Wand Combat

This feature is mostly optional, though certain quests or plots may require you to partake in a duel. Certain careers and a variety of post-graduation scenarios make the ability to duel an essential tool in your character's journey.

Duels at Hogwarts are more commonly considered as training, which increases your skills and prepares you for post-graduation. They're modded by RPG staff, and no actual incantations are used. At worst, your character could be injured or humiliated -- but after school, the consequences could be more dire. 

Student duels are limited to the Duellist Chamber. Once your character reaches level 3 Duelling skill, they can continue using the chamber or go somewhere else so long as they use common sense. Beyond the chamber, there may be severe punishments for being caught duelling by Professors -- unless it takes place at the Training Grounds.

In the Duellist Chamber you can solo train again a dummy. Regardless of location or reason, if duelling against someone else then both members and characters involved must agree to it. Due to house point rewards, you cannot duel a member of your own house -- unless during a special duelling session hosted by a Professor.

To win a duel, you must deplete your opponent's Duel Points. Each character's points are determined as 5 + duel level. So if you have a Duelling skill of level 6 then your total Duel Points are 11. You must have a Curses skill level of 1 or higher to use curses. If training against a dummy, it has the same stats as your character, though it won't cast curses. 

• Before a duel can begin, both members RP the events or discussion leading to the duel to show mutual agreement to it -- or use an OOC note at the end of your post. If challenged to a duel, you're under no obligation to accept.

• The character who initiated the duel casts the first spell, unless first caster was agreed upon beforehand. For the rest of the duel, whoever lost the round gets to cast next. Only the required caster has to post to keep up progress, though the other member is welcome to add reactions or RP as well. 

• During your turn, you can cast a spell or (if eligible) cast a curse. Your opponent's response is always the same based on your actions, thus their post isn't needed before mods can determine the outcome. You can:

• Cast a spell -- character casts an offensive spell, and opponent casts a defensive spell. Damage is calculated as caster's Charms skill vs opponent's Defence skill. A die roll each is also added (1 - 6 points) to make the total score. Highest scorer wins the round. Loser takes damage = lowest score subtracted from the highest score. 

• Cast a curse -- character casts a curse, and opponent attempts to dodge. There's a 50% chance of success (odd / even die roll). If the curse hits, the opponent takes damage equal to the caster's Curses skill level. If the curse is dodged, the caster regains Duel Points equal to their Curses level.

• Duel are intended to be short and a fun way to grow combat skills. To keep things progressing, there is a void duel clause: if the caster takes longer than 24 hours to post, the duel ends and is declared a tie, regardless of Duel Points remaining -- unless they post before a mod is online to enact it.

• No incantations or specific spells are used but free-RP is allowed -- such as being knocked back or injured when losing a round, mentioning a flourish of their wand or the colour of a spell etc. If hit with a curse, it must be painful.