September 5, 2010: Loud Games

No, I'm not talking about Frag, which got so loud during a convention playtest session that security was called. Nor is the topic Nanuk, a game that inevitably involves everyone shouting at the deck at least once.

Nope, the topic today is RPGs. Not normally a style of gaming that one associates with loud noises, is it? However, many gamemasters use both music and sound effects to help enhance the mood of their campaigns. I had a very good conversation with a pair of GMs at Gen Con, debating the use of audio, and one of the barriers we discussed was the difficulty in finding appropriate sounds.

Well, here's an answer: the Freesound Project, a collection of noises distributed via the Creative Commons license (which means they're completely free to use and re-use). They're not looking for songs or compositions, but instead things like "walking on the beach" or  "shells hitting the floor."

They're all free to download, remix, and use for your next gaming session. Ooo, there's "evening in a forest" --  perfect for playing right before an orc ambush!

-- Paul Chapman