DnD Background Music Revisited - OA Edition

Andrew D. Gable

First Post
What's some good background music for an Asian campaign? I've found some music that's quite good for "generic" DnD, but for OA I'd like something different - more Asian sounding - to fit the setting. Suggestions?
 

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Ugh, I hate the CTHD music. I can't say I think it'd make a bad OA soundtrack, though.

Anything I think of typing here is the kind of thing I just KNOW some Japanese major will sweep in on with "Actually, blah blah...", but I'll voice some ideas. There must be CDs for Japanese and Chinese operas. I think Taiko drums (that's the word, right?) would be great for building suspense before a large battle. If you can find soundtracks to movies like Once Upon a Time in China and assorted period films (not unlike CTHD), you'd probably do well.

Playing "I Think I'm Turning Japanese" is not advisable.
 

Try some Kitaro if you don't mind a new age sound (and you shouldn't for "background music"). Rambo II has some oriental stylings (plus kick-ass combat music). Disney's Mulan has OA themes and don't knock it cuz its Disney, for the same man that gave you Rambo also gave you Mulan (Jerry Goldsmith). That's all I've got off the top of my head, but you're just going to have to poke around. When in doubt, try Google.
 

There's a lot of soundtracks from various Hong Kong fantasy movies, if you can find them. Some of them are really good.

Japanese taiko drums are good, as are bamboo flute music for softer moods.
There's a lot of nice classic chinese music.

Pekiing Opera Music has had a distracting effect on my players, when I tried it. ;) Too much clashing cymbals if you're not at all used to it.

The soundtrack from Princess Mononoke isn't that bad, if nothing else there's some good taiko drums.
 

Not much rock music would fit the genre, but numerous Kitaro albums as well as Camel's Nude album are somewhat suitable.

Also Joseph LoDuca's Xena soundtracks volume 4 & 6 covered the Asian themed episodes, so they have many useful tracks.
 
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Kodo is great for the drums, good background music. For HK movies it varies. Much as I like some music from Heroic Trio, it's not good background music. If you don't mind inobtrusive lyrics, a CD with buddhist monks chanting is good.
 




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