iPod usage during gaming...

[Dryder]

I can't believe it! I was just about to write a letter to dragon about me using my iPod for ambience and background music during my sessions, when I read in the anouncement for issue #355 that exactly such an article is planned. You paizo guys are surely the result of a military experiment and now are able to read peoples minds over vast distances...

Anyway, I just want to hear if others do use an iPod (or something similar) during gaming.

I bought a small external speaker from JBL which now sits in front if my DMscreen. I use playlist with titles like

- DUNGEON/SEWERS/CAVES
- THE CITY
- THE WILDERNESS
- DRAMATIC SCENES
- SPECIALS

For my new Ptolus Campaing I actually started to always use the same theme for an organization. Whenever my pcs encounter one from the Balacazar's I play the same music, and it doesn't matter if they encounter only thugs or the big ones!
The same for other groups or organizations. I wonder when my players realize this...

So, are you using music as well...?

[psionichamster]

yeah, we have a full-audio-experience going on.

when DM'ing, i have my laptop on the table, and my music linked through the houses surround sound system.

then i just have music on and change the theme to match whats happening in the game

new aditions include the Halo and Halo 2 soundtracks...great for ambient music and battle scenes.

i also use
Dropkick Murphys
Linkin Park
Gorillaz
Tool
Midnight Syndicate

and some others, like
the Symphony of the Night soundtrack
The Black Mages

and the like.

connect the output of the music-producer to the surround sound system with a headphone jack-to-RCA connection, and you're all set.

just be warned, if using an iPod, it'll drain the battery right quick.

the hamster

[MrVergee]

One of my players plays a bard and uses music to liven up his combat boosting and his bardic roleply in general.

[Lilith]

I should post the playlists of my Beyond the Supernatural soundtrack. Good ambient stuff, not too intrusive. :)

[Curaigh]

I take a cue from the most successful action movies and always start the adventure at the end of another adventure. This of course requires that I open each adventure with the Bond theme....

...Which I was going to try and type, but why ruin it? I will expand this to play the pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack during the STAP once we get started on it.

[Occam]

I haven't done it yet, but I've had this idea to set up voice recognition on a Mac to respond to the phrase "Roll initiative!", switching over to a high-energy playlist (Japanese drums and such). Should be fun!