Oblivion Remastered stats explained: What Willpower, Luck, and the rest do and how to level major skills up

Oblivion Remastered skills need an explanation, even in Bethesda’s polished remaster, and downside is that an Oblivion Remastered skills explainer is nowhere to be found in the game itself. Sure, you could just guess at it and hope for the best – but with so much room for error, and so much time required to level up, it’s not the best way to approach things.

Our Oblivion Remastered skills explained guide lists what every skill does and how to go about leveling it up. That includes major skills, such as Willpower, and the minor skills under each major category.

Oblivion Remastered skills explained

What does Willpower do in Oblivion Remastered?

Willpower governs how quickly your Magicka regenerates, and it plays a role in your stamind as well. Oblivion determines how quickly you become fatigued based on a combination of your Willpower, Agility, Endurance, and Strength.

How to increase Willpower skill level in Oblivion

Raise your levels in these skills to bump up your Willpower:

• Destruction
• Restoration
• Alteration

Restoration is the easiest to do, since you can start casting a low-level recovery spell early in the game.

What does Intelligence do in Oblivion Remastered?

Intelligence determines how much Magicka you have, with a higher Intelligence level resulting in more Magicka to cast more spells before having to wait for it to replenish. Intelligence also plays a role in Magicka restoration, though we’ll get to that in a bit.

How to increase Intelligence skill level in Oblivion

To raise your intelligence, focus on:

• Conjuration
• Mysticism
• Alchemy

Using alchemy ingredients contributes to leveling that minor skill, and Oblivion is rather generous with what counts as “using.” You can just eat food or use potions, though naturally, you gain more toward upgrading the skill by actually crafting potions.

Willpower vs Intelligence in Oblivion Remastered

Whether you should upgrade Willpower or Intelligence depends on where your stats are at. Oblivion – and Oblivion Remastered – uses a formula for determining which stat recovers Magicka more efficiently that’s based on your current Magicka. Once your total Magicka is equal to or higher than 75 points more than twice your total Willpower, start increasing Willpower. Before that point, focus on intelligence

For example, when your Magica is 100 and your Willpower is 50, you’ll want to aim for Intelligence until your Magicka reaches 175.

What does Personality do in Oblivion Remastered?

Personality influences activities such as persuasion and bartering, so while you can usually get by without much persuading, it’s worth paying attention to Personality for all your shopping needs. A higher Personality stat also makes it less likely that enemies will attack you, since you’re just so charming.

How to increase Personality skill level in Oblivion

Personality’s three associated minor skills are:

• Illusion
• Mercantile
• Speechcraft

Bartering will improve Mercantile, and doing the persuasion minigame will boost your Speechcraft – whether you succeed or not. If you want to raise it quickly, pick some poor soul you don’t mind harassing, and just keep wheedling them.

What does Strength do in Oblivion Remastered?

In addition to its role in calculating fatigue, strength determines how much damage you deal with melee weapons and what your encumbrance threshold is. Unlike some games, Endurance has nothing to do with your max carry weight in Oblivion.

How to increase Strength skill level in Oblivion

Strength’s three minor skills are all tied to combat.

You have to actually attack a sentient being for the game to count your actions as skill progress, so don’t bother punching trees and slashing at grass. We speak a bit more about this in our Oblivion leveling guide, but Peryite’s Shrine is one of the best places to level up your combat skills and, by extension, Strength.

What does Luck do in Oblivion Remastered?

Luck is one of the most important stats in Oblivion Remastered and one of the most challenging to increase. It functions in a way you can’t actually see, but you’ll definitely notice a difference. A higher luck stat means events that seemingly take place at random, such as winning the lockpicking minigame or a bet at the arena, are more likely to turn out in your favor.

Luck over 50 also has a positive effect on your other skill levels, increasing them by 40 percent of the amount of your luck that’s over 50. For example, if your luck is 70, your other minor skills will increase by eight levels (40 percent of 20, since 70 is 20 over 50).

The only skills Luck doesn’t influence are Speechcraft, Athletics, and Acrobatics.

How to increase Luck level in Oblivion

The only way to improve Luck in Oblivion is by spending Virtue Points when you level up. Luck costs more points than other stats, so it’s best not to go all-out raising it at once. Focus on other skills, and occasionally devote some points to Luck.

What does Endurance do in Oblivion Remastered?

Endurance is your health stat in Oblivion Remastered. The higher your Endurance level, the more HP you get. You can also breathe longer underwater with higher Endurance, and it’s one of the stats that goes into deciding how quickly you become fatigued. It’s an important one for any build, so don’t neglect it.

How to increase Endurance skill level in Oblivion

Endurance is a bit of a weird on. It governs health instead of stamina, but its three associated minor skills are:

• Armorer
• Block
• Heavy Armor

The easiest way to level up is to just wear heavy armor in combat and use a shield to block hits, though not at the same time. Blocked hits don’t count toward your armor mastery. Ideally, you want to wear a full set and not just the torso armor, though you’ll still level it up by wearing the main piece as well. Arena fights are the safest, easiest way to improve both of these stats.

What does Agility do in Oblivion Remastered?

The most important thing about Agility is that it influences how much damage you deal with bows. It also reduces the chance that an enemy will stagger you and, like Endurance, Strength, and Willpower, has a part to play in Oblivion’s fatigue calculation.

How to increase Agility skill level in Oblivion

Agility’s three minor skills are:

Sneaking only works if an NPC who isn’t a friendly companion is present who could detect you, but doesn’t. Don’t waste your time sneaking across Tamriel, as just walking while crouched won’t cut it. The fastest leveling method involves Peryite’s Shrine again, where you can just loose arrows at certain NPCs, collect them, and repeat to increase Marksman.

What does Speed do in Oblivion Remastered?

Speed just determines how fast you move. That’s it.

How to increase Speed skill level in Oblivion

Speed’s three minor skills are:

• Light Armor
• Acrobatics
• Athletics

Literally just walking around and jumping will raise Acrobatics and Athletics, though the process for raising Light Armor is the same as with Heavy Armor – just while you’re wearing Light Armor, of course.

For more help, check out our guide for finding a house in Oblivion and where to look for Daedric Artifacts once you’re at that point.