Chronicle sheets

[wvpolarbear]

Hey guys, I have heard that FG is using custom chronicle sheets with season five template to fill in for early season scenarios. Just checking in here to see if that's true. To be clear, if this is the case the sheets are not pfs legal; we can broach that subject if we get there however.

Venture Lieutenant Arthur Perkins

[lachancery]

Hey guys, I have heard that FG is using custom chronicle sheets with season five template to fill in for early season scenarios. Just checking in here to see if that's true. To be clear, if this is the case the sheets are not pfs legal; we can broach that subject if we get there however.

Yes, we (GM's here) did indeed take advantage of the convenience of form-fillable chronicle sheets, and we did learn after the FGConIII that it was an issue. None of us were particularly impressed with the justification we heard for it at the moment - it sounded like counter-productive control policies.

It would go a long way in healing our faith in Paizo being a forward-thinking company if you could help us understand?

[wvpolarbear]

The chronicles in the back of the PDFs are the only legal copy's allowed. There has been some issues with folks faking chronicles like this, and so they have been banned pfs wide. Taking such a chronicle to an event IRL and getting audited will result in the chronicle being declared invalid, possibly causing g you to lose a level.

Unfortunately I cannot speak for Paizo, but if you have specific complaints I can pass them along and get answers. I must insist however that any instance of these sheets being offered be removed, no new sheets of these types issued. The vo's have only recently been made aware of this, so we have not had time to discuss it; I will tentatively and non bindingly suggest that anyone who wants or needs a sheet reissue because they play both on and off line that the vos will work with the original gm to get a legitimate sheet out. I expect you will hear more from us soon with a more concrete answer.

Thank you for your candor and patience in this matter.

[Trueshots]

Since I'm the outspoken and rude one on FG's I'll go ahead and say....That's a Crock of Sh*t. No GM on a VTT wants to take the time to print off 5-7 chronicles from the back of the PDF then hand sign them and do hand calculations then, scan them back into our computers (after of course we go buy a scanner so that we can GM) and redistribute them to the players. Aint gonna happen for me, I'll just quit GM'ing.

It appears that Paizo continues its charge to run off VTT GM's and Players as well. I still can't sleep at night from dealing with the fact that FG GMs can't share their game files even if they both can prove beyond a 100% shadow of doubt they have the PDF purchased in their name. It takes 4-6 hours (in some cases even more) to do the prep of a single game. Any GM on here would pay the $3.99 (I'd pay double that price) for the stinking PDF to forego the pain in the butt of having to build a scenario that someone on here has already built. Paizo would double ever triple their revenue this way. I speak for all the GM's when I say, "we would all buy them".

If Paizo wants more people playing their games, they need to consider how that happens. Many people in remote areas like myself do not have access to IRL games so we have to use a VTT. We continue to run GM's off because of the serious prep for these games. This also makes it where a GM only really has time to make a game about every 2 weeks or more if he has even a semblance of a real life. The less games being GM'd, means the less players playing.

Note to Paizo: Less GM's GM'ing and Less Players Playing = Less Products Being Bought!!!!

(Off Soapbox)

[IronHelixx]

For Clarification, Form-Fillable chronicle sheets in itself are not an issue, if it is the chronicle sheet in it's original form with form controls added to it for ease of use (and it can be locked down before issuance).

In fact Mike Brock has indicated that we will be receiving "official" form fillable scenario chronicle sheets soon enough.

The issue is using later season chronicle templates for early season chronicle sheets and altering the chronicles from their original form, including removing items and manually recreating item lists.

We have seen sheets that are all the same scenario name that look completely different, and in many cases have had price and quantity errors on items, or boons from the wrong tier.

Having GM A, B, C, and D all issuing sheets that look nothing alike makes it hard for GMs to audit sheets easily as well.

To avoid the issues it is best if a matching sheet is used. And that is, simply, the rule.

So you are free to use a form fillable PDF, it just needs to look like the one issues with the scenario without detail modification.

As a group we run daily online games and still issue chronicles in an immediate manner. Some GMs issue them electronically as form fillable PDFs - others, like myself, fill them out and scan them (and it takes me about 5 minutes to do).

Also, there is nothing saying you can't share VTTs if both GMs own the scenario (which they would have to have to run it anyway) - that is perfectly acceptable - they just can't be publicly distributed. (That's like saying someone could not lend someone a pre-printed map at a store)

- Jesse [IronHelixx]
PFS Venture Leiutenant

[Skellan]

I did use the fillable forms until after the con when I was told there are problems with them. I have since been handwriting and scanning them and I imagine I am not alone in thinking this is a step backwards and I dont think it is any more difficult to forge a handwritten one than an electronic one. I do get why they may want all chronicles for a particular scenario to be identical. It may be a way forward for paizo to make the originals fillable. It would save fiddly scanning and people having to decipher my handwriting.
Anyway, I know that its not your rule Arthur and you are being brave posting here. If paizo are steadfast on this I guess we just need to get on with it.

If anyone is going to a rl event with a character that has chronicles that I have done on the old sheets let me know and I will reissue a new one. Please form an orderly queue though

[lachancery]

Haha! Gotta love Trueshots' passion...

Would this produce a legal Chronicle sheet?

1) Using a PDF editor, I extract the chronicle sheet from the scenario.
2) Using a PDF editor, I insert text beside the appropriate fields to indicate the mandatory information (Player Name, Character Name, PFS ID, Faction, XP gained, PP gained, GP gained, and the bottom "For GM only" section).
3) I mark off anything on the chronicle sheet not found by the player during the scenario.
4) Using the electronic signature support of the PDF editor, I apply an electronic signature, which displays my real signature that I have scanned into my computer.

[IronHelixx]

Absolutely.

That is how Arthur issues his own sheets.

Haha! Gotta love Trueshots' passion...

Would this produce a legal Chronicle sheet?

1) Using a PDF editor, I extract the chronicle sheet from the scenario.
2) Using a PDF editor, I insert text beside the appropriate fields to indicate the mandatory information (Player Name, Character Name, PFS ID, Faction, XP gained, PP gained, GP gained, and the bottom "For GM only" section).
3) I mark off anything on the chronicle sheet not found by the player during the scenario.
4) Using the electronic signature support of the PDF editor, I apply an electronic signature, which displays my real signature that I have scanned into my computer.

[lachancery]

Anyway, I know that its not your rule Arthur and you are being brave posting here. If paizo are steadfast on this I guess we just need to get on with it.

If anyone is going to a rl event with a character that has chronicles that I have done on the old sheets let me know and I will reissue a new one. Please form an orderly queue though

What Skellan said... I will reissue any invalid chronicle sheet upon request.

[Trueshots]

So you are free to use a form fillable PDF, it just needs to look like the one issues with the scenario without detail modification.

I would say that all the GM's I've played under on FG do a very good job in filling out Chronicles and issuing a very uniformed copy. Other GM's even check them as they are put back on the forums for delivery and if there is an error it is almost always caught.

Also, there is nothing saying you can't share VTTs if both GMs own the scenario (which they would have to have to run it anyway) - that is perfectly acceptable - they just can't be publicly distributed. (That's like saying someone could not lend someone a pre-printed map at a store)

If this is true, I have been told the contrary by at least a dozen highly respected GM's on FG as we'll as the Venture Lieutenant that presides over FG. If you're saying we can do this, I'm all for it, and I know other GM's will fully agree with me!