Getting Started

Welcome to Pottercraft! We hope you'll enjoy your time with us. Before you jump in, though, we need to go over a few things:

## Server Rules

1. Deliberate bullying, doxxing, usage of slurs, or discrimination is forbidden.
2. Profanity is okay in both OOC (out-of-character) and IC (in-character) channels. However, insulting profanity directed at someone OOC will result in disciplinary action.
3. Spamming and explicit adult themes are not allowed anywhere. Advertising may be allowed if obviously appropriate, e.g. sharing an art account in our dedicated OOC art channel. If in doubt, ask the admins!
4. Please be courteous and helpful to other players when you can; do not spread false information or trick them if they are trying to learn more about the server.
5. The server language is English; please provide a translation if you plan to send a message in another language.
6. Try to keep your posts on-topic for the channel; move between channels if you have to. Don't talk excessively ((out of character)) in RP channels.

The moderator team reserves the right to change or interpret these rules as necessary. If you behave poorly in a way not covered by one of these rules, we may still warn, kick, or ban you regardless. If you have concerns about another player's behavior, or questions or suggestions about the rules, talk to the mod team.

## Character Conduct

1. Keep your spells age-appropriate - children generally lack the power and emotional focus necessary to cast the Killing Curse, for instance.
2. Profanity and violence are allowed within reason, but excessive gore is not.
3. Older students may be shirtless, may kiss other characters with OOC consent, may flirt with other characters, and may consume alcohol during scenes. **We do not allow explicit intercourse scenes, complete nudity, or illegal drug usage during RP scenes.**
4. All location channels are Open RP, i.e. anyone can ask to join at any time using ((OOC chat)). All misc channels are closed unless otherwise stated. You may claim a misc channel if it has not been used in the past 24-48 hours. All long term channels are closed unless otherwise stated. You may claim a long term channel if it has not been used in the past 7 days.
5. **No metagaming.** You may know information OOC, but if your character is unaware, they should not be able to act on your OOC knowledge. Don't narrate other players' actions - you control your OC and any NPCs you introduce to the scene.
6. Do not let IC drama become OOC drama. We are all real people behind the keyboards. Dislike of a person's character choices does not justify disrespect.

Bad behavior IC may result in IC disciplinary action, e.g. fighting with other students, hate speech, theft, vandalism, and breaking curfew. The severity of the offense will determine the severity of the response.

## RP Conventions

If you're experienced in text-based RP, here's what you need to know:

> Unless otherwise explicitly stated or situationally appropriate, roleplay is written out in sentences and paragraphs, in third-person limited POV, in past tense.
>
>

If you're brand new and that sentence sounds like Ancient Greek, don't sweat it! Here's an example:

> Anya leaned over her charms textbook, frowning at the illustration. "I don't see what the point of the Tripping Jinx is," she complained to her neighbor Belle.
>
>

Quick review on person in English - first person is "I did X," sometimes seen in certain fanfics; second person is "You did X," usually seen in <Character x Reader> self-inserts; and third person is "<Character> did X," the most common format for Harry Potter fanfiction and the least jarring to read through. Limited POV means Anya, and therefore the narrator, can't tell what Belle is going to say next *because Belle is someone else's character.*

When you finish your part in the scene, ping whoever is ready to type next. This may be one or multiple people, depending on whether your group has chosen to abide by a specific typing order and how many are in the scene.

## Keep Reading if You're New to Discord

### Using Markdown

Discord uses a formatting language called Markdown. Here are some of the most common uses:

\*word\* becomes *word*, used for thoughts within a RP.

\*\*word\*\* becomes **word**, used to highlight good RP opportunities in prompt-based classes.

~~word~~ becomes ~~word~~, used mostly in OOC channels for shenanigans and memery

```word``` and `word` are both ways of formatting block quotes; the former is single-line, while the latter contains multiple lines. These are used to take notes in class, to send owls, and to post to the bulletin board(s).

### OOC Chat

((This is the standard way to signal the switch to OOC in a RP channel.))

[This may also be used,] {as may these.}

The three above are the most common, but we prefer double parentheses, as they're generally easier to type.

### Pings, Roles, and Notifications

To ping someone in Discord, type @ and then either their server-specific nickname (usually their character name) or their username (listed in your friends list or shown when you click on the person's profile picture). This will notify them to check a specific channel. You can ping groups of people who serve a specific function by typing @ and then the group name, for example @Professor, @Ministry, or @Lore Team (none of which exist under those names in the server). If you're playing with a character who is an alt of another character, check with them to see which character they prefer to have pinged in case they have to switch the mobile app and are logged in under a different account.

If you have a question that isn't covered above, please ask us and we'll do our best to answer it!

## Now What?

If you're ready to jump into a discussion of the server mechanics and create your character, your next stop is here. We can't wait to meet them!