The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
FAQ/Walkthrough
By Mighteyna (benb4hockey@nc.rr.com)
Copyrighted August 10, 2006 by Ben Burnette
Oblivion is copyrighted Bethesda Softworks
Table of Contents
-----------------
Introduction
Guide History
Controls
Creating your Character
Basics of Combat
Basics of Magic
Basics of Stealth
Vampirism
Spellmaking and Enchanting
Crime and Punishment
The Main Quest
Fighters Guild Quests
Mages Guild Quests
Thieves Guild Quests
Dark Brotherhood Quests
The Arena
The Daedric Quests
Weapons and Armor List
Side Quests
Houses and Horses
Glitches
Frequently Asked Questions
Contacting Me
Credits
Legal Things
=======================================================================
INTRODUCTION
=======================================================================
My name is Mighteyna aka Ben Burnette.  This is my FAQ/Walkthrough for
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Xbox 360 Version.  This is Bethesda
Softworks' latest game in the Elder Scrolls 4 Series.  I thank you for
choosing my FAQ.  In my FAQ you will find detailed information from The
Main Quest to the Side Quests and just about everything in between.
Before you begin playing Oblivion, I recommend you read your Manual to
get a better feel to what things are.  It will make things I'm going to
explain a lot easier to understand.  Since Oblivion came out for the
Playstation 3 there are more weapons, armor, items, and of course the
Knights of the Nine Quests.  If these quests and other items and
weapons become downloadable via Xbox Live then I will include them in
my FAQ.
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GUIDE HISTORY
=======================================================================
August 10, 2006
Began Oblivion FAQ.  Completed Introduction and Controls.
August 14, 2006
Completed Creating Your Character, Basics of Combat, Basics of Magic,
Basics of Stealth, and Vampires.
August 16, 2006
Completed Spellmaking and Enchanting, Crime and Punishment, and The
Tutorial segment of the Main Quest.
August 18, 2006
Completed Delivering the Amulet, Find the Heir Part 1, Breaking the
Siege of Kvatch, Find the Heir Part 2, and Weynon Priory Segments of
the Main Quest.
August 20, 2006
Completed The Path of Dawn Segment of the Main Quest.
August 21, 2006
Completed Dagon Shrine and Spies Segments of the Main Quest.
August 22, 2006
Completed Blood of the Daedra and Blood of the Divines Segments of the
Main Quest.
August 26, 2006
Completed Bruma Gate and Allies for Bruma Segments of the Main Quest.
August 27, 2006
Completed the entire Main Quest!
August 29, 2006
Completed the Fighters Guild Quest "A Rat Problem."
August 31, 2006
Fixed a lot of Spelling and Grammar Mistakes.  Don't worry I'll start
writing a lot of the Fighters Guild Quests.
September 1, 2006
Completed 4 more of the Fighters Guild Quests and corrected some
Spelling and Grammar Mistakes.
September 3, 2006
Completed 2 more Fighters Guild Quests.
September 4, 2006
Completed Modryn Oreyn's Second Round of Quests.
September 8, 2006
Completed one of Azzan and Burz gro-Khash's Third Round of Quests.
September 9, 2006
Completed all of Azzan and Burz gro-Khash's Third Round of Contracts
and fixed some spelling errors.
September 11, 2006
Completed the entire Fighters Guild Quest line!
September 12, 2006
Fixed some Spelling Mistakes and finished the intro to the Mages Guild
Quests.
September 13, 2006
Completed two of the Recommendation Quests.
September 17, 2006
Completed all of the Recommendation Quests.
September 19, 2006
Completed a Mages Guild Quest.  More soon to come.
September 21, 2006
Completed two more Mages Guild Quests.
September 22, 2006
Completed a Mages Guild Quest.
October 16, 2006
Sorry!  Its been a while since I've worked on this FAQ.  I've had many
schedule conflicts, but I did complete Hannibal Traven's First Mages
Guild Quest Today.  Don't worry, more to come.
October 29, 2006
Completed another Mages Guild Quest.
November 16, 2006
Completed three Mages Guild Quests.
November 17, 2006
Completed entire Mages Guild Questline!  Sorry I haven't updated very
much, had schedule conflicts.
November 25, 2006
Completed the Thieves Guild Intro.
December 1, 2006
Completed the First Thieves Guild Quest.  More to come very soon.
December 12, 2006
Completed another Thieves Guild Quest.  I should have the entire
Questline finished by December 19.
December 17, 2006
Completed a Thieves Guild Quest.  It is going to be after December 19
till I finish the Questline.  Sorry, I've had exams but that's life.
I'm trying to get it finished by say December 21, 23 at the latest.
December 18, 2006
Completed another Thieves Guild Quest.
December 28, 2006
Completed a Thieves Guild Quest.
December 30, 2006
Completed a Thieves Guild Quest.
=======================================================================
CONTROLS
=======================================================================
These Controls are for the Xbox 360 Version of the game.  Since this
FAQ is made for the 360 Version I'm not going to list the PC Controls
(sorry).
Left Thumbstick: Move Your Character
Click Left Thumbstick: Sneak Mode
Click Right Thumbstick: Change from 1'rst Person View to 3'rd Person
View and back
Y: Jump
B: Journal
X: Take Out Weapon/Put Away Weapon
A: Activate
LB: Grab
RB: Cast Magic
RT: Attack
LT: Block
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CREATING YOUR CHARACTER
=======================================================================
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion offers one of the best character
customizations for any RPG I have ever played.  With Oblivion's
Character Creation you can get right down to the basics and get in
every single detail that matters.  When creating your character you go
through three things to get your character to best fit your style.  The
Three Things that most matter is your Race, Birthsign, and Class.
=============== RACE ===============
When you begin a new game in Oblivion at the start you get to choose
your race and gender.  You also get to customize other little things
like Complexion, Eye Color, and other things.  If you are going to
create a Race to maximize your benefits for your style of play then
that is the best thing to do.  Each Race as Bonuses to different
skills.  They also have special powers they can use only once every 24
Hours Game Time.  The exception is the Khajiit Night-Eye which has
unlimited uses.
Race           Special Powers                     Skill Bonuses
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Argonian       1. Resist Disease (75%)              1. Alchemy +5
2. Resist Poison (100%)              2. Athletics +10
3. Water Breathing (Constant)        3. Blade +5
4. Hand-to-Hand +5
5. Illusion +5
6. Mysticism +5
7. Security +10
Breton         1. Magicka +50                       1. Alchemy +5
2. Resist Magicka (50%)              2. Alteration +5
3. Shield (50% for 60 Seconds)       3. Conjuration +10
4. Illusion +5
5. Mysticism +10
6. Restoration +10
Dark Elf       1. Summon Ghost (60 Seconds)         1. Athletics +5
2. Resist Fire (75%)                 2. Blade +10
3. Blunt +5
4. Destruction +10
5. Light Armor +5
6. Marksman +5
7. Mysticism +5
High Elf       1. Magicka +100                      1. Alchemy +5
2. Weakness to Fire (25%)            2. Alteration +10
3. Weakness to Frost (25%)           3. Conjuration +5
4. Weakness to Shock (25%)           4. Destruction +10
5. Resist Disease (75%)              5. Illusion +5
6. Mysticism +10
Imperial       1. Absorb Fatigue (100 Points)       1. Blade +5
2. Charm (30 Points)                 2. Blunt +5
3. Hand-to-Hand +5
4. Heavy Armor +5
5. Mercantile +10
6. Speechcraft +10
Khajiit        1. Demoralize (100%)
2. Night-Eye (30 Seconds)            1. Acrobatics +10
2. Athletics +5
3. Blade +5
4. Hand-to-Hand +10
5. Light Armor +5
6. Sneak +5
7. Security +5
Nord           1. Frost Damage (50 Points on Touch) 1. Armorer +5
2. Shield (30% for 60 Seconds)       2. Blade +10
3. Resist Frost (50%)                3. Block +5
4. Blunt +10
5. Heavy Armor +10
6. Restoration +5
Orc            1. Berserk (60 Seconds)              1. Armorer +10
2. Resist Magicka (25%)              2. Block +10
3. Blunt +10
4. Hand-to-Hand +5
5. Heavy Armor +10
Redguard       1. Adrenaline Rush                   1. Athletics +10
2. Resist Poison (75%)               2. Blade +10
3. Resist Disease (75%)              3. Blunt +10
4. Light Armor +5
5. Heavy Armor +5
6. Mercantile +5
Wood Elf       1. Command Creature (60 Seconds)     1. Acrobatics +5
2. Resist Disease (75%)              2. Alchemy +10
3. Alteration +5
4. Light Armor +5
5. Marksman +10
6. Sneak +10
=============== EXTRA NOTES ON RACES ===============
Here are some extra notes on Tamriel's Races that may help you decide
what race you want to be.
Argonian: These Reptile Creatures from Black Marsh make good Mages and
good Thieves.  The Resist Poison and Resist Disease is very useful, but
the Water Breathing Skill is the most useful because of it is constant
and is useful for many quests in Oblivion.  The Argonian's Skill
Bonuses are good, but not great.
Breton:  Bretons in my opinion make the best Mages in the game.  Their
Magicka +50 is fantastic and the Resist Magicka is good to counter with
the Apprentice's 100% Weakness to Magicka.  Dragon Skin (The Shield) is
useful because a Breton often will loose a lot of HP if fighting more
then one enemy at a time.  However the Conjuration +10 will let Bretons
summon allies to help them in battle.
Dark Elf: The Dark Elf makes a Fantastic Role for a Battlemage.
Playing as a Dark Elf you will succeed very well in the Fighters Guild
and the Mages Guild.  The Destruction +10 and Blade +10 are great for
the Battlemage role and the Blunt +5 is a good back up for those hard
hitting attacks.  Although you won't use the Summon Ghost a lot because
it is weak, but the Resist Fire is good because of all the Wizards and
Battlemages that use Destruction Magic.
High Elf: The High Elf is a fantastic role for an aggressive Mage.  The
High Elf has a Magicka +100 Race Bonus which is even better then the
Breton's.  However the Weakness to Fire, Frost, and Shock will kill you
when fighting powerful Wizards.  Since the High Elf comes with an
Alchemy +5 you should use that to your advantage and be ready to make a
lot of Healing Potions.
Imperial: Imperials are the Natives of Cyrodiil and are everywhere.
Although I hate to say it but the Imperial has the worst special powers
in the game.  Absorb Fatigue is useless and the Charm is only useful
once in a while.  If you want to be an Imperial they make great
Fighters/Thieves because of the bonuses in Combat Skills (although they
are weak), but the Mercantile +10 and Speechcraft +10 is fantastic and
is good for the Thieves Guild Quests.
Khajiit: Khajiits make fantastic thieves and assassins and are perfect
for the Thieves Guild Quests and Dark Brotherhood Quests.  Although
keep in mind a Khajiit Thief is usually conservative.  They do have +5
Bonuses in Sneak and Security, but get no bonuses in Marksman which is
a must for an Assassin and Thief.  Although the Blade +5 is good for
stealthy daggers.  Plus the Acrobatics +10 is fantastic for getting
away from Combat.
Nord: The Tall People of Skyrim who usually live in the Snowy City of
Bruma make exceptional Warriors.  Although the Skill Bonuses are only
+5 for most the Nord is a very powerful Warrior and a very conservative
as well.  The Nord gets a +5 Bonus in Restoration which is great to
heal after those tough battles.  Not only that but they have a Shield
(not as strong as a Breton's but still good).  Nords get +10 in Blade
and Blunt so which ever one you choose as a major skill, you'll start
out at 40 which makes choosing not hard.
Orc: Orcs are very strong Warriors and can take on several Trolls and
Ogres at once without breaking a sweat.  They have the best Skill
Bonuses for any Warrior as mostly all of them are +10 and Berserk is a
useful problem solver.  Although keep in mind an Orc is designed for a
Warrior ONLY!  They make terrible Thieves, Assassins, and Mages and if
you choose an Orc you'll probably find that you can only get good
success in doing only the Fighters Guild Quests.
Redguard: The Redguards are also great Warriors.  The Skill Bonuses
aren't Great, but they're not horrible either.  Adrenaline Rush is
always useful and the Redguard has Resist Poison and Resist Disease
which will keep it strong and healthy.  Plus Redguards could also make
exceptional Thieves and Assassins because of the Light Armor +5 and
Mercantile +5, although staying away from being a Mage is probably a
good idea.  (My brother was a Redguard and had great success in the
Fighters Guild and the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood, but did
terrible in the Mages Guild).
Wood Elf: If you kind of want to be a Mage, but also a Warrior too, oh
wait!  A Thief and an Assassin!  Then this is the race for you.  The
short Wood Elves also known as Bosmer do great in any category and are
for the player that wants to be all three.  The Alchemy +10 is
fantastic for making potions and lets your rake in the profits from
making powerful potions early on.  The Alteration +5 is good for a Mage
while the Marksman +10 and Sneak +10 are fantastic for any Thief.  Plus
the Light Armor +5 is good for a Warrior that wants to wear Light Armor
and the Acrobatics +5 can help you make a speedy get away from powerful
monsters like Trolls and Ogres.
=============== BIRTHSIGN ===============
Once you get out of the Natural Caverns in the Imperial Prison you will
meet up with Emperor Uriel Septim VII and two of his Blades.  At this
point Septim will talk to you and you will get to choose your
Birthsign.  This is almost as important as your Race.  Birthsigns
either give you Attribute Bonuses or Very Useful Powers.  While some
give you more Magicka.
Birthsign   Features
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Apprentice  Magicka +100, Weakness to Magicka 100%
Atronach    Magicka +150, Spell Absorption 50%, No Magicka Regeneration
Lady        Willpower +10, Endurance +10
Lover       Paralyze on Touch for 10 Sec at cost of 120 Fatigue Pts
Lord        Restore Health (6 Pts for 15 Sec), Weakness to Fire (25%)
Mage        Magicka +50
Ritual      Restore Health (200 Pts), Turn Undead (100% for 30 Sec)
Serpent     Damage Health, Dispel, Cure Poison, Damage Fatigue
Shadow      Invisibility for 60 Sec
Steed       Speed +20
Thief       Agility +10, Speed +10, Luck +10
Tower       Open Average Lock, Reflect Damage (5% for 120 Sec)
Warrior     Strength +10, Endurance +10
=============== EXTRA NOTES ON BIRTHSIGNS ===============
Apprentice: This is a great choice for an Aggressive Mage.  The Magicka
+100 is fantastic, but the 100% Weakness to it sucks.  The Apprentice
is great for a Battlemage who will be wearing Heavy Armor.  Although a
Defensive Mage like a Breton can use his Resist Magicka to counter
this.  Although Bretons should still consider another Birthsign because
of their low health.
Atronach: Those born under the sign of the Atronach have a Magicka +150
which is phenomenal.  Not only that but they have a 50% Chance of
absorbing an enemies magical attacks.  Which is great when fighting
those annoying Wizards.  However they can not regenerate Magicka which
sucks.  You will find it to be a full time hobby to fill up your
Magicka Meter.  I don't recommend this Birthsign at all to anybody.
Lady: This is another great choice for a Battlemage.  Although the
Apprentice's Magicka +100 is useful, the Lady's Willpower +10 is
essential for casting a lot of Destruction Spells at one time.  The
Endurance +10 will give you higher health and allow you to carry around
more Armor and Weapons.  I highly recommend this one.
Lover: This Birthsign is kinda useless.  The Paralyze is useful
sometimes, but it is only for 10 Seconds and it costs you 120 Points of
Fatigue, plus you have to Touch them which means you will have to get
close.  I don't recommend this Birthsign at all.
Lord: The Lord's Restore Health is fantastic.  6 Points of Health times
15 seconds of it being active is 90 Points of Health restored!  There
is a downside though, the Weakness to Fire.  This may not sound like a
big deal, but it will kill you, especially if your going to become a
Vampire.
Mage: The Mage Birthsign is a perfect Birthsign for a Defensive Mage.
The Magicka +50 is always a Safe Bet.  If you want to be a Mage and you
would rather be safe then sorry then this is your Birthsign.
Ritual: The Ritual has a highly useful Restore Health Power and is a
lot better then the Lord's Birthsign Power.  Unlike the Lord's Weakness
to Fire the Ritual comes with a Turn Undead Power.  Although anybody
with a Conjuration Skill of 5 can use this Spell so it really isn't
that useful.
Serpent: When you first look at all the Serpent's Powers you think this
is a great Birthsign right?  Well, no.  All of these Powers happen at
once when you Touch somebody.  All of these affects happen on the
enemies so some are good for you and some are bad for you.  The
Serpent's Powers are rarely useful.
Shadow: This is a Fantastic Birthsign for a Thief.  Although you don't
get Attribute Bonuses like you do with the Thief's Powers you do get
Invisibility for 60 Seconds once a day.  This is extremely useful for
the Dark Brotherhood Quests and Thieves Guild Quests.  You can already
buy an Invisibility Spell, but if your in the Dark Brotherhood you need
an Illusion Skill of 50, and if your not you need an Illusion Skill of
75 so this is very useful.
Steed: This is another good Birthsign for a Thief.  The Speed +20 is
the best of any Attribute Bonus.  Although it is in only one Attribute
so all of your other Attributes will be low early on.  Besides that
this is an ok birthsign.
Thief: The Agility +10, Speed +10, and Luck +10 are the best any
Thief/Assassin can get.  These Bonuses provide easy thefts early on and
can get you some serious cash once you start selling stolen goods in
the Thieves Guild.
Tower: The Tower has two very useful powers.  The Open Average Lock is
highly useful and works on Easy and Very Easy Locks as well.  The
Reflect Damage is fantastic for those tough enemies like Trolls or
Ogres.
Warrior:  Hands down the best Birthsign for any Combat Specialist.  The
Strength +10 and Endurance +10 will make you very strong early on.
This will let you carry around some strong Blunt and Blade Weapons,
plus all the great Heavy Armor that you can get.
=============== CLASS ===============
Near the end of the Prologue Baurus (A Blade) will let you create a
Class.  You can choose from a pre-made class, but the real cool thing
is creating your own.  So lets start with the basics.  When you first
begin your class you have to choose to be a Combat Specialist, Magic
Specialist, or Stealth Specialist.  Whichever one you choose will get
+5 in 7 Skills.
Combat: Armorer, Athletics, Blade, Block, Blunt, Hand-to-Hand, and
Heavy Armor.
Magic: Alchemy, Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Illusion,
Mysticism, and Restoration.
Stealth: Acrobatics, Light Armor, Marksman, Mercantile, Security,
Sneak, and Speechcraft.
Once you do that you will choose your two Favored Attributes.  You will
get a +5 in each.  Each Attribute governs a Skill.  If your going to be
a Combat Specialist for example you might want to choose Strength and
Endurance because those two Attributes alone govern 6 or the Seven
Combat Skills.
Strength: Governs Blade, Blunt, and Hand-to-Hand.
Intelligence: Governs Alchemy, Conjuration, and Mysticism.
Willpower: Governs Alteration, Destruction, and Restoration.
Agility: Governs Security, Marksman, and Sneak.
Speed: Governs Acrobatics, Athletics, and Light Armor.
Endurance: Governs Armorer, Block, and Heavy Armor.
Personality: Governs Illusion, Mercantile, and Speechcraft.
Luck: Governs no skills but affects all of them.
Once you choose your two Favored Attributes it is time to get your
Seven Major Skills.  If you increase these at any combination of 10
times you will gain a level.  Your seven major skills will start out at
25 (Apprentice Level as opposed to Novice Level).  If you include the
Specialization they will start out at 30 and then add on any Race
Bonuses (maximum is 40).  I recommend you choose the Seven Skills that
come from your specialization, but it is always good to customize.
Once you do that you get to name your new class and your done!
=======================================================================
BASICS OF COMBAT
=======================================================================
While playing Oblivion your bound to come across a situation where you
have to fight someone or something.  Fortunately I can prepare you!  I
will split this section into two sections, Pure Melee and Ranged
Combat.
=============== PURE MELEE ===============
This is for Warriors that want a Bloody Battle till the end.  This is
for a Warrior who wants to take an Ogre on no matter what the costs.
Well I have some strategies for you.  If your going to do Pure Melee
I'm guessing you're a Combat Specialist and you have High Strength and
High Endurance which means High HP.  So what equipment should you use?
Well, I recommend Heavy Armor all the way.  Since your going to be
fighting Powerful Enemies your going to have to protect yourself.  Not
only does Heavy Armor look Cool but it also protects you.
Next lets talk about weapons.  Blunt weapons are a great option as are
swords.  So what type of Blunt and Blade Weapon?  Well there are Four
types of Blade Weapons: Daggers, Shortswords, Longswords, and
Claymores.  Daggers are very quick and let you wield a shield, but
don't do a lot of damage and are more aimed at Stealth Specialists.
Shortswords are a good alternative for Daggers.  They are a bit slower,
but also a good deal stronger.
Next are Longswords and Claymores.  Longswords are fantastic as they
still as a pretty fast swing and are very powerful.  Not only that but
you can also carry a shield.  Next are Claymores.  Claymores are two-
handed powerhouse swords.  Although they are slow and you can't carry a
shield, they are extremely powerful and handle many enemies at once and
have a very long reach.
So what Blunt Weapons are there?  Well, there are Maces, War Axes,
Battle Axes, and Warhammers.  Maces and War Axes and One handed Blunt
Weapons so you can carry a shield.  All Blunt Weapons are designed for
Combat Specialists so Blunts are usually more useful then a Sword
(although that is my opinion).  Maces and War Axes and very powerful,
but don't have a very long reach.  They are still great weapons.
Next are Battle Axes and Warhammers.  Both are extremely powerful and
you can cause serious damage.  Battle Axes aren't as strong as
Warhammers, but they do weigh less so you can carry more.  Battle Axes
and Warhammers do not have a very long reach.  If you do want a
Powerful Two handed weapon I would go with a Claymore because of their
long reach.
=============== RANGED COMBAT ===============
Although many people think of Bows and Arrows as being child's play and
not nearly as powerful as running in with a Big Sword and killing
everybody within sight.  However Marksman Players can be just as deadly
if played right.  Not all Marksman Players are Stealth Specialists.  A
lot of Combat Specialists use Bows and Arrows and it is a good reason
to.  So as far as equipment goes, the more powerful the Bow and Arrows,
the more damage.  There is an arrow that match every bow except for
Fine Iron Bows and Fine Steel Bows (there are no Fine Iron or Fine
Steel Arrows).
When you get ready to shoot aim carefully.  Shooting your target in the
foot does just as must damage as shooting the target in the head so
don't aim for a specific area as much as the target itself.  A Good
idea would be to coat your arrows with Poison and get a good Stealth
Shot.  This can mean the difference between a long battle and a short
battle.  The Stealth Shot is especially crucial when fighting Ogres.
Making Alchemy a Major Skill would be a great idea if your really going
to get good with Bows.
=======================================================================
BASICS OF MAGIC
=======================================================================
Magic in Oblivion is much more alive then it was in Morrowind.  There
are many Spells in Oblivion from casting a Powerful Lightning Bolt to
simply opening a lock.  In Magic there are Six Types of Magic.  They
are Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Illusion, Mysticism, and
Restoration.  If your going to be a Mage I'm guessing your going to
join the Mages Guild.  If not you should!  Each Guild Hall sells you
spells based on the Guild's specialization.  Six of the Seven Cities in
Cyrodiil sell spells based on the specialization.  The Bruma Mages
Guild is a sampling of all spells.
=============== ALTERATION ===============
Alteration is a highly useful magic.  It can be used to change the
fundamentals of Biology.  You can pop open a lock without a key which
is useful for Players with a low security skill and provide a Shield
which is fantastic for players with low HP.  It can also let you
increase your maximum weight and decrease your opponent's maximum
weight.  The Cheydinhal Mages Guild specializes in Alteration Magic.
=============== CONJURATION ===============
Conjuration is probably the most useful Magic in the game.  It allows
you to summon Powerful Undead Creatures and Deadric Creatures.  While
an Apprentice may only be able to summon a simple Skeleton, a Master of
the Craft can summon ultra powerful Storm Atronachs!  You can also
summon Deadric Armor and Weapons that weigh nothing!  Conjuration is my
favorite craft.  The Chorrol Mages Guild specializes in Conjuration
Magic.
=============== DESTRUCTION ===============
Destruction Magic is a Powerful Tool indeed.  It is widely used by
Battlemages.  Powerful Wizards can also cast amazing destruction
spells.  Destruction Magic is the most widely used Magic in the game.
When you first start playing Oblivion you will have access to a Simple
Fire Spell called Flare.  If your like me you will find it amazing.
Well, there is a lot more to come!  Destruction Spells also have Spells
that drain attributes and skills which is very useful.  The Skingrad
Mages Guild specializes in Destruction Magic.
=============== ILLUSION ===============
Illusion Magic is very useful to Thieves and Assassins.  A fan
favorite, Illusion Magic gives you Spells that let you become Invisible
and make NPC's like you more.  Illusion Magic is one of my favorites
and any Thief should make it a Major Skill.  The Bravil Mages Guild
specializes in Illusion Magic.
=============== MYSTICISM ===============
Mysticism has spells that include Telekinesis this is a very useful
spell.  Mysticism also has a very useful Soul Trap Spell.  To be honest
other then that Mysticism really isn't all that great.  I rarely use it
and I have a lot of friends who play Oblivion who are Powerful Wizards
and regret making Mysticism a Major Skill because they rarely use it.
The Leyawiin Mages Guild specializes in Mysticism Magic.
=============== RESTORATION ===============
This is the handiest Magic Type in the game.  Any Wizard/Thief/Warrior
should have Restoration Magic as a Major Skill.  It has spells that of
course heal you.  While this only starts out at a Heal Minor Wounds
Spell, which a lot of healing it can increase to Heal Legendary Wounds.
Also there are spells that can cure you of disease and poison which is
fantastic.  Not only that but you can heal your allies!  How cool is
that?  The Anvil Mages Guild specializes in Restoration Magic.
=======================================================================
BASICS OF STEALTH
=======================================================================
Stealth involves the ability to remain undetected, pickpockets, pick
locks, and much more.  Any Thief knows that to do well in the Thieves
Guild and Dark Brotherhood you need to be good at all these skills.
The skills are: Sneaking, Picking Pockets, Picking Locks, and
Persuasion.
=============== SNEAKING ===============
Sneaking is of course what Thieves do to remain undetected.  So lets
start.  Once you enter Sneak Mode you will notice the crosshair changes
to an eye.  While sneaking keep your eyes on the eye (lol) at all
times.  When the Eye lights up it means you can be easily detected or
already detected.  If you enter Sneak Mode while in the Shadows it and
the Eye is basically Black then that means you are almost invisible.
While sneaking try to move slow, don't rush.  Slow and Steady wins the
race.
Also do not worry about what Armor you are wearing while sneaking.  You
can sneak around just as good in Heavy Armor as you can in Light Armor.
What really gets you is the weight of your boots.  Unless you are a
Journeyman of Sneak (the bonus for Journeyman Level makes the weight of
your boots not matter) try not to where any boots while sneaking.  Just
unequip them and then if someone spots you and attacks you put them
back on.
If you see an enemy that doesn't see you immediately go into Sneak
Mode.  Next Sneak Up on them and take out your Weapon.  If you attack
them without them detecting you will do Critical Damage and most likely
kill the person (depending how strong) on the first try or inflict a
significant amount of damage.
=============== PICKING POCKETS ===============
When you enter Sneak Mode and go up to someone instead of getting the
option Talk (Person's Name) you will get the option to Pick Pocket
them.  You can take anything they have except for Clothes/Armor or
Weapons.  The higher your sneak skill the better chance you have of
them not detecting you.  Also the Heavier the Item the greater chance
you will have of being detected.  Also if you just enter the pick
pocket menu and exit out you will still be fined for stealing if you
are caught.  Even a Thief with a Sneak Skill of 100 still has a chance
of getting caught for just entering the Pick Pocket Menu and not taking
anything.
=============== PICKING LOCKS ===============
Not all doors in Cyrodiil are going to be unlocked and let you just
waltz in.  No, some are locked and you can either open the door/chest
etc with the appropriate key or you can pick the lock.  When you want
to pick a lock you enter the Lockpicking menu in which you find some
Tumblers that are not pushed into place.  The Difficulty will determine
the number of Tumblers.  Push up onto the Tumbler and wait till it gets
to the top if you think the time is right press "A" to push it into
place.
If you are too slow you your lockpick will break and you will have to
start again.  What I like to do is push the tumbler into place on the
second try.  The First Try is usually very fast so the second try is
usually slow.  If the first try is slow then wait till the third time
to tray again.  Locks have different difficulty.  Very Easy has One
Tumbler, Easy has Two, Average has Three, Hard has 4, and Very Hard has
5.  Some can't be picked.  The Door/Chest etc will say "Needs a Key."
=============== PERSUASION ===============
Sometimes when you talk to someone they won't tell you everything they
know because they don't like you or will say "I don't trust you
enough."  This is because the NPC's Disposition is too low.  To raise
it you can Persuade them.  This can be done two ways the easy way or
the hard way.  The Easy way is well easier, but it is more expensive.
All you have to do is Bribe them Money to increase their disposition,
but this will cost you a lot of gold.
The Hard Way is well, Hard, but it is free.  Press "A."  A Wedge Wheel
will appear.  Highlight the section and the NPC will make a face if it
is good then press "A."  This will increase their disposition.  The
higher the wedge the higher the disposition will rise.  This works the
same for lowering the disposition.  The higher your Speechcraft Skill,
the bigger the Wedges and the higher the NPC original disposition will
be.
=======================================================================
VAMPIRISM
=======================================================================
In The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion it is possible to become a Vampire.
Vampires have many advantages as well as disadvantages.  For example
Vampires have special powers and get stat bonuses.  However they also
take damage from the sun so that can prove a problem.
=============== BECOMING A VAMPIRE ===============
Becoming a Vampire is quite simple actually.  Becoming a Vampire is the
same as contracting a disease.  When fighting Vampires there is a small
chance becoming one yourself.  While fighting it if the screen says
"You have contracted Porphyric Hemophilia" then you have completed Step
number 1 to becoming a Vampire.  Porphyric Hemophilia is known as "The
Vampire's Disease."  All Porphyric Hemophilia will do is drain your
Fatigue a bit, but it isn't that bad.  After three days have passed
sleep in a bed.  You emerge a Vampire.  If your in the Dark Brotherhood
you could simply ask someone to become a Vampire (Please See The "Dark
Brotherhood Quests" section).
=============== THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT BEING A VAMPIRE ===============
Well, you may think being a Vampire is a bad thing, but it really
isn't.  At its basic level Vampirism gives you +5 Bonuses to Strength,
Willpower, and Speed.  It also gives +5 to Acrobatics, Athletics,
Destruction, Hand-to-Hand, Illusion, Mysticism, and Sneak.  Also you
have a small Resist Disease and Resist Paralysis as well as a Resist
Normal Weapons Power.
=============== THE BAD NEWS ABOUT BEING A VAMPIRE ===============
Of course there is Bad News about being a Vampire.  At its Basic Stage
Vampirism isn't so bad.  You get lots of Skill Bonuses and Attribute
Bonuses as well as some extra added effects.  The bad news is, you have
a Weakness to Fire.  Fighting Wizards and Battlemages could prove
deadly to you.  However you will not take damage in the sun which is
good.  As long as you feed every 24 Hours you will always remain at the
Basic Stage of Vampirism.  If you become a full-fledged Vampire most
Merchants will not talk to you so you will have to increase their
Disposition a lot or use the Vampire's Seduction Power.
=============== FEEDING AS A VAMPIRE ===============
While being a Vampire you can now feed on NPC's.  If you want to remain
at the Basic Stage of Vampirism and want to avoid Sun Damage your going
to have to feed every 24 Hours.  Doing this is easy.  Find a sleeping
person and when you can normally wake them up to talk to them it will
give you the option Talk or Feed, or if your sneaking Pickpocket or
Feed.  Select Feed and your done for the next 24 Hours.  Feeding is
easy if your in a Guild.  Guildmates will also sleep at a specific hour
so it is pretty easy to find a target.  However don't let another NPC
see you.  Their disposition with you will drop and you will be charged
with Assault.
=============== VAMPIRE POWERS ===============
You already know that you get +5 Bonuses to several Attributes and
Skills but you also special powers.  For every four days you go without
feeding the +5 goes to +10 and so on with a maximum of +20.  For every
four days the Sun Damage is also increased.  The first power you get is
Hunter's Sight.  This gives you 30 Seconds of Night-Eye as well as 30
Seconds of Detect Life over a large area.  Plus it is only at a small
Magicka Cost.
The Next Power you get is Vampire's Seduction.  This Power while only
once a day is very useful.  For 20 Seconds the Player increases another
player Disposition to Maximum this is very useful for being a Full-
fledged Vampire.
Next up is Reign of Terror which gives you the ability to Silence and
Demoralize opponents.  This is great against Wizards so they can't cast
Fire Magic at you.
Finally the most useful power is Embrace of Shadows.  This gives you a
full three minutes of Invisibility as well as 90 Seconds of Night-Eye!
Probably the coolest Vampire Power.
=======================================================================
SPELLMAKING AND ENCHANTING
=======================================================================
=============== SPELLMAKING ===============
With Spellmaking you can do what else?  Make your own spells!  To do
this you either need the Frostcraig Spire Download from Xbox Live or
need to be at least Apprentice Rank or higher in the Mages Guild so you
can have access to the Arcane University.  Once you get to the Altar of
Spellmaking its pretty simple from there.  Choose your effects for the
spell then set them to the way you want.  Note that the More Powerful
the Spell the higher the Cost.  Once you've chosen your effects name
your spell and your done.
=============== ENCHANTING ===============
With Enchanting you can enchant Swords, Armor, and Clothes.  To do this
you need a Soul Gem.  You can either make one yourself with the
Mysticism Spell or you can buy one.  There are 5 types of Soul Gems.
The Stronger the Gem the better the enchantment.  Starting from the
weakest they are: Petty, Lesser, Common, Greater, Grand.  When your
ready to enchant select an item and a soul gem.  Next choose an effect
and name your item!
=======================================================================
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
=======================================================================
In Oblivion you can commit crimes, but remember if you can't pay the
fine then don't do the crime.  That's how it is in Oblivion because
everything has a fine even Murder!  If you don't have the money then
you can either Resist Arrest and kill every guard in the city then get
arrested in another city or you can go to jail.  Depending on the crime
you will get a decrease in skills not attributes.  While in Jail you
can always escape, but it will increase your bounty if your caught.
Here are the fines for the crimes.
Trespassing: 5 Gold
Pickpocketing: 25 Gold or value of item
Assault: 40 Gold per level of Target
Steal a Horse: 250 Gold
Theft: Value of Item
Murder: 1,000 Gold
=======================================================================
THE MAIN QUEST
=======================================================================
=============== TUTORIAL ===============
Begin your game and choose your Race, Name, Hair etc to your liking.
Once your done you will find your in the Imperial Prison on the
Province of Cyrodiil.  As you walk forward a Dark Elf named Valen
Dreth, in the cell across from you, will begin to taunt you.  He has
different taunts for the Races and Genders as well.  No matter which
race or gender you are he will end his taunting with "The Guards are
coming for you!"
When this happens the Emperor of Tamriel himself will approach your
cell along Captain Renault, Glenroy, and Baurus, three members of the
Blades (The Emperor's Bodyguards).  Apparently all of the Emperor's
Sons have been assassinated and are now coming for him.  When Captain
Renault tells you to stand back, do so and stand by the window.  You
won't be able to move as Uriel Septim moves down.  Septim will talk to
you and after that the Blades and Septim will move down a passageway.
You will be able to follow the Blades, but Glenroy will tell you to
back down.  Do what he says and Assassins will attack.  The Blades will
kill them, but Captain Renault will be killed.  Search her body and
take her Torch, Akaviri Katana, and Steel Shortsword.  Also if you
don't like the Prison Clothes search the Assassins for a Mythic Dawn
Robe and Hood.  You'll find out what Mythic Dawn is later.
The Party heads through the door, but you can't.  Don't worry sooner or
later the wall will crumble and rats will attack.  Dispatch them and
head through.  Search the bodies for goods you can either keep or sell
when you get out of the Prison.  Search the goblin in the back of the
room for Lockpicks and an Iron Key.  Either Pick the Lock or use the
Iron Key and enter the Imperial Substructure.
Here the best thing I can do is to follow the path.  Along the way
practice with some different ideas.  Use some Stealth Shots on some
Rats and the one Zombie you encounter.  Also try Pure Melee and Ranged
Combat with the bow you found on the body near the Goblin with the Iron
Key.  Finally try casting Flare at some enemies and when your hurt cast
Heal Minor Wounds to get a little practice there so you know what type
of Character you want to be.  Once your at the door head through to The
Natural Caverns.
In The Natural Caverns you will face a new enemy, a Goblin.  These are
much different then Zombies and Rats.  Goblins often have weapons and
shields.  They can block your attacks, so I mostly suggest Stealth
Shots as does the game.  The Natural Caverns can get a bit confusing.
After you dispatch the first Goblin continue till you get to the large
encampment.  Kill the first Goblin and then take out the Goblin in the
pit and another Goblin near it.  Finally do a Stealth Shot on the
Goblin Shaman.  This is crucial because the Goblin Shaman will probably
kill you.  Near the gate head through the path and through the door to
get to The Imperial Subterrane.
At first glance the Imperial Subterrane looks like another Cave, but it
isn't.  Shortly after you follow the path there is a hole in the wall
where you can jump out and meet up with Uriel Septim and the Blades.
Here Glenroy wants to kill you.  Don't worry Septim stops him.  Here
you'll get to choose your Birthsign.  After that follow the Blades and
Assassins will attack again, and once again failing.  Keep on going and
Glenroy will unlock the door to The Sanctum.
Here the party moves a bit forward and Glenroy tells them to stop.
Now, you can either follow him down or wait with the Emperor and
Baurus.  Either way Glenroy will tell them to come down.  He gets mad
because the gate is jammed so they take another passage.  Here the
Blades will tell you to stick with the Emperor.  Wait a bit and Septim
will give you the Amulet of Kings.  Next you won't be able to move and
an Assassin will appear and kill Septim.  Next he attacks you can fight
back or Block and wait for Baurus to appear and kill him.  Now Baurus
will let you choose your Class and give you the key to the sewers.  Go
to where the Assassin came out and follow it to the Sewers.
Your almost out of The Imperial Prison.  You must escape the sewers
which is not a hard task.  Head forward and cross the bridge to the
right, head forward, up the stairs and keep on heading straight till
you get to the final gate.  Along the way you might encounter a Goblin
or two, but nothing too bad.  While your at the exit the game will ask
you to edit anything from your Race, Name, and anything else.  If your
satisfied then exit, if not then change any options.  Once your out
you've completed the Tutorial!
=============== DELIVERING THE AMULET ===============
Now that you've got the Amulet of Kings its time to deliver it to
Jauffre Grandmaster of the Blades at Weynon Priory southeast of the
City or Chorrol.  You can walk and enjoy the scenery of The Great
Forest and a bit of The Heartlands.  So if not fast travel to Weynon
Priory.  If it is night time Jauffre will be sleeping, but if not he
will probably be working at his desk, just follow the map marker.
Once you talk to him he will talk on and on and on and finally you will
complete this Segment of the Main Quest.  Although you can still get
additional aid from Weynon Priory.  While you're here talk to Prior
Maborel to get his Paint Horse.  Although the Paint Horse is the
slowest Horse in the game it does make traveling the roads a lot
faster.  Plus Paint Horses are normally 500 Gold so this saves you A
LOT of money.
Next talk to Brother Piner he gives you the book The Warp in the West
which increases your Block Skill.  Ask Eronor, the Shepherd for a
Repair Hammer.  Although it won't last you very long even if Armorer is
a Major Skill, it can be useful.  Finally talk to Jauffre himself to
get some Iron Armor, Leather Armor, and some Weapons that you can use
or Sell in a City for some extra cash.
=============== FIND THE HEIR (PART 1) ===============
Next is Find the Heir.  Although it is one quest about half-way through
it you have to move on to another segment and then back to finish off
Find the Heir.  It's time to find Martin Septim son of Emperor Uriel
Septim VII himself.  If you fast travel to Kvatch you don't appear in
the city itself, but in a Refugee Camp south of Kvatch.  It turns out
that Daedra from Oblivion have attacked the city and destroyed it.
When you arrive a  man named Hirtel explains what happens.  You'll find
him later at The Flowing Bowl (A Tavern) in Anvil.  There is actually a
two "shops."  Batul gra-Sharob, an Orc Smithy.  She will sell Iron
Weapons all the time no matter what level you are.  It is good for a
quick weapon if you need one.  Also the Nord Sigrid will sell you
Alchemy Supplies.  Once your done shopping and if you want sleep to
level up, head north up the hill.
Once your at the top speak to Savlian Matius, Captain of the Kvatch
Guard.  Talk to him about Martin and he will tell you that he is in the
Chapel of Akatosh.  First though offer him to help close the Oblivion
Gate.  He will disagree, but will ultimately let you go in.  He will
also mention that he say the Daedra closed a gate earlier so it must be
possible.  Get ready and brace yourself and run and enter the Oblivion
Gate!
=============== BREAKING THE SIEGE OF KVATCH ===============
In Oblivion you notice a scene that looks like Hell.  A Huge Island on
a sea of Lava.  The Plane of Oblivion can be very confusing, so refer
to your map at all times.  First from the start head left and start
going and you'll find a Kvatch Soldier named Ilend Vonius.  He will ask
you if he should stay to help you or return to Savlian Matius.  If you
send him back he will be available for a Big Battle later.  Although