Rollune
In short
Use ambience (rain, fire, wind) as a quiet base for most scenes, add instrumental music for travel, towns and big moments, and keep effects for punctuation. Keep volume under conversation, avoid lyrics, change audio when the scene changes, and prepare a short playlist per session.
Music, ambience and effects
| Layer | What it is | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Ambience | Environmental loops: rain, wind, forest, fire | Almost always: it sets the place |
| Music | Instrumental tracks | Travel, towns, big reveals, combat |
| Effects | One-shot sounds | Doors, monsters, spells, surprises |
Most scenes only need ambience. Music is a spice.
Pick sounds by scene
| Scene | Ambience | Music |
|---|---|---|
| Tavern | Campfire, low crowd | Light folk |
| Forest travel | Forest, river, wind | Adventurous theme |
| Night camp | Campfire, cicadas | None |
| Storm | Rain, wind | Tense strings or none |
| Dungeon | Low wind, dripping | Dark drones |
| Boss fight | Whatever fits the room | Battle music |
Timing tips
- Start audio before you speak the first line of a new scene.
- Change audio when the scene changes; it signals the shift without words.
- Use silence. Cutting all sound before a reveal is powerful.
- Fade, don't cut, between calm scenes.
- Loop long tracks so you don't manage audio every few minutes.
Keep it low
The table's voices are the main track. Set levels so ambience is noticed only when it stops.
Tools
- A soundboard gives you separate layers and instant effects. Try the free online RPG soundboard.
- The Rollune app has music, layered ambience and effects next to your dice, with background playback. See ambient sounds in Rollune.
- A Bluetooth speaker in the middle of the table sounds far better than a phone speaker.
More ideas: using a soundboard as a GM and building atmosphere at the table.
