Starbound Change Character Appearance Mod Work May 2026

  "name": "Custom Character",
  "description": "A custom character appearance mod",
  "version": "1.0",
  "author": "Your Name"

This file provides basic information about your mod.

This guide explains how to create a Starbound mod that lets players change their character’s appearance (race, gender/skin layers, hair, colors, facial features) without starting a new character. It assumes Starbound v1.x and basic familiarity with JSON, Lua, and the Starbound mod folder layout.

  "model": "customcharacter.model",
  "textures": [
    "customcharacter.texture1.png",
    "customcharacter.texture2.png"
  ],
  "animations": [
    "customcharacter.animation1.animation",
    "customcharacter.animation2.animation"
  ]

Conclusion

Creating a character appearance mod for Starbound requires some technical knowledge, but with these steps, you can create a custom mod that changes the character's appearance. Remember to test your mod thoroughly to ensure that it works as expected.

Troubleshooting

Additional Resources

In , "changing character appearance" can mean two very different things: customizing a new character with modded options or editing an existing character mid-game. Because Starbound stores character data in a hardcoded format, there is no native "barber" or "plastic surgeon" NPC in the base game.

Below is a breakdown of how different types of appearance mods work and how you can use them to change your look. 1. New Character Customization (Creation Phase)

These mods expand the options available when you first create a character.

Race Extenders: By default, Starbound only has enough slots for the seven vanilla races. Mods like Xar's Character Extender add more selection boxes to the menu, allowing you to choose custom races like the Avali or Skeletons.

Aesthetic Expansions: Mods like Colorbound or Cutebound add hundreds of new hair colors, skin tones, and eye styles directly to the creation sliders.

How they "work": They patch the game's .config files to tell the creation screen to look for more assets. These are the most stable mods, but they typically only apply to newly created characters. 2. Mid-Game Appearance Changes (Live Characters)

Changing your base look (hair, skin, or race) after starting the game requires bypassing the game’s standard limits. starbound change character appearance mod work

Changing Character Appearance with Mods:

Using the Character Customizer Mod:

Troubleshooting:

There is no official in-game way to change your character's appearance after creation in

, but you can achieve this through specific mods, third-party tools, or manual file editing. 🛠️ In-Game Editor Mods

While standard Steam Workshop mods generally cannot modify a live character's hardcoded appearance, specialized "engine-level" mods can.

StarExtensions: This is widely considered the best modern solution. It adds an /editor command that opens the full character creation menu in-game.

xStarbound: Similar to StarExtensions, it provides an /editor command and is compatible with major mods like Frackin Universe (with a compatibility patch). 💾 Third-Party Save Editors

If you prefer not to install engine-level mods, you can use external applications to modify your .player save files.

Starcheat: A classic character editor. While some features may be outdated, the appearance settings (colors, hairstyle, name, and species) generally still work.

⚠️ Warning: Always backup your player folder before using external editors to prevent corruption. 📝 Manual File Editing (Advanced)

You can manually edit your character file by "unpacking" it into a readable text format.

Locate Save: Go to Starbound/storage/player and find the .player file for your character.

Unpack: Use the dump_versioned_json.exe utility found in the Starbound win32 or win64 folder to convert the binary file into a .json file. Item / NPC / Vanity Station

Edit: Open the JSON in a text editor like Notepad++. Search for terms like "hairType", "bodyColor", or "name" to change their values.

Repack: Use make_versioned_json.exe to convert the JSON back into a .player file. 💡 The "New Character" Workaround

If mods or file editing seem too risky, you can transfer your progress to a new character: Create a new character with the exact appearance you want.

Visit your old character's planet or ship and drop all your items into chests for the new character to pick up.

Ship Files: You can rename your old character's .shipworld file to match the UUID of your new character to keep your ship's layout.

If you'd like to try the manual editing method, I can provide the exact command lines for the unpacker tool. Would you also like to know how to find your character's unique ID (UUID) to make sure you're editing the right file?

How do I change my race and appearance in a game that has started?

You can find it on Github, latest release is from Oct. * mcplano. • 1y ago. StarExtensions has an in-game character editor. Type / Reddit·r/starbound Character Editor - Starbound

Changing Your Character's Appearance in Starbound: A Guide to Using Mods

Starbound, the popular sci-fi sandbox game, has captured the hearts of many players with its vast open world, engaging gameplay, and extensive character customization options. However, some players may find that their character's appearance, although customizable at the start of the game, becomes limited as they progress. This is where mods come into play, offering a solution to change and modify your character's appearance long after the initial creation.

In this article, we will explore how to use mods to change your character's appearance in Starbound, discussing the reasons behind using mods, how to install them, and a step-by-step guide on changing your character's appearance.

Why Use Mods to Change Character Appearance?

The character customization options in Starbound are quite extensive, allowing players to choose from a variety of races, skin tones, and features. However, as players progress through the game, they might find their character's appearance no longer suits their preferences or perhaps they just want to try a new look. The game's built-in options do not allow for mid-game character appearance changes, which is where mods step in.

Mods are community-created modifications that can add new content, tweak existing features, or completely overhaul game mechanics. When it comes to character appearance, mods can offer a wide range of possibilities, from simple skin changes to complete overhauls of character models and animations. Full Avatar Editor GUI

Getting Started with Mods

Before you can start changing your character's appearance with mods, you'll need to set up a modding environment. Here's a basic guide to get you started:

Changing Character Appearance with Mods

Now that you have your modding environment set up, let's dive into changing your character's appearance. The process can vary depending on the mod you're using, but here's a general guide:

Popular Character Appearance Mods

Safety and Compatibility Considerations

When using mods, it's essential to consider safety and compatibility:

Conclusion

Changing your character's appearance in Starbound with mods opens up a world of possibilities, allowing for a more personalized gaming experience. While it requires a bit of technical know-how, the process is relatively straightforward with the right tools and resources. By exploring the modding community's creations, you can breathe new life into your Starbound character, ensuring that your in-game persona always reflects your personal style. Whether you're looking for a complete overhaul or just a few tweaks, there's likely a mod out there to suit your needs.

Before we dive into mods, it helps to understand the game’s architecture. Starbound stores character data in a binary .player file located in Starbound/storage/player/. This file contains everything: inventory, quest progress, ship upgrades, and crucially, a blob of JSON data defining your species, hair, body type, and color palette.

The developers never built an in-game function to rewrite this blob. Unlike Skyrim or Fallout, there is no console command like showracemenu. The logic seems to be that your character’s look is tied to their racial identity and genetics—but for most players, that excuse wears thin after 100 hours of gameplay.

Chucklefish, the developer, never implemented an official appearance change mechanic. While you can easily change your clothes and vanity armor at any time, your character’s base visual data (species, skin/fur color, hair style/color, body type) is saved as immutable metadata in your player file. Without a mod, changing these requires manually editing your game files or starting a brand new character.

Does it work? ✅ Yes, flawlessly.
How it works: This is the nuclear option. Universal Uncrafter adds a machine that can disassemble almost any item—including the Locker and Appearance Customizer from other mods. More relevantly, it allows you to transfer gear and pixels between characters.
To change appearance with this mod:

Yes, but with conditions:

If you join a vanilla server (no mods), you won’t have access to the appearance object. However, if you change your look in single-player then join a multiplayer server, the new look will persist.