Oblivion Remastered Character Build Guide: Best Classes, Skills & Birthsigns

Creating a character in Oblivion Remastered can be one of the most daunting tasks for new players. With its unique class system, which allows you to customize your Major and Minor skills, and birthsigns that offer powerful perks, it’s easy to end up with a build that feels weak mid-game. This guide will walk you through several strong and well-rounded builds tailored for different playstyles—Stealth, Combat, and Magic—and help you make smart decisions on race, class, birthsign, and attribute growth. Whether you’re playing on PlayStation 5, PC, or Xbox, these tips will help you thrive in Cyrodiil.

Stealth Archer / Assassin Build

Oblivion Remastered Character Build Guide — Players can choose from several classes in *Oblivion Remastered*. (Picture Credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Ideal For: Players who prefer sneaky takedowns, critical hits, and avoiding direct confrontation.

Race: Khajiit or Bosmer (Wood Elf) – both have bonuses to Agility and Stealth skills.

Birthsign: The Shadow (for once-a-day invisibility) or The Thief (for attribute boosts to Speed, Agility, and Luck).

Major Skills:

Sneak
Marksman
Security
Light Armor
Acrobatics
Alchemy
Blade (for close encounters)

Efficient Leveling Tip: Focus on boosting Agility and Speed. To maximize +5 bonuses, train Sneak, Acrobatics, and Marksman at each level. Check our Efficient Leveling Guide for how to spread skill gains without over-leveling.

Playstyle Advice: Use bows from a distance, sneak into camps, and backstab isolated enemies. Early game gear like the Black Hand Robes and enchanted daggers from the Dark Brotherhood questline (see our Quest Guide) can give you a massive edge.

Paladin (Warrior + Restoration) Build

Ideal For: Players who enjoy tanking damage and healing themselves between blows.

Race: Imperial or Redguard – Redguards get Combat bonuses and Adrenaline Rush; Imperials offer good Restoration support.

Birthsign: The Warrior (great early-game stat boost) or The Atronach (for Magicka boost, though with no regen).

Major Skills:

Heavy Armor
Blade
Block
Restoration
Armorer
Athletics
Speechcraft or Mercantile

Efficient Leveling Tip: Focus on Strength and Endurance early to avoid falling behind in health and damage. Restoration is great for controlling Willpower gains. Aim for +5 Endurance every level early on.

Playstyle Advice: You’ll be in the thick of battle. Use Restoration to patch up during longer fights. This build excels in Oblivion Gates and large dungeon crawls. Playing on the Nintendo Switch 2, you can enjoy smooth dungeon exploration on the go.

Pure Mage Build

Ideal For: Players who want to use magic for every task – combat, healing, travel, utility.

Race: Breton (natural Magicka resistance and Fortify Magicka) or Altmer (high Magicka pool, but with elemental weaknesses).

Birthsign: The Mage (Magicka boost), The Apprentice (larger Magicka but no resistances), or The Atronach (no regen but huge pool).

Major Skills:

Destruction
Conjuration
Alteration
Restoration
Mysticism
Illusion
Alchemy or Speechcraft

Efficient Leveling Tip: Willpower and Intelligence are key. Destruction and Restoration are great for leveling control. Avoid overusing Minor Skills outside combat to ensure proper level-up multipliers.

Playstyle Advice: Start with cheap spells and gradually unlock powerful ones. Conjured creatures are useful distractions. You can find rare spell tomes during Mages Guild quests, and even find a bunch of Easter Eggs throughout the game. If playing on Xbox Game Pass, take advantage of cloud saves when experimenting with different spell combinations.

Efficient Leveling: How It Works

Unlike modern RPGs, Oblivion Remastered uses a skill-based leveling system. Each level-up is triggered by gaining 10 skill increases in your Major Skills. The attributes you raise depend on which skills you’ve used. To get a +5 attribute bonus:

Use three skills tied to that attribute for multiple points (e.g. Sneak, Acrobatics, Marksman for Agility).
Avoid over-leveling non-Major skills to prevent wasted XP.

For example, if you’re leveling a warrior, aim for +5 in Strength (Blade, Blunt, Hand-to-Hand) and Endurance (Heavy Armor, Armorer, Block). Learn more in our Efficient Leveling Guide.

Other Noteworthy Builds

Battle Mage (Hybrid)

Race: Dunmer or Breton
Birthsign: The Mage or The Lord
Major Skills: Blade, Destruction, Heavy Armor, Conjuration, Mysticism, Restoration, Alteration

This versatile build is effective in both the early and mid-game, thanks to its spell-sword synergy. On PlayStation 5, you’ll notice how fluid combat feels even with multiple spell effects active.

Monk (Unarmed Stealth Fighter)

Race: Argonian or Khajiit
Birthsign: The Thief or The Monk (custom)
Major Skills: Hand-to-Hand, Acrobatics, Sneak, Restoration, Alteration, Athletics, Light Armor

Fun to roleplay and surprisingly viable with the right gear and spell support.

Final Tips and Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t pick skills you use constantly (like Athletics or Acrobatics) as Major Skills unless you’re carefully tracking levels.
Specialize early: Builds with scattered skill types become inefficient quickly.
Join guilds that match your playstyle – Mages Guild for spellcasters, Fighters Guild for warriors, and Thieves Guild or Dark Brotherhood for stealth builds.
Don’t rush leveling. Power levelling with inefficient builds makes enemies scale too quickly.

By planning ahead, you can create a powerful character that feels rewarding to play from start to finish. Whether you’re sneaking through enemy fortresses or throwing fireballs in an Oblivion Gate, the right build will transform your experience.

For more guides on quest rewards, weapons, and class synergies, check out our Oblivion Remastered Hub.