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Q: Does your game use magical journals?
A: No. We make no ill-thought-out excuses for our characters to have magically linked journals, nor do we (ludicrously enough) have our characters using computers or laptops for the same purpose. Schism is a roleplaying game, pure and simple. However, if you enjoy narrating your character's thoughts, she/he may keep a normal, non-magical journal in your GJ account. It is not required, so there will be no posting restrictions.

Q: Are you a canon game?
A: Yes, we are canon-based. Everything in this game will be officially AU after the 7th book is released, but we will keep things as close to canon as possible.

Q: Why can't I play a 7th year OC?
A: We've known ever since Rowling showed us her notebook that there is a set number of students in Harry's year. Simply put, there is no room for OCs. We may only know the surname for a few of these students, but they are still accounted for. If you want an OC, you're welcome to play a character who is a 6th year or younger. 7th year characters will have to use the canon names.

Q: Why can't my 7th year be in Care of Magical Creatures?
A: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince made it clear that no one took CoMC in their 6th year because Hagrid was such a bad teacher. If they dropped CoMC in their 6th year, they won't be able to continue it into their 7th year. If you feel your character absolutely must be in this subject, discuss your reasons with the moderators.

Q: Why are the memories for my character's journal nested into their profile on the website?
A: Organization. As the game progresses, players will add to their memories each log that involves their character. Then, if you ever want to find a particular log, you won't have to go combing through the RPG community to find it; all you'll need to do is remember which characters were involved and go to their memories.

Q: Do you allow movie canon?
A: No. This game will be based only on information that comes directly from Rowling, so nothing from the movies or games will be considered.

Q: May my character wear a school uniform like they do in the movies?
A: No. As Rowling described them, school robes don't resemble Catholic uniforms at all, and neither are they robes in the sense that they drape over your clothes and you can wear pants underneath them. Hogwarts students wear black monk-like robes (think of it as a long shift) with a belt and a hood, as they do in the books.

Q: May I suggest plot ideas? Can my plots be worked into the game?
A: Certainly! Just let us know what you have in mind and if everything is in order, we will work you in. The main plot is more of a skeleton of events than set-in-stone details, so it will be changing and adapting as the game progresses. We encourage you to initiate your own plots, so feel free to launch yourself into the game. We do ask, however, that you talk to the mods before you go through with any major plots. Major plots would be anything that involves multiple characters, death, pregnancy, spying, substance abuse, etc.

Q: May my character be an aristocratic snob from a rich and powerful pureblooded family?
A: Don't you mean "May I play Draco Malfoy?"

Yes, you may play this character type, but your application will be under heavy scrutiny, especially if the character is in Slytherin. Convince us that your character is not just a copy of Draco. You'll also need to explain why your family is so wealthy and describe what they do for a living.

Q: May my pureblood know a lot about the muggle world?
A: Unless your pureblood was somehow raised with muggles, no, she cannot know much about them. Even Arthur Weasley, who works with muggle objects every day, has a limited knowledge of non-magical things. Again, unless youre character was raised with muggles, they would have grown up in a purely magical environment and they will have no basis to be familiar with muggle things.

Q: There is still some confusion about pureblooded families vs wizards who only go back a few generations. Would you explain how purebloods work in this game?
A: There are many different kinds of purebloods in Harry Potter. To be considered a pureblood, the witch or wizard's parents and both sets of grandparents must be magical. This would make him a first-generation pureblood, still having close ties to his non-magical blood and just barely considered acceptable by those in society who deem purity to be of great importance. There are many people like this mixed into the wizarding world, so a pureblood of this ilk is common and not particularly special.

Pureblooded families, however, are rare. They require careful planning an purposefully arranged marriages to insure the purity of their line, should they want to preserve it. There are precious few families like the Malfoys and Blacks in the wizarding world, and since they have a limited resource of whom they are able to marry, they are quite inbred and everyone is pretty much related to everyone somehow.

It is important to note that being a pureblood does not instantly mean that you are rich, of high social standing, or that you are a Slytherin. The Weasleys and the Longbottoms are perfect examples of this.

Q: I want my character to be a pink-haired half-veela dragon animagus with a phoenix familiar. Can she be Snape's daughter and Draco's love interest too?
A: OUR BRAINS THEY BURN.

Please, please, please don't make any characters like this. Pink hair will have to come from a box of dye. Half-humans will be allowed if they're very well-written, but they will be rare. There will be no teenaged animagi. Snape has no children. Draco's too concerned with staying alive to have a girlfriend.

Q: I have a character in mind but I'm not sure which house she/he would fit into. Any suggestions?
A: In the Links section, you will find a resource that will provide you with several essays written about the houses, along with a fun astrology site just for Harry Potter. If you're still unsure of where your character belongs after reading those, the mods will work with you in choosing a suitable house.

Q: How should I choose my character's patronus?
A: According to the Lexicon, a patronus is "the embodiment of the positive thoughts of the caster." So, think of your character's positive traits, then try to find an animal that embodies those traits. We recommend doing an internet search for animal totems and animal symbolism. Look in the Links section for information about totem animals.

Q: What is your stance on homosexual characters in Harry Potter RPGs?
A: Homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual, it's all the same to us. What we don't want to see are stereotypes. Not all gay men are passive and feminine, not all gay women are bossy and masculine, not all bisexuals are sluts who will shag anything that smiles at them, not all heterosexuals are rigid and homophobic, and not all of their lives revolve around sex. Please, write realistic characters, not excuses to ship.

Q: Is it all right for me to slash a canonically straight character?
A: We're sorry, but no. If a character is straight in the books, he will be straight in this game. If you think there's no evidence given in canon about your character's sexuality, you're welcome to discuss it with the mods.

Q: The Mess is mentioned throughout the game. Who is that?
A: Magical Enforcement Squad = M.E.S. = Mess. They're the police of the wizarding word and as such, people commonly refer to them using a slang term than their full title. People are also fond of calling the the Mess because they're often seen as bunglers who don't do their jobs as well as they should.

Q: Who is this "we" you keep mentioning?
A: We are Legion, for we are many – oh, wrong RPG.

We are Seri and Krista, the moderators of Schism.

Thank you for showing an interest in our game. We hope you find it interesting enough to take part in and that you all enjoy yourselves.

Questions? Contact the moderators.