Can You Change Your Appearance in Guild Wars 2? A Complete Guide
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Yes, you absolutely can change your appearance in Guild Wars 2! While you can’t alter some fundamental aspects like your race, profession, background, or name directly (except the name via a specific item), the game provides several methods to customize and refine your character’s look even after character creation. This allows you to keep your adventurer fresh and reflect your evolving style preferences. Let’s dive into how you can achieve this.
Tools for Appearance Modification
Guild Wars 2 offers two primary tools for appearance modification: the Self-Style Hair Kit and the Total Makeover Kit. These items are purchasable through the in-game Gem Store.
Self-Style Hair Kit
The Self-Style Hair Kit is the more affordable option and focuses on head-related customizations. This kit allows you to change:
- Hair Style: Choose from a variety of hairstyles available for your race and gender.
- Hair Color: Experiment with a wide spectrum of hair colors to match your current mood or armor.
- Horns/Facial Hair: Applicable to certain races, allows you to adjust horn styles or facial hair options.
Double-clicking the kit consumes the item and brings up the character customization screen, where you can preview the changes before committing. Once you accept, your new look is applied, and the kit is used up.
Total Makeover Kit
The Total Makeover Kit is a more comprehensive tool that provides access to all the customization options as when first creating your character (excluding race, class, and name.) It’s a powerful item that allows you to significantly alter your character’s appearance. With this kit, you can change:
- Hair Style, Color, Horns/Facial Hair: Similar to the Self-Style Hair Kit, this kit allows modifications to the head.
- Face: Change the shape of your face and various facial features.
- Eyes: Select a different eye shape and color.
- Build: Modify your character’s body type and proportions, ranging from athletic to bulky.
- Height: Adjust your character’s height within the given parameters.
- Gender: This is perhaps the most significant change offered; you can switch from male to female or vice-versa.
Like the Self-Style Hair Kit, the Total Makeover Kit is consumed upon acceptance of the changes. Preview your character thoroughly, as these changes are permanent unless you use another kit.
Changing Your Character’s Skin
While you cannot change the fundamental base skin texture of your character, you can change its appearance through the use of skins. Skins are applied to your equipped armor pieces and offer a vast range of cosmetic variations.
How Skins Work
- Skin Selection: Skins are chosen by either using the skin type selector or by clicking directly on a piece of equipment.
- Skin Collection: Once a skin type is selected, the skin collection interface will display all the unlocked skins for that specific type.
- Application: A bouncing arrow will point towards the associated equipment slot, making skin application user-friendly.
- Transmutation: Applying a new skin typically costs transmutation charges, which are an in-game currency.
- Permanence: Once applied, skins are permanently saved to your equipped items unless you revert them.
Dyeing Your Armor and Outfits
Beyond skins, you can further personalize your character’s appearance by applying dyes to your armor and outfits.
- Custom Color Palette: Dyes come in a wide variety of colors, allowing you to customize your armor and outfits.
- Item Restrictions: Note that some items, such as weapons and trinkets, cannot be dyed.
- Versatile Application: Mounts, gliders, and skiffs can also be dyed, offering a unified aesthetic across your character and their tools.
Changing Your Character’s Name
While not part of physical appearance, changing your character’s name is an option available in Guild Wars 2. This can be accomplished by purchasing a Name Change Contract from the Gem Store. This item is single-use, allowing you to rename any one character on your account to an unused name.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about appearance changes in Guild Wars 2, providing extra details and answering common player inquiries:
Can you change your race or class in Guild Wars 2?
No, you cannot change your race or profession (class) once your character is created. These are permanent choices tied to your character’s identity. However, you can create new characters if you wish to play with a different race or profession.
Is there a way to change only my hair in Guild Wars 2?
Yes, using a Self-Style Hair Kit, you can change your character’s hairstyle, hair color, and related features such as horns or facial hair.
How much do Total Makeover Kits and Self-Style Hair Kits cost?
The prices for both kits can vary depending on in-game sales and promotions. However, you can always find the current cost listed in the Gem Store. Total Makeover Kits are usually more expensive due to the comprehensive changes they offer.
Can I preview appearance changes before applying them?
Yes, before finalizing any changes with either the Self-Style Hair Kit or the Total Makeover Kit, you can preview your character’s new look in the character customization screen. This allows you to make any necessary tweaks before applying them permanently.
Are dyes permanent?
No, dyes are not permanent. You can change the dye on your gear as often as you wish. However, once you have applied a dye to an item, the dye is consumed. You need to purchase another dye to use on a different piece of equipment or outfit.
Can I revert skin changes?
Yes, you can revert skin changes. In the transmutation window, there’s a “Reset” button that will remove all skin previews on the paper doll. Note that this does not refund the transmutation charges spent on previously applied skins.
Can you change your character’s age?
No, there is no mechanic to change the perceived age of your character. The in-game customization options focus on facial features, build, and height but do not allow you to make a character look specifically older or younger.
Do race-specific skills affect how my character looks?
No, racial skills are special skills available based on your character’s race and are gameplay related. They do not affect your character’s physical appearance, which is dictated by the customization options and skins applied.
What’s the difference between a skin and an outfit?
Skins are applied to individual pieces of armor, allowing for a customized mix-and-match appearance, while outfits are full-body cosmetic sets that override the appearance of your individual armor pieces. Both can be dyed for further personalization.
Can you change gender with the Self-Style Hair Kit?
No, the Self-Style Hair Kit does not allow for gender changes. You need a Total Makeover Kit for a gender change.
Are there any restrictions on skin or dye usage?
Some items are not dyeable or do not accept skins. This often applies to very specific gear pieces like trinkets, certain weapons, or some novelty items.
Can I change the size of my character?
Yes, you can change your character’s height and build using the Total Makeover Kit. You can make your character taller or shorter, and adjust their body proportions to be more muscular or slender.
Is there a way to get free transmutation charges?
Transmutation charges can be obtained through various in-game activities, such as completing map exploration, participating in daily activities, or using special items. You can earn them through natural gameplay and do not always have to purchase them.
Can I change the race of my mount or glider?
No, you cannot change the race or fundamental model of your mounts or gliders. However, you can use dyes and skins to alter their cosmetic appearance to match your character’s style.
Can you trade skins in Guild Wars 2?
Yes, most skins are bound to your account once used, but there are some that are not. These skins can be traded with other players or sold on the Trading Post.
In conclusion, Guild Wars 2 provides a robust system for customizing your character’s appearance. Through tools like the Self-Style Hair Kit, Total Makeover Kit, skins, and dyes, you have a high degree of control over how your adventurer looks. While some foundational aspects remain fixed, the creative possibilities allow you to craft a truly unique hero in the world of Tyria.