How does the Oblivion Remastered leveling system work?

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered just did the equivalent of sliding into our DMs unannounced, and like any sane Elder Scrolls player, you’re probably wondering if it’s time to dust off that Sneak 100 mindset.

You might also be wondering if Bethesda (or modders) have finally blessed us with a system that doesn’t punish creativity. Spoiler: they have. Oblivion Remastered brings a much-needed overhaul to the leveling system, ditching the old spreadsheet simulator in favor of something actually fun. 

Let’s break down Oblivion Remastered’s new leveling system.

Oblivion’s new leveling system, demystified

Bethesda

Forget everything you remember about “efficient leveling.” Here’s how Oblivion Remastered flips the script:

Specialization and setup: You choose one Specialization (Combat, Magic, Stealth), two favorite attributes, and seven Major Skills. Everything else becomes Minor.

Skill points: Major Skills start +20 higher and level faster, but all skills contribute XP. No wasted effort.

Leveling up: You earn XP from all skills. Once the XP bar fills, sleep in a bed to level up (yes, even just for an hour).

Attribute points: You now get 12 virtual points per level-up, and you can spend them on up to 3 attributes with  max 5 points per attribute per level-up but Luck costs 4 points for just one level, and you can only upgrade it once per level-up.

Retroactive Stats: Health from Endurance is retroactive – no more rushing to max it early.

 New vs. old leveling side-by-side

Feature	Original Oblivion	Oblivion Remastered
Attribute Points per Level	Up to 15 (automated)	12 (manual allocation)
Skill XP Contribution	Major Skills only	All Skills contribute
Major Skill Bonus	Start at 25	+20 to base skill
Leveling Trigger	10 Major Skill ups	XP bar + sleep
Luck Handling	+1 max per level	Costs 4 points per level
Health Scaling	Based on early Endurance	Retroactive from Endurance
Min-Maxing Needed?	Absolutely	Nope, pick what you want
Custom Classes	Yes	Yes
Specialization Impact	Skill growth rates only	Skill growth + stat boosts

It’s still Oblivion, but with training wheels removed and freedom restored. You get to build how you want, level how you want, and stop fearing that one Acrobatics point you accidentally got at level 3.

That’s everything you need to know about the leveling system. If you want to know which races are the best or bookmark all console commands, we’ve got you covered.