From the sun-drenched meadows of Cyrodiil to the imposing gates of the Imperial City, *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion* offers a sprawling world of adventure, magic, and danger. But before you can even draw your first sword or cast your inaugural spell, you face a crucial decision: crafting your character. The Oblivion character creation system isn’t just about choosing a face and a name; it’s the cornerstone of your entire experience, dictating your strengths, weaknesses, and the very path you’ll carve through Tamriel. This guide dives deep into the intricacies of Oblivion character creation, providing you with the knowledge to forge a truly unforgettable hero (or, perhaps, a delightfully wicked villain).
Choosing Your People: The Foundation of Your Character
Your choice of race in Oblivion is more than just a cosmetic one. It’s the very foundation upon which your character is built, influencing your starting attributes, skills, and inherent abilities. Each race in Cyrodiil offers a unique advantage, allowing you to tailor your character to a specific playstyle or embrace the roleplaying aspect with added depth. Let’s delve into each race and discover their strengths and weaknesses:
The Imperials
Known for their adaptability and diplomacy, Imperials start with bonuses to Block, Blade, and Mercantile skills. Their natural affinity for healing magic and light armor makes them well-rounded characters, suitable for both combat and social interactions. They are a solid choice for players who want to be a jack-of-all-trades or someone who enjoys the game’s political narrative.
The Nords
Born in the icy lands of Skyrim, Nords are hardy warriors with natural resistance to frost and bonuses to Blade, Block, and blunt weapons. Their strength and endurance make them formidable melee combatants, perfect for those who enjoy a straightforward, aggressive playstyle.
The Bretons
Masters of magic, Bretons possess an inherent resistance to magic and bonuses to Conjuration, Alchemy, and Illusion. Their magical prowess, combined with their intelligence, makes them ideal mages or spellswords. This race is a good option for players who want to master magic and be both effective in combat and a master of spellcasting.
The Redguards
Skilled warriors of the desert, Redguards are natural swordsmen with bonuses to Blade, Athletics, and blunt weapons. Their natural stamina and resistance to poison make them deadly fighters. They are a good choice for those who enjoy combat and a fast-paced battle.
The High Elves (Altmer)
Possessing superior magical abilities, High Elves boast high intelligence and bonuses to Alchemy, Mysticism, and Destruction. They are the quintessential mages, excelling in spellcasting and arcane knowledge. Their race is ideal for those seeking to be a master of magic.
The Wood Elves (Bosmer)
Skilled archers and stealthy characters, Wood Elves have bonuses to Marksman, Sneak, and Alchemy. They are the perfect choice for those who enjoy ranged combat and prefer to stay out of the thick of a fight.
The Dark Elves (Dunmer)
Combining combat skills and magical aptitude, Dark Elves have bonuses to Destruction, Athletics, and Light Armor. They can excel in combat, as well as magic. This makes them suitable for a variety of playstyles.
The Orcs (Orsimer)
Brutal warriors with a natural affinity for combat, Orcs have bonuses to Heavy Armor, Armorer, and Blade. Their natural strength and aggressive tendencies make them ideal melee fighters.
The Argonians
Adapting to harsh environments, Argonians can breathe underwater and possess bonuses to Security, Athletics, and Alchemy. Their natural agility and ability to navigate difficult terrain make them versatile characters, suitable for a variety of playstyles.
The Khajiit
Agile and stealthy, Khajiit have bonuses to Acrobatics, Sneak, and Blade. Their natural agility and ability to sneak around make them ideal for characters who wish to play as a thief or assassin.
Choosing the right race significantly impacts your starting stats and your character’s skill progression, so you should choose based on your preferred playstyle.
Astrological Advantage
After selecting your race, you’ll choose your birthsign. A birthsign in Oblivion provides unique abilities and passive bonuses that further define your character. These astrological gifts can have a profound impact on your gameplay. The choices are just as important to consider as race.
The Apprentice
Bestows a significant boost to Magicka but also makes you vulnerable to magical attacks. This is a good option for those who want to be a strong spellcaster.
The Atronach
Provides a large pool of Magicka, but also prevents its natural regeneration, forcing you to rely on potions or resting. This is perfect for dedicated magic users.
The Lady
Enhances your endurance and willpower, providing you with the ability to heal injuries and recover from debilitating effects faster. Ideal for characters focusing on combat.
The Lord
Offers resistance to magic and grants a powerful healing ability. Great for those seeking combat advantages and overall survivability.
The Lover
Boosts your agility and personality, boosting your combat and charm skills. A good all-around sign.
The Mage
Increases your intelligence and magicka. Great for spellcasters.
The Ritual
Grants a variety of healing and damage-dealing abilities. Solid for spellcasters and combat roles.
The Serpent
Deals damage over time to enemies, but can also be used to damage yourself. A bit niche, but can provide unique strategies.
The Shadow
Grants the ability to become invisible once per day, an excellent advantage for stealth-based characters.
The Steed
Grants significant speed and encumbrance bonuses, essential for those who need to move quickly.
The Thief
Enhances your agility, speed, and luck, providing a solid base for stealth, combat, and luck-based builds.
The Tower
Offers the ability to unlock locks and absorb spells. Useful for dungeon crawlers and versatile builds.
The Warrior
Provides a boost to strength and endurance, suitable for those focused on combat and melee skills.
Selecting your birthsign can provide a decisive edge. Aligning your birthsign with your race is always a good idea, but don’t hesitate to choose one that suits your individual playstyle.
Defining Your Skills
Next, you will create a custom class. This lets you select the major skills, and minor skills that determine what your character is good at. This is where you start to hone in on a particular style of play.
When building a character, you must consider your Primary (Major) and Secondary (Minor) skills. Primary skills level up more quickly than the other skills, but are easier to initially increase. These skills will define your specialization, giving you perks early on in the game. The rest of your skills will level up more slowly, but can provide a broader range of abilities.
Choosing your skills is a crucial aspect of the Oblivion character creation process. The selection of skills is vital to the success of a character build. Consider how you wish to progress your character, and choose skills that align with that progression.
Combat Skills
Skills in combat determine your combat prowess.
- Blade: The skill associated with wielding one-handed swords and daggers.
- Blunt: Related to the usage of blunt weapons like hammers and clubs.
- Hand to Hand: Skill for unarmed combat.
- Marksman: For ranged combat with bows.
- Block: Used for defending against melee attacks.
- Armorer: Skills for repairing and maintaining armor.
Magic Skills
Skills in magic determine your power with spells.
- Alteration: For spells that modify your form.
- Conjuration: For summoning creatures and spells.
- Destruction: For offensive spells.
- Illusion: For spells that impact the senses.
- Mysticism: For magic that absorbs or alters the environment.
- Restoration: For healing and supportive magic.
Stealth Skills
Stealth skills determine how successful you are sneaking and your ability to navigate the world silently.
- Security: For picking locks.
- Sneak: For stealth and avoiding detection.
- Acrobatics: For jumping and movement.
- Light Armor: For wearing light armor.
- Speechcraft: For improving your conversational skills.
Choosing your Specialization is crucial. Whether you pick Combat, Magic, or Stealth, it will influence how you approach various challenges.
Consider your attributes. Attributes affect your character’s overall stats and playstyle. Strength determines how much you can carry, intelligence determines your Magicka regeneration, and agility improves your defensive capabilities.
Putting It All Together: Creating Your Perfect Character
After choosing a Race, Birthsign, and your skills, it’s time to consider your appearance. This might seem trivial, but it’s an essential part of immersing yourself in the game. The face you create is what you will see the most, and it adds depth to your roleplaying.
The character customization in Oblivion, while not as detailed as in some modern games, offers a surprisingly extensive range of options. You can adjust facial features, choose your hair color and style, and give your character unique scars. Pay attention to these details, as they are a part of your character’s identity.
For a robust warrior build, select a race like Nord or Orc, choose the Warrior birthsign, and focus on combat skills such as Blade, Block, and Heavy Armor. Prioritize Strength and Endurance in your attributes. For a stealthy character, consider the Khajiit, Thief birthsign, and skills like Sneak, Marksman, and Light Armor. Increase Agility and Luck.
Building Your Perfect Character: An Example Breakdown
Here are two example character builds to illustrate the process:
The Ironclad Warrior
Race: Nord, Birthsign: The Warrior, Major Skills: Blade, Heavy Armor, Block, Armorer, Athletics. Attributes: Primarily Strength and Endurance. This is a very straightforward, strong character focused on melee combat and survivability.
The Shadowscale Assassin
Race: Argonian, Birthsign: The Shadow, Major Skills: Sneak, Marksman, Blade, Light Armor, Security. Attributes: Primarily Agility and Intelligence. This character specializes in stealth, ranged combat, and the ability to open any lock.
Embracing the possibilities: These are just two examples of how you can combine skills, races, and birthsigns to create a unique character.
Wrapping it up
Oblivion’s character creation system is a rewarding experience. Understanding the elements of race, birthsign, skills, and appearance is essential for creating a memorable character. Experiment, embrace the choices, and craft a character that perfectly fits your desires. Don’t be afraid to make unconventional choices. The most rewarding experiences come from trying something different!
Additional Considerations
While this guide provides a strong foundation, consider other things to expand your roleplaying.
Mods
There are plenty of character creation mods available to enhance customization.
Roleplaying
Think about how you want your character to interact in the world.
Character creation is where your adventure begins. Enjoy the process, experiment, and have fun building the hero (or villain) of your dreams in Cyrodiil!
