TES IV: Oblivion Remastered Tips for Getting Started

Character Creation

Races

In Oblivion Remastered, players will have to choose their race while in the Tutorial portion of the game. There are ten playable races in Tamriel, each of them from different provinces of Tamriel.  One unique thing that I love about Oblivion is that you can also choose your character’s place of origin. Each race also has different abilities and passives with their own benefits that can help with different Classes but you can choose a race based on lore preferences if you enjoy that more.

Classes

Players will also have to choose a Class. A menu will appear like the one above where you can choose from various Classes. There are 21 standard Class options to choose from but you can also choose to create your own Class. Classes will affect how you level and your character’s “specialization”. For a simple breakdown: Every Class includes a Specialization, two favored Attributes, and 7 Major Skills which affect how you level up. 

 I recommend picking a Class or creating one that fits your playstyle and is fun. Don’t worry too much about not choosing a perfect Class, just choose one that appeals to you. For a closer look at some Class options check out our Best Classes Guide in Oblivion Remastered.

Birthsigns

During the Tutorial portion, you will have to choose a Birthsign for your character. Birthsigns are constellations that characters are born under that provide Greater or Lesser Powers. Some Birthsigns affect Magicka, give you Attribute bonuses, and some that provide you with certain powers and weaknesses. There are also Magical Stones in the game that you can find like Birthsign stones and Heaven Stone that you can use to help enhance your class. These stones provide various effects like Fortifying Magicka or Restoring Health. If you are worried that you chose the wrong Birthsign, there are creative ways (like using Magical Stones) to work around it!

For a more detailed look at Birthsigns check out my Oblivion Remastered: Best Birthsigns Guide. 

Leveling Up

Leveling up in Oblivion Remastered can be done when you have increased the level of any of your character’s Major Skills. When you go to sleep and wake up, a menu will pop up allowing you to put points into three Attributes such as Intelligence, Personality, and Endurance. You will have 12 Virtue points to spend each time you level up. 

I recommend putting points into Strength and Agility/ Acrobatics early on to help with your exploring experience. Willpower is also another helpful one if you want to replenish Magicka. Keep in mind that enemies scale with your level when choosing points so as long as you invest in stuff to help your play-style it will work out. 

The Mages Guild

Joining the Mages Guild early on in your playthrough is useful for a number of reasons. The Mages Guild offers players a place to sleep so you can level up. Once you are officially in the Mages Guild, you can visit the Arcane University and unlock access to Spellcrafting and Enchanting. If you are interested in Alchemy, there are ingredients available for you to collect as well. 

Expert Trainers in various schools of Magic like Destruction, Mysticism, and Restoration for example can help train to increase your Levels in those schools of Magic. However, if you are not playing a Mage style build you can still benefit from joining by taking various items to sell for gold. To join, head to any of the seven guildhalls in the major cities and get a recommendation from each one. 

Earning Money

There are few different ways to make gold in TES IV: Oblivion Remastered.  As I mentioned above, joining the Mages Guild will give you access to ingredients and other items in the guild halls along with items from the Arcane University you can sell. Completing Contracts for the Fighters Guild or Dark Brotherhood is a reliable way to earn cash early on.

To join the Fighter’s Guild you will have to visit one of the guild halls and speak to the Guild Master. To join the Dark Brotherhood, you will have to murder an innocent but I recommend an NPC that isn’t a quest giver and to find someone in a more isolated area to avoid a bounty. Once this is complete, find a safe place to sleep and you will be visited by Lucien Lachance and given the quest ” A Knife in the Dark” to complete before you can join.

 Next, I recommend fighting in The Arena, you can earn gold by winning fights which is a great thing to start early on. As you rank up you can get paid more for your wins. To sign up to fight in The Arena head over to the Arena District of Imperial City. The Arena is also a really fun thing to participate in between long quests and adventures so if you are in need of gold, I recommend checking this out.

Lastly, if you want to level up your Alchemy and make some money you can create some potions and sell them. I think Alchemy is pretty fun in Oblivion and I recommend checking it out early on to try it! You can find a mortar and pestle in many locations in Oblivion but some of the easiest are the Arcane University, Cloud Ruler Temple, and in dungeons while you explore.

Free Stuff!

Free Horse

Did you know that you can get a free horse in Oblivion Remastered? If you head to Chestnut Handy Stables outside Imperial City and speak to Snak gra-Bura to ask for a horse. She will give you an Armored Old Nag Horse for no cost.

Horses in Oblivion can be a little pricey and if you are a new player you may want to save your gold for things like gear, spells, etc. I recommend grabbing this free horse when you have a chance so you have the option of traveling with it.  Though traveling by horse isn’t necessary, it is a nice alternative for exploring Cyrodiil! 

Battlehorn Castle

Battlehorn Castle is a spacious castle located West of the city Chorrol at the end of the Black Road. If you head to Battlehorn Castle and kill the marauders attacking the castle you will receive the deed to it after the fight. You can choose to upgrade Battlehorn Castle once it belongs to you by visiting The Merchants Inn located in Imperial City. A list of upgrades should appear in your inventory and since the Castle is free you can save your gold for the upgrades. The castle comes with a blacksmith who can repair your gear too!

I recommend heading to Battlehorn Castle early on in your playthrough to defeat the marauders. You can upgrade it over time as you play and have a free place to sleep whenever you need it. 

General Tips

TES IV: Oblivion Remastered is a stunning game full of adventures, I highly recommend spending time in this world and exploring. Speak to NPCs about Rumors to pick up tips on what is happening around Cyrodiil. Make sure to check out dungeons, caves, and do side quests along the way. I hope the tips above help you on your journey and you enjoy experiencing Oblivion Remastered.

Happy adventuring!