where to craft spells oblivion
You craft custom spells in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion at special “Altars of Spellmaking,” primarily in the Arcane University and (with DLC) at Frostcrag Spire.
Main Places to Craft Spells
1. Arcane University (Imperial City)
To use spellmaking in the base game, you need access to the Arcane University in the Imperial City.
- Join the Mages Guild in any city and get a recommendation quest.
- Complete all recommendation quests from the different Mages Guild halls to earn access to the Arcane University.
- Inside the University, go to the Praxographical Center , where you’ll find Altars of Spellmaking you can use to craft custom spells.
There are multiple altars there, and once you’re in the University, you can freely experiment with combining effects into new spells.
2. Frostcrag Spire (Wizard’s Tower DLC)
If you have the Wizard’s Tower / Frostcrag Spire plug‑in (included by default in some editions), you get another convenient spellmaking spot.
- Travel to Frostcrag Spire in the Jerall Mountains, east of Bruma.
- Start the “Frostcrag Spire” quest when you reach the tower.
- Go to the Mystic Emporium in the Imperial City Market District and buy the upgrades, especially the Magetallow Candles box.
- Return to Frostcrag Spire and activate the Altar of Spellmaking in the main hall once the Magetallow Candles are installed.
This altar works the same as the one in the Arcane University but is often easier to access once the home is set up.
Quick Story-Style Walkthrough
Imagine you’ve just finished a run through Kvatch and decide it’s time to stop buying basic fireballs and start crafting your own “signature” spell. You join the Mages Guild in a city like Chorrol, the local guild leader hands you a recommendation quest, and that turns into a mini‑tour of Cyrodiil: Cheydinhal, Bravil, Skingrad, and more, each giving you another task.
By the time you return to the Imperial City, letters in hand, the gates of the Arcane University finally open. Inside the Praxographical Center, glowing altars sit waiting. You walk up, open the spellmaking menu, and suddenly every effect you’ve learned becomes a toy: stack Fire Damage with Weakness to Fire, add a tiny Area, tweak Magnitude and Duration, and give it a dramatic name. One button press later, you’ve created a custom spell that only exists in your save file—but feels like something your character actually invented.
Key Points to Remember
- You can’t craft spells at regular chapels, guild halls, or from normal merchants; you must use an Altar of Spellmaking.
- Base‑game: unlock the Arcane University via all Mages Guild recommendation quests.
- DLC: Frostcrag Spire provides a home‑base altar once you buy the Magetallow Candles upgrade and activate the altar inside the tower.
Simple HTML Table Version
| Location | How to Unlock | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane University (Praxographical Center) | Join Mages Guild, complete all recommendation quests to gain access to the University. | [3][1]Several Altars of Spellmaking for full custom spell crafting. | [7][1]
| Frostcrag Spire (Wizard’s Tower DLC) | Travel to Frostcrag Spire, start its quest, buy upgrades (especially Magetallow Candles) from Mystic Emporium. | [5][1]Home‑base Altar of Spellmaking once candles are installed and altar is activated. | [1][5]
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.