Getting Started
Step 1: Create Your Character
Visit the character creation page to create your account. You'll need to choose a character name, password, email address, and select your gender/pronouns.
Choosing a Name
Your character name is permanent (unless you donate for a name change). Choose carefully.
Naming Tips
- Maximum 15 characters
- Avoid offensive names or names that violate the rules
- Consider using a name that fits the Harry Potter theme
- This name will be visible to all players
Step 2: Get Sorted
After creating your character, you'll go through the Sorting Ceremony. The Sorting Hat will place you in one of the four Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin.
Step 3: Understanding New Days
Hogwarts Live operates on a game day system. There are 12 game days per real-world day. Each new game day:
- You receive fresh forest fights (turns/spirits) to battle creatures
- Your hitpoints are fully restored
- If you died, you are automatically resurrected
- You can challenge your professor again to level up
- Various daily limits reset
Check the home page to see when the next new day occurs. Unused forest fights do NOT carry over to the next day.
Step 4: Your First Fights
Head to the Forbidden Forest to fight creatures. This is how you gain experience and gold.
Combat Basics
- Each fight costs one forest fight (turn)
- Defeating creatures gives you experience and gold
- Creature difficulty is based on their level (1-15)
- Taking damage reduces your hitpoints
- When your hitpoints reach zero, you die
Death Penalties
When you die in the forest, you lose ALL gold on hand and a percentage of your experience. You'll be sent to the Graveyard where you can fight souls to gain favor with Bellatrix. Once you have 100 favor, you can resurrect yourself (though you'll start with -6 forest fights as a penalty). Alternatively, wait for the next new day and you'll be automatically resurrected.
Step 5: Healing
Visit Hagrid's Hut to heal your wounds. Healing costs gold based on the formula:
Cost = log(level) × (missing_hitpoints + 10)
You can choose to heal partially (10%, 20%, 30%, etc.) to save gold, or heal completely. Budget for healing costs!
Step 6: Leveling Up
Once you have enough experience, visit Classes & Training in Hogwarts or Ottery St. Catchpole to challenge your professor. Defeating them increases your level and makes you stronger. You can only challenge your professor once per game day.
Step 7: PvP Immunity
New players have PvP (Player vs Player) immunity for their first 5 game days OR until they reach 800 experience OR until they attack another player (whichever comes first). During this time, other players cannot attack you.
Warning: If you attack another player while under immunity, you permanently lose your immunity!
Step 8: Logging Out Safely
Visit The Inn and rent a room to log out safely. This costs gold (formula: level × (10 + log(level))). Renting a room protects you from PvP attacks while you're offline and saves your progress.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Dying with all your gold on hand — Deposit gold in the bank before risky fights
- Fighting creatures that are too high level — Stick to creatures near your level
- Wasting forest fights — Use all your turns each day; they don't carry over
- Attacking other players while under immunity — You'll lose your protection permanently
- Not reading the FAQ or rules — This can lead to rule violations and bans
- Spending all your gold on equipment — Save some for healing and inn rooms
Your First Day Checklist
- Get sorted into your house
- Explore Hogwarts and find key locations (Forest, Hagrid's Hut, Classes & Training, Bank, Inn)
- Fight low-level creatures in the Forbidden Forest (levels 1-2)
- Heal at Hagrid's Hut when your hitpoints get low
- Deposit gold in the bank to keep it safe from death
- Challenge your professor once you have enough experience to reach level 2
- Rent an inn room when you're done playing to log out safely
Getting Help
Your first steps into the wizarding world. Read the FAQ first!
Important: After reading this guide, you should read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). The FAQ contains essential information about game rules, mechanics, and policies. This guide provides additional context for your first steps in the game.
- Read the FAQ for answers to common questions
- Petition for help if something is wrong and not answered here or in the FAQ