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Just picked this up a couple days ago after coming out of Skyrim and I've heard a lot of horror stories about how complicated the leveling system is in this, so I figured why not just stay at level 1 and never sleep? I don't care about the guilds or all the go and fetch stuff, so I don't expect to be spending an insane amount of time with this one right now. Basically, I just wanted to get it to breeze through the main story and maybe Shivering Isles. Other than that, I'm not too crazy about doing all the side stuff.


Edit: I could use an answer soon if possible. Thanks.

To complete the Main Quest at Level 1, you will have to kill Umbra at Level 1.

Umbra is a nutty Wood Elf girl with superior armor and a sword that will eat your soul upon a rather nasty death.

She ain't very fun.

But, nail her to the wall and call it a day, you're perfectly on your way to completing the game while sticking to Level 1.

Find a tall rock or outcropping, point down and shoot her dead.

To expand on what Dark Spark said, the easiest, if not the only, way to defeat Umbra at level one is to go to the Bruma Mages Guild and get enchanted with Chameleon by Volanaro. (Look at the notes of page for details.) and then you can get unlimited chameleon hits on her, but you will need to swing fast.

Thanks for the quick replies. I forgot to tell you guys to go easy on the spoilers, but you didn't reveal too much so no worries. I did however, find this page on underleveling that really helped.

http://uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Under_Leveling

I just never saw the point in the whole "enemies level with you" thing. Turns out I was right in thinking I would be better off playing a low level game.

Bear in mind if you go to level 2 it gives you a choice of 2 more artefacts, which allows you to keep a zero weight Umbra, which happens to be one of the best swords in the game.

there is a quest in which you have to sleep (the one on the ship) so beware of that one

And to join a certain faction requires sleeping.

But even then, doing those 3 events take you to level 3 or 4, which is still a point at which the game is still matched to the player.

my first playthrough took me to 19th level and i still hadn't met some of the high level monsters, which was a shame

so maybe you might think of leveling up near the end of the main quest to around 23, just so the end bits have the complete cast of characters, as it were. I dunno tho, low level Oblivion is where most of the fun is imo

Just play the game. At max difficulty I have never had problems with the scaled opponents and I always level up to the high forties before I start adventuring. Use poisons or weakness magic or both. The Wiki got this totally wrong. People who couldn't figure it out had a problem with leveling.

What's wrong with leveling up? I never had a problem at higher levels, whether I did efficient leveling or just went willynilly. If things get too tough, you could always adjust the difficulty as needed, too!

What's wrong with levelling up? Answer: Nothing. The opposite question is also just as pertinent. What's wrong with NOT levelling up? Answer: Nothing. Either way, the answer is the same. This is because enemies are scaled roughly to YOUR Level so they're never too hard to beat, given the right tactics. This makes the game easy regardless of your Level.

Maybe I am forgetting something but why do you have to kill Umbra for the main quest with Brother Martin?

As for practical gameplay using swords...the Honorblade is just as effective/ineffective/obsolete as Umbra-sword, and Chillrend is in the same league if you are not going to level up. Both quests are easier to win than facing Umbra-person, and in the same location as the main quest (Chorral). In fact, getting Chilrend (easy) helps you get Honorblade much more easily.

Umbra can be quickly killed fighting toe to toe using a custom sword or mace made with an already filled greater (not grand) soul gem from the Chorral Mage guildhouse display case once you are admitted to the University and have built up the needed Destruction points to make the weapon (my girly did it early in level 3 with the help of her Breton Dragon Skin protective spell and some heavy armor), but then I had a mute situation by owning a much better weapon than the one I was fighting for.

You cannot start any Deadric Quest at level one, as such you cannot give any artifact to Martin. However, the quest for Clavicus Vile is glitched if you get the sword in advance and just head to the shrine, trade the sword for the Masque, and then you can continue with the main quest.

Just thought I'd give an update since I haven't posted in a while. Still on level 1 and having a ball with this game. I didn't get into the main quest too much because I kinda got sidetracked when I took a visit to the Shivering Isles. That place really screws with your head.

Thanks TP, I didn't realize all of the Daedric quests were level restricted.

Gamer819. --Glad you are still going strong. I walked around Shivering Isles for a while but stopped because I was burned out and was basically walking a super player through at level 42 without enjoying the new stuff. So I'm going to wait for a while before going back so it will seem like a whole new game. I found this game (GOTY) a couple a months ago on a used game shelf for $10, and have been playing the heck out of it.

the single best way to preserve the challenge and level normally imo, is to never put any level points into Endurance

You have to be level 2 to get the Azura's star in the main quest.