Dragon's Dogma 2 PSA: You can change character appearance without buying microtransactions, here's how

Dragon's Dogma 2
(Image credit: Windows Central)

Capcom's phenomenal new ARPG Dragon's Dogma 2 has one of the best character creators we've ever seen, and fans are having an absolute blast playing around with it. Naturally, that means many will likely want to change their Arisen's appearance at some point during their playthrough, and thankfully, it's possible to do so. However, the game doesn't explain how you can at all, making the process rather bewildering to figure out.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that Dragon's Dogma 2 displays a microtransaction for the ability to do so front-and-center on its DLC page, resulting in many thinking that you have to pay money to change how you look. Thankfully, though, this isn't the case.

It took me a fair amount of time to work out what to do, but now that I have, I'm here to pass that info along to my fellow Arisen. In the guide below, you'll find everything you need to know about how to change your character's appearance (and your Pawn's), including a full overview of the process and everything you'll need.

How to change appearance in Dragon's Dogma 2

While you can edit the hairstyle, makeup, and markings of your character and your Main Pawn with Gold, the only way to fully change your appearance is to acquire an Art of Metamorphosis. While you can buy these items from Dragon's Dogma 2's online store for $1.99 apiece, there are at least two you can also obtain in gameplay.

A pair of Art of Metamorphosis tomes are available to purchase at the Pawn Guild vendor in Vernworth, the capital city of Vermund. He's located directly to the left of the large Riftstone in the city — on the map, his location is displayed as an icon of a potion bottle with a Rift symbol next to it — and he sells the Arts of Metamorphosis for 500 Rift Crystals each. These, too, are purchasable, though you can also get Rift Crystals fairly often (albeit a bit slowly) by playing.

It's important to note that while there may be other Arts of Metamorphosis available in the game world, these are the only two we've found in our playthroughs. If we learn of additional in-game sources of this item, we'll update this guide.

Once you have an Art of Metamorphosis, you'll then need to visit a Barberie. The earliest one you can find in Dragon's Dogma 2 is on the west side of Vernworth, just west of the Merchant Quarter; the shop's map location and the sign outside of it are pictured in the images above. Note that Barberies are shown on the map with a scissors icon.

Make sure to select the Modify Appearance option if you want to use an Art of Metamorphosis to change your character's body and features. (Image credit: Windows Central)

Enter the Barberie and speak to the woman inside and you'll be met with a number of different options. If you just want to adjust the hairstyle, makeup, or markings of your character or your Pawn, you should just pay 10,000 Gold to change one of these or 25,000 Gold to change all three. If you're looking to change your character or your Pawn extensively with a new body and different features, though, select the Modify Appearance option that has an Art of Metamorphosis icon next to it.

You'll then be given the option to edit either your character or your Main Pawn; make your choice and you'll be taken to the character creator menu. Here, you get all the options you had at the start of the game, and can essentially remake the character however you want to (though you can't change your race). Going through with your changes will consume an Art of Metamorphosis and transform the character or Pawn you chose to edit.


Dragon's Dogma 2 is available now, and it's one of the best Xbox games and best PC games you can play in 2024 if you love action RPGs with deep, varied combat and rich fantasy worlds. Capcom's new title is playable on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5 for $69.99.

Dragon's Dogma 2

Dragon's Dogma 2

You are the Arisen, the one who holds the loyalty of Pawns and has an intertwined destiny with a powerful dragon. Work with your party to battle through tough enemies, explore distant locations, and grow stronger so you can take down your foes. 

PC — Buy at: GMG (Steam) | CDKeys (Steam) | Humble Bundle (Steam)

Xbox — Buy at: 
Amazon | Xbox

Dragon's Dogma 2 Deluxe Edition

Dragon's Dogma 2 Deluxe Edition

You'll gain additional add-ons along with the base game when purchasing the Deluxe Edition. Use your powers to take own large dragons with the help of your Pawn party members. 

PC — Buy at: GMG (Steam) | CDKeys (Steam) | Humble Bundle (Steam)

Xbox — Buy at: 
Amazon | Xbox

Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you'll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he's not writing or gaming, there's a good chance he's either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).

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