Thrempshs npmopw apnn Oblmpmphon Rmphstrpmshrd mphd aphmt etmphing rshks. Sorry, I’ve finished chewing. There’s now an Oblivion Remastered mod that lets you, the almighty Hero of Kvatch and saviour of the empire (well, in the short-term), eat rocks. Leave room for dessert – there are gemstones too.
Yes, those of you currently shouting at your screen at home/on the train/in the car park of a supermarket, just like you could in Morrowind, the Elder Scrolls game that’s very good and also an endless source of interesting mechanics/quirks Bethesda should maybe bring back. Some people just like spears or having to search for key locations based on the kind of vague directions you get if you’re on holiday and ask a stranger who hates the fact you exist.
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Modder CephalonImp’s ‘Edible Gems‘ is one of those ‘does what it says on the tin’ sorts of mods. Inside that tin in this case are a variety of rocks, gems, and ores you’ll pick up as you roam around Cyrodiil like the fantasy equivalent of a gang of rambunctious teenagers on bikes.
It turns 14 miscellaneous items into alchemy ingredients, meaning you can eat them to find out the new alchemical properties the modder’s added to them. Chow down on a gold nugget, and marvel at the aftertaste that’s a bit silency, a bit burdeny, a pinch weakness to shocky, and also packs just a hint of personality fortification. Then, ask Sheogorath to ring up Jamie Oliver, burp, and shout the words ‘Now that’s what I call real cuisine’ down the receiver.
Maybe have three course meal of pearls as a starter, madness and iron ore with a sapphire garnish, then for dessert – for something a bit different – shove a bear pelt down your gullet, because the mod’ll let you eat raw animal hides too. Think of all the nutrition.
CephalonImp’s even given several of these divine dishes the same cocktail of alchemical effects they had in Morrowind, because you can’t eat rocks in a fashion that isn’t lore-friendly (won’t somebody think of the immersion?).
“Flawless and Flawed gem variants have also been removed, but all gems are now worth their Flawless values,” the modder added. See, you’re only getting top-draw grub here and also probably eating something you could have sold for a pretty penny – now that’s RPG choice and consequence, even if we’re not quite at the point of getting mods that make the pointy stuff you ingest inflict health damage a day later, to properly simulate the inevitable chaser to your ill-advised shot.
Anyway, make sure you clean all the gravel off your plate, and check out the interviews we’ve been doing with Oblivion Remastered modders who’ve been pushing the boundaries and working on interesting stuff.
If there’s one thing us folks who love a good RPG can never have enough of, it’s quests. Oblivion Remastered has plenty in its base form – The Elder Scrolls 4 not being short on stuff to do – but of course modders were always going to add to that.
We’re still at a pretty early stage in terms of folks digging underneath the Unreal Engine second skin Virtuos has cocooned the classic game in and seeing what they can accomplish by pushing the boundaries. However, there’ve been plenty of mods that have already come out and had everyone going full Uriel Septim ‘I’ve seen you in my dreams’ mode.
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The latest of these, in my case, had been modder ColdTyrant’s “Infinitum” series, a bunch of mods released in rapid succession that overhaul Oblivion’s already pretty stellar faction questlines by adding in new infinitely accessible radiant quests and systems. They offer nice rewards in return for your character doing more of the job they signed up for – be it assassin, warrior, thief, gladiator, or mage – in a way that’s perfect for roleplaying.
So, having also been intrigued by his earliest works that made it possible to join the Mythic Dawn and become a necromancer in Oblivion Remastered, I decided earlier this week to reach out to ColdTyrant. We chatted about how the quest mods he’s created so far came together, what the next steps in Oblivion Remastered modding might require, and what his future modding plans are. Here’s that conversation:
VG247: What drew you to modding Oblivion Remastered, and has your previous modding experience come in handy when getting up to speed with it?
ColdTyrant: I’ve been playing Oblivion since I was a kid, in 2007 on the PS3. At that age I was absolutely astounded that I could do whatever I wanted, go wherever I wanted, fight, kill, or help whoever I wanted – the game absolutely blew me away and had a fundamental effect on myself and my creativity. I’ve been modding Bethesda games ever since my dad first let me play on his PC, and I was able to download the Construction Set for Oblivion and start poking around to see how things work and what I could make.
I had been following the rumors of an ‘Oblivion Remake’ since January of this year leading up to its eventual shadow drop, and was absolutely floored by the incredible visuals and gameplay overhauls made by the extremely talented team at Virtuos. They breathed new life into one of my all-time favorite video games, and it’s been so exciting to see everyone playing and talking about Oblivion again just like when I was a kid.
Naturally, after I’d already sunken about 100 or so hours into Remaster, I started feeling that itch to get back into the Construction Set. People were (and still are) pumping out mods, tweaks, and tools for Oblivion Remastered like crazy, and I really wanted to sort of get on that wave and see if I could contribute my own content to help enrich players’ experiences further.
Being back in Cyrodiil can do that to a guy. | Image credit: Bethesda/VG247
VG247: How did you go about creating your first couple of quest/faction expansion mods, Mythic Dawn Rising and Dark Path of The Necromancer? Was it a case of wanting more evil options and finding out what was possible, or did you go in with a set vision?
ColdTyrant: When I decided it was time to start modding Remastered, I really wasn’t sure where to start. I’ve always been fascinated with the villains Bethesda has created, and I know many players (including myself) have a desire to explore the idea – what if *I* was the bad guy?
I started re-learning Oblivion’s scripting and quest system, and ultimately decided I wanted to create an alternate path to the Main Quest, where the player could decide to explore what it would be like to actually be a member of Mehrunes Dagon’s Mythic Dawn cult. This mod was sort of a test of what I could get away with mechanically – a proof of concept to myself, and it’s a bit light on content and needs a big update (I’m working on this!).
After I released Mythic Dawn Rising, I just kept playing around with scripts and variables and seeing what could be done. When I discovered the different types of systems I’d be able to create with what I’d discovered, my ideas really began to run wild.
Dark Path of the Necromancer started as just a mod that would add an alternative way for players to create Black Soul Gems, but as I’d finish one feature I’d think of another, then get to work on it – then another, then another. It quickly sort of snowballed into this big project with multiple necromantic-centered systems, and I really love how it turned out. Sort of accidentally, I’d wound up creating another mod that allowed the player to explore membership with another previously forbidden faction.
Who wouldn’t want to join a group of folks who can cast armour illusions this cool? | Image credit: Bethesda/VG247
VG247: I’ve noticed that in both of those mods’ descriptions you note that you’re hoping to add more to them once more advanced Oblivion Remastered modding tools are out there. What kinds of tools are you most keen to see emerge going forwards and can you paint me a picture of what the ‘ideal versions’ of those mods might look like?
ColdTyrant: So, with modding the original Oblivion, it’s a lot simpler – anything you put into the game world will just be there when you load up the mod. No requirements, no difficult installation instructions, just plug and play. If I dropped a new NPC named Bob the Mage into Anvil, he’d just be there!
Oblivion Remastered is a bit more complicated. Virtuos has created an incredibly remarkable hybrid engine that combines both Gamebryo (an earlier version of Creation Engine) and Unreal Engine 5. Gamebryo handles the scripts, quests, and gameplay mechanics, while Unreal Engine 5 handles all rendering – meshes, textures, menus, lighting, shadows, effects, lines of text, pretty much anything and everything the player sees on their screen.
What this means in layman’s terms is that if I dropped Bob the Mage into Anvil in Remastered using the Gamebryo Oblivion Construction Set, well… that’s not enough to make him show up. At best, a visit to Anvil will result in him being completely invisible, and at worst, a game crash. This is because Gamebryo no longer handles rendering.
Unreal Engine needs to be told by Gamebryo via strings what actually exists and what to render into the game. Everything needs a table string entry that connects back to Unreal, or you’ll have problems.
Fortunately, some incredibly talented modders (I like referring to them as engineers) have created tools like TesSyncMapInjector or the Fix & Port Script for xEdit that do this job for us – so Bob the Mage can exist in Oblivion Remastered.
Ok, so this particular mage isn’t called Bob, but you get the picture. | Image credit: Bethesda/VG247
However, this means players will be required to install these tools on their end to experience mods that add new items and systems to Oblivion Remastered, and it can be frustrating for new people that want to get into modding their games, but feel intimidated by all these requirements and specific installation instructions.
So ideally, we’ll get to a point where either Bethesda/Virtuos release official modding tools for the remaster or talented mod engineers are able to create tool(s) that make mods fully compatible with Unreal, without the end user needing to install extra requirements. For the ‘Oldblivion’ versions of my mods, they are all plug and play – no requirements. But for Remastered – for now – you’ll always need UE4SS and TesSyncMapInjector.
VG247: What inspired you to take on your Infinitum series, how was it putting together each of the radiant quest systems and deciding on the unique twists you were going to give each faction’s system? One of the things I found most interesting about the Dark Brotherhood one was the gacha-style Dark Token reward system, so how did the idea for that specifically come about?
ColdTyrant: The ‘radiant quest system’ I’ve designed was actually initially a side feature in another currently unnamed mod project regarding the Blackwood Company, as my original intention was to continue the ‘join and play evil factions’ genre of mods I’d released so far.
When I discovered during testing how much fun I was having just doing infinite quests, I thought to myself – I need to adapt this to the main factions. From there, once again, my ideas started to kind of run wild.
I ‘extracted’ the radiant quest system from my Blackwood project, ported it into a new project, and reworked it for the Dark Brotherhood. I think a lot of people feel this way, but Oblivion’s Dark Brotherhood is by far my favorite questline in the game, and I say that while really loving all of the major factions. I wanted to be able to take contracts to assassinate people forever, and I hoped others would too. In the end, Dark Brotherhood – Infinitum was born, and the series kicked off.
Creeper, gacha master of the Dark Brotherhood. | Image credit: Bethesda/ColdTyrant
As far as the ‘gacha reward system’, I wanted to create a unique way for the player to get random rewards, but also be able to choose what type of reward they’re interested in. Creating a gacha that may or may not give the player something good for their Dark Tokens I thought would be a fantastic way to motivate the player to keep doing infinite contracts besides just the fun of sneak killing and gold.
If the popularity of certain gacha games is any indicator, people really love being able to take their chances and roll for rewards, even if the odds are stacked against them. Fortunately, however, Creeper does NOT charge the player any real-world money!
Some players complained that Creeper being in the Cheydinhal Sanctuary is not immersive (hence my ‘No Creeper’ optional version), and I totally get it – but I love Morrowind just as much as Oblivion and Skyrim, and I’m sure any Morrowind player is aware of the “meme” of selling Creeper hundreds of sets of Dark Brotherhood armor. Why wouldn’t he show up? He wants more of that stuff! It was just a fun reference in the end, and I was hoping people would get a kick out of it!
VG247: What are your personal plans and general hopes for Oblivion Remastered modding going forwards, especially when it comes to quest mods – are there any complex ideas you’ve not tried yet that you’re keen to give a go once the tech’s there and do you think there’s a high ceiling in terms of what people might eventually pull off?
ColdTyrant: Similar to what I mentioned earlier, the ideal situation for Oblivion Remastered modding will be the release of official modding tools to ‘grease the wheels’ on the mod development process – but given the complexity of the hybrid engine, I’m not sure if this will happen. It would be really nice, though, so our friends playing on console can hop on the hype wave of Remastered modding too.
As far as my plans – the next (and final, for the major factions) mod in the Infinitum series will be Mages Guild – Infinitum. This mod will feature an endless Creature Research system, a brand new Elixir-crafting system separate from regular Alchemy, and radiant quests to deliver those Elixirs to the various Mages Guild Halls. Additionally there will be an endlessly-available staff-crafting system.
Since we had our chat, ColdTyrant’s released his Mages Guild mod, so you can try it right after you’re done reading. | Image credit: Bethesda/ColdTyrant
Since the Mages Guild is a bit different, and focused more on scholarly endeavors and magical power, I’m hoping people really enjoy it!
Once the main Infinitum Series is complete, I’ll likely shift my focus to a big Mythic Dawn Rising update, and a secret project I’ve been writing up, that I think people will really love!
As far as whether or not I’ve tried certain ideas due to current limitations (I consider Remastered modding to currently be in its infancy), there are certainly a few. I try not to lean *too* heavily into NPC dialogue, for example, since we can’t use custom voice files yet, or have an elegant solution like ‘Elys Universal Silent Voice’ which exists for Oldblivion.
I think there is a high ceiling for learning and getting into more complex scripting if you’ve never done it before, but really, the sky is the limit when it comes to Bethesda modding – there are hundreds and hundreds of mod authors far more talented than myself that have created incredible content for all of Bethesda’s single-player masterpieces.
As time marches on, I’m really excited to see the things people continue to pump out for Oblivion Remastered. It’s really exciting to see what people can come up with!
Oblivion Remastered modders continue to drop more and more interesting mods by the day, with an ever-advancing set of tools at their disposal to pull off whatever tweaks or additions strike their fancy.
There’s a deluge of interesting stuff arriving as the boundaries continue to be pushed, and depending on what you’re looking for, different stuff will catch your eye.
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One of the mods that made me personally do a double take when I came across it on Oblivion Remastered’s Nexus Mods page earlier this week was NaiadGirl’s ‘Martin Septim and the Terminator Gambit’, for obvious reasons. It’s a mod that sees you and Sean Bean be pursued wherever you go by a killer level 70 Terminator. From the moment you leave the sewers, there’s a murderous machine which only becomes defeatable once you finish the main quest right on your tail.
I was curious how much work had gone into pulling such a cool concept off at this still relatively early stage of Oblivion Remastered modding, so reached out to NaiadGirl. We talked Terminators and how she’s been finding modding the remaster as she’s made this mod and also tackled making the game’s iconic Oblivion gate battles and goblin wars more dynamic. Here’s my conversation with her:
VG247: What drew you to modding Oblivion Remastered? Did you have any previous experience modding classic Oblivion or other games?
NaiadGirl’s been venturing into those pesky gates for a good while. | Image credit: NaiadGirl
NaiadGirl: I’ve been a fan of Oblivion since I was a little girl, and the same goes for my wife. At first, we were skeptical about the remaster, but soon, we couldn’t help but be drawn in. I’ve been modding Bethesda games casually for over a decade now, but only recently took to making mods myself.
My only previous modding experience was with Deep Rock Galactic, another game that involves Unreal. My wife, on the other hand, has been making mods for years now! Since we both love Oblivion so much, we took to making mods for the remaster.
VG247: How have you generally found modding the remaster so far and getting to grips with tools like UE4SS and TesSyncMapInjector?
NaiadGirl: Modding the remaster has been a rollercoaster of emotions, with highs and lows. The old tools still work, more or less, but there are limitations. There are many features we still can’t work on or with, due to the lack of a proper modding toolkit for this new version of Oblivion.
UE4SS, OBSE64, TesSyncMapInjector; I can go on about the awesome tools people in the community have made. They’re all insanely impressive, and they make things possible that wouldn’t have been without them. I wish some of them had more in-depth documentation, but what can you do? Modding has always been a challenge, and part of the fun is hunting down answers to problems.
The last thing you ever see…provided you don’t make good use of that new sprint button. | Image credit: NaiadGirl
VG247: What inspired the premise for your Martin Septim Terminator mod and what was the process of putting it together like? Were there any elements of it that proved tricky to pull off, or anything you had to cut?
NaiadGirl: My inspiration for my Martin Terminator mod came from a game series I hold close to my heart: Resident Evil. It was originally going to just be the Pursuer itself, its name being ‘Nemesis’. I love the idea of something big and scary chasing you down while you’re already crushed under the pressure of saving the world. Eventually, I switched gears, and made it into a mod that included Martin.
What’s better than just you getting hunted by something scary? You and a friend getting hunted by something scary. Terminator rocks (at least two of them do), so I came up with the idea that Mehrunes Dagon had sent back in time a killer to save his butt at the end of the game. Putting it together had me looking at the code for the Conjurer that chases you down at the start of the [OG Oblivion] Spell Tomes DLC. After I had made a new NPC with the help of UE4SS and TesSyncMapInjector, I put together AI packages & two quest scripts to watch over everything.
Modding is a constant learning experience, and it’s so much fun, even if you can run into walls at times. Frustration quickly gives way to new inspiration. In the end, I didn’t have to cut anything! It’s a simple mod at the end of the day, but one that was incredibly fun to put together.
VG247: Aside from cheesing and running away, is there any other advice you’d give to players trying to beat the Septim Terminator challenge, even if it’s just to invest in spare underpants?
The thread of prophecy has been severed. | Image credit: NaiadGirl
NaiadGirl: I’ve been doing a lot of messing around with the Terminator in my latest playthrough. It’s tough, but not impossible to defeat (at least after the MQ is over!). Until you beat Dagon, you have to always be one step ahead of this machine marvel. It doesn’t care where you might be, because it will find you.
I was doing the Mythic Dawn Shrine quest, and by the time I had cut my way through the dungeon, freed the prisoner, and slept an hour to level up, there it was. The Argonian I worked so hard to protect was dead at its cold feet. I had no choice but to cut my losses and run. Plan your journey, hit stores up when you can, and always keep moving. It will kill indiscriminately if it finds you!
Once you finish the main quest, you have a few options: Dungeon traps, boss NPCs, crowds, or a duel to the death! You need to be at a fairly high level to defeat it! I would think there’s feasibility in taking it on at around level 25 on, if you plan your build well. The Terminator regens health, so always keep the damage on it!
You’ll need powerful equipment or a massive numbers advantage. I’m thinking I’ll slay my dragon at Cloud Ruler Temple, the place I have been keeping it away from at all costs. The Blades and I will make a final stand against Oblivion! I wish only the best of luck to would-be challengers. I love to hear stories about this fella.
VG247: What’s the Oblivion Remastered modding scene been like community-wise from your perspective so far? Have you had any interactions with other modders where you’ve gotten any helpful support/feedback on your mods or learned things you might otherwise not have?
NaiadGirl: The modding scene is filled with incredibly talented people. Many are willing to offer a helping hand, in my experience (within reason, of course!). Getting feedback on my mods is always greatly appreciated, and seeing the kind things people have said makes my day that much brighter.
Like I’ve touched on, modding is a constant learning experience, and you’re always finding something new that you didn’t quite know yet. Margaret, my wife, has quite a bit of Bethesda modding experience, and even she learns things through me as we work together. Modding is a beautiful, delicate dance, and it’s not one to be rushed. Take your time, do your research, and make something amazing with the community at your side!
We could end up dealing with even more terrifying modded threats than this, Grandmaster. | Image credit: VG247
VG247: What are your personal and general hopes for Oblivion Remastered modding going forwards? Are there any complex mod ideas you’re keen to try and make or any tools you’re hoping will pop up to make certain things easier/possible?
NaiadGirl: I have immense hopes for the modding scene going forward. Bethesda may be saying that mods aren’t officially supported, but I still hold onto the hope that we may one day get a proper Creation Set for Oblivion Remastered. They haven’t dropped the ball yet, and I would hope they wouldn’t now, with one of their all-time best creations. I truly believe a new kit is on the way, sooner or later.
If we do get official tools, modding is going to really pop off. You look at what we have now, and it’s only going to get bigger, and more accessible to the masses. Access to official tools will make a world of difference, and change things for the better. I’m hoping for an expansion on the Oblivion Remastered Script Extender (OBSE64) if the official tools give way. That won’t stop me from trying to make something crazy, though.
My next mod is focused on a pandemic outbreak. I’m very excited to continue my work on it, and share it with the world. I’m even more excited to see what the rest of the community can cook up. The community is insanely resourceful, and official tools or not, we’ll be making something beautiful together. Never stop making what you love.
OG Oblivion’s AI goblin wars are the stuff of legend. Oh, by the way, someone wrote in an obscure forum post or article you likely read after you thought you’d turned over every interesting stone in Cyrodiil, you can cause full-on goblin wars just by nicking their totems.
Naturally, it’s not taken Oblivion Remastered modders long to turn their attention to making this cool system with some typical 2006 limitations into something with even more wacky potential that’s less reliant on you deciding to spend hours personally playing puppetmaster.
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Enter modder NaiadGirl’s ‘Enhanced Goblin Wars‘. While it’s not the first mod for the remaster to try its hand at improving the gobbo war mechanics – ImmortanJoel’s ‘Goblin Wars Remastered‘ scored that honour at a glance – it does look like the most detailed and expansive add-on for goblin fight club sickos right now.
It makes the goblin wars dynamic rather than static. So, instead of there only being two goblin wars that start without your input in the base game, with any additional ones only happening if you personally get involved and trigger them by moving the seven different tribes’ totems around the map, the gobbos will now start fresh conflicts on their own.
“Every 5 in-game days, a new Goblin War has a 20% chance to trigger,” NaiadGirl wrote, “Surrounded by shadow, sneaky goblin thieves steal a rival’s totem when no one’s watching, and place it in their respective lair. The War Chief of the wronged tribe will embark with a group of Greenskins to the opposition’s lair, and attempt to take back what is theirs! That is, if they’re able to cross Cyrodiil alive…whether they succeed or not, they’ll be causing trouble in the countryside and cities alike.”
The mod also makes sure the goblins can pursue their totem no matter where in the world it ends up – even if that involves assaulting and breaking into the Imperial City itself, a tweak that’ll be endlessly helping if you still fancy nicking totems yourself to cause chaos.
Plus, the modder’s included an optional Amulet of Goblin Friendship found near Vilverin, which as its name suggests will make every gobbo refrain from trying to bash your skull in. Very handy if you want to kick back with the popcorn and watch a goblin skirmish unfold from right up close, because the arena’s just too boujee a means of fulfilling your need to watch some NPCs have a bloody barney.
It’s worth noting that the mod can add some extra complications to the quest Goblin Trouble by moving the totem it involves about, but NaiadGirl reckons it “shouldn’t be game-breaking” so long as the quest marker still points to the totem in its new location.
Make sure to check out the rest of our cool Oblivion Remastered mod coverage, including our recent interview with the modder who managed to make the first ever tweak to its world just one day after release.
Yep, an Oblivion Remastered modder has done the thing all of us have secretly wanted for years. They’ve stuck a penthouse at the summit of the Imperial City’s White-Gold Tower, so you can live far above the potato-faced NPC masses and take in the views like a Cyrodiilic and pre-computer version of New Vegas‘ Mr House.
As player home mods go, it’s possibly the least subtle bit of design placement I’ve ever seen, but let’s face it, you didn’t splash out for an remaster with gorgeous UE5 visuals not to be able to take in a stunning panorama of central Cyrodiil from your character’s digs.
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The modder behind this goes by RBDinteractive, and their ‘Champion Penthouse‘ is designed to finally deliver a reward for ending the Oblivion Crisis and saving the entire world that isn’t just some admittedly cool armour you might not even end up using.
The concept’s very similar to a classic Oblivion mod – Vince Bly’s ‘Top of the World‘. Based on the fact RBDinteractive’s credited the fix and port script for OG Oblivion mods that modder Haphestia (whom we’ve recently interviewed about Oblivion Remastered modding) has developed for the remaster, it looks like there’s even a chance one could be loosely based on the other.
Though, there are plenty of differences, with Top of the World’s square wooden room atop the tower could seemingly only be fast-travelled to, while the Champion Penthouse is a rounded stone suite that slightly more closely matches the design of the tower itself, and can be gotten to via a ladder found to the right when you enter at ground level.
Not a bad place to crash, eh? | Image credit: RBDinteractive/Bethesda
The furnishings and architecture are different, but the view’s the same breathtaking one that’s prompted both modders to decide to perch a house that’s open to Cyrodiil’s wider worldspace here, so you can take in the views from any angle in all their glory.
It’s worth noting that as for right now the Champion’s Penthouse is accessible at any time for free, since it’s free and there’s no quest attached, but RBDinteractive’s suggested that might change soon. “I’m gonna try to learn how to edit quests and [have] homes be purchased,” they wrote in the mod’s comments section, “I’ll let you know if I get it working. My idea would be to get the penthouse when you beat the main quest, because everyone refers to you as Champion.”
So, there you go. A house ideal for those who love nice views, and the literal worst nightmare of those who’re afraid of heights. Hey, you’ve fought your way through legions of Daedra pouring out of a not-quite-hell, surely you can handle the terror of knowing you might plummet to your death if you sleepwalk ten feet.
How does being an Oblivion Remastered vampire work? We get it, sometimes you need to add a little sparkle sparkle to your life in Cyrodiil. And what better way is there to do that than to inherit the skin (and powers) of a supernatural killer?
Whether you’re looking to become a vampire in Oblivion Remastered or need to cure vampirism before you have to cancel that sunny holiday to Hammerfell in the RPG, we’ve got everything you need to know about the affliction. To help you make that big decision, we’ve even broken down what makes becoming a vampire in Oblivion worth it, as well as the pesky drawbacks (silver) bolted on.
How to become a Vampire in Oblivion
You become a Vampire in Oblivion through the Porphyric Hemophilia disease.
This is contracted by taking damage from an afflicted person or creature, such as vampires in dungeons like Memorial Cave southeast of the Imperial City, Crowhaven northwest of Anvil, or one of the many named forts you’ll find infested on your travels.
One easy location is in the Imperial City itself. Head down into the Imperial City sewers through the town’s many floor grates, follow the tunnels until you arrive under the arena’s Bloodworks, and you should find two vampires there.
You’re also given the open opportunity to become a vampire by Vicente Valtiera at the end of the Dark Brotherhood questline.
The effects only kick in once you rest in a bed 72 hours after the event. This makes dealing with it early much simpler than leaving the wound to fester.
How to cure Vampirism in Oblivion Remastered
To cure Vampirism in Oblivion Remastered, you have two options depending on the state of the disease. You can either consume an item with Cure Disease (or visit a shrine) within 72 hours of the bite or, if you’ve already succumbed to it, by speaking with Raminus Polus at the Arcane University in Skingard and completing the lengthy Vampire Cure questline.
The Cure Vampire questline is a long fetch quest involving five empty Grand Soul Gems, Bloodgrass, Garlic, Nightshade, the Blood of an Argonian, and the Ashes of Hindaril. Here’s how to get each item:
Item
Location
Grand Soul Gems (x5)
Sometimes found in dungeon loot (when above level 11) or stolen from display cases.
Bloodgrass (x2)
Tall red grass is commonly stocked at Alchemy stores or found growing by Oblivion gates.
Garlic (x6)
A common sight in houses or sold at shops and inns
Nightshade (x5)
Found around the West Weald or bought at the Alchemy shop in the Imperial City.
Argonian Blood
Stab an Argonian with the Enchanted Dagger.
Ashes of Hindaril
Kill Hindaril in Redwater Slough.
After turning in the ingredients to complete the quest, Melisande will provide you with the Cure for Vampirism potion. Use it from your Potions tab to be cured, becoming immune to Vampirism in the process.
While you can contract the Porphyric Hemophilia disease after being cured this way, it acts like a standard debilitating debuff and can be removed through normal means. Sleeping while afflicted won’t turn you back into a Vampire.
Is it worth becoming a vampire in Oblivion?
Becoming a Vampire in Oblivion has various benefits and drawbacks, like resistance to damage, bonuses to Strength, Willpower, Speed, Acrobatics, Athletics, Destruction, Hand to Hand, Illusion, Mysticism, Sneak, access to unique skills, and a chronic aversion to sunlight.
These pros and cons can fluctuate, with the benefits growing stronger the longer you go without feeding, though amplifying the cons of being a servant of the night as well. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons:
Oblivion Remastered Vampire pros
Time between feeding
Skills/Attributes
Normal weapon resistance
Ability
Ability effect
1 day (25%)
+5
5%
Hunter’s Sight
Applies Night Eye (30 seconds) and Detect Life (100ft for 30 seconds)
2 days (50%)
+10
10%
Vampire’s Seduction
Applies Charm for 50 points for 20 seconds once per day.
3 days (75%)
+15
15%
Reign of Terror
Applies Silence for 60 seconds and Demoralize (on level <7 target) for 60 seconds once per day.
4+ days (100%)
+20
20%
Embrace of Shadows
Night Eye for 90 seconds and Invisibility for 180 seconds.
Oblivion Remastered Vampire cons
Time between feeding
Fire weakness
Damage from the sun
1 day (25%)
20%
0 HP per second
2 days (50%)
30%
1 HP per second
3 days (75%)
40%
4 HP per second
4+ days (100%)
50%
8 HP per second
Given you only take damage from the sun at Stage 2 of hunger, you can maintain some of the benefits of being a Vampire in Oblivion while maintaining the ability to sit in the sun by feeding every day.
Feeding once will return you to Stage 1 (25%) no matter which stage you’re currently on.
Becoming a vampire doesn’t unlock any unique quests outside of the one needed to cure you.
You won’t attract unwanted attention from anyone for being a vampire, but you will need to limit your exposure to the sun at higher levels. This can make exploring Cyrodiil (and taking on quests) uniquely difficult.
Where are the best places to feed as a Vampire in Oblivion?
If you’re looking to avoid making a spectacle of your need to consume the blood of other humanoids, it’s best to target places where hosts frequently sleep.
Camps and inns make feeding easy for this reason. The unlucky victims are unlikely to notice, witnesses are scarce, and you won’t have to worry about the sunlight.
If you can’t handle the thought of completing a lengthy sidequest to right the wrong of becoming a vampire, take a break with the best RPGs on PC right now.
As a new month dawns, we’re taking a look at the most played Steam Deck games for April 2025, and it’s surprising to see Oblivion Remastered storm up the charts despite having become a bit of a meme for its poor performance. In the monthly data, however, Balatro still reigns supreme.
Each month, it’s fun to look at which games are performing well on the best handheld gaming PC and look for any surprises. The chart of top played games on Steam Deck lists, quite simply, the games with the most hours played from one to 100, and there are some big debuts in this month’s list.
In April, while it’s no great surprise to see indie games such as Schedule 1 and R.E.P.O continue to climb the rankings, the inclusion of Oblivion Remastered is somewhat puzzling. This is because of the ongoing performance issues affecting the game on the Steam Deck. It’s even become a meme, with players posting to Reddit saying they’ve finally got Oblivion to run well on the Deck, before posting a screenshot of the original game.
While players were always going to try to get Oblivion Remastered running on the Steam Deck, the controversy comes from Valve’s decision to give it a Verified rating, despite it failing on the core criteria that a game needs to earn this status.
We already tested the best Oblivion Remastered settings and found that, on the Steam Deck, you need to at least consider changing the upscaling method, as well as the level of upscaling from balanced to performance. This crucial change alone should relegate Oblivion to a Playable rating, but this hasn’t happened.
Despite the Oblivion Remastered system requirements suggesting that the game would be difficult for the Steam Deck to run, players are clearly just pushing through and running the game however they see fit. Given that the game only released late in the month, the fact that it’s already the number two game on Steam Deck is quite the achievement. It didn’t have quite enough plays to dethrone Balatro for the monthly stats, but it is currently the most played game over the last week.
Other notable inclusions on this month’s top-played list are Clair Obscur Expedition 33 at 26, a game that launched as Unsupported but has already been upgraded to Playable. The Last of Us Part 2 has debuted at 41 while the first game has reappeared at 60, likely due to renewed interest thanks to season two of the TV show.
Finally, there was another strong indie debut in the list as Blue Prince, the intriguing roguelike puzzle game, debuted at 16 for the monthly list, although it did appear inside the top 10 briefly during its release week.
If you want to read more about some of the Steam Deck’s biggest competition, check out our Ayaeno 3 review and Asus ROG Ally X review to see where they Windows handhelds stack up.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.
2025 is, to my delight, the year of Oblivion. Not only is the long-rumored Oblivion remaster seemingly just days away, but the equally impressive Skyblivion mod – which brings all of Cyrodiil into Skyrim – is out this year as well. With two versions of Bethesda’s 2006 classic at our fingertips, it’s natural to assume that they might come into competition with each other. Skyblivion’s project lead doesn’t feel that way, though, making it clear that an imminent official remaster “changes nothing” for them.
Rumors of an official The Elder Scrolls Oblivion remaster have reached a fever pitch recently. After weeks of insiders claiming it’s real, several screenshots and promotional images of the project have leaked from the website of developer Virtuos, suggesting it’s been working with Bethesda for some time. There’s still no launch date for Oblivion Remastered, but reputable sources say it will be very soon.
Where does Bethesda’s official remaster leave Skyblivion, then? According to an update from the modding team back in January, we should be playing its own take on Cyrodiil sometime this year. There’s still work to be done and the team needs help, but the finish line is close.
Now, with the Virtuos leak of Oblivion Remastered, Skyblivion’s project lead ‘Rebelzize’ is weighing in on how the two versions can co-exist. After initially replying “uh-oh” to news of the game, they clarified their position:
“To be clear this changes nothing for me. This always was a passion project and still is until the end. For the community it’s a win-win as you get twice the amount of Oblivion this year. All love and no hate towards the people who made the official remaster.”
With so much Oblivion on the way, we’re about to be spoilt for choice. Bethesda and Virtuos’ version is likely coming out in April, and the Skyblivion modding team still has plans for launch sometime in 2025.
If you just can’t wait to dive into any new version of Oblivion, we’ve got all the best games like Skyrim you can check out today. Otherwise, dive into the best open-world games out now.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We’ve also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.
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