven party members chiming in for a piece of the chorus! Good thing too... the party was looking a bit ragged by that point ('serious' but still a bit of fun & definitely memorable!)
i rely heavily on a musical atmosphere when gaming. it enhances the story-telling and experience in any role playing session. When a battle begins, or a creepy dungeon opens to another secret level the music is there for a great accent to the story. with technology being what it is i've begun to create cd's for each adventure i run fitting tracks to descriptions and encounters. I think music goes hand and hand with gaming. (there are some cd's for sale at the piazo store and i would love it if people reviewed all of them.)
i have over 40 gaming cd's mostly comprised of movie sound tracks that i bring in my gamer bag when i role play.
that being said, i wrote a bardic adveture where each song gave clues furthering the plot along. i even used some old poems and put them to simple chords on the guitar (rudyard kiplings "smuggler's song" is awsome.) At the end each player, (all of the PC's had at least one rank in bard) had 20 minutes to create a piece to the puzzle using their bardic skills. whether it be a poem, a sketch, a song, a monologue, or a story. half of the people loved it, the others relied on their performance dice roles. Did i forget to mention half of the people in the party were actors?
Dungeon could publish music and lyrics, i would love it, but how many gamers are going to whip out their keyboards and start singing about dragon mating season. the point of this really long post is....the people who play bards like to perform and will. I find they are more satisfied when they bring their original piece of art to the table.
... (without supplying a CD which would no doubt cost a fortune)...
Brings up an interesting point. Why NOT include a CD of music with a module? As a DM I would personally get more use out of a decent CD than a wall-sized full-color map, for instance, particularly of the "way too big to be practical" variety that seems to be in vogue just now. These maps can't cost too much less in reproduction than a CD. (Go down to your local copy shop and inquire as to the cost of a two sided poster sized color repro on glossy paper, then work out what one CD from a spindle costs.)
- Rob
Creative Director
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What costs a lot for the CD isn't the CD itself, but paying for the music that goes on that CD, whether it's paying for entirely new compisitions or paying royalties to use existing music. It's an interesting idea though... so I won't say that it'll never happen.
And we'll definately be doing more poster maps in the future, although most of them will be of the four-panel variety (similar to the Isle of Dread map we did in issue #114), so they should be a bit easier to handle.
I've never liked having music in the background when I DM. I find it to be distracting. Some people swear by different soundtracks to "Set the mood". This just doesn't work. It always adds either something that has to be talked over, or a target for diversionary conversations that detract from a good game. There was an old Mystra adventure that came with a music CD. My CD is still in the shrink wrap. The "play this track when the party enters the room" sets were likewise failures in my view.
ASEO out
I usually place the speakers by the front door of the apartment with the sound at a moderate volume. It's purely for the benefit of the neighbors... drowns the sounds that they'll think are ritualistic killing of small farm animals, when in fact, it's just the party fighting a pack of goblins or fiendish dire weasels.
Though I rarely use music as atmosphere, I have twice made one night a 'musical' night. No, not in the comical 'Oklahoma' way...
A powerful ranger's intelligent Singing Sword is discovered and laments to the PCs through song about being left behind.
A mad bard guards the gateway to a long lost city, confronting the PCs with his summoned music elementals (actually air elementals with a twist).
The powerful ranger is struck down by the PCs, stopping her deluded (though well-intentioned) quest. Her last words are in song.
Each of these circumstances allowed me to set the mood of the person (and even the plot) by song. It only takes a minute or two to play, enough time for me to take a breath, check notes, and prep for the next part of the game.
Some songs were used as atmosphere as well, and some are still remembered by the players by the scene that they were involved in.
('Gonna miss you' by Paul Mac is still well known in my circles as the song that the Ranger Lady Heather sang to the Intelligent Singing/Dancing Sword that was in love with her as she bled to death.)