Wands & Wandlore
WANDS & WANDLORE
Your wand is entirely up to you! To help with this exciting new option, we have compiled a list of options that you may want to take into consideration when starting this section on your application. Feel free to choose the type of wand that best suits your character, and remember what Ollivander says: "The wand chooses the wizard!"
WOOD
A wand's wood indicates something significant about both the witch or wizard who wields it and the individual powers and properties of the wand itself. Different woods combined with different cores can introduce even more variations in these areas, strengthening or weakening traits of wood and core alike as well as creating new ones entirely. More information can be found here.
acacia, alder, apple, ash, aspen, beech, blackthorn, black walnut, cedar, cherry, chestnut, cypress, dogwood, ebony, elder, elm, English oak, fir, hawthorn, hazel, holly, hornbeam, larch, laurel, maple, pear, pine, poplar, red oak, redwood, rowan, silver lime, spruce, sycamore, vine, walnut, willow, yew
CORE
A wand core is what gives a wand its magical abilities. It can be made up of any one of several different types of magical substances, some more reliable than others. These cores are also likely to influence the "personality" of the wand, determining its temperament and loyalty. More information can be found here. Possible cores include the following: unicorn tail-hair, dragon heart-string, phoenix tail-feather, and other (see below).
LENGTH
Wand lengths are just as variable as the types of wood available, and while they are not always determined by the height of the witch or wizard, they can be! Lengths range from anywhere between very short, like Dolores Umbridge's wand, to very long, like Hagrid's wand or the Elder Wand. The typical range is between 7½ and 15 inches.
Please note that wands shorter than 8" or longer 14" are exceedingly rare but not impossible.
FLEXIBILITY
Just like their masters, the flexibility of a wand can differ. Some wands are very rigid and more likely to break under pressure while others can be quite springy and bendable. Some of these factors depend on the wood, and sometimes it is simply the nature of the wand itself that determines how rigid or malleable a wand can be. The different variations in a wand's flexibility include the following: bendy, brittle, stiff, inflexible, firm, flexible, heavy, light, pliable, rigid, springy, sturdy, supple, swishy, unyielding, and whippy.
STRENGTH
Depending on the combination of a wand's wood and its core, a wand can be surprisingly adept in some areas over others. Given that the wand chooses its wielder, a witch or wizard's individual strengths play a prominent role, too! Some of these strengths include the following: transfiguration, charms, healing, and the dark arts.
OUTSIDE SOURCES
Still at a loss? Here are some additional resources to aid you in your selection. Please note that some of these contain information gathered from Pottermore and contain spoilers.
● Celtic Tree Calendar: Woods designated by date of birth
● Harry Potter Wiki: Wandlore: General wand information including a listing of canon wands and their wielders, notes on wand wood, and more
● Pottermore Wand Woods: In depth information on wood qualities, including notes on corresponding witch and wizard personalities
● Pottermore Wand Cores: In depth information on unicorn hair, dragon heartstring, and phoenix feather cores
● Pottermore Wand Lengths & Flexibility: In depth information on determining factors for wand lengths and flexibilities
CUSTOM WANDS
Does your character possess a magical or otherwise supernatural weapon, artifact, relic, etc.? If so and you choose this option, the item will be transformed into the character's new wand. Please note that the wand's outer shell will still be wood, but the core can consist of the original item, either in an altered state or its natural form. The wand also will not retain any special qualities apart from those that can be translated into an existing canon specialty (charms, transfiguration, etc.).
Some examples of relevant items are the Soul Gems of Magical Girls, the sonic screwdriver of the Doctor, Star Seeds of the Sailor Scouts, and so on. If you're not sure if your character's artifact will qualify, feel free to drop a line in the mod inbox!
Your wand is entirely up to you! To help with this exciting new option, we have compiled a list of options that you may want to take into consideration when starting this section on your application. Feel free to choose the type of wand that best suits your character, and remember what Ollivander says: "The wand chooses the wizard!"
WOOD
A wand's wood indicates something significant about both the witch or wizard who wields it and the individual powers and properties of the wand itself. Different woods combined with different cores can introduce even more variations in these areas, strengthening or weakening traits of wood and core alike as well as creating new ones entirely. More information can be found here.
acacia, alder, apple, ash, aspen, beech, blackthorn, black walnut, cedar, cherry, chestnut, cypress, dogwood, ebony, elder, elm, English oak, fir, hawthorn, hazel, holly, hornbeam, larch, laurel, maple, pear, pine, poplar, red oak, redwood, rowan, silver lime, spruce, sycamore, vine, walnut, willow, yew
CORE
A wand core is what gives a wand its magical abilities. It can be made up of any one of several different types of magical substances, some more reliable than others. These cores are also likely to influence the "personality" of the wand, determining its temperament and loyalty. More information can be found here. Possible cores include the following: unicorn tail-hair, dragon heart-string, phoenix tail-feather, and other (see below).
LENGTH
Wand lengths are just as variable as the types of wood available, and while they are not always determined by the height of the witch or wizard, they can be! Lengths range from anywhere between very short, like Dolores Umbridge's wand, to very long, like Hagrid's wand or the Elder Wand. The typical range is between 7½ and 15 inches.
Please note that wands shorter than 8" or longer 14" are exceedingly rare but not impossible.
FLEXIBILITY
Just like their masters, the flexibility of a wand can differ. Some wands are very rigid and more likely to break under pressure while others can be quite springy and bendable. Some of these factors depend on the wood, and sometimes it is simply the nature of the wand itself that determines how rigid or malleable a wand can be. The different variations in a wand's flexibility include the following: bendy, brittle, stiff, inflexible, firm, flexible, heavy, light, pliable, rigid, springy, sturdy, supple, swishy, unyielding, and whippy.
STRENGTH
Depending on the combination of a wand's wood and its core, a wand can be surprisingly adept in some areas over others. Given that the wand chooses its wielder, a witch or wizard's individual strengths play a prominent role, too! Some of these strengths include the following: transfiguration, charms, healing, and the dark arts.
OUTSIDE SOURCES
Still at a loss? Here are some additional resources to aid you in your selection. Please note that some of these contain information gathered from Pottermore and contain spoilers.
● Celtic Tree Calendar: Woods designated by date of birth
● Harry Potter Wiki: Wandlore: General wand information including a listing of canon wands and their wielders, notes on wand wood, and more
● Pottermore Wand Woods: In depth information on wood qualities, including notes on corresponding witch and wizard personalities
● Pottermore Wand Cores: In depth information on unicorn hair, dragon heartstring, and phoenix feather cores
● Pottermore Wand Lengths & Flexibility: In depth information on determining factors for wand lengths and flexibilities
CUSTOM WANDS
Does your character possess a magical or otherwise supernatural weapon, artifact, relic, etc.? If so and you choose this option, the item will be transformed into the character's new wand. Please note that the wand's outer shell will still be wood, but the core can consist of the original item, either in an altered state or its natural form. The wand also will not retain any special qualities apart from those that can be translated into an existing canon specialty (charms, transfiguration, etc.).
Some examples of relevant items are the Soul Gems of Magical Girls, the sonic screwdriver of the Doctor, Star Seeds of the Sailor Scouts, and so on. If you're not sure if your character's artifact will qualify, feel free to drop a line in the mod inbox!