Are you required to bring your own books when you game?

[Hypersmurf]

For the current campaign I can't bring my own books 'cause I never bought the 3.5 editions.

Likewise But despite that, I still know the 3.5 rules better than anyone else in the group, as far as I can tell. And I'm not playing a spellcaster, so I don't have any spot-checking to do on durations or what-have-you.

Although to be honest, "better than anyone else in the group" isn't saying a whole lot Several of the people I hadn't played with before (third session of this campaign is tomorrow) seemed confident that if a guy with a greatsword is attacking a hobgoblin from the north, and another guy shoots the same hobgoblin with a shortbow from the northwest, that they're flanking him...

The DM has picked up a habit of watching my eyebrows, I think... when the wizard's player mentioned his intention to cast an Obscuring Mist that would move with him ('centered on the caster'), I think I must have frowned a little... and the DM quickly looked up the spell and pointed out the "stationary once cast" line

-Hyp.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Well, this is the thing with rules that are complex. With Monopoly, you have one game. It's a pretty simple rule but even so, sometimes someone gets confused that if you land on a property and don't buy it, it goes up for auction type of deal.

With D&D, it's pretty complicated. If you don't know the rules because you don't have the book, why, as a DM, should I let you slow down the rest of the players to see how the skill Sleight of Hand works?

 

[the Jester]

I don't require people to bring books, but if they've got 'em (most of my players do) they usually bring 'em. It sucks to have to wait on someone else to look up your strategy elements.

As I like to recruit newbies, there's usually someone without a PH... though most are currently 3.0.

 

[Cbas10]

There are no requirements for bringing your own books unless you are playing something odd (prestige class out of a non-wotc book, etc). The only requirement is that you must own the book to play the non-standard stuff. If I (or whoever is DM) is unclear about the class, rule, etc, we need to be able to make sure things are understood. Generally, if a player does not bring or buy a PHB, he/she can get by, but it is more aggravating than it is worth to be doing that. Most of our group are older professionals who work for our money and simply will not stand for some punk to break the spines or spill drinks on our books.

However, we do play at the FLGS. The owner has never made an issue over where you buy your books (so as not to alienate potential customers), but those of us that are the core of the group are mature and realize that we should at least respect the fact that the owner lets us game anytime we want for no charge or strings attached. He also is quite good to us (occasional free drinks, discounts, etc); therefore, as a group we really do not go for people bringing in a printed SRD, or a bootlegged book off of kazaa or whatever. I'm not going to raise issue on that stuff, but it is quite offensive and insulting to play for free at a very cool owner's game store and bring that crap in.

 

[Cor Azer]

The player sin my group all own their own PHB (or at least, 3.0 versions of said). For the 3.5 corebooks, I own and bring my set each session, the other two with them usually have theirs there as well. Beyond those, I only take the books I'm going to need myself, or those books that I know someone else will need but doesn't own (like Magic of Faerun).

 

[ddougan]

I've never GMed or played in a group in which it was necessary to have a copy of any rules.

My current DnD campaign has 6 players, only one of whom has his own rulebook. But given I have 2 copies of the PHB myself, we've never had a problem sharing 2 books amongst 6 players (as GM, I tend to have one of the PHBs to myself)

In the past, when I GMed a group of 9 playing Warhammer FRP, we had one copy of the core rule book. Ditto when I GMed 2300AD. I don't ever recall any issues with the game being held up due to a lone copy of the rules.

I think its a bit strange that some GMs would impose such a requirement (but hey, to each their own), but that's probably because I've only ever played with people I already know - many of whom I've introduced to the hobby and there's no way I'd expect them to buy a book as a pre-requisite to play.

 

[Kaji]

I own a lot of sourcebooks, so if you don't have your copy, I can bum you mine. We don't have issues with the PHB, cause everyone pretty much has their own and brings it. Players are also likely to bring any sourcebook along that closely matches their character class or that they have relied on heavily in building their character.

What I do insist on is that if you want to use a feat/skill/spell whatever from a sourcebook I do not have with me, that source must be present at the game table if you want to use the ability. That way, if I have questions about how it works, I can look it up in the text. If there is no sourcebook present, I usually disallow the ability in question for that session.

 

[Cor Azer]

I think its a bit strange that some GMs would impose such a requirement (but hey, to each their own), but that's probably because I've only ever played with people I already know - many of whom I've introduced to the hobby and there's no way I'd expect them to buy a book as a pre-requisite to play.

In many cases, I suspect it's moreso to make sure at least one copy of the rulebook is present at the table for in-session queries. While all the players in my group got their own PHBs (3.0), most haven't opted for the 3.5 version yet, because they can still make due with the old one for now, or by borrowing one of the 3.5 PHBs that are present.

 

[Iron Sheep]

No requirements in our games.

My wife and I have a copy of the core books and a reasonably complete collection of splatbooks, which we share. Our players usually have at least a player's handbook (although couples often share), but we'd never require it.

When it gets too inconvenient for a player to share a book, they typically go and get themselves a copy of the appropriate books. One of our players who plays a druid with several bags of tricks (and hence many summoned creatures and an animal companion) decided that they really needed the 3.5 monster manual as it was a hassle to keep on borrowing it.

Our groups main requirement from players is a commitment to play regularly.

Corran

 

[ciaran00]

How do you guys tell your players that they need their own core books? Currently, I supply everything and it's a little bothersome when running npc spellcasters and combat while having to wait for 2 PCs who are both spellcasters themselves.

ciaran