Oblivion Remastered: How To Create Custom Spells

Spellmaking, or creating custom spells, is an ability in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered that’s not accessible at the start of the game. To unlock it, the Hero must meet the necessary requirements, seeking help from the masters of the arcane who call Cyrodiil home.

This is especially important for mage characters who rely on spellcasting for combat and exploration, as creating a custom spell tailored for their exact situation is one of the most satisfying ways to play the game. It’s also why fans consider Oblivion to have one of the best magic systems ever created.

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Where to Find Altars of Spellmaking in Oblivion Remastered

In Oblivion Remastered, custom spells can be created at the Altar of Spellmaking, a special crafting bench that’s only present in two locations in the entire game. Most Altars of Spellmaking are locked behind the Mages Guild questline, with one notable exception: Frostcrag Spire, a player home in the form of a tower atop the Gnoll Mountain, east of Bruma. Here are the details on how to unlock both.

Mages Guild

The Mages Guild Altar of Spellmaking is located in the Praxographical Center of the Arcane University, southeast of Imperial City. However, to access this location, you will need to reach the rank of Apprentice in the Mages Guild.

To become an Apprentice, first join the Mages Guild to gain the rank of Associate, then visit all seven Guild Halls across Cyrodiil and gather Recommendations from the local chapter head. Once all seven Recommendations are obtained, go to the Arcane University Arch-Mage’s Lobby and talk to Raminus Polus. This will advance you to the rank of Apprentice, and the services of the Arcane University will be unlocked. This includes access to Altars of Spellmaking as well as Altars of Enchanting.

Frostcrag Spire

Climb the Gnoll Mountain east of Bruma to reach Frostcrag Spire. Interact with the book inside to discover that you will need to upgrade this player home in order to unlock the special services inside. To activate the Altar of Spellmaking, buy a Magetallow Candles Box from Aurelinwae at the Mystic Emporium in the Market District of the Imperial City and bring it back to the Altar in Frostcrag Spire. Once activated, it will allow you to craft custom spells without being part of the Mages Guild.

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How to Craft Custom Spells in Oblivion Remastered

To create custom spells in Oblivion Remastered, the process is fairly simple. First, interact with the Altar of Spellmaking to bring up the custom spell menu. Then, choose an ‘Effect’ from the left pane. These effects are spells you already know and can cast with the skill level your character has, as well as race-specific greater and lesser powers. After you select an effect, you’ll see some sliders appear on the right pane. They are:

• Range: Dictates if the spell will be self-cast, touch-based, or aimed at a target (Self/Touch/Target).
• Magnitude: Scales the damage and intensity of the spell. Ranges from 3 to 100.
• Area: Dictates how large of an area the spell’s effects will spread when cast. Ranges from 0-100.
• Duration: Dictates how long the spell’s effects will last. Ranges from 1 to 120 seconds.

As you adjust the sliders, you’ll notice that the numbers at the bottom of the right pane are changing. The right-most icon describes the Gold cost for creating the spell, and the icon on the left indicates the magicka cost of the spell.

You can add multiple spell effects to the custom spell by selecting them from the left pane. The more effects you add, the higher the cost of the spell will be. Once you are happy with your custom spell, give it a name in the text box at the top and hit ‘Create.’ The new spell will now be added to your Magic list.

It’s very easy to create custom spells that are beyond your ability to cast by making a spell with an absurdly high magicka cost. While the game will stop you from creating a custom spell if you do not have the required skill level for it (e.g., Destruction), it won’t stop you from creating a spell if you do not have enough magicka to cast it. Before making any custom spell, it’s good practice to check your maximum magicka in the Character screen and compare that with the magicka cost in the custom spell creation menu. If the value is higher, save yourself the Gold and don’t make the custom spell.