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Outer Worlds 2
Character Creation Guide
The Outer Worlds 2 features an extensive character creation system that offers plenty of freedom to shape your player character. See all the character creation options, and if you can edit your character after creation here!
Character Creation Guide
| 1 | Edit Your Appearance |
|---|---|
| 2 | Pick Between Six Backgrounds |
| 3 | Select Character Traits |
| 4 | Choose Two Specialized Skills |
Edit Your Appearance
You can customize your body type, prosthetics, face shape, skin tone, eye color, hairstyle, and more, including finer details like scars and age.
Character Appearance is Purely Cosmetic
Regardless of your chosen appearance sliders, including prosthetics, your character’s look is purely cosmetic and will not affect gameplay, combat, or story in any way.
Pick Between Six Backgrounds
 |
||
| Profile Backgrounds | ||
|---|---|---|
 Ex-Convict |
 Gambler |
 Lawbringer |
 Professor |
 Renegade |
 Roustabout |
Next, you’ll need to choose your character’s background profile. This defines who your character was before joining the Earth Directorate and can influence dialogue options and available actions throughout your playthrough.
The available background profiles to choose from are Ex-Convict, Gambler, Lawbringer, Professor, Renegade, and Roustabout.
Select Character Traits
 |
|
| Positive Traits | Bonuses |
|---|---|
 Brawny |
Sliding or sprinting into hostiles will knock them down. Cooldown: 5 seconds |
 Brilliant |
Specialize in one additional skill. Specialized skills start with two points. |
 Heroic |
-20% Companion Ability Charge Time |
 Innovative |
Crafting recipes for ammo, throwables, and resources create up to twice as many of those items for the same amount of crafting materials. |
 Lucky |
+5% Critical Chance "Certain opportunities are just accessible to you." |
 Nimble |
+25% Crouch Speed +25% Combat Sprint Speed |
 Resilient |
Death is prevented for 3s the first time you would have died each combat. |
 Suave |
10% discount at all vendors and bounty must be two times higher than normal to be seen as an Outlaw. |
 Witty |
Reputation with any faction can never decrease below Neutral. |
There are nine positive traits to choose from, each of which can significantly impact combat, dialogue, crafting, and story. Choose wisely, as these traits are a core part of your character and how you play through missions. You can choose up to two traits in this selection.
Negative Trait Required With Two Positive Traits Selected
| Negative Traits | Penalties |
|---|---|
 Abrasive |
Reputation with any faction can never increase above Neutral. |
 Dumb |
Lock 5 of the 12 available skills. Those skills can never have points added to them. |
 Sickly |
-15% Base Health -15 Toxicity Threshold |
If you choose more than one trait, a negative trait must also be selected to balance out your character. These come with harsh penalties, but can enhance role-playing and may have little impact if you plan your playthrough well.
Choose Two Specialized Skills
 |
||
| Selectable Skills | ||
|---|---|---|
 Engineering Engineering Increases effectiveness of all armor, and get extra engineering dialogue options if available Skill Trait: Mechanical systems with a difficulty at or below your skill level can be fixed Stat Increase per Level: ・+1% Damage Resistance |
 Explosives Explosives Increases damage dealt with explosives and other AoE weapons, as well as the ability to disarm mines and traps Stat Increases per Level: ・+10% Explosives Damage ・+1% Damage Resistance against Explosives |
 Guns Guns Increases damage dealt with all types of guns Stat Increases per Level: ・+10% Ranged Damage ・+1% Armor Penetration |
 Hack Hack Proficiency in hacking terminals, automechanicals, and vending machines Skill Trait: Hack checks equal to your Hack skill and lower can be overcome. Stat Increase per Level: ・+5% Damage to Automechanicals |
 Leadership Leadership Increases damage and survivability of companions Stat Increases per Level: ・+8% Companion Damage ・+4% Companion Health |
 Lockpick Lockpick Allows you to unlock locked containers and doors Skill Trait: Locks with a difficulty at or below your skill level can be opened Stat Increase per Level: ・+1% Evasion Chance |
 Melee Melee Increaes damage dealt with Melee weapons Stat Increases per Level: ・+10% Melee Damage ・-2% Damage Received while Blocking |
 Medical Medical Increases maximum Toxicity, allowing more uses of Medical Inhaler and increased resistance to Zyranium poisoning Stat Increases per Level: ・+7 Toxicity Crash Threshold ・+5% Damage to Creatures |
 Observation Observation Reveals hidden objects in the world and subtle behaviors in conversation Skill Trait: Hidden objects with a difficulty at or below your skill level can be found Stat Increase per Level: ・+15% Weakspot Damage |
 Science! Science! Increases maximum Gadget Energy Stat Increases per Level: ・+7 Gadget Energy Max Meter ・+10% more stacks of non-Physical Damage Type side-effects |
 Sneak Sneak Makes it harder for enemies to detect you while crouched Stat Increases per Level: ・+35% Sneak Attack Damage ・-2% NPC Awareness Detection Rate |
 Speech Speech Allows you to better influence others in conversations and dialogue Skill Trait: Speech checks with a difficulty at or below your skill level can be selected Stat Increase per Level: ・+5% Damage to Humans |
Finally, you’ll need to select two Skills to specialize in (or three if you have the Brilliant Trait) that shape your gameplay style. Specializing in a skill allows you to max it out faster, granting two immediate levels to those skills. You can still add points into other, non-specialized skills.
Each skill provides stat bonuses that increase as you level up and invest points into them, often boosting damage output or granting other valuable benefits. Some also enhance unique mechanics, such as lockpicking or sneaking.
As you progress, you’ll be able to choose Perks based on your skill levels, such as Leadership Perks that let you use companion abilities more often.
Can You Change Your Character Later On?
One Final Respec Available After Title Screen
After character creation, you cannot change your character's appearance and background. There is one final respec opportunity for traits and specialized skills after the title screen. The character you progress with after that is permanent for the rest of the game.
One Chance to Respec Traits and Skills
You'll have one final opportunity to respec your Traits and Skills right after the prologue ends, during your conversation with the robot Valerie. However, your character's appearance and background can't be changed at this point.
Save Before Finishing the Prologue
You can create a save right before the end of the prologue, just before opening the door that triggers the final cutscene. This gives you a quick way to restart and respec your Traits and Skills without having to replay the entire prologue.
The Outer Worlds 2 Related Guides
Beginner's Guide: Tips and Tricks
All Tips and Tricks Guides
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Character Creation Guide
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