Summary
- Quest rewards in Oblivion Remastered are leveled, so completing certain quests at higher levels gives better rewards.
- Advance to Apprentice rank in the Mages Guild ASAP for access to the Arcane University and spellmaking.
- Timing is crucial for Mages Guild questline - complete quests at recommended levels to maximize rewards and promotions.
Deciding the best time to undertake a certain questline in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered is a bigger decision than it seems on the surface. All quest rewards in Oblivion Remastered are leveled, which means that the level at which a player completes a quest will dictate which tier of a reward they obtain as a result. Completing a quest at level 1 will give the least valuable version of the reward, whereas completing the same quest at level 30 will give the most powerful version.
Mage characters who want to join the Mages Guild and gain access to the services of the Arcane University will want to know the best level to do it at. Pulling the trigger too early means missing out on powerful rewards and getting watered-down versions that will quickly get phased out as a playthrough continues. On the other hand, waiting too long sours the leveling experience. The best solution is to figure out the optimal levels to complete the quests at and outline a natural progression that makes the entire journey smooth sailing.
Best Time to Join the Mages Guild
Joining the Mages Guild is easy—simply talk to any of the Guild Hall leaders in any of the main cities and ask to join. The Hero will immediately be allowed to step into the ranks of the Mages Guild as an Associate. There is no reason not to become a Mages Guild member within the first hour of gameplay or so. There are no downsides to joining, and doing so does not lock the player out of joining any other factions in the game. Additionally, there are no leveled rewards for simply joining the Mages Guild, which means joining later will not be any more beneficial than joining early.
Becoming an Associate Mages Guild member offers the following benefits:
- Free beds in all major cities.
- Free alchemy ingredients in the Guild Halls, including Alchemy Tools.
- Display cases that can be lockpicked in Oblivion Remastered without being accused of stealing.
- Increased disposition of all Mages Guild members (+20).
After officially joining the Mages Guild, advancing to Apprentice Rank requires gathering seven Recommendations from all Guild Hall leaders by completing missions for them. This should be done as early as possible, as it is the only way to gain access to the Arcane University, which houes custom spellmaking and enchanting Atlars. For characters interested in making their custom spells in Oblivion Remastered or enchanting their gear using Soul Gems, this is a watershed moment.
Other than the Arcane University, the Altars of Enchanting and Spellmaking can only be found in Frostcrag Spire, a player home east of Bruma.
When to Do the Mages Guild Questline
There are 18 quests in total in the main Mages Guild questline. After completing the Guild Hall Recommendation quests to become an Apprentice, every subsequent quest also doubles as a promotion quest, increasing the Hero's rank in the Mages Guild.
The following contains major spoilers for the Mages Guild questline in Oblivion Remastered.
|
Mages Guild Quest |
Recommended Level |
Leveled Rewards |
|---|---|---|
|
Anvil Recommendation |
1-4 |
- |
|
Bravil Recommendation |
1-4 |
- |
|
Bruma Recommendation |
1-4 |
- |
|
Cheydinhal Recommendation |
1-4 |
- |
|
1-4 |
Fingers of the Mountain (Spell) |
|
|
Leyawiin Recommendation |
1-4 |
- |
|
Skingrad Recommendation |
1-4 |
- |
|
A Mage's Staff |
15-19 |
Mage's Staff |
|
15-19 |
Spelldrinker Amulet |
|
|
15-19 |
Robe of the Conjurer |
|
|
15-19 |
- |
|
|
Liberation or Apprehension? |
15-19 |
- |
|
15-19 |
- |
|
|
A Plot Revealed |
20-24 |
Wizard's Fury (Spell) |
|
The Necromancer's Amulet |
25+ |
Necromancer's Amulet |
|
The Bloodworm Helm |
25+ |
Bloodworm Helm |
|
Ambush |
25+ |
- |
|
Confront the King |
25+ |
- |
Advancing Ranks in the Mages Guild automatically boosts Guild member dispositions by 20 points for each rank. This is another reason to advance in ranks quickly in order to get to 100 disposition with all members.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- April 22, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
WHERE TO PLAY
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion™ Remastered modernizes the 2006 Game of the Year with all new stunning visuals and refined gameplay. Explore the vast landscape of Cyrodiil like never before and stop the forces of Oblivion from overtaking the land in one of the greatest RPGs ever from the award-winning Bethesda Game Studios.
Rediscover Cyrodiil
Journey through the rich world of Tamriel and battle across the planes of Oblivion where handcrafted details have been meticulously recreated to ensure each moment of exploration is awe-inspiring.
Navigate Your Own Story
From the noble warrior to the sinister assassin, wizened sorcerer, or scrappy blacksmith, forge your path and play the way you want.
Experience an Epic Adventure
Step inside a universe bursting with captivating stories and encounter an unforgettable cast of characters. Master swordcraft and wield powerful magic as you fight to save Tamriel from the Daedric invasion.
The Complete Story
Experience everything Oblivion has to offer with previously released story expansions Shivering Isles, Knights of the Nine, and additional downloadable content included in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Action, RPG, Open-World, Adventure
