---
title: "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered: Complete Guide"
game: "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered"
game_url: "https://qna.gg/games/the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-remastered"
author: "Qloud"
author_url: "https://qna.gg/players/Qloud"
topics: ["Builds", "Quests", "Settings"]
summary: "Character creation, how the remaster's new leveling system works, a main quest and guild roadmap, the best early loot, the DLC, and the difficulty settings added in later updates. Researched September 2026 — current as…"
url: "https://qna.gg/g/the-elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-remastered-complete-guide-21c8110d"
published: "2026-09-27T16:52:53.727Z"
updated: "2026-09-27T16:52:53.727Z"
source: "QnA.GG"
---

# The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered: Complete Guide

Character creation, how the remaster's new leveling system works, a main quest and guild roadmap, the best early loot, the DLC, and the difficulty settings added in later updates.

*Researched September 2026 — current as of Update 1.2 (July 9, 2025), the latest official patch. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.*

## Quick Start

1. **Leveling is no longer a trap.** The remaster uses a new system: every skill (major and minor) gives character experience, and at each level-up you spend **12 Virtue points** on attributes. You no longer need to micromanage skill-ups to avoid a "weak" build.
2. **You can redo your character before leaving the sewers.** At the end of the tutorial (the Imperial Sewers exit), the game lets you change race, class and birthsign. Play the tutorial, then decide.
3. **Custom class, and pick major skills you will actually use.** Major skills level faster, so they should be the ones you rely on.
4. **Enemies and loot scale with your level.** Do not rush levels; play at the pace you like.
5. **Sleep to level up.** Level-ups only happen when you sleep in a bed you are allowed to use (owned, rented, or a free bedroll); waiting does not count.
6. **Use the difficulty settings.** Since Update 1.2 there are six fixed tiers (Novice to Master), set separately for player damage and enemy damage.
7. **Join the Arcane University early if you use magic.** It unlocks spellmaking and enchanting.
8. **Go to Kvatch when you are ready, not immediately.** The main quest does not have a timer; exploration and guild quests are fine first.
9. **All the old DLC is included:** Shivering Isles, Knights of the Nine, and the smaller packs (Frostcrag Spire, Deepscorn Hollow, Mehrunes' Razor, The Vile Lair, The Thieves Den, The Orrery, Spell Tomes, and Horse Armor).

## Character Creation

### Races (quick take)

| Race | Good for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Altmer (High Elf) | Pure mage | Big magicka bonus, weak to magic |
| Breton | Spellsword, mage | Magic resistance, Dragon Skin |
| Dunmer (Dark Elf) | Spellsword, archer | Fire resistance, balanced |
| Bosmer (Wood Elf) | Archer, stealth | Strong Marksman and Sneak starts |
| Khajiit | Thief, assassin | Night-Eye, agile |
| Argonian | Thief, explorer | Water breathing, disease resistance |
| Imperial | Talker, merchant | Speechcraft and Mercantile bonuses |
| Nord | Warrior | Frost resistance |
| Orc | Heavy warrior | Berserk, excellent armorer |
| Redguard | Warrior | Adrenaline Rush, Blade bonus |

### Birthsigns

| Birthsign | Effect in short | Who should take it |
|---|---|---|
| The Warrior | Strength and Endurance bonus | Melee |
| The Mage | Extra magicka | Casters |
| The Thief | Agility, Speed, Luck | Stealth |
| The Atronach | Large magicka bonus, spell absorption, no natural magicka regeneration | Experienced mages |
| The Apprentice | Extra magicka, weakness to magic | Glass-cannon mages |
| The Steed | Faster movement | Explorers |
| The Lady / The Lord | Personality or healing/defense | Hybrids |
| The Lover, Ritual, Serpent, Shadow, Tower | Once-a-day powers | Situational |

The Atronach is powerful but annoying early because magicka does not recharge naturally; skip it on a first playthrough.

### Build ideas

- **Spellsword:** Blade, Block, Heavy Armor, Destruction, Restoration, Alteration, Conjuration.
- **Stealth archer:** Marksman, Sneak, Light Armor, Security, Acrobatics, Illusion, Alchemy.
- **Pure mage:** Destruction, Restoration, Conjuration, Alteration, Mysticism, Illusion, Alchemy.
- **Warrior:** Blade or Blunt, Block, Heavy Armor, Armorer, Athletics, Hand to Hand, Restoration.

## The Remaster's Leveling System

- All skills contribute to character level; **major skills grant experience much faster** than minor ones.
- On level-up you get **12 Virtue points**. Each point raises an attribute by 1, with a maximum of +5 per attribute per level and up to three attributes per level.
- **Luck** is the exception: it costs 4 points and can be raised once per level.
- **Endurance is retroactive:** your health is recalculated as if your current Endurance had applied at every previous level. Raising Endurance late is no longer a permanent loss.
- Health now also factors Strength (per UESP, roughly two-thirds of Strength plus 1.33x Endurance at the base, plus an Endurance-based bonus per level). You also get natural health regeneration, about 7.5x faster out of combat.
- Magicka regeneration is based on Willpower alone and doubles out of combat.

**Rule of thumb:** Put points into your main damage attribute (Strength, Agility or Intelligence), Endurance for health, and Willpower or Speed depending on build.

## Combat, Stealth and Other Systems

- **Blocking** is worth training: it cuts incoming melee damage heavily, and higher Block ranks add perks such as a chance to knock attackers off balance.
- **Sidestep/dodge** now unlocks at Apprentice rank in Acrobatics.
- **Stealth:** The sneak eye opens gradually as NPCs notice you, similar to Skyrim. Sneak attacks deal bonus damage.
- **Encumbrance:** Unlike the original, being over-encumbered no longer freezes you in place: you can walk slowly, but you cannot run, sprint, jump or fast travel.
- **Lockpicking** uses the tumbler minigame. The **Skeleton Key** (from Nocturnal's Daedric quest) is an unbreakable lockpick.
- **Persuasion** still uses the disposition wheel minigame; bribery works if you have gold.
- **Alchemy** is one of the best money-makers and power boosters; harvesting plants no longer fails.

### Difficulty settings (Update 1.2)

| Tier | Feel |
|---|---|
| Novice | Easiest; you hit very hard and take little damage |
| Apprentice | Easier than default |
| Adept (default) | Baseline damage both ways |
| Journeyman | New in 1.2; a moderate step up from Adept |
| Expert | Hard; enemies hit much harder and take longer to kill |
| Master | Hardest; the largest gap between player and enemy damage |

Update 1.2 turned difficulty into two separate settings, **Player Combat Damage** and **Enemy Combat Damage**, each with these six tiers in the Gameplay menu. Bethesda added Journeyman as a better bridge between Adept and Expert. The patch notes do not list exact multipliers, so tune by feel.

## Main Quest Roadmap

1. **Tutorial:** Escape the Imperial Prison with Emperor Uriel Septim VII. Receive the Amulet of Kings.
2. **Deliver the Amulet:** Travel to Weynon Priory near Chorrol and meet Jauffre.
3. **Find the Heir:** Go to Kvatch, close the Oblivion Gate outside, retake the city, and find Martin.
4. **Weynon Priory:** Return to find the Priory under attack; escort Martin to **Cloud Ruler Temple** near Bruma.
5. **The Path of Dawn and Dagon Shrine:** Track the Mythic Dawn cult and recover the Amulet's trail.
6. **Spies, Blood of the Daedra, Bruma Gate, Miscarcand, Allies for Bruma:** Collect artifacts for Martin's ritual and rally the counties.
7. **Defense of Bruma and The Great Gate:** Large siege battles.
8. **Paradise and Light the Dragonfires:** Enter Mankar Camoran's realm and finish the story in the Imperial City.

**Tips:** Allies for Bruma asks you to close gates near several cities; each city you help sends soldiers to the Defense of Bruma. Kvatch's Gate is a difficulty spike early; bring healing potions.

## Guilds and Factions

| Faction | How to join | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| **Fighters Guild** | Talk to a guild member in any major city | Straightforward combat contracts |
| **Mages Guild** | Join in any city, then earn recommendations from the guild halls in all seven other cities (Anvil, Bravil, Bruma, Cheydinhal, Chorrol, Leyawiin, Skingrad) to enter the **Arcane University** | Spellmaking, enchanting, great questline |
| **Thieves Guild** | Get arrested or follow rumors about the Gray Fox; meet in the Imperial City Waterfront at night | Excellent heist quests |
| **Dark Brotherhood** | Commit a murder and sleep; Lucien Lachance visits | Widely considered the best questline |
| **Arena** | Imperial City Arena district | Fight up to Grand Champion |
| **Knights of the Nine** (DLC) | Visit the Prophet at the Anvil chapel after the chapel is attacked | Crusader's Relics, holy knight gear |

## DLC Highlights

- **Shivering Isles:** A large expansion in Sheogorath's realm. A strange door appears on an island in Niben Bay; enter and the story begins. Ends with the fight against Jyggalag. Worth it on any build.
- **Knights of the Nine:** Recover the Relics of the Crusader. Great armor for warriors and spellswords.
- **Frostcrag Spire (Wizard's Tower):** A mage home with altars for spellmaking/enchanting, handy if you have not finished the Mages Guild path yet.
- **Mehrunes' Razor:** A dungeon crawl for a Daedric dagger with an instant-kill chance.
- **Deepscorn Hollow, The Vile Lair, The Thieves Den:** Themed player homes (the Vile Lair is for Dark Brotherhood players).

## Useful Early Loot and Money

- **Alchemy:** Buy cheap ingredients, make potions, sell them.
- **Daedric Shrines** give artifacts, but many require a minimum character level; talk to the shrine to see.
- **Heist quests** in the Thieves Guild pay well.
- **Horse:** Buy one early from city stables; every horse got a small speed boost (+5 Speed) in the remaster.
- **Buy a house:** Each city sells one; owned beds let you sleep safely to level up.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

- Rushing the main quest at very low level and then struggling with the Great Gate.
- Leaving Shivering Isles too late; its rewards scale well and it is great mid-game content.
- Carrying too much loot; sell or store it (containers in owned homes are safe).
- Stealing in front of guards, then losing stolen gear on arrest. Use fences in the Thieves Guild.
- Ignoring Restoration; it is the easiest healing in the game.
- Overlooking the new difficulty sliders if combat feels spongy.

## Advanced Tips

- **Spellmaking combos:** Weakness to Magic followed by an elemental spell multiplies damage; stack weakness spells.
- **Chameleon and Paralyze** enchantments are extremely strong; Chameleon at very high values makes you effectively invisible.
- **Enchanting** at the Arcane University uses filled soul gems; Azura's Star (Azura's Daedric quest) is a reusable soul gem.
- **Mods:** The remaster runs on the original Oblivion engine for logic with Unreal Engine 5 visuals. Mod support is unofficial; read Nexus mod pages carefully and back up saves.
- **Performance:** Update 1.1 and 1.2 fixed many crashes (e.g. Jyggalag fight, paralysis kills). If you still stutter, lower the lighting/ray-tracing settings or use upscaling.
- **Console commands:** ToggleHudVisibility and ShowHud were enabled in Update 1.1; the console is available on PC for fixing stuck quests.

## FAQ

**Is Oblivion Remastered a remake?**
No. Bethesda and Virtuos kept the original game logic underneath, remade all visuals in Unreal Engine 5, re-recorded some voice lines, and modernized leveling and combat feel.

**Does it include Shivering Isles?**
Yes, along with Knights of the Nine and all other official DLC.

**How does leveling work now?**
All skills give experience (major skills faster), and each level gives 12 Virtue points to spend on up to three attributes (max +5 each); Luck costs 4 points.

**What difficulty should I play on?**
Adept is the baseline. Journeyman (added in Update 1.2) is a good step up for experienced players, and you can raise enemy damage without lowering your own.

**Can I change my class after starting?**
Yes, at the end of the tutorial before leaving the sewers. After that the choice is locked.

**Will there be more updates?**
Update 1.2 (July 2025) is the latest official patch as of September 2026.

## Sources

- [Steam news: Oblivion Remastered (Updates 1.1 and 1.2)](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2623190)
- [UESP: Oblivion Remastered](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Oblivion_Remastered)
- [UESP: Remastered Changes](https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Remastered_Changes)
- [Fextralife Oblivion Remastered Wiki: Leveling](https://oblivionremastered.wiki.fextralife.com/Leveling)