Oblivion Character Builds: Dominate Cyrodiil with These Builds

Introduction

The Call to Adventure

The vast and captivating world of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion beckons adventurers to forge their own destinies. Exploring the diverse landscapes of Cyrodiil, battling fearsome creatures, and unraveling intricate quests are integral parts of the experience. But amidst this freedom lies a critical component: the character build. A well-crafted build acts as the foundation upon which your in-game success and enjoyment are built. It dictates your strengths, weaknesses, and the very way you interact with the game’s world. Without a thoughtfully designed character, even the most seasoned adventurer might find themselves struggling against even moderate challenges.

The Purpose of This Guide

This article delves into the intricacies of Oblivion character builds, providing a comprehensive guide to help you conquer Cyrodiil. We’ll explore the core elements that shape your character, from the foundational attributes to the nuances of skill selection and combat tactics. We’ll also present a selection of diverse and effective builds, each designed to excel in a specific playstyle. Whether you aspire to be a stealthy shadow, a mighty warrior, or a master of magic, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and inspiration to create a character that truly reflects your gaming aspirations. Our goal is to empower you with the tools you need to not just survive, but to thrive in the world of Oblivion.

Understanding the Basics

The Foundation Attributes

Before you embark on your adventure, understanding the underlying mechanics of character creation is crucial. This knowledge forms the bedrock upon which all Oblivion character builds are constructed.

Your character’s abilities are fundamentally shaped by their attributes. These are the core statistical representations of your character’s physical and mental capabilities. Each attribute directly impacts various aspects of gameplay, influencing your effectiveness in combat, your skill progression, and even how you are perceived by the inhabitants of Cyrodiil.

Strength: Directly influences your carrying capacity and the damage you inflict with melee weapons. Higher strength allows you to wield heavier armor and weapons more effectively.
Intelligence: Governs your magicka pool (the resource used for casting spells). It also influences your ability to learn and craft potions more efficiently.
Willpower: Affects your magicka regeneration rate and resistance to magical effects like paralysis and drain.
Agility: Impacts your ability to dodge attacks, maintain balance, and influences your skill in skills like marksman and blade.
Speed: Determines your base movement speed. This impacts your ability to traverse the world and engage or evade enemies.
Endurance: Increases your health pool and directly influences how quickly your fatigue regenerates. Endurance also contributes to your health gain upon leveling.
Personality: Affects your success when interacting with NPCs. Higher personality can make it easier to persuade others, increase the price of goods you sell and decrease prices on items you purchase.
Luck: Influences nearly every aspect of gameplay, subtly improving your chance of success in various situations. From improving your weapon damage to making it more likely you’ll find better items.

Racial Characteristics

Choosing your race is the first critical decision in shaping your character. Each race in Oblivion offers distinct starting attributes, skill bonuses, and inherent advantages. Consider the playstyle you envision for your character when making this selection.

Bretons: Possessing natural magical aptitude, Bretons excel as mages. They have a powerful innate resistance to magic and a starting bonus to Intelligence and Willpower.
High Elves (Altmer): High Elves have the highest natural magicka reserves and bonus to Intelligence, making them ideal for magic-based characters. Their magical prowess comes at the cost of a vulnerability to magic.
Dark Elves (Dunmer): Strong combatants with innate resistance to fire and a starting bonus to Intelligence and Agility. A versatile choice suited for both melee and magic.
Wood Elves (Bosmer): Skilled archers and stealthy characters, with a natural bonus to Agility and Marksman. Their ability to resist poison makes them strong in dangerous environments.
Redguards: Renowned warriors, Redguards have a bonus to Strength and Endurance and a useful ability to regenerate stamina quickly.
Nords: Hardy warriors, Nords possess a bonus to Strength and Endurance, and excel in melee combat. They have a natural resistance to frost.
Imperials: Skilled diplomats and practical warriors, Imperials have a bonus to Personality and Endurance, giving them a good start when adventuring.
Khajiit: Agile and stealthy, Khajiit excel in stealth and unarmed combat. They have a natural bonus to Agility and Speed.
Argonians: Adapted to harsh environments, Argonians have a bonus to Intelligence and Agility. They have a natural resistance to poison and can breathe underwater.
Orcs (Orsimer): Ferocious warriors known for their resilience and combat prowess, Orcs have a bonus to Strength and Endurance, making them a valuable choice for tough playstyles.

Birthsigns and Celestial Gifts

Birthsigns add another layer of customization, providing unique abilities and passive bonuses based on your character’s birth date. Your birthsign choice can drastically alter your playstyle and impact your character’s strengths.

The Apprentice: Increases your magicka, but also makes you more vulnerable to magic.
The Atronach: Grants a large magicka pool, but prevents magicka regeneration. You must absorb magicka from spells or other sources.
The Lady: Provides significant health and fatigue regeneration bonuses.
The Lord: Offers a natural resistance to magic and a short-duration healing effect.
The Lover: Provides a minor resistance to magic and a damage over time effect.
The Mage: Increases your magicka and magicka regeneration rate.
The Ritual: Grants a unique ability to resurrect the undead.
The Serpent: Deals damage over time and grants a passive ability to regenerate stamina.
The Shadow: Allows you to become invisible once per day.
The Steed: Increases your base movement speed.
The Thief: Increases your chance of picking locks and pickpocketing.
The Tower: Allows you to automatically unlock a lock or reflect a spell.
The Warrior: Increases your base strength.

Skills: Refining Your Craft

Skills are the building blocks of your character’s capabilities. They determine your proficiency in various actions, from wielding weapons to casting spells and crafting potions.

Major Skills: The skills you choose to be “Major” at character creation level up much faster. They also affect the rate at which your character levels up. Choosing your Major skills is a strategic choice that will influence the growth of your character.
Minor Skills: These skills level up at a slower rate, allowing you to specialize further. They are a useful way to customize your character and allow you to focus on specific skillsets.

Classes: Forging Your Legacy

When you create a character, you can choose a predefined class or craft your own custom class.

Predefined Classes: Provide a convenient starting point, offering balanced skill sets that are appropriate for a variety of common playstyles.
Custom Classes: This offers the ultimate flexibility in designing a character. You select your major skills, tailoring your build to your exact vision.

Character Build Examples: Paths to Power

The Nightblade: Shadows and Blades

A master of stealth and assassination. The Nightblade utilizes sneak attacks, poisons, and ranged combat to eliminate enemies before they even know they are under attack.

Race: Wood Elf or Dark Elf, providing natural advantages in stealth and ranged combat.
Birthsign: The Shadow, for its ability to become invisible once per day.
Class: Custom (Stealth, Blade, Marksman, Security, Acrobatics, Light Armor, Alchemy)
Key Attributes: Prioritize Agility, Speed, and Endurance for high damage output and maneuverability.
Major Skills: Blade, Sneak, Marksman, Light Armor, Security, Alchemy, Acrobatics
Playstyle: A master of stealth and assassination. The Nightblade utilizes sneak attacks, poisons, and ranged combat to eliminate enemies before they even know they are under attack.
Strengths: Exceptional damage output, high mobility, and ability to neutralize enemies quickly.
Weaknesses: Vulnerable in direct combat, especially against multiple opponents.
Equipment Recommendations: The Dark Brotherhood armor set for its bonuses to stealth, glass or daedric weapons for optimal damage.

The Battlemage: Steel and Sorcery

A versatile hybrid of melee and magic. Battlemages combine close-quarters combat with powerful spells, able to weather physical attacks while also unleashing magical destruction.

Race: Breton or Altmer, taking advantage of a natural inclination toward magic and Intelligence.
Birthsign: The Mage, enhancing your magical prowess.
Class: Custom or the premade Battlemage class.
Key Attributes: Focus on Intelligence, Endurance, and Strength for health, magicka, and damage output.
Major Skills: Blade, Destruction, Heavy Armor, Conjuration, Alchemy, Restoration, Block
Playstyle: A versatile hybrid of melee and magic. Battlemages combine close-quarters combat with powerful spells, able to weather physical attacks while also unleashing magical destruction.
Strengths: Balanced in both melee and magical combat, survivability and a wide array of options to deal with various threats.
Weaknesses: Managing both melee and magical resources, requiring careful attention to spellcasting and weapon usage.
Equipment Recommendations: Daedric or enchanted weapons, and heavy armor for superior protection.

The Archer: The Deadly Longshot

Ranged combat with a stealthy approach, utilizing high damage from hiding.

Race: Wood Elf, with a natural advantage in Marksman.
Birthsign: The Thief, enhancing your agility and luck.
Class: Custom (Marksman, Light Armor, Sneak, Acrobatics, Blade, Security)
Key Attributes: Agility, Speed, and Endurance.
Major Skills: Marksman, Light Armor, Sneak, Blade, Acrobatics, Security, Hand to Hand
Playstyle: Ranged combat with a stealthy approach, utilizing high damage from hiding.
Strengths: High damage from range, high mobility.
Weaknesses: Weak in close combat, particularly if enemies manage to close the distance.
Equipment Recommendations: The Dark Brotherhood armor set, glass or daedric weapons.

The Tank: Unyielding Fortress

Melee-focused, prioritizing damage resistance and high health.

Race: Nord, known for resilience and a bonus to strength.
Birthsign: The Lord, increasing health and armor.
Class: Warrior or Custom (Heavy Armor, Blade/Blunt, Block, Armorer, Restoration, Athletics, Acrobatics)
Key Attributes: Endurance, Strength, and Willpower for greater health, damage, and resistance to magic.
Major Skills: Heavy Armor, Blade/Blunt, Block, Armorer, Restoration, Athletics, Acrobatics
Playstyle: Melee-focused, prioritizing damage resistance and high health.
Strengths: Incredible durability, capable of withstanding tremendous punishment.
Weaknesses: Can be slow and less effective against magic-based enemies.
Equipment Recommendations: Heavy armor, any one-handed or two-handed weapon.

Advanced Tips and Strategies

Leveling with Efficiency

Leveling your skills is crucial to your character’s development.

Skill training is available, and spending gold allows for quick improvement, but the more you practice a skill, the faster it will level.
Optimize your character attributes during leveling.

Crafting and Enchanting Equipment

Smithing: Allows you to improve the quality of weapons and armor.
Alchemy: Creates powerful potions, useful for many builds.
Enchanting: Applies special effects, further customizing your weapons and armor.

Combat Tactics: Mastering the Battlefield

Use the environment to your advantage, using cover and positioning.
Learn enemy weaknesses and adjust your tactics accordingly.
Experiment with different weapons and spells.

Roleplaying: Immersing Yourself in Cyrodiil

Choose a backstory for your character to help immerse yourself in the world.
Join factions that complement your character’s build and playstyle.

Conclusion

Character builds are the cornerstones of a fulfilling Oblivion experience. By carefully selecting your race, birthsign, skills, and equipment, you can create a character that perfectly aligns with your preferred playstyle. The builds outlined in this guide provide a starting point for your journey, but the true magic lies in experimentation. Embrace the freedom of customization, and explore different combinations of skills and attributes. Whether you want to be a master assassin, a powerful sorcerer, or a mighty warrior, the world of Oblivion offers endless possibilities.

Remember, the most important aspect of any Oblivion character builds is your enjoyment. Don’t be afraid to try new things and refine your character over time.

What are your favorite Oblivion builds? Share your unique creations and play experiences in the comments below.