Getting Started at Vault 713

Are you excited to start making your first character to play at the Vault? We're excited for you! In this guide you'll find some quick pointers as to how to jump in and how things work in our game. If you're brand new to role playing, we'll help you get the feel of things quickly so you can feel right at home when you join your first story. If you're a more seasoned player, you can use this guide to get a feel for how our game differs from most forum-based RPGs.

Game Rules & Guidelines

Before you jump in and play, it's very important that you read our Forum Guidelines to get a feel for what our rules are like. These are not written to hinder your gameplay, but to make it more fair and fun for everyone! We suggest reading the guidelines in full before you play, but for the sake of getting started, here are the most important things you'll need to know right now:

• Your username should reflect your character's first and last name, but if you don't register that way we can always change it for you when you apply.
  
  

• Our board is rated PG-13. This means no explicit sexual or violent content.
  
  

• We have a grammar policy. You don't have to be a perfect typist, but we expect everyone to use proper capitalization and puntuation - it's only polite.
  
  

• We do not tolerate "God Moding" or "Power Playing."

 

Helpful Links: Forum Guidelines

 

About Our Plot

 

Vault 713 follows the plot of the Harry Potter series book-by-book in real time. This means that a real day in our world is a real day in Harry's. According to our current timeline, the year 2010 "real time" is the year 1994 in the plot. Summer has just begun and we're about to begin Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - so if you'd like to do some backup reading, pick up the book again or spend an afternoon with the DVD!

 

Helpful Links: Plot Overview

 

Creating Your Character

 

Vault 713 is unique in it's Character Creation system in that we allow all sorts of characters with the motto the only character limit is your imagination. If you want to play a Hogwarts student, a Ministry worker, a dragon tamer, a magical therapist, or even a muggle struggling to survive in New York City, blissfully unaware of the magical world around them - all of these will be welcome here!

 

We have three basic types of characters - Adults, Children, and Beasts & Beings. Each one has their own application forum, so you'll have to check there for what we do and don't allow for each. Keep in mind that we do allow (and encourage!) Canon Characters! Some things to note about our applications are as follows:

 

• Sometimes we put certain types of characters on hold - you can find this list at the very top of each application forum. This isn't to inhibit play, it's to balance out the population a little bit. These things often re-open over time, so don't worry if something you wanna play is taken.
  
  

• We don't allow canon character relatives or obvious crossovers - sorry!
  
  

• If you wish to play a character with special abilities such as the Animagus skill or a character who is a Metamorphmagus or Seer, you'll have to get a special code for these. Again, this isn't to limit who can and cannot play - it's to keep a fair balance of these characters in our world!

The application process is fast and easy - it usually takes less than an hour to get your application sorted, and not much longer to be finalized so you can jump into the game! If it takes a little longer, please don't PM a staff member - we will get to it as soon as possible! Also keep in mind while posting your application for student characters that Hogwarts students houses will be chosen for them - we want to give you a real Sorting Hat experience! We also sort foreign students into appropriate magical schools, so don't expect to play a French transfer student at Hogwarts - you'll be sent to Beauxbatons!

 

Helpful Links: Creating a Character, Application Forums, Character Roster

Joining the Community

 

For Role Playing, we have many sections available - some that differ from the usual layout of Harry Potter type RPGs. Instead of giving many specific areas to role play, we prefer to provide a more broad area for your threads to encourage using your imagination. You'll find a few specific places have been annexed off as separate forums, such as the Great Hall at Hogwarts, but for the most part many areas have been expanded to the largest capacity. Use your imagination to find a new place to play! In addition to the canon wizarding world, we also offer role playing at any location across the globe in both muggle and magical aspects, several wizarding towns that have been made "Canon" for our board, and five magical schools, including one unique to our game. There is a place for everyone!

 

For Out of Character Activities, you can head on down to the Lounge to chit chat with other members, participate in instant message or chat, submit fan art or fanfiction to be viewed by other members, participate in challenges, and more! We also offer unique rewards such as badges that can be earned as you increase your post count, interact through role playing, contribute to the site with a donation, and more! There is something for everyone!

 

Helpful Links: Introduce Yourself, Plotting & Pairing