You're standing in a damp sewer cell. Patrick Stewart is talking to you about stars and dreams. Then, he dies. Welcome to the heart of Tamriel. If you’re looking for an Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion walkthrough, you’ve probably realized by now that this game is a chaotic mess of beautiful landscapes and "potato-face" NPCs who have very aggressive conversations about mudcrabs. It’s glorious. But it’s also easy to break your character before you even see the sun.
Most people play Oblivion wrong. They rush the main quest, get bored by the repetitive gates, or accidentally level up their character so poorly that a common bandit in glass armor becomes a literal god. That’s not fun. To survive the Fourth Era, you need to understand how the world scales with you. It’s not just about swinging a sword; it's about knowing when to stop leveling and start exploring.
The First Steps: Escaping the Imperial Prison
The tutorial is basically a linear hallway, but it’s where you make the most important decisions for the next 100 hours. You'll meet Emperor Uriel Septim VII. He's doomed. Don't get too attached. The real goal here is choosing your birthsign and class.
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Honestly? Don't pick a pre-made class. They’re almost all terrible because they bundle skills that level you up too fast. If you pick "Acrobatics" as a major skill, every time you jump over a fence, you're getting closer to a level-up. That sounds good until you realize the monsters are getting stronger while your combat skills are still low. Pick a custom class. Put things you actually control—like Blade, Block, or Destruction—in your major skills. For a birthsign, The Mage is safe, but The Atronach is the power-gamer's choice if you don't mind the lack of passive magicka regeneration.
Once you exit the sewers, the world opens up. It’s overwhelming. You see the ruins of Vilverin across the water. Go there. Or don't. That’s the beauty of it. But if you want to follow the "proper" path, your first stop is Weynon Priory to deliver the Amulet of Kings to Jauffre. He’s a grumpy old man in a robe, but he’s the closest thing you have to a boss.
Closing the Gates: An Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion Walkthrough for the Main Quest
The main quest is the backbone, but it’s also the part people complain about the most. Why? The Oblivion Gates. They are red, they are spikey, and after the tenth one, they feel like a chore.
Finding Martin
You’ll head to Kvatch. The city is a smoking ruin. This is where the game introduces the gate mechanic. You jump into the portal, climb a tower (usually the Sigillum Sanguis), and grab the Sigil Stone at the top. Boom. Gate closed. Inside the chapel in Kvatch, you’ll find Martin. He’s a priest. He’s also the secret heir to the throne. Voice acted by Sean Bean, so, you know, try to keep him alive as long as possible.
The Middle Grind
After bringing Martin to Cloud Ruler Temple—the coolest base in the game, hands down—the quest branches out. You’ll need to find a Daedric artifact, some blood of a Divine, and a Great Sigil Stone. This part of the Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion walkthrough is basically a scavenger hunt across Cyrodiil.
A pro tip for the "Blood of the Divines" quest: You have to go to Sancre Tor. It’s haunted. It’s filled with undead blades who are cursed. Bring silver, Daedric, or enchanted weapons. Normal steel won't do a thing to ghosts. You'll just be swinging at air while they drain your strength to zero. It's frustrating. Carry some Restore Strength potions unless you want to be stuck walking at a snail's crawl because a ghost touched you.
The Leveling Problem (And How to Fix It)
We have to talk about the leveling system. It’s the most controversial part of the game. In Oblivion, the world levels with you. If you are level 25, the bandits on the road aren't wearing rags anymore; they are wearing full suits of Daedric armor worth thousands of gold. It makes no sense narratively, and it makes combat feel like a slog.
To stay ahead, you need "efficient leveling." When you level up, you get to increase three attributes. The bonus you get (+1 to +5) depends on how many times you leveled up the governing skills before you slept. If you want a +5 in Strength, you need 10 total skill increases in Blade, Blunt, or Hand-to-Hand during that level.
If this sounds like math homework, that’s because it kind of is. If you don't care about min-maxing, just lower the difficulty slider a bit. There is no shame in it. Oblivion’s default scaling is notoriously "spongey," meaning enemies just take forever to die.
Joining the Guilds: Where the Real Writing Is
If you ask any long-time fan, they’ll tell you the Guild quests are better than the main story. They aren't wrong.
- The Dark Brotherhood: Start this by killing an innocent NPC. Any of them. Go to sleep. Lucien Lachance will visit you. The questline is a masterpiece of dark comedy and tension. Specifically, the "Whodunit" mission where you're trapped in a house with guests and have to kill them one by one without being caught? Peak gaming.
- The Thieves Guild: You have to find the Gray Fox. Start by looking for posters in the Imperial City or talking to beggars. You'll eventually do a heist that involves the actual Elder Scrolls. It’s high-stakes and rewards stealthy play.
- The Mages Guild: You have to get recommendations from every city's guild hall to enter the Arcane University. It’s a grind. But once you’re in, you can make your own spells. Want a spell that fires a fireball, heals you, and makes you invisible for 3 seconds? You can build it.
Essential Side Quests You Shouldn't Skip
Cyrodiil is packed with weird stuff.
Go to Anvil and buy the "Benirus Manor." It’s suspiciously cheap. That's because it's haunted by a lich. Clearing it out gives you a great house and a cool story.
Then there’s "A Brush with Death" in Cheydinhal. You literally go inside a painting. The art style shifts to look like oil paint, and you have to fight "Painted Trolls." Use turpentine. It’s their only weakness. It’s one of the most creative quests Bethesda ever designed.
Don't forget the Daedric Shrines. There are 15 of them. Azura’s Star is a must-have for any player because it’s a reusable soul gem. Sheogorath’s quest is just pure madness involving falling dogs. It’s worth the trip to the border of Elsweyr.
The Shivering Isles: A Masterclass in DLC
No Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion walkthrough is complete without mentioning the Shivering Isles. It’s arguably the best expansion in the history of the series. You enter a portal in Niben Bay and find yourself in the realm of Sheogorath, the Prince of Madness.
The land is split into Mania and Dementia. One is colorful and neon; the other is swampy and paranoid. The main quest there involves you becoming a Duke or Duchess and eventually facing the forces of Order (Jyggalag). The gear here is better than anything in the base game. Dawnfang/Duskfang is a sword that changes form based on the time of day. It is incredible.
Navigating the Ending: The Battle of the Imperial City
The finale of the main quest is a scripted event. You don’t actually fight the big bad, Mehrunes Dagon, with your sword. You could try, but he’s a giant god. You’d lose.
Instead, you escort Martin to the Temple of the One. He shatters the Amulet of Kings, turns into a massive golden avatar of Akatosh, and kicks Dagon back to the Deadlands. It’s a cinematic moment that still holds up, even if the frame rate chugs a bit on older hardware. Once it’s over, you’re the Champion of Cyrodiil. You get a cool suit of armor that takes two weeks for the smiths to make. It’s okay, I guess.
Actionable Insights for Your Playthrough
If you're starting today, keep these specific tips in mind to avoid frustration:
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- Don't fast travel everywhere. You miss the "emergent" gameplay. You'll run into wandering traders, hidden caves, and the occasional fight between a forest ranger and a deer that spiraled out of control.
- Alchemy is broken. Collect every flax flower and stinkhorn you see. Making poisons and "Restore Magicka" potions is the easiest way to make money and stay alive.
- Use the "Wait" feature. Health doesn't regenerate naturally in Oblivion like it does in Skyrim. If you aren't in combat, press 'T' and wait one hour to fully heal.
- Join the Arena early. It’s in the Imperial City. It’s a quick way to get gold and level up your combat skills in a controlled environment. Plus, the Adoring Fan is... a rite of passage.
- Watch your Infamy. If you do too many evil things (Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild), the Knights of the Nine DLC will make you go on a literal pilgrimage to reset your sins before you can wear the holy armor.
Oblivion is a game about the journey, not the destination. The main quest is just the excuse to get you into the world. The real story is the time you got lost in the Jerall Mountains and found a hidden village of invisible people. That’s the true Cyrodiil experience.
To make the most of your time in Tamriel, focus on completing the Mages Guild recommendations first. This unlocks spellmaking and enchanting, which are the most powerful tools in your arsenal. Once you can enchant your own gear with "Chameleon" or "Fortify Strength," the game's difficult scaling becomes much more manageable. After that, head to the Shivering Isles to experience the peak of Bethesda's writing before finishing the fight against the Mythic Dawn.