I want my team to realy feel the creepyness & gothic feeling a hive world brings when you venture in to the dark corneres of the hive abbyss. Also, the feeling of cracking metal and screaming machine spirits from the hull & structure of a Space Hulk. Any one got some music I can use? Any suggestions and so on.

Also, if you use music in your rp how do you implement it in the gameplay & do you find it usefuyll and so on.

And ofc if you got anything els that can enhance the game experieance do add it

Well, I'd start with NIN, and get more obscure from there...

Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, Grendel, Tactical Sekt, Brainclaw (who have a track called 'Abbadon'...), Analogue Brain, Kloq, and for extra weirdness that suits the genre: I, Parasite.

For haunting Celtic stuff, try Clannad.

Instrumental stuff or stuff with minimal lyrics is better, because people don't get distracted by lyrics. Film soundtracks are awesome too: Aliens, Bladerunner, Terminator...

By chance we happened to be listening to Tiamat during one of my games and the Astral Sleep album worked out well, especially Mountain of Doom.

It has a good mixture of rhythm and gothic overtones.

Thanks! I think its just what I needed.

I think that music is a key element in our modden days of roleplaying. Back in the day where me and my crew where all about D&D it was not that importnet. But now we got a few younger guys and I can realy feel they react better if we "modden" up our normal way of gameplay. Its facinating seeing how you can "manipulate" your players just with sounds, I use alot of celtic & gothic music when we played Warhammer Fantasy 2ed and it worked brilliang. I almost gave one of my older players a heart attack douring a dungeon run just by poking him sins I wanted the soda

What do you guys think? Do us "older" game masters need to add a more "digital" way of gameplay. By "digital" I mean do we "need" to add some elements like sound and mabye even more?

Two Steps From Hell & Gothic Storm also fit well as I discovred in my search for some good "40k" music

I'd advise caution with music. I've done audio for alot of plays, and when it comes to music, it's alot like creative or interpretive writing, or poetry. It can sound nice, and you can imply some meanings from it, but not everyone is going to get the same meaning, as interpretations in music can be even wider than literary interpretations.

That and I find music distracting at times while GMing. I've dropped it as many times as I've thought about it.

I use music and sound in every game. I use RPGSoundMixer which allows me to create sound scenarios. For example, I've just created a 'ship' sound scenario. It begins with the slowly building sound of rocket engines as they enter the atmosphere. A voice-over announces "Entering Atmosphere'. There is then 30 seconds of 'rocket rumble' as I deliver the introduction speech for the drop. After 30 seconds, there is another announcement, "Firing retro engines in 3... 2... [Explosion]". The rocket sound then fades to give way to the higher pitched retro engines, that last about 5 seconds, then there's the sound of the ship touching down and groaning. This is followed by a (large piston operated) door opening and banging to the ground. The sound scape wraps with the announcement, "You are cleared for insertion. Emperor protect." The whole thing lasts about 45 seconds, 30 of which I use to deliver a unique insertion speech for each drop.

As I said, I use RPGSoundMixer to create the sound scenarios. I also use it to randomize and fade between sound track sections. I have sound tracks for ambient music, combat music, inspirational music, and urban music (to name a few). I have also created randomized combat scenarios (gun fire, grenades, missiles, lasers, etc.) that are unique each time they are played. They are all a key press away. Most of my music comes from the Dawn of War and Dawn of War II games and their expansions (I own the games). I use a few cuts off of the Alien soundtrack for my suspense tracks and a few cuts from John Carpenter (Halloween, Phantasm, Etc.) for my mystery tracks.

Any voice stuff I record, I use Mophvox Pro (I don't recommend this, but I can't find a good replacement) and Audacity (freeware) to change it up (frequency, rate, modulation, echo, etc.) then mix it with RPGSoundMixer.

It's a bit of work, but my players love it and it adds a great atmosphere to our games.

I have unique sound set for 40k, fantasy, and even one for a 30's detective game we were playing using Savage Worlds.

Edit: Most of the music I use is purely instrumental, or gregorian type chants favored in the 40k genre. I find things with lyrics to be a bit distracting. You might also look at some classical music. I use some, but I'm not familiar enough with it to give you details.

I agree with NIN being a good idea for a started, also with that is the soundtrack that Trent did on the first Quake game. It is very spooky and helps when you really want to start creeping your gamers out. I used it before during a "ghost ship" type senario and after the session my players said they loved it.

As far as other ideas for music I would suggest looking up some Danzig instrumental stuff. I forget the name of the CD I have but it's really good for the setting as well as some darker set stuff for like DnD. For combat I usually go with Rammstein and other various heavy metal type stuff.

CoyDK said:

I don't tend to add much. Gimmi a screen and some dice to rattle, and I'm generally cool. You can keep your battle-grids and faffing around: I like my action to be fast-paced.

Music can be good, so long as it's not distracting. Minimal or repeated vocals are the way forward there.

Props can be good, if you can make them. Handouts are great.

I've found music to really go with my game, but it comes down to music for ambiance or music for specific characters. I do the latter, but if you're looking for a good sound for a Space Hulk or something with grinding gears try this: Sky Wikluh . I've been using it as a character set for my Techpriest chapel and my players love it.

Most of the music from the first Supreme Commander game is awesome background. It has this very regal triumphant sound to it, clearly fit for the Emperor's finest

Music can indeed enrich a game, if used at the right times and in the right way. I remember back when we played the Star Wars P&P, our GM used to play the main theme at the start of every session and time the length of his recap/intro to the music. Very cool.

As has already been said, ambiente is key. A track that not only suits the game's respective setting, but also fits into the background acustic and doesn't distract from what's going on. The music needs to accompany the narrative, not the other way around. Naturally, many movie or game scores lend themselves to this because they've been designed with the same goal in mind. And the longer the track, the better.

Coincidentally, I'm just re-watching Lexx and couldn't help to notice that its setting feels (unsurprisingly) very grimdark and 40k'ish, and some music tracks of this series provide fitting company for this image.

Oh, and I almost forgot ...

Some nice ambient pseudo-rock tracks. Other options from games could include the music of

Im about to start running a Deathwatch campaign and scoured some forums for inspiration. Someone mentioned the Conan soundtrack and Dune so i got hold of them. Also just downloaded the Inception score. Its very "synthy" in an orchestral way and really conjours a dark and forbodeing feeling. Also for more fast paced action sequences im gonna use Juno Reactor. Check out the album Labrynth its got that awesome track that was use at the end of the Matrix Reveloutions. Cack film great music. Along the same lines an album by Atlas Plug called 2 Days or Die. Its prety moody synt stuff with stuff chugging guitars and a bit of vocal work. Not a perfect fit but its still great. The guy that did it has won some awards for game soundtracks. I think Splinter cell but not 100% on that. Ive just seen the social network and Trent and Aticus Ross realy did some amazing stuff on that, dark synth(feeling a vibe here.....) stuff. I do find it a bit pointless to try and que up music while were playing, I did that with a vampire game once and it just slowed the whole thing down. The best thing I find is just make a playlist and press go, every now and again a tune fits the action perfectly and its even more memorable. Hope this helps!!

Vic

Victris, That is a great idea! Dune and Conan both have great musical scores to them that I am sure would help enhance the mood of your adventures.

Ministry is my go-to choice for background music in the 40k-verse.

Go subtle.

Get your hands on The Forge from Peter Miller's album Love Vs Gravity (he was sound engineer on The Eye 2 (the American remake one).

It starts out near silent, building slow gloomy ominous tones in increasing volume. I used to play it when playing Space Hulkit really suited the early turns where tension increases.

For other stuff i reccomend Dead Can Dance as it has superb atmospherecan be played softly so as not to make hearing the GM difficulthas a lovely esoteric mix of sophisticated cultural influences which really suits the baroque-gothic atmosphere of parts of the 40k universe.

Gothic Storm - Exploding Suns

Gothic Storm - Waves of Destruction

West One Music - Let Battle Commence

Two Steps From Hell-Dragon Rider

Two Steps from Hell - Heart of Courage

Two Steps From Hell - Sons Of War

This was some of the numbers i used for my session. It realy played out well, if you time the diffrent style numbers a bit its realy cool. And when they faced the endless swarming horde of hive fleet dragon then "Manowar - Sons of Odin" got the mood set. I dont think my crew will ever kill that many xenos in one session ever agen

Ahh Ministry......... They are good but I find em a bit full on for an everning of grim darkness in the forty first millenium. Mind you Jesus built my hotrod is great for chases. Im thinking Space marine VS Ork on Bikes in a decreped Imperial city with Fighta bombazThunderhawks dogfighting overhead. Lots of jumpsskid turns the firing of Big Shootaz...... Gonna get my note book out when I get home!

If you're going for chase music, White Zombie has a lot going for it. And if you like Jesus Built my Htdrod, then give My Life with the Thrill Kill Cult a listen.

A good friend of mine mixed a couple of tracks for my 40k RPG games and kindly gave his permission to share them, they're very atmospheric and work well as background music, enjoy:

http://www.filefactory.com/file/b4g03d1/n/Mon_keigh_Gothic.mp3

http://www.filefactory.com/file/b4g0394/n/Dark_Heresy_%7Bxeno_m1x6%7D.mp3

I would also recommend the following:

Ace Combat 5 soundtracks

Anything by Lustmord (Black Star and Heresy albums are my faves)

Dawn of War 1 and 2

Chaos Gate soundtrack

Gladiator

Tron: Legacy (works surprisingly well)

Any dark ambience albums (Aphex Twin, Astral Projection, etc.)

Red Army Choirs (for those awesome martial tracks)

Gregorian Chants, as well as Russian Orthodox Choir Chants

Didn't see if anyone else had said it already, but the Danzig album you're referencing is Black Aria. I was actually thinking of that one exactly when I started reading this topic and wondered if anyone else was going to mention it.

I quite like the chant in the Ultramarines movie. Anyone know of a good dramatic chant CD that's not filled with Kitsch these days? I already have Orff's Carmena Burana but i was thinking something more slow deep and moody.

Galahad502 said:

Yeah I looked into it after posting that and found the album and got it. Been using it on some of the missions for my Players. It worked very well for when I had them go to a backwater world to chase down a report of 'Nids

Razorboy said:

MAY THE RUSS AND THE ALLFATHER BLESS YOU BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!.........YOUR FRIEND IS QUITE GOOD BROTHER.......I THANK YOU AND YOUR FRIEND FOR LENDING US PART OF YOUR VISIONS....................KILL THE ALIEN.......DEATH TO THE HERETIC........FOR RUSS AND THE ALLFATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....AAAAAWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!