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View Full Version : Players (and GMs) - PFS Chronicle Sheets - Please read!



Trenloe
November 27th, 2012, 01:14
It has come to my attention that we really need to start getting our chronicle sheets in order.

In face-to-face games, a lot of chronicle sheets are left pretty blank by GMs, with just the XP, Prestige/Fame, Gold, Day job and event/GM details filled in - and the rest is left to the player to fill out later. This is usually because they are pushed for time at the end of a game in a public area (gaming store, convention, etc.) and need to close up the game quickly. It frequently results in the player not filling out the chronicle at all! Or making mistakes which may (under certain circumstances) invalidate the whole chronicle.

As we in our nice Fantasy Grounds PFS community can handle this admin online after the game we are now doing chronicle sheets the way they should actually be done - have the full details of the PC (name, PFS number, Faction), previous chronicle information (Chronicle #, XP, PP, Fame, GP), show sales and purchases and allow the whole chronicle to be completed and signed by the GM - this is how the PFS guide expects a chronicle to be handled!

Details of this are provided in instructions for the GM from the PFS guide (page 37), the first step of this is:

Step 1: Hand each of the players a blank Chronicle sheet and ask them to fill out the sections marked A–G, J, K, and P (Scenario Chronicle #, Advancement Track, Player Name, Starting XP, Initial Fame, Initial Prestige, Starting GP, etc.). When they’re done entering this information from their past Chronicle sheets, have them return the documents to you.
Hence why GMs are asking for this information before they provide a completed chronicle back to the players.

Please help your GM by providing the correct information. How you go about this is up to the individual GM - they may ask to see electronic copies of all of your chronicle sheets, they may ask to see just the last chronicle sheet, they may ask you to provide the information needed to fill out the chronicle sheet or they may ask you to fill out the relevant information in the chronicle sheet before digitally signing it. It is up to the GM how this is accomplished - please work with them amicably to complete your chronicle sheet as quickly and efficiently as you can. Thanks.

It is the players responsibility to make sure they have a complete, up-to-date and fully completed set of chronicle sheets for your PC. We are actually helping you to do that by ensuring the chronicles issued here are correct and complete, and addressing any questions/issues at the time.

If you have any questions about the whole Chronicle process please reply to this thread.

Skellan
November 27th, 2012, 03:43
As I fill out lots of chronicle sheets I am all for this :D
Having the full info is a big help.

If anyone needs any help getting their chronicles sorted, let me know and I will help if I can

Blackfoot
November 28th, 2012, 15:48
A copy of the previous chronicle along with a list of purchases for the new one makes it really simple.

Gadreun
November 30th, 2012, 23:45
i just post a copy of my character and my last chronicle sheet for the GM - i think thats all i need to do?

Should i do anything else to make everyones life easier?

Trenloe
December 1st, 2012, 08:14
i just post a copy of my character and my last chronicle sheet for the GM - i think thats all i need to do?

Should i do anything else to make everyones life easier?
No, that is all that is needed.

As mentioned in bold in the first post, make sure you provide an electronic form of your last chronicle sheet - fully completed.

These should be supplied before the game.

After the game, work with your GM to ensure all purchases and other items are entered in the chronicle before they provide you with a signed, finalised chronicle.

Winged1
February 7th, 2013, 00:09
I looked but I can't find this posted elsewhere, Where do you grab a blank chronicle sheet to type in. I have just been handwriting them and scanning in the signed copy for the players but I like the idea of them filling out most of it.

Trenloe
February 7th, 2013, 00:19
I looked but I can't find this posted elsewhere, Where do you grab a blank chronicle sheet to type in. I have just been handwriting them and scanning in the signed copy for the players but I like the idea of them filling out most of it.
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16899

Skellan
August 18th, 2013, 14:09
Actually, is there any reason we aren't asking players to complete step 1:

Step 1: Hand each of the players a blank Chronicle
sheet and ask them to fill out the sections marked A–G,
J, K, and P (Character Chronicle #, Advancement Track,
Player Name, Starting XP, Initial Fame, Initial Prestige,
Starting GP, etc.). When they’re done entering this
information from their past Chronicle sheets, have
them return the documents to you.

It would be a bit less admin for the gm. It may not seem much but inputting names, pfs numbers, factions, starting gold, xp, etc. takes time

I can't remember if there was a reason we didnt do this?

Blackfoot
August 18th, 2013, 14:23
It would be a bit less admin for the gm. It may not seem much but inputting names, pfs numbers, factions, starting gold, xp, etc. takes time

I can't remember if there was a reason we didnt do this?
The only reason I can think of really is that it is somewhat technical and requires software (acrobat reader of the correct version). We have issues with some of the GMs not wanting to 'all do it the same way'. How can we expect every player (whether an experienced one or a new one) to do it and do it right the first time?

Certainly if we had tables full of players who did these all the time... it'd be easy... definitely easier for GMs. If GM posted the blank Chronicle Sheet when he announced the game, the players could have it mostly filled out in advance, add their purchases at the end, and then post it up for the GM to complete.

This is a fair amount of back and forth with files... and I'm unsure about the success of the technical element with some players.

Skellan
August 18th, 2013, 15:06
There's no guarantee that players will get it right first time if the write out the chronicle manually either. I don't think we should have to do anything different than is set out in the organised play guide. The gm has to check the info anyway. The level of work for gm's running scenarios online is already higher than than running games tabletop and admin/prep time is a barrier to people running games.
I think players need more credit. They know the funny spelling of their character's name (I get this stuff wrong all the time) and know their personal info etc. I am think they are technically competent enough to get acrobat reader.

I think its worth a try to see how it goes, having players fill out player info will make things easier I think.

hawkwind
September 2nd, 2013, 12:10
I agree

Trenloe
October 23rd, 2013, 02:13
First post updated to remove the stipulation of GMs asking for the last chronicle sheet. Since the advent of Season 5 the PFS guide no longer lists a requirement for GMs to look over any of the PC chronicles the text of the guide now states, where it was previous phrased as one of the duties a GM should do:

“It is recommended that you look over each player’s character sheet and previous Chronicle sheets, quickly checking wealth, equipment, calculations, and so on if time permits.”
Thanks to the GMs who pointed this out to me.

To be clear - it is entirely up to the GM how they review player's previous chronicle sheets (if at all) and collect the information needed to provide a fully completed chronicle sheet to their players after the PFS game has finished. The goal is to provide a fully completed, digitally signed, read only, electronic chronicle sheet - please do not cut corners and provide a chronicle sheet that is not fully completed and digitally signed. Using V1.1 of the Season 5 fillable chronicle sheet PDF found here will aid you in doing this: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?16899-Files-GM-tools-etc&p=127650&viewfull=1#post127650

Skellan
October 23rd, 2013, 03:08
Fair enough, thanks for posting this clarification.

I presume that players can provide a chronicle with their pfs number, starting gold, purchases etc. to me to complete and sign though.

Trenloe
October 23rd, 2013, 03:38
I presume that players can provide a chronicle with their pfs number, starting gold, purchases etc. to me to complete and sign though.
Absolutely. :)

Skellan
October 23rd, 2013, 03:55
Cool :)

Blackfoot
October 23rd, 2013, 05:05
Personally, I'm going to continue to do it the way I have right along. I find it simple and efficient. The previous chronicle has all the accurate player information in one place... one file for each player. I've already begun to prepare my chronicles for the Con based on the info I've already received from the players who have signed up. It will allow me a quick turn around time when we get the the craziness of gametime.

Trenloe
October 23rd, 2013, 05:07
To be clear - the updated section of post #1 in this thread is as follows:

Please help your GM by providing the correct information. How you go about this is up to the individual GM - they may ask to see electronic copies of all of your chronicle sheets, they may ask to see just the last chronicle sheet, they may ask you to provide the information needed to fill out the chronicle sheet or they may ask you to fill out the relevant information in the chronicle sheet before digitally signing it. It is up to the GM how this is accomplished - please work with them amicably to complete your chronicle sheet as quickly and efficiently as you can. Thanks.

lachancery
December 20th, 2013, 04:41
This recent thread (https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?20062-Chronicle-sheets) with Online Venture Officers provides relevant information about online chronicle sheets.

Nylanfs
December 12th, 2014, 17:59
BTW, starting with v6.04.01 PCGen will begin supporting PFS Boons and equipment. The player will shill have to have their signed chronicle sheet, but the character sheet itself will be correct.

https://jira.pcgen.org/browse/NEWSOURCE-224

shikage
April 30th, 2018, 05:55
I've just recently run my first online PFS game and I am working to get chronicle sheets out to all of the players but am stumbling a bit over what constitutes a correct and legal signature. I know I saw a post once with a link to directions for setting up and creating signatures for chronicle sheets but can not seem to find it a second time.

Should I just use the Adobe Acrobat signature functionality? Should I insert an image of my actual signature instead? Is there a way to combine the two as I know the adobe signature will lock the PDF from modifications. If someone has a link to help GMs with the creation of a valid chronicle sheet and the signature for a module that would be very much appreciated.

Blackfoot
April 30th, 2018, 08:34
Using the current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader for Windows 10 I am able to sign the PDFs using the Fill & Sign functionality. It lets you create both a signature and initlals that it then saves for future PDFs.

xazil
April 30th, 2018, 09:26
As far as I am aware there is no need for a digital signature (certificate signed), just an electronic one (a picture of your hand scribble).

shikage
April 30th, 2018, 10:25
Using the current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader for Windows 10 I am able to sign the PDFs using the Fill & Sign functionality. It lets you create both a signature and initlals that it then saves for future PDFs.


As far as I am aware there is no need for a digital signature (certificate signed), just an electronic one (a picture of your hand scribble).

Thank you both. I think I figured it out myself as well. I did a digital signature method which should prevent edits to the PDF once it is signed. The trick was in editing the signature, I was able to add my signature through the scribble input. I added images for the signatures in the appropriate fields. It just took a little bit to discover how to edit what would be displayed as the digital signature.

As a semi-related reporting question, if one is running regular PFS sessions online, is it recommended to keep a single event and just add sessions as they are played or should an event be closed out regularly to ensure reporting is fully submitted to the Paizo database? I will be running bi-weekly games but want to make sure people's online profiles update correctly with games played and such as we go, should they choose to play in any convention or additional online games as well.

Malkavian_Andi
April 30th, 2018, 15:24
As a semi-related reporting question, if one is running regular PFS sessions online, is it recommended to keep a single event and just add sessions as they are played or should an event be closed out regularly to ensure reporting is fully submitted to the Paizo database? I will be running bi-weekly games but want to make sure people's online profiles update correctly with games played and such as we go, should they choose to play in any convention or additional online games as well.
You don't need to close the event by checking the "done reporting" box in order for the games to be displayed on their profile. Basically, you can do it whatever way you like best. But I would recommend using the same event each time, as it's easier for you to just add tables by reporting them instead of going through the entire process of creating a new event every other week.
For people to be able to play their character at conventions or other online games, the most important part is to get the chronicles done as soon as you can, because those are what counts when it comes to proving XP etc. Besides, most GMs don't have access to other players' list of sessions in their paizo profile.