GUIDE: All Oblivion Remastered Secrets and Tricks

May 6, 2025 Joshua Brunhoff

Hidden Secrets and Easter Eggs of Oblivion Remastered

Welcome, fellow adventurers, to Cyrodiil! While you might be familiar with the main quest and the major guilds, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is packed with countless secrets, hidden locations, quirky references, and useful exploits that the game might not ever explicitly tell you about. Whether you're a returning veteran or exploring the land for the first time, hunting down these hidden gems adds a delightful layer to your journey. Let's uncover some of the most intriguing secrets the remaster has to offer!

Familiar Faces and Timeless Quirks

Many classic secrets and fan-favorite oddities from the original Oblivion have been faithfully brought back in the remaster.

Rufio's Dark Past: One of your very first contracts for the Dark Brotherhood is Rufio. Before you carry out the task, you can ask him what he did, and he'll confess to a violent act, saying, “She struggled. I told her to just stay still but she wouldn't listen. I had no choice.” This grim detail adds depth to the character's story before his demise.
M'aiq the Liar: This recurring character appears in every Elder Scrolls game, often dropping meta-commentary and hints about other titles in the series. In Oblivion, M’aiq might hint at future features like the dragon battles seen in Skyrim. You can find him wandering near Bruma.
The Adoring Fan: After achieving Grand Champion status in the Arena, you'll gain a relentlessly cheerful Wood Elf follower who praises you incessantly—an iconic joke of the game.
The Unicorn: Hidden in Harcane Grove and guarded by Minotaurs, this majestic unicorn may be tamed if you approach without weapons drawn—but beware, it may wander off once dismounted.
The Bloated Float: A seemingly normal inn at the Imperial City Waterfront hides a surprise. Sleep there, and you might wake up to a pirate hijacking, launching a surprise quest.
The Floating Paintbrush: In the Bruma Mages Guild, look for a paintbrush suspended in mid-air, a charming nod to in-game physics quirks or magical mishaps.

Secrets Added or Enhanced in the Remaster

The remaster isn't just a visual upgrade—it includes subtle new additions and enhancements for keen observers.

Distant Vistas: From Cyrodiil's northern edge, you can see Skyrim's Throat of the World and the magical beam of Red Mountain from Morrowind.
Todd Howard's Secret Room: PC players can access a hidden dev room via console commands. The room contains every item in the game and features an NPC voiced by Todd Howard himself.
Detailed Weather Effects: Snow now sticks to clothing during storms, especially noticeable on sets like the Black Hand robes.
Recreated Old Bugs: Some original glitches have been faithfully recreated in small, hidden areas as jokes.
Secret Developer Signature: A dungeon wall etching reads “Thank you for playing” in Daedric runes.
Subtle Lore Teasers: An unreachable Dwemer cog in the Arcane University teases ancient lore, despite Dwemer not being native to Cyrodiil.

Unmarked Locations and Hidden Stories

Cyrodiil is dotted with unmarked areas telling small stories or hiding valuable loot.

The Abandoned Town: A ruined village hides worshippers of a Lovecraftian horror. Find sacred texts and underground caves by exploring its homes.
The Giant Rat: A massive rat in a basement remains from dev testing. It's fully functional and alarmingly fast.
Fin Gleam Helmet: Off the Abecean Sea near Anvil, dive near a skeleton to find this enchanted helmet. Its wearer drowned mysteriously despite its water-breathing enchantment.
Dive Rock: Near Aaron's camp, you’ll find a fallen climber’s body and clues about a monster atop the cliff. Climb to find Ura Matron, a terrifying ghost creature.
Rustlin's Shop: Attempting theft here leads to a relentless shopkeeper chase and a deadly guard dog upstairs.
The Unsuccessful Troll: Southeast of Skingrad lies a dead troll under a bridge with a suicide note—a morbidly funny tale of a failed toll collector.
Ruins of All Things Alchemical: South of Fort Magia, find ruins of Skingrad’s original alchemy shop, complete with signage and leftover loot.
Hidden Chambers: Secret caves, pirate ships, and tombs hide behind levers, trap doors, and misdirection—many are entirely unmarked.
The Hill of Suicides (Shivering Isles): Spirits here long for their missing heads. Return them for the unique Risen Flesh spell.

Game-Changing Exploits and Useful Tricks

These long-standing mechanics still work in the remaster—and can break the game in your favor.

The Skeleton Key: Earn this unbreakable lockpick with a +40 lockpicking boost via Nocturnal's quest at level 10.
Permanent Daedric Gear: Acquire temporary items from runestones, damage and repair them, and they become permanent. Repeat for a full set.
Permanent Bound Items: Use Bound Weapon/Armor spells, then damage and repair before the spell ends to keep the item forever—weightless and permanent.
Duplication Glitch: Still functional for most items using container/item stack tricks.
Instant Level-Up Glitch: Reported to still work.
Boots of Springheel Jack: Survive a fall without wearing the boots, and you keep them after the Thieves Guild quest.
Necromancer’s Amulet Bug: If you go to jail while wearing this Mages Guild reward, it may become permanently equipped.

Unique Gear from Quests

Some of the best items require specific actions or completion conditions.

Dark Brotherhood

Black Band, Sufferthorn, In a Cruelty’s Heart, Blade of Woe, Black Hand Robes
Many of these are missable if you don't act before the Purification quest.

Thieves Guild

Bands of Kwang Lao, Hormir's Ice Staff, Boots of Springheel Jack, Grey Cowl of Nocturnal

Mages Guild

Spell Drinker Amulet, Wizard’s Fury, Arch-Mage’s Robes, Bloodworm Helm, Necromancer’s Amulet (bugged)

Other Notables

Umbra’s Armor and Sword: Either fight her or lure her into a city.
Freezing Blade: Reward for defending NPCs from goblins.

A World Rich with Detail

Oblivion Remastered isn't just a game—it’s a world that rewards exploration and curiosity.

The Orange Road offers stunning Imperial City views.
Random bandit camps and shipwrecks build immersion even without loot.
Dynamic weather adds life—lightning, storms, and snow now have physical effects.

From references to Princess Bride, Nightwish, Fight Club, and Monty Python, to mysterious acrostic poems and executed NPCs with beards, the developers clearly had fun crafting a world for you to explore and uncover.

So grab your lockpicks (or the Skeleton Key!), pack some potions, and step off the beaten path. Cyrodiil has many stories left to tell.