i seldom use music during play. i learned that some of my players tend to get distracted by it.
but in some of my role playing campaigns i release some sort of "soundtrack" to my players. often i find myself inspired by a song - could be the lyrics, could be the melody, or just something i was thinking when i heard that song. normally i write down the stories we played after playing and there i use a quote from that song.
that would something like that:
11 Warlock!Somebody please say a prayer for me tonight
I'm feelin' lost and there's no hope in sight
Tryin' to hold on... to the vision
So hard.. when you're down
I'd trade an ounce of hard-earned wisdom.. just to get out!
(Broken - Warlock)Karl [player character, an alchemist practicioner], who was killed in the battle with the Red Court Duchess Marianne last night, is brought by the others to Stefan Ritter's [our wizard character, who until now avoided being a lawbreaker, even under direst situations] lab, where he shuts the others out an after several days manages to resurrect Karl with the help of the Kemmlerite Skull [a mighty focus item the group found several stories ago] and Wurm's Grimoire of Necromancy [also an artefact secured by the group]. [...]
[as the story goes on, they will see that the resurrection was kinda botched and Karl is now a living undead, which he will be for another 10 to 15 stories, until Stefan finds a way to properly resurrect him. until that Karl will have the Living Dead power with all it's merits and flaws. think
owen in the second season of torchwood
. ]
at the end of a "season" i will make a music CD with the songs and give them to my players to remember, enjoy, relive...
@ Fedifensor: i found that a lot of the music i use that way, or which uses me that way, is also played on supernatural. no wonder - it's a good show, it's good music and the themes of the music fit well to a world with occult and supernatural themes. (and hell yeah, carry on my wayward son is a favourite).
@ Nyarlathotep5150: i remember when we played old WoD, everytime the group met the rogue Men In Black John Courage, I played (a different version of the) Secret Agent theme music. in the story it was some kind of paradox flaw the guy had and everytime he appeared a radio or tv in his vicinity would play the song.