radzap
Apprentice Douchebag
Up the irons!
Posts: 64
Preferred Game Systems: AD&D 1st Ed.
Favorite Species of Monkey: DK
|
Post by radzap on Aug 19, 2014 17:14:30 GMT -8
Quoting the Wall in the chatbox during last week's show was great, and it got me thinking...what lyrics from songs have inspired your imagination to the point where you wished there was an RPG setting around it (Or perhaps you have already)? Ok, so we got the Led Zep's Battle of Evermore and Rush's Rivendell... but alright, so throw the songs that already have rich RPG backgrounds written out for them lyrically (goodbye To Tame a Land).
One song that has been bouncing around in my head that needs at least an RPG nod is Red Barchetta. Here's the particular line that evokes amazing RPG potential for me:
Suddenly ahead of me, across the mountainside, A gleaming alloy aircar shoots towards me two lanes wide. I spin around with shrieking tires, to run the deadly race. Go screaming through the valley, as another joins the chase.
The whole thing runs like a game narrative by itself, it's pretty cool. The game practically writes itself. The players with their petro-chemical engines are the outlaws and the brutes from the New World Order are the ones oppressing and enforcing their ultra-green doctrine on the peasants... ok maybe this needs a little work.
From what I've read about the song, Neil Peart read a story in Omni about a dystopia where gas combustion engine cars were made illegal and it inspired him to write the song. I'm not sure if he wanted to go full-throttle Ayn Rand on the idea though.
But the idea here is, yeah sure, there are tons of movies that get our gamer muscle in gear to create RPG settings. Movies have lots of pre-provided images, music, and a cast of characters to build our archetypes from. That makes things easier to translate, but it also blocks things out too. For example, It would take a major effort to overcome the cognitive dissonance of re-imagining the cast of Star Wars to be all Pakistanis.
Music is a great place to pick up mythology without any pictorial bias. You just imagine the stuff they're singing about and find a way to translate that to your game.
Anybody else feel me on this?
|
|
|
Post by uselesstriviaman on Aug 19, 2014 19:27:49 GMT -8
Anybody else feel me on this? Yup. Twas off some Carribbean shore while on an epic quest We came across a strange device A mystic portal into another time Where vikings ruled the land and sea Such mighty treasure they did hold We killed them all to steal their gold!
You put your faith in Odin and Thor We put ours in cannons and whores Your viking gods won't save you now When pirates strike from the starboard bow
Back through time To fight the viking foe Back through time Where our voyage must now go Six hundred years into the past Our destiny is here at last For infamy and plunder we will ride
Their ships were powerless against our cannon fire We took no prisoners that day. Yarrr! The vikings prayed for mercy as we cut their throats But their worthless gods did not hear their cries Such mighty treasure they did hold We killed them all to steal their gold!
You put your faith in Odin and Thor We put ours in cannons and whores Your viking gods won't save you now When pirates strike from the starboard bow
Back through time To fight the viking foe Back through time Where our voyage must now go Six hundred years into the past Our destiny is here at last For infamy and plunder we will ride...Alestorm, bitches. Fuck yeah.
|
|
radzap
Apprentice Douchebag
Up the irons!
Posts: 64
Preferred Game Systems: AD&D 1st Ed.
Favorite Species of Monkey: DK
|
Post by radzap on Aug 19, 2014 20:35:55 GMT -8
Hehe,very nice TriviaMan. I don't suppose you in Mook's Friday game at the last con...this was sooooo my character.
Love me some Alestorm. I got sloshed on the way to Vegas once with heavy amounts of them in the iPod mix.
|
|
|
Post by CreativeCowboy on Aug 19, 2014 21:39:32 GMT -8
The whole thing runs like a game narrative by itself, it's pretty cool. Well, there was that Chasing The Dragon comment on the most recent show thta brought to mind music by Queensryche. When I was playing Cyberpunk 2020, Queenryche was my goto. Lyrics are my focus in music because I have always believed garbage in (the brain) = garbage out (the brain). So I have a sizeable library of music suited to storytelling pulled from a variety of genres. Now for CP mood music, I would go with other selections, like Front 242. (I get musical mood ideas from a board specific to CP2020 because I am not necessarily into that type of music myself.) But for Chapter thematics, check out this:
|
|
fredrix
Master Douchebag
Posts: 2,142
Preferred Game Systems: Fate, L5R, Pendragon, Gumshoe, Feng Shui
Currently Playing: Pendragon, Song of Ice and Fire, L5R, Feng Shui, Traveller
Currently Running: Fate, Coriolis, Nights Black Agents
Favorite Species of Monkey: 1970's NTV, dubbed by the BBC (though The Water Margin beats it)
|
Post by fredrix on Aug 19, 2014 22:44:26 GMT -8
Oh yes! Shout out for Copperhead Road! My first scenario based on a song was Sir Thomas Lane, set in the "real" (magic light) 15th century, until it turned out Sir Thomas was a captive of the faerie queen. Any of folkies got it yet? Yes it was the Ballad of Tam Lyn, which rocked the world in a version by Fairport Convention. Then a Feng Shui scenario based on Steeleye Span's Lady Diamond (HK triad boss wants the heart (literally) of the Kitchen Boy his daughter has fallen in love with.) And my soon to be (self) published Serenity/Savage Worlds/Firefly scenario Hell's Ditch takes it's name from a Pogues song and riffs off (and quotes) Muse's Knights of Cydonia. (BTW Best. Video. Evah: youtu.be/Q3Yc3HhSl1Q ) And of course you all realized that Stu's L5R campaign was based on the Buzzcock's Ever Fallen in Love with Somebody, didn't you?
|
|
fredrix
Master Douchebag
Posts: 2,142
Preferred Game Systems: Fate, L5R, Pendragon, Gumshoe, Feng Shui
Currently Playing: Pendragon, Song of Ice and Fire, L5R, Feng Shui, Traveller
Currently Running: Fate, Coriolis, Nights Black Agents
Favorite Species of Monkey: 1970's NTV, dubbed by the BBC (though The Water Margin beats it)
|
Post by fredrix on Aug 20, 2014 1:35:57 GMT -8
And of course this song should the the mantra of all Role Players The World Over. Everybody have a good time. On that, I think we can all agree. Plus, the video has a stripping bear in it, who does financial analysis. What adventure wouldn't be improved by a bear eh, Stu?
|
|
radzap
Apprentice Douchebag
Up the irons!
Posts: 64
Preferred Game Systems: AD&D 1st Ed.
Favorite Species of Monkey: DK
|
Post by radzap on Aug 20, 2014 1:57:39 GMT -8
Holy crap! Showdown at Big Sky always reminds of the D&D games I was running back then in the late 80's. Some epic nonsense about uniting warring kingdoms but this song provided some inspiration for the final fight. Good stuff there, Cowboy.
When it came to getting inspiration for cyberpunk games, I went to bands like Ministry, Tones on Tail, and Skinny Puppy. Actually, going back and listening to some Puppy I realize what a chicked out disco band those guys were. But they do scratch that Billy Gibson itch in the back of my brain. Nothing sounds more cyberpunk than a Fairlight CMI, chummer!
Oh crap, Fred, we used to play Knights of Cydonia on a loop during late night patch testing at my old job! That fucking song always gets me pumped.
As for that L5R campaign, I can't blame Stu wanting to base a game on that Buzzcock song. Been there a few times myself.
|
|
D.T. Pints
Instigator
JACKERCON 2018: WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY June 22-July 1st
Posts: 2,857
Currently Playing: D&D 5e, Pathfinder, DUNGEONWORLD, Star Wars Edge of the Empire
Currently Running: DUNGEONWORLD, PATHFINDER
|
Post by D.T. Pints on Aug 20, 2014 7:38:34 GMT -8
Well music is my modus operandi for creating games. I've put this up several times before but after watching it again it reminds me of how much I want to run it again for Jackercon V. From Tiny Tim to The Kinks each piece of music is evocative of a different aspect of the scenario. One of these days sir we will meet and shoot each other in the face with lasers . Cheers. Curt. My latest trailer for my friends Pathfinder game where aliens invade the Basic D&D world and proceed to fuck it all up will be up soon... It involves Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull (Cold Wind of the Valkyries), and System of Down (SCIENCE!). Great composing lyrics in the chatroom the other night.
|
|
|
Post by Kainguru on Aug 20, 2014 8:06:57 GMT -8
Did someone mention Jethro Tull - Broadsword Aaron
|
|
|
Post by kaitoujuliet on Aug 20, 2014 9:39:16 GMT -8
I recently picked up the album Dancer and the Moon by Blackmore's Night. The song that really grabs me is called "The Temple of the King": One day in the year of the fox Came a time remembered well When the strong young man of the rising sun Heard the tolling of the great black bell
One day in the year of the fox When the bell began to ring It meant the time had come For one to go to the temple of the king
There in the middle of the circle he stands Searching, seeking With just one touch of his trembling hand The answer will be found
Daylight waits while the old man sings, "Heaven help me." And then like the rush of a thousand wings It shines upon the one And the day had just begun...Could be the setup for an adventure, of course, but I also find myself really wanting to play this guy with the temple-finding quest. But what is the temple? What is the importance of finding it? Who is the king? What is the bell? What is the significance of the year of the fox? So many questions....
|
|
HyveMynd
Supporter
Dirty hippie, PbtA, Fate, & Cortex Prime <3er
Posts: 2,273
Preferred Game Systems: PbtA, Cortex Plus, Fate, Ubiquity
Currently Playing: Monsterhearts 2
Currently Running: The Sprawl
Favorite Species of Monkey: None
|
Post by HyveMynd on Aug 20, 2014 16:36:40 GMT -8
Twas off some Carribbean shore while on an epic quest We came across a strange device A mystic portal into another time Where vikings ruled the land and sea Such mighty treasure they did hold We killed them all to steal their gold!
You put your faith in Odin and Thor We put ours in cannons and whores Your viking gods won't save you now When pirates strike from the starboard bow
Back through time To fight the viking foe Back through time Where our voyage must now go Six hundred years into the past Our destiny is here at last For infamy and plunder we will ride
Their ships were powerless against our cannon fire We took no prisoners that day. Yarrr! The vikings prayed for mercy as we cut their throats But their worthless gods did not hear their cries Such mighty treasure they did hold We killed them all to steal their gold!
You put your faith in Odin and Thor We put ours in cannons and whores Your viking gods won't save you now When pirates strike from the starboard bow
Back through time To fight the viking foe Back through time Where our voyage must now go Six hundred years into the past Our destiny is here at last For infamy and plunder we will ride...Alestorm, bitches. Fuck yeah. Not enough likes for Alestorm. Heavy metal pirates fighting vikings, ninjas, and terrorsquids? Fuck yeah!
|
|
radzap
Apprentice Douchebag
Up the irons!
Posts: 64
Preferred Game Systems: AD&D 1st Ed.
Favorite Species of Monkey: DK
|
Post by radzap on Aug 20, 2014 17:33:49 GMT -8
One of these days sir we will meet and shoot each other in the face with lasers. Fuck yes! Make it so, already! I just love how you intuitively tap into that "Off Limits" part of my psyche. The Kinks Destroyer is laser-etched into the chromed nueroglial layer that sheaths my brain. I remember listening to that song on the radio (94.7 KMET for all you Angelinos) while playing Top Secret and having real feelings of paranoia about walking through the streets of Sprechenhaltestelle. Never know where that bastard sniper is going to show up.
|
|
|
Post by ericfromnj on Aug 20, 2014 20:29:19 GMT -8
I hate to admit it but there was this song that was overplayed on the radio years ago called "Bring me to Life" or something like that (my wife enjoyed it...sigh...) but it launched a whole campaign about a gold dragon that had to hide among humanity because his half-breed son was stolen by a red dragon (who also represented himself as the Orcish God of Fire).
|
|
D.T. Pints
Instigator
JACKERCON 2018: WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY June 22-July 1st
Posts: 2,857
Currently Playing: D&D 5e, Pathfinder, DUNGEONWORLD, Star Wars Edge of the Empire
Currently Running: DUNGEONWORLD, PATHFINDER
|
Post by D.T. Pints on Aug 20, 2014 22:12:37 GMT -8
That'd be Evanescence. I blame them for twighlight. I also hauled Waaaay too many crab pots with that song as a soundtrack.
But it sounds like it inspired a kick ass adventure idea.
|
|
|
Post by uselesstriviaman on Aug 21, 2014 12:25:03 GMT -8
I do like me some Evanescence, and I could totally see myself yoinking their lyrics to fuel an adventure or two.
Same kind of love for both Nightwish and Within Temptation. And don't even get me started on Hammerfall, Dio, and Rhapsody of Fire.
|
|