Introduction
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, a masterpiece of the role-playing genre, invites players to explore the vast and immersive world of Cyrodiil. One of the most debated and often perplexing aspects of Oblivion is its intricate leveling system. It’s not always intuitive, and many players find themselves struggling with underpowered characters as they progress through the game. This article serves as your comprehensive guide to navigating the complexities of Oblivion’s leveling, ensuring you master the grind and become a formidable hero. Understanding the nuances of skills, attributes, and enemy scaling is crucial to avoid the dreaded situation of “leveling badly” – where you’re simply outmatched by the increasingly challenging world. Consider this your go-to resource for unlocking the full potential of your character.
Understanding the Basics of Leveling
Before diving into the optimal strategies, it’s essential to grasp the fundamental building blocks of Oblivion’s progression system. There are two primary elements that dictate your character’s capabilities: Attributes and Skills.
Attributes vs. Skills
Attributes represent your character’s core strengths and weaknesses. These include Strength (affecting melee damage and carrying capacity), Intelligence (affecting magicka and skill increases), Willpower (affecting magicka regeneration and resistance to paralysis), Agility (affecting dodging and archery), Speed (affecting movement and encumbrance), Endurance (affecting health and fatigue), Personality (affecting disposition and persuasion), and Luck (affecting almost everything, albeit subtly).
Skills, on the other hand, are specific proficiencies that determine your effectiveness in various activities, such as Blade (using swords), Blunt (using hammers and maces), Destruction (casting offensive spells), Alchemy (creating potions), Security (picking locks), Sneak (remaining hidden), and many more. Increasing your skills is what ultimately leads to leveling up, and also contributes to attribute bonuses upon leveling.
The key is understanding how these two systems intertwine. When you level up, you get the opportunity to increase three of your attributes, but the amount you increase each attribute depends on how much you’ve increased skills associated with that attribute during the previous level. This leads many players to follow a common tip which is to maximize the attribute bonuses and plan out the level up to get the most out of the level.
The Five Five Five Rule (or similar)
Another important distinction lies between Major Skills and Minor Skills. When creating your character, you designate seven skills as Major Skills. These are the skills that will most directly influence your leveling progress. When you increase your Major Skills a combined total of ten times, you trigger a level up. Minor Skills, while still important, do not contribute directly to triggering a level up. Therefore, your choice of Major Skills is a significant factor in controlling the pace of your progression.
Leveling up Happens When
Finally, it’s essential to remember that leveling up only occurs when you’ve achieved those ten skill increases in your Major Skills. This means you could be performing countless actions that improve your Minor Skills without ever triggering a level up.
Strategic Skill Choices
Selecting your Major Skills is one of the most crucial decisions you’ll make in Oblivion. It directly impacts how quickly you level, what attributes you can effectively boost, and ultimately, how powerful your character becomes. There are a few different approaches you can take:
Choosing Effective Major Skills
You can choose skills that align perfectly with your desired character build. If you envision a stealthy assassin, you might choose Blade, Sneak, Security, Light Armor, and Illusion as your Major Skills. This allows you to focus your training efforts on skills that directly enhance your character’s strengths.
Alternatively, you might choose to select a few skills that you don’t plan to use very often. This allows you to control when you level up more precisely. For instance, choosing Mercantile or Speechcraft as a Major Skill and deliberately avoiding trading or persuading others can help delay your level progression until you’re ready.
Skills to Avoid as Major Skills (For Some Builds)
Avoid picking skills that you will passively level all the time. Athletics and Acrobatics are skills that level as you run and jump. These are skills that increase as you play the game. It is highly suggested to not make them major skills.
Importance of Planning Your Build
The key is to consider the impact of each Major Skill on your overall leveling experience. Some combinations can lead to unwanted or early leveling, while others can provide more control over your character’s progression.
Planning your build is crucial for efficient leveling. Before embarking on your adventure, take some time to envision the type of character you want to play. Are you a powerful mage, a stealthy rogue, or a mighty warrior? Once you have a clear vision, you can select Major Skills and focus on training specific skills to maximize your character’s potential.
Effective Leveling Techniques and Grinding Tips
Leveling in Oblivion isn’t just about randomly using skills; it’s about employing strategic techniques to maximize your gains. One of the most effective methods is to utilize skill trainers. Trainers can increase your skills up to certain levels in exchange for gold. Seek out trainers who specialize in your desired skills and take advantage of their expertise to rapidly improve your abilities. However, training can become expensive, so consider using Speechcraft to improve their disposition towards you and lower their prices.
Efficient Skill Training
For skills that you prefer to train yourself, there are various grinding techniques you can employ. For example, to level Armorer, simply repair items repeatedly. To level Blade or Blunt, find weak creatures and practice your combat skills on them. Alchemy can be leveled by creating potions. Focus on using cheap and readily available ingredients to maximize your profits. Security is best leveled by picking locks repeatedly. A favorite method is to create a high luck character and repeatedly lock the jail cells and unlock them. Sneak can be leveled by sneaking past enemies, while Illusion is easiest leveled by casting Muffle repeatedly.
Using Skill Books
Skill books are also scattered throughout Cyrodiil, offering a free skill increase when read. Seek out these books to further accelerate your learning. A quick search online can reveal the locations of these valuable resources.
Minimizing the Downsides of Leveling (Avoiding Scaling Problems)
Oblivion’s enemy scaling system is a double-edged sword. As you level up, the enemies you encounter also become stronger, which is why careful planning is extremely important. This scaling can lead to a situation where you become underpowered if you level too quickly without improving your combat skills and equipment.
Enemy Scaling Explained
To mitigate the negative effects of scaling, it’s crucial to focus on your combat skills alongside other skills. Don’t neglect your Blade, Blunt, Marksman, or Destruction skills in favor of non-combat skills. Additionally, make sure to acquire strong equipment as you level up. Seek out better weapons and armor to keep pace with the increasingly powerful enemies.
Strategies for Mitigating Scaling
Most importantly, manage your leveling pace. If you find that enemies are becoming too challenging, don’t rush to level up. Instead, focus on improving your combat skills and acquiring better equipment before triggering a level up.
Exploits and Advanced Leveling Methods
While this guide focuses on legitimate leveling strategies, it’s worth noting that some players utilize exploits to accelerate their progression. These exploits may involve manipulating game mechanics or taking advantage of glitches. Using exploits can significantly impact your game enjoyment.
Conclusion
Mastering the art of leveling in Oblivion requires a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics and a strategic approach to skill development. By carefully selecting your Major Skills, utilizing efficient training techniques, and mitigating the downsides of enemy scaling, you can ensure that your character becomes a powerful and formidable hero. Experiment with different methods, adapt your strategies, and most importantly, have fun exploring the world of Cyrodiil. The journey to becoming a master in Oblivion is a unique challenge, but the rewards are well worth the effort. With the right knowledge and dedication, you can conquer any obstacle and become a true legend.
