Like any good RPG,The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Remasteris known for having a prettydiverse character customizerthat allows for both a wide range of cosmetic options and choices, but also character backgrounds and races that augment the gameplay in unique and interesting ways. One of the most important decisions when creating a character is the birthsign that represents the star sign of the character, and each provides its own set of buffs, bonuses, and even some spells to start the player’s adventure off in a different way.
An iconic race in theElder Scrollsfranchise is the Dunmer, also known as Dark Elves. The starting stats and abilities that the Dunmer have are pretty great, with some built-in fire resistance and skill bonuses that affect both blade weapons and destructive magic. This makes the race a pretty great all-around choice that has a good amount of versatility and gives the player a lot of choice over the kind of build they can make. Whether magic or swords, the Dark Elf is a great starter class to set the player off on an adventure with some decent power and bonuses to prevent them from falling too early.
5The Lady
Simplistic Power That Never Feels Weak
For players seeking a resilient and dependable character build, look no further than the Lady birthsign. Offering substantial benefits through bonuses to Willpower and Endurance, attributes that are critical for both survivability and sustained performance in prolonged battles, the sign adds a significant bonus to the player’s resilience in combat, as well as their ability to pump out spells as and when they need to. Dark Elves, who already possess abalanced stat distribution,can use these additional bonuses to become incredibly difficult to kill, thriving both in the thick of battle and in prolonged magical engagements.
The Lady’s bonuses encourage a versatile playstyle that blends magic and melee without overcommitting to one discipline, which can often be the downfall of some of the other sign choices. Dark Elves under this sign will find themselves able to recover quickly from damage, control fights more easily with sustained spell use, and endure attacks that would stagger less durable builds. Although The Lady does not directly boost offensive capabilities and doesn’t come with any flashy spells or abilities, being able to keep a strong defense while still casting reliably makes it an excellent choice for players who want to stay in the fight longer.
4The Warrior
For When The Spells Just Aint Cutting It
The Warrior birthsign grants a straightforward but powerful bonus, increasing both Strength and Endurance by ten points each, which is a pretty substantial buff to have at the start of the game. The boost to melee damage and overall survivability is incredibly valuable for any class, and for Dark Elves, who naturally possess balanced physical and magical abilities, this birthsign shifts their potential firmly toward physical dominance without entirely discarding their magical utility. It is an excellent choice for players intending to build a frontline combatant who can endure punishment and dish out significant damage with every strike, thriving in close-quarters battles where precision and resilience are key.
Choosing The Warrior encourages an aggressive, weapon-focused playstyle, where swords, axes, and heavy armor take precedence over spellcasting, whilst not sacrificing the ability to multi-class in any way. Dark Elves benefit uniquely from this approach, as their agility and speed allow them to be quicker and more evasive than traditional heavy fighters, while the bonuses from the sign give them the necessary raw power to match any opponent toe-to-toe. It might not be a mage’s best friend when it comes to stat buffs, but for a Dark Elf looking to get up close and personal, it’s a pretty solid choice that doesn’t inhibit the player’s ability to swap into another playstyle later on.
3The Mage
Any Spellcasters Dream
When building a character with the intent of utilizing powerful spells and overwhelming enemies with a wide variety of magical effects, few attributes are as valuable as pure Magicka. The Mage birthsign grants a flat +50 bonus to Magicka, with not a single downside, giving players a significant edge early on when spells are costly and magical stamina is at a premium. The bonus makes the sign an ideal choice for characters who plan to weave destruction, conjuration, or restoration heavily into their core gameplay, and Dark Elves with their innate fire resistance and balanced attributes are uniquely poised to benefit from the flexibility this sign offers, blending both offensive and defensive magic with ease.
Choosing the Mage birthsign enhances the hybrid potential of the Dark Elf, encouraging a playstyle where spellcasting is a primary tool without sacrificing effectiveness in melee combat. The freedom to sit back and throw an onslaught of spells, only to swap to a hefty sword to cut down anyone who gets too close, feels amazing and takes away any restrictions that other signs may have. Furthermore, this abundance of Magicka synergizes well withenchantment-focused gameplay, allowing for a heavier reliance on charged weapons and magical items and granting the player a powerful foundation from the earliest stages of the game.
2The Thief
Stealth And Elf Go Hand-In-Hand
Elves are known for being cunning and sneaky, so it makes perfect sense for a stealth player to choose this birthsign to play into the stereotype as perfectly as possible. The Thief provides bonuses to three essential attributes, each of which influences core aspects of the game like map traversal and skill effectiveness, which can be invaluable in more situations than just stealth. For Dark Elves, who are naturally inclined toward agile, stealth-oriented builds, the birthsign amplifies these strengths, offering aswift and elusive playstyleperfect for those who prefer hit-and-run tactics, assassination, or infiltration.
It also encourages a highly mobile and tactical style of gameplay where positioning and timing are paramount and turns the game into less of an action RPG and more of a true stealth game. Dark Elves under this sign excel at striking from the shadows, evading pursuit, and exploiting enemy weaknesses with precise attacks, and the added effectiveness that comes innately from attacking from the shadows more than makes up for the lack of direct damage buffs the sign provides. Coupled with the Dark Elf’s built-in resistance and balanced attribute pool, The Thief allows for the creation of an exceptionally deadly and unpredictable character no matter the setting.
1The Apprentice
The True Magical Glass Canon Experience
An incredibly powerful sign with an equally incredible drawback, The Apprentice offers one of the most dramatic increases to Magicka in the game, whilst also making the player highly susceptible to enemy mages. This makes it a double-edged choice that can lead to either overwhelming power or catastrophic failure, depending on how the character is built and played. For Dark Elves, who already benefit from a natural 75% resistance to fire, this trade-off can be partially mitigated, and makes the downside a little less suffocating than with other races.
The Apprentice encourages a high-risk, high-reward playstyle where powerfulspellcasting capabilities are prioritizedabove all else, and every decision when taking on stronger magic users needs to be taken with care and caution. Dark Elves utilizing this sign will find that they can unleash all manner of powerful spells far earlier than other characters, giving them a massive advantage against conventional enemies. And as the traditional mage playstyle is already fairly safe, the drawback basically disappears for large portions of the game, and is non-existent against the long list of melee enemies that players will encounter. For players willing to embrace the risks, The Apprentice enables a Dark Elf to become one of the most dangerous and explosive forces in the entire game and offers a level of power from the start that is pretty hard to beat.
