First and foremost, before you create your character you must put the difficulty bar all the way to the right. This bar should not be lowered at any point throughout the game, hence beating the game on hardest difficulty.

Important Skills – A list of the most needed skills while playing Oblivion on the hardest difficulty.

Illusion: Illusion is by far the most important skill in the game. Each spell has different qualities.

Calm: An enemy at the highest difficulty can kill you in a single hit, so block will only let you see one more hit before you are killed. If you are facing multiple enemies you might as well not even block. Calm is a spell that will force enemies to stop attacking you and just stand there. If you have access to the Arcane University you can create a ranged spell that will calm enemies in X amount of feet around you (you decide how far X is).

Command: When you cast a command spell the enemie that was hit by it will fight for you, sort of like a conjured creature.

Demorilize: Demorilize spells will make almost any enemy run from you. Very effective with multiple enemies, especially when your on the verge of death.

Frenzy: This spell will make enemies fight each other instead of you. Hey, why not? I need you guys dead, so I’ll have you kill each other. Only problem is that it doesn’t wotk on creatures.

Invisibility: Using Invisibility spells on your-self will make Oblivion on the hardest difficulty seem like child’s play. No one can see you and you can easily summon allies to fight and your enemies won’t even know what hit them.

Silence: Casting Silence at an opponent will not allow them to use magic for a certain period of time, depending on the power of the spell. Perfect for use against spell casters

Paralyze: Paralyze is costly, but effective. It temporarily freezes an opponent, allowing you to get a few more spells or hits in. Be aware though, some enemies are immune.

Night-Eye: Allowing you to see in the dark, Night-Eye is mostly effective in dungeons. Good for spotting chests that may contain good loot. Also, it is essential for spotting enemies in the dark.

Alchemy: Now, you may think “wow mixing ingredients, that’s pointless”. No. Alchemy will probably be your lifeline while playing on hardest difficulty. Why? Well, if you need gold you can buy ingredients, make potions, then sell the potions back for a profit depending on your skill. Level 50 and higher will make you a good amount.

Conjuration: Conjuration will allow you to summon a creature to aid you…Essential for playing on the hardest difficulty.

Summon: If you could fight 1on 1 or 2 on 1 if it meant fighting to stay alive, which would you choose? Summoned creatures do not attack you, and are good training dummies.

Mysticism: Mysticism is important for one reason, Detect life. Knowing where the enemy is before it attacks you, or before you attack it.

Blade: The skill of Blade is not effective at all during the hardest difficulty. But, it is advised you keep a shortsword equipped at all times, just incase. Hey it can’t hurt right?

Speed: If you’re in a tight jam it’s important to get out of harms way to cast spells, conjure creatures, or restore your health with a good restoration spell.

Character Creation and Tutorial – If you are planning to be a warrior or a barbarian type character you might as well lie down in front of your enemy and give up, because you will not stand a chance. Mage is pretty much the only way to go. The best race to choose in the beginning is Breton, because you have higher magicka and a 50% resistance to it. Accept your character and listen to the Dark Elf then speak to the emperor. Follow him and his guards until the first assassins attack. Immediately loot Captain Renaults body and take the steel shortsword and the torch, leave her katana behind because it has no value and weighs 18 pounds. As soon as the guards and emperor leave go up the stairs and jump on the ledge in the middle of them, then jump to the ledge to the left. Two rats will come out, fire flares at them until they die. Jump down and take only one rat meat from either rat, do not pick up any more rat meats throughout the tutorial (they weigh you down). When going through the tutorial keep the shortsword equipped in case a rat gets to close, and keep your torch out and lit. Also, it is pretty wise not to wear any armor during the tutorial because it will diminish your spell power. Now, go through the tutorial until you reach the part where there is a zombie, kill the zombie and take the mort flesh from its body. Kill the rats next to the zombie even if they don’t attack you, it will raise your destruction. Continue through the tutorial until you have to sneak up on the Goblin, sneak attack with your shortsword. After you hit the goblin immediately back up and use flares, if the goblin gets a two good hits on you your as good as done. Take the ingredients, the poison, and the Mortal and Prestal. Create a “Restore Fatigue” potion, this will get your Alchemy skill up to 10, allowing you to create a stronger “Damage Health” potion. Continue until you reach the final cave. Lure each goblin out one by one. Once they are taken care of sneak around behind the Goblin Skirmisher. Before you hit her poison your sword with the “Poison of Sickness”. Sneak attack her then immediately back away. You should only need about two or three flares to finish her off. Do not let her shock spells hit you, avoid them by keeping a dirt pillar in between you and her and pop out with flares. Loot her body and the chest next to her and the chest behind her cauldron. Go meet the emperor and choose your birthsign. Go with either the Mage or Atronach. Atronach is the best route o go because there is an absorb spell bonus with the birthsign, as well as many enchantments that can restore your magicka, so don’t worry about not being able to regenerate magicka. Follow the Emperor until he gets killed. Buarus will now ask you your class. Create one and choose Magic as specialization, then choose strength and endurance as your attributes (Strength and Endurance will help bring the Bretons Heath and Carrying limit up to about an Imperials level. Also, since you are mage your intelligence will increase quickly). Next, choose all seven of the Magical Skills, Destruction, Conjuration etc. After you name your class continue out of the sewers to Imperial City Isle.

What to do First – Sell your loot and go see Jaufree. Loot his chest when he says you can take anything from it. Go to Chorrol and sell that stuff, then join the Fighters and Mages Guilds. Loot everything in each guild hall, clothes, weapons, cloth, books and apparatuses. Before you sell ingredients make them into potions then sell them. Do this in each fighters and Mages guild in each city. I would set a goal for each city your in. For me the goal was level once in each city, by simply casting detect life and summon skeleton spells everywhere I went. Be sure to level each skill evenly, Illusion, Alteration etc. Also, there are easy quests that don’t involve combat, do them. Like in Chorrol there is a quest were you must investigate for the Countess, or in Cheydinhal wear you must find evidence on Ulrich Lenand. When you are completed you should be around level 10 – 11 and have about 20,000 gold. Next, go get ingredients from farms or buy it from stores and create potions and sell them back until your Alchemy skill is 75 (I went to 100). When you are done with that you will have around 40,000 gold and all your magic skills should be at least 50 (cast spells that cost very low magicka constantly).

• 0-24 skill points: Novice level
• 25-49 skill points: Apprentice level
• 50-74 skill points: Journeyman level
• 75-99 skill points: Expert level
• 100 skill points: Master level

Each master level has its own perk. The skills are as follows

Acrobatics

Acrobatics allows your character to jump higher and fall further (without damage). The level of your skill determines how high and how long you can fall without receiving damage (when you hit the ground that is).

Mastery Perks

• A Novice cannot attack when jumping or falling
• An Apprentice can perform normal attacks (not power attacks) when jumping or falling
• A Journeyman gains the Dodge ability, which means you can jump while blocking to avoid damage, this works well when your enemies are using War Hammers or Battle Axes. You can also can perform power attacks when jumping or falling
• An Expert only suffers 50% less Fatigue loss when jumping.
• A Master can jump off water…sweet…this is very helpful when escaping melee attacks and can serve as a easy get away from Legion Guards

Alchemy

Alchemy is one of the seven skills of the arcane (magical arts) in Oblivion. This skill allows you to identify the different effects of ingredients, like plants and food. With just one alchemal device you can make potions depending on the ingredients effect. As you may have read on other sites Alchemy is very good for money making purposes. By going to a shop, such as “The Main Ingredient” or “The Gilded Carafe”, and buying a few ingredients and a Retort. Once these are bought you can make potions and sell the potions back for way more then what you bought the Ingredients for.

Mastery Perks

• A Novice can only identify one effect of an ingredient
• An Apprentice can only indentify two effects of an ingredient
• A Journeyman can identify three effects of an ingredient
• An Expert can identify all four effects of any ingredient
• A Master can make potions out of one ingredient

Alteration

Alteration is another one of the seven magical skills in the game. It allows you to do things that can be very useful during the game. If you are a full mage and do not wear armor you can use protect spells, and alter your strength to carry more. Another valuable spell of Alteration is “Water Walking”, also “Water Breathing”.

Mastery Perks

• A Novice can only cast Novice level Alteration spells.
• An Apprentice can cast Novice and Apprentice level Alteration spells.
• A Journeyman can cast Journeyman, Apprentice and Novice level Alteration spells.
• An Expert can cast Expert, Journeyman, Apprentice, and Novice level Alteration spells.
• A Master can cast all Alteration spells.

Armorer

Armorer is the use of repair hammers to repair armor and weapons. As your skill improves, you can repair items more effectively and you break less repair hammers while fixing.

Mastery Perks

• A Novice cannot repair magic items
• For an Apprentice repair hammers last twice as long. You still can’t repair magic items
• A Journeyman can repair magic items.
• An Expert can repair items beyond 100%, to 125%, this is very valuable because you armor and weapons stay in good shape (above 50%) 12.5% longer.
• A Master never breaks repair hammers

Athletics

Athletics determines how quickly you run and swim. As you progress higher through in your athletics skill level you will move faster and not loose as much fatigue while running. Things that cost your character fatigue are motions such as: swinging an axe, sword, punching, running etc.

Mastery Perks

• A Novice regenerates fatigue at an almost non moving rate
• An Apprentice regenerates Fatigue 25% faster
• A Journeyman regenerates Fatigue 50% faster
• An Expert regenerates Fatigue 75% faster
• A Master regenerates fatigue at a very fast pace no matter what they are doing

Blade

Blade is the skill that governs how well your character can use sharp weapons such as daggers, swords, claymores etc. Axes are considered Blunt and will not increase your blade skill if used.

Mastery Perks

• A Novice can do basic attacks
• An Apprentice can use a power attack
• A Journeyman can use Left and Right Power Attacks, which can sometimes disarm opponents
• An Expert can use the Backwards power attack, which can knock opponents down
• A Master can use the Forward Power Attack, which has a chance to paralyze

Block

Block is a very important combat skill in that it allows you to fend of melee attacks when you are struck with them.

Mastery Perks

• A Novice is fatigued when blocking, and hand-to-hand blocking has no effect
• An Apprentice is not longer fatigued by blocking
• A Journeyman can block with no shield damage, and opponents may recoil when blocking with hand-to-hand
• An Expert block can knock down an opponent, staggering the enemy if timed right
• A Master of block can disarm opponents

Blunt

Blunt is the skill that governs how well your character can use heavy, including maces, hammers, and axes. Yes, axes are Blunts.

Mastery Perks

• A Novice can do a basic attack
• An Apprentice gains the Power Attack
• A Journeyman gains Left and Right Power Attacks, which may disarm an opponent
• An Expert gains the Backwards Power Attack, has a chance of a knockdown.
• A Master gains the Forward Power Attack, has a chance to paralyze.

Conjuration

Conjuration is the skill of summoning creatures from the planes of Oblivion. It is a very valuable skill because if you are fighting multiple enemies, you can summon an ally. You can soul trap creatures you summon.

Mastery Perks

• A Novice can cast novice level Conjuration spells
• An Apprentice can cast Apprentice Conjuration spells
• A Journeyman can cast Journeyman Conjuration Spells
• An Expert can cast Expert Conjuration spells
• A Master can cast all Conjuration spells.

Agility – Agility controls damage done by bows, your balance, and your ability to stay hidden. Your ability to pick locks is also another skill governed by agility. This is a good attribute to have if you want to be a marksman or a thief. Argonians, Khajiit, and Bosmer are already skilled in Agility, so it is possible to start with an unusually high Agility with these races.

Endurance – Endurance governs the skills of Block, Armorer, and Heavy Armor. Endurance is the base attribute controlling your amount of health, it also controls the amount of weight you can carry. Orcs, Redguards, and Nords already start out with a high Endurance, so picking Endurance as an attribute with these races will give your character a pretty high health at the start of the game.

Intelligence – This is the base attribute governing Mysticism, Conjuration, and Alchemy. Your base Magicka is also controlled by Intelligence. The amount of Intelligence determines the power of the spells you cast. Bretons and Altmer are already skilled in Intelligence, picking these races with Intelligence as a governing attribute will allow your character to be a very powerful mage.

Luck – Luck governs no skills, but basically effects everything you character does. For example, the more luck you have the better your chances are of winning a bet on an Arena combatant. No race is skilled in luck.

Personality – Personality determines how much people will like you during the game. So if you are not a good persuader, his might be nice to have. It governs Mercantile, Illusion, and Speechcraft. It is nice to have a high personality because creatures and fighters may accept yields from you.

Speed – Speed is what every thief in the game should choose, along with Agility. Argonians, Dunmer, and Bosmer are already skilled in Speed, which governs Acrobatics, Athletics, and Light Armor. It is nice to be fast because travel times are a lot slower. And it is always sweet to be faster than the Unicorn (fastest creature in the game), by first either choosing to be a Dunmer, Bosmer, or Argonian, then choosing to be born under the “Sign of the Steed”, choosing the Speed attribute, and increasing your Speed each time you level.

Strength – Strength is the best choice for any warrior type character. It governs Blade, Blunt, and Hand to Hand. It also effects how much you can carry (Strength x 5). Nords and Redgaurds are already quite strong, so if you plan to carry a lot, one of those races with a strength attribute is not a bad idea.

Willpower – Willpower governs Destruction, Restoration, and Alteration. The rate of which your magicka returns is also determined by your Willpower. Orcs, Bretons, and Altmer all are skilled in Willpower, making them powerfull mages.

There are 10 races to choose from to start your character. Each has there own strengths and weaknesses. They are as following:

Imperial – Imperials are the most human like characters in the game. They prove to be great warriors and are handy with Blade and Axe weapons. They are liked by most other races because of there high personality. Advantages +10 Personality, Mercantile, Speechcraft, Heavy Armor. +5 Blade, Blunt, Hand to Hand. Disadvantages -10 Agility, Willpower.

Dunmer – Known as “Dark Elves” because of there greenish – blue skin, these characters make good sorcerers, marksmen, and warriors. They also have a 75% resistance to fire, this comes in handy because the creatures of Oblivion mostly cast fire spells. They are frowned upon by other races, but it’s a price that must be paid for these equally balanced warriors. Advantages +10 Speed, Blade, Destruction. +5 Athletics, Blunt, Light Armor, Marksman, Mysticism. Disadvantages -10 Willpower, Endurance.

Altmer – Known as “High Elves”, these guy’s are the cocky race of Tamriel. They believe that they are above everyone else who is not there kind. However they are highly intelligent, making them very skilled in the arcane (magical) powers. Advantages +10 Intelligence, Destruction, Alteration, Mysticism. +5 Illusion, Conjuration, Alchemy. Disadvantages -10 Strength, Speed.

Nord – This race consists of humans (like imperials) who are more muscularly built. In there homeland of Skyrim they are fierce warriors, so they can be useful with Blade and Axe weapons. They are well balanced warriors, as they do not favor one skill. Advantages +10 Strength, Endurance, Blade, Blunt, Heavy Armor. +5 Armorer, Block, Restoration. Disadvantages -10 Intelligence, Willpower, Personality.

Breton – This race is another human like one. Bretons are known for there magical abilities, but are not considered good warriors. They do not favor anything except some magical skills, which the ones they are skilled at really aren’t effective for fighting, or magical combat. Advantages +10 Intelligence, Willpower, Conjuration, Mysticism. +5 Alteration, Alchemy, Illusion. Disadvantages -10 Strength, Agility, Endurance.

Redguard – Possibly the most awesome characters in the entire game, they are dark skinned (human), extremely talented warriors with many benefits, just don’t ask them to do any magic. They are 75% resistant to disease and poison, so the chances of vampirism are very slim. They also have an Adrenaline Rush power allowing them to fortify all the base warrior attributes by 50 points. They are often referred to as “the warriors born to battle” in the games dialog. Anyone wishing to be feared warriors should pick this race. Advantages +10 Strength, Endurance, Blade, Blunt, Athletics. +5 Light Armor, Heavy Armor, Mercantile. Disadvantages -10 Intelligence, Willpower.

Bosmer – Also referred to as “Wood Elves” or “Tree Sap People”, these somewhat shorter elves are great marksmen. They also make good thieves because they are quick and agile. Although sometimes mistrusted by other races, these quick Bosmers have there advantages. Advantages +10 Agility, Speed, Sneak, Marksman, Alchemy. +5 Acrobatics, Light Armor, Alteration. Disadvantages -10 Strength, Willpower, Personality.

Orc – The Orc race is quite obviously the most hated and ugly races in the game. They are feared for there Beserk Power, allowing them to fortify there fatigue 200 points, and a few other attributes about 20 – 50 points each. They are very strong and very skillful with weapon/armor repair. Don’t be surprised if you see these green beasts running around Tamriel. Advantages +10 Willpower, Endurance, Armorer, Blunt, Heavy Armor. +5 Strength, Hand to Hand. Disadvantages -15 Personality, -10 Intelligence, Speed, -5 Agility.

Khajiit – This is a catlike race, whose creatures look like lion/human. They are quick and agile, making them good thieves. They can also handle a weapon, but are more well known for there speed. If you are planning a using magic during the game, this is not the race to use. Advantages +10 Agility, Acrobatics, Hand to Hand. +5 Athletics, Blade, Sneak, Security, Light Armor. Disadvantages -10 Willpower, Endurance.

Argonian – These are reptilian/fish like looking people in the story. They are often referred to as slaves in the games dialog. Although they are 75% resistant to disease, 100% resistant to poison, and they can breathe underwater due to there fish like abilities. They make good thieves, and also reliable warriors. Advantages +10 Agility, Speed, Athletics, Security. +5 Alchemy, Blade, Hand to Hand, Mysticism, Illusion. Disadvantages -10 Willpower, Endurance, Personality