A Journey Into Table-Top Music

Sunday, April 1st, 2012 | Board Games, Role Playing Games, Table Top War Gaming, Tabletop music, The Lord of the RIngs, Wargaming, Warhammer 40k

Most of the time, gaming sessions can sometimes really be enhanced by a little background music. We’re not talking about the dross on Radio 1 playing over a game of Warhammer but rather music that’s tailored to armies marching and charging across the board or role players exploring a labyrinth. Music aids the imagination and also adds an element of the cinematic to the proceedings.

Here’s some great music which Spinning Dice Games suggests you try out for either dungeon exploring or table top wargaming.

Star Wars Episode 1: Duel of Fates – John WIlliams

John WIlliams- Duel of Fates. Forget the film content but listen to John Williams’ epic Episode 1 score that can apply to both fantasy and sci-fi battles without the familiar Star Wars fanfare. What this piece has is a tremendous sense of build up and the dramatic choral sections only help make this a memorable Williams’ tune overall.

Gladiator – Hans Zimmer

A classic choice for wargamers but also not the usual dull Zimmer treatment we tend o hear in Michael Bay movies. Zimmer captures the rage and action of warfare. Essential.

Vaughan Williams: Symphony No.6 Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

If there is one track that I can definitely recommend for those epic melancholic moments in an RPG – Just imagine your character standing on a cliff top surveying a large landscape dwelling on the adventures ahead. Epic!

Mass Effect 1/2/3 – Jack Wall & Sam Hulick

Computer game soundtracks are often overlooked and mostly unfairly by music critics. In my opinion they offer some rich musical interludes for your gaming sessions. Jack Wall provides some electronica and orchestral combination to naturally make a great sci fi atmosphere for RPGs and table top wargaming.

Babylon 5 Series soundtrack – Christopher Franke

As a huge Babylon 5 fan, I’m inclined to say that Franke’s work on the show was excellent and produced one of Sci Fi’s most memorable theme tunes for me anyway. Lots of sci-fi orchestral tracks to choose from which are more often than not for raging space battles so this makes it excellent choice for a game of Warhammer 40k or a space combat strategy table top game.

Ripley’s Rescue – Aliens – James Horner

Humble beginnings for James Horner when he created an awesome theme for Battle Beyond the Stars and then soon moved onto the heights of Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan, Avatar and BraveHeart. He’s the composer of choice for director, James Cameron and decent one at that.

Also try out Brave Heart – For the Love of A Princess by James Horner for those RPG quieter moments…

Honourable Mentions

Ride of the Valkyries – Die Walküre – Wagner

A cliché but classic tune that is famed for its use in Francis Ford Coppla’s Apocalypse Now! It maybe too late to disconnect the tune with the film but for added bombastic effect add a little Wagner into your Table Top-war game just for the fun of it!

The Lord of the Rings Soundtrack – Howard Shore

Shore won multiple Oscar awards for his stellar work on Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings. There’s too many tracks to name from this work that’ll will suit your gaming sessions and I’ll leave it up to you, the reader, to pick and choose your favourites. For those who haven’t heard the entire LOTR soundtrack on CD yet, well, shame on you!
If you threatened to put a fluorescent pink spray can to my miniature collection, I would pick the following as my tune of choice…

The Breaking of the Fellowship – Howard Shore