Understanding Spellmaking in Oblivion Remastered
Spellmaking in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered lets you design powerful, personalized magic spells using the Altar of Spellmaking. Unlike preset spells you buy or find, this system gives you total control over what your spell does, how strong it is, and how much Magicka it costs. If you're coming from Skyrim, this is a new system for you—and it opens the door to tons of flexible and powerful options.
The Altar lets you merge multiple magical effects into a single spell. Want to heal yourself while damaging an enemy? You can. Want to create a sneaky buff right before a heist? No problem. But to do it right, you'll need to learn how each setting—magnitude, duration, range—affects your spell's cost and usability.
Where and How to Access the Altar of Spellmaking
There are two ways to access the Altar of Spellmaking in Oblivion Remastered. The first is the official route: complete recommendations from every local Mages Guild to earn access to the Arcane University, where you’ll find the altar. The second method is simpler but requires the Frostcrag Spire add-on. Buy the Magetallow Candle upgrade for your player home and the altar becomes available there—no guild quests needed.
Once you're at the altar, the left side of the menu will show a list of magical effects. Only effects from spells you already know and can currently cast will appear. That means the more diverse your spell collection and magic skills, the more options you'll have for custom spells.
Navigating the Spellmaking Interface
When creating a custom spell, you’ll first be prompted to give it a name. Choose something memorable. Since Oblivion's spell menu gets crowded fast, naming your spells clearly will save you headaches later. A good strategy is to add numbers or tags, especially for effects like Feather that can stack. For example, “Feather 1”, “Feather 2” ensures they're grouped together in your spell list for easy casting in succession.
After naming your spell, you’ll select the magical effect from the left menu. This could be anything from Absorb Health to Shock Damage, Fortify Intelligence, or Soul Trap.
Setting Range: Self, Touch, or Target
Once you’ve picked an effect, it’s time to set the range:
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Self: The effect only applies to you.
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Touch: The effect triggers when you make contact with an NPC or creature.
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Target: This turns your spell into a projectile you can launch from a distance.
Each type affects Magicka cost. Projectiles (Target) typically cost more due to their range advantage. Choose wisely based on how you'll use the spell—support buffs are usually best on Self, while offensive magic might call for Touch or Target.
Adjusting Magnitude, Duration, and Area
Every spell you create has three sliders:
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Magnitude: How strong the effect is (e.g. 15 points of Fire Damage).
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Duration: How long the effect lasts (e.g. 10 seconds).
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Area: How wide the effect reaches (e.g. 20 feet radius for fire explosion).
The more you push these sliders, the higher the Magicka cost. Be careful not to make spells you can’t afford to cast. A good rule of thumb is to balance moderate magnitude with longer duration, especially if you're stacking multiple effects.
Avoiding Magicka Overload
Powerful spells look great on paper, but if they use too much Magicka, they might leave you defenseless. You can't cast spells that exceed your current maximum Magicka, so it’s important to keep your stats in mind.
For example, a fire spell that deals 30 points of damage over 3 seconds might look flashy, but if it costs 120 Magicka and you only have 90, it’s useless until you increase your pool. Always double-check cost before saving a custom spell.
Adding Multiple Effects to One Spell
The real power of spellmaking is combining multiple effects into one. You can pair things like Restore Health with Fortify Endurance, or Shock Damage with Weakness to Magic. Just make sure your magic skills are high enough to cast all the included effects. Otherwise, the spell won’t work.
Also note: as you add more effects, the total Magicka cost rises quickly. It’s easy to overload the spell with power that exceeds your casting ability. Test and tweak each version before settling on the final one.
Optimizing Spell Efficiency
Here's a trick: high magnitude over short duration is usually more expensive than lower magnitude over a longer duration—even if the total effect is the same. For example:
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20 pts Fire Damage for 5 sec = 100 total damage = 52 Magicka
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10 pts Fire Damage for 10 sec = 100 total damage = 42 Magicka
That 10-point difference might not seem like much, but when you're stacking effects, it adds up fast. Use longer durations with moderate magnitudes for better efficiency, especially in damage-over-time builds.
Strategic Weakness Stacking
One of the best advanced techniques in Oblivion spellmaking is weakness stacking. You can create two different spells with the same weakness effect (like Weakness to Magic or Weakness to Shock) and alternate between them. Each cast stacks the weakness, making your next damaging spell massively more powerful.
Example strategy:
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Cast Weakness to Shock + Weakness to Magic (100%, 5 sec, Touch)
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Cast another similar spell with a different name to stack
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Finally, cast a Shock Damage spell (e.g. 10 pts for 10 sec, Touch)
The resulting damage is amplified several times. This works especially well on high-level enemies or boss fights.
Soul Trap and Effect Order Tips
Effect order matters. For Soul Trap, always put it at the top of your custom spell and make sure it lasts longer than the damage effect. If Soul Trap wears off before the enemy dies, you won’t capture the soul.
On the flip side, for Weakness effects, place them at the bottom of your list. That way, they apply first when the spell hits, and the follow-up spell benefits from the amplified damage right away.
Combining Elemental Damage for Magicka Savings
Mixing damage types can actually lower the cost. Instead of casting one big fireball, try combining smaller doses of Fire, Frost, and Shock into one spell. You’ll still deal 30 total points of elemental damage, but at a lower Magicka cost than using a single element.
This is especially useful against enemies who resist specific elements. By combining multiple types, you hedge your bets and ensure some damage always gets through.
Useful Custom Spell Ideas for Daily Gameplay
Here are a few practical examples of spells you can create for regular gameplay:
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Feather Spell Stackers: Create several Feather spells with different names (Feather 1, Feather 2, etc.) so they stack in your menu and cast easily one after the other.
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Fortify Armorer (100 pts, 1 sec, Self): Cast right before opening the repair menu. You’ll fix everything without losing a repair hammer.
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Sneak and Chameleon Boost: Use Fortify Sneak + Chameleon at 100 pts for 1–3 seconds to get an edge before a pickpocket or stealth mission.
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Charm & Mercantile Combo: Pair Charm on Touch with Fortify Mercantile (100 pts, 1 sec, Self) right before speaking with merchants to raise disposition and haggle better prices.
Conclusion: Custom Spellmaking is Your Most Powerful Tool
Mastering the Altar of Spellmaking in Oblivion Remastered transforms how you play. It lets you build spells that perfectly match your playstyle—whether that's high-damage offense, stealth utility, or efficient Magicka use. By understanding how magnitude, duration, and area affect cost, and by learning techniques like weakness stacking or combining elemental effects, you unlock some of the strongest and most cost-effective spells in the game.
Experimenting is part of the fun, so don’t be afraid to test different setups. And remember, the best custom spells aren't always the flashiest—they're the ones that get the job done exactly how and when you need them to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Altar of Spellmaking in Oblivion?
It’s a game feature that allows you to create custom spells by combining multiple magical effects into one. It becomes available through the Arcane University or Frostcrag Spire.
Can you stack spells in Oblivion?
Yes. You can create multiple custom spells with similar effects (like Feather or Weakness to Magic) and cast them in succession to stack them.
Is there a way to reduce Magicka cost when crafting spells?
Yes. Use lower magnitude and longer duration for similar total effect but less Magicka cost. Also, mixing elements (fire, frost, shock) helps reduce total cost.
Do spell effect orders matter when crafting?
Yes. Place Soul Trap first in the list and ensure it lasts longer than damage effects. Place Weakness effects last so they apply before the next damaging spell.
What’s a good beginner spell to create?
A basic healing spell or a Feather spell for carrying more items. Both are easy to cast and extremely useful.
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