The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Factions & Reputation

Master Oblivion's factions: Fighters, Mages, Thieves, and Dark Brotherhood. Learn how to join, progress, and manage your reputation for unique rewards.

Factions & Reputation

In the world of Cyrodiil, aling yourself with various factions can sificantly impact your journey, offering unique questlines, powerful rewards, and altering how the world perceives you. Oblivion features several major guilds and smaller organizations, each with its own hierarchy, goals, and reputation system. Joining and progressing within these factions is a core aspect of the game, providing both challenges and opportunities.

The primary factions available to join are:

  • Fighters Guild: A mercenary organization focused on combat and monster hunting. Joining requires proving your combat prowess.
  • Mages Guild: An arcane society dedicated to the study and practice of magic. Membership requires demonstrating magical aptitude.
  • Thieves Guild: A clandestine network of thieves and smugglers operating in the shadows. Initiation often involves demonstrating stealth and thievery skills.
  • Dark Brotherhood: A shadowy order of assassins who serve Sithis. Joining this faction is a dark path, typically initiated through specific dark rituals.

Each faction has a series of quests that, when completed, increase your rank within that organization. Higher ranks unlock new quests, better equipment, and more respect from fellow members. Your reputation within a faction is tracked independently, meaning your standing in the Fighters Guild does not affect your standing in the Mages Guild, for example.

Reputation System:

Beyond faction ranks, your overall reputation with NPCs can be influenced by your actions. Completing quests, bribing guards, or performing heroic deeds can improve your disposition with the general populace. Conversely, committing crimes, failing quests, or making poor choices can lower your reputation, leading to hostility or distrust from NPCs.

Joining Factions:

The methods for joining each faction vary:

  • Fighters Guild: Speak to the Guild representative in Cheydinhal or Anvil.
  • Mages Guild: Speak to the Guild representative in Cheydinhal or Skingrad.
  • Thieves Guild: This often requires a specific trigger, such as being arrested or hearing rumors about the Gray Fox. The initial contact is usually made in the Imperial City.
  • Dark Brotherhood: This is typically initiated by hearing a specific rumor about the Black Sacrament and then sleeping in a rented room.

Benefits of Faction Membership:

  • Access to unique questlines and storylines.
  • Opportunities to acquire powerful and unique gear.
  • Skill training and access to specialized trainers.
  • Increased influence and respect within the game world.
  • Potential for unique dialogue options with NPCs.

Navigating the faction system is a rewarding experience that adds sificant depth and replayability to Oblivion.