Enchanting is one of the strongest magical arts that players can use in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered. Equipment with custom enchantments will often be stronger than unique items that are picked up during exploration. Enchanting is not available right away, though. Its most basic form needs the partial completion of a particular questline.
Enchanting with Altars
To utilize Enchanting Altars, join the Mages Guild and advance to the 'Apprentice' rank, which allows use of Guild Hall altars. If you have access:
Engage an Altar of Enchanting
Choose your target item under 'Gear'
Pick a filled Soul Gem (bigger gems give more charges)
Pick your desired enchantment effect
Tailor the effect's Magnitude, Area, and Duration if asked
Name your item
Click 'Enchant' to finalize
Weapons may have two enchantments when you utilize altars, but each will be less powerful individually. Maximum soul charges, number of uses until depleted, and gold price are displayed in the interface. Altar enchantments make use of spell effects that you already understand, and you'll be required to meet the skill requirement for casting those spells normally.
Finding Enchanting Altars
There are two general locations where you can discover Enchanting Altars:
The Arcane University (Mages Guild)
The Arcane University southeast of Imperial City provides the most convenient altars, but Mages Guild membership and Apprentice rank are required. To gain this rank, travel to all seven Mages Guild halls throughout Cyrodiil (Anvil, Bravil, Bruma, Cheydinhal, Chorrol, Leyawiin, and Skingrad) and perform tasks to gain Recommendations. Once all seven are in hand, talk to Raminus Polus at the Arcane University to be promoted. The altars are in the Chironasium, through the right-hand metal gate in the Arch-Mage's Lobby.
Frostcrag Spire (Player Home)
Otherwise, Frostcrag Spire east of Bruma on Gnoll Mountain contains both an Enchanting Altar and Spellcrafting Altar. While the player home itself is free, you'll need to purchase a Magetallow Candles Box from Aurelinwae at the Mystic Emporium in Imperial City's Market District (3200+ gold, haggable with Haggling) to utilize these altars.
Enchanting with Sigil Stones
Sigil Stones offer another type of enchantment. Acquired by closing Oblivion Gates in the main quest, they come in five qualities:
Descendant (lowest)
Subjacent
Latent
Ascendant
Transcendent (highest)
Higher-level Oblivion Gates yield higher-level stones. All Sigil Stones have two enchantment effects—one offensive for weapons and one defensive for armor. You can determine the exact effects and how much they do in your inventory by checking the details screen's second menu tab.
Since there are over 30 Sigil Stones with random enchantments (tier is set in advance, though), you can save before accepting the reward and reload if you don't get your desired enchantment.
Using Sigil Stones is simple:
Open your inventory
Select your desired Sigil Stone
Click on the item you wish to enchant
Name your enchanted item
Select 'Enchant'
No Mages Guild membership is required for this process, offering another enchanting option for players. In contrast to Enchanting Altars, Sigil Stones cannot imbue a single item with two enchantments.
Frequently Asked Questions: Enchanting in Oblivion Remastered
Q1: What is enchanting in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered and why is it important?: Enchanting is one of the strongest magical arts in Oblivion Remastered, allowing players to create custom enchanted equipment that's typically more powerful than unique items acquired during exploration. It's considered endgame content, as player-crafted enchanted gear almost always outperforms lootable Unique items in terms of magical effectiveness and utility.
Q2: How do I unlock enchanting capabilities in Oblivion Remastered?: The main form of enchanting is soft-locked behind the Mages Guild questline. You must join the Mages Guild and progress to 'Apprentice' rank to access Enchanting Altars in Guild Halls. Alternatively, you can utilize Sigil Stones obtained by closing Oblivion Gates during the main questline, which doesn't require Mages Guild membership but offers less customization.
Q3: What's the complete process for enchanting items using Enchanting Altars?: To utilize Enchanting Altars: 1) Engage an Altar of Enchanting; 2) Choose your target item under 'Gear'; 3) Pick a filled Soul Gem (bigger gems provide more charges); 4) Select your desired enchantment effect; 5) Tailor the Magnitude, Area of Effect, and Duration if prompted; 6) Name your item in the text box; 7) Click 'Enchant' to finalize. The interface displays maximum Soul charges (lightning icon), total uses before depletion (candle icon), and gold price (coin icon).
Q4: Where can I find Enchanting Altars in Cyrodiil?: There are two primary locations: The Arcane University (Mages Guild) southeast of Imperial City contains Altars in the Chironasium (through the metal gate right of the Arch-Mage's Lobby), accessible after reaching Apprentice rank. Alternatively, Frostcrag Spire player home east of Bruma atop Gnoll Mountain has both an Enchanting Altar and Spellcrafting Altar, though you'll need to purchase a Magetallow Candles Box from Aurelinwae at the Mystic Emporium in Imperial City's Market District (costs 3200+ gold, negotiable through Haggling) to activate them.
Q5: How do I reach Apprentice rank in the Mages Guild to access Enchanting Altars?: To join the Mages Guild, talk to any Guild Hall leader in Cyrodiil to become an Associate. To advance to Apprentice rank, you must visit all seven Mages Guild Halls throughout Cyrodiil (Anvil, Bravil, Bruma, Cheydinhal, Chorrol, Leyawiin, and Skingrad) and perform tasks to gain Recommendations. After collecting all seven Recommendations, speak with Raminus Polus at the Arcane University to be promoted to Apprentice.
Q6: How do Sigil Stones work for enchanting and where do I get them?: Sigil Stones are acquired by closing Oblivion Gates during the main questline. They come in five quality tiers (from lowest to highest): Descendant, Subjacent, Latent, Ascendant, and Transcendent. Higher-level Oblivion Gates yield higher-tier stones with stronger enchantment effects. Each stone contains two pre-determined enchantment effects: one offensive for weapons and one defensive for armor/clothing. To use a Sigil Stone: open your inventory, select the desired Sigil Stone, click on the item you wish to enchant, name your enchanted item, and select 'Enchant'.
Q7: What's the difference between Altar enchanting and Sigil Stone enchanting?: Enchanting Altars require Mages Guild membership (Apprentice rank) but offer more customization and allow weapons to receive two enchantments (though each will be individually weaker). Altar enchantments utilize spell effects you already know and require meeting skill requirements for casting those spells normally. Sigil Stones don't require Mages Guild membership but have pre-determined effects and can only apply one enchantment per item. Only Enchanting Altars can add two enchantments to an item; Sigil Stones cannot.
Q8: How can I get the exact enchantment I want from Sigil Stones?: Since there are over 30 Sigil Stones in Oblivion Remastered with random enchantments (though tier is fixed based on gate level), you can use save-scumming to obtain your desired effect. Save your game just before claiming the Oblivion Gate reward. If you receive a Sigil Stone with your desired enchantment, keep it; if not, reload and try again. Rewards are generated randomly each time, making this strategy viable. You can view a Sigil Stone's exact enchantment effects and their magnitude by checking the details screen's second menu tab in your inventory.
Q9: What items and knowledge do I need for successful enchanting?: For Altar enchanting, you need: access to an Enchanting Altar (Arcane University or Frostcrag Spire), an unenchanted item, a filled Soul Gem (larger gems provide more maximum charges), knowledge of spell effects, and sufficient skill levels to cast those spells normally. For Sigil Stone enchanting, you need: a Sigil Stone (obtained from closing Oblivion Gates), an unenchanted item, and no special skill requirements or guild memberships.
Q10: Can I add multiple enchantments to a single item in Oblivion Remastered?: Weapons can receive two enchantments when using Enchanting Altars, though each enchantment will be individually weaker than a single enchantment. Armor and clothing can only receive one enchantment regardless of method. Sigil Stones can only apply one enchantment per item, regardless of item type. The ability to add double enchantments to weapons is exclusive to Altar enchanting and represents one of its primary advantages over Sigil Stone enchanting.
