---
title: "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (GOTY 2009): Complete Guide"
game: "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009)"
game_url: "https://qna.gg/games/the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-game-of-the-year-edition-2009"
author: "Qloud"
author_url: "https://qna.gg/players/Qloud"
topics: ["Builds", "Quests", "Mods", "Classes"]
summary: "A full guide to the original 2006 Oblivion as sold on Steam in the Game of the Year Edition: character creation that won't ruin you later, how leveling and level scaling really work, builds, the main quest and guild…"
url: "https://qna.gg/g/the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-goty-2009-complete-guide-375c25c7"
published: "2026-09-27T17:16:29.346Z"
updated: "2026-09-27T17:16:29.346Z"
source: "QnA.GG"
---

# The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (GOTY 2009): Complete Guide

A full guide to the original 2006 Oblivion as sold on Steam in the Game of the Year Edition: character creation that won't ruin you later, how leveling and level scaling really work, builds, the main quest and guild questlines, must-get items, and the essential fixes and mods for modern PCs.

*Researched September 2026 — current for the Steam GOTY Edition (2009 release, includes Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles). This is the original game, not The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (a separate product released April 2025). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.*

## Quick Start

1. **You level by raising Major skills — 10 points in total — then sleeping.** Minor skills never trigger a level-up.
2. **Enemies and loot scale with your level.** Leveling "wrong" (raising Major skills you don't use in combat) makes the game harder over time.
3. **Choose Major skills you won't use constantly** if you want control over leveling, or embrace the scaling and don't worry about it on a first playthrough.
4. **Raise skills that govern the attributes you want in each level** to get +5 bonuses (see the table below).
5. **Join guilds early.** The Mages Guild gives access to spellmaking and enchanting at the Arcane University; the Fighters Guild and Thieves Guild provide money and gear.
6. **Close Oblivion Gates for Sigil Stones** — they're the best enchantments in the game and scale with your level.
7. **Use the difficulty slider freely.** It's in Gameplay options and affects damage dealt and taken.
8. **Quicksave, but keep hard saves.** The engine is from 2006; rotating manual saves avoids corruption heartbreak.
9. **Install the essential community fixes** (see Modern PC section) before a long playthrough.

## Character Creation

### Races (highlights)

| Race | Notable perks |
|---|---|
| Altmer (High Elf) | Large Magicka pool, weak to fire/frost/shock |
| Breton | Magic resistance, good mage |
| Dunmer (Dark Elf) | Fire resistance, balanced |
| Bosmer (Wood Elf) | Archery, disease resistance |
| Khajiit | Night-eye, agile, stealth-friendly |
| Argonian | Water breathing, disease/poison resistance |
| Imperial | Speechcraft and Mercantile, easy social game |
| Nord | Frost resistance, strong melee |
| Orc | Heavy Armor, Berserk, great warriors |
| Redguard | Blade/Blunt, resist poison, adrenaline |

### Birthsigns (the ones people argue about)

- **The Atronach** — huge Magicka boost and spell absorption, but **no natural Magicka regeneration**. Powerful but inconvenient without a plan.
- **The Mage / The Apprentice** — more Magicka (Apprentice also adds weakness to magic).
- **The Warrior / The Lady / The Lord** — melee and survival bonuses.
- **The Thief / The Shadow** — stealth bonuses and an Invisibility power.
- **The Steed** — faster movement.

### Classes

Always consider a **custom class**. Pick seven Major skills and the specialization and favored attributes you want. The classic efficient approach: put skills you'll rarely use as Majors so you choose when you level.

## Leveling and Attributes

You gain a level after raising Major skills by 10 points total and resting. On level-up you raise three attributes. The bonus offered depends on skill increases (Major or Minor) governed by that attribute since the last level:

| Skill increases governed by the attribute | Bonus |
|---|---|
| 0 | +1 |
| 1–4 | +2 |
| 5–7 | +3 |
| 8–9 | +4 |
| 10+ | +5 (max) |

Unused progress doesn't carry over. Efficient leveling means planning three +5 attributes per level.

**Level scaling** means most enemies grow stronger as you level, but your gear, health (based on Endurance) and access to higher-tier items grow too. The practical takeaway: don't neglect your main combat skills, and prioritize **Endurance early** because health gains are based on it at level-up.

## Build Archetypes

| Build | Majors (example) | Key gear/spells |
|---|---|---|
| Spellsword | Blade, Destruction, Restoration, Heavy/Light Armor | Sigil Stone enchanted weapon, custom Destruction spells |
| Pure Mage | Destruction, Restoration, Alteration, Conjuration, Mysticism | Custom spells from Arcane University, Shield spells, Summons |
| Stealth Archer | Marksman, Sneak, Security, Light Armor | Sneak attack bonus, Chameleon enchantments |
| Heavy Warrior | Blade/Blunt, Heavy Armor, Block, Armorer | Heavy armor sets, Fortify Strength enchantments |
| Thief-Assassin | Sneak, Security, Acrobatics, Short Blade | Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild rewards |

**Key systems:**
- **Spellmaking and enchanting** unlock after you're accepted into the **Arcane University** (Mages Guild recommendations from each city's guild hall).
- **Sigil Stones** from Oblivion Gates give powerful enchantments.
- **Soul Gems and Azura's Star** power enchanting and recharging. Azura's Star is a reusable soul gem from the Azura Daedric quest (level 2 minimum).
- **Alchemy** is both money-maker and power multiplier; you learn ingredient effects by eating them and as your skill rises.

## Main Quest Outline (light spoilers)

1. **Tutorial** — Escape the Imperial Prison with the Emperor. You finalize race, class and birthsign before leaving.
2. **Deliver the Amulet** — Take the Amulet of Kings to Jauffre at Weynon Priory.
3. **Find the Heir** — Travel to Kvatch and close the Great Gate; find Martin.
4. **Weynon Priory / The Path of Dawn / Dagon Shrine** — The Amulet is stolen; track down and infiltrate the Mythic Dawn.
5. **Spies / Blood of the Daedra / Blood of the Divines** — Martin, now at Cloud Ruler Temple, decodes the Mysterium Xarxes; you gather the first ritual items.
6. **Bruma Gate / Miscarcand / Allies for Bruma** — More ritual components and rallying the cities for the coming siege.
7. **Defense of Bruma / Great Gate** — The big battle at Bruma; you take the Great Sigil Stone.
8. **Paradise** — Enter Mankar Camoran's realm and retrieve the Amulet.
9. **Light the Dragonfires** — Finale in the Imperial City.

You can ignore the main quest indefinitely, but most random Oblivion Gates only start appearing around Cyrodiil after the Kvatch section.

## Guilds and Faction Questlines

| Faction | Where to start | Big rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Mages Guild | Any city guild hall; earn recommendations from all seven | Arcane University access, spellmaking, enchanting |
| Fighters Guild | Chorrol, Anvil or other halls | Gear, money, combat experience |
| Thieves Guild | "Finding the Thieves Guild": ask around the Imperial City about the Gray Fox (or learn of it in jail), then pass "May the Best Thief Win" at the Waterfront | Fence access, the Gray Fox storyline |
| Dark Brotherhood | Commit murder, sleep; you'll be visited | Shadowmere (horse), assassin gear |
| Arena | Imperial City Arena | Gold, Raiment armor, Grand Champion |
| Knights of the Nine (DLC) | The Prophet in Anvil | Crusader's Relics set |
| Shivering Isles (DLC) | A door appears in Niben Bay | New realm, Sheogorath's questline |

The seven Mages Guild cities are Anvil, Bravil, Bruma, Cheydinhal, Chorrol, Leyawiin and Skingrad.

## Must-Have Items and Easy Wins

- **Umbra** — a powerful sword from a boss in a specific ruin (Vindasel); it's a Soul Trap blade.
- **Azura's Star** — reusable soul gem.
- **Shadowmere** — Dark Brotherhood horse, very tough.
- **Great Welkynd Stones** — Magicka recovery from Ayleid ruins.
- **Sigil Stones** — close gates, choose enchantment effects scaled to your level.
- **Daedric shrine quests** give many unique artifacts; each shrine has a level requirement (table below).

### Daedric Shrine Quests

| Daedra | Min. level | Artifact |
|---|---|---|
| Azura | 2 | Azura's Star |
| Sheogorath | 2 | Wabbajack |
| Namira | 5 | Ring of Namira |
| Vaermina | 5 | Skull of Corruption |
| Sanguine | 8 | Sanguine Rose |
| Nocturnal | 10 | Skeleton Key (unbreakable lockpick) |
| Malacath | 10 | Volendrung |
| Meridia | 10 | Ring of Khajiiti |
| Peryite | 10 | Spell Breaker |
| Mephala | 15 | Ebony Blade |
| Hircine | 17 | Saviour's Hide |
| Molag Bal | 17 | Mace of Molag Bal |
| Boethiah | 20 | Goldbrand |
| Clavicus Vile | 20 | Masque of Clavicus Vile, or Umbra (500 gold offering) |
| Hermaeus Mora | 20 | Oghma Infinium |

Levels per UESP. Clavicus Vile's quest can be finished early if you already carry Umbra from Vindasel.

## Modern PC Fixes and Mods

The GOTY Edition runs on Windows 10/11 but benefits from community fixes:

- **Unofficial Oblivion Patch** (plus the Unofficial Shivering Isles and DLC patches) — fixes thousands of bugs.
- **xOBSE** — the modern script extender many mods need.
- **Oblivion Display Tweaks** and **Engine Bug Fixes** — widely used community patches for stutter, frame pacing and crash fixes.
- **A Large Address Aware (4GB) patch** — lets the 32-bit exe use more memory; many modern setups rely on it.
- **UI mods** (e.g. Northern UI or DarNified UI) — smaller text and better menus for high resolutions.
- **Mod Organizer 2** — use a mod manager to keep your install clean.
- **Controller play** — some users have launch problems with controllers connected; the game was built for keyboard/mouse and Xbox 360 controllers.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

- **Making combat skills your Minors and utility skills Majors without understanding it.** You can end up leveling slowly while enemies still scale if you raise Majors by accident — know which skills are which.
- **Skipping Endurance early.** Health gains on level-up depend on Endurance, and don't retroactively apply.
- **Selling Sigil Stones.** Use them to enchant.
- **Ignoring the Mages Guild recommendations.** Spellmaking and enchanting are game-changing.
- **Not saving before Shivering Isles or Kvatch.** Big set-piece battles are where crashes and bad decisions tend to happen.
- **Leaving difficulty at the default when it's not fun.** Adjust it.

## Advanced Tips

- **Custom spells**: combine effects like Weakness to Magic plus Destruction damage for huge multiplied damage.
- **Alchemy money**: collect common ingredients around the Imperial City and sell potions.
- **Security minigame**: listen for the tumbler click; use the Skeleton Key (Nocturnal's) as an unbreakable lockpick.
- **Speechcraft**: the persuasion wheel — pick reactions based on the NPC's faces for likes and dislikes.
- **Frostcrag Spire (Wizard's Tower plugin)**: not in the plain GOTY Edition; it comes with the official plugins bundled in the GOTY Deluxe edition. It gives mages a tower with an altar of spellmaking and enchanting without the guild questline.
- **Shivering Isles** is best started around mid-level; it has its own quests and gear.

## FAQ

**Is this the same as Oblivion Remastered?**
No. This is the 2009 GOTY Edition of the original 2006 game. Oblivion Remastered (2025) is a separate product.

**Which DLC is included?**
Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles. Steam also sells a GOTY Edition Deluxe (English only) that adds the smaller official plugins, including Fighter's Stronghold, Spell Tome Treasures, Vile Lair and Mehrunes' Razor.

**How does leveling work?**
Increase Major skills by 10 points in total, then sleep. Attribute bonuses depend on how many governed skill points you gained.

**What's the best class for beginners?**
A custom Spellsword-style class (melee plus Restoration and Destruction) is forgiving and versatile.

**How do I stop enemies outscaling me?**
Plan efficient levels (+5/+5/+5), prioritize Endurance and your main combat skills, and use Sigil Stone enchantments and good alchemy.

**Does Oblivion GOTY run on Windows 11?**
Generally yes, with the community fixes above recommended for stability.

## Sources

- [The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion GOTY on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/22330/)
- [UESP — Oblivion: Leveling](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Leveling)
- [UESP — Oblivion: Daedric Quests](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Daedric_Quests)
- [UESP — Oblivion: Thieves Guild](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Thieves_Guild)