Music For Fantasy Games

Tired of playing the Lord of the Rings music to death as a fantasy game soundtrack? Here are some older and more obscure movie soundtracks that work well as background for fantasy adventure:

Willow: Remember this classic fantasy film from the 1980's? The soaring vocals and menacing horns join up with a rousing heroic theme and even a little Hobbit-like village music to make for a whole range of great music material to plunder.

Krull: Another 80's fantasy flick with an underrated soundtrack. Again, you have the whole range from charging, heroic battle themes to wonderfully campy mystery and danger themes.

Conan: The Barbarian: This soundtrack has probably the greatest variety of music of all. You have Conan's charging drum-driven theme, of course, but you also have pieces that sound more like courtly ballroom scores. Don't dismiss one song if not to your liking, the mood of each track is different.

Dragonheart: Movies like "Eragon" and "How to Tame Your Dragon" have pushed this movie out of the limelight. But for those of your players who, like me, are taken back to their boyhood by the stirring, tender themes raised in this soundtrack, it will work well as a kind of 'homeland theme' in your game. There are also more upbeat, almost playful pieces that would work well for sneaking and roguish scenes.

Immediate Music: This is a whole series of "free music", produced specifically to be cut and spliced for use as emotional cues in short sequences. It's very high quality stuff that isn't tied to any specific movie or story, so it's perfect for use in games. Check out their website for more info.

Xena: Music from the Xena television series is evocative of an older, more tribal time. If you're heading into an area in your game that's more barbaric or wild, then slipping a few pieces from Xena in will certainly convey a sense of the wild barbarian hordes.

The Dark Crystal: The music from this movie is just hauntingly beautiful. It works especially well for scenes that involve magic, high mystery and mysticism. There's also a great little Medieval jig number you can use for festivals and taverns.

First Knight: This soundtrack's two major strengths are heroic fanfare and great romantic fantasy melodies. Include a piece from this soundtrack as a 'victory march' at the end of a successful adventure.

Red Sonja: Another of Schwarzenegger's fantasy flicks. It sounds at times almost troubedourish, and works surprisingly well for more aristocratic or high society type adventures and scenes.

Hook: Pirates, daring escapes, roguish escapades and faerie magic are all great examples of how the music from this film can be used in a game. It's a much lighter soundtrack, not so heavy on the bombast and fanfare.