Have you ever sunk countless hours into an RPG, meticulously gathering materials and imagining the powerful, personalized set of armor you’d forge? The thrill of crafting your own equipment is a major draw for many gamers. It lets you feel more invested in the game world and gives you granular control over your character’s progression. For fans of *The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion*, the question often arises: Can you craft armor in Oblivion?
The straightforward answer is no, *Oblivion* does not natively support armor crafting. While the vast world of Cyrodiil offers a plethora of opportunities for adventure, exploration, and character customization, a traditional armor crafting system is not one of them. However, don’t despair just yet! While you can’t hammer out your own breastplates or stitch together leather gauntlets, *Oblivion* offers other compelling ways to tailor your character’s defenses.
Even without the ability to forge armor from scratch, the world is filled with items to find and ways to change them to your will. You can repair, enchant, and even download mods that add the long-desired armor crafting.
This article will delve into the nuances of armor customization in *Oblivion*, exploring the game’s limitations and highlighting the creative workarounds players have discovered to personalize their gear. Whether you’re a seasoned adventurer returning to Cyrodiil or a newcomer eager to explore its depths, understanding the options available for armor modification is key to maximizing your character’s potential.
The Lack of Native Armor Crafting Capabilities
It’s crucial to understand upfront that *Oblivion* departs from the crafting mechanics found in some other popular RPGs, including its successor, *Skyrim*. You won’t find any dedicated crafting stations, like a blacksmith’s forge, where you can combine raw materials like iron ore, leather strips, or ebony ingots to create new pieces of armor. There are no blueprints to discover, no recipes to unlock, and no skills dedicated to the art of armorsmithing that will allow you to use base materials to create a masterpiece.
Cyrodiil is filled with materials that can be used. Ores are abundant in the mountains and forests of the world. Leather and hides can be found on many animals and beasts that populate the land. But these are mostly used for vendors to buy and sell, not to create any kind of equipment. The player is left to search for armor rather than create it.
This contrasts sharply with games where crafting plays a central role, allowing players to specialize in specific crafting professions and become master artisans. In *Oblivion*, your character’s skills and abilities are focused on combat, magic, stealth, and social interactions, rather than the intricacies of forging and assembling armor.
In *Skyrim*, crafting armor is a skill that most players master due to its usefulness to the player. Players are able to mine for materials, smelt those materials down, and craft armor to use or sell to vendors. This is not the case in *Oblivion*.
This absence of native armor crafting can initially be disappointing for players accustomed to more comprehensive crafting systems. However, it’s important to remember that *Oblivion* compensates for this limitation with other mechanics that offer a degree of customization and character progression.
Customizing Armor with Existing Systems
While you can’t create armor from scratch, *Oblivion* provides several avenues for tailoring your armor to suit your playstyle and preferences. These methods revolve around enhancing existing pieces of armor that you find, purchase, or loot throughout your adventures.
Maintaining Armor Through Repairs
The repair mechanic is a fundamental aspect of *Oblivion’s* gameplay. All pieces of armor degrade over time as they take damage from enemies. If left unrepaired, armor will become less effective, providing less protection against incoming attacks. Eventually, broken armor will offer no protection whatsoever.
The Armorer skill governs your ability to repair armor. As your Armorer skill increases, you become more adept at restoring armor to its original condition, and you can even repair armor beyond its base durability. This means you can effectively “over-repair” armor, making it more resistant to damage.
To repair armor, you’ll need repair hammers, which can be purchased from merchants or found as loot. Using a repair hammer initiates a minigame where you must carefully tap the action button at the right moment to successfully mend the armor. The higher your Armorer skill, the easier this minigame becomes, and the more effective your repairs will be.
Regularly repairing your armor is crucial for maintaining your character’s survivability. It’s a worthwhile investment to level up your Armorer skill, as it will save you money on repairs and allow you to keep your gear in top condition. Neglecting repairs can leave you vulnerable to even the weakest enemies.
Enhancing Armor Through Enchanting
Enchanting is perhaps the most powerful method of customizing your armor in *Oblivion*. It allows you to imbue pieces of armor with magical properties that provide a wide range of benefits. You can add resistances to specific types of damage (fire, frost, shock, magic), boost your attributes (strength, intelligence, agility), improve your skills (blade, blunt, athletics), and even grant yourself special abilities (water breathing, chameleon).
The enchanting process requires several components. First, you’ll need a soul gem containing a soul. Soul gems come in various sizes, with larger gems capable of holding more powerful souls. You can capture souls by casting the Soul Trap spell on creatures before defeating them. The soul will then be transferred to an empty soul gem in your inventory.
Next, you’ll need access to an enchanting altar. These altars can be found at the Arcane University in the Imperial City (after completing the necessary quest) or at various locations throughout the game world.
At the enchanting altar, you can combine a piece of armor, a soul gem, and a spell to create an enchanted item. The strength of the enchantment depends on the size of the soul gem and the potency of the spell. Experimenting with different combinations is key to discovering the most effective enchantments for your character.
Enchanting armor allows you to create truly unique and powerful gear. You can tailor your enchantments to complement your playstyle, shore up your weaknesses, and amplify your strengths. A well-enchanted set of armor can make you nearly invulnerable to certain types of damage or grant you superhuman abilities.
Seeking Out Unique Armor Throughout the Land
While you can’t forge your own legendary armor, *Oblivion* is replete with unique, pre-made armor sets that offer exceptional stats and special properties. These sets are often found as quest rewards, hidden in dungeons, or guarded by powerful enemies.
Examples of noteworthy armor sets include Glass Armor, known for its lightweight and magical resistances; Daedric Armor, renowned for its incredible durability and intimidating appearance; and various unique pieces of armor associated with specific quests and storylines.
Searching for these unique armor sets can be a rewarding endeavor in itself. It encourages exploration, challenges you to overcome difficult encounters, and allows you to acquire powerful gear that sets you apart from ordinary adventurers. Consult online guides and wikis to discover the locations of these hidden treasures and embark on your own quest to become a heavily armored champion.
The Power of Mods: Bringing Armor Crafting to Cyrodiil
For players who are truly committed to the idea of armor crafting in *Oblivion*, the modding community provides a solution. *Oblivion* has a long-standing and incredibly active modding community, with countless talented creators developing modifications that add new features, content, and gameplay mechanics to the game.
Many mods introduce comprehensive armor crafting systems, allowing you to gather raw materials, learn recipes, and forge your own custom-designed armor. These mods often include new crafting stations, materials, and skills, effectively expanding the game’s crafting capabilities to include armor creation.
Examples of popular armor crafting mods include those that add blacksmithing skills, new ore types, and detailed crafting recipes. Some mods even allow you to customize the appearance of your armor, creating truly unique and personalized sets.
When using mods, it’s important to be aware of potential conflicts between different modifications. Always read the mod descriptions carefully, follow the installation instructions, and use a mod manager to ensure that your mods are loaded in the correct order. With a little research and careful planning, you can transform *Oblivion* into a true armor crafting paradise.
Concluding Thoughts
So, can you craft armor in Oblivion? The answer, as we’ve explored, is both no and yes. *Oblivion* does not include a native armor crafting system. However, the game offers alternative methods for customizing your gear, such as repairing, enchanting, and acquiring unique armor sets. And for those who crave a more comprehensive crafting experience, the *Oblivion* modding community provides a wealth of options, allowing you to add armor crafting and other features to the game.
Ultimately, the absence of native armor crafting does not detract from *Oblivion’s* overall appeal. The game’s strengths lie in its immersive world, engaging quests, and flexible character customization options. Whether you choose to rely on the game’s existing systems or venture into the world of modding, *Oblivion* offers a rich and rewarding experience for players of all types. Embrace the available options and explore the game to discover what best suits your character and playstyle.
