No, I'm not using that book.

[Grogg of the North]

So a couple of times in the D&D campaign I'm in, the DM has asked if I've prepared certain spells despite the fact I've repeatedly said:

1) I don't own the book that contains them

and

2) I don't like using material from books I don't have on hand

Now the first time this happened, I figured it was just an assumption regarding playstyles and experience from old groups. But it keeps happening and I'm getting a little frustrated because it feels like the DM isn't listening.

What can I do to address this? I've frequently pointed out that I don't have the source book. And as a player I try to limit the books I use simply because I don't want to lug them around. Should I write this off as a passive attempt at the DM to convince me to buy more books? Or that I should just chalk it up to the DM being very forgetful?

Thanks for the advice!


--------

PS: I know I'm talking about a D&D 3.5 campaign, but since I'm looking for GM/PC advice, I thought this would be the better forum for it. If I'm wrong I apologize.

 

[Storminator]

Does your DM know every book you own, and which spell is in which book? There's a lot of material to keep track of.

Can you just hand him your spells known list?

PS

 

[Bagpuss]

I was expecting this to be the other way round, you preparing spells that the DM didn't have the book of and him not allowing it. This just seems weird to me.

Is the DM trying to tell you what spells to prepare? That's really odd, that sort of stuff is up to you.

He could provide a scroll in treasure of a spell you might not have in your books, but he can't force you to copy it into your spellbook or memorise it even if you do.

 

[PrometheanVigil]

Write a list containing the spells that your character uses and has, making it clear that THESE are the spells that they use and they will NOT learn other spells. Give this to the GM, making sure to photocopy it if you haven't written it in an email.

Do this and you'll save yourself a lot of trouble.

Also, how do you say to the GM "I don't know these spells"? Give us a few quotes.

 

[Umbran]

Now the first time this happened, I figured it was just an assumption regarding playstyles and experience from old groups.

It doesn't even have to be that. Just not having everything all the characters have picked is sufficient. In a Star Wars game I'm currently playing in, every character is a Force user. Whiel the GM remembers the major powers each of us always uses, he doesn't keep our full lists in mind all the time - sometimes we wind up surprising him ("You have *that* power? Oh. Well, I wasn't expecting that...").

But it keeps happening and I'm getting a little frustrated because it feels like the DM isn't listening.

Maybe he isn't listening. Maybe he's just forgetful. Give him a hardcopy of your spell list, to use as a reference, and that should clear it up.

 

[edemaitre]

It could also be that the D.M. is planning overly specific encounters -- i.e., this obstacle/opponent can be overcome only with X. It's nice to have multiple sourcebooks to draw from, but I agree that role-players can just provide the relevant character records and spell lists, and that D.M.s can introduce new spells through scrolls or other means. Creative spellcasting is more interesting than rote use of powers, anyway.

 

[Grogg of the North]

Write a list containing the spells that your character uses and has, making it clear that THESE are the spells that they use and they will NOT learn other spells. Give this to the GM, making sure to photocopy it if you haven't written it in an email.

I think I'll pass along my standard spells prepared for him. But then again at the end of last session we had something like this:

Me: Was that XP for the level 14 or the level 15's?
DM: Wait ... you leveled up?
Me: Yes. Remember, I sent you new character sheets. And cleared my feat selection with you last time.

For those that are curious, the spell in question is revivify*. I've stated to the DM that I'm trying to stick with the PHB and Complete Divine. Not out of any balance concern but because I hate wasting everyone's time because I need to find out what a spell does and I can't remember what book it's in.

*Never mind I don't have two copper pieces to rub together, let alone the material components.

 

[Bagpuss]

For those that are curious, the spell in question is revivify.

Ah that is a pretty handy spell to have prepared, and I can see why the DM is like what you don't have that?!

Because that usually means he just killed a character and you can't save them easily.

Although yeah with the material component being 1,000gp in diamonds, you don't often have that lying around ready to use anyway. Still it's cheaper than Raise Dead which is your next option as you don't have Revivify at 5,000gp again in diamonds.

But yeah being a Cleric spell you don't have to find a scroll or anything to get it, it is just available to you because it is published.... something we always thought was a bit unbalanced.

Best option.... dead characters stay dead.

 

[Nytmare]

I kinda don't understand where your frustration is coming from. Granted at my table, I'm the guy who owns all the books, so my players are always in the situation where they don't own the book that contains the spell. I also, as the DM, update my players' character sheets, so I usually know their characters (or at least their sheets) better than they do.

But, one of the things I do for my players, especially when they're a caster, is that I make sure that their sheet contains all of the information they need regarding any spells or abilities they have. I completely agree with you that wasting time looking through books is something to be avoided, but I don't think that has to limit you. Even if I were limiting things to two books, I'd feel as though I was wasting time flipping through them instead of a handful of cards or pages in a 3 ring binder.

I would chalk this up to you getting way too upset over absolutely nothing.

 

[Grogg of the North]

It would be one thing if we were playing together in the same location. But with people moving we've started using roll20 to play. So it's not like I can ask someone several states away if I can borrow his book for a second. And I'd rather not just use something from a source book that I don't have access to and assume that it works like I think it should. Much easier to just skip things as an option than have a rule argument later.

I would chalk this up to you getting way too upset over absolutely nothing.

That is something I've considered, which is one of the reasons I started this thread.