Starting a new campaign -- Suggestions Wanted

[Deadshot]

Hi everyone,

Long time lurker here at ENWorld and finally decided to post a little. First off, I am starting a new D&D campaign this weekend and wanted to try out a new campaign setting since my players are fairly familiar with the WoTC current settings. Here's the basic premise of the campaign.

The players will be in the bodies of 10th level characters to start off. THey will awake with no memories other than those they themselves have but will be in these characters bodies. I will be writing up the backstories of these characters and they will slowly discover that they are inhabiting the bodies of notorious villains of the land. My group is small and we are older players (30s-40s) so a darker setting is fine. We aren't powergamers and I would like to keep the magic somewhat limited as well.

Based on that premise, does anyone have any suggestions of a pre-existing campaign setting that would fit this campaign idea?

Thanks in advance for any help.


Deadshot

 

[Viashimo]

For something dark Ravenloft is a good D&D setting, while I find it is fairly magical with all the undead and dark monsters running around. Alternatively, you could use modified grey hawk with low magic, there's probably a variant in the DMG(don't have it in front of me). Dark Sun (though no longer WotC) is a low magic because of the way magic works there, and is definetely decently dark and survivalistic, but notorious villains wouldn't be noted of much there. So I'd pick ravenloft or greyhawk with variant magic rules.

 

[Jdvn1]

I'd ask around for homebrew/nonpublished worlds that fit this genre. Make it completely new to your players.

Or, y'know, try Midnight.

 

[Ghostwind]

Take a look at either Oathbound or Midnight. With the premise you've set up, you can control the amount of magic they are exposed to very easily.

 

[Voadam]

Scarred lands has a dark medieval feel with lower gold and magic (at least as stated in the earlier books) but lots of potential for chaos magic left over from the god wars. And it is well suited for 10th level play I would say.

Oathbound has a lot going on and a high level high magic high fantasy vibe so I don't know if it is as appropriate if you want low magic.

Arcanis and Hunt Rise of Evil both have good things to recommend them as dark settings too I hear but I don't own either.

 

[grodog]

I think Valus would do nicely---to get a better sense of the feel for the setting, check out the link in my .sig and Ryan's Story Hour here on ENWorld: http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=51797 and http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=81523

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Valus or Midnight.

 

[sukael]

Don't forget to work in goblininjas somewhere.

Then, when they think you're getting all campy... reveal that all of them are actually ragomyffins or similar nicely-creepy body-possessing creatures. And that they used to be henchmen of the once-villain PCs...

 

[Bloodweaver1]

I'd personnally go with the Dark Sun setting. But I am bit of an old schooler who was first introduced to D&D with this campaign setting. So it hold a special place near and dear to my heart. You can pick it up at www.athas.org.