Rollune
Prepare a small board: two or three ambient layers per location and six to ten effects you'll really use. Trigger effects for surprises and payoffs, not every action. Keep it on one screen, practice the layout, and use the same sounds consistently so players learn their meaning.
Build a small, focused board
- Ambient layers: 2–3 per location (e.g. forest + river; campfire + cicadas).
- Effects: 6–10 you'll actually use. A solid starter set: door, lock, footsteps, monster, sword swing, sword draw, coins, applause.
- Music: one track for exploration, one for combat.
The free online RPG soundboard includes exactly this starter set, with number-key shortcuts.
When to trigger effects
Save effects for three moments: a surprise (a growl from the dark before initiative), a payoff (the lock clicks open after a great roll) and a transition (footsteps as the party enters the crypt). Skip them for every sword swing in a long fight, and never play one over someone who is talking.
Consistency builds meaning
Use the same monster growl for the same creature. Players learn to recognize it, and the next time it plays, the table goes quiet.
Set up
In person: a phone or tablet near you, a Bluetooth speaker in the middle of the table, audio running in the background while you roll. The Rollune app keeps playing with the screen off and has a Soundboard mode that hides everything else. Online: play from your computer and share system audio in your call, at a lower volume than voices.
Mistakes to avoid
- Too many sounds to find quickly.
- Loud music under important dialogue.
- Forgetting to stop ambience when the scene changes.
- Effects that are unintentionally funny, unless you want the laugh.
For more on scene audio, read ambient music for D&D.
