Oblivion for beginners can feel overwhelming at first. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion drops players into a massive open world with hundreds of quests, dozens of skills, and countless ways to build a character. This guide breaks down everything new players need to know. From character creation to combat mechanics, inventory management to quest progression, this starter guide covers the essentials. Whether someone picked up Oblivion for the first time or returned after years away, these tips will help them survive and thrive in Cyrodiil.
Key Takeaways
- Oblivion for beginners works best when you choose a race, class, and birthsign that complement your intended playstyle.
- Avoid making all combat skills major skills, as the game scales enemies to your level and unbalanced characters will struggle later.
- Balance exploration with fast travel—walk to discover new locations and fast travel to familiar ones to save time.
- Master the value-to-weight ratio when looting: prioritize jewelry, gems, and enchanted items over heavy armor and weapons.
- Use alchemy to generate gold efficiently by collecting free ingredients and crafting potions to sell.
- Take your time exploring Cyrodiil—the main quest can wait while you join guilds, complete side quests, and discover the open world.
Understanding the Basics of Character Creation
Character creation in Oblivion determines how the entire game plays out. Players make these choices at the start, and while they can adjust later, getting it right early saves frustration.
The game uses a class-based system tied to seven major skills. These major skills level up faster and contribute to overall character progression. Every time the player improves their major skills by a combined total of ten points, they gain a level. This system rewards focus but punishes scattered skill development.
Birthsigns add another layer. Each birthsign grants permanent bonuses or abilities. The Warrior sign boosts combat effectiveness. The Mage sign increases maximum magicka. The Thief sign improves agility and speed. Oblivion for beginners often works best with straightforward birthsigns that match the intended playstyle.
Choosing Your Race and Class
Race selection affects starting attributes, skill bonuses, and racial abilities. High Elves excel at magic but have weakness to elemental damage. Redguards make excellent warriors with their Adrenaline Rush power. Bretons resist magic naturally, making them versatile choices for new players.
Class selection matters even more. Players can pick a premade class or create a custom one. Custom classes offer flexibility, but beginners should stick with preset options. The Knight class works well for combat-focused players. The Mage class suits those who want to cast spells. The Nightblade blends stealth and magic effectively.
One critical tip for Oblivion beginners: avoid making all combat skills major skills if planning to fight frequently. The game scales enemies to the player’s level. Characters who level quickly but neglect attribute gains will struggle against tougher enemies later.
Exploring Cyrodiil Effectively
Cyrodiil spans nine distinct regions, each with unique landscapes, cities, and dangers. The Imperial City sits at the center, serving as the capital and largest settlement. Surrounding provinces range from the snowy mountains of Bruma to the swamps near Leyawiin.
Fast travel becomes available after discovering locations. Players click on discovered map markers to travel instantly. This saves enormous amounts of time but skips random encounters and exploration opportunities. Oblivion for beginners benefits from a balance, walk to new locations, fast travel to familiar ones.
Horses speed up overland travel significantly. Players can buy horses from stables outside major cities. The cheapest horse costs 500 gold. Better horses run faster and have more health. Shadowmere, obtained through the Dark Brotherhood questline, is the best horse in the game.
Dungeons, caves, and ruins dot the landscape. These locations contain loot, enemies, and often connect to quests. Most dungeons reset after three in-game days, allowing players to revisit for more loot. Ayleid ruins contain welkynd stones that restore magicka and varla stones that recharge enchanted weapons.
Wayshrine pilgrimages offer free blessings. Nine shrines dedicated to the Divines appear throughout Cyrodiil. Visiting all nine grants a powerful blessing called the Pilgrim’s Grace. This adds a permanent boost, making the journey worthwhile for any character.
Essential Combat and Leveling Tips
Combat in Oblivion combines real-time action with RPG mechanics. Weapons have different speeds and reaches. Daggers strike fast but deal less damage. Claymores hit hard but swing slowly. Blocking reduces incoming damage, and well-timed blocks can stagger opponents.
Magic operates on a magicka pool that regenerates slowly over time. Spells cost magicka based on their power. Beginners should carry restore magicka potions for extended fights. Destruction magic deals direct damage. Restoration heals wounds. Conjuration summons creatures to fight alongside the player.
Stealth allows players to avoid combat entirely or deal massive sneak attack damage. Sneak attacks with bows deal triple damage. Melee sneak attacks deal six times normal damage. Oblivion for beginners who enjoy stealth should invest in the Sneak skill early.
Leveling efficiently requires planning. When players level up, they can increase three attributes by one to five points each. The bonus depends on how many times they improved skills governed by that attribute. Improving Blade, Blunt, or Hand to Hand ten times before leveling grants a +5 bonus to Strength.
Trainers offer another way to improve skills. Each trainer teaches one skill up to a certain level. Master trainers can teach skills up to level 100 but require completing a quest first. Training costs gold, and players can only train five times per level.
Managing Your Inventory and Gold
Inventory management becomes crucial as players collect loot. Every item has weight. Characters have a maximum carry capacity based on Strength. Exceeding this limit prevents running and fast travel.
Value-to-weight ratio determines what’s worth keeping. Jewelry, gems, and enchanted items offer high value with low weight. Heavy armor pieces and weapons take up significant capacity. Oblivion for beginners should focus on collecting lightweight valuables and selling heavy items frequently.
Merchants have limited gold for purchases. General traders typically carry 800 gold. Specialized merchants may have more. The Mercantile skill increases the amount merchants will pay and decreases what they charge. At expert level, players can invest in shops to increase their gold permanently.
Houses provide safe storage. Players can purchase homes in each major city. The cheapest house in the Imperial City Waterfront costs 2,000 gold. Larger homes in Skingrad or Chorrol cost significantly more but include better amenities. Containers in owned houses never reset, making them safe for long-term storage.
Alchemy generates gold efficiently. Collecting ingredients costs nothing. Combining them at an alchemy station creates potions. Even failed potions sell for decent prices. Successful potions with valuable effects can fund an entire playthrough. Players should grab every ingredient they see while exploring.
Getting Started With the Main Quest
The main quest begins in the Imperial Prison. Emperor Uriel Septim and his Blades guards escape through the player’s cell. Following them introduces basic controls, combat, and stealth mechanics. The tutorial section ends when players exit the sewers.
After escaping, players must deliver the Amulet of Kings to Jauffre at Weynon Priory. This triggers the search for Martin Septim, the last heir to the throne. Martin hides in Kvatch, a city under siege by Daedra from Oblivion.
The Kvatch section introduces Oblivion gates. These portals lead to dangerous Daedric planes. Players must climb to the top of each gate’s tower and remove the sigil stone to close it. Sigil stones provide powerful enchantments for weapons and armor.
Oblivion for beginners doesn’t require rushing the main quest. The game allows complete freedom to explore, join guilds, or pursue side content. Main quest enemies scale to player level, so waiting provides no advantage. But, closing the first Oblivion gate unlocks the ability to close random gates that spawn across Cyrodiil.
The Fighters Guild, Mages Guild, Thieves Guild, and Dark Brotherhood all offer extensive questlines. Arena combat provides gold and fame. Daedric shrine quests reward unique artifacts. Players can pursue any content in any order.
