Hi, I’m wondering if I am able to delete a character and remake them on a different class and server without someone else taking the name. For example, I have 4 Dracthyr. When Blizzard allows them to be mages, will I be able to remake those characters as mages with the same name?
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You can’t make a character with a name that already exists on your server.
But you can delete your character and make a new one with the same name of the character you just deleted.
You just have to be quick and make the character before someone else gets your name.
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From what I understand, there’s actually a measure to prevent this. IIRC, the name remains “reserved” to your account for some time after character deletion.
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I just tried to do that and it actually worked.
I made a new character, deleted it, made a new one with the same name and it worked.
Perhaps it only works with recently created characters?
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I meant preventing someone else from sniping the name from you, not preventing you from reusing the name of a deleted toon. You can take your time remaking the character is what I’m saying.
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As long as it is on the same server, yes, you have plenty of time to change classes and keep the name. You can not delete a toon, create one on another realm and get the same name, because its about 99.99% someone already has the name.
So I can’t use the same name on a different server? I thought you can keep the name as long as it’s not wiped from the database
This is both true and false – it is dependent on the level of the character. If you have a lv1 nameholder alt which was only made to hold a name until you needed it, the name will be immediately available upon deleting the lv1. (EDIT to clarify: The name will be immediately available to ANYONE, not just you.) If the character was higher level, depending on how high a level it was, the name will be locked to your account and only usable by you for (I believe) up to 30 days, with 30days being for a character which was max level.
I’m pretty sure the above is true for all of deleting the character, renaming it, or moving it to another server.
(There is likely a blue post or help info page about this, but I can’t find it.)
You can use the same name on a different server, as long as the name is not already in use by someone else. So for example, if you want to make “Puffydragon” on Icecrown server, you can at the same time also have a “Puffydragon” on Area 52 server, and as many other servers as you want. You could have 50 "Puffydragon"s as long as each is on it’s own server and no one else had already made a character named “Puffydragon” on the given server.
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How do I check to see if a name is taken?
Type it out, press enter, and if you can’t snag it that means someone already has it.
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The best way to check is to go to the character creation screen on the server you want the character to be on and put the name you want into the “name” box at the top. Wait a second (the system takes a second to check the name) and you will see one of two things appear to the right of the name box – either a green check which means you can use the name, or a red X which indicates the name is already taken. Again, remember this is server specific.
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I just created placeholder alts, so I can use the names on Dracthyr when mages become available. I really like the names I made for my Dracthyr
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A lot of people do things like this. 
Like I said above, when you go to create the character you WANT to have the name permanently, you will need to delete the nameholder alt to be able to use the name for your new Dracthyr – and as soon as you delete the nameholder alt, the name will be immediately available.
I have done this a lot in the past, and a few pointers I can give on doing this with as little risk as possible are:
–Figure out what you want the new character to look like BEFORE you delete the nameholder alt. Take your time in the character creation screen to get exactly what you want, then write down all the choices you made. That way, when you delete the nameholder alt, the only thing you’ll have to do is quickly input the look you already figured out.
–Do NOT create the new character within the first few days of something new being available. Your name you picked will be safe as long as the nameholder alt exists. There will be a LOT of people all creating characters and trying to get names on day one of anything new and it’s the most risky day to try to swap a name. Patience is a virtue, wait a few days for all the name-claiming to calm down before trying to swap the name to your new character.
–Create the new character and swap the name at a stupid late/early time during the day when fewer people are online and thus fewer people likely creating characters. A good time seems to be about 4am eastern time US on a WEEKNIGHT because a lot of west coast people will have to go to bed before then for work and the east coast people are unlikely to be up yet. (Even if they are, they’re likely to be getting ready for work and not playing WoW.)
None of the above are foolproof, but I follow those rules every time and have never lost a name while swapping it from a nameholder to a permanent character. (KNOCK ON WOOD!! 
)
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Other than choosing a name, im pretty sure you can do all the rest of the customization at the barbershop.
I don’t remember anything being available only during character creation.
Basically choose race class and name. Then go to the barbershop to fix up you toon.
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Unless it’s been changed you can’t use barbershop before a certain level. I know it was at least like this before because when I created my panda, the hairstyle I wanted was not available from the character create screen, only the barbershop, and I had to level her a bit before I could use the barbershop.
There used to be more restrictions on the barbershop before than there are now, however, so it’s possible everything is available now. I haven’t swapped a name to a newly created character in a bit.
It’s been changed, you can use it at lvl 1.
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Depends on the name.
Usually, you have a bit of time if you were the one who owned the name first though. I can’t say that I’ve ever lost a name on a delete and reroll like that.
Should I boost the characters I just created so that I can reserve the names?
No. Don’t waste a boost. The character needs only exist and the name is reserved. You do not even have to log in to the character and it’s name will be considered taken by you.
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I think names stay locked to your account for 30 days after you delete the character as long as you’re level 30 or above. Under 30 and the name is available instantly for anyone to use.
Unless the name is something very popular that players would want to grab, like Artemis or Thor for example, then the odds of it being taken while you’re making the other character after deleting the placeholder are pretty slim. I’ve never had it happen and I have names like Bless and Lilith that I was using a placeholder for.
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