Pathfinder 2E Wanting to Change the AP We Started - Advice?

I've had several lengthy threads about the trouble my group is having with the PF2 Age of Ashes Adventure Path.

I'll summarize the background relevant to this discussion.

• We started Age of Ashes when it was the only AP available for PF2.
• They want to play it to its conclusion, or at least give it a try.
• We can only play on VTT due to COVID concerns and players who live hours apart.
• The VTT we're playing on (and the only one that works for all players) does not have Age of Ashes on it, requiring hours of exhausting work for me to put it all in.
• It would be easier, frankly, for me to create my own material.
• The players want an extremely RAW experience with no modifications to the rules, what the module writers created, etc.
• However, they are prone to getting TPKed regularly because they don't want me doing anything but run it by the "letter of the module."
• The AP feels stifling to me creatively. I don't feel I can add or subtract anything from the adventures without "ruining" it.
• I can't even keep the story straight. I'm used to more straightforward adventures and plots than what Paizo produces, apparently.
• I have gathered from at least half the group that they're not actually enjoying it. The two most vocal players do like it, but the rest aren't big on it.
• I don't hate PF2, but boy am I not enjoying this particular experience with it.

Would it be wrong of me to just create my own content in keeping with what I understand the theme of Age of Ashes is, hoping that the players are none the wiser? Honestly, I think it would be easier and I could make something that would fit my group's interest better. I'm afraid if I say "this isn't the legit Paizo-produced adventure" that some players will revolt.

How would you handle it? Do you have any specific Age of Ashes advice if you do think I should alter it? (We just finished book 2 - it took about a year of play to get this far.)

Do your players know that you are miserable and why?
Assuming they are decent blokes, they can change the 'terms and conditions' that have got you boxed in so.

Retreater said:

Would it be wrong of me to just create my own content in keeping with what I understand the theme of Age of Ashes is, hoping that the players are none the wiser? Honestly, I think it would be easier and I could make something that would fit my group's interest better. I'm afraid if I say "this isn't the legit Paizo-produced adventure" that some players will revolt.

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Doing it without telling the group would be a violation of their trust. If they found out, I expect it wouldn’t go over very well. That only two players seem to be enjoying things as-is tells me you need to make some kind of change.

Retreater said:

How would you handle it? Do you have any specific Age of Ashes advice if you do think I should alter it? (We just finished book 2 - it took about a year of play to get this far.)

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@!DWolf created a threat about his changes. It might be worthwhile to engage with him there about possible changes. I haven’t run it and haven’t run an AP in a long time, so I’m not going to go into any AP-specific advice.

The requirement that you do everything by the “letter of the module” is really awkward. We’ve already discussed it at length, but that’s not what the game wants you to do. I’d start by talking to the players who want that about why they want it? Did they get burned in a past PF game, is it a way to “evaluate” the system, or what? If you do something slightly different, and they like it, how is that a bad thing? I feel like there is more going on here that’s worth probing.

As for the campaign itself, I’d just be frank with the group. Tell them you’re not having fun, and a couple of the players aren’t having fun. The conditions for running the AP are stopping you from doing something about it, and you want to renegotiate those conditions to rework the game to be more fun for everyone. I did this with Shattered Star. We hit a moment when the conceit stopped working, so after one session, I raised it as an issue, and we talked about. Everyone agreed to try something else for a while, and we ended up never getting back to it.

Eltab said:

Do your players know that you are miserable and why?
Assuming they are decent blokes, they can change the 'terms and conditions' that have got you boxed in so.

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Half know. The other half I haven't really talked it over with other than "this is a lot of work to do it this way - I would prefer to do something else." So I'm trying to find the loophole where we can both still get what we want.

In the end, players need to accept that their GM must (not may, must) enjoy his or her work.

Everything else needs to be sorted out after this immovable fact.

CapnZapp said:

In the end, players need to accept that their GM must (not may, must) enjoy his or her work.

Everything else needs to be sorted out after this immovable fact.

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I'm really at my breaking point. I don't know if it's 2020 kicking in, exhaustion from running 3 regular games, the complexity of the system, the personality conflicts among the players, the confusion of the story arc, the struggle against Roll20, or what. But if I'm going to stick with this game, I can't run Age of Ashes right now.

Sounds like the problem is not so much the specific AP you are running, as it is the requirement to run it 100% "By the Book." I would just tell them "I'm not at all enjoying running this AP 100% by the book. So I'm going to start making changes." If they revolt, so be it. Your already playing online, my impression is that the online playerM ratio is around (at least) 15:1, so finding new players to fill out the party should not be an issue.

But I agree with CapnZapp, it is critical that the DM is actually enjoying what he is doing. Is actually why I choose to DM (especially online) - I can set the theme, time, session duration etc, and find plenty of players who will fit (even if it may take some time).

Also, give people the benefit of the doubt. Most people you spend time with, if told you are not enjoying yourself, will try to accommodate you.

It’s time to put your foot down. They don’t get to dictate that you run something you don’t want to run. Full stop. Time to come up with a new plan.

Just the fact that AoA isn't available (yet) on Roll20 should be enough for the players to understand that you guys need to change AP. Hope you will get it all sorted out.