Ultimate Attribute Building & Mechanic Guide

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Ultimate Attribute Building & Mechanic Guide

1. Logic for Non-Level-Scaling Ultimate Attributes

Restrictions on Major Skills

• You can only assign 7 major skills, and their level-ups directly determine your character’s level.
• To maximize attribute growth, pick major skills with the lowest starting levels (default 25) to reach the highest possible level cap (around 52-53).

Class & Race Synergy

• Mage Advantage: Bretons and High Elves start with high magic skill bases. Choose non-magic skills they’re weak in (e.g., Lockpicking, Heavy Armor) as majors to preserve leveling potential.
• Physical Class Limitations: Melee damage scales poorly with enemies. Late-game relies on niche strategies like "Chameleon + Backstab," with far lower damage ceilings than magic.

2. Mage Core Mechanics & Builds

Magic Damage Dominance

• Custom spells can stack resistance reduction (e.g., -100% Magic Resistance + -200% Elemental Resistance), letting you nuke high-health enemies with 300+ damage multi-elemental spells.
• Melee weapons (e.g., Summoned Daedric Sword) cap at ~20 damage, failing to keep up with late-game foes.

Mana Solutions

• Mana Regen Build: Play as a male High Elf. Stack mana pool with gear and the Apprentice sign (+100% regen speed) for non-stop spamming.
• Mana Siphon Build: Play as a female Breton. Use the Atronach sign (50% mana drain), 100% magic resistance gear, and Mysticism 100. Cast "Telekinesis" to siphon mana (5x the spell’s cost) for infinite sustain.

3. Leveling, Gear, & Resource Strategies

Level-Scaling Tips

• Pros: Low levels keep enemy difficulty manageable, letting maxed minor skills carry fights.
• Cons: Static attributes make high difficulty brutal (best paired with mage/stealth builds).
• Middle Ground: Pick slow-growing majors (e.g., Speech, Restoration) to balance leveling and gear access.

Gear Farming

• Enchanting: Farm Oblivion Gates for Sigil Stones (random enchants, no altar needed). Farm at level 20+ for best rolls.
• Secret Gear: Keep the starting handcuffs (0 weight, enchantable) for endgame wrist slot optimization.
• Weapon Scaling: Low-level steel weapons often outperform high-level Daedric gear due to enemy scaling.

4. Quest Efficiency & Resource Management

Thieves Guild Hacks

• High-value targets: Raid castle treasure (e.g., Bruma’s throne room glass cases) during guard shifts. Prioritize books > clothes > silver for weight-to-value ratio.

Mage Guild Realities

• Questline: Solo-clear necromancer dens and internal conflicts, ending with a boss fight against Mannimarco.
• Rewards: Core drops like the Mana Drain Necklace and Thaumaturge’s Robe, but many quests offer no gold or perks.

Exploration Tips

• Caves/ruins are repetitive; focus on quest-driven runs. Mark Gates for fast travel to speed up side missions.

5. Attribute Leveling & Skill Planning

Attribute Point Rules

• Each attribute links to 3 skills (e.g., Endurance → Smithing, Block, Heavy Armor). Gain +5 attribute points if these skills total ≥10 level-ups during leveling; otherwise, gain +3 or +1.
• Plan minor skill training to hit +5 caps for key attributes.

Counterintuitive Skill Choices

• Mages often main non-magic skills (e.g., Lockpicking) to preserve levels. Warriors may need to train Destruction/Alteration.
• Flexibility allows creative builds but requires balancing major skill limits and meta strength.

Final Takeaways

• Meta Core: Abuse major skill limits and attribute links with race/class combos for max power.
• Casual Play: Pick slow-major skills to enjoy the story without min-maxing.
• Game Balance: Magic outshines melee, and quests prioritize mechanics over rewards—embrace the grind for true Oblivion mastery!