self>TikkaLeFem at 18:58, 20 June 2026

2026-06-20T18:58:01Z

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This guide provides a detailed explanation of the process of '''character creation''' in [[Guild Wars]]. Creating a [[character]] consists of the following steps:

==Selecting character type==
There are two types of characters you can create:
* [[Roleplaying character]]
* [[PvP-only character]]

See each of the above two articles for a more detailed explanation of how they differ.

In short, a roleplaying character starts off at [[level]] 1 and is provided with only minimum [[basic armor]] and a [[:Category:PvE starter weapons|starter weapon]]. Such characters are expected to go through the campaign storyline to earn [[experience]] and gain [[level]]s. This eventually allows the character to gain access to all [[PvE]] and [[PvP]] content [[Guild Wars]] has to offer (except the use of the [[PvP Equipment]] panel).

A [[PvP-only character]] on the other hand, is for those who don't like to spend time leveling and want to just get into the action, or just want to experience PvP battles earlier than a PvE character would. A PvP character starts off at the maximum level (20), with weapons and armor which are fully customizable using the PvP Equipment panel. [[Weapon upgrade]]s, [[rune]]s, [[skill]]s, and [[hero]]es are all available, provided they have already been [[unlock]]ed. PvP-only characters cannot access any of the roleplaying content such as storyline missions or PvE zones (except for the PvE version of the [[Isle of the Nameless]]); they are limited to player versus player battles.

Prior to the introduction of skill and equipment [[template]]s, the creation of a PvP-only character was marked differently from the creation of a roleplaying character but they are now similar. Unless otherwise noted, the following sections apply to either character type.

==Choose starting campaign==
[[Image:Choose starting campaign.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Choose a starting campaign]]
This is the first choice you will have to make. The starting [[campaign]] affects your subsequent options - the available professions that can be selected and the available appearance options. If you are creating a PvP-only character, you can [[#Choose primary profession|skip the rest of this section]]. Aside from the starting location, the rest of this section applies only to roleplaying characters.

The starting campaign also determines your character's starting location, and the storyline that you will follow. For an overview of each of the storylines, see the [[Storyline]] article. Note that you cannot create an [[Eye of the North]] character, since it is an [[expansion]] and not a campaign. A PvP-only character will always appear in the [[Great Temple of Balthazar]], and cannot access the PvE areas of the campaigns.

All characters can access all campaigns (provided you have those campaigns linked to the same [[account]]). A character need not complete their starting campaign before being allowed to go to another campaign. The character need only reach the location or point in the storyline where the access quests are offered. Prophecies characters need to reach [[Lion's Arch]], Factions characters need to reach [[Kaineng Center]], and Nightfall characters need to reach [[Consulate Docks (outpost)|Consulate Docks]]. It is actually a good idea to switch campaigns ''before'' completing your starting campaign. The Prophecies campaign has quests that offer free skills; the Factions campaign gives early access to max armor and weapons; and the Nightfall campaign gives access to level 15 [[hero]]es.

The following sections attempt to discuss some of the technical advantages and disadvantages of each campaign.

===Prophecies===
The [[Prophecies]] campaign is a good first campaign for all new Guild Wars players as the pace is much slower. Ample time and opportunities are given to get used to your character's capabilities. It will take quite a while before your character will hit level 20. Party size and enemy difficulty are scaled up slowly. Almost 40 skills are awarded freely as quest rewards throughout the first half of the campaign as your character progresses towards level 20. All of this combines for a low learning curve.

The downside, especially for veteran players, is precisely what makes it good for new players. Skill rewards discourage skill purchases (from [[skill trainer]]s), and thus somewhat discourages experimentation. With a slow difficulty scaling, [[elite skill]]s are also unavailable until far into the campaign. The [[attribute quest]]s and the [[profession changer]]s are even further along, about two-thirds of the way into the campaign. Access to other campaigns are available at about a third of the way through (your character is most likely several levels below level 20).

Additionally, players that concentrate much on learning the game might not be able to understand the entire story for two reasons: First, it is a rather complicated story with many turns. Second, in Prophecies most missions can be run, which means the movies, which contain most of the story, are skipped just to finish missions faster.

===Factions===
The [[Factions]] campaign gives access to the [[Assassin]] and [[Ritualist]] professions. Unlike Prophecies, progress to level 20 takes a very short amount of time (it is not uncommon to reach level 20 in only 12 or so hours of gameplay). Early quests give plenty of [[gold]] that you can buy skills with (very few skills are awarded for free). Elite skills also become available early, although the bulk of them come much later. Access to other campaigns occurs very early, just a little after you leave the starting region of [[Shing Jea Island]]. This is a good campaign to start from to quickly get to level 20.

The problem with leveling up so fast is that it is not beginner-friendly. The starting region does not offer a lot of opportunities for new players to get used to their characters before being thrust into the mainland [[Cantha]] (which might surprise unprepared players due to the jump in difficulty). And without skill rewards, players are left to their own devices when deciding whether or not to buy new skills - possibly a good thing for experienced players, but much less so for inexperienced players. All non-elite [[core]] skills and a large number of Factions skills can be purchased in [[Kaineng City]].

===Nightfall===
The [[Nightfall]] campaign gives access to the [[Paragon]] and [[Dervish]] professions. Most importantly, it gives early access to [[hero]]es. This campaign's leveling speed is slower than Factions, but still faster than Prophecies. Access to other campaigns is faster than Prophecies and Factions. This is a good middle ground for the two previous campaigns; however, if you just want the heroes, it might instead be better to switch to this campaign from other campaigns to get five of them at level 15.

Skill acquisition is similar to Factions in that players are mostly expected to buy their own skills. The gold rewards are also slightly less than the Factions campaign so a more careful use of gold is necessary. Elite skills are available in abundance from quite early on; however, unlike in Factions, many non-elite skills are not available from trainers until quite late in the campaign.

You can also purchase skills in Nightfall via [[Hero skill point]]s. Each character gets a limited number of these (max of 33 in Nightfall), but they can be used to purchase skills from any profession, even if your character has not yet unlocked that profession. The same mechanic is available in Eye of the North.

==Choose primary profession==
{{See|Guide to Professions}}
[[Image:Choose primary profession Factions.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Available primary professions in Factions]]
This is the most important decision in the creation of a [[roleplaying character]]. The choice of [[primary profession]] ''cannot'' be changed once a character has been created. You will need to delete your character or change its name for a fee if you want to make your name available for a new character with a different primary profession.

This choice should be primarily determined by your preferred play style. See the individual [[profession]] articles for an overview of what sort of roles each is suitable for. The six [[core]] professions are available in all campaigns:

* {{w}} [[Warrior]]
: ''The mightiest of mighty, the bravest of the brave, the Warrior is the master of melee combat and heavy armor.''
* {{r}} [[Ranger]]
: ''An agile and wily survivor, the Ranger specializes in archery, beast mastery, and attunement to nature.''
* {{mo}} [[Monk]]
: ''The servant of divine spirits, the Monk uses prayer to protect, preserve, and restore the well-being of companions.''
* {{n}} [[Necromancer]]
: ''One who has learned to draw power from blood sacrifice and communion with death, the Necromancer uses black magic to cast curses and raise undead minions.''
* {{me}} [[Mesmer]]
: ''A master of illusion, misdirection, and control, the Mesmer subverts the damage-dealing capabilities of others, manipulating their perceptions to achieve personal goals.''
* {{e}} [[Elementalist]]
: ''The master of arcane lore and magical aptitude, the Elementalist calls upon the power of fire, earth, air, and water to obliterate enemies.''

These professions are only available to '''Factions''' characters:
* {{a}} [[Assassin]]
: ''A swift, silent master of shadows, daggers, and death, the Assassin can chain together increasingly deadly strikes that target a foe's critical areas, killing quickly and efficiently.''
* {{rt}} [[Ritualist]]
: ''A living conduit to the Spirit world, the Ritualist spawns powerful Spirit allies that inflict harm on foes, and can channel restorative magic that heals and protects injured companions.''

These professions are only available to '''Nightfall''' characters:
* {{p}} [[Paragon]]
: ''With a commanding voice and charismatic presence, the Paragon rallies the valiant through inspiration, motivation, and leadership.''
* {{d}} [[Dervish]]
: ''Bolstered by the blessings of the gods, these holy warriors reap the benefits of multiple enchantments. With a sharpened scythe, the Dervish can unleash a whirlwind of destruction.''

Other factors that can also be taken into consideration are a profession's [[primary attribute]], [[skill]]s, maximum [[armor rating]], the aesthetic appeal of the relevant [[armor]], and even [[emote]]s.

For more help or details in deciding your character's profession, see some of our player-contributed [[:Category:Profession guides|profession guides]].

==Decide character sex==
After choosing a primary profession, the next step is to choose a character's sex. You can create characters of either sex in any campaign. Aside from one's appearance and voice, there is no difference between male and female characters in terms of gameplay; however, the [[The Great Norn Alemoot]] quest chain and the [[Tihark Orchard]] mission include slight differences based on the character's sex. The [[Doppelganger]]'s appearance is also based on the character's sex.

==Customize appearance==
[[File:Customize appearance female necromancer.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Customize appearance of Prophecies female necromancer]]

At this step, you can customize how your character looks by choosing a hair style, a face, and colors for your character's hair and skin. How your character looks does not affect gameplay in any way, but do try to choose something you won't regret. The choices available depend on all the previous steps. Bear in mind that after creating a character, the appearance ''cannot'' be changed unless you purchase [[Makeover Credit]]s or [[Extreme Makeover Credit]]s via the [https://store.guildwars.com/ Guild Wars Official Online Store]. These (Extreme) Makeover Credits can be used to change your appearance at [[Anatomical Engineer Llye]] at the [[Great Temple of Balthazar]]. On character creation, you are limited to the combinations offered in the campaign you chose, but Llye will allow you to use the options of other campaigns too.

===Statistical trivia===

Below you find a table showing the number of available choices. Where there are parentheses, the numbers inside show the breakdown per campaign (Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall respectively).

{| style="margin:0.25em; border:1px solid black; text-align:center;" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" rules="all"
|- valign="top"
!rowspan=2| Profession !!colspan=2| Hair style !! Hair color !!colspan=2| Face !! Skin color !!colspan=2| Total combinations !!colspan=2| Using [[Makeover Credit]]s
|-
! {{male}} || {{female}} || {{male}} {{female}} || {{male}} || {{female}} || {{male}} {{female}} || {{male}} || {{female}} || {{male}} || {{female}}
|-
| {{w}} || 27 (9+9+9) || 29 (10+10+9) || 32 (8+8+16) || 24 (9+7+8) || 31 (16+7+8) || 23 (8+7+8) || 17,928 (5,184+3,528+9,216) || 23,376 (10,240+3,920+9,216) || 476,928 || 661,664
|-
| {{r}} || 27 (10+8+9) || 29 (10+10+9) || 31 (7+8+16) || 26 (11+7+8) || 28 (13+7+8) || 22 (7+7+8) || 17,742 (5,390+3,136+9,216) || 19,506 (6,370+3,920+9,216) || 478,764 || 553,784
|-
| {{mo}} || 30 (12+8+10) || 28 (10+10+8) || 26 (5+5+16) || 25 (10+7+8) || 26 (11+7+8) || 21 (7+6+8) || 16,120 (4,200+1,680+10,240) || 14,142 (3,850+2,100+8,192) || 409,500 || 397,488
|-
| {{n}} || 27 (9+8+10) || 32 (11+10+11) || 38 (11+11+16) || 26 (11+7+8) || 30 (15+7+8) || 21 (7+6+8) || 21,559 (7,623+3,696+10,240) || 28,589 (12,705+4,620+11,264) || 560,196 || 766,080
|-
| {{me}} || 25 (8+8+9) || 29 (10+10+9) || 32 (8+8+16) || 27 (12+7+8) || 28 (13+7+8) || 20 (6+6+8) || 16,512 (4,608+2,688+9,216) || 18,816 (6,240+3,360+9,216) || 432,000 || 519,680
|-
| {{e}} || 27 (9+9+9) || 28 (9+10+9) || 36 (10+10+16) || 26 (11+7+8) || 28 (12+8+8) || 23 (9+6+8) || 21,906 (8,910+3,780+9,216) || 23,736 (9,720+4,800+9,216) || 581,256 || 649,152
|-
| {{a}} || 8 || 10 || 7 || 7 || 7 || 6 || 2,352 || 2,940 || 2,352 || 2,940
|-
| {{rt}} || 9 || 10 || 7 || 7 || 7 || 7 || 3,087 || 3,430 || 3,087 || 3,430
|-
| {{p}} || 11 || 13 || 16 || 10 || 9 || 8 || 14,080 || 14,976 || 14,080 || 14,976
|-
| {{d}} || 12 || 11 || 16 || 8 || 9 || 8 || 12,288 || 12,672 || 12,288 || 12,672
|}

<div class="infobox" style="background: #FFF;">
Appearance Galleries
* {{w}} [[Warrior]] ([[Gallery of female warrior appearance|Female]] / [[Gallery of male warrior appearance|Male]])
* {{r}} [[Ranger]] ([[Gallery of female ranger appearance|Female]] / [[Gallery of male ranger appearance|Male]])
* {{mo}}[[Monk]] ([[Gallery of female monk appearance|Female]] / [[Gallery of male monk appearance|Male]])
* {{n}} [[Necromancer]] ([[Gallery of female necromancer appearance|Female]] / [[Gallery of male necromancer appearance|Male]])
* {{me}} [[Mesmer]] ([[Gallery of female mesmer appearance|Female]] / [[Gallery of male mesmer appearance|Male]])
* {{e}} [[Elementalist]] ([[Gallery of female elementalist appearance|Female]] / [[Gallery of male elementalist appearance|Male]])
* {{a}} [[Assassin]] ([[Gallery of female assassin appearance|Female]] / [[Gallery of male assassin appearance|Male]])
* {{rt}} [[Ritualist]] ([[Gallery of female ritualist appearance|Female]] / [[Gallery of male ritualist appearance|Male]])
* {{p}} [[Paragon]] ([[Gallery of female paragon appearance|Female]] / [[Gallery of male paragon appearance|Male]])
* {{d}} [[Dervish]] ([[Gallery of female dervish appearance|Female]] / [[Gallery of male dervish appearance|Male]])
</div>

The Nightfall campaign came with the highest number of appearance options, mainly because of the wide choice in hair color. Prophecies stands out as the campaign with most different selectable character faces.

The professions with the highest and lowest number of appearance options would be the Necromancer (233) and the Assassin (58) respectively. Although when campaigns are compared separately, it would respectively be the Paragon (91) and the Factions Monk (54) instead.

And logically following the above, the profession with the most possible combinations would be the Necromancer, specifically the female necromancer (28,589). The male Assassin lies on the other end with only 2,352 combinations. Again, with campaigns considered separately, the female Paragon takes the lead with 14,976 combinations, while the male Factions Monk brings up the rear with 1,680 combinations.

In general, Elementalists, Necromancers, and Warriors possess the most combinations, with Rangers, Mesmers, Monks, Paragons, and Dervishes moderately so, and the Factions campaign Ritualists and Assassins having the least possible combinations.

==Customize body==
[[Image:Customize body male dervish.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Customize body of Nightfall male dervish]]
The second to last step is where you customize the color of your starting armor and your character's height. Despite this step being described as "customize your body", the only thing you can customize is the height. The height difference between tallest and shortest is not very large, but there is a difference between the maximum and minimum heights of different professions. For instance, female Monks and Rangers at minimum height are shorter than female Elementalists. There does not appear to be a difference based on starting campaigns. On the whole, male characters have a slightly higher maximum and minimum height.

Your [[basic armor|basic starting armor]] comes in five pieces, each of which can be colored individually. They do not affect gameplay and they do not affect the color of any armor piece that you subsequently obtain. For PvP-only characters, instead of basic armor, you get [[:Category:PvP armor|PvP armor]], which is essentially max armor with no upgrades.

{{Bug|Selecting a color for the feet armor piece in character creation can cause a visual bug where the UV Map and new color of the feet armor piece are applied to the legs armor piece instead. This is only temporary:
* Changing the color of the legs armor will remove the wrong uv map, but the color of the feet armor will not update.
** This may only work when selecting the new color.
* Going Back and changing skin color will remove the wrong uv map, remove the wrong color and apply the color correctly to the feet armor. Other appearance options have no effect.
* The created character will have the color corresponding to the color channel, not the preview. }}

==Decide character name==
One of two final steps is to decide on a name. There are rules associated with the naming of your character that is dependent on which is your home [[territory]]. Note that after your character is created, the only way to change the name without deleting the character is to purchase the [https://store.guildwars.com/en-us/product/character-name-change Name Change feature] from the official [https://store.guildwars.com/ Guild Wars Online Store].

{| style="margin: 0em auto 1em; " cellpadding="2"
|-
| [[File:Exclamation_Point_-_Red_Emblem.svg‎]]
| style="text-align:left; width:100%;" | Do ''not'' create characters with <big>'''obscene'''/'''offensive'''</big> names, even indirectly, partially or suggestively:

: '''Warning:''' The filter will block most offensive words and words that have the potential to be abused. This is specifically mentioned in the [https://legal.guildwars.com/en/gw-naming-policy-en.pdf Naming Policy]. [[ArenaNet]] will offer you a chance to rename the character if the policy gets breached. [[Customize]]d [[weapons]] and [[armor]] '''''can''''' still be used on or by a renamed character, because those items are bound to the unique id of the character, not to the name.

If you recently deleted a character (you must also have started playing that character), that character's name is reserved for your account for about 24 hours before it becomes available to other players.
|}

===America and Europe===
Names must comply with these rules:
* Does not exceed the maximum character limit (maximum 19 characters).
* Must use a minimum of 3 characters (a space counts as one).
* Must use only Latin letters (digits are not allowed).

===Japan===
You must first select whether the name will consist of only Latin letters or a mixture of Japanese characters and Latin letters. Those of the former are governed by same rules as those of North America and Europe above. Those of the latter must comply by these rules:
* Does not exceed the maximum character limit (maximum 16 characters).
* Must use a minimum of 4 characters (each Japanese character counts as 2 characters).
* Must use at least 1 Japanese character (Latin letters are optional).
* Must not contain any spaces.
* Must use only Japanese characters and Latin letters (digits are not allowed).

===China (Taiwan)===
You must first select whether the name will consist of only Latin letters or a mixture of Traditional Chinese characters and Latin letters. Those of the former are governed by same rules as those of North America and Europe above. Those of the latter must comply by these rules:
* Does not exceed the maximum character limit (maximum 16 characters).
* Must use a minimum of 3 characters (each Traditional Chinese character counts as 2 characters).
* Must use at least 1 Traditional Chinese character (Latin letters are optional).
* Must not contain any spaces.
* Must use only Traditional Chinese characters and Latin letters (digits are not allowed).

==Optional game mode selection==
Finally, you can choose to bind a character to any of the [[optional game modes]], which each add additional restrictions or conditions to the way you play:

*{{dcmode}} ''(Swear an oath to the [[Dhuum|old God of Death]]. You'll bear the mark of the unfallen, but should you [[death|die]]{{sic|Conditional clause should be followed by a comma.}} Dhuum will come for his penance.)''
*{{mamode}} ''(Take only what you can carry on yourself. Become only what you can make of yourself. You will be unable to [[trade]] with other players, access account [[storage]], or hire mercenary heroes. The Goddess of Nature shall provide.)''
*{{reforgedmode}} ''(Opts in to an early preview of Reforged Mode, with tuning and content changes for Guild Wars Prophecies.)''

These modes can be added or removed after character creation by visting a [[Shrine to Godly Accoutrements]] as long as the character still fits the requirements. They were added as part of [[Guild Wars Reforged]] and are currently in testing.

==Creation complete==
Once you've confirmed the name, the opening [[cinematic]] for your chosen starting campaign will play (if creating a roleplaying character) and after that, you will gain control of your new character.

{{Anomaly|If you create a Factions character, and log off immediately after the cinematic loads, your character is listed as being at the same location than your last selected character, with the background of Kryta.{{verify|Is it Embark Beach by default ?}}}}

See also [[Guide to tutorial areas]] for more information about the initial aspects of the game.

==Character makeover==
For a fee, you can make changes to your character's appearance anytime via the [[asura]]n [[Anatomical Engineer Llye]] in the [[Great Temple of Balthazar]], or the [[Ascalon (pre-Searing)|Ascalonian]] [[stylist]] [[Gilderoy Le Fleur]] in [[Ascalon City (pre-Searing)]]. [[Makeover Credit|Makeover]] and [[Extreme Makeover Credit]]s are available in the [[Guild Wars Online Store]].

{{featured article}}
[[Category:Campaign Walkthrough guides|Character]]

Guide to character creation - Revision history

self>TikkaLeFem at 18:58, 20 June 2026