Tokens FAQ

Are tokens retroactive?
Yes, all tokens will be granted retroactively. For those who have already purchased a power or spell learns, the tokens for those years will already be subtracted from the package you receive once the system is finalized. There will be more details on this closer to release.

When do I get my tokens, and when can I spend them?
You will receive your new tokens when the dice change for the year, so during the summer, and you can start using them as soon as you receive them.

Early applications will also be available for most everything, but there will be more information on that at a later date.

Are the token amounts finalized?
No, we are still working on token progression, what token you receive during what year, and exactly how many tokens you will get overall. All of that is still subject to change and currently being worked on.

What are Learn Tokens? How do they work?
Learn tokens are part of the yearly package, and everyone receives 5 learns per year. These tokens are locked to the year they are released in, and work similarly to the previous spell purchasing system insofar as you can only have a maximum of 5 extra learns per year.

People who purchased spells in the past will have their learn token already spent for that year, for instance someone who spent their Year 1 learns on Finite Incantatem will not receive the First Year Learn Token when packages are passed out.

Similarly to the learn purchasing system, you *can* apply for your learn token early, so a second year could apply for their fourth year token and receive +5 in a fourth year spell of their choice. Please not that early learn token applications will be more difficult depending on the spell you wish to learn.

Those not interested in extra learns, you can exchange your Learn Token for 2 Apprentice Tokens.

Can I save my tokens and spend them later?
Yes! You do not have to spend your tokens right away and can wait as long as you like, however the tokens will be tracked by year and will only have the purchasing power of the year you received it, so a Fifth Year Master Token could not be used to purchase something from the Seventh Year Master Token column. This includes Learn Tokens, Story Tokens, and Item tokens, as those rewards are also dependant on the year the token is locked to.

Why is Animagus in Year 4 if you don’t get a master token until Year 5?
Sometimes an ability will be found accessible a year before you’re granted the appropriate token. In such an occasion it’s possible to apply for the power by pledging your next appropriately leveled token on it! So in the case of the animagus year 4, you can apply here, but spend your year 5 Master token on it.

How will Dark Magic and Special Spells work?
As of right now it is planned for the majority of Dark Spells and some Special Spells to require an Apprentice Token - if you are learning it before or within the proper year of the spell. Dark or Special spells that are below your current year and dice range, however, will only require a Minor Token to unlock.

For instance, someone interested in Obsideo would pay an Apprentice Token if they apply for it in 2nd or 3rd year, but in 4th year+, it will downgrade to simply a Minor Token.

There may be exceptions to this however (primarily with Imperio), but as of right now that is still being worked out.

So OOC Points are gone?
Mostly. OOC Points will still exist for weekly activity, and as rewards for running Community Events (Adventures/Class/Events), participating in the WWW team and other miscellaneous things. These OOC points will be able to be cashed in for Minor Tokens, which can be used for a variety of fun things! The conversion rate is still in progress.

So what about existing OOC points?
Existing OOC Points will also be converted into Minor Tokens, but in a slightly different method than what will be used after the system is in place and the existing points are liquidated. The number of Minor Tokens you receive will depend on the amount of points you have, but the final formula for how we will convert them is still in progress.

What about applications, how will those work?
Applications will still exist, but the criteria will be much looser for token purchases, and far easier to receive what you want.

There will be three applications that you can use: Apprentice, Journeyman, or Master to reflect the token types. Each will have different questions, tailored to the difficulty of the application, and the overall difficulty should be even lower than it currently is when it comes to purchasing learned powers.

The goal of the new system is not to judge what people want to do, but to help them figure out how to do it, so if an application were to be denied, you will be told why it was so you can adjust it accordingly.

More information will be available on this once the system is finalized.

Wait, if it's easier wouldn't that mean people could get seriously stacked when it comes to powers?
Yes, and unfortunately there may be times where an application may be denied if we feel one character is absorbing too much power and may become a risk to other people's enjoyment of the Model, but we will work with that individual to help them figure out an alternative or something equally fun they could do.

We want to give people the freedom to tell the stories they want to tell, but not at the cost of other people's comfort.

Can you convert tokens at all?
Yes, but you can only convert *down*. Here are the current conversions, which are like everything else, a work in progress:

Master Token -> 2 Journeyman Tokens, or 1 Journeyman Token and 4 Apprentice Tokens.

Journeyman Token -> 2 Apprentice Tokens

Converting upwards will never be possible as it would lead to severe imbalances and hoarding to convert, and hoarding is something we want to avoid at all costs.

Okay so how do progression powers work?
Most progression powers will no longer require further purchases to progress the power, and will just be unlocked automatically over time. There will however be a few exceptions, and this is the current working list of the exceptions: There may be more in the future and prices aren't finalized, but generally most powers will not require second purchases and it will be up to you to RP the progression as you see fit.
 * Apscidomancy (Arm pet requires a token)
 * Elemental Magic (Token required for second element)
 * Somniumpartum (Token required for Dreamwalk spell)
 * Blade Magic (Token required for weapon or Soulblade upgrade)

How do Item Tokens work?
Item Tokens and Item Creation Tokens work like purchasing a magical item, with the tiers of how powerful an item can be linked to the size of the token. This is fairly complex however and varies greatly by year, and none of the examples below are set in stone and may change: Now there are many items out there in the wizarding world, so it would naturally be impossible to make a complete compendium of all them. For that reason we find it easier to determine what category an item would fall into, by virtue of its range of impact. This is still being fleshed out, but the general idea is that smaller tokens have an impact on just yourself, an impact that grows with token size to social circle, the school and finally - The entire wizarding world. The latter being a master level item.
 * Minor Tokens: Strictly cosmetic or near-mass produced magical items, like a colour changing hat, quick quotes quills, Remembralls and similar fairly easy to get but still fun items.
 * Apprentice Tokens: More useful items! Stuff like a guitar that will automatically tune itself, a magical musical box, a magic camera, a flask that purifies liquids, an ordinary muggle sword and other things.
 * Journeyman Tokens: Magic two-way mirrors, Freshly forged goblin silver swords, a Deluminator and other similar items.
 * Master Tokens: All items under this that have significant impact on the Model. This will vary depending on the year the Master Token is locked to, but to give you an idea a Fifth Year Master Token could purchase you a nigh-legendary goblin silver sword already imbued with experience, while a Seventh Year Token could purchase the Alkahest and a post-Graduation token could grant you the Philosopher's Stone itself.

Functionally, Item Tokens and Item Creation Tokens are the same when it comes to levels of power, but they are separated as Item Creation involves your character going through a longer process to create the item, either on their own or by seeking a craftsman to do it. The only difference is narrative.

Story Tokens, how do those work?
Story Tokens are similar to item tokens in that their power varies by both token quality and the year you receive it, but they are capable of doing amazing things.

The closest equivalent in the current system is justification adventures, but even those are too small in scope compared to the flexibility of Story Tokens.

Because we want people to have the freedom to tell the stories they want, Story Tokens are tools you can use to help shape that story. Like Item Tokens, the range of what you can do depends on the quality of the token and the year you receive it, but they are also one of the most flexible and versatile purchases within the model.

For instance Minor Tokens would allow the purchase of (very) small prompts focused around what you want to do with your character. For instance, someone who wants to play a more heroic character could receive a short prompt about an NPC student and how they are being bullied by other students, allowing your character to come in and intervene on their behalf, while a Master Token at Graduate level could allow your character to *take over a small country*. Yes! For real!

Here are some examples based on canon: To put it simply, if you purchase a Story Token with an idea in mind, that purchase will go to helping you fit your idea into Model Canon, and giving you a bit of support here and there in the form of prompts or a bit of guidance to make it happen. The true breadth of this is difficult to fully express, and while not every idea may be accepted as is, we’ll do our best to make things work.
 * Apprentice: Taking care of Norbert for Hagrid.
 * Journeyman: Harry and Ron taking the flying car to Hogwarts.
 * Master: Harry and friends invade the Department of Mysteries!

Please note: The purchaser of a Story Token should be the focus of a story, though the story itself can be done with friends and in groups. That said, if a group of friends wants to purchase a bigger story, they will be able to pay together. The details are still being worked out however, and more information will be available when it’s finalized.

Where do Natural Powers fit into all of this?
The short answer is that they don’t, at least not right now, but we’re currently looking into aligning the natural powers with the goals and ideals that lie behind the tokens system.

When it comes to natural powers that tie into learned powers, such as legilimency and learned legilimency, there will no longer be a discount for a natural who wants to invest in the learned as well.

We will be able to answer this in detail once we have finished our natural powers deliberations, but for now they will be working as they always have. More information to follow!