Sticking to reality or Chronicle legitimacy when Chronicles are wrong?

[Julien Dien]

A PC has taken part in 16-times adventures. When he enter for the next scenario, the GM find out that the gained GP in #5 and #9 are wrong, he got hundreds of GP more than deserve. If fixing the mistake, the sub total GP in #13 Chronicle goes negative.

What will you suggest?

a) Sticking to reality. Leave the negative GP in #13 with a explaination by GM(#13), and fix the bug in next scenario. Actually, only #13 end with a negative GP, #14-#16 are ok. I vote this, for history should be record, not changed by record.

Others think a Chronicle ends with a negative GP is illegal, so they come up with 2 ways to fix it.
b) Fixing the bug when it happens. Delete one item bought in #13, for he shouldn't afford it, even if the item has accompanies him through #14-#16. (not cosumable, of course)

c) Fixing the bug before it happen. Replace 2PP for 750gp to purchase a item in #5, which is the first wrong Chronicle. By this way, All his items are untouched, only change the mean of payment.

Most of GMs in our group take part in the discusstion. About five or six GMs could accept c), two chose b) and only I insist to a). >_< Eventually we go with c).

[Davor Firetusk]

All of them are within the spirit of correcting honest mistakes. The biggest one in my mind is just making sure that as soon as the mistake is noticed it get corrected. So in that sense the PC need to be legal before it plays it's next scenario, where exactly the book keeping happens for that is less important in my mind.

[pauljathome]

Just correct things as quickly as you can. Adjust the gold from now on until you get to the total that you SHOULD have gotten.

[Nefreet]

Not everyone is great at paperwork. Or math. Mistakes happen.

[Julien Dien]

So you all think it is acceptable that one past Chronicle end up with a negative GP. We just correct it in next scenario (new Chronicle). right?

[Pirate Rob]

I don't like A.

A doesn't fix the problem, their purchases are now both illegal and known. Not a good solution.

[Angel Hunter D]

Pirate Rob wrote:

I don't like A.

A doesn't fix the problem, their purchases are now both illegal and known. Not a good solution.

Eh, it fixes it well enough. While "illegal" I think it's important to remember this is a game we play for fun, and whatever is least disruptive and let's everyone get back to playing quickly will be valuable or at least appealing. The effect on previous games can't be reasonably corrected or known, and Chronicles are a record, not a living document. Option A hits the "good enough for me" bar, and if someone doesn't like it they should apply at the IRS (or your county's equivalent).

[Davor Firetusk]

The distinction with option A for me is that as long as the character has enough prestige and/or gold that they can cover the purchase at present the character is legal. If the character was currently negative with the purchase then they would need to sell it back before playing in the next scenario.

[Angel Hunter D]

Eh, I wouldn't even sweat it that much. Selling back and rebuying is a hassle. At most just have the items "inactive" for the session to more accurately represent the gold that should have been spent.

[GM OfAnything]

Option A makes sense. As long as the error is corrected and accounted for by chronicle #16, it is enough to acknowledge the error on chronicle #13 and note that it was corrected moving forward.

[Belafon]

I wrote a whole bunch of stuff, but I think I misunderstood the situation. Is the following correct?

After subtracting the extra gold the character would still have a positive balance. For example if the mistake was 1600 gp and on the most recent chronicle the PC had 2000 gp unspent, he would still have 400gp after correcting the error.

If that's the case just take option A. Mistakes happen; don't make a ton of extra work for everyone.

[Ferious Thune]

That is my understanding of it as well, and I think that solution works (and is how it's mainly been handled in the past). You can't go back and make them play a scenario from 5 or 6 sessions ago without the item, and there's no reason to completely invalidate the character due to a prior math mistake. Spend the money to make the character legal on the latest chronicle, make a note in case a GM questions something, then move on.

[Azothath]

I'd talk to your local VC AND have him sign off on it. Also inform him of those session numbers, scenarios, and GM as he should go back and track down those players to see if they have the same mistakes.

It sounds like previous GMs made mistakes and they were caught in a review.
Just go with option A to give the correct current total on the last chronicle(#16) (as Org Play runs on WBL) with notes as to what the issue is and what chronicles are affected (#5 & #9).