Create a Character for Ashenfall
Character creation matters because your adventurer represents you throughout RuneScape: Dragonwilds, from the opening tutorial through dangerous expeditions across Ashenfall. While appearance does not change combat power, skills, crafting, or survival capabilities, it determines the character you see in menus, social play, and moments when armor does not cover your face.
The creator is straightforward: choose a name, select a body type, then set your character’s facial features, colors, hair, and optional facial hair. You can start quickly with the default look, but spending a few minutes mixing the face and eye presets can make your adventurer feel more distinct.
Your character is a human newcomer seeking a fresh start in Ashenfall. Once creation is complete, you enter the tutorial and begin learning the survival, building, gathering, and combat systems needed to confront the dragons threatening the continent.
| Creation option | What it changes | Gameplay effect |
|---|---|---|
| Character name | The name displayed for your adventurer | Cosmetic and identification only |
| Body type | Your character’s base model and related face presets | Cosmetic only |
| Skin tone | The character’s skin-color preset | Cosmetic only |
| Face | The lower facial structure, including jaw, nose, and mouth | Cosmetic only |
| Eyes and brows | The upper-face preset and expression | Cosmetic only |
| Hair and facial hair | Hairstyle, beard or mustache, and associated colors | Cosmetic only |
None of these choices lock you into a weapon style, role, or skill path. A character with any appearance can wield weapons, cast spells, gather materials, build a base, and progress through the same content.
Name and Body Type Options
Begin by entering your character name. Names can contain up to 16 characters and cannot include spaces. Capitalization matters, so choose the spelling and letter case you want before moving on.
The creator offers two body types:
| Body type | Presentation | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Type A | Masculine presentation | Base body model and available face appearances |
| Type B | Feminine presentation | Base body model and available face appearances |
Most customization categories work similarly for both body types. Hairstyles, colors, eye colors, eyebrow colors, and facial-hair selections are broadly shared, while face and eye-and-brow presets are designed around the selected model.
Choose the body type based on the character you want to role-play or simply the silhouette you prefer. There is no hidden advantage to either option, and neither choice affects armor access, movement, damage, resource gathering, or multiplayer functionality.
A useful way to make the decision is to focus on the look that will still appeal to you after many hours of play:
- Pick the body type first, since it establishes the model for every later appearance choice.
- Compare face and eye-and-brow combinations before settling on hair.
- Consider how the face will look under helmets, hoods, and other equipment.
- Do not worry about building a “best” character; visual choices are separate from progression.
Face, Skin, and Eye Customization
After selecting a body type, choose from eight skin-tone presets. The palette includes lighter through darker natural-looking options rather than sliders for hue, saturation, warmth, or detailed complexion editing.
Next, choose a face preset. There are four options, each changing the lower half of the face. The differences are most noticeable around the cheeks, nose, lips, jawline, and chin. A separate eyes-and-brows selection changes the upper face and helps define the character’s expression.
Because these two settings are independent, they are worth testing together instead of choosing only one quickly. Four face options combined with four eyes-and-brows options provide 16 possible upper-and-lower-face combinations for each body type.
| Feature | Available presets | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Skin tone | 8 | Set the overall complexion |
| Face | 4 | Change the lower-face shape and proportions |
| Eyes and brows | 4 | Change eye shape, brow style, and expression |
| Eye color | 8 | Add a subtle color detail |
| Eyebrow color | 8 | Match or contrast with hair color |
Eye color choices include pale, green, blue, orange, yellow-gold, and muted natural shades. They can be striking in the close-up creator view, although they may be less noticeable during normal exploration, especially from a distance or in darker environments.
For a balanced result, select a face shape first, then cycle through the eyes-and-brows presets. A broader jaw can look more determined with stronger brows, while a narrower face may suit softer or more neutral eye shapes. There is no wrong combination; the goal is a character you enjoy seeing in dialogue, inventory, and character-selection screens.
Hair, Facial Hair, and Colors
Hairstyle is one of the most visible customization choices when your character is not wearing headgear. The core creator includes 11 hairstyles for both body types, ranging from bald and close-cropped looks to buns, braids, a mohawk, and shoulder-length hair.
| Hairstyle selection | Style category |
|---|---|
| Bald | Shaved or hairless |
| Bun / high bun / French bun | Tied-up styles |
| Dreads bun | Textured tied-up style |
| Mohawk | Short, distinctive style |
| Pig tail | Tied style |
| Textured crop / bowl cut | Short styles |
| Braided top knot | Braided tied-up style |
| Shoulder-length cut | Longer loose style |
Hair colors use eight preset shades. The selection emphasizes grounded colors such as blondes, browns, darker shades, and a warm reddish-brown option. You cannot fine-tune a selected color with a slider, so compare each swatch under the creator’s lighting before confirming.
Facial hair has five presets shared between body types: none, handlebar mustache, mustache-and-beard, ducktail, and goatee beard. These are appearance-only choices and can help balance the face, particularly if you select a shorter hairstyle or a stronger jaw shape.
| Color or facial feature | Choices | Practical tip |
|---|---|---|
| Hair color | 8 | Test lighter colors against darker skin tones for contrast |
| Eyebrow color | 8 | Match hair for a natural look or choose separately for contrast |
| Facial hair | 5 | Check it with your preferred face preset before finalizing |
| Eye color | 8 | Choose for close-up personality rather than combat visibility |
Eyebrow color is selected independently from hair color. Matching them creates a conventional appearance, but separate colors can create a deliberate stylized look. This extra control is especially helpful if you choose a pale hairstyle with darker brows or a dark hairstyle with lighter brows.
Keep expectations realistic when choosing hair. Helmets, hats, and many armor pieces can cover the head, face, or both during regular gameplay. Your hairstyle will be most noticeable in the creator, character menus, unarmored moments, and outfits without head protection.
Changing Your Appearance and Starting Play
You are not permanently locked into the initial look. Return to the main menu and use the customization option to revisit your character’s appearance. This makes it safe to begin with a simple default, learn the game, and refine the look later.
Changing appearance is useful when you unlock cosmetic items, change your preferred armor style, or decide that a hairstyle does not suit the character as well as it did in the creator. It also means you do not need to restart your adventure just to adjust a cosmetic decision.
After you finish the runescape dragonwilds character creation process, your next priority should be survival rather than optimization. The tutorial introduces the basic systems, and early goals lead toward gathering supplies, constructing a secure base, and meeting important characters in Ashenfall.
For a smooth opening, focus on these first steps:
- Complete the tutorial prompts before traveling far from your starting area.
- Gather basic resources for tools, food, and shelter.
- Establish a base so you have a dependable place to rest and organize supplies.
- Meet the early NPCs who teach core survival and combat concepts.
- Upgrade equipment as you explore tougher regions and prepare for dragon threats.
Your face, body type, and hairstyle will not determine whether you succeed. Equipment, preparation, gathering, crafting, and learning enemy behavior are what matter once you are in the world.
FAQ
Does runescape dragonwilds character creation affect stats?
No. Character creation only changes your adventurer’s appearance and name. It does not affect health, damage, skills, gathering, magic, weapon access, armor access, or progression.
How many body types are available?
There are two: Type A, presented as masculine, and Type B, presented as feminine. Both can access the same gameplay systems and equipment progression.
Can I change my appearance later?
Yes. You can return to the main menu and use the customization option to adjust your character’s appearance without needing to create a new save solely for cosmetic changes.
How long can a character name be?
A character name can be up to 16 characters long and cannot include spaces. Capitalization is significant, so enter the name exactly as you want it displayed.
How many hairstyles and facial-hair options are there?
The base creator offers 11 hairstyles and five facial-hair presets. Hairstyles include short, tied-up, braided, and longer options, while facial hair includes no facial hair, mustache, beard, ducktail, and goatee styles.