rules 1 - Terms of Service/Forum Rules

September 21, 2008

POTTERSWORLD
TERMS OF SERVICE (ToS)
&
General Forum Rules

Board Management

Account Creation

Account Management

Your Panel

Conduct Rules

By joining Potter's World you indicate that you have read and do agree to abide by these rules. Failure to do so may result in warnings, disciplinary action, or removal from the boards.

September 21, 2008

Legalities

The following Terms of Service (ToS) and General Forum Rules are intended solely for Pottersworld.org. It may not be copied in whole or part in any form (electronic or otherwise) without the prior consent of the owner.

Disclaimers

Potters World is an unofficial, not for profit RPG fan site, and is in no way connected with J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Publishing or Warner Bros. We are not endorsed by any of the aforementioned parties, and we do not stand with or support any of them in their opinions of bigotry or prejudices against the LGBTQ+ community, racism, sexism, and other hurtful and targeted views toward minority groups. Potter's World is an open and accepting community and we do not, nor will we ever, support acts mentioned above toward members in and outside our community.

The rights to characters and their images created by J.K. Rowling is neither claimed nor implied.

The use of names, photographs, and/or the likeness of any person on Potter's World, whether they are on the Character Face Masterlist or not, does not imply endorsement or affiliation of any kind.

I. Monitoring and Content

PottersWorld.org will make every effort to monitor its discussion boards, postings, and outbound links for material we consider inappropriate, but does not guarantee suitability of content for all readers. You acknowledge that PottersWorld.org is viewed/read at your own risk.

If you come across material which you find offensive or inappropriate, please contact the staff.

While the administrators and moderators of this site will attempt to remove or edit any generally objectionable material as quickly as possible, it is impossible to review every post. Therefore, you acknowledge that all posts made to this site express the views and opinions of the authors and NOT the webmaster, administrators, staff, and moderators and hence they will not be held liable.

II. Links

Although we may provide links to other websites, we are not responsible for any material at these sites. You acknowledge that you visit these other websites at your own risk.

III. Our Privacy Policy

Any information given to us (email address, name, etc.) will not be given to anyone outside the staff of this site and will be used ONLY for contact purposes concerning this site. We will not email you unless it directly concerns this site. While this information will not be disclosed to any third party without your consent, the webmaster, administrators, staff and moderators cannot be held responsible for any hacking attempt that may lead to the data being compromised or corrupted.

IV. Removal of Material

Although PottersWorld.org encourages creativity and discussion, we reserve the right to remove, limit access to, or censor posts, threads, or other material that we believe are inappropriate for this website at any time based on the terms and conditions within this document or other administrative documents within the site.

V. Copyright Disclaimer

Copyright and Intellectual Property Disclaimer. By agreeing to become a staff, member, prefect, or any character classified as a "stock" character, you agree that all characters, graphics, assignments, documents, rules or textbooks created in the commission of Potters World and any of its affiliates becomes the property of Potters World. We reserve the right to reproduce, edit or delete any content as the need arises. Upon your departure of Potters World, you agree to relinquish all control to the intellectual property created in the commission of your association with the site and all property will be utilized how the site administrators deem fit. This disclaimer should not be construed to expand beyond the community of Potters World and/or any of its affiliates. Should you decide to post the character at another site, you do so with the understanding that this in no way diminishes the creative control Potters World site administrators exercise over the characters created at this site.

VI. Character Disclaimer

The staff at Potters World wish to acknowledge that your character(s) is/are yours, and you own the rights to the name, any artwork, and text you post with them. Because this is an interactive, role-playing community, by posting here, you give permission to the staff and other members to use your character's name and prior actions as part of the game, and as part of that interaction.

What does that mean?

Basically what this says is that by creating an account and posting on Potters World, you give up sole ownership of this character and its name but only under the following conditions:

Other characters are allowed to talk about your character within the context of the game.

If your character "dies" within the game, or is deleted (either at your request or by the staff), other characters can and may continue to talk about your character, using your character's name and events posted by you previously on the board (other characters will NOT be allowed to god-mode yours; in other words, give it actions that have not been created by you).

The staff of Potters World will make every effort to ensure that treatment of your character is handled in a sensitive manner, in good taste and within reasonable bounds. That is, once you leave our site, you can reasonably expect that what you have done here will not be exploited in a way that is unfit or unseemly for their character's reputation or yours.

Your Control

As a member of Potters World who runs on free and voluntarily service of its staff, your status as a guest entitles you to a reasonable (but not total ) amount of control over your creation. Because this is an "interactive" game -- not a personal story but an interactive multi-player activity -- it is impossible to expect 100% control over your creation. By posting here, you acknowledge that you give up some of that control.

Following is a copy of what you agreed to when you signed up an account:

On 2/5/2022 at 4:35 PM, Governor Scottie said:

Forum Terms & Rules

Please take a moment to review these rules detailed below. If you agree with them and wish to proceed with the registration, simply click the "Register" button below. To cancel this registration, simply hit the 'back' button on your browser.

Please remember that we are not responsible for any messages posted. We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message.

The messages express the views of the author of the message, not necessarily the views of this bulletin board. Any user who feels that a posted message is objectionable is encouraged to contact us immediately by email. We have the ability to remove objectionable messages and we will make every effort to do so, within a reasonable time frame, if we determine that removal is necessary.

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this bulletin board to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law.

You agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or by this bulletin board.

Copyright Disclaimer. Any graphic, assignment, or character that becomes a professor, shopkeeper, or ministry head becomes property of Potter’s World and any of its affiliates so, we maintain the right to reproduce, edit or delete any content if the need arises. The characters are your own creations, however, by using them and posting them on Potter’s World, you agree to a partnership of creative control. Upon your departure of Potter’s World, no matter the reason, all content will remain the property of Potter’s World.

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Revision History

14Nov2018 -- edited registration agreement on forum rules

03Jul2020 -- added to disclaimer to further clarify we do not stand with J.K. Rowling.
02Jan2021 -- added to disclaimer clarification on use of photos or likeness on PW.

September 21, 2008

Ratings

Potters World prides itself on being safe for users of all ages. While sometimes it can be hard for the limited staff to keep track of all Terms of Service/Forum Rules violations, we do our best to fairly and consistently enforce our rules and procedures. We also ask that our members help to dig up anything that may have slipped through the cracks, as it is not possible for us to read and review every piece of content posted on the board.

There are 2 levels of Ratings for PW: 15+ and Young Adult.

15+ Rule:

Where used:

If you are role playing a student, regardless of how old you are OOC, you must adhere to the 15+ rule in every IC (in character) area of the board no matter which other characters you are role playing with. All accounts must adhere to the 15+ rule when posting in OOC (out of character) areas, such as rules, sign-up topics, discussion topics, etc.

What it means:

It may be more appropriate for children/members who have acquired the developmental skills needed to distinguish between make-believe and reality. Themes and elements in your posts may include realistic fantasy, strong violence, and blood. It contains little or no sexual dialogue or situations.

Young Adult Rule:

Where used:

The use of the Young Adult rating can only be used by adult characters, and only when role playing with other adults. While student accounts OOC may view this material, they cannot role play being IC witnesses or being involved in any activity of a sexual nature. When role playing with students, adults must adhere to the 15+ rating.

What it means:

This rating means basically the same thing as the 15+ Rating -- with one addition: the ability to have moderately sexually suggestive material. Only adult characters may participate in such behaviour, as for the purposes of Potter's World, all students are considered "underage" and therefore any depiction or suggestion of minors engaging in sexually suggestive behaviour is illegal. Sex cannot be discussed with or between students. The way sex is addressed on PW should be in a mature, non-crude manner. We would prefer to focus on the 'before and after' instead of the 'during' when writing. Try and focus on the emotions of the moment instead of the physical aspects. Is your character nervous? Excited? Infatuated? As long as sex and intimate physical contact is addressed in a tasteful manner and does not occur in a public place (ie. park, workplace, shops, etc), it is acceptable on PW.

By joining Potter's World you indicate that you have read and do agree to abide by these rules. Failure to do so may result in warnings, disciplinary action or removal from the boards.
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Revision History

06JAN2011 -- reposting; formatting changes; changes to ratings (RP areas to 15+; OOC areas 12+)

10NOV2018 -- removed mentions of affiliation with FANFICTION.NET

02JUL2020 -- removed 12+ rule and changed where/how each rating is to be used

27MAR2022 -- removed 'look to the books' guidance

September 21, 2008

Forbidden Material

Posting or sharing of pornography, racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, ableist or otherwise discriminating or prejudicial remarks, threats of harm, material that breaks any law or otherwise totally unacceptable posts or links to pages that contain inappropriate material will not be tolerated. Such material is entirely at the discretion of the staff to judge.

Forbidden material can be (but is not exclusively):

rape
sexual deviancy (paraphilia)
suicide or suicidal threats
self-harm/cutting
physical child abuse (see below)
physical spouse/partner abuse (see below)
incest
student-teacher relationships
interactions based on dubious consent e.g. consumption or distribution of love/infatuation potions and/or spells
certain mental illnesses including (but not limited to) disordered eating, PTSD, and PND (see below)
life threathening illnesses including (but not limited to) allergies resulting in severe anaphylaxis, terminal cancer (see below)
expressions/actions that are bigoted or phobic toward a person's sexual orientation or gender identity (including but not limited to homophobia and transphobia)
expressions/actions of racism
expressions/actions of sexism
expressions/actions of ableism

Everyone on Pottersworld should be treated equally regardless of race, sex, gender identification, romantic and sexual orientation, national origin, native language, religion, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, pregnancy or any other characteristic protected by law both IC and OOC. The only IC exception to this are fictionalised traits such as blood status, and part-human/beings.

Characters may question, wonder about, and explore the characteristics mentioned above in whatever way they feel most comfortable. Although they can RP as being nervous or anxious as part of this process, they should not fear that they will be discriminated against as a result of these characteristics. Only fictional characteristics such as blood status can be the basis for discrimination on board.

Romance and Relationships

A relationship on Potter's World means that there is an established connection between individuals. These relationships can include characters who are romantically or non-romantically involved with each other, where they are in an established partnership. This can include, but is not limited to, calling each other partners or claiming to be dating, going on dates as a couple/throuple/etc., requited crushes, or having an established relationship where all partners involved agree they are together in some form other than friends.

When it comes to describing romantic encounters, please keep in mind how this is handled in Young Adult books and movies. A guide for what is acceptable is:

Hugging and snuggling is fine but rubbing may get you into trouble. Please keep the rubbing to hair, arms, faces, and backs.
Please keep your descriptions of physical contact to above the waist (the chest and private areas are off-limits).
Dancing on Pottersworld, particularly during various galas and events, consists of the rather old-fashioned but charming "ballroom" type dancing. If other dancing takes place, it should never consist of "descriptive grinding".

Students

While students are allowed and welcomed to have relationships while in Hogwarts, it does come with a few extra rules. Please note above for what the staff of Potter's World considers for relationships. In addition to the above, no student can be in a relationship with anyone that is two years younger or two years older than themselves. This means a 5th year can date a 7th year, but a 7th year cannot be in a relationship with a 4th year. However, the following situations are exempt from the year rule:

Unrequited Crushes - A 1st year can have a crush on a student that is more than two years older than them, provided that the crush is not reciprocated in any way.
Friend Dates - A 4th year could go on a date with a 7th year as friends only, meaning they cannot be in any sort of established relationship.
Yule Dates - A 4th year and a 7th year can go to Yule together provided they are going as friends only.

Marriage/Engagements

Marriage and engagements are permitted only between adult characters. A student must have graduated from Hogwarts before being allowed to be engaged.

Arranged Engagements/Marriages:

In canon, it's hinted that some pure-blood families, especially of a higher social position that could be considered something like the wizarding world's nobility, participate in arranged marriages. However, we want to be careful that this doesn't cross into a forbidden material like grooming or semi-slavery. When talking about or contemplating an arranged marriage please remember that not all arranged marriages are unwelcome. In some cultures, arranged marriages are common, welcomed, and can be requested by adult children. These can be supportive and happy marriages, and are not inherently forced, unwanted, or unhealthy. Reasons why someone may wish to request or agree to an arranged marriage could include social compatibility, shared values, and/or trust that their family would find them some suitable candidates.

If you want to work in arranged engagements/marriages into your plots, you must follow these rules:

An underaged student (one who is still at Hogwarts) may discuss their parents/relatives'/own desire for an arranged marriage.
This should not be something that has actually been arranged; students cannot get engaged or married -- only their "wishes" or that of their relatives can be discussed.
the student should not "agonize" over this. They can be irritated, angry, indifferent, or all for it, but they cannot be overly dramatic about it. Remember, while they are a student nothing can happen and when they are an adults, they will be able to decide what to do for themselves.
once a student reaches adulthood, the parents/relatives can press the issue of arranged engagement/marriage, but the only threats that can be used are of disowning or disinheriting. No physical violence or false imprisonment can ever be used.

While your character is welcome to have their personal opinions about their arranged marriage, please refrain from making generalisations regarding the situation surrounding all arranged marriages, particularly if these generalisations are based upon negative stereotypes.

Please read the +Adult World ToS for further information on marriages (student characters will not be able to view the Adult World ToS).

Pregnancy

Pregnancy and pregnancy scares (even joking about them) are not permitted among student characters. Adult characters are permitted to have children but must follow the rules for such laid out in the +Adult World ToS (student characters will not be able to view the Adult World ToS).

Illness & Death

Characters are allowed to get and role-play the usual temporary illnesses -- however, if an illness or ailment would impact a character's ability to use magic or another side effect that would greatly impact their ability to function in their daily life, that would need to be PCed. Example: A curse that causes a character to uncontrollably breath fire.

For characters referring to their NPC (non-playing character) relatives, they should avoid using terms like "cancer", "heart-attack" or any other life-threatening illnesses. We would strongly prefer that you use your imagination and come up with a magical illness, or keep your descriptions very vague.

Example:

'wasting disease', 'blood disorder' etc.

In the case of an onboard family member dying in any staff run plot, unless otherwise stated, the extended family would be informed by the Ministry or St. Mungo's of their loved one's passing.

Violence

Conflict will be a key element at Potters World. Good vs. Evil make for really exciting interactions and Potters World will provide many venues for that. Tough matches on the Quidditch Pitch, practice duels in the Dueling Arena at Hogwarts -- all are places that have a potential to bring some harm to your character or others.

Descriptions of wounds are allowed. Blood may be mentioned but try to keep the 'gore' down.
Physical fights between characters are allowed, but try to keep the age of the participants in mind. Younger fighters will probably be doing mostly shoving, while the older characters may get into more serious fights. Think of what the books have.
Any fights taking place at Hogwarts will be treated by the Prefects and Professors accordingly. As a general rule, fighting is not permitted in schools, so anyone fighting should be prepared to suffer the consequences from the Hogwarts staff. Fighting in public areas (open threads) WILL be noticed. Fighting in private areas (closed threads) may not.
Battles between characters should also avoid descriptions of terrible wounds. This will be easier in magical battles, but old-fashioned fist fights between opponents should concentrate on the conflict and the feelings (rage? fear?) of the individuals, not the various damage done to their bodies. Descriptions should be brief and then move on.
The Unforgivable Curses cannot even be attempted by students, even in jest. Adult characters wishing to use the Unforgivables will have to get permission from the staff via the Private Communication forum first.

Abuse/Harassment

Abuse and harrassment can be upsetting and triggering topics. Therefore the following rules apply:

Physical abuse is defined as any physical harm cause to an under-aged individual by an over-aged individual
No mention of prior physical abuse is allowed, even if it's in the distant past.
Mild neglect and psychological abuse are permitted to be mentioned on the board. If the staff deem the content to push the boundaries of appropriateness, it may be removed.
sexual abuse is defined as any abuse of a sexual nature (rape, forced groping, forced kissing) by any individual of any age.
sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome or inappropriate sexual remarks or physical advances.
No mention of sexual abuse.
No engaging in sexual harassment from playing characters, this includes non-consensual kissing.
Students cannot play out the "forced kissing" game. This includes, but is not limited to mistletoe where kissing is required to get out from under it, truth or dare, and spin the bottle.
Please remember, just as in real life, consent for intimate contact should be clear between both parties. Any type of intimate contact that has not been planned IC needs to allow both members to disengage from the contact at any point, including before contact is made. (Ex. In the event of a surprise kiss, the individual not expecting it should still have the chance to avoid the contact if they do not want it).
Neither students nor adults can partake in the making of, distribution of, or taking of love/infatuation potions or spells as these can lead to non-consensual interactions.

"neglect"

-- to pay little or no attention to; to fail to care for or attend to properly

"abuse"

-- to hurt or injure

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence refers to violence, abuse, and intimidation between people who are or have been in a relationship or cohabitate. This can be in reference to spouses, significant others, sexual partners, or ex-partners. This is not allowed to be RPed or referred to on PW. Slapping/hitting/throwing objects/hexing in this situation while in extreme anger is not permitted by anyone. This is up to the discretion of the staff. Playful punching, poking, tickling, etc. is, of course, allowed.

Mental Illness

Mental illness is a sensitive subject and so should be treated with maturity and compassion. Please keep in mind that everyone has mental health, and concerns with mental health happen on a continuum. With this in mind, the following applies:

Students may suffer from mild mental illness only, like mild anxiety and depression. Students may reference receiving treatment (counselling, medical assistance, etc.) for these illnesses from the hospital wing and St. Mungo's. However, these references should be kept vague and should not be roleplayed on board.
Adults may suffer from mild depression and anxiety. Moderate to severe cases must be applied for at the +Private Communication forum. Adult characters may reference seeking counselling or medical assistance. However, these references should be kept vague and not be role played out on the board.
Adults may suffer from temporary (6 IC months or less) defective reasoning ability, memory loss, and loose grip on reality if it is the result of a magical accident, malady, or battle (including Obliviation and other memory blocking charms). Anything that lasts longer than a term (OOC) or 1 year (IC) should be applied for through the Private Communication forum.
Due to the sensitive nature of these topics, the following cannot be RP'd or referenced on board:
- Mental illness with psychotic features;
- Suicide or suicidal ideation;
- Eating disorders;
- PTSD;
- Self-harm or self-injurious behaviours;
- Post-natal depression.
NPC characters may have mental illness provided all descriptions follow the rules in this section.
All roleplayed symptoms should be done sensitively and tastefully.

Please remember that what you are writing as fiction may be the lived experience of your roleplay partners and readers. It is important to be respectful in your depictions.

'Joking' about mental illness

Please be tasteful with your 'jokes.' Any joking around that seems to be intended maliciously will be deleted. While the majority of our site may be adults, please keep in mind that what one person may seem as a joke, would be considered hurtful and offensive to another.

Swearing

No severe swearing.

No profanity is allowed. Note that posting a single letter plus several asterisks (*) following it to simply indicate swearing is considered the same as swearing, and it will result in a warning.

Following are the only swear words that will be permitted:

Arse, Ass/Asshole: "Don't be an ass, James." "Goyle couldn't find his own asshole with a map and a flashlight."

Bastard: "I don't care what you think, Draco. You can be a right bastard at times!"

Bitch: "I wish she wouldn't act like such a bitch."

Bloody: "Bloody hell, Ron. Where did you get that?"

Bollocks:"That's bullocks and you know it, Ron!"

Bugger: "Bugger off, Fred."

Crap: "Ah crap, I tore my Charms essay!" "Well that's a load of crap!"

Darn: "Oh, darn! I forgot my Potions book in the common room. I'll be back in a minute."

Damn: "Damn it! - my pencil broke." (putting "god" in front of this word is NOT acceptable)

Hell: "Go to hell, Malfoy."

Piss, Pissed off: "Piss off, Granger!" "Once she hears about that, she's gonna be real pissed off!"

Poop: "I hate Care of Magical Creatures," exclaimed Parvati. "Just look at my new shoe, it's covered in unicorn poop!"

Prick: "You're such a prick!"

Shit: "Oh, shit." "That's bullshit."

Sod off: "I told him to sod off."

Sucked, Sucks: "That test today really sucked!" "Did you hear he made the Quidditch Team? That really sucks!"

PLEASE NOTE!

Some words are also censored (meaning you are not allowed to use them) that we do not consider appropriate for use on this board in any discussion, but that may not be considered a vulgarity.

Drinking/Drugs

Drinking

Drinking is permitted for Adult characters. Addictions to alcohol or displays of alcoholism are not. Alcohol use should not be treated as a commentary on real life societal issues. Adult characters are free to consume alcohol at their leisure, and even to drink in excess if wished, but should avoid any physical or emotional reliance on it. Alcohol can be consumed by adult characters and NPCs in the presence of students, however any outward or excessive signs of drunkenness cannot be violent or threatening, or endanger the health and safety of the student.

Smoking

Smoking is allowed ONLY by adult characters and NPCs. They may do so in the presence of students, however not in a manner that would jeopardise the health and safety of the child. No student may partake in smoking, pretend to smoke, or fantasise about smoking.

Drugs

Drugs are not allowed. This refers to regular, real-life street drugs or magical potions that mimic the effects of real-life street drugs e.g. hallucinogenics, etc. Magical potions, etc. that do not mimic real-life street drugs are the exception; these of course are allowed within reason, but no addictions are permitted. Love and infatuation potions/spells are also forbidden, due to their potential to result in non-consensual interations.

Content Warnings

We advise members to utilize content warnings for anything that might contain upsetting, triggering or expressly mature content. This can include but is not limited to topics allowed by our ToS such as violence, death, sex, etc. Our current tagging system allows for inclusion of two tags at a time and we advise the use of them in the following manner; CW: TOPIC. Should there be any issue with tags i.e. you are not the author of the original post, then content warnings should be included in the first editable post of a thread and the post where the topic is being written about in bold in the following manner; CW: TOPIC.

By joining Potter's World you indicate that you have read and do agree to abide by these rules. Failure to do so may result in warnings, disciplinary action or removal from the boards.

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Revision History

07JAN2011 -- reposting; formatting changes; changes to forced marriage rules, to reference to illnesses rules, separation of "forbidden materials" from ratings.

28NOV2015 -- changes to Illness/Death rules to include guidelines on allergies

08JUL2017 -- updates to the 'spousal abuse' section to widen it to 'domestic violence'
16MAR2017 -- Updates to the terminology used for same-sex relationships.
10NOV2018 -- moving of the 'Drinking/Drugs' section from the Adult ToS to the General ToS

02JUL2020 -- adjusting the drinking/smoking rules to make them permissible in student-viewable areas and added to forbidden material section

30DEC2020 -- clarifications on Arranged Engagements/Marriages being acceptable and asked for in some cultures.

01JAN2021-- defined what a relationship is and changed age different for under-aged relationships to two years difference.
02JAN2021 -- additions under abuse/harassment to include definitions of harassment and need for consent.

02JAN2021 -- addition of shit & prick as allowed swear words.

03APR2021 -- updates to 'Mental Illness' section

03JUL2021 -- updates to relationship and domestic violence sections.

02OCT21 -- rewording of same-sex relationships section, no rule change

28MAR22 -- removal of look to the books, adjustments to forbidden materials specifically relating to mental illnesses, physical illnesses, love potions and consent. Changes also made to jokes about mental illness, drugs. Added note on content warnings.
02APR22 -- updates to illness & death

September 21, 2008

Character Creation Rules

In any role-playing game, keeping good track of active players is essential. Please read through the following rules, then enter your character in the Character Role-Call thread in The Characters forum. All characters in this forum will be considered active unless further designated by the staff.

Guidelines and Rules for Character Creation

In choosing to represent an identity either separate or similar to your own, regardless of race, sex, gender identification, romantic and sexual orientation, national origin, native language, religion, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, pregnancy or otherwise, please remember that it is one facet of what makes a person whole. Exploration of these should ultimately enrich your character and offer representation without focusing on them in a fashion that might be upsetting, offensive or triggering to other members.

Choosing a Name

-- When registering, please use only the first and last name of your character. First names that are two parts may be registered without a hyphen (e.g., Ann Marie, Mary Ann, etc.). No middle names, titles, or initials are allowed. You are permitted to have a hyphenated first or last name, but bear in mind the space in the side panels only allows so much and may result in parts of your character name being cut off in the display of it to other members.

-- The following last name prefixes are permitted with a space between them and the last name:

Da
De
Del
Der
Dos
El
La
Le
O'
St
Van
Von

-- Anything beyond this list (that isn't along the same vein as the examples given above) must have staff approval before registration.
-- Your display name will be your character name. So please be sure that you enter the name of your character as your display name.
-- Do not register a canon character or surname without prior permission from the staff.
-- You cannot claim any sort of kinship or relation to any character (whether listed below or not) from the Harry Potter books without special permission of the staff.

Surnames (last names) on this list are never to be used:

Black
Crabbe
Dumbledore
Dursley
Goyle
Granger
Krum
Lestrange
Lockhart
Longbottom
Lovegood
Lupin
Malfoy
McGonagall
Moody
Patil
Pettigrew
Potter
Quirrell
Riddle
Scamander
Snape
Tonks
Umbridge
Weasley
Zabini

Changing Character Names

There may come a time where your character wishes to change their name. This is allowed and more information on how to do this can be found in this thread for students, and this thread for adults.

Choosing a Face

For instructions on choosing your character face (also known as a 'play-by'), please read the first post of the +Character Face Masterlist.

Changing a Face

There are a number of reasons you may want to change your face claim. You are allowed to do this regularly and for special circumstances. For more information on how to do this, please look to this thread for students, and this thread for adults.

Your Character's Backstory

-- All characters are unique individuals, but you should not start with any of the following to try to distinguish your character as different from the rest:

Descendant of a founder
Descendant of canon character
Part-anything other than human (we are all humans here, not vampires, not veela, not centaurs, giants, or other creatures as noble as they may be. The only exceptions are if these traits are in your family history, i.e. your great grandmother might have been a veela, but that doesn't mean that you have remarkable sway over men).
Having remarkable powers (no animagi, legillimens, occlumens, you can't start fires because you're mad, you can't freeze water with a glance).
Bizarre physical characteristics, like amazing eye colour that changes, hair that grows or shortens on its own, or any other physical attributes outside of what is in the "real world".
Having relations IC to anyone of a high status profile figures (such as anyone of royal decent, famous Quidditch players, world-known scientists etc)

Adoption/Guardianship

Under-aged characters (those who have not yet graduated from Hogwarts) may be adopted or taken under the guardianship of an on board adult character only under the following conditions:

-- You cannot advertise for an adult character to adopt you via the Help Want Ads forum or the OOC Forums.

-- You cannot mass-PM members controlling adult world characters to 'adopt' you.

-- You must properly set up and RP the set up for this by your character prior to the adoption (no "snap" decisions).

-- You cannot be "unadopted"; once the arrangement has been made, it cannot be undone unless the adult is deleted or dies.

-- The adopting adult character must apply through and adhere to the rules in the +Adoption Registry (viewable only to adults)

Once proper permission has been obtained, you can begin to RP this adult person as your adopted parent or guardian. You may meet them at the common student-adult areas such as Hogsmeade, the Owlery and Diagon Alley.

Offspring/Children

As Potters World continues to grow, so do the on board families. To avoid confusion and difficulties with generational lines, please review the guidelines listed below for both on-board and NPC families:

No two generations may attend Hogwarts at the same time. This means, no child can attend Hogwarts at the same time as their uncle/aunt.
For PW purposes, one generation includes any and all siblings (including half-siblings, step-siblings, and adopted siblings). This no longer includes cousins.
Once all siblings have graduated, generation rules between those siblings and their children no longer apply. If the children of one sibling all graduate, this does not effect the ability of other siblings to birth/adopt children, though please still be sensible about the amount of children born to a family and when they come on board. This amendment to the rule may be revoked if familial lines get out of hand once again.
Should a character marry into another family or be adopted into another family, they will take on the generational lines of their spouse or new siblings as well as their own line- to include the spouse's siblings.
No two (or more) siblings, half-siblings, step-siblings, or adopted siblings can enter Hogwarts in the same term (except for twins; see the "twins rule" above). If two unrelated characters share a sibling, then they will be classified within this group.

-- Please be sure to check family lines before submitting marriage applications as your spouse's children may affect your character's ability to birth or adopt a child and vice versa. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have checked this thoroughly, though the staff are certainly available to answer questions on specific instances.

-- A divorce or other familial separation will not void generational rules, unless the marriage involved no children (regardless of whether those children existed before or after the marriage, or if they were with another partner).

New students/siblings cannot be brought onto the board after the youngest existing student character in the family has graduated and is now in the Adult World. What that means is that if your character is currently the youngest student member of their family (or the only member) and they graduate, no additional siblings can enter Hogwarts.

-- The only exception to this rule is children born IC to existing families on the board. Parents can birth/adopt children up until the point that the youngest student child graduates - these new children can be brought onto the board.

-- Please keep this in mind when communicating with the handlers of family members and planning your own character's family. Communication is key, especially with larger families!

At this time, each adult may birth or adopt up to FIVE (5) children total. This includes all biological children, adopted children, step-children and children through extramarital relations that are acquired during a character's lifespan on Potters World. Per the above generational rules, familial bonds- to include that of parent/child- cannot be severed due to divorce. This means that children and step-children from previous marriages are included in this number. To accommodate special circumstances, please apply through the Private Communications forum.

To make this crystal clear:

Your character has older siblings (or is the only member of the family who has been in Hogwarts) who have already graduated and is currently up to a sixth year: the following term (said character will now be a seventh year) a new sibling can be born/adopted into the family and will be permitted to be registered as a student character, and go through Hogwarts
Your character has older siblings (or is the only member of the family who has been in Hogwarts) and is currently a seventh year: the following term (said character will now be an adult) no new siblings/students can be registered.
Your character is currently an adult and has no younger siblings - a new cousin can be registered as a first year

Rules/Regulations on Children of Deleted Characters Birthed Post Deletion

Children of deleted characters, that are birthed after the parent has been deleted, have additional rules that must be followed.

Express and direct permission from the handler of the deleted character(s) are required. This cannot be a screenshot, the handler(s) need to be contactable by members of the staff.
Deleted characters or adult non-played characters (NPC) children cannot have children with played characters that are on board or have been on board. This means that they can only have children with characters that have never been on board before, and these NPCs, per the birth registry, cannot have any connections to other on board families. (ie. your deleted character cannot have a child with another deleted character and then apply for that child to come on board).
If a deleted character had children before they deleted, this deleted character can only have up to 5 children total, per our family and birthing rules. (i.e Jane had 3 children before she deleted, then she can only have 2 more post deletion)
Deleted characters are not allowed to have children before they would have been allowed to on board. This means children can only be born after what would have been 4 full terms in the Adult World for the deleted character, and 4 RL months must have passed before these children can have on-board accounts. For example, if your character deleted in 5th year, this means you have to wait 6 full terms before they could birth/have a child born in the 7th term; 4 RL months will have to pass after that before the child could have an on-board account.
A person wishing to bring on a child of a deleted character must put the request through the Private Communications forum. If approved, the account must be a member-registered account. These accounts will not be eligible as an AW child account applications.
If a person without a character currently on board would like to bring on the child of a deleted character they must follow the same PC procedure through email with staff. The individual will need to prove they are the parent account of that child (by providing email used to register the parent account), or have permission from the parent account sent to staff. Staff will send approval or denial by email, and the account must be member registered.

Sorting

Please be aware of our procedure for the Sorting into the Hogwarts Houses. Characters will not be able to choose their own House, but they will have the opportunity to select one house veto. This veto will be considered while they are assigned to a House by the staff, but to accomodate equal distribution of characters to all four houses this may not always be guaranteed. Sorting will take place when a student posts in the Sorting area in the Great Hall Tuesday after registration has closed to new accounts and an admin is available to do them.

Gender

You may roleplay your character as having any gender identity that is applicable to them. The following rules apply to how gender identity-related topics may be roleplayed on board:

as the topic is sensitive and potentially triggering to some handlers, no characters may RP experiencing gender dysphoria;
characters may transition if they choose to, to any extent desired, and may reference having done so on board; however, the actual process should be kept vague (whether it is magic or non-magic) and should not be RP'd out.

Please remember that what you are writing as fiction may be the lived experience of your roleplay partners and readers. It is important to be respectful in your depictions.

Disabilities & Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity and disability are both included in this section because they aren't always discrete and to account for the possibility of overlap between many of the experiences that fall under the umbrella of disability and neurodiversity. You may roleplay your character as being neurodiverse or as having a disability, including the following:

Autism
ADHD
Learning disabilities: Dyslexia, Dyspraxia etc.
Visual Impairment i.e. blindness/impairment that is not improved with use of glasses/contact lenses.
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Physical disabilities that may or may not result in the requirement of additional mobility aids or prosthesis
Chronic Pain/Fatigue conditions

This is not an exhaustive list and others not mentioned within the current terms of service may be RP'd, however, as the umbrella of disability and neurodiversity is quite broad we ask that members contact the staff prior to actively doing so. This is to facilitate conversations and allow for expansion of both allowed and forbidden topics depending on severity and impact of the disability or neurodiversity in question.

At present, disability due to traumatic injury is not permitted for students as this would be a consequence of harm to a child which is not allowed. Adults may PC for injuries that do not fall within the current forbidden topics.

All handlers can RP the existence of accessibility aids and accommodations for their characters as is needed/desired, whether it's at school, at home, or at a place of employment. You may make use of your own ideas, whether magic or otherwise, but may also make use of the following suggestions (which may be updated from time to time):

Autism - Magically enchanted jewellery/clothing that helps with overstimulation through noise/light.
Deaf/Hard of Hearing - Spells that translate speaking into writtten text/sign language. Teaching aides who communicate lessons through signing.
Physical disability - Floating platforms within the castle allowing students to avoid the stairs/ modification of stairs into accessibility ramps
Physical disability - Floo and portrait access to/from certain areas of the castle
General - Hogwarts operates inclusive designs for learning into each classroom.
General - NPC carers/care providers for students at Hogwarts.
General - All accessibility spells will be castable by first year students.
General - Scribes, readers and extra time would be offered for all students who require extra time during examinations.
Autism - Quiet zones in the great hall with moderated light to assist with overstimulation
Autism - Hogwarts letters containing interactive maps with samplings of sounds, smells etc to assist with transitioning into a new environment.

Please remember that what you are writing as fiction may be the lived experience of your roleplay partners and readers. It is important to be respectful in your depictions.

Blood-Status

As you know from canon Harry Potter lore, a person's blood-status (also known as blood purity) refers to a concept within the wizarding world that distinguishes between individuals whose family have different levels of magical members. Because the idea of whether one's blood is "pure" or not could sometimes result in prejudice and conflict -- and because it was such an important part of the HP books and their plots -- we have decided to implement its use here. This may lead to future private or board plots in which your character's blood status (or lack thereof) could have an important impact. whatever your character's blood status is, is entirely up to you! The staff won't be watching to make sure your character "behaves like a pure-blood". This is for your use, and may come into future board plots but beyond that, the staff won't be much concerned with how you use this.

Therefore you will be able to add (or not) your blood status to your character panel (the sidebar area in your post that shows your avatar, your Year/Job, House, etc.), just like you do for your character's "location. To change this, go to Your Character's Name (in upper right hand corner) > Profile > Edit Profile > Blood Status.

For our purposes, there will be 4 classifications of blood status:

Pure-Blood -- Those individuals who "claim" that their family tree it pure and free of muggles. This would usually apply to those within 2 generations, though most families who proclaim themselves 'pure-bloods' may have the occasional muggle or squib in their family, but the family would disown such a disgraceful member and deny any knowledge of them. This is mostly a state of mind rather than actual biology.

Half-Blood -- Those individuals who are magical but have at least some family members within 2 generations who are muggle.

Muggle-Born -- Those individuals who are magical but have no magical family members for 2 generations are considered muggle-born.

Squib (Adults Only) -- Those individuals who are non-magical having at least one grandparent capable of producing magic.

Unknown -- Those individuals who, for whatever reason (personal plot, etc) have decided they are not going to reveal their blood status IC (in character). This can also apply to those characters who are adopted and/or do not know their blood status, or apply to those who don't really give a wet slap about blood status (despite what their family may think).

"2 Generations" -- defined as yourself, your parents and your grandparents. This also applies to anyone who is in the same generation as your parents and grandparents (for instance, your mother- and father's siblings, and your grandfather- and grandmother's siblings).

Twins

Twins are not permitted to be registered except by prior permission of the staff, obtained through the Private Communications Forum. If special permission is granted, it must be under the following circumstances:

Twin accounts will only be awarded to current, experienced players who have excellent activity records
The 2 accounts must be created and maintained by different players/handlers
The players/handlers must live in different households in order to avoid confusion with IP addresses. No exceptions.
If one twin fails to pass to the following year and the other passes, they will cease to be "twins", and be merely be siblings of different ages.

Relatives

Being part of a family may be extremely important to some characters and their development. There also appears to be a driving need among some members to bond together with other members and characters, and some have found the best way to do this is through creation of varying degrees of family.

Following are some rules and guidelines when having characters who are relatives.

Characters with the same last name can register in the same term provided they are not siblings, unless the siblings are twins and have received special permission through the Private Communication Forum to do so.
No two (or more) siblings, half-siblings, step-siblings, adopted siblings or siblings of siblings can enter Hogwarts in the same term (except for twins; see the "twins rule" above).
If an older sibling is held back due to inactive status, the younger sibling may move up as usual, even if it means they are in the same year. However, if an inactive character returns to find they are in the same year as a sibling, they will be required to either sever family ties and choose a new surname or they may choose to wait until after promotions are completed to return to active status and become the 'younger' sibling. Please be sure to contact a staff member immediately if this situation occurs.
This rule also applies to all forms of siblings including half-, step-, and adopted, and also extends to characters who share a common sibling but not parent.
"God-parents" do not count as relatives.
Please be mindful when planning siblings to ensure instances of non-sibling promotions do not hold up a sibling line. The staff recommends (though it's not required) to leave at least one term gap in between siblings. While family ties can be dissolved if a promotion/inactive/other concern occurs, it can be difficult process to role-play for all those involved.

Record-keeping

Sometimes, there is confusion between characters about who is related to whom. In order to share information about your family with other members (and cause less confusion for the staff), there is a place for you to enter your family information. This is located in +My Family Tree subforum (viewable to members only).

It is your responsibility to communicate with your relatives when you wish to bring on new relatives. It's only fair that they have some say in the matter.

Order of the Phoenix/Death Eater/Adrastus Initiative Relatives

As far as your character is concerned, the Order of the Phoenix is known to the public only as an old organization from Harry Potter's time, and was long ago disbanded first when Voldemort was defeated, and again after the Battle of Havencroft. Nobody today would have any concept that the Order of the Phoenix is an active, underground party. They are part of history only. The Death Eaters, on the other hand, have been confirmed to be at large once more and characters are permitted to react to this based upon their own opinions and experiences. No character can claim to know or suspect that any other character is a member of either organisation without explicitly being told by that character.

-- As a student you cannot claim that any relative (past or present) has ever been a member of either organisation, nor can you claim that any relative has been attacked or approached by them. The only exception to this is claiming that a relative fought at the Battle of Havencroft, as a one-off event. No affiliated character can reveal to a student that they are a member of these organisations under any circumstance except if that member is outed by a media organisation, at which point anyone, student or adult, is allowed to know.
-- As an adult, you can only claim relation to a NPC Death Eater through the Private Communication forum. This cannot be done for Order of the Phoenix relations, or by students.

-- The only exception to this is when an affiliated member is outed by a media organisation, at which point anyone, student or adult, is allowed to know.

Issues concerning your relation to the +Order of the Phoenix

Issues concerning your relation to the +Death Eaters

Issues concerning your relation to the +Adrastus Initiative

By joining Potter's World you indicate that you have read and do agree to abide by these rules. Failure to do so may result in warnings, disciplinary action or removal from the boards.

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Revision History

12JAN2011 -- reposting; formatting changes; major changes to relatives rules.

20JUN2011 -- added to rules regarding children of existing or past characters.
15JUL2011 -- added clarification about NPC parents in generational relationships.

28AUG2011 -- added note forbidding claiming relation to any canon characters.

22SEP2011 -- added section on "Blood Status".

12DEC2011 -- added to "Generational" rules; included information on new siblings becoming students after youngest child has graduated.

13JUL2012 -- edited "Twins" section; lengthened to include the matter of birthing children.

18AUG2015 -- re-added rule about relation to high profile figures.
01JAN2016 -- clarification to generational rules.
19FEB2016 -- changed information on the Chapter of Cadena to the Death Eaters.
28SEP2016 -- added information on number of children.

08JUL2017 -- amended generation rules to remove cousins.
16APR2017 -- added inactive sibling information.
07JUN2018 -- added information about relations to Order of the Phoenix/Death Eaters.
8NOV2018 -- changed blood status selection explanation to reflect new board.
02Jul2020 -- added special circumstances for faces changes and clarified rules on trans and non-binary characters.

01JAN2021 -- added template for special circumstances face claim change.

03APR2021 -- changes made to regulations on children of deleted characters.

03JUL 2021 -- Added Squib information and updated characters with the same last name rules.

02Oct2021 -- made edits regarding siblings of siblings and extramarital affairs.

28MAR2022 -- addition of information on changing character name/face, sorting, gender, disability, neurodiversity and the adrastus initiative.
02APR2022 -- Updated guidelines for character creation header information.

25JUN2022 --Addition to children of deleted characters to account for off board handlers.

September 21, 2008

Account Management, Multiple Accounts, and Alters

You alone are responsible for your account(s) -- please do not give your login/passwords to anyone.

When the same player/handler creates more than one account, we call this having an 'alter'. The first character created is referred to as the "primary" and any after that are "alters".

The following rules are in place for creating accounts:

For all Members:

You may not have more than 6 accounts total without special permission from the staff (handling of stock accounts does not count).
Should you choose, all of your characters may be Hogwarts at any given time.
You may not register more than 1 new account per term. Likewise members may not have two characters in the same year.
Members using the same IP address may register at the same time. Should they choose to do this please PM a staff member prior to registering the accounts.
- Failure to PM a staff member before registering will cause sorting to be placed on hold and a delay until things are figured out.

If you plan to request to have an account be deleted, or if an account is deleted due to inactivity:

You may create a new character after deleting a character. This means you may delete a character in one term then register a new character in the next. It also means you may delete a character in the same term you register a new character.
- Be advised if you have reached your max number of characters someone would need to be deleted before you register your new character. It's advisable to remember that staff do not delete characters while registration is happening. Failing to do this could cause your sorting to be placed on hold and a delay.

'On Hold'

If you are believed to have accidentally or intentionally violated the rules above, or there is a question over your eligibility to create a new character, your account will be placed 'on hold' during sorting. You will then be contacted by an administrator or staff member to gather more information on your past characters and anyone else using your IP address. If the situation is explained, then your character will be sorted as normal. If you are found to not be eligible to create the account in question, it will be deleted and you will not be allowed to create this account (or a new one) until you are eligible. An administrator will explain the reason(s) why the account won't move past sorting and when you are eligible to create an account again. If you know that you may have IP address problems prior to sorting, please reach out to a staff member to avoid having your character placed on hold.

A word about IPs

IP -- (internet protocol) - a special number assigned to your computer/internet connection; it is also a primary way for the staff to identify which accounts go with with member.

The only way the staff has to identify whether an account belongs an individual member is through the IP. Therefore, the above rules will apply to everyone's IPs. No IP will be allowed to register more than one account per term. No IP will be allowed to hold over 6 accounts to the same IP except by special permission of the staff.

The platform this board runs on is Invision Power Board (IPB) -- not to be confused with InvisionFree. IPB costs money to purchase and run, and therefore, it has far more to it than InvisionFree. We have the ability to link the IPs of accounts, and keep a record of which accounts are connected through the IP, including IPs that come from proxy companies and servers. However, your safety and privacy is of the utmost importance and this information will never be shared with anyone. It is only kept in order to link characters and handlers to their accounts.

Please note, only admins have access to current IP addresses. At no point are or will these IPs be shared with anyone. By joining PW and registering an account, you are agreeing to allowing staff to keep your IPs for this capacity.

By joining Potter's World you indicate that you have read and do agree to abide by these rules. Failure to do so may result in warnings, disciplinary action or removal from the boards.

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Revision History

02JUL2020 -- wording revision, added 'on hold' section, and combined 'Managing Your Account' post with 'Multiple Accounts or Alters'

11JAN12 -- splitting from character creation rules; adding more about separate IPs; adding/clarifying alter rules.
15JAN01 -- clarifying character deletion rules; including during registration weekend

29Mar2022 -- clarification on IPs

September 21, 2008

Signature/Avatar Rules

(how to show your character in the best light)

Once you have created your character, you may want to give them a face. Pictures (or graphics) are the easiest way to do this; they can be visually appealing (or menacing) to other characters and give a real flavour and dimension to your posts.

Below are the specifics of avatars, signatures and a guide to the information contained in your panel.

AVATARS/PROFILE PHOTO

The avatar is the small square picture that appears just under your display name in the upper left-hand side of a post and on your profile. Though small, this is a powerful picture; it is often the first thing a reader will see about your post. The following rules must apply to avatars:

must be no bigger than 200x200px (pixels) - note: this image will automatically adjust in size to fit your profile, side panel, and the forums
the image rated 15+ or lower
total file size used can be no bigger than 100kb

To set your avatar

Click on your character's name (ex. John Smith). This can found in the upper right-hand corner of your screen.
Click on profile photo. This can be found on the left side beneath the first letter of your character's name.
Select choose single file to upload directly from your device. Resize as needed. You will not be able to upload images greater than 0.1MB in size.
Click save.

You should now see your avatar displayed. If you have done these things and you receive an error message and/or your image does not display, try the following:

Refresh the page several times to see if it will appear.
Log off your account, clear your cache and cookies and then log back on.
Request or flatten your avatar image so that it is below 0.1MB in size.

SIGNATURES

A signature is the area of pictures/text that appears at the bottom of posts. The area can house a larger picture of your character and perhaps links to your character library or your on-board graphic gallery. It's a little piece of personality to follow your posts and in conjunction with the avatar, can really help define your character.

The following rules apply to signatures:

Images, links and text may be rated no higher than 15+. This means that the person in your signature (regardless of sex) cannot be showing uncovered skin below their 'nipple line' (including exposed back below this line, plunging neckline, and low sided shirts), or above their upper thigh (including midriff and buttocks). Pictures cannot be sexually provocative in nature or feature rude or inappropriate gestures. If you are unsure of whether a picture is appropriate or not, please ask a staff member.
You must not have more than four lines of text.
Simple, single color symbols are allowed within your four lines of text; symbols may not include emojis that are moving/sparkling/color changing. If the emoji isn't animated, then it is okay.
Images/pictures alone must be no larger than 500x200 total. This means that you can have multiple images side by side on a signature as long as the total dimensions is 500x200. (see illustration below)
Text appearing in the signature must be no bigger than the #14 setting on the font size selector.

To set your signature:

Click on your character's name. This can be found in the upper right-hand corner of your screen.
Click on account settings . This will appear in menu after step 1.
Select signature. This can be found on the left hand side of your screen.
Enter your text or create your links to your pictures.
Click on save.

You should now see your signature displayed.

Signature Content

Because this forum is acting as a role-playing setting, please use only character-related or plot-line related material in your signatures. Graphics of your character or themes along those lines are fine, things that may show what your character is like. However, please do not put items that have nothing to do with the game or your character in your signature, i.e. your favorite rock-band's logo, your own website, your favorite TV show. The only exception to this is that you are allowed a an acknowledgment to the artist who did your graphics.

Members are allowed to use lines and quotes not written by them in their signature graphics (pictures) and in their text without providing credit to the original author. However, you are allowed only 3 lines of uncredited quotes per post. Three (3) lines can be as much as three full sentences from a story, 3 lines from a song or poem (that is to say three lines only - not sentences - and therefore this cannot be an entire stanza if it is longer). If you use 4 lines, you must provide credit to the author or musical artist (you are not allowed to use more than 4 lines, under any circumstance. If you are ever unsure, Google the lyrics to get an accurate representation of the number of lines something may have. AZ Lyrics (12+) is the most popular website when staff search the amount of quoted material, so more often than not, if this site says a quote has used three lines, we will accept it as three. For poems, we will be using the official author's poem.

If you use a quote from another character, even if it is only one line to describe your character, please credit the writer. You may use up to four sentences to quote something someone else has said about your character, but you must always provide credit regardless of the length of the quote used. In addition, if you use a quote from your own character in your Character Library, please credit it so prefects and the staff are aware of the author and to avoid confusion.

Any quoted material from the Potters World site (to include Quests, forum descriptions, etc) must also be credited to the site and may only be up to 4 lines in length.

If a quote is used that is a one-line slogan from a company, this will need to be acknowledged. (ie. the brand name)

Requesting an Avatar or Signature

If you are looking for someone to make a graphic for your character, you could request a graphic in the +Graphic Request Area, following the rules laid out there.

By joining Potter's World you indicate that you have read and do agree to abide by these rules. Failure to do so may result in warnings, disciplinary action or removal from the boards.

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Revision History

17JAN2011 -- reposting; format changes; rewording of reference to TDA and requesting artwork rules.
04JUN2011 -- removed reference to Graphics Central on this site; only TDA is now being referenced.

01JAN2015 -- clarification of quoting guidelines.

14NOV2018 -- removed graphics for groups/clubs.

08NOV2018 -- updated signature/avatar instructions to reflect new site.

002JUL2020 -- added clarification on what a 15+ image refers to.

01JAN2021 -- updated emoji rules.

29MAR2022 -- updated avatar instructions, removed references to TDA, removed gendered language.

September 21, 2008

Facebook and Other Social Media Sites

The staff would like to make it clear that we do not, nor do we plan to, step in on matters that happen off board on social media sites such as Facebook. We have OOC Forums that can be used for OOC communication here on the board and we encourage our members to utilize these forums to their advantage. However, we understand that social media can be a big part of the Potter's World experience but, by choosing to use Facebook or other social media platforms, we all run the risks of encountering bullying, harassment, and some downright hurtful/hateful material. If these instances occur we highly recommend the use of the block features your platforms allow.

This being said, there are special circumstances where we can and will step in on matters that happen on Facebook and other social media sites. These instances include, but are not limited to:

1. Copying Our Material

The staff of Potter's World reserve the right to protect our copyrighted material. If we discover that someone has copied graphics or texts from our site to one of their own, we will take whatever action is necessary to have it removed. We reserve the right to the material that is on this board and people found in violation of this may find themselves receiving an official violation on the board with one or more of their accounts.

2. Revealing Private Site Information

The staff defines private information as information that is privy to small groups of people (such as staff, prefects, co-leaders, Quidditch players, affiliates, ect.) that is intended to be kept a secret. If it is found you are sharing information on Potter's World or social media (whether on statuses, group chats, or other means of spreading information) with people that do not have access to the same information as you, you may find yourself receiving a violation for breaking this rule and removal from the group in question. We take trustworthiness of our members entrusted with this sort of information very seriously and revealing private information may impact you for future OOC perks like the ones mentioned above.

3. Research for Potential Promotion

The staff may use outside information, such as instances that take place on social media, when deciding important positions such as (but not limited to) prefect, club leaderships, Quidditch positions, and affiliations. We do not condone bullying or harassment in any form and if we hear about it taking place on social media it could very well impact your chances of being granted certain positions on board that allow you access to information that only a handful of members on board have access to. These instances will be decided on by a case by case basis.

4. Safety Concerns and Illegal Behavior

The staff realizes this may sound like a catch-all instance and this is because we want to encourage you to report instances to us on board through the PM system. As a staff we do our best to ensure that Potter's World is a safe, fun, and friendly place for all it's members. To do this we need to be made aware of what is taking place off board when they cross major lines because it is impossible for us to see and catch every status that does. Instances that falls in to this category are (but not limited to);

--- The non-consensual sharing of mature material of a sexual nature.

--- Sharing someone else's full name (first and last), their address, or other private information.

--- Threats of harm toward other members.

--- Stalking another member in any form.

A final word on social media platform and discussion of private matters.

The Staff reserve the right to defend any decision made about a handler/character on a social media platform if that handler forces us to do so. Most of the time, information about decisions is biased, and the Staff have never chosen to step in, however with social media as the primary medium of communication and several messages on "unfairness", the staff can and will defend a decision made if the handler is the first person to bring up a biased point of view.

The above is with the intention to eliminate the barriers and calls of "unfairness", both to the members and staff alike, and to improve the communication between all handlers.

September 21, 2008

Your Panel

Your panel is the area to the left of your post. It contains all sorts of information about your character, most of which is placed there by the system. It's a good idea to glance at this area every now and then -- some things will change periodically, perhaps without your knowing it!

The panel is also a good way to see the status and information of other characters. You will know which characters are which, how long they've been around, what their house is, etc.

A -- This is the name you registered under and will appear to all users.

B -- This is your Member Title. There are many sorts of titles, some are assigned by the staff, e.g. for stock characters, year tracking in prefects, meanwhile adult characters are able to choose their own titles.

C -- This is your chosen avatar.

D -- This is your assigned User Group banner. There are many types of User Groups -- it would be a good idea to keep an eye on your user group banner, because it can change at any time, indicating that you can see areas of the board you were never able to before. Reasons for the group banner changing MIGHT be post count, tasks performed, promotion to the next year, a new job, etc.

E -- This area shows your personal member statistics (post count and account creation date). You can also enter where your character is from.

F -- This is your Affiliation. If you are a student, this will show your House once you are sorted when you reach Hogwarts (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin). If you are an adult, this will either be blank, a feather (to indicate a member of the Order of the Phoenix), a Dark Mark (to indicate a member of the Death Eaters), or the Sun & Moon (to indicate a member of Adrastus).

G -- This is the Governor's Quality Poster Seal that awarded to member's who exhibit excellent writing and RPing skills.

H -- For students, this may show a Prefect badge; for adults, these two icons indicate their job title and shop/department of employment.

I -- This is the Quest Badge awarded to students that have completed a Quest for every term at Hogwarts. A more sparkly version is the Blitz Quest badge for students that have completed a Blitz. Only characters that have completed all seven Quests in Hogwarts may keep their Quest/Blitz badges into the Adult World.

J -- This is the Retired Citizen's badge for the characters that have successfully applied for retirement.

By joining Potter's World you indicate that you have read and do agree to abide by these rules. Failure to do so may result in warnings, disciplinary action or removal from the boards.

-------------
Revision History

14NOV18 -- updated graphic and section 'I' for Quest badge and section 'J' for Retired Citizen's badge
11FEB09 -- update graphic to include student & adult; updated some descriptions
12MAY31 -- updated section 'J' to include notes on how to determine how many posts would be needed for promotion
16FEB19 -- added Death Eater icon information

29MAR2022 -- added Adrastus information, updated member title details.

September 21, 2008

General Board Conduct

(the following rules apply to every location within PottersWorld)

1. Purpose

These forums have been set up for the sole purpose of providing a setting for a role-playing game based on the Harry Potter series of books. If you need to carry on a discussion into something unrelated, please move it offsite or to our +Out of Character Area. Before you joined the forum you agreed to its terms and conditions. If you decide not to abide by these conditions, your account here will be terminated.

2. Personal Info

Do not publish or otherwise give out any personal information about yourself or others, such as addresses, telephone numbers or full names.

Following is the copy of the Privacy Policy you have agreed to follow upon Registration:

On 2/5/2022 at 4:38 PM, Governor Scottie said:

Your privacy is important to us. To better protect your privacy we provide this notice explaining our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. To make this notice easy to find, we make it available in our footer and at every point where personally identifiable information may be requested.

Log files are maintained and analysed of all requests for files on this website's web servers. Log files do not capture personal information but do capture the user's IP address, which is automatically recognised by our web servers.

Our Commitment to Children's Privacy

Protecting the privacy of the very young is especially important. For that reason, we never collect or maintain information at our website from those we actually know are under 13, and no part of our website is structured to attract anyone under 13.

Cookies

This website does not store any information that would, on its own, allow us to identify individual users of this service without their permission. Any cookies that may be used by this website are used either solely on a per session basis or to maintain user preferences. Cookies are not shared with any third parties.

3. Treatment of Others

Please respect your fellow members. Rudeness, harassment, or abuse towards any member of the forums is prohibited. This includes incessant requests for a certain member to post or forcing them to RP scenes of issues that they may not be comfortable with.

Please read the article about Harassment +here

Bullying/Player Coercion

Potters World is an RPG accessed by people of all ages and backgrounds, and while all of our characters may be around the same age, it is important to be mindful of the age gap that does exist in real life. Some members are legally adults and others around their mid-teens (or younger) and while the romance here is 15+, be aware that some may not feel comfortable involving themselves in that kind of expression.

It is also important to remember that while your characters are friends/dating/mortal enemies, those dedications do not extend outside of what is being played on the board. No single person is obliged to RP with someone if they have other pursuits they wish to do with their characters. You have no say in how they spend their time here. It's not worth getting angry over if someone isn't replying as quickly as you want them to, or they are choosing to RP with someone else over you.

Try writing in a partnership and be understanding that sometimes inspiration and time constraints are a factor. A person may feel a strong tug towards another character or thread that does not involve you. Trying to force people to RP with you is bullying and will not be tolerated.

If you have heard of or are the victim of this kind of behavior, please don't hesitate to contact a Governor and we will investigate the matter.

4. Treatment of the Staff

Respect must also be extended to the staff, and this includes IC staff (prefects, professors, etc.) The staff work many, many long hours keeping this site working and thriving. Abuse to the staff will not be tolerated. If you ever have dealing with a staff member that you feel are incorrect or not fair, please contact another staff member. We are here to answer your questions, but please be patient when waiting for responses. The staff typically consult each other when receiving a PM from a member of the board that contains questions about the board, rules, etc. This can take some time and for particularly complex plots/issues it may require more than 10+ days for discussion, so please give the staff member you PM a week to respond to your PM before reaching out to another staff member.

If more than one week has passed and you have not received a response, you may PM another staff member. However, please be sure to inform the first staff member you PM'd that you have done so.

5. Board Moderation

We understand the desire to help, but if you're not a moderator, please don't moderate the board. You can offer helpful advice, especially to new characters/members. But please do not tell characters/members if they are doing something wrong. We do not want to place people in the position of judging each other; that is the staff's responsibility. Please report any rule breaking to the staff directly by PM or through the board's "report" button/system. Unlike the old system, the current board's reporting system only sends notifications about reported content to the Governors and Administrators of the board.

6. Board Promotion

Occasionally, we may need to take on additional staff. Trust that we will notice helpful people, and will potentially promote. But don't PM the staff asking for a promotion - we will approach you if we feel that you would be a good fit.

7. Song lyrics/Poems/Other quotes

OOC

You cannot use more than 4 lines of 'quoted' text per source (i.e., per song or poem, etc.) in a post. Quoted text is defined as anything that has come from an outside source; be it the internet, books, songs, poems, etc. that is not written by you as the author.

You can use up to 3 lines of quoted text without the need to credit the source. Most of the quoted text used on our site deals with song lyrics in the place of thread titles. While that particular title might be 'current', a good deal of the time it is actually a common phrase, or there are other songs that hold the same title.

If you are using the maximum of 4 lines of quoted text, it is considered specific enough -- and must be credited!

The exception to this rule is in the +Out of Character Area. Please abide by the rules laid out in that forum.

IC

If your character is writing songs or reciting poetry, please keep it to 4 lines per post even if you, the handler, are the author. If your character is quoting another character (such as in a written article or broadcast) IC, you are not limited to four lines. However, you must credit either in the article itself or in an OOC note at the bottom.

8. Translating Non-English Words/Phrases

It is permitted for members the use of up to five non-English words in your posts, signatures, profile page and elsewhere without a translation. However, if there is any more than this (for example, a full sentence with more than five words), then you must provide a translation in English. This can be in the form of a small note at the end. ANY and all non-English words must be translated if greater than the permitted five words. Non-English words that are commonly used in English (e.g., blasé, latte, deja vu, etc.) do not need to be translated. If in doubt about whether a word fits into this category, please ask or provide a translation if it's over five words.

9. No spamming

The following is considered spamming:

posts with under 50 words
posting in an old topic that hasn't been 'active' in over a month (31 days)
posting in an old topic whose character(s) has been deleted
posting in a topic, completely disregarding the people/setting/everything going on in it

Special Note: Any time the board is offline, either for a quarterly shutdown or for any other reasons, the spam dates are extended by that many days. For instance, if the board is offline for 7 days, then the spam date is extended 7 days. If the board is offline for 1 day, then the spam date is extended by 1 day.

To check whether a thread has gone to spam (e.g., it's been over 31 days), please use this link. If a week-long shutdown has occurred after the latest post in your thread, please use this link. You can reply to a thread if the last reply is on the same date generated through these links or later (e.g., if a thread's last reply is on May 2, and the link result says May 1, you are safe to post in that thread).

10. No double posting.

Double posting is making two or more consecutive posts. Doing this does not give others adequate time to reply. Edit your original post rather than make a new one if you decide you have more to say. There are areas around the board where double-posting IS permitted. Those will be marked specifically as such by instructions in that particular forum's pinned rules (example: The Owlery).

We do understand computer glitches do happen; if you accidentally double-posted the same thing, please report it in the Ask the Staff forum, to the pinned thread ("+Double Post Boo-Boo's"). It will be taken care of by the staff.

11. Linking

Because this is a role-playing game forum, linking to other websites is not permitted as we cannot verify or monitor the content of any outside websites.

No images may be put within individual posts unless you have prior permission of the staff. Characters may use handwritten signatures in letter posts only and images must be no bigger than 250 wide x 50 high. The lettering can be any color you wish but keep in mind legibility on board when choosing your colors.

You may not link to any threads you make in Potters World to "advertise" what you have written. The site is routinely cleaned out and so your link will at some point "die." Additionally, it's just not needed as the profile pages let readers follow your posts/topics anyway. The only exception is linking to your own Character Library thread.

12. OOC notes

OOC notes may be posted at the bottom of an IC post for many reasons, including (but not limited to):

credit a thread title
provide a translation
offer any additional rules to a post
indicate that a plot has had prior communication with the staff
indicate that a handler has given you permission to GM their character
provide a content warning.

In any case, please try and keep the OOC note brief and communicative. Where possible, it should not be used to provide any additional descriptions that can be worked into the prose, facilitate private OOC conversations between handlers, or to provide an edit history - these can be explained to other handlers through the messaging system. If you have any queries or concerns about OOC notes, please do feel free to message a member of staff.

13. Promotions of Other Sites

Topics and threads containing advertising or promoting other websites are not permitted.

14. Staying Active

Potters World is an active board, and we want active members. You must maintain a certain level of active role-playing on this site or your account may be subject to deletion.

Information on long-term absence or Inactive status is located +here.

All accounts that have been placed on Voluntary Inactive status for over 6 months will be deleted if the handlers do not make contact with staff before the 6 month period is up. When an adult witch/wizard has not made an RP post in a period of 2 months they are to be placed on Involuntary Inactive. If the handler of this account has other characters, they will also be placed on Involuntary Inactive regardless of their activity. Involuntary Inactive lasts for 2 months. If no staff contact has been made in this time, the accounts will be deleted. If the handler returns and then receives a second involuntary inactive status, the abandoned account(s) will be deleted immediately.

Student accounts that have not advanced a grade/year level in 3 terms will be deleted (Read more on this policy located +here in the Student Handbook). Once deleted, an account is gone forever.

15. Absences

Everyone needs to be absent at one time or another and we encourage all members to prioritize their real lives, including taking board absences whenever necessary. There are more explanations of this policy located in the first post of the +Absence Thread. Should you find yourself in a unique circumstance that might affect your ability to RP and handle requirements but do not feel comfortable posting on absence, please reach out to the staff member in charge of the area. We will do our best to accomodate.

16. Ask the Staff

With a number of ToS documents aimed towards general rules, adults and students, occasionally certain things may slip through the cracks or not be represenented. If or when you are in doubt that a particular action or plot line is ToS compliant, please feel free to ask the staff! The staff are any of the Governor or Magistrate accounts. We also encourage highlighting missing rules or amendments to the PW Suggestions thread.

If you have a question, you can post it on the general board in the +Ask the Staff forum. If you have a question you wish to PM a member of the staff, you can contact them via the +Staff Contact list.

If you have a specific plot idea that you are not sure about, you can contact specific staff by PM, or you can submit your idea through the +Private Communication forum.

By joining Potter's World you indicate that you have read and do agree to abide by these rules. Failure to do so may result in warnings, disciplinary action or removal from the boards.

-------------
Revision History

22JAN11 -- Simplifying lyrics/quotes rules; reformatting for clarity; clarifying spamming rules.

22JAN15 -- further clarification on crediting of quoted material.

06NOV15 -- updated image rules to include AW letter threads

14NOV18 -- adding the Privacy Policy agreement upon registration

02APR20 -- clarification on the spam date for threads.

28JUN20 -- change to allowed handwritten signature size and color

02JUL20-- added distinction between IC and OOC quoting

29MAR2022 -- Simplified information on spamming rules, contact times, information on absences, ask the staff.
02APR2022 -- added OOC notes

January 23, 2011

Character Conduct

Two very important distinctions need to be made when entering the role-playing world. They are "character" and "player".

Character -- the entity you created for PottersWorld, the one you registered with. Most characters on this board will start at students at Hogwarts.

Player -- the person behind the computer screen controlling the character. The real you. Also referred to as the "handler".

In Character (IC) vs. Out of Character (OOC)

In Character ('IC') refers to within the world of the characters, rather than the world of the players. That is, you should make decisions about actions based on what your character would do, how your character would behave based on his/her past actions and experiences. A character talking to another character is an IC interaction, set within the IC world, while two players talking using the personal messenger system or the OOC discussion areas about a real life football game or their real lives is an Out of Character ('OOC') interaction.

All posting at PW needs to be IC except for the following forums:

+The Characters (Roll call is to be OOC; How You Got You Letter is to be IC)
+Ask the Staff
+Out of Character Area
+Your Plot (and its subforums)
+The Adult Arena (and its subforums; visible to Adult characters only)

By joining Potter's World you indicate that you have read and do agree to abide by these rules. Failure to do so may result in warnings, disciplinary action or removal from the boards.

-------------
Revision History

02JUL2020 -- added link to OOC Area and removed unnecessary added explanation
04FEB11 -- reposting; formatting changes; rewording of what IC/OOC means to a player

January 23, 2011

Student Conduct

Rules concerning conduct and play for Student characters can be found in the +Student Handbook.

In the Student Handbook you will find rules encompassing all underaged characters and Hogwarts students including:

Hogwarts Staff, Professors, and Prefects
Class List for students including electives
Student life including detentions, special lessons, access to the Hospital Wing, Chamber of Secrets, and the Forbidden Porest
Class promotion and graduation
Activities outside of lessons including Quidditch, clubs, and party rules
Student access including dormitories and Hogwarts grounds
Personal conduct guide on romance, hobbies, dancing and keeping pets
Disciplinary protocols on bullying, curfew, possession of banned items, and fighting on Hogwarts grounds
Spell casting rules and duelling guidelines
School holidays, Internships, and Hogsmeade weekend rules

-------------
Revision History

14NOV18 -- adding index for the student handbook
11FEB04 -- reposting; formatting changes; rewording of what IC/OOC means to a player

January 23, 2011

Adult Conduct

Rules concerning conduct and play for Adult characters can be found in the +Adult World ToS. (note: this link is viewable to adult characters only)

In the Adult World Terms of Service, you will find rules for characters that have been allowed access in the AW including:

Character age guidelines for magical ability and standard age for reference
Relationship rules between adults and underaged characters
Ratings on sex, violence and mature themes
Rules on engagement/marriage, and divorce between characters including application
Rules on birthing/adopting a child and creation of child accounts
Spell casting and creation

-------------
Revision History

14NOV18 -- adding index for the student handbook

January 23, 2011

Disciplinary Policy

There are two kinds of disciplines at Potters World:

Discipline that is the result of breaking the forum rules as a handler. (OOC)
Discipline that is part of the game in-character, due to a character's actions. (IC)

There are also two types of ways you can receive discipline:

Warning - This is more of a 'heads up' kind of PM that will inform you of a mistake or a line that you may be about to cross. These warning PMs are to remind you of a rule so that you can rectify the situation yourself. Unless you are explicitly told that something will result in an infraction being added to your warn log, you are likely receiving a warning (of which no permanent record is kept and it will not be marked against you unless you continue the behaviour you were warned to cease).
IC/OOC infraction - Infractions are records made on your profile page (warn log) for your personal and staff viewing only. You will receive infractions for breaking in-character rules (e.g. your character threw a Fanged Frisbee and was caught by a Prefect), or OOC ones (e.g., you used too many lines for a signature quote or a font that is too big). By clicking on your Warning Points (on your character's profile), you will be able to access your permanent record to view any infractions that you may receive (which will also include miscellaneous records like class promotion or employment). If you receive a PM to inform you that you have received an infraction, it will likely not appear on your record until the end of term.

In Character (IC) Infractions

If the infraction is described as IC, this means your character is being warned for breaking a rule at Hogwarts (teasing the caretaker's cat, being out after curfew, getting caught with a forbidden item from Zonko's, etc). These warnings can be taken as board disciplines, but primarily they are part of the game. Your character should roleplay that they are serious, and, in some cases, a detention or other punishment is issued.

Please note: IC violations (in-character) are given only when your character acts in a manner outside of school rules and used mainly for tracking and game purposes. Your character may receive an IC violation if they are 'caught' doing something against the rules and a prefect catches them IC. Alternatively, an IC violation may be received if you submit a plot to the Private Communications Forum in which your character would likely be caught and receive a consequence. Please keep in mind that while prefects (in real life and on PW) simply can't catch everything, if you receive an IC violation, it is not a 'black mark' on your record. However, if you receive many IC violations (8...9...10 or so on), it may be considered before granting certain perks (like being made a Prefect, which requires IC that your character knows the school rules).

Out of Character (OOC) Infractions

If a message starts with OOC, this is a warning for you, the handler. These infractions are sometimes taken more seriously by the staff when it comes to considering your character for perks or entry to the Adult World. However, for the most part, OOC infractions are not given with the intent of scaring or worrying you as OOC infractions are a broad category that can range from small TOS breaks (e.g., using a signature graphic that is above the size limit of 500x200 pixels, etc.) to larger behavioural problems (e.g., OOC harassment, using slurs against handlers or characters, etc.).

While occasionally receiving minor OOC infractions won't stop you from receiving perks, having multiple serious OOC violations reflects poorly on your ability to follow the board rules, and may result in you missing out on opportunities that require thorough understanding of the rules. Even though OOC rule-breaking like oversized text and signatures may seem small or unimportant, we apply OOC infractions in these cases to ensure we are aware of repeat issues. This enables the staff to reach out, when necessary, to handlers who may be having difficulty understanding or following the rules.

Major Offence

Depending on the nature of the offence, your account may be suspended, deleted and/or your IP banned. In these cases, handlers are typically made aware via PM or through email of the problem and are given an opportunity to reply.

All infractions and other disciplinary matters will be entirely at the discretion of the webmaster, administrators, and moderators of Potters World. Please note that, in most cases, infractions and discipline are not decided by one individual and are typically discussed by the staff as a group before being implemented. However, if you believe a mistake has been made, please PM another member of staff to discuss.

By joining Potter's World you indicate that you have read and do agree to abide by these rules. Failure to do so may result in warnings, disciplinary action or removal from the boards.

-------------
Revision History

11FEB08 -- reposting; rewording to update current policies, emphasizing staff judgment

2APR16 -- clarification regarding IC violations

02MAY2016 -- addition of information on Social Media Platform communication

14NOV2018 -- editing Warn Logs to Warning Points to reflect the new board; adding note about advertising of social media platforms

02JUL2020 -- added clarification on ways to receive discipline and removed IC/OOC violation comparison

04JUL2020 -- moved social media information to it's own post

29MAR2022 -- rewording to update policies re infractions and IC/OOC clarifications

January 23, 2011

Role-Playing Rules and Guidelines

Rules for actual role-playing and how it's done on this board can be found in +How to Role-Play.

These are general board conventions we observe on board including:

Posting guidelines including post length, types of threads (open, closed etc.), tagging threads, editing, formatting, and previewing post
Using the quote box
Guidelines on writing a post including point of views, tense, grammar guidelines, and other board conventions
Tips such as avoiding god-moding and how to create a unique character
Role play terms commonly used on board

rules 1 - Terms of Service/Forum Rules

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