Leveling up is a major part in any RPG, especially in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. There are a lot of skills and attributes in the game that it can be a bit confusing, especially for players coming from Skyrim. Leveling up is a bit more complicated than it is in Skyrim.

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While there are similarities, such as repeatedly using a skill to increase its level, there is more involved in order to properly raise your overall character level. This guide will help provide a look into how level up properly in Oblivion.

Pick A Race Best Suited For Your Playstyle

A Nord in the character creation screen along with a description

Some races have boosts to skills that make that make them better suited to certain classes. Some races, like bretons and high elves, are better suited for mage classes than others for instance.

These are noted in the description of each of the 10 races in the game so be sure to pick a race you think is best suited to the playstyle and skillset you are looking for to level up properly.

Understanding Attributes

Selecting your two favored attributes in Oblivion

Attributes are in Oblivion and there are a total of eight of them that affects how well the player can handle skills. There are eight attributes total in the game.

  • Strength- influences the amount of damage a player can deal with melee weapons as well as the player's fatigue (stamina) and weight capacity
  • Intelligence- affects your character's magicka points
  • Willpower- affects maximum fatigue, how quickly magicka regenerates and your resistance to magical attacks
  • Agility-determines chance to avoid being staggered (stunned), damage that can be dealt with bows and total fatigue
  • Speed- determines how fast you move and the length you can jump
  • Endurance- affects how much health and fatigue you have along with how much your health increases when leveling up
  • Personality- affects how much good information characters can give you and the total disposition needed for people to like you
  • Luck- affects how lucky you are but also has an affect on resisting diseases

Governing Attributes

Governing attributes are essentially the main attributes that a class (more on that in a bit) is focused on. The acrobat class for example, has the governing attributes of agility and endurance since those are the two attributes that are most needed to be as effective as possible.

Birthsigns

Choosing a birthsign in Oblivion

Birthsigns also play a part in which attributes are best to most effectively leveling up so it is important to understand. There are 13 of them total that give a bonus to attributes as well as a potential downside depending on the sign. They cannot be changed once you escape the Imperial City prison.

  • The Apprentice- Gives 100 point bonus to the magicka attribute but also gives you a 100% weakness to magic
  • The Atronach- 50% chance of absorbing spells to regain magicka at the cost of not being able to recharge by waiting. Base magicka is increased by 150
  • The Lady- 10 point bonus to willpower and endurance
  • The Lover- Enables the use of the lover's kiss ability to paralyze a foe once a day for 10 seconds at the cost of 120 fatigue. People of the opposite sex of you are also more friendly
  • The Mage- 50 point bonus to magicka attribute
  • The Ritual- Enables use of Mara's kiss ability to regain health once a day and the blessed word to negatively affect undead enemies
  • The Serpent- This lets you use the serpent spell that is slow but potently poisons the target while curing and dispelling magic on you at the cost of 100 fatigue
  • The Shadow- Lets you use the moonshadow skill once a day to turn invisible for 60 seconds
  • The Steed- 20 point bonus to speed
  • The Thief- 10 point bonus to agility, speed and luck
  • The Tower- Enables the use of the tower key ability to open any chest or door at average or less lockpicking difficulty. Also has the tower warden that reflects five points of damage a day for 120 seconds.
  • The Warrior- 10 point bonus to strength and endurance

How To Choose Your Class In Oblivion

The class selection screen in Oblivion

Unlike in Skyrim, which gives the player a lot of freedom in making their own class, players will have to select a class from the start. This includes a variety of preset classes that range from a knight to a bard or one that you can make yourself.

The reason for selecting a class is that it will dictate your character's major skills which are essential to raising your character level. So it is best to pick a class that best suits your playstyle. Interested in more of a warrior build, then pick a class like knight which has focus on warrior-related skills like heavy armor. Each class has seven player skills.

What Major Skills Are

A look at a character's major skills in the game menu

Major skills are the skills that your build will primarily focus in. For instance if you select the assassin class, your major skills will be skills suited to that type of class such as sneak and blade, which are weapons like swords, daggers and claymores.

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Whatever the classes major skills are, the player will start at level 25 for each of the major skills in the class. The rest of the skills, which are called minor skills, will start right at level one.

Leveling up major skills is the key to raising your character level. Though minor skills can be leveled up, they will not raise your character level. It is also important to note that classes cannot be changed after escaping the Imperial City Prison, so choose wisely.

Next: Oblivion: How To Join Each Of The Main Factions In The Game