Bioware has announced the release of a PC character creator for the upcoming Dragon Age: Origins. The software will be available starting October 13th. The tool is meant to give you a little prep time before the game launches on November 3rd.

I think it’s a great move. I love games with custom characters, but I usually don’t spend any time with the feature until my second toon. My first character starts off to be the epic beast I plan to use to rule the planet. About three minutes in, though, my desire to actually play the game takes over and I end up with a crooked beard and bad teeth.

Alongside the character creator, Bioware is opening the game’s community site. There you’ll be able to upload your custom characters and participate in the game specific forums.