Summary
One of the reasonsThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remasteredgets so much love is the wide variety of activities characters can enjoy beyond what the quest library has to offer. A true open-world adventure, any player can level, craft, and explore without even acknowledging the main quest, and the various caves and caverns of Tamriel offer a wealth of resources, experience, and unique equipment.
Some of these locations are more difficult than others, and many are more appropriate for new characters or inexperienced players who want some extra gold or gearearly in the game. The adventure starts in the bowels of the Imperial City and takes the character to an isolated location to the northeast by the end of the tutorial. Even in this small area, there’s a lot to distract an ambitious adventurer.
7Goblin Jim’s Cave
He’s Not Really A Goblin
Skingrad is a small town on the road leading southwest from the Imperial City. The countryside isn’t rough or rocky, so players might be searching for resources or taking a shortcut to Chorrol when they discover Goblin Jim’s Cave. It’s also possible that Fadus Calidius in the Skingrad Fighters Guild mentioned it was a trouble spot and marked it on the map.
As the name suggests, the main enemies here are goblins, which are constantly aggressive but are some of the lowest-level enemies in the game. The cave is split into three areas, none too large or confusing, with Goblin Jim himself waiting in the Pantry section. This is also where most of the best treasure is hidden. Most of the chests scattered around don’t require lockpicks, anotheradvantage for low-level characters.
6Serpent Hollow Cave
Ideal For Alchemists
Slightly northwest of Goblin Jim’s Cave is Serpent Hollow Cave, which is a haven for bandits, rats, and Alchemy ingredients. There are ample supplies of Cairn Bolete and Wisp Stalk here, which have useful effects like Restore Health andFortify Speed, along with a wide variety of other plants and mushrooms.
Serpent Hollow Cave is the first part of the cave. The second half, Serpent Cave Chillers, has more difficult monsters, but it’s still not too hard for a beginner character. Most chests are either open already, or can be lockpicked at an Easy or Very Easy level.
5Rock Bottom Caverns
Mushrooms And Goblins
Compared to other caves in the region, which have two or three sections, the small Rock Bottom Caverns only has one. The only enemies here are goblins,which are easily dispatchedby even the lowest-level character. Some of the treasure here appears to have been plundered from the ruins of nearby Fort Dirich.
It’s a simple location that won’t amaze or impress, but it also appears in other parts of the lore. Players who also enjoy theThe Elder Scrolls Onlinemight have visited this cave in the same location as part of the Gold Road Pathfinder Achievement.
4Charcoal Cave
Miscellaneous Monsters And Bandits
Primarily a bandit hideout, this ample-sized dungeon has plenty of resources, treasure, and low-level enemies worthy of leveling up fighting skills. Be prepared to slay goblins, rats, and imps along with the bandits, and remember to take ample supplies so that the character has enough Health and Endurance to explore all of this vast underground network.
Charcoal Cave opens up into two more sections, the Abandoned Tunnels and Bandit Lair. The enemies are more difficult the further the tunnels extend. The traps might be more dangerous than the hostile creatures here, so watch out for log traps, swinging maces, and pressure plates.
3Fatback Cave
A Lakeshore Of Goblins
For those beginnerswho don’t feel like wandering too far from the Imperial City, there’s a cave on the far southern tip of the island on which the city is built. Fatback Cave is a fairly large underground complex inhabited by goblins and animal pests like rats and mudcrabs.
After exploring the first part of the cave, adventurers can move deeper into the complex and explore the Fatback Great Chamber and Fatback Deep Basins. Watch out for traps, especially tripwires, which are the most numerous in the Deep Basins.
2Wind Cave
An Extensive Network Of Imps And Trolls
After finishing up in Rock Bottom Caverns, head northwest to find the Wind Cave, a vastly different type of location only steps away. It’s a bigger and more difficult cave than the others nearby, and it’s recommended that the character has a ranged weapon equipped because some sniping makes this a lot easier.
Those who want to play it safe shouldn’t go any further than the initial part of the cave, but players with more confidence can venture into the Great Pit and the dramatically named Black Rat Ramble. Each of these parts of the cave includes sections in which enemies can attack the player from a high position, which iswhere the distance weaponscome in handy.
1Redguard Valley Cave
Ogres, Not Redguards
Despite the name, there are no actual Redguards to be found here. The Redguard Valley Cave is home to ogres and imps, monsters that are slightly higher up on the difficulty scale than the rats and goblins that guard the entrance. For those who have explored nearby Chorrol and spoken to Fathis Ules, the quest “Sins of the Father” also leads to this location.
This cave only consists of one zone officially, but it’s a large space divided into three main rooms containing a few chests and a wealth of useful mushrooms. The Ogre Chieftain and his treasure are waiting at the end of a long corridor on another level, separate from the rest of the complex and easy to miss, but essential for those doing the quest.
