Sending Chronicle Sheets over Email?

[harmor]

I forgot to print out the chronical sheets for an event and we played anyway. I have already reported the event on this website but still need to get the filled out chronical sheets to my players.

The ones I'm unable to physically meet again I want to email them their sheet to them.

Do I need to:

1) hand-write and fill everything in and then scan and email that sheet to them
2) #1 and then physically mail the sheet to them
3) digitally write in everything (Adobe Acrobat), print and sign and then scan
4) digitally write in everything included digitally signing and then emailing the PDF

I'm a little confused. Any guidance would be appreciated.

[Paz]

1-3 are fine; 4 is questionable.

Personally I print one chronicle, sign it, scan it, then fill in the rest of the details digitally for each character.

[Netopalis]

Oh, I don't know. Electronic signatures are good for legal documents, and I certainly don't think we're *that* strict in PFS, are we?

I would say that all four should be legal, and also add that I would really appreciate it if chronicle sheets could be fillable PDFs in the future.

[Iammars]

I have seen all 4 used on the collective. It really depends on what is easier for you. I've found that it's easier for me to print the chronicle, fill in my signature everywhere, scan that and use Photoshop to fill in the rest of the chronicle and then email it to the players. But then again, I'm not physically mailing anything to the players from Singapore or England when e-mail exists.

[Azmyth]

There is a MUCH easier way to do this!

Capture an image of the Chronicle sheet within Adobe and paste it into Paint.

I took a digital picture of my signature and made a .jpg to paste.
I use the Wingdings for my initials (yin/yang is a favorite).

Save the master (with no player info included).
Fill out individuals for you players and viola.

Send out jpgs not pdfs.

No scanning. No snail mail.

[Don Walker]

As long as the final document is in a form the player can print and the signature looks like a signature*, it should be fine.

* - don't mean that it has to appear to be an ink signature, just that it should be handwritten, not a computer font.

[Jiggy]

What I've done in the past is print out a chronicle, fill out the GM stuff, then scan it and email the image to the players, who can then print it out and fill in their names and stuff. (Obviously this is slightly modified if people earn different amounts of prestige, etc.)

[TetsujinOni]

I'll jump through more hoops for this if it's official policy, but I and about half, IIRC, of the other PSOC GMs use a computer font to fill it out.

The document is eminently trackable as we're reporting the events online and our PFS number is on the document - more legibly than from a lot of hand-signed chronicles I've received in this and prior orgplay campaigns.

I've never heard any complaints or concerns about this method before.

[harmor]

What about day jobs? If I didn't witness the rolls, must they take 10? Or if they give me their skill modifier some have asked me to roll for them?

[godsDMit]

Don Walker wrote:

As long as the final document is in a form the player can print and the signature looks like a signature*, it should be fine.

* - don't mean that it has to appear to be an ink signature, just that it should be handwritten, not a computer font.

I'm not trying to be difficult, but I dont believe that isn't a rule in any source for PFS. You are free to rule how you will, but I would probably honor a sheet with all computer font on it.

Seriously, if you think a person is going to cheat to get chronicles, why are you bothering to trust the handwritten initials and signature on the chronicles more than the computer typeface?

[godsDMit]

harmor wrote:

What about day jobs? If I didn't witness the rolls, must they take 10? Or if they give me their skill modifier some have asked me to roll for them?

I would initial the box and ask them to make an honest roll and fill in the number themselves. If you didnt suspect them of cheating at the table, why suspect they will now?

[Skellan]

I have been using pdf chronicle sheets as I have been running games online. I have digitally signed these which locks the pdf and password protects it so it can't be altered once signed. It is probably more secure than handwritten ones in this respect
I havent seen anything suggesting i can't do them electronically, and if i can't, it would pretty much scupper me for running games
Hope this is ok

[Avatar-1]

TetsujinOni wrote:

I'll jump through more hoops for this if it's official policy, but I and about half, IIRC, of the other PSOC GMs use a computer font to fill it out.

The document is eminently trackable as we're reporting the events online and our PFS number is on the document - more legibly than from a lot of hand-signed chronicles I've received in this and prior orgplay campaigns.

I've never heard any complaints or concerns about this method before.

Completely true.

This whole game works on the honour system, and dealing with online chronicle sheets is not easy, most notably when it comes to signing them.

I don't know any GM who minds if a chronicle sheet doesn't have a proper signature vs some printed initials on the signature line, or even who doesn't trust a day job roll.

On a related note, it would be especially nice if paizo could get an online-friendly chronicle sheet worked out where we can just enter in details on the PDFs. Online play is commonplace.

[harmor]

Maybe we can borrow some of the logic from the Real-estate industry? I remember signing docs digitally...super simple.

Only problem is that the Chronical sheets are not CUP and thus could not be hosted.

[Don Walker]

Seth Gipson wrote:

harmor wrote:

What about day jobs? If I didn't witness the rolls, must they take 10? Or if they give me their skill modifier some have asked me to roll for them?

I would initial the box and ask them to make an honest roll and fill in the number themselves. If you didnt suspect them of cheating at the table, why suspect they will now?

Human nature. It is the rare Human that will not be tempted to "get a better result" when they know that no one is watching.

Taking 10 or letting the GM roll sounds like a fine solution - player's choice.

[Don Walker]

TetsujinOni wrote:

I'll jump through more hoops for this if it's official policy, but I and about half, IIRC, of the other PSOC GMs use a computer font to fill it out.

The document is eminently trackable as we're reporting the events online and our PFS number is on the document - more legibly than from a lot of hand-signed chronicles I've received in this and prior orgplay campaigns.

I've never heard any complaints or concerns about this method before.

It is just my opinion. I don't think there are established rules to online play, other than having a way to get players their Chronicle sheets.

But a typed signature just looks phony to me. Anyone could have typed it. A handwritten signature even if it is just a copy has some distinctiveness to it. Sure it's just a game and if someone wants to cheat it is not difficult, but if I'm auditing a character and come across a typed signature, it causes me to raise an eyebrow.

Is it really that difficult to print, sign, and scan a sheet of paper? Or even sign a blank sheet and scan your signature to add to a document?

[Skellan]

Is it really that difficult to print, sign, and scan a sheet of paper? Or even sign a blank sheet and scan your signature to add to a document?

I agree a proper signature is better than just type on the chronicle. The chronicle sheet I use allows you to add an electronic signature which can be a scanned image of a written signature and it also password protects it and locks the document so it can't be duplicated

[Skellan]

harmor wrote:

Only problem is that the Chronical sheets are not CUP and thus could not be hosted.

I post my chronicle sheets on dropbox so the players can access them from there. I keep copies of all the chronicle sheets I issue so I have a record of everything and the players can get a replacement if needed.

[Helaman]

Here - remove the x for a number and remove the spaces from the end brackets

[ooc]Day Job[dice]1d20 + x[ /dice][/ ooc]

Player can 'roll'/GM can 'roll'. Doesn't really matter. GM notes the result on the chronicle.

[TetsujinOni]

I use a PDF extract-and-alter technique that I've been using since online play of Greyhawk Core adventures.

Since "owning a scanner" is not a reasonable prerequisite for GMing online, yes, it's that difficult to expect someone to print, sign, scan. This should all be accomplishable without a scanner involved, and indeed without a printer involved.

[Michael G. Phillips]

Given the wide existence of digital pdf printers, digitally signing things is not a way of securing a file from editing.

[kinevon]

Given the existence of scanners, printers, and graphic editors, there is no way to truly secure any chronicle from someone who wants to cheat. Most of us operate under the honor system, in general. It usually works fine.