Emergent Soundtracks in Tabletop Role-playing

Sir Garlane of Rosewatch - His Theme

    I've said before (but not on this blog) that TTRPGs are something of an amalgamation of almost every art form. But very rarely do I see them use the art of music effectively. Most rulebooks don't even mention music once, and while that is certainly understandable, I do think it is an opportunity that too many of us are missing out on.

   Music is not only deeply embedded in the Fantasy genre (see Tolkien's poetry and Zelda's instrumental motifs), it's a crucial aspect of so many of our modern media experiences. Music is probably an integral part of a lot of your favorite things, and you should feel empowered to make it an integral part of your games. With this post, I aim to help you do just that.

 

 

How to Create an Emergent Soundtrack (and make a Banger RPG Playlist in the Process)

    You will need: A music streaming service, preferably one without ads. Free time to listen to new music (you can do this while you prep a session, so you have the time). A bit of intuition.

Step 1: Broaden Your Horizons.   

    Yes, the Skyrim soundtrack is incredible. So are those of Dark Souls, The Witcher III, and Lord of the Rings. You should probably have some tracks from all of them in your playlist, assuming you're running a Fantasy game! But that alone will not cut it. 

    This step is likely the most difficult, as it requires looking for things you've never seen before, which is by definition pretty hard. To get started, I recommend looking in places outside of your immediate genre sphere. Modern horror movies often have weird, experimental soundtracks that don't get much attention but can really strike a fantastical vibe. The instrumental work of artists like Andrew Bird and Toshifumi Hinata has been a particular source for my current playlist. Dungeon Synth and other modular synthesizer tracks, in moderation, can provide crucial ambience to really flesh out a list.

    Delve deep into the catalogues of artists you know to find gems in their lesser-known. A few songs with a strong melody or unique instrumentation are great for reasons we will get to later. Listen to a lot, select the ones you like, and build from there. In this rare instance, the algorithms can even be your friend. 

 

Step 2: Find your Themes.  

    Once you have a few dozen songs (I think at least 4 hours of music is a good start), Give the playlist a listen and find the song that best suits your campaign. This should establish a mood, a place, and an atmosphere that will be consistent across many sessions. Put this at the front of your playlist so that it always plays first. You can shuffle everything else, but not this song! This gets everyone on the same page that "the game is starting and we're in this world now," and also urges us all to start considering the music as part of the game.

     If you're running a more narrative-heavy game and expect death to be at least somewhat rare, go ahead and ask your players for themes of their characters. These should slot nicely into your established playlist, but also be able to stand out. Maybe even keep these out of the main playlist, but save them somewhere that they can be queued up in moments of particular triumph or strong characterization. This is a trick I kick myself for not using more often, as it almost always gets a strong reaction out of players when their themes kick in. 

Step Three: Feel the Music. 

    By this point, you've probably listened to your playlist at least a few times through to pick out your themes and assemble the thing in the first place. This is where you get to put your improvisation skills to the test. 

    While you're running a session and your playlist is rolling, pay attention to the mood of whichever song is currently playing. Most of the time, the mood of the music will not quite match the scene, or it will be subtle enough to make no difference. This is good! But this is also why we selected strong melodic and moody instrumentals on top of our standard ambient fare. 

    Every so often, there will be a moment when the mood of the music and the mood of your narration will sync up perfectly. This requires some intuition and experience, but when you get it, it's like feeling a fish on a line, and you gotta tug. If you know the swells and falls of your music, you can tailor your narration around them, letting the music fill in gaps in your narration and elevate a subtle feeling to a strong emotion. 

    This is a rare occurrence, but you will notice that something beautiful happens when you get this just right: new themes develop organically. The song that played when a character died becomes a symbol of their loss. The song that played as the characters uncovered a dark secret becomes the theme of the entire conspiracy. This is what I call an Emergent Soundtrack.

 

    This is one of those things that, when I write it down or try to explain it, I feel just a little bit crazy. But I promise, this can really work. I have had moments of dread be elevated to genuine horror by the right song coming in at the right time. A character moment can be cemented as a long-lasting memory in the minds of your players through the right needle drop their theme at the right time. All you have to do is broaden your horizons, find your themes, and feel the music.

-Kilian

My Playlist