New Player Guide: Character Creation

Before you can start your adventures in Tamriel, you will need to create a character. Take your time when making your selections, as your choices will determine how your character plays and looks once you enter the game.

Several icons appear in the top right of the Character Creation screen which represent four unique menus.

  Gender, Alliance, and Race

Found under the Ouroboros icon. Alliance determines where you start and which side you represent in the Alliance War. Each race has different Passive Abilities that give them bonuses to different styles of play.

There are 10 races available to play in The Elder Scrolls Online: High Elf, Wood Elf, Dark Elf, Argonian, Khajiit, Redguard, Breton, Orc, Nord, and Imperial. Please note that Imperials are only available to players who own the Imperial Edition Upgrade.

Each Race has different strengths. For example, Nords get bonuses to their progression with two-handed weapons and have improved Max Stamina and Health Recovery, while Bosmer get bonuses to their progression with bows and have an improved Stealth detection radius.

After selecting a Race, check the description in the menu for more information. 

Gender in The Elder Scrolls Online simply determines whether your character is male or female. It has no impact on how that character plays. 

  Class 

Class selection can be found under the Class icon. Your Class selection determines your character's starting Skill Lines. Note that you will learn additional Skill Lines as you progress.

There are five classes available in The Elder Scrolls Online: Dragonknight, Sorcerer, Nightblade, Templar, and Warden. Please note that the Warden is only available to players who own The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind.

Each Class has unique styles of play. For example, Templars have abilities that heal themselves and their allies, while Nightblades can excel from stealth. That said, each Class can fulfill multiple roles - play how you want to play!

After selecting a Class, check the description in the menu for more information.

 Body 

Body appearance - including body type, skin color, and body sliders - can be found under the Body icon. 

Using the Body option, you can alter how muscular, large, or thin your character is, and even make more detailed changes to different parts of your character's body such as Torso Size, Skin Color, and Height. 

Please note that some unique options, such as Body Markings, are only available for certain Races.  

 Face

Facial appearance - including voice, hair, and various facial features - can be found under the Face icon. 

You can use the Face option to change the shape of your face, hairstyle and color, and even alter some features such as age, adornments, and more. Voice and age are also controlled by this menu.

Please note that some unique options, such as Head Markings, are only available for certain Races. 

Navigate these icons to access the menus and customize your character. You can use the Preview options to see how your character might look in different types of gear. Take your time and build the perfect character!

Once you're happy with your selections and have entered a name, select “ Create" and you'll be ready to play!

Don't forget that if you ever have additional gameplay questions, you should navigate to the in-game Help menu for more information on the game's features and mechanics. In addition, you can visit the Players Helping Players section in the official ESO forums to talk to the ESO community or check out any of the player-made guides right here.