1. Can a wizard cast a spell inscribed in their spell book (grimoire) like a scroll?
2. Does a grimoire automatically have ALL wizard spells or must wizards find/purchase scrolls and former personal grimoires and inscribe the spells into their personal grimoire?
This question is born from the DnDBeyond character sheets not having a way to mark spells inscribed. My group is stating ALL spells automatically come in all copies of spell books. The wizard need only choose what spells they wish to memorize from a list of all possible (D&D source books purchased) when changing spells much like a cleric need only pray to their deity and it becomes prepared.
3. I am the only wizard in our group. I admit I have been playing since 1e. Grimoires were very valuable. If all spells are automatically included in every grimoire, then spell books are meaningless unless a wizard has it taken away.
Assuming you're talking about the magic item from TCoE:
1. As in, cast the spell in the grimoire as though it were a scroll, ie not take a spell slot? No. It functions as a normal spellbook in that manner.
2. No. Again,.it functions as a normal spellbook, you have to pay to add more spells etc. Unless you're DM gives it to you with all the spells in.
Note: If your DM says that all spellbooks have all spells...then that is true for your game. That is not RAW though, and actually in some ways takes away from the Wizard (not mechanically, but in terms of roleplaying) because they have a significant chunk of their flavour and mechanics as hunting down those spells. It also renders the Wizard potentially OP. RAW is that they start with 6 spells, then they get to add two spells for free each time they level up. They can also find spells in spellbooks and scrolls, and potentially pay to add them to their own spellbook, granting them the ability to cast them themselves.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
I'm just gonna assume you're talking about normal spellbooks and not a magic item or whatever.
1. No. You still need to prepare your spells, and you still expend spell slots. It's not a magic item, just normal paper with instructions for casting a spell written on it.
1. Can a wizard cast a spell inscribed in their spell book (grimoire) like a scroll?
2. Does a grimoire automatically have ALL wizard spells or must wizards find/purchase scrolls and former personal grimoires and inscribe the spells into their personal grimoire?
This question is born from the DnDBeyond character sheets not having a way to mark spells inscribed. My group is stating ALL spells automatically come in all copies of spell books. The wizard need only choose what spells they wish to memorize from a list of all possible (D&D source books purchased) when changing spells much like a cleric need only pray to their deity and it becomes prepared.
3. I am the only wizard in our group. I admit I have been playing since 1e. Grimoires were very valuable. If all spells are automatically included in every grimoire, then spell books are meaningless unless a wizard has it taken away.
Your group is incorrect for Wizards. Wizards have to find the spells to inscribe, typically as an apprentice taught by Wizard or scrolls. You do not have all spells in the spell book. For power gaming reasons, players are often allowed to pick whatever spell they want as a wizard. You can just state to the party, what would the King say about all these Wizards running around with Wish inscribed in their book able to become the king in a cast, let alone the spell cost to inscribe the spell would be impossible for a level 1 character to have that much gold, most level 15 wizards couldn't have all the spells in the game inscribed At best, its 10gp per level for making a backup of your spell book, meaning some poor mage would have to have bought all spells at 50gp a level and then is chained to a spell book factory and is inscribing a spell book every few months..
The DM can give or limit the spells the Wizard get access to by limiting spells by scroll found or bought, talking to wizards and buying the spells from them or what their master teach them. It gives a roleplay reason for a Wizard to go out into the city trying to find someone with that spell they really want. In the past, I've done odd levels the Wizard can find that spell they really want through roleplay and on even levels, its random for what will be available for that level.
1. Can a wizard cast a spell inscribed in their spell book (grimoire) like a scroll?
No and Yes, depending on the spell. The spell book is used to prepare Wizard Level + Int Mod number of spells from the book into their mind. The wizard can then cast those prepared spells without the book using spell slots. However, if a spell has the ritual tag the wizard can use the book to cast that spell as a ritual, without needing to have the book prepared and without using a spell slot - but the casting time is increased by 10 minutes. This only applies to spells of 1st level or higher. Cantrips work differently: the Wizard gets cantrips at certain levels which are always fixed in their mind and do not get changed or prepared. There is, however, an optional feature from Tasha's that lets them swap out 1 cantrip every Long Rest.
2. Does a grimoire automatically have ALL wizard spells or must wizards find/purchase scrolls and former personal grimoires and inscribe the spells into their personal grimoire?
No and kinda. So the spell books do not have all spells in them. A wizard may automatically add 6 spells when they take their 1st level in Wizard and adds 2 spells every time they gain a Wizard level. By 20th level they will have added 44 total spells to their spellbook using this method. Adding these spells is free and you choose any that are appropriate from the Wizard spell list.
In addition to those spells gained by levels they can also scribe spells. If the wizard finds a wizard spell in a spell scroll, another spell book, or taught to them by a mentor or similar, they can add that spell to their spell books, known as Scribing a spell. Scribing costs gold and time.
There are rules about what spells you can add to the spell book. See the Spellcasting feature for the Wizard.
This question is born from the DnDBeyond character sheets not having a way to mark spells inscribed. My group is stating ALL spells automatically come in all copies of spell books. The wizard need only choose what spells they wish to memorize from a list of all possible (D&D source books purchased) when changing spells much like a cleric need only pray to their deity and it becomes prepared.
Your group are idiots. Don't rely on them. Instead read the Spellcasting feature for the Wizard, it tells you quite plainly how this works.
Here it is:
Spellcasting
As a student of arcane magic, you have a spellbook containing spells that show the first glimmerings of your true power. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the wizard spell list.
Cantrips
At 1st level, you know three cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn additional wizard cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Wizard table.
Spellbook
At 1st level, you have a spellbook containing six 1st-level wizard spells of your choice. Your spellbook is the repository of the wizard spells you know, except your cantrips, which are fixed in your mind.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Wizard table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your wizard spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You prepare the list of wizard spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of wizard spells from your spellbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + your wizard level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you’re a 3rd-level wizard, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination, chosen from your spellbook. If you prepare the 1st-level spell magic missile, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of wizard spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Ritual Casting
You can cast a wizard spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don’t need to have the spell prepared.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use an arcane focus (see the Adventuring Gear section) as a spellcasting focus for your wizard spells.
Learning Spells of 1st Level and Higher
Each time you gain a wizard level, you can add two wizard spells of your choice to your spellbook for free. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots, as shown on the Wizard table. On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook (see the “Your Spellbook” sidebar).
YOUR SPELLBOOK
The spells that you add to your spellbook as you gain levels reflect the arcane research you conduct on your own, as well as intellectual breakthroughs you have had about the nature of the multiverse. You might find other spells during your adventures. You could discover a spell recorded on a scroll in an evil wizard’s chest, for example, or in a dusty tome in an ancient library.
Copying a Spell into the Book. When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.
Copying that spell into your spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the wizard who wrote it. You must practice the spell until you understand the sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation.
For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.
Replacing the Book. You can copy a spell from your own spellbook into another book—for example, if you want to make a backup copy of your spellbook. This is just like copying a new spell into your spellbook, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notation and already know how to cast the spell. You need spend only 1 hour and 10 gp for each level of the copied spell.
If you lose your spellbook, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the spells that you have prepared into a new spellbook. Filling out the remainder of your spellbook requires you to find new spells to do so, as normal. For this reason, many wizards keep backup spellbooks in a safe place.
The Book’s Appearance. Your spellbook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap.
3. I am the only wizard in our group. I admit I have been playing since 1e. Grimoires were very valuable. If all spells are automatically included in every grimoire, then spell books are meaningless unless a wizard has it taken away.
What you have played before is irrelevant. 5th Edition will have its own set of rules and a lot has changed. For example, metamagic used to be a Wizard thing in 3rd edition, it is now a Sorcerer thing in 5th. There's a lot of changes. To play 5th edition should require a complete and total separation from everything you know, rules-wise, from any other edition. It is its own game.
If you are the wizard you should read the Wizard class. No offence but it sounds like you haven't done that. At all. All of your questions from in-post would have been easily and instantly answered.
----
Your subject question: "How do I contact Hasbro for official rulings?"
You can't and don't. The official rulings are in the book and what your DM decides (and of those two, the DM's is more important). Nothing else matters. There is "Sage Advice" which is not to provide "official rulings" but rather to provide clarification on "rules as written" and "rules as intended" - and neither of those matter in the slightest if you/your DM prefer to play a different way.
Your DM can very well state "wizards know all spells and can cast Wish 2 million times a day" and it would be the official ruling for your game.
Read the book. Talk to DM. That's all you need.
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As others have stated to one degree of correctness or another:
Only if the spell has the Ritual tag, and it takes an extra 10 minutes to do so and doesn’t consume the spell from their book like how scrolls get used up. Otherwise no, a wizard cannot cast spells from their spellbook like scrolls. (A “Grimoire” is a specific thing, so I’ll refer to a wizard's “spellbook” to avoid confusion.”)
No, spellbooks do not come pre-loaded with every spell. A wizard must first “learn” a new spell either by leveling up or by copying it from a scroll or spellbook and scribing it into their own spellbook. The spells they automatically learn by leveling up get entered into their spellbook for free, the ones from scrolls must be entered at a cost of time and money to the wizard. The wizard can then prepare those spells normally. On the DDB character sheet this is represented by your having to first “add” spells to the “spellbook” so that you can then “prepare” them. Please see the brief video in the spoiler below for a quick 40 second demo.
5e is so completely different from 1e that it may as well be a different game in a lot of ways. However, you are correct that a spellbook would be pretty much valueless if it could be replaced at a bookseller. That’s part of why a wizard’s spellbook does not come with all spells prescribed.
Sorry Cybermind but I have to disagree one one thing you said - sort of. What you or your fellows, especially the DM, played in the past may have a significant impact. Many house rules are carry overs from earlier editions. In this case casting a spell from your spellbook like a scroll was RAW in some earlier editions , But , doing so wiped the spell from the spellbook. It’s true that that is no longer RAW but it has stuck around at a number of tables, including mine, as a house rule. So it might well be a house rule at the OP’s table even if they don’t know its origin. As for a standard spellbook containing all the spells - agreed not RW, not RAI, should simply be NOT! There are some magic items from Tasha that state that they contain selected spells of higher level that I’ve seen discussions of here over whether a lower level/multiclass caster with higher level slots could prepare and or cast them. If I’m remembering correctly the general consensus was that they could not. But the descriptions of the items could possibly suggest to some that they held all the spells in them. My take was that they contained the specified spells and any others that the DM wanted to add (but shouldn’t contain more than a few additional spells).
I thank you for the reference. I kept missing it and so did all other members (though I suspect some did so in case they chose a wizard in the future) including the GM. I tried pointing to references in other 5e books but they said the Player's Handbook would have mentioned if that was supposed to be the rule.
The question is does a wizard need to add spells to their grimoire (my contention) or are all possible spells (at least those purchased) included in every wizard grimoire?
Our GM is new to D&D. She has only read the 5e GM Guide, Monster Manual, Player's Handbook, and stuff in the various adventures. Apparently in the PH and the DMG there is no mention of wizards adding spells to their grimoire.
It is not that I have played 1e. I normally play rogue types. Our group for some reason has in 2+ years never had an arcane spell caster other than those with no grimoire (sorceror, warlock, bard). This time the GM's husband chose to be the rogue, and we have a ranger, fighter, fighter, cleric, bard, so that left me to take the arcane spellcaster and I chose wizard which means a grimoire.
I did read the Player's Handbook and it does not say anything in the Player's Handbook about having to acquire spells to add to my grimoire. I think not mentioning is an oversight based on most players having played previous editions where building a grimoire was required and/or expecting knowledge from most other fantasy roleplaying games requiring building a grimoire.
The fact the DnDBeyond character sheet (I consider an oversight not deliberate) does not have a way to indicate what spells are in your grimoire. They considered proof all grimoires are identical with all possible spells. Based on this attitude if one were to acquire Vecna's, Elminster's, Bigby's, Mordecainen's, ... grimoires they are at most common items for selling. A party member keeping such an item would make no sense except to help start campfires.
I had a long argument. The GM gave in and the ruling will only apply to me, that I start with the starting spells in my grimoire and I must acquire further spells. Any future wizard played by any other member of our gaming group will automatically start with all spells for every level in their starting grimoires.
The question is does a wizard need to add spells to their grimoire (my contention) or are all possible spells (at least those purchased) included in every wizard grimoire?
Our GM is new to D&D. She has only read the 5e GM Guide, Monster Manual, Player's Handbook, and stuff in the various adventures. Apparently in the PH and the DMG there is no mention of wizards adding spells to their grimoire.
It is not that I have played 1e. I normally play rogue types. Our group for some reason has in 2+ years never had an arcane spell caster other than those with no grimoire (sorceror, warlock, bard). This time the GM's husband chose to be the rogue, and we have a ranger, fighter, fighter, cleric, bard, so that left me to take the arcane spellcaster and I chose wizard which means a grimoire.
I did read the Player's Handbook and it does not say anything in the Player's Handbook about having to acquire spells to add to my grimoire. I think not mentioning is an oversight based on most players having played previous editions where building a grimoire was required and/or expecting knowledge from most other fantasy roleplaying games requiring building a grimoire. The fact the DnDBeyond character sheet does not have a way to indicate what spells are in your grimoire. They considered proof all grimoires are identical with all possible spells. Based on this attitude if one were to acquire Vecna's, Elminster's, Bigby's, Mordecainen's, ... grimoires they are at most common items for selling. A party member keeping such an item would make no sense except to help start campfires.
I had a long argument. The GM gave in and the ruling will only apply to me, that I start with the starting spells in my grimoire and I must acquire further spells. Any future wizard played by any other member of our gaming group will automatically start with all spells for every level in their starting grimoires.
This has been answered. The description of the grimoire says it is a spellbook and offers no modification to that regarding the presence of spells, so it follows the rules of a spellbook. The spellbook rules have been copied out in the thread.
A spellbook (and therefore a grimoire) starts empty. You have to add spells to it. The DM is free to add spells to the spellbook/grimoire (like as though another Wizard had written their spells in it), but it's not the default state of spellbooks/grimoires, as it were.
Previous editions are to be ignored. People like me who came in 5e would only get confused by the various references and callbacks, it's not like the manuals are crystal clear as it is. It's easier (and cheaper) to just declare each edition as a clean slate than to try and patch previous editions or try to account for them. The descriptions say what they say - it'll be much less confusing if you don't try to bring previous editions with you when reading them.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
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1. Can a wizard cast a spell inscribed in their spell book (grimoire) like a scroll?
2. Does a grimoire automatically have ALL wizard spells or must wizards find/purchase scrolls and former personal grimoires and inscribe the spells into their personal grimoire?
This question is born from the DnDBeyond character sheets not having a way to mark spells inscribed. My group is stating ALL spells automatically come in all copies of spell books. The wizard need only choose what spells they wish to memorize from a list of all possible (D&D source books purchased) when changing spells much like a cleric need only pray to their deity and it becomes prepared.
3. I am the only wizard in our group. I admit I have been playing since 1e. Grimoires were very valuable. If all spells are automatically included in every grimoire, then spell books are meaningless unless a wizard has it taken away.
Assuming you're talking about the magic item from TCoE:
1. As in, cast the spell in the grimoire as though it were a scroll, ie not take a spell slot? No. It functions as a normal spellbook in that manner.
2. No. Again,.it functions as a normal spellbook, you have to pay to add more spells etc. Unless you're DM gives it to you with all the spells in.
Note: If your DM says that all spellbooks have all spells...then that is true for your game. That is not RAW though, and actually in some ways takes away from the Wizard (not mechanically, but in terms of roleplaying) because they have a significant chunk of their flavour and mechanics as hunting down those spells. It also renders the Wizard potentially OP. RAW is that they start with 6 spells, then they get to add two spells for free each time they level up. They can also find spells in spellbooks and scrolls, and potentially pay to add them to their own spellbook, granting them the ability to cast them themselves.
As for official rulings, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://media.wizards.com/2020/dnd/downloads/SA-Compendium.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiBmZTj0Jb_AhVYi_0HHV6tAmAQFnoECAkQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1Y6fU5O1-JG6oPn2LA8aN- has a bunch (the link is for a download of the PDF, so you're aware). You could Tweet @JeremyECrawford but I don't know how reliable that is.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
I'm just gonna assume you're talking about normal spellbooks and not a magic item or whatever.
1. No. You still need to prepare your spells, and you still expend spell slots. It's not a magic item, just normal paper with instructions for casting a spell written on it.
2. No. Wizards do not automatically have every wizard spell in a spellbook, they need to copy the spells themselves.
Your group is incorrect for Wizards. Wizards have to find the spells to inscribe, typically as an apprentice taught by Wizard or scrolls. You do not have all spells in the spell book. For power gaming reasons, players are often allowed to pick whatever spell they want as a wizard. You can just state to the party, what would the King say about all these Wizards running around with Wish inscribed in their book able to become the king in a cast, let alone the spell cost to inscribe the spell would be impossible for a level 1 character to have that much gold, most level 15 wizards couldn't have all the spells in the game inscribed At best, its 10gp per level for making a backup of your spell book, meaning some poor mage would have to have bought all spells at 50gp a level and then is chained to a spell book factory and is inscribing a spell book every few months..
The DM can give or limit the spells the Wizard get access to by limiting spells by scroll found or bought, talking to wizards and buying the spells from them or what their master teach them. It gives a roleplay reason for a Wizard to go out into the city trying to find someone with that spell they really want. In the past, I've done odd levels the Wizard can find that spell they really want through roleplay and on even levels, its random for what will be available for that level.
No and Yes, depending on the spell. The spell book is used to prepare Wizard Level + Int Mod number of spells from the book into their mind. The wizard can then cast those prepared spells without the book using spell slots. However, if a spell has the ritual tag the wizard can use the book to cast that spell as a ritual, without needing to have the book prepared and without using a spell slot - but the casting time is increased by 10 minutes. This only applies to spells of 1st level or higher. Cantrips work differently: the Wizard gets cantrips at certain levels which are always fixed in their mind and do not get changed or prepared. There is, however, an optional feature from Tasha's that lets them swap out 1 cantrip every Long Rest.
No and kinda. So the spell books do not have all spells in them. A wizard may automatically add 6 spells when they take their 1st level in Wizard and adds 2 spells every time they gain a Wizard level. By 20th level they will have added 44 total spells to their spellbook using this method. Adding these spells is free and you choose any that are appropriate from the Wizard spell list.
In addition to those spells gained by levels they can also scribe spells. If the wizard finds a wizard spell in a spell scroll, another spell book, or taught to them by a mentor or similar, they can add that spell to their spell books, known as Scribing a spell. Scribing costs gold and time.
There are rules about what spells you can add to the spell book. See the Spellcasting feature for the Wizard.
Your group are idiots. Don't rely on them. Instead read the Spellcasting feature for the Wizard, it tells you quite plainly how this works.
Here it is:
What you have played before is irrelevant. 5th Edition will have its own set of rules and a lot has changed. For example, metamagic used to be a Wizard thing in 3rd edition, it is now a Sorcerer thing in 5th. There's a lot of changes. To play 5th edition should require a complete and total separation from everything you know, rules-wise, from any other edition. It is its own game.
If you are the wizard you should read the Wizard class. No offence but it sounds like you haven't done that. At all. All of your questions from in-post would have been easily and instantly answered.
----
Your subject question: "How do I contact Hasbro for official rulings?"
You can't and don't. The official rulings are in the book and what your DM decides (and of those two, the DM's is more important). Nothing else matters. There is "Sage Advice" which is not to provide "official rulings" but rather to provide clarification on "rules as written" and "rules as intended" - and neither of those matter in the slightest if you/your DM prefer to play a different way.
Your DM can very well state "wizards know all spells and can cast Wish 2 million times a day" and it would be the official ruling for your game.
Read the book. Talk to DM. That's all you need.
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Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
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As others have stated to one degree of correctness or another:
On the DDB character sheet this is represented by your having to first “add” spells to the “spellbook” so that you can then “prepare” them. Please see the brief video in the spoiler below for a quick 40 second demo.
Welcome to 5e!!
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Sorry Cybermind but I have to disagree one one thing you said - sort of. What you or your fellows, especially the DM, played in the past may have a significant impact. Many house rules are carry overs from earlier editions. In this case casting a spell from your spellbook like a scroll was RAW in some earlier editions , But , doing so wiped the spell from the spellbook. It’s true that that is no longer RAW but it has stuck around at a number of tables, including mine, as a house rule. So it might well be a house rule at the OP’s table even if they don’t know its origin. As for a standard spellbook containing all the spells - agreed not RW, not RAI, should simply be NOT! There are some magic items from Tasha that state that they contain selected spells of higher level that I’ve seen discussions of here over whether a lower level/multiclass caster with higher level slots could prepare and or cast them. If I’m remembering correctly the general consensus was that they could not. But the descriptions of the items could possibly suggest to some that they held all the spells in them. My take was that they contained the specified spells and any others that the DM wanted to add (but shouldn’t contain more than a few additional spells).
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Long before I felt the need to contact hasbro for a ruling I would find another table.
CENSORSHIP IS THE TOOL OF COWARDS and WANNA BE TYRANTS.
Or ask in the Rules section here.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I thank you for the reference. I kept missing it and so did all other members (though I suspect some did so in case they chose a wizard in the future) including the GM. I tried pointing to references in other 5e books but they said the Player's Handbook would have mentioned if that was supposed to be the rule.
The question is does a wizard need to add spells to their grimoire (my contention) or are all possible spells (at least those purchased) included in every wizard grimoire?
Our GM is new to D&D. She has only read the 5e GM Guide, Monster Manual, Player's Handbook, and stuff in the various adventures. Apparently in the PH and the DMG there is no mention of wizards adding spells to their grimoire.
It is not that I have played 1e. I normally play rogue types. Our group for some reason has in 2+ years never had an arcane spell caster other than those with no grimoire (sorceror, warlock, bard). This time the GM's husband chose to be the rogue, and we have a ranger, fighter, fighter, cleric, bard, so that left me to take the arcane spellcaster and I chose wizard which means a grimoire.
I did read the Player's Handbook and it does not say anything in the Player's Handbook about having to acquire spells to add to my grimoire. I think not mentioning is an oversight based on most players having played previous editions where building a grimoire was required and/or expecting knowledge from most other fantasy roleplaying games requiring building a grimoire.
The fact the DnDBeyond character sheet (I consider an oversight not deliberate) does not have a way to indicate what spells are in your grimoire. They considered proof all grimoires are identical with all possible spells. Based on this attitude if one were to acquire Vecna's, Elminster's, Bigby's, Mordecainen's, ... grimoires they are at most common items for selling. A party member keeping such an item would make no sense except to help start campfires.
I had a long argument. The GM gave in and the ruling will only apply to me, that I start with the starting spells in my grimoire and I must acquire further spells. Any future wizard played by any other member of our gaming group will automatically start with all spells for every level in their starting grimoires.
This has been answered. The description of the grimoire says it is a spellbook and offers no modification to that regarding the presence of spells, so it follows the rules of a spellbook. The spellbook rules have been copied out in the thread.
A spellbook (and therefore a grimoire) starts empty. You have to add spells to it. The DM is free to add spells to the spellbook/grimoire (like as though another Wizard had written their spells in it), but it's not the default state of spellbooks/grimoires, as it were.
Previous editions are to be ignored. People like me who came in 5e would only get confused by the various references and callbacks, it's not like the manuals are crystal clear as it is. It's easier (and cheaper) to just declare each edition as a clean slate than to try and patch previous editions or try to account for them. The descriptions say what they say - it'll be much less confusing if you don't try to bring previous editions with you when reading them.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.