The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered has completely overhauled its Attribute system, turning many once-forgotten stats into meaningful choices. Whether you’re planning your first character or returning to Tamriel with fresh eyes, this comprehensive guide breaks down every Attribute, how they’ve changed, and what builds benefit most.
A Detailed Guide To Attributes in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Why This Guide?
This isn’t just a patch note recap. This is a carefully researched, hands-on analysis designed to help you:
- Understand the core mechanical changes in Oblivion Remastered
- Make smarter character creation and leveling decisions
- Build effective and fun characters in line with the new Attribute system
Gone is the punishing micromanagement of the original game. You now gain 12 Attribute points (Virtues) per level and spend them freely on any three Attributes. All Attributes now function beyond 100 points, though damage scaling is capped.
This guide uses bold to indicate new effects and italics for modified effects from the original game.
Strength – Boosts Health, Not Fatigue
- +5 Carry Weight per point
- Increases damage dealt with most melee weapons (daggers and shortswords excluded)
- Adds Health equal to 2/3 of your Strength, truncated
- No longer increases Fatigue
Strength now directly improves survivability and remains essential for heavy melee builds, though its former all-purpose dominance has been toned down.
Intelligence – Magicka Capacity Only
- Adds Magicka equal to 2x Intelligence
- No longer affects Magicka regeneration
Intelligence is now strictly a reservoir for Magicka. It no longer controls regeneration speed, so high Intelligence without high Willpower leads to large but slow-recovering Magicka pools.
Willpower – A Top-Tier Attribute in Remastered
- Adds Fatigue equal to 2.7x Willpower, truncated
- No longer affects regeneration as a percentage of Magicka
- Increases the rate at which you regenerate Magicka by accelerating tick speed
- At 0 Willpower, Magicka regeneration is completely stunted
Willpower is now arguably the most powerful Attribute in the game. Not only is it the primary driver for Magicka regeneration, but it also heavily influences Fatigue. The higher your Willpower, the faster and more reliably you recover resources essential to all builds.
High Willpower enables fast-casting, fast-recovering mages. Low Willpower builds—especially Atronach-based—now carry meaningful drawbacks.
Agility – A Surprise Powerhouse
- No longer affects stagger chance when hit
- Increases Fatigue regeneration rate
- Adds Fatigue equal to 4/3x Agility, truncated
- Increases damage dealt with daggers, shortswords, and bows
Agility is now one of the most useful Attributes outside of Endurance. It supports fast, sustained combat and favors ranged or light melee playstyles. Combined with changes to Fatigue mechanics, this makes Agility crucial for maintaining combat effectiveness over time.
Speed – Movement and Sprinting
- Increases movement speed
- Decreases fast travel time
- Now affects the newly added Sprint mechanic, alongside Athletics
While Speed saw fewer mechanical changes, the addition of Sprinting and reworked movement makes it feel more impactful. Low Speed builds are no longer punishing due to the rebalanced baseline movement.
Endurance – The Meta Has Changed
- Adds Health equal to 4/3x Endurance, truncated
- Adds bonus Health per level: 10% of Endurance × (level – 1)
- This bonus is retroactive, unlike the original version
- Now regenerates Health outside of combat, scaling with Endurance
Endurance is no longer required to be power-leveled early. The retroactive Health bonus makes character growth more forgiving, while passive Health regeneration cuts down on downtime between battles.
Personality – Slightly Improved, Still Niche
- Improves NPC Disposition
- Improves haggling and speechcraft outcomes
- At high levels and paired with Fame, some hostile NPCs will not attack on sight
Despite improvements, Personality remains largely situational. With exploits like 1-second Fortify Personality spells still viable, its gameplay relevance is limited unless roleplaying or pursuing a diplomacy-style build.
Luck – Still Mysterious, Occasionally Useful
- Increases all Skills by 2/5 of Luck points over 50
- Reduces the chance of lockpicks and repair hammers breaking
- Affects Arena betting outcomes and Mehrune’s Razor instant kill chance
- Luck only increases by 1 point per level and costs 4 Virtue points
Luck is best used tactically or for unique gimmick builds. It provides passive benefits to Skills and certain niche mechanics but isn’t generally efficient to level consistently.
How Vitals Work in Oblivion Remastered
Magicka
- Max Magicka = 2x Intelligence + race/birthsign bonuses
- Regeneration is now controlled by Willpower’s tick speed, not a percentage of Intelligence
- Regeneration is paused briefly after casting and slowed in combat
- 0 Willpower stunts Magicka regeneration entirely
Result: Willpower is far more important for Magicka-based builds than Intelligence. A medium Intelligence, high Willpower build enables rapid spellcasting with faster regen. Prioritize Willpower over Intelligence for sustained magic use.
Health
- Max Health = (2/3 Strength) + (4/3 Endurance) + (10% Endurance × (level – 1))
- Endurance’s level-based bonus is retroactive
- Regenerates outside of combat, scaled by Endurance
Health growth is now smoother and more intuitive, freeing you from the original game’s level-up pressure. Strength gives a small bonus, but Endurance remains the primary source.
Fatigue
- Max Fatigue = (2.7x Willpower) + (4/3x Agility)
- No longer increased by Strength
- Now affects chance to be Staggered or Knocked Down when low
- Fatigue regeneration is higher, but drains faster during actions
- Running slows regeneration by 75% until you gain the Apprentice (Level 25) Athletics perk
- Sprinting now drains Fatigue, but becomes more efficient with Athletics perks
Fatigue has been rebalanced into a real-time combat resource. It no longer affects damage linearly but in thresholds, allowing you to better manage Power Attacks and stamina-heavy playstyles.
Best Attribute Priorities by Build Type
Caster Builds
- Prioritize: Willpower, Intelligence
- Optional: Endurance or Agility for survivability
High Willpower ensures Magicka comes back quickly. You can now effectively use smaller pools of Magicka with rapid regeneration.
Melee Builds
- Prioritize: Strength, Willpower, Endurance
- Optional: Agility for better Fatigue flow
Willpower is key even for warriors, thanks to its Fatigue benefits and stagger protection. Endurance handles Health, and Strength boosts damage.
Archer/Assassin Builds
- Prioritize: Agility, Speed, Willpower
- Optional: Luck or Endurance
Agility now boosts bows and daggers, while Speed and Willpower improve combat flow and resource recovery.
Final Thoughts
Oblivion Remastered finally delivers an Attribute system that feels purposeful and player-friendly. The punishing mechanics of the original version—especially in leveling and Attribute scaling—have been replaced with clearer, more empowering design.
The biggest takeaways:
- Willpower is essential for almost every build
- Endurance’s retroactive Health bonus fixes a long-standing flaw
- Agility is no longer niche—it’s powerful
- The grind is gone, the strategy remains
These changes create a smoother, more modern experience that respects your time and encourages build diversity. Whether you’re planning a warrior, mage, or stealth hybrid, this Attribute system gives you tools to succeed without forcing a meta.
Last Updated on April 25, 2025
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