The Clockwork Bard in the Living Room

I just want to take a moment and allow whatever image you have brewing in your head to come to fruition…ah…delicious.

What I’m talking about, of course, is music during game. The right choice of music during combat, or hanging out in a tavern, or trekking across a heavily-forested wilderness, can add huge amounts of depth to the roleplaying experience.

Though it may seem cheesy, using soundtracks from movies can be a great way to provide background ambience to the adventure. Lord of the Rings, Van Helsing, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Braveheart are all examples of great fantasy soundtracks that fit in well with most settings.

To add a more cinematic, modern touch to combat, one might delve into some action movies for musical inspiration. My gaming group back home loves to use the soundtracks from The Matrix movies. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like cutting down the main foe to an adventure with Rage Against the Machine blaring in the back ground…it gets me everytime.

So what’re your opinions on music during game, and if you do use it, what kind of songs/artists/soundtracks do you suggest?