Alright, let’s dive into the world of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion with a rundown of all 15 Daedric artifacts from the base game (no DLCs). These bad boys are ranked by how much they’ll help you out, whether you’re swinging swords, sneaking around, or slinging spells. We’re talking raw power, versatility, and how they fit into your playstyle, based on what players and the game itself tell us.
Each artifact comes with a quick guide on how to grab it—shrine locations, level requirements, offerings, and quest steps. Rankings depend on how you play (warrior, mage, or thief), so let’s get into it, from the best to the least useful!
1. Azura’s Star
Effect: Reusable Grand Soul Gem for trapping souls to enchant or recharge gear.
A must-have for enchanters or mages. You can keep using it instead of burning through regular soul gems, saving gold and keeping your enchanted weapons powered up. It’s useful from start to finish.
How to Get
- Shrine: Northeast of Cheydinhal, near Lake Arrius (find it after reading Modern Heretics in the main quest).
- Level Requirement: 2
- Offering: Glow Dust (grab from Will-o-the-Wisps or alchemy shops, offer it between 5–7 AM or PM).
- Quest: Azura wants you to take out five vampires in Gutted Mine. Head in, clear them out, and report back for the Star.
2. Skeleton Key
Effect: Lockpick that never breaks, plus a permanent +40 Security skill boost while you carry it.
Makes lockpicking a breeze by eliminating broken picks and juicing up your Security skill. Perfect for thieves, assassins, or anyone who wants to crack open locks without messing with Alteration magic. It can mess up Security training past 60 due to a bug, but it’s still a game-changer.
How to Get
- Shrine: North road out of Leyawiin.
- Level Requirement: 10
- Offering: None; just talk to Nocturnal.
- Quest: Nocturnal needs you to grab the Eye of Nocturnal, swiped by Argonians Weebam-Na and Bejeen in Leyawiin. Check out Tidewater Cave, snag the Eye, and bring it back.
3. Oghma Infinium
Effect: One-time-use book that bumps two attributes by +10 and three or four skills by +10 (Path of Steel, Shadow, or Spirit).
Gives a huge, permanent stat boost, helping any character type (warriors get Strength/Endurance, thieves get Speed/Agility). You only use it once, but it’s a massive power spike for your build.
How to Get
- Shrine: Northwest of Bruma, near Cloud Ruler Temple.
- Level Requirement: 20 (unlocks after finishing all 14 other Daedric quests and starting Blood of the Daedra).
- Offering: None; it kicks off automatically.
- Quest: Hermaeus Mora wants you to trap souls from all ten races using a special soul gem and spell. Do it, return, and get the book.
4. Ring of Khajiiti
Effect: +35% Chameleon (makes you partly invisible), +10 Speed.
Chameleon lets stealth characters sneak past almost anything, great for thieves or assassins. The Speed boost helps you move faster. It’s light and works for sneaking or dodging trouble.
How to Get
- Shrine: West of Skingrad, between Skingrad and Kvatch.
- Level Requirement: 10
- Offering: Bonemeal, Ectoplasm, or Mort Flesh (loot from undead).
- Quest: Meridia sends you to wipe out necromancers in Howling Cave. Clear it and head back for the ring.
5. Spell Breaker
Effect: Heavy shield with 30% Reflect Spell, about as tough as an Orcish shield.
Reflect Spell shuts down mages and magical enemies like Will-o-the-Wisps, making it awesome for warriors or tanks. It’s durable and has solid armor stats for combat.
How to Get
- Shrine: Near the Silverfish River, west of Bravil (on the “R” on the map).
- Level Requirement: 10
- Offering: None needed.
- Quest: Peryite sends you to an Oblivion plane to grab his followers’ souls. Finish up and return for the shield.
6. Saviour’s Hide
Effect: Light armor cuirass with 25% Resist Magic, a bit weaker than Glass but way lighter.
Perfect for light armor users, especially Altmer or Apprentice birthsign characters who need magic resistance. Its low weight keeps you nimble.
How to Get
- Shrine: South of Cheydinhal, by the Corbolo River.
- Level Requirement: 17
- Offering: Wolf or Bear Pelt (hunt some wildlife).
- Quest: Hircine wants you to kill a unicorn in Harcane Grove. Do it and return for the cuirass.
7. Ebony Blade
Effect: Two-handed blade with Absorb Health (10 points) and Silence (10 seconds).
Absorb Health keeps warriors alive in long fights, and Silence stops enemy mages from casting. It’s got decent damage but weighs a ton.
How to Get
- Shrine: Northeast of the Imperial City, southwest of the “a” in “Heartlands” on the map.
- Level Requirement: 15
- Offering: Nightshade (find it along the bay southwest of the map).
- Quest: Mephala wants you to stir up trouble in Bleaker’s Way by killing a family and framing two NPCs to start a feud. Finish it and get the blade.
8. Volendrung
Effect: Two-handed warhammer with Drain Health (5 points) and Paralyze (3 seconds).
Paralyze is awesome, freezing enemies so you can smack them again. Drain Health helps a bit with staying power. It’s heavy, so only Blunt users really shine with it.
How to Get
- Shrine: Northwest of Anvil, near Fort Sutch.
- Level Requirement: 10
- Offering: Troll Fat (loot from trolls in caves or forests).
- Quest: Malacath needs you to free ogres from Bleak Mine. Set them loose and return for the warhammer.
9. Goldbrand
Effect: One-handed katana with 22 Fire Damage.
Solid fire damage chews through undead or frost-resistant enemies. It’s light and looks cool, but doesn’t stand out compared to other artifacts.
How to Get:
- Shrine: East of Kvatch, near the “V” in “Nibenay Valley” on the map.
- Level Requirement: 20
- Offering: Daedra Heart (get from Dremora or buy at alchemy shops like The Main Ingredient).
- Quest: Boethia sends you to an Oblivion plane for the “Tournament of Ten Bloods.” Beat champions of each race and return for the sword.
10. Mace of Molag Bal
Effect: Mace with Absorb Magicka and Absorb Strength.
The mace is pretty good now in the remaster for a hybrid caster build.
How to Get
- Shrine: West of Lake Rumare, under the “T” in “The Great Forest” on the map.
- Level Requirement: 17
- Offering: Lion Pelt (hunt lions in the wild).
- Quest: Molag Bal wants you to trick Melus Petilius into killing you with a Cursed Mace. Drop the mace near him, piss him off without fighting back, and let him finish you. Return for the mace.
11. Ring of Namira
Effect: Reflect Damage (12%) and Reflect Spell (10%).
Reflects some damage and spells back at enemies, handy against melee or magic users. The low percentages make it less reliable, though.
How to Get
- Shrine: Southeast of Bruma, left of the “B” in “County Bruma” on the map.
- Level Requirement: 5
- Offering: Personality ≤20 (tank it with booze or Drain Personality effects).
- Quest: Namira wants you to help her followers in an Ayleid ruin by putting out torches to lure priests. Finish the job and get the ring.
12. Masque of Clavicus Vile
Effect: Heavy helmet with +20 Personality, Fortify Speechcraft (10 points).
Makes NPCs like you more, which is nice for persuasion or bartering. It’s not much help in a fight, but good for roleplay or merchant builds.
How to Get
- Shrine: Southwest of the Imperial City, in the road’s half-circle.
- Level Requirement: 20
- Offering: 500 gold (earn from looting, selling, or Arena fights).
- Quest: Clavicus Vile wants the Umbra sword back. You can return it for the Masque or keep Umbra (not a quest reward artifact).
13. Wabbajack
Effect: Staff that turns a target into a random creature (like a rat or ogre) for 10 seconds, then they revert to full health.
It’s wild and fun, but super unpredictable. You might turn a boss into a rat or a weak enemy into something worse. Low charges and randomness make it tough to rely on.
How to Get
- Shrine: Between Bravil and Leyawiin, near the Niben River.
- Level Requirement: 2
- Offering: Lesser Soul Gem, Head of Lettuce, Yarn (easy to find).
- Quest: Sheogorath wants you to mess with Border Watch by poisoning sheep and faking apocalyptic signs. Pull it off and get the staff.
14. Sanguine Rose
Effect: Staff that summons a random Daedra (like a Clannfear or Xivilai) for 20 seconds, but it might attack you instead.
The summon can pull enemy aggro, but it’s a coin toss if it helps or screws you over. Conjuration spells outdo it at higher levels.
How to Get
- Shrine: North of Skingrad.
- Level Requirement: 8
- Offering: Cyrodilic Brandy (buy from inns or merchants).
- Quest: Sanguine wants you to crash a dinner party at Castle Leyawiin with the Stark Reality spell. Hit Countess Alessia Caro and her guests, then report back.
15. Skull of Corruption
Effect: Staff that spawns a clone of a target to fight for you, copying their stats and gear.
Clones can be strong against tough enemies, but with only 20 charges, it’s hard to use often. Guards might attack you and the clone, which sucks.
How to Get
- Shrine: West of Bruma, near Fort Horunn.
- Level Requirement: 5
- Offering: None needed.
- Quest: Vaermina wants you to grab a stolen Orb from Arkved’s Tower. Work through the tower, find the Orb, and bring it back for the staff.
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