I have no problem with people Role Playing with "canon characters". I guess it would be a lot better if we had a minium of canon characters, but it should have to come down to that. It would be nice, if there are canons, that the character doesn't turn out to be like their parents, grandpaprent, ect. Make something fresh out of that canon character and bring some life into it. There's no reason why a canon's child, granchild, ect. should turn out to be the exact replica of themelves.

I personally prefer non-canon characters; it's just more original and more challenging. Then again, I don't have a problem with canon characters; it's perfectly plausible to have descendants of any of the characters in the school RP, as long as it's not too out there, as in, "I'm going to spend the Christmas hols with Aunt Hermione". As long as people don't get too crazy and out of canon I can deal with it. Or just avoid RPing with them if they don't

I have to admit my first charrie was a Malfoy, but she wasn't direct line Malfoy she was more of a distant relative, and it was kind of hard because I found other people saying, They're Draco's great-grandchild and what not, till I just found a group of Malfoys and stuck to them like glue.

It even turned out that my charrie and another charrie were dating and they were cousins, it was awkward.... how are we all supposed to be related to a cannon and be pure blood it seems unreal to me.

Well I mean it just takes away from the diversity of this whole site to just be canon charries. I mean in the books only British students went to Hogwarts, and i mean that is JK choose I can't fault her for that. it just left out half the world and i would hate for this site to do that also.

But on this site we have people from all over the world, and it would be nice if they all brought their uniqueness to the RP on the site.

yeah my characters have the last name Riddle, but they are Africans who were once slaves of the Riddle family way before Voldemort was even thought of or even his mother and father were even born.

I think we should just stay away from the canon characters of the books, i mean JK gave us great recipes on how to make a Ravenclaw, or a Hufflepuff, and things like that. So we have a good blueprint to go off and create wonderful charries.

Canon characters are ok as we do not play them too close to the vest. Of course I play a canon character but it is the person's choice to play who they want to play. Canon characters are here to stay and if you do not like it, it isn't our fault. If you choose not to roleplay with canon characters, what would you do in the movie? Also, you lose out a lot on roleplaying not roleplaying with canon characters or no canon characters.This is a riduculous argument. I am not happy with who started this posting or becuse that had to start this posting because of complaining so -calld students in this school but so be it.

Hi Sweety!

Ok... I don't agree here. People can chose who they play, but they are limited by rules. As YOU yourself said, on a different thread, this is a conservative website. PG13. A lot of things we aren't allowed to RP. And we all abide by them as we do not own the site. IF the mods apply a rule about cannon last names, I will follow it. It will KILL me to not be able to play my character all the way through, but if it becomes the rule so be it.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean...

Come on now... Just because you don't agree with this, luv, it doesn't mean it's ridiculous. The Headmistress (Cassirin) started this thread and I, for one, have enjoyed posting in it. I see her point, I truly do, and it's a very valid one. I think though, she understands mine though. (My argument is that if you are playing a pureblood, you pretty much NEED to be a cannon name.)

There are other boards that are smaller and therefor more monitored. You need to apply for a character and one of their rules is you cannot be a pureblood, and you cannot use a cannon name. They will not approve your character, and you won't be able to post if your not approved. SS is too big to do that. But I'm telling you this because you feel this point isn't valid. I'm pointing out that even other boards say it is.

Good point; however, Jo did have characters of all different ethnicities. African-American [African-British? How about just black? ] (Dean, Angelina, Lee), Asian (Cho), Indian (Parvati and Padma), and let us not forget our peeps at Beaxbatons and Durmstrang. The books are set in Britain; the hero is British; it just follows logically that the characters were British, but the character's backgrounds were all over the place, and there are characters in the RP that come from different places too. Maybe there were American students at Hogwarts; they just weren't important to the plot

Really? Why?

Canon characters can, from time to time, get out of hand. There are lots of people who RP students from the Black family, even though we all know that the Black line died out with Sirius. Maybe they're some other kind of Black But I digress. Setting down rules for how you can create your character is limiting and just plain sucky, and I'm glad SS doesn't do that, because we'd have a much smaller school RP. I would much rather people follow the other rules of the RP, like not riding around on dragons or being an a first year Animagus. I was reading that FF by that guy...I forget his name, but he released his FF online in December and it caused a minor stink. Anywho, little James Potter and his friends decided to use some sort of toy to communicate, with a Protean charm on it. I ask you...a Protean charm!??!!? That is NEWT level, for crying out loud, Hermione didn't even do it until fifth year!! *huffs, puffs* My point is that my canon freakinesss stems more from realism about that sort of thing than it does from last names and family lines. You want to RP a charrie that's descended from Draco? Knock yourself out; just don't run around with a pet quintaped. I find that sort of thing infinitely more annoying

Yes she did have different races, and some French and Romanian ( i think thats where Durmstrang is) charries thrown in there, but she focused on British, and i cant fault her for that, this is her book and her choice to do so, i still love the books, but i mean i kinda felt left out there being american, even tho i am black

but i mean what about Canadian French and Black Irish, or Asian American Native American, and there werent any kind Of Hispanic or Spanish people in the books?

there are tons of people that ethically, not racially, that she left out.

And i am glad that this website didnt limit us to canon characters, i mean i cant fake being British, i mean i used to live there i cant fake that i was born there.

I personally dont have a problem with it. And I have a reason to why I dont mind it.

Harry and Ginny had children, and they went to Hogwarts, so why couldn't Harry's children have children that go to Hogwarts? Unless they were squibs, but J.K. Rowling never told us anything of the sort, so I think that we should be able to use our imagination. I think we should be able to be grandchilren of Harry, or Ron, or Maybe even Teddy Lupin.

I understand that some people may not like the idea, but I think it's kinda fun meeting "cousins" your charrie didnt know they had.

Hope this all makes sense...

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Make something fresh out of that canon character and bring some life into it. There's no reason why a canon's child, granchild, ect. should turn out to be the exact replica of themelves.

And I agree. My charrie is Harry and Ginny's granddaughter, but she is also in Ravenclaw. No Weasley or Potter (that we know about) was in Ravenclaw.

*scratches chin*

Well Cassandra, my character is a pure blood but is from a different country. I think what you mean is: if you want to play a British pure-blood then you pretty much have to play a canon character.

She might be doing too much if she included every ethnicity under the sun. I think she was going off of demographics of different ethnic groups in Britain rather than every ethnic group that the world has to offer. If something like this were written about a wizarding school in the U.S., I'd expect to find races and ethnicities different from those in Rowling's book in the story. Getting too caught up with it, too, might distract from the story being told. I'm glad, though that this site's rpg is not as restrictive, and you as your character, get to be apart of the story, which gives us the opportunity, as collaborative writers, to have a character of any cultural or ethnic descent play a key role in the story.


*Nods in agreement*
Play a character with a canon name.

Though, I'm not sure she's saying that's your only option. I just think she means it increases your characters credibility because of the odds and stats. If we all just made-up pureblood family names, we'd dilapidate what Rowling established canon-wise that purebloods are rare (though, I like the fact that some of us do make up names because that too when used in conjunction with the use of canon names helps with credibility). Many of us play purebloods, probably more than would realistically be at the school at one time, but at least by some of us giving the character an established pureblood sur name, we are attempting to give acknowledgment to the canon, albeit with mixed results.

I think that there is a careful balance here. Playing a pureblood and using canon names is something of a slippery slope. A little too much would throw the thing off, and a little too little, would likewise rob the ambiance of some believability as it would seem unlikely that absolutely no purebloods would exist in the wizarding world, but just as unlikely that there'd be an over abundance.

I mean, I am not seeing where the canon comes into the play here on this site. I mean the only thing that seems canon to me is the school name and houses. And I mean my charrie is a pureblood, but she is from a different country, so since JK didn't talk about other countries there is some leeway that we have right there.

I mean we have Ravenclaws sitting down at the Slytherin house table (never happens in the book)

and almost every student is coming from a tragic background (their family is all dead, they had huge war good vs evil...)

We have Hufflepuff pyromanics

Slytherins that can make food appear out of thin air, and Hermione told us that couldn't happen in the Book 7

Slytherins that can move things without their wands

First year students who can turn into wolves and foxes, and oh they know every spell in the book

So I mean trying to have canon charries is kind of a moot point to me when you look at all the things that is going on with some of the charrie and their story lines.

I at first just made a canon because I felt like it but know I like it because I like meeting cosins it makes it easer for me on site [to the guy above I tried animags myself when I saw them do it they got a big scolding from our head and I know alot of spells because I`m a ravenclaw but that isn`t really a good excuse ]

Well, I agree with you on somethings...

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Originally Posted by Tomasina Riddle

I mean we have Ravenclaws sitting down at the Slytherin house table (never happens in the book)

True... but doesnt it say on the first page of any of the houses, "Even go over to a different table if you want." or something along those lines?

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and almost every student is coming from a tragic background (their family is all dead, they had huge war good vs evil...)

That is possible though. There was that huge war that Harry was in...(I know that was a while ago.) but even in real life, things like that happens. Sure, not to everyone, but still. My character has a normal backround, and she knows quit a few people that have a normal backround too.

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First year students who can turn into wolves and foxes, and oh they know every spell in the book.

Sure, the animal thing doesnt make sense, but students knowing a lot of spells is possible. Hermione knew a lot of spells. Maybe some people were like her, and they studied during the summer...?

Well...
I could see a problem with daughters, sons, even grandaugters, grandsons, but if we got down to great-grandaugthers, great grandsons I don't see the problem.

Anyway, Curt Diggory is somehow related to Cedric Diggory and it hasn't presented a problem.

I had a thought today. Some people don't put a great amount of planning into their charries. They might just like a name from the books, or have a fave character that they'd like to be related to. It's hard to tell a person to keep their character canon when they might not even know what "canon" means (I certainly didn't ). All the more reason why canon behavior is, I think, more important than canon family lines

yeah some poeple don't know how to develop their character and it kind of crazy to rp with someone like that

I hope this game doesn’t get all straight jacketed like the Society for Creative Anachronisms. That club started out with anybody being just about anything. Now you have to prove with genealogical delicacy that you character COULD have been real but at the same time that he wasn’t. The example in the rule book for the 2nd rule is: You can’t call yourself Joanna Baggins of Bag End because that would be trying to claim kinship to Bilbo and Frodo. Applying this to HP: You couldn’t call yourself Ecleasiasticus Potter of Godrick’s Hollow because that would be trying to claim kinship to James and Harry. But you could call yourself Harry Potter of Little Witting, Surry because (as Uncle Vern said in Book 1, Chapter 1) both Harry and Potter are very common names and it’s a larger population that the Hollow.

Before I ever heard of Snitchseeker I was writing fic with a non-canon character in Harry’s dorm. My first RPG character was the grandson of his sister and my current character is a cousin about ten years younger. I also claim that the ancestor’s parents were old friends of Dumbledore (and who can say they weren’t?) and hence I have knowledge not available to most students or even teachers. I don’t play that card to often so I don’t come off as a Garry Stew (Sparkly Poo, Sparkly Poo Ra, Ra, Ra!)..

And one more thing; CANON is the accepted writing, CANNON is the big, bronze tube on wheels under the flag pole just outside the castle.

Haha...I couldn't agree with you more. Just because some people have the same last name as the canon characters does not mean they are related, some of those names are very popular. Personally I don't have a problem with people RPing as canon characters...I mean really who cares. The whole RP is supposed to be about having fun and if you're enjoying Rping with someone even though they are playing a canon character then it shouldn't really matter.

Yes J.K. did things her way in her books but this is not J.K's site, it's someone's else idea and if they encourage students to mingle with each other and let students sit at different house tables then so be it. I've said it before, it would be very boring if the only people we can RP with is those from the same house and quite frankly J.K. did that in the books as well.

It's a matter of personal choice honestly.

People RPing as Hermione aren't really going to get a lot of votes from the SS crowd. Firstly it's impossible if she's a firstie and secondly why? Why are you being so uncreative as to have to resort to someone who's already been made up?

RPing as distant relatives should be allowed. People have built family networks on SS and have fun saying this is my cousin and really meaning it. I think people who want to play canon characters should have a good idea of what their characters parents, age, home ect are. Or you'll just confuse yourself.

People like Cassirin and other members have thoroughly researched their parts. They RP knowing full well who their charrie is. And when you talk to them it's obvious they know who they are.

If your clear and the rest of SS is happy then why not? Nobody seems to care if you great uncle is James Potter II just don't try and get Hermione to be your mum.

I agree with you. But also, If someone is trying to get Hermoine to be there mom, they would have to proffessor age. this is sixty something years after Harry left hogwarts!

I think that if people dont have a problem with RPing with (or being) someone who's come from a cannon character, then it shouldn't be a problem. But also if you do have a problem with people having Canon characters, then you dont have to RP with them. Jsut ignore them.

That's just what I think...

I dont really have a problem with cannon characters as long as theyre not too over the top. Some people might feel more comfortable having a cannon name with their character when they first start rping and stuff.

Also some people put lots of great detail into their original characters and some very little so its probably easier for them to base their characters on the personality or ideals of a cannon character.

As long as it doesnt become a big problem it shouldnt really matter, the rp is all about fun =]

My current charrie, Anna Greingoth (which is also my first charrie EVER) used to be the relative of a canon character. I started her out as the daughter of Rose Weasley (obviously canon) and Alexander Greingoth (a charrie I made up). Her grandparents, of course, were Ron and Hermione. It was helpful at first, because I felt a little overwhelmed my first few visits here, and I guess I felt a little more comfortable role-playing on "familiar grounds" rather than starting from scratch.

However...

I started to not really like the canon connection after a while. Don't get me wrong, I loved (and still do) all the wonderful family members that my charrie ended up having. What really started making me change my mind about having a canon charrie was that the Weasley family seems to be SO popular here as far as having them related to your charrie, and I could slowly see myself going from having one or two cousins to six, seven...fifteen, and so on. I was also role-playing my charrie as an only child, so then I got to thinking about what would happen when someone joined and ended up being my sister or brother. Then what would happen when I ended up with not only fifteen cousins, but fifteen or so siblings? See the dilemna now?

So I did a quick change-a-roo and had my mother and father divorce and my father remarry. I now consider my charrie the child of Alexander Greingoth and Bella Snape Greingoth (Bella isn't related to Severus. I just stole his last name. lol) Anna now lives with those two.

However...(again, lol)

This isn't to discourage anyone from playing a canon charrie's relative. To each his or her own, and it doesn't bother me one bit to roleplay with someone who chooses to do so. I just wanted to provide a little different of a perspective from someone who has played that role and didn't like it in the longrun.

I feel like I've stepped on a soapbox, but I'd also like to really address this question. The problem with the answer to this question lies within the fact that, to some extent, character-control would have to be put into place. SS is great about letting role-players freely choose their charrie/charrie's roleplay; however, if you really want to help control the canon situation, I do have one solution.

As far as my experience with the Weasley relation, I felt that a bulk of the problem lied with newbies coming in as canon relatives. That's when you get the whole awkward, "Are you my long lost sister/brother/cousin?" (To be fair, though, I have to lump myself in that category, as well, as I did that very same thing.) Maybe it would help to put a rule in place for newbies only. The rule would restrict playing a canon relative until you have been on the site long enough to role play one term or just be present for the duration of one term (as some don't role play). What this would do is give the new member time to see who plays what and maybe have some time to decide whether they actually want to go through with playing a canon relative or not. I know I, for one, would have changed my mind when I saw how many Weasley relatives were actually already in place on the site. There was this whole, "Arent you my sister? No, I'm actually your cousin." awkward roleplay conversation at the beginning of last term. Once again, though, I don't feel this way because of the people or characters themselves, but because I really ending up seeing a problem with having TOO MANY relatives. With the rule I stated above, after that first term, newbies (or non-newbies by that time) would be free to play whatever character they choose.

Like I said, though, if that was enforced, there would have to be some character control. Not quite sure if you would want to go that route, but if you do in fact see it as a problem, it would at least help a little.

I felt like posting again for a couple reasons.

1. There are some valid points being made. The RP is loosely based on JK's established canon. I say loosely because, being so far in the future as compared to the books, we have some wiggle room.

2. I almost feel as if my charrie is being attacked or something. Yes, I made her a pureblood from Wales, even though she doesn't go around advertising it or anything. And as of right now, I haven't established that there are any canon characters related to her, however distantly. But, in the same respect, all Rhiannon knows is her direct family: her parents, that were killed when she was four, were pureblood. Her mother's sister married an American Muggle. Her maternal grandparents are dead and were when she was orphaned. She knows pretty much nothing about her father's lineage. And she really knows little about Wales, too, seeing as she ended up growing up in America.

Anyway, I still stand by the idea of using canon charries is fine, as long as it's in moderation. If you have your charrie as a descendant of an original canon charrie, don't use it as a reason why your charrie can do things others their age can't. Stay believable.

Well I for one choose the last name of Riddle bcuz frankly I love Tom Riddle! and Lord Voldemort!

Well my characters aren't related to Tom Riddle in any way. My charries are from Ghana (I studied abroad there last year and its a wonderful country) and since Ghana was colonized by the British I could say that my charries ancestors were slaves to the Riddle family, and since slaves were given their masters last name thats how they got the last name of Riddle.

And since my charrie is from Ghana I could make her mother the Minister of Magic in Ghana!

It all goes into character planning and development

I think people just fall back on the characters that JK created bcus its easier to use something that works than to come up with something on your own. But once you start RPing you grow in your skill and learn how to mold and shape a character. Or some people just really like a character and want to be related to it or have the same last name as them

but yeah I agree with MuggleBornWitch there are a ton of Weasleys around here