Jungle tunes?


Serpent's Skull


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Like many DMs, I like putting together soundtracks for adventures. Does anyone know any great music that would fit the Serpent's Skull AP?

I figure I'm looking for some African drum music to start with, and the soundtrack to the video game Eternal Darkness has some awesome "sneaking around in forbidden temple" music, but that's about all I can think of...


Generic Villain wrote:

Like many DMs, I like putting together soundtracks for adventures. Does anyone know any great music that would fit the Serpent's Skull AP?

I figure I'm looking for some African drum music to start with, and the soundtrack to the video game Eternal Darkness has some awesome "sneaking around in forbidden temple" music, but that's about all I can think of...

I'm using some of the Indiana Jones soundtracks most of the music from the old gorilla movie Congo, parts of Erdenstern's into the gold and music from Predator and the new version of King Kong. I also found some ambient "sounds of the jungle" effects which I will use on occasion.


I'm guessing you're all americans, so spotify links won't do much good. I haven't read any specific Serpent's Skull material either, beyond the store blurbs. So I'll just go with the general jungle motif.

Ennio Morricone's soundtrack for The Mission is total awesomeness.
Damon Albarn's soundtrack for Ravenous is creepy and low-tech and tribal and awesome.
James Horner's soundtrack for Apocalypto should fit the theme.
Jeremy Soule's soundtracks for the Guild Wars games are varied in feel, but you're sure to find some fitting stuff in there.

For general low-key background soundtracks, you can never go wrong with The Ninth Gate and From Hell. I like Dreamcatcher as well.

Best of luck with your playlist :)

The Exchange

Playing at the FLGS, this really isn't an option for me, but if I could I would have to include my favorite piece of Final Fantasy music ever.

Final Fantasy VI: The Veldt

Gau!


Dead Can Dance has a place at every RPG table. I thoroughly believe in it even now.


Maneater by Nelly Furtado

Perfect for when your hot little bard has to charm the natives out of eating the party. ;)

The Exchange

there's also the soundtrack for apocalypto


Awesome, thanks for all the suggestion. I'll be starting the Serpent's Skull AP soon, and this'll all come in handy.


The Lion sleeps tonight

or old ladysmith black mozumbo records

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Ice Titan wrote:
Dead Can Dance has a place at every RPG table. I thoroughly believe in it even now.

This.

Actually, we did a sort of "soundtrack" for the Savage Tide adventure path back in the day, and even made a playlist for it in iTunes (I think... can't remember exactly how to get to it now, alas). It had a lot of music on it that would work well for Serpent's Skull, including music from:

Vangellis (1492 soundtrack)
Underworld Evolution soundtrack
Some Phillip Glass (primarilly from Naqoyqatsi, I think... but MOST of his music is awesome for ANY game)
Dead Can Dance
The Omen: The Final Conflict soundtrack
Apocalypto soundtrack
The Descent soundtrack
The Fountain soundtrack

There were more, I'm sure.

A few other soundtracks that come to mind that have some good, dramatic jungle exploration feel to them:

The main theme from "Lifeforce" by Henry Mancini
"Roar," the theme from Cloverfield
The soundtrack to "Rogue" (good creepy ambience)
The various "Saw" movies (not great movies, but really good music)
Various tracks from the Godzilla movies
Battlestar Galactica (especially the ones with the strong drum elements)
Conan the Barbarian (good for EVERY game!)

AND: My latest favorite soundtrack... the one from Inception


Try: Dengue Fever

They have vocals, but I think that their voices are quite suitable.

Then again, I also put Jungle Boogie on the same soundtrack.

RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32, 2012 Top 4

Is there a particular Dead Can Dance album that might fit Serpent's Skull?


Whited Sepulcher wrote:
there's also the soundtrack for apocalypto

If you don't have access to that, you can always use the new "Mel Gibson Tapes" ... they're sure to bring out the savagery and darkness of the jungle. ;)

The Exchange

Firstbourne wrote:
Whited Sepulcher wrote:
there's also the soundtrack for apocalypto
If you don't have access to that, you can always use the new "Mel Gibson Tapes" ... they're sure to bring out the savagery and darkness of the jungle. ;)

*rimshot*

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Tom Qadim wrote:
Is there a particular Dead Can Dance album that might fit Serpent's Skull?

They're all pretty good, actually. My preference for ambient music for games is anything that doesn't have actual lyrics, which is a lot of Dead Can Dance right there.


Wolfthulhu wrote:

Playing at the FLGS, this really isn't an option for me, but if I could I would have to include my favorite piece of Final Fantasy music ever.

Final Fantasy VI: The Veldt

Gau!

Oh I know Gau well. FF6 was my first real RPG, so I'll always remember it fondly.

There's a not-too-well-known (but awesome!) video game for the Playsation called Gex. It has jungle levels with really catchy music, and for some ungodly reason, whenever I'm reading Serpent's Skull material it pops into my head.

Gex OST - 12 - Jungle Isle Stage Music


Tom Qadim wrote:
Is there a particular Dead Can Dance album that might fit Serpent's Skull?

The Serpent's Egg for the name if nothing else :D


Generic Villain wrote:


I figure I'm looking for some African drum music to start with, and the soundtrack to the video game Eternal Darkness has some awesome "sneaking around in forbidden temple" music, but that's about all I can think of...

Check these out:

Agog in the Ether off Pungent Effulgent

Survival

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

What about actual African Music?


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Lord Fyre wrote:
What about actual African Music?

That's just crazy talk! ;)


Lord Fyre wrote:
What about actual African Music?

I was thinking vuvuzelas... :)


Karma Police wrote:
Lord Fyre wrote:
What about actual African Music?
I was thinking vuvuzelas... :)

Going to slap you now...

The Exchange

Damn Texan wrote:
Karma Police wrote:
Lord Fyre wrote:
What about actual African Music?
I was thinking vuvuzelas... :)
Going to slap you now...

I'll hold him down for you.

Hmmm... well, there's a new way to annoy my players...


Lord Fyre wrote:
What about actual African Music?

If you want some more modern African music [disclaimer]I have not actually looked at the link beyond hovering over it to get the address[/disclaimer], British newspaper The Guardian has a weekly music podcast which did a South African house-music special last friday.


I am listening to a lovely CD called "Kenyan and Tanzanian Witchcraft and Ritual Music." If I used music during my game sessions, I would totally be using it.

Oh, looks like it's been rereleased and the Amazon page has a whole nest of related African music kinds of titles.


Generic Villain wrote:

Like many DMs, I like putting together soundtracks for adventures. Does anyone know any great music that would fit the Serpent's Skull AP?

I figure I'm looking for some African drum music to start with, and the soundtrack to the video game Eternal Darkness has some awesome "sneaking around in forbidden temple" music, but that's about all I can think of...

Go on Gamespy.com and check out fileplanet.com, or just hit fileplanet.

I use the Witcher music, Inspired Music from the Witcher game, and the music to Unreal II: The Awakening.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmK5X4KtSzA
wacky lil song :p


Generic Villain wrote:

Like many DMs, I like putting together soundtracks for adventures. Does anyone know any great music that would fit the Serpent's Skull AP?

I figure I'm looking for some African drum music to start with, and the soundtrack to the video game Eternal Darkness has some awesome "sneaking around in forbidden temple" music, but that's about all I can think of...

Tarzan Boy

The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Welcome to the Jungle

Dark Archive

The Prededor 2 soundtrack is very tribal/jungle-esque.

This is my kind of thread! I absolutely LOVE making soundtracks for my game. In fact, I'm doing it right now. :D

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

I got some great Jungle tunes for ya that will fit in any Jungle Adventure!!!

Bare Necessities

I Wan'na Be Like You

Colonel Hathi's March

Trust in Me

That's What Friends Are For

My Own Home

Dark Archive

Dragnmoon wrote:

I got some great Jungle tunes for ya that will fit in any Jungle Adventure!!!

Bare Necessities

I Wan'na Be Like You

Colonel Hathi's March

Trust in Me

That's What Friends Are For

My Own Home

The "Planet of the Apes" soundtrack (Tim Burton) version would also be an excellent choice for this


Here are some great soundtracks that I've used for this kind of setting:

King Kong (both movie and VG OST)
Apocalypto
The Ghost and The Darkness
Mysteries of Egypt (National Geographic OST)
Explorer: East Africa - Witchcraft & Ritual
Curse of the Golden Flower (good for ancient empires/ruins)


Diablo II had an excellent soundtrack.
Each part was associated thematically to a level of the game, and was bringing evocative musics like wilderness, caves, sewers, desert, jungle and so on.
Two parts would fit perfectly: Jungle and Kurast.


Generic Villain wrote:

Like many DMs, I like putting together soundtracks for adventures. Does anyone know any great music that would fit the Serpent's Skull AP?

I figure I'm looking for some African drum music to start with, and the soundtrack to the video game Eternal Darkness has some awesome "sneaking around in forbidden temple" music, but that's about all I can think of...

You can probably mine some great tunes from old Exotica records by Les Baxter and Martin Denny. It's polynesian-influenced, not African, but tracks like "Quiet Village" can set a tone of subtle menace.

Grand Lodge

anything from the original Donkey Kong Country games; though I loved Jungle Japes.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder Adventure Path / Serpent's Skull / Jungle tunes? All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Serpent's Skull