D&D: Five Audio Ambiences To Spice Up Your Next Session
Adding audio to your game can amp up the immersion level–here are a few of our favorite audioscapes to help set the mood for adventure.
Most of us are playing online these days, and as you’ve doubtless learned, it has its challenges. You have to go the extra mile to help set the mood and keep people’s attention, because you could be watching a video of a hamster eating a burrito. This one right here.
And while it’s true that you can do it when you’re in person, it’s so much easier when you’re playing with people online because the internet is RIGHT THERE and someone just said something WRONG on Twitter and you have to let them know. Look I get it, I’m from the internet. It’s simultaneously the best and worst invention in human history and bear in mind that we’re saying this in a world where Oscar Isaac already exists.
You gotta set the mood, is what I’m saying. Streams like Critical Role use music to great effect to help set the stage. And the tone. Literally. Fortunately there are plenty of creators out there making some incredible music and ambient soundscapes that you can use in your games. In the midst of a battle? Get a battlefield soundscape. Or try one of the spookier ones, if you dare. Here are a few that we enjoy.
This is the village of Barovia, done by Sword Coast Soundscapes, here presenting a dark, video-gamey take on the city trapped in Ravenloft. It’s meant specifically to accompany people playing through Curse of Strahd. And while you’re at it, check out the rest of their channel for more. I love how subtle some of the later tracks are, like this one for Varnhold.
What would an article about soundscapes be without some of the ambiences by Michael Ghelfi. Here’s one for a Wizard’s Tower, full of bubbling liquiuds, pen/quill scribbling, and a light dusting of enchanting music that really transports you to the unearthly realm of a master arcanist’s lair.
Or if you prefer something a little darker, check out Obscura by ASKII, who has created some haunting ambient sound that’s more musical than it is strictly atmospheric, but that’s a nice way to vary it up when it gets intense.
They don’t all have to be fantasy related–here’s one by EchoMirage over on Ambient-Mixer, with a Shadowrun-themed soundscape for you. Note the embed code wasn’t working for this one, so click one of the links for the track.
And that is just the tip of the audio iceberg. There’s plenty more where that came from.
Is there a go-to for your tabletop audio needs? Let us know in the comments, and happy adventuring!
