Player Biography (Character Profiles)

View detailed character profiles including stats, titles, accomplishments, and personal bios. Check player status, send mail, and stalk, er, research your fellow students.

What Is a Player Biography?

Every witch and wizard at Hogwarts Live has a public character profile accessible to all students - a comprehensive page displaying their stats, accomplishments, House membership, current status, and personal description. Think of it as a magical resume meets social media profile meets stalker's dream come true. Access it by clicking player names from the Player List, or navigate directly to /user/loginname if you're feeling technically inclined.

Bios serve multiple purposes: researching potential PvP targets (checking their level before you embarrass yourself), learning about characters for roleplay purposes (so you know if they're a brooding half-vampire or cheerful Hufflepuff), tracking player activity (when were they last online?), and sending quick Owl Post via the convenient scroll icon. They're also home to the Recent Accomplishments feed - a scrolling chronicle of every forest fight, level gain, death, and resurrection that defines the player's journey through Hogwarts.

Biography Header

Top Section Elements:

Page Title:
  • Display: "Biography for [Character Name]" in purple
  • Character Name: Uses display name (colorful name), not login
  • Format: "Biography for %s."
Write Mail Icon:
  • Display: Small scroll image (newscroll.GIF)
  • Function: Click to open Owl Post compose window
  • Popup: Opens in popup window (or new tab if popups blocked)
  • Pre-Addressed: Recipient automatically filled with player's login name
  • Only When Logged In: Anonymous viewers don't see mail icon
There's Only One Profile Page:
  • Clean URL: /user/[login] is the actual profile page you land on and stay on
  • No Separate "Public Profile" Link: Older documentation of this page described a link out to a second, more detailed profile system - that system is simply the page you're already looking at
  • Purpose: One page holds stats, bio text, House membership, and social features together

House Membership Display

Common Room Affiliation:

If Player Is in a House:
  • Display Format: "[Name] is [rank] [House Name]"
  • Example: "Harry Potter is a member of Dumbledore's Army"
  • Color: Green for player name and House name
  • Shows Only If: you belong to a House
Rank Descriptions:
  • Newly Sorted: "newly sorted member of" (CLAN_APPLICANT)
  • Member: "a member of" (CLAN_MEMBER)
  • Prefect: "a prefect of" (CLAN_OFFICER)
  • Senior Member: "a senior member of" (CLAN_LEADER)
  • Head of House: "the Head of" (rank 40)
  • Module Hook: Custom ranks can be added via "clanranks" hook
If Not in a House:
  • Display: Nothing (section omitted entirely)
  • Indicates: Player hasn't joined a player-created House (Common Room)

Character Statistics

Core Stats Display:

Username (Login Name):
  • Display: "Username: [login]"
  • Purpose: Unique account identifier for sending mail, adding friends
  • Colors: Purple label, green value
  • Differs From: Display name (which can have color codes and special characters)
Title:
  • Display: "Title: [title]"
  • Examples: "First Year Student", "Skilled Wizard", "Dragon Slayer"
  • Progression: Changes based on Voldemort Encounters (VE)
  • Custom Titles: Donors may have special custom titles
Level:
  • Display: "Level: [number]"
  • Range: Typically 1-20+ depending on experience
  • Importance: Major indicator of character power and progression
  • PvP Relevance: Check before attacking to avoid embarrassing mismatches
Status (Online/Offline):
  • Online Display: "`#Online" (green)
  • Offline Display: "Offline" (brown/gold)
  • Counted as online: if you have done something in the last 15 minutes
  • Real-Time: Updates based on player's last activity
  • Use Case: Check before sending important mail (will they respond quickly?)
Resurrections:
  • Display: "Resurrections: [number]"
  • Counts: Total number of times player has died and been resurrected
  • Badge of Honor: High resurrections indicate active combat participation (or poor survival skills)
  • Zero: Either very skilled at staying alive or very new
Race:
  • Display: "Race: [race name]"
  • Examples: "Human", "Half-Giant", "Werewolf", "Goblin"
  • Unknown: Shows "Unknown" if player hasn't selected a race
  • Bonuses: Each race provides different stat bonuses/penalties
  • RP Importance: Affects character roleplay and interactions
Pronouns:
  • Display: "Pronouns: [pronouns]"
  • Options: He/Him, She/Her, They/Them, or custom
  • Custom Pronouns: Players selecting "Other" can enter custom pronouns
  • Storage: Custom pronouns stored in profiles table
  • Respect: Use these when referring to players in communication
Specialty:
  • Display: "Specialty: [specialty name]"
  • Examples: "Dark Arts Expert", "Auror", "Healer", "Enchanter"
  • Default: "Unspecified" if player hasn't chosen specialty
  • Hook System: Module hook "specialtynames" allows custom specialties
  • Gameplay Effect: Provides unique abilities and stat bonuses
Mount:
  • Display: "Mount: [mount name]"
  • Examples: "Hippogriff", "Thestral", "Dragon"
  • None: Shows "None" (italicized) if no mount
  • Permanent Buff: Mounts provide permanent stat bonuses
  • Module Hook: "bio-mount" hook can modify mount display
Voldemort Encounters:
  • Display: "Voldemort Encounters: [number]"
  • Only Shows If: you have at least one Voldemort Encounter (doesn't display for first-years)
  • Progression Metric: Primary measure of character advancement
  • Unlocks Content: VE gates access to locations, features, equipment
  • Prestige: High VE = veteran player, low VE = newer or inactive
  • Correct Terminology: Always "Voldemort Encounters", never "Dragon Kills"

Personal Bio Text

Character Description:

Bio Field:
  • Display: "Bio: [bio text]"
  • Only Shows If: Player has written bio text (bio > "")
  • Sanitization: Runs through soap() function for safety
  • Purpose: Player-written character description, backstory, personality
  • Color Codes: Supports LoGD color formatting (backtick codes)
  • No Length Limit: Can be as short or long as player desires
What Players Write:
  • Physical Description: Appearance, clothing, distinctive features
  • Personality Traits: Character quirks, temperament, behavior
  • Backstory: Character history, family, motivations
  • RP Preferences: How they prefer to interact, RP style
  • OOC Info: Sometimes timezone, availability, contact preferences
  • Humor: Many players use snarky, witty, or self-aware descriptions
Editing Your Own Bio:
  • Access: Edit bio via character settings or profile editor
  • Changes: Updates appear immediately on bio page
  • Public: All bio text is public - don't include private information
  • Guidelines: Follow game rules - no offensive content, no real-world contact info

Recent Accomplishments Feed

Activity Log:

News Feed Display:
  • Header: "Recent accomplishments (and defeats) of [Name]" (purple)
  • Source: Pulls from news table (last 100 entries)
  • Sorting: ORDER BY newsdate DESC, newsid ASC (newest first)
  • Date Headers: Bold green date headers group entries by day
  • Date Format: "Day, Mon dd" (e.g., "Mon, Dec 27")
  • Entry Color: Green for most entries
What Appears in Feed:
  • Forest Fights: "Defeated a [creature name] in the Forbidden Forest"
  • Deaths: "Was slain by [creature/player name]"
  • Resurrections: "Was resurrected by [method]"
  • Level Gains: "Advanced to level [X]"
  • Voldemort Encounters: "Defeated Voldemort in an epic encounter!"
  • Achievements: Module-specific accomplishments
  • Special Events: Holiday events, competitions, etc.
Translation System:
  • Translatable: All news entries use translation schema
  • Arguments: Serialized arguments allow dynamic sprintf formatting
  • Schema Switching: Each entry can use different translation schema
  • Multilingual: Supports multiple languages if configured
Activity Stalking:
  • See Recent Activity: Check what player has been doing lately
  • Gauge Power: Lots of forest kills = active player
  • Death Frequency: Many deaths might indicate aggressive but reckless play
  • Inactivity Check: No recent entries = dormant account

Donation Feature

Donate on Behalf of Player:

PayPal Integration:
  • Only Shows When: Viewing someone else's bio (not your own)
  • Display: Large centered section with yellow "Donate via PayPal" button
  • Header: "Donate on Behalf of [login]"
  • Description: "Click on the yellow Donate via PayPal button below to give [login] points:"
  • Item Name: "Hogwarts Live Donation for [name] from [your name] for Donator Points (Virtual Goods)"
How It Works:
  • Opens PayPal: New tab/window to PayPal donation page
  • Recipient Gets Points: Donated amount converted to Donator Points for target player
  • Gifting: Way to support friends or favorite players
  • Recognition: Donor name included in transaction record
  • Virtual Goods: Points can be spent on in-game perks, items, features

Mute Status Display

Chat Restriction Notices:

If Player Is Muted:
  • Display: Mute status message in special color (likely red/orange)
  • Temp Mute: Shows time remaining (e.g., "Muted for 3 more hours")
  • Perm Mute: "Muted forever" or similar message
  • Location: After bio text, before accomplishments feed
  • Public Warning: Visible to all players as deterrent/warning
Mute Types:
  • Temporary Mute: 1+ hour duration, can be extended by staff
  • Permanent Mute: Indefinite chat ban until unmuted by staff
  • Reason: May display reason for mute
  • Duration Tracking: Stored in mutes table with timestamp

Superuser Options

Admin Controls (Staff Only):

Moderation Tools:
  • Temp Mute: Mute player for 1 hour (extendable)
  • Perm Mute: Permanently mute player's chat
  • Unmute: Remove mute status
  • Extend Mute: Add 1 more hour to temp mute
  • Block/Unblock: Block player from editing bio
Technical Tools:
  • Fix User Navs: Clear stuck navigation/output for player
  • Kill Player: Instantly send player to Detention (set alive=0, HP=0)
  • Grant Newday: Give player fresh forest fights immediately
  • Edit User: Jump to full user editor (user.php)
System Mail:
  • Mute Notifications: Auto-sends system mail when muted/unmuted
  • Includes Reason: Mute reason included in notification
  • Warning Message: Reminds players to follow rules

Navigation & Return Links

Getting Back:

Return Navigation:
  • Default: "Return to Hogwarts Students" (links to list.php)
  • From list.php: Always returns to player list
  • Custom Return: Can specify ?ret=pagename.php to return elsewhere
  • Go Back: Generic return link if ret parameter set to non-list page
  • Translation Ready: Uses tlschema("nav") for multilingual support

Strategy & Tips

Bio Page Mastery

  • Pre-PvP Research: Check level, resurrections, recent activity before attacking
  • RP Preparation: Read bio text to learn character personality before interaction
  • Pronouns Matter: Always check pronouns before referring to players
  • Activity Check: Online/Offline status + recent accomplishments = activity level
  • House Membership: See which Common Room they belong to for alliance/rivalry info
  • Quick Mail: Use scroll icon instead of navigating to mail manually
  • VE Comparison: Compare Voldemort Encounters to gauge relative progression
  • Mount Envy: See what mounts other players have collected
  • Death Frequency: Many recent deaths = active but vulnerable target
  • Specialty Scouting: Know opponents' specialty before PvP (counters/weaknesses)
  • Race Bonuses: Different races have different stat distributions
  • Public Profile Link: Check extended profile for more social/RP information
  • Accomplishment Stalking: 100-entry feed shows detailed recent activity
  • Login Name Copy: Get exact login name for mail/friend adds
  • Donation Gifts: Surprise friends with donated points via PayPal button
  • Resurrection Count: High count = either combat enthusiast or terrible at survival
  • No Bio = Newbie: Empty bio often indicates new/inactive player
  • Color Code Creativity: Use color codes in your own bio for visual appeal

Player Bio Summary: Visit /user/[login] directly, or follow the redirect from an old-style bio.php?char=[login] link, or click names from the Player List. The profile shows stats (Username, Title, Level, Status, Resurrections, Race, Pronouns, Specialty, Mount, Voldemort Encounters), House membership with rank, bio text, and a Recent Accomplishments feed of the last 100 news entries. Module hooks (biotop, biostat, bioinfo, bioend) let other modules add content, delivered to the page via a small JSON endpoint on bio.php. Donate-via-PayPal appears when viewing someone else's profile. Mute status and superuser moderation tools appear for staff. bio.php itself is redirect-and-admin-action plumbing, not the page you're reading.

Related Topics

Player List

Find players to view bios

Owl Post

Send mail from bio page

Common Rooms

House membership displayed in bio