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Hogwarts Revised: Hogwarts Secondary - Wands

Ruphhausin

Supernova
Joined
Jul 2, 2009
This thread is a basic part of canon, as the wood of the wand reflects (or supposed to reflect) aspects of the owner's personality. Some liberties taken are to identify some of the more interesting and subtle wood aspects that reflex not oft perceived aspects of Potter universe characters and potentially player characters here in game. This first part are all the wands mentioned not only directly in the series but also on the Pottermore site. The second post will be on the subject of newer wood types, with a third on core components and potential expansions of that list as well.






Wand Woods

Acacia: Not for "bangs and smells magic" but rather for the more subtle wizard or witch, a wand made from this wood is difficult to match as they withhold their full power from all but the most gifted as well as subtle wizards and witches.

Alder: Corresponding to one of the months of the Celtic calender (from 18 February to 17 March), is a wood that makes an unyielding wand, but for an owner who is helpful, considerate, and likeable not stubborn obstinate. Alder is unusual as it seems to desire an owner whose nature is, while not precisely opposite of its own certainly of a markedly different type. When happily placed, though, it becomes a magnificent, loyal helpmate but of all wand types it is best suited for non-verbal spell work and most suited only for the most advanced witches and wizards.

Apple: (Malus domestica) Wood from any of the trees that is part of the rose family. One of the most cultivated trees for its fruit, wood, and seeds. The wands made from any of the 7.500 known cultivars of them, and are not known to be for practicers of the Dark Arts. An apple wood wand is powerful and best suited for the owner that has great personal charm, high aims and ideals, and is both well-loved and long lived or has the potential for such. Also, they have the ability to give its owner the ability to converse with magical beings in their native tongues.

Ash: Corresponding to one of the months of the Celtic calendar from 18 February to 17 March, ash wands cleave and are ment for one true master, never meant to be passed on or gifted to another as it it tends to lose power and skill, especially when given a core of unicorn as it will make this tendency extreme. The best suited owners are never lightly swayed from beliefs, ideas, or purposes. The ideal owner is stubborn and courageous, but the arrogant or crass will never be chosen.

Aspen: Wand-quality aspen wood is white and fine-grained, highly prized both for its ivory resemblance, oustanding charmwork that can be done with it, and for beng especially suited for martial magic. Its proper owner is meant to be one who is an accomplished duelist or one with the potential, strong-willed, determined, and more than likely attracted to those who pursue quests and new orders, making it the want for revolutionaries.

Beech: Meant for a true match that is either young and wise beyond his/her years or if full-grown rich in both understanding and experience, a beach wand conversely performs weakly (and possibly not at all) for the narrow-minded and intolerant. Properly matched, a beech wand is capable of a subtlety and artistry rarely seen or found in any other wand, and improperly matched sends the arrogant and close-minded returning the wand to the maker with complaints of "lack of power".

Birch: This wood has lunar influences, and is used in various cleansing rituals as well as driving out spirits of the old year. It basically stands for birth, healing, lunar workings, and protection.


Blackthorn: Having a well-deserved reputation of being very well suited to a warrior, blackthorn is also, unfortunately well suited also for practicing the Dark Arts. This makes it as common among the Aurors as with those confined as denizens of Azkaban. As the blackthorn bush so well survives the hardest frosts that it produces its sweetest berries, it also makes it where wands of this wood past through danger and hardship with its owner to become deeply and truly bonded, making it as loyal and faithful a servant... potentially making it impossible to separate it from a very powerful and experienced well-matched owner.

Cedar: The cedar wand finds its perfect home where there is perspicacity and perception, and a cedar wand owner is one not to cross. This is especially true in the case of when harm is done to the loved ones of the cedar owner. A well-matched owner to the ceder is potentially a frighteningly powerful adversary, something many a witch or wizard thoughtlessly challenging the owner discovers very quickly.

Cherry: Making wands of strange power and highly prized by studenst of the wizarding school of Mahoutokoro, Japan. cherry wands and their owners have special prestige and reputation. Never a frivolous or merely ornamental wand, it has the potential to be a truly powerful, potentially lethally powerful, wand.. particularly wit a dragon heartstring core, which should only be paired with an owner of both exceptional self-control and strength of mind as well as ability.

Chestnut: A wand wood for those who are skilled tamers of magical beasts, chestnut has few other character traits of its own other than also making its owners gifted Herbologists and fliers. Chestnut takes on the character traits of both it's core and owner, making its core more of a guiding force in the wand's choice of owner.

Cypress: Associated with valour, the cypress wand is matched with someone who, as an owner, will be willing to lay down his or her life for others. Not that it is required, rather its match is a soul mate that is brave, bold, self-sacrificing and unafraid to confront darkness within self, others, and the world.

Dogwood: Quirky, Mischievious, and playful in nature, dogwood wands seek and insist on suitably clever and ingenious partners with the ability to provide excitment and fun. Even so, they are capable of serious and outstanding magic as well as dazzling enchantments, but they refuse to perform non-verbal magic and are rather noisy.

Ebony: Providing a jet-black wand with impressive appearance and reputation, ebony is highly suited to all manner of combative magic and Transfiguration. Ebony is at its best joined to the courageous non-conformist. Ebony owners are comfortable being outsiders, and willing to hold to their beliefs no matter what is done to try pressuring or swaying them. Many of their most famous owners have been and are in the ranks of the Order of the Phoenix... as well as among the Death Eaters.

Elder: The rarest and most difficult want wood to master, it is also deeply unlucky. They are magically powerful, but tempermental and prone to moving from owner to owner. It is attracted to power and destiny, and any owner keeping it for a real length of time has a special and certain destiny. Strangely, those owners of an elder also has a powerful affinity with those chosen by rowan wands as well. Elm also corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 25 November to 23 December,

Elm: A wand for owners with presence, magical dexterity and a natural inborn dignity, elms also produce the fewest accidents, least foolish errors, and provides the most elegant charms and spells. Sophisticated wands, capable of highly advanced magic to the right owner, elm is horribly maligned by being to offten associated with blood purests.

Fir: The "survivor's wand", fir wands are ment for those who have staying power and focus of purpose, especially if they are also strong-minded and intimidating of demeanour. They are not for those who are flighty and fickle, and they are well suited for Transfiguration.

Hawthorn: As complex and intriguing as well as the owners they are suited for, their owners also need to be of proven and exceptional talent. If not, the consequenes are potentially dangerous as they have the tendency for spells they cast, when handdled badly, backfire just as badly. The contradiction continues with hawthorn as adept at healing magic as curses, and is exceptionally best with a owner with a conflicting nature that passing through a period of personal turmoil. Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 13 May to 9 June.

Hazel: Sensitive, hazel wands reflect a owner's emotions. This can render the wand unpredictable and potentially able to be "killed" from its owner's moods, the upside is that "coming through" allows from itself and better states of its owner outstanding magic in the hands of skillful owners as well as able to detect water undergroud by emitting silvery, tear-shaped puffs of smoke to tell its owner. Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 5 August to 1 September

Holly: One of the rarer wand woods, holly is protective and works best for those needing to overcome anger and impetuous tendencies as well as those facing dangerous and spiritual quests. Varying in power and performance depending on the core, notoriously difficult with certain cores, but those parings provide owners who cannot be denied on their journeys. Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 8 July to 4 August

Hornbeam: A wand that becomes fine-tuned and sentient with its pairing: an owner of vision (perhaps obsession) who has desire to fulfill its owner's passion. It adapts to the owner's style of magic, and becomes personalized to the point that others will find the wand almost impossibly difficult for even the simplest spells.

Larch: Larch wood has a surprising reputation. Long values as attractive and powerful a wand wood, it also has a demand that outweighs the supply consistently. Reputed for instilling courage and confidence, a larch also is hrd tp please and it both finicky in finding an owner and tricker to yeild than commonly believed. It is a deserving master indeed who is an ideal (exceptional, truly) match, which means in deserving the witch or wizard is worthy of hidden and unexpected effects and talents others would never get out of the wand.

Laurel: Loathing of both dishonourable intent and laziness, laurel wands are capable of surprisingly powerful and potentially lethal magic. This is why many, especially if dissatisfied with their owners, can be easilly and very willingly won away. But if the opposite owner is the case, they will join to their first match forever, and has the unusual attribute of spontaneous lightening strikes to protect both self from being stolen and its owner from the attempted theft.

Mahogany: While there are not an extremely large number of these wands, a mahogany, nicknamed a Prongs wand after it's most famous possessor, James Potter, can be surprisingly powerful and pliable. Excellent particuarly for Transfiguration, it strangely finds itself a "partner" of willow wands.

Maple: Never stay-at-home wands, maples seek out natural travellers, explorers, and the generally adventerous and ambitious witches and wizards to own them. They literatlly shine, glowing both themselves and owner with ability and status from each fresh challenge and change of scene. Status is seen with a maple as they are reputed to be the wand of high achievers.

Oak:

English - A loyal friend of a wand, serving its owner wizard/witch in good and bad. They seek partners of strength, courage, fidelity and give in return amplifying of those as well as powerful intuition, and affinity with natural magic, as well with the creatures and plants needed for both magic and pleasure.

Red - An ideal duelling wand, a red oak seeks a master whi is light of touch, quick of wit, adaptable, and skilled spellcraft abilities. A red oak owner, male or woman, cherishes it as a handsome and surprisingly even tempered till provoked.

Pear: Remarkablly resilient, golden-toned pear wands are of splendid magical powers best in the hands of warm-hearted, generous, and wise owners. Their owners also are popular, well-respected, and loathe to even considerd Dark witch or wizard.

Pine: Th straight-grained pine wand chooses independent individuals that are perceived as loners who are perhaps intriguing and mysterious. A wand that enjoys being used creatively and unprotestingly adaptive to new tecneques, methods, and spells, its owners are also destined for long lives and few, if any, have died young as well as to be powerful in non-verbal magic.

Poplar: A wand of those who can be relied upon for consistency, strength, uniform power, and clear moral vision. Few real "politicians" master poplar wands, and those Ministers who have are statesment and not politicians.

Redwood: Also in constant demand but in short supply because of its reputation for bringing its owners good fortune. The truth is reverse: redwood wands are attracted and wish to bond to witches and wizards who have inborn abilities to land on their feed, consistent right choices, and to snatch advantage from the jaws of catastrophe.

Rosewood: Possessing a strong sweet smeel that persists forever, rosewood wands are rare.

Rowan: Much favored, rowan has the reputation of being protective, difficult to break or damage, and releasing extremely strong defensive charms. Loathe to be allowed for evil, a rowan is happiest with the ownerthat is clear of mind, pure of heart, and virtuous but equally ready to duel for just reasons. Corresponds to one of the months of the Celtic calendar, from 21 January to 17 February

Silver lime: With an unusual but extremely attractive appearance, the silver lime wand is fashionable also for its ability to perform best for Seers and wizards and witches talented in Legilimency. The demand has only now stablized in proportion to its demand.

Spruce: Forged by a wandmaker who has real deftness with handling it, the spruce wand is difficult because it appears to have its own ideas about how magic should be used. This makes it a necessity for the match to be an owner with a firm hand, a bold spell-caster, and one of good and healthy humor. With such an owner, the spruce becomes a superb and loyal helper capable of producing flamboyant, dramatic, and spectacular spell effects.

Sycamore: A wand for the curious. the vigourous, the adventurous.. the sycamore is meant for the questing witch or wizard always eager for new times, places, experiences, and challenges. It has a vast capacity to adapted and learn, making it highly-prized throughout the world.

Vine: Attracted to owners with surprisingly deep personalities, the uncommon vine wand is not precisely a wood. More sensitive in finding its own match, they have emitted magical effects when the one they want enters the room (known as the Hermione Effect). While not always common, all "vinewood" wands are special in nature and have owners as uncommon as themselves.

Walnut: Nine times out of ten, walnut wands will readily find their mate wiht a highly intelligent witch or wizard. Uncommonly versitile and willing to adapt, most walnut owners are innovators, inventors, and dabblers. Unfortunately, they are also the easiest to subjugate by a very intelligent master of no conscience, potentially making it a lethal weapon called in wizarding slang a Lestrange Walnut, after the most infamous witch of the last three hundred years.

Willow: Sought because of its handsome appearance and well-grounded reputation for advanced, non-verbal magic, the uncommon willow wand is really ideally owned by one who has greatest potential, but who has some undeserved insecurity that they try and hide.

Yew: Rare and never choosing a mediocre or timid owner, the yew wand is match to unusual and perhaps notorious masters. Reputed to bestow power of life and death to the witch or wizard it chooses, it most certainly has a peculularly dark and fearsome legacy in duelling and curses. Not a sign of propensity for the Dark Arts, the owner of a yew is more likely equally suited to a stanch and fierece protector of others. Also, and proven, yews reputedly sprout into a tree guarding the resting place of its owner when buried with him or her.


New Wand Woods

Cypress (American for example)
Evergreen (Nanmu from China for example)
Magnolia: A strong and somewhat hearty wood primarily from the Southern United States, that is steeped in magically infused areas, particularly in Louisiana and Mississippi. Care must be taken with Louisiana Magnolias, as they are prone to being swayed toward the Dark Arts.
Pecan:
Sandalwood
Teak
White wax wood

(the new woods to be modified later... )
 
Wand Cores

As with the wand woods themselves, there are canon cores used, and there are those that are going to be added here. However, one needs to be able to balance what is canon and what is allowed in fan based things. In the list below are contained the Superior Cores that our good friend Garrick Ollivander most frequently uses, as well as those mentioned. Those particular ones are going to be in italics, while the others, which are open for discussion, are in regular type. A basis for discussion on including the new core component will be up on this board soon enough, and all are allow to participate in them.


Abraxan tail hair (known for allowing grand spells to be cast..)
Aethonan tail hair
Centaur tail hair
Chimera mane hair
Chimera tail hair
Dragon heartstring
Granian tail hair (produces very responsive wands and dexterousness in dueling)
Gryffin wing feather
Gryffin tail hair
Manticore mane hair (enables strong defensive magic)
Phoenix feather (tail feathers producing the best results)
Sphinx mane hair
Unicorn tail hair
Veela hair (makes for a temperamental wand, but both wood and owner's personality can help in its use...)
Thestral tail hair (almost never used except on request.. and only after a thorough background check on the wizard or witch is made.. thankfully NEVER as paired with certain woods....)
 
Some questions have been asked concerning the wands, and as co-GM, I feel that I should answer them in this manner. These are the rules for this game concerning want woods and components, some with advice mixed in.

1. When choosing a want for your character, we ask that you be thoughtful of your character. Simply step out of you being the player, and think about the character as a person not that you have conceived but as someone you know like a friend, acquaintance, or if needs be, an enemy. Ponder all the things you know about him or her, and then look on the lists and check the available woods and cores. Most of the list we have will fit into every single kind of personality that really fits into the Harry Potter reality, and a proper wood/core pairing will yield the wand you want for your character. If there is a specific kind of wood not listed, or you wish to use a sub-category of one already on the list, first give us some background pertaining to how this will match your character's wand needs and personality.

2. There are certain things that just will not work, and perhaps may be far too out there for the game. That being said, for the most part, Darkangel76 and I are flexible people to a point. We don't break, but we bend where integrity of the game is concerned. I say this as a LONG term role-player of table-top, interactive (live action), computerized, and board/site/IM based role-playing, because the truth is that GMs are not perfect and we will make mistakes. "Calling us on it" should be handled as it is handled with the players, which means we will be respectful as long as you are. I have, what I have been told, is a very long fuse..but it can be burned away by repeated issues with the same people or the same situation. Wands may seem like a little thing, but they are in fact a VERY IMPORTANT component of Potterverse magical ability and balance. That is how JKR wrote it, and that is how it is being handled here.

3. SOME WANDS ARE NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. I put a period at the end of that as I want to state I am not yelling, rather stating in a firm and uniform tone. There will be not "new Elder Wands". In this game, Thestral tail hair WILL NOT BE PAIRED WITH CERTAIN WOODS. That is not flexible. A more moderate or subtle in power (not weak as there are no weak woods) wood is possible, but there has to be role-play involved on the wand choosing your character and for what reasons. This will involve research on the woods attractions to its wielder. Also, there will not be just weak-wrist handling on the wands. We read the character sheets, and your wand has to fit the character for final approval.

4. Wands can be broken, but this privilege should not be abused. No one wants a broken wand to happen every other week, and no one is going to believe that happens either. The rule of thumb, except if discussion has been made on the subject, is that most of the players have had there wands since they turned eleven and first attended Hogwarts Primary. Any situations that could happen that a wand could be broken or destroyed should be discussed there and it will be role-played. If it happened before the game, some leniency will be granted, but the reasons need to be realistic for the Potterverse. Now that the game has started, the event will have to be role-played and that will have to be left up to the events of the game and how we the GMs decide to handle this plot slowing moment.

5. Woods for wands do not always have to come from the tree directly. It can come from a source made out of the wood, and that is acceptable. However, as some items made out of wood, like furniture or pieces of personal properly, are bound to have some magical energy from the people who originally owned/had it made, especially if it had magic imbued in it in any way, on any level, and in any form. This means that just like when going to Ollivander the first time, the wood will have a predisposition, and perhaps in a much more detailed way. This is something that the GMs will be allowed to have input on, as it will flesh out such events for future players.

6. DON'T ASSUME NEITHER THAT WE WILL SAY YES OR NO JUST BECAUSE YOU ASKED FIRST. We want to hear your case first. "It will be cool", "It'll be cool", and other "reasons" like these are not going to make it happen. You don't have to give us a War and Peace PM, but more detailed description of your character, or perhaps giving a bit of how the wand "found" your character when he or she entered the shop back when will be helpful. A paragraph is a good start, and if giving good detail can be just enough.

We are not nit picking out of control issue based desires, rather to give a more balanced game. Just like Mary Sue or Gary Stu characters are not going to happen, so too such wands will not exist either.

If you have any questions, please post them in the OOC.
 
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