SWI Student Manual

Salem Witches’ Institute: The simple version…

We are thrilled you are interested in checking out our roleplay. Our forum is dedicated ENTIRELY to the Salem Witches’ Institute—an area briefly alluded to in the Harry Potter series.

Our school is a complete creation. All of the ideas (beside the magic, of course) and layouts you will find are unique to us. While we are part of the Harry Potter universe, we are also distinctive and different.

The first step you will need to follow in order to join in is to register in the create your character area of the forum. Be sure to read through the threads. They will help you understand how our covens work and how to correctly fill out a registration form.

Your acceptance into your chosen coven is conditional, based entirely on your initial roleplay with the Phoenix Flames.

When (and if) the Flame dismisses and accepts your character, please wait until you have turned a color before roleplaying anywhere else on the forums. You can post in all OOC threads in the OOC area of the forum.

In order to get a feel for the rest of our site, I recommend reading through the rest of the manual. However, for those in a hurry...you can skip to the registration NOW and backpedal here later!

Classes

Classes will take place over one real time week. For each week, one RP day has elapsed. Students MUST make it into their classes before the professor has begun to instruct. This will vary depending on the class and the instructor. Students who skip or arrive late will have coven points deducted and may have to serve detention.

Classes will occur at different times of day, but for convince, will open together. Therefore, students can RP in both open classes at the same time.

All students are required to take classes.

Class Schedule:

Real Time: (M-F)
Role Play Day: Monday
Classes Opened: History and Flying

Real Time: (M-F)
Role Play Day: Tuesday
Classes Opened: Transfiguration and Astronomy

Real Time: (M-F)
Role Play Day: Wednesday
Classes Opened: Potions and Herbology

Real Time: (M-F)
Role Play Day: Thursday
Classes Opened: Charms and Dark Arts

Real Time: (M-F)
Role Play Day: Friday
Classes Opened: Dueling and Study Periods

*A note about dueling
Second Years and above are allowed to belong to a coven dueling club. All duelists second through fourth year may use a D10 on ANY known spell to gauge the power of that spell. Fifth year duelists and up may use a D20 mod.

Real Time: (M-F)
Role Play Days: Saturday & Sunday
No Classes: All 3rd Years and above may take trips to the Town of Dunwich. (If you have reached your 3rd year and cannot see the Town of Dunwich forums, PM Mathilde Laventure.)

The Town of Dunwich expressly prohibits first and second year witches and wizards from The Salem Witches’ Institute to wander the streets unaccompanied. Therefore, students younger than third year are not permitted to leave the school grounds under any circumstances, unless they are chaperoned.


Students who are third year and above may take the previous classes plus a choice from the following courses:
• Care of Magical Creatures
• Arithmancy
• Ancient Runes
• Muggle Studies
• Divination
• All Art & Music
• Ghoul Studies


Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.) Exams
-- taken by all 5th year students
-- results of these exams determines what subjects a student takes in their 6th & 7th Years

Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests (N.E.W.T.s)
-- taken by all 7th year students

Exams
Professors may set up an assignment or exam thread. Mods MAY NOT be used to pass any exam.

N.E.W.Ts/Graduation Reviews
Professors will hold appointments for students in both the Fifth and Seventh Years. During these discussions, students will have the opportunity to pick their N.E.W.T subject choices and future career options. Because our forum runs on DICE ROLLS, your chosen future may surprise you!

These meetings are mandatory, and all students will be required to meet their appointed Professor promptly at the relevant time.

Students must find the appropriate sticky posted in the office of their coven head, and sign their name along with two preferred appointment times. Professors will pm the selected time and the student MUST show up. Punishments for failure to RP your appointment are left to the Professor.

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NOTES:

SWI does require that you roleplay “classes”.

Students should not RP taking a class that they are not allowed in yet. For example, a 1st year would not be taking Divination.

Students may, to a certain extent, god-mod the actions of the teachers. Those actions MUST BE respectful and realistic. (We have had members god-mod the professors in ways that have made them look less than capable. REMEMBER--all professors, while technically NPC's, are run by real people. They'll call you on whatever you do to their character.)

If you are unsure, PM a staff member or post your idea in the Put Yourself Out There forum.

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Spells

SWI is a school for learning magic. If you aren't interested in roleplaying LEARNING magic, you don't belong here.

All students begin as an eleven year old boy or girl. We DO NOT allow adult characters or death eaters. Any adult you will find on our forum has grown up in our school (with the exception of teachers).

You will learn all magic with the use of DICE ROLLS. These can be preformed in or out of class in order to master your spells.

Dice Tutorial

In order for your spell to work, you must properly roll the dice.

1: Type your reply and then click the dice icon above the reply box.


2: Click on the D100 when it pops up.


3: Leave the code AS IS at the bottom of your post and click SEND.


Once you click send, the code will automatically generate a random number that will be used to determine what your spell has done. If you are in a class, the professors will provide a guide to help you along in your roleplay.



Since this institution's goal is to have each witch and wizard graduating from its halls to have a firm grasp on their magical skills, ALL STUDENTS will be put through rigorous training. Our Approved List of Spells: Sorted by Year is ever growing! Be sure to check it out when performing magic on your own.

All students interested in creating custom spells will be allowed to submit them here. Keep in mind that no spell will be allowed for submission until the student is in his or her 2nd Year OR has the permission of an instructor to submit a spell.

Custom Spell Approval Scroll

Magic Outside of SWI

In keeping with Ministry rules and regulations, all students are reminded that no magic may be performed OUTSIDE of SWI boundaries.

Class/Year Promotion:

Learning magic and attending classes are vital to “passing” to your next year. Those students who do not practice their magic (using dice rolls) will have a harder time moving up.

The following rules will govern class/year promotion:

• A “term” MAY BE defined as ONE four week (real life) period. Please refer to the calendar to see when classes are being held. (The administration reserves the right to pause, fast forward, or even rewind the timeline.)
  
• In order to progress, students must pass their final exams. Any student who has not been promoted cannot claim to be older. They must remain the same age as the others in their year.
  
• All 7th year students will be able to choose an adult career. Not everyone who applies will be accepted. Adult jobs are reserved for mature players only and are based on past performance, attitude, and maturity of writing. Applications will be based solely on the discretion of the staff.

Earning your rank will be very difficult for players, as school should be. Rolling the dice is very tricky! Those students who walk in believing they will be amazing at charms might be shocked to find that they are actually doing much better in Dark Arts! Keep that in mind when posting and remember that your character is ACTIVELY learning. The dice rolls are there to keep the playing field level.

If you need to recap what you have already learned, all important classroom threads will be moved to the Pensive.

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Activities & Special Events

Our forum is what you make it! There are many opportunities for SWI Students to participate in extracurricular activities and socializing. Students are encouraged to RP in, and take advantage of, the school's facilities such as the extensive Grounds, Tunnels, and Quidditch Pitch, as well as the Library, Great Hall, and Student Commons/dungeons.

SWI also encourages students to organize clubs and even smaller activities (such as parties or games).

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Common Rooms and Dormitories

Students are encouraged to mingle with their fellow house members in their own common room. 'Sneaking' into another common room is discouraged. However, it is encouraged to visit friends and utilize these areas.

Visit your School Coven for a visual layout of your tower.

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School Uniform and Dress Code

As a progressive School of Magic and Witchcraft, we are often not as "hide bound" as some older institutes. However, the School does enforce a dress code that allows our students to retain a sense of individuality and, at the same time, maintain a stylish decorum throughout the Institution.

The School Uniform is very simple: a shirt or blouse with a collar, preferably one with a button front; and black trousers (for the boys) or a black, knee-length skirt (for the girls). The shirt or blouse may be of any solid color; stripes and/or multicolored patterns are not allowed. Ties are not required, and are deemed optional for both genders.

Black shoes are required for the boys, though they are not required to be loafers--walking shoes and low-top tennis shoes are allowed. Girls are required to wear loafers, ballet flats, low pumps or Mary Jane style shoes, and these are restricted to the following colors: black, white, tan, and taupe. Furthermore, girls are allowed to wear boots throughout the school year, though it is recommended they restrict their choices to casual soft boots. Sandals of any type are not permitted for either gender.

Girls are also permitted to wear tights throughout the school year. Color is restricted to black and white when wore as part of the uniform.

A unisex jacket tops off the uniform, and is required to be worn during the school day and in class, with exceptions as posted by instructors and the administration as needed. The jacket is black and will be supplied by the Institution. The jacket also designates your Coven and Academic Status (see below).

During private time and on weekends students are allowed to wear common attire deemed tasteful by the Coven Heads. There are, however, a few exceptions:

• Ripped jeans are not allowed for either gender.
  
• Leather and cloth sandals are allowed, but flip flops are forbidden.
  
• Attire deemed "explicit" by the Coven Heads is forbidden, and Coven Heads will have final say in what is deemed "explicit".
  
• Extremely short shorts are forbidden for either gender.
  
• Going without a shirt is forbidden for either gender.
  
• Overly reviling midriff shirts are forbidden for either gender.
  
• Bathing suit are restricted to designated areas.

Recognizing that, at times, a casual attitude is conducive to a good learning environment, sleepwear for both genders may be worn in the Coven Tower Commons areas, but never outside the Towers proper. It is noted that said sleepwear must be tasteful; yoga pants, tee shirts, sleep shirts, non-shear cami tops and long sleep gowns are permitted. All others must be approved by the Coven Head before it is allowed in the Commons areas.

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Coven and Academic Status designation

Coven designation and academic status are handled differently at the Institute than at other schools. The left lapel of each jacket is embossed with metallic stars, and the number and color of the stars indicate the academic year of the student, as well as their coven association. The stars are enchanted to prevent tampering by students, and are updated prior to the beginning of the school year to reflect a student's current designation.

A Prefect's status is reflected through shield emblems instead of stars. Color and number of shields indicate coven association and the academic standing of the prefect.

Coven colors are:

• Åsgårdsreia
  
• Bloeddewedd
  
• Ceridwen
  
• Cernunnos
  
• Morrigan

Academic designation:

Fighting

Fights happen... Things around here would be very dull if fighting weren’t allowed. Kids (and sometimes even adults) fight, and fights are exciting to both watch and participate in.

Where it takes place is important.
Since fighting IS allowed, it’s important to keep in mind that there are repercussions to each altercation based on its unique set of circumstances.

If you have a fight in a thread located in a populated area (such as the Great Hall or the Library), chances are high that a prefect or a teacher WILL see you and give out a punishment. If you have a fight in a quieter area (such as the tunnels or dungeons), you can expect a reasonable amount of "privacy" for your fight and chances are high you won't be caught.

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Rules and Guidelines for fighting RP’s

• Age Matters -- Keep in mind the ages of the characters when beginning a fight. Younger students are more likely to punch and shove (or perform magic that backfires) than older students. An older student will probably kick the tail of a younger student, as their character can successful perform magic without rolling for the effect.
  DICE ROLLS MUST BE USED FOR ALL FIGHTS. If you are unsure how to roll, post a thread in the put yourself out there forum and ASK. If you don’t, your thread will probably be taken down.
  
• Girls and boys are both equal—nuff said.
  
• Everyone enjoys a good fight, no one wants to be grossed out. Graphic descriptions are prohibited.
  
• ‘To The Death’ fights need prior approval.
  
• No God-Modding. Dice rolls will determine who got their rear handed to them.

For example,
RP One: (The caster sets up the spell and circumstances. )
Mandrake held up his wand, his hand shaking, as he screamed, “Calvorio!”
DICE ROLLS FOR EFFECT AND ATTACK FOLLOW INCLUDING ALL MODS RACKED UP BY CASTER.

RP Two: (The opponent decides what to do with the spell DEPENDING ON THE PRIOR ROLLED DICE once it is cast. This is one option.)
Let's pretend the prior rolls were both high for effect and attack, meaning that the spell both hit its mark and was effective. The opponent might rp:
“AH!” Shelly dropped her wand as the curse hit its mark. Her hands flew up to feel her newly bald head. All of her lovely blonde hair lay on the floor in a neat puddle around her feet.

How Do I Role Play?

This forum runs on something called Free Form Roleplaying. It is a medium in which little or no rules are used for roleplaying. In a way, it could be considered more as a collaborating creative writing game. There are no dice to roll (unless you are performing magic, dueling, or flying) or any real rules on what can or can't be done during roleplaying. Mostly, what your character can and can not do is limited to the type of character you are playing and the storyline that is currently being played out.

Free form roleplaying is about collaboration. You are interacting with other writers in the story so you must be mindful that you are not over-stepping your bounds by controlling another character.

The most important thing you need to sucessfully free form roleplay, is your imagination and a firm grasp on basic writing skills.

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Joining a RP Thread

When joining a RP thread, here are some tips and rules to help you get started without stepping on toes:

Get Known
Before you join any RP thread, it would be a good idea to introduce yourself.

Most of the RPers here that play in these forums have been here a while and it helps for them to know someone before they join their thread. Some people prefer to RP with only selected few and some welcome new people into their threads. Either way, it's a good idea to let people get to know you.

Find out how to Join
Always check the thread of a RP and find out how to join. Take into account what has happened up to that point and come up with a creative way to jump in.

Every thread title SHOULD say:

• Open--which means the thread is open to any member available to jump in.
  
• Closed--which means the thread is closed to all but the member who opened the thread.
  
• Some Thread Owners have specific people they would like to rp with, so they will title their thread closed and note the names of those members allowed in to rp.

No one likes people interrupting their "zone". If there's nothing posted about how to join, then ask if you can join by sending the thread owner a pm.

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Starting a RP Thread

When starting a RP thread, here are some tips and guidelines to help you get people to join your RP:

Will it Work?
Sometimes you have an idea but your not sure if it would work with the members here. The best way to solve this problem is to post the idea of what you want to run in the Put Yourself Out There forum.

People check that forum often and will reply if they like the idea. After a few replies telling you how swell of an idea you've had and how swell of a guy/girl you are for coming up with it, you can go start the thread in the appropriate forum and link back informing everyone that it's ready for play.

When posting your idea, be sure to note as much detail for it as possible or people won't bother replying. See the Purpose and Setting sections below.

Purpose, Setting and Set Up/Rules
If you are scouting for RP'ers in thePut Yourself Out There forum, make sure you state a PURPOSE, SETTING and SET UP for your RP in your thread.

If there's no information about your immediate plot (Some kind of goal or purpose), if people can't read about the setting they will RP in, and if they don't know how they fit in, then it's most likely no one will want to take the time to join your RP.

Purpose
A purpose is ALWAYS important. Are they going to sneak out of class? Practice spells in the dungeon? Hunt for potions ingredients on the grounds? Giving your rp a CLEAR goal about what the players are striving for will not only perk interest, but also keep your thread going.

It's not required but it's a good thing to always try and give your story a goal that people can reach.

Setting
SPEND TIME OPENING YOUR THREAD. If you are in a classroom, take a minute of two creating a clear paragraph about what the setting is. Where is your RP based? What do you see? The more time you spend on the details, the easier it is for others to get a clear idea about the environment they will be jumping into.

Setup/Rules
Make sure you let people know how to join. Threads should be titled clearly: Open, Closed, or Closed; member x, member y

It's important to keep in mind, you are not allowed to god-mod another student unless you have been given permission to do so by that character's owner.

Accepted:
Annie swept her hair from her eyes and took off running. "You'll never defeat me!" she yelled, raising her wand high in the air.

Not Accepted:
Annie swept her hair from her eyes and took off running. She pulled Kerry behind her as she went. "You'll never defeat me!" she yelled, raising her wand high in the air.

Also, keep in mind: No flaming is allowed!

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Which Forum to Use?
We have forums for different settings to roleplay here at SWI. Be sure you post in the RIGHT area. Keep in mind that you cannot be in two places at once (unless you are rp'ing classes). If you open a thread somewhere, it would be polite to post that you've left.

A note about RP time:
At SWI, we are running on RP time. You will find the current Date and Time at the top of the forum. Make sure you take note of these when you post your threads. All threads SHOULD include a general time of day—Morning, Afternoon, or Evening, depending on what time of day they were created.

Once you have declared a time in your thread, TIME STOPS for all characters involved IN THAT THREAD. As the forum advances in RP Time, your character (and all others involved), remain frozen in whatever time is listed in your RP description.

Once you leave the thread, you rejoin current RP time. It is assumed your character has moved forward in time and has eaten/used the restroom/slept/or whatever else might have been missed while in your thread.

Be sure you are paying attention to any changes to time at the Official Level. Missed classes WILL NOT be excused. Once you see classes open, wrap up your RP and rejoin RP Time.

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Can I bring in my Own NPC's?
NPC's (or Non-Playing Characters) are allowed. Students may bring in parents, siblings, cousins, friends, etc., and RP with them as they see fit. HOWEVER, keep in mind that anyone bringing their own NPC's, does so with the knowledge that the NPC's they create CAN and most likely WILL be god-modded by staff. These characters can also be god-modded by other students.

Here are some tips while using The SWI Forums:

When adding the subject of your RP Thread, DO label it with a title and Open, Closed, or Closed; member x, Member y.

When posting in a thread, be sure to use proper punctation, grammer and spelling. Use a spell checker when possible. No one wants to roleplay with an illiterate. We're also not your homies or l33t pozers. Please use proper english.

The Thread Owner (The person who created the thread) is in charge of his/her thread. If they tell you to stop doing something in their RP, then stop. If they have to get staff to handle unruly members, trust that you'll most likely get banned.

Try and keep your RP thread that you've started active. No one likes jumping into a thread and getting stuck waiting around for players to come back.
All Powerplaying, Metagaming, and Godmodding is banned.

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Common Abbreviated Terms

Here are some terms you may find when roleplaying in these forums:

• IC
  In Character - Sometimes used preceding a statement or description from a character's point of view after making an OOC statement.
  
• GM
  Game Master - The person who's usually in charge of running the main storyline and plot while players participate in the story.
  
• Godmodding
  A term to describe someone who roleplays a character with the the ability to avoid all potentional character-damaging, fatal attacks or any boon that should have happened to a character during roleplay.
  
• Metagaming
  A term to describe someone who uses knowledge gained out of character and not obtained in character or within the storyline.
  
• (MS)
  Mind Speak - Usually used preceding conversation made thourgh the mind. Usually through powers like telepathy or spells.
  
• NPC
  Non-Player Character - A character that's not actually played by a person participating in the game but a character in the actual storyline.
  
• OOC
  Out of Character - Mostly signified when you're speaking out of character in the middle of a roleplaying. Sometimes used preceding a statement or description when breaking out of roleplaying to ask a question or make a comment.
  
• PC
  Player Character - A character played by a person participating in the game.
  
• Powergaming/Powergamer
  A term to describe someone who roleplays a character with too many/much/powerful magic, abilities, or skills defined by one with authority.
  
• Poweplaying
  A term referring to one member moving or speaking for another character within a thread.
  
• RP
  Role Playing
  
• SWI
  Salem Witches' Institute

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Important Game Links

Here are some links that can be of use to players.

• First off, The Harry Potter Wiki. It doesn't get much better than this.
  
• Here is another about to make sure your character acts their age.
  
• And, lastly, how the Mary Sue Character comes about, and the Many Faces of Mary Sue. And if you want to see if your character is too Mary Sue, you can check here and here.

More to come.