The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Oblivion’s skill practice and character leveling follow related but separate rules. Their interaction can reinforce a chosen role or complicate how the player develops it.
Original 2006 game and its class/major-skill system; not the changed leveling rules of Oblivion Remastered.
The appeal
Create a character and pursue adventures through Cyrodiil.
- explore
- talk
- fight
- sneak
- cast
- train
Gameplay loops
Moment-to-moment loop
Discover an objective → solve an encounter → gain items or skill experience.
Session loop
Pursue a quest, explore a ruin, or advance a faction storyline.
Across sessions
Improve skills; increases in chosen Major Skills contribute to character leveling.
Mechanics
A decision
You are choosing Major Skills for a new character.
A progression rule can influence character creation before a player understands its downstream consequences.
What makes it interesting
Tying advancement to selected skills can make a class feel consequential, but it also creates a possible mismatch between expressive play and efficient growth.
Skill improvement and overall level advancement are related but separate systems; keep them distinct when studying this design.
Where it can fall short
- Long-term character choices can be hard for a newcomer to evaluate.
- Freedom to explore can compete with the main story’s urgency.
Do players understand how their chosen skills affect growth?
Give players six action cards and ask them to choose two Major Skills. Award skill practice for all actions but a level only after enough major-skill uses.
Ask players to predict their next level before revealing it; note whether the rule changes their preferred actions.
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Related lessons
- Rules, mechanics, and systems →See how a few interacting rules can produce many situations.
- Onboarding and accessibility →Help unfamiliar players discover the rules and reach the experience.
- Progression and motivation →Distinguish getting better, getting stronger, and discovering something new.
Sources
Mechanics are cited below. The analysis and exercises are our interpretation. About the sources
Checked October 19, 2026.
- Original Oblivion PC manual ↗Bethesda-hosted original manual; primary mechanics reference.
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition ↗Publisher-controlled store description of the original game, not Remastered.
