OK - so I'm just about to start running HTBM, and I've realized that running this AP has been a huge mistake.
The IoD is going to be *rad*
~laughter~ That bad, Josh? ~shakes my head and chuckles~ You have my deepest sympathy! Now go kill some players and have some fun, you poor, poor thing!
After the Age of Worms Adventure Path, I was still subscribing to Dungeon. When I heard about the Savage Tide Adventure Path, I begged my players to run it, so I would have the chance to play in it.
No one took up the call.
In retrospect, however, I've found that I do enjoy DMing the APs. It gives me a chance to fill in many of the blanks. Just tonight, we experienced very little that was printed in the adventures themselves, and more of what I uses from the backdrop and my own imagination to craft a fiery sidequest. While I'm sure some of my players might have done likewise in the DM's shoes, I'm pleased to be able to express that creativity inside the box.
Yah I had the same experience, in that I am running AoW at the moment, and begged my players for one of them to run it. One player had some interest, but he has not always had the best history of completing campaigns (of course who amongst us does, eh?) and I told him it was all or nothing, either he read it and run it, or I do. So to make a long story short, I am collecting pirate graphics.
I feel your pain. But, I'm also having way to much fun DMing as it is.
Yeah I fill the same way. There is only one other good Gm in our group who can keep a game going, and he Gms another game system (heroes i think, all I know we are space marines). ALthough he likes playing in my D&D games, he won't touch the d20 system as a Dm. I must say I am really excited about Dming this adventure path, so are the my players.
I'm currently running this AP and loving it. My wife and I run solo campaigns for one another; she's running through Savage Tide alone as a Gestalt Shadowcaster/Rogue. She almost got killed upon sneaking into the Blue Nixie, and through liberal use of Sight Obscured managed to actually get belowdecks unseen...and tangle with six smugglers plus Soller Vark, one of whom fled and freed the Raghodessa on the way out. One Powerful Bite later, she was one HP from death, and had to flee the boat, thanks to many lucky Tumble checks!
She just finished the AP after wiping out the entire Lotus Dragon hideout by herself quite handily. She suffered after the Blue Nixie, so I ran a side adventure (Something's Cooking, from the Wizards website...the mage and her chef husband were friends of Lavinia's, I've been wanting to run this for -forever), got her up to level 3 for Parrot's Island, and by the time she finished the Lotus Dragons, she was level 5. I started cutting her XP in half after she hit level 3, so I wouldn't end up with a 20th level character by the time she should be level 5. If she starts having too much of a cakewalk, I'll cut her XP in half again.
She's running Age of Worms for me, and my Gestalt Cleric/Dread Necromancer/Wizard/True Necromancer is level 6 at the end of the first adventure. We're both having a blast. If Dungeon weren't going away, I'd subscribe just to get the next AP instead of gathering together back issues. I'm going to be running Shackled City for our regular gaming group. :)
I totally know what you mean, JJ. My regret at not getting to play because I'm DMing is only countered by the realization that, as DM, I get to know everything that's going on and what's coming.
I fear that if I were a player in Age of Worms, I'd have died of suspense by the time I got to Blackwall Keep and playing Savage Tide would've sent me mad with terror under Parrot Island.
Trust me, omniscience is a lot less frustrating.