From the article archive
Writing Practice, Jan. 3 2002
Man is the musical animal. Music is such a part of our lives we often overlook it, or underestimate its importance. Yet without it our lives would be much different.
Much of our language is influenced by music. We speak of scansion in poetry, and the music of the spheres. We think of the calls of humpback whales and wolves as songs. We speak of dancing for joy and of someone following a different drummer. It's hard to meet somebody who's not tonedeaf who doesn't have a favorite musician or musical group, who doesn't have a favorite song.
But where's the music in RPGs?
True, you have bards in DnD and Spellsongs in Dangerous Journeys: Mythus. Your group could be a rock band in Nightfall. But beyond that, where is the music?
Where are the minstrels and troubadors? The skalds and serenades? When was the last time you included street performers in your descriptions of a market square or street?
In the days of Queen Elizabeth the First England was known throughout Europe as a land of music. Music was an integral part of the plays written back in those times. Just about everywhere you went you could hear music; good, bad, and indifferent. News was spread through song, and the famous were spoofed in ditties.
What sort of music are your races known for? Do your dwarfs join together in great choral works? Are the elves fond of love songs and bluegrass? How many long, tragic ballads do your orcs know? Is it true your halflings can sing Barnacle Bill the Sailor for a solid week without repeating a verse?
Music plays such a big part in real life, isn't it about time it played a larger role in your game?
Alan
Much of our language is influenced by music. We speak of scansion in poetry, and the music of the spheres. We think of the calls of humpback whales and wolves as songs. We speak of dancing for joy and of someone following a different drummer. It's hard to meet somebody who's not tonedeaf who doesn't have a favorite musician or musical group, who doesn't have a favorite song.
But where's the music in RPGs?
True, you have bards in DnD and Spellsongs in Dangerous Journeys: Mythus. Your group could be a rock band in Nightfall. But beyond that, where is the music?
Where are the minstrels and troubadors? The skalds and serenades? When was the last time you included street performers in your descriptions of a market square or street?
In the days of Queen Elizabeth the First England was known throughout Europe as a land of music. Music was an integral part of the plays written back in those times. Just about everywhere you went you could hear music; good, bad, and indifferent. News was spread through song, and the famous were spoofed in ditties.
What sort of music are your races known for? Do your dwarfs join together in great choral works? Are the elves fond of love songs and bluegrass? How many long, tragic ballads do your orcs know? Is it true your halflings can sing Barnacle Bill the Sailor for a solid week without repeating a verse?
Music plays such a big part in real life, isn't it about time it played a larger role in your game?
Alan
Recovered from the Gaming Outpost database backup. Original wording is preserved; damaged punctuation and presentation markup have been repaired. Historical links without a local match point to the Internet Archive.