Oblivion Bestiary

by Sinder Velvin

These are the creatures in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. Choose one.

Sorting creatures for Oblivion was slightly complicated, but I tried to keep all the minimalist traditions of the former Bestiaries intact, while also adapting to Oblivion's peculiarities.

<Animals>
• Bear, Black
• Bear, Brown
• Boar
• Deer, Buck
• Deer, Doe
• Dog
• Horse, Bay
• Horse, Black
• Horse, Chestnut
• Horse, Paint
• Horse, White
• Lion, Mountain
• Mudcrab
• Rat, Giant
• Sheep, Female
• Sheep, Ram
• Slaughterfish
• Wolf

<Daedra>
• Atronach, Flame
• Atronach, Frost
• Atronach, Storm
• Auroran
• Clannfear
• Daedroth
• Dremora
• Scamp
• Spider Daedra
• Xivilai

<Monsters>
• Dreugh, Land
• Goblin, Berserker
• Goblin, Normal
• Goblin, Shaman
• Goblin, Skirmisher
• Goblin, Warlord
• Imp
• Minotaur, Lord
• Minotaur, Normal
• Ogre
• Spriggan
• Troll, Normal
• Troll, Painted
• Udyrfrykte, Matron
• Will-o-the-Wisp

<Undead>
• Ghost
• Lich
• Skeleton
• Wraith, Gloom
• Wraith, Normal
• Zombie

The smaller of the two Bears native to Cyrodiil, the Black Bear is still a dangerous opponent. It hits hard but is not particularly fast, so it is best dealt with from a distance.

This huge Bear can take a tremendous punishment and still stay on its feet. A blow from its paw can stagger the mightiest warrior, so treat this woodland giant with respect.

The woodland Boar's tough hide makes it surprisingly dangerous for its compact size. The Boar can do a great deal of damage if it can land a blow, so staying out of its relatively short reach is advisable.

Deer are found throughout the woodlands and fields of Cyrodiil. They are skittish and will flee from danger, but hunters prize their meat. The buck is rather more dangerous when forced to fight.

Deer are found throughout the woodlands and fields of Cyrodiil. They are skittish and will flee from danger, but hunters prize their meat.

These large, fierce canines are often employed as guard dogs by Bandits and Marauders due to their keen seen of smell and excellent eyesight.

More expensive than the Paint Horse, the Bay Horse is faster but with lower Health.

The Black Horse is the most expensive in addition to being the fastest. With only slightly lower Health than the White Horse, it also has the best combat skill of any of the horses.

The Chestnut Horse is faster than the Bay and Paint Horses, but has the lowest Health of all the horses.

The hardy Paint Horse is a good choice for anyone needing a reliable mount for a reasonable price.

The White Horse is as fast as the Chestnut Horse, but far sturdier.

The Mountain Lion's high Agility and heavy strike make it a very dangerous melee opponent.

A dangerous nuisance near any body of water, Mudcrabs are interesting only as a source of succulent crabmeat.

The Rat is a hardy, abundant hunter-scavenger, found both above and belowground. A favorite food source of Goblins, although most civilized folk would prefer other fare. Dangerous only in large numbers.

The common domesticated Sheep is placid and nonaggressive. But tasty.

The common domesticated Sheep is placid and nonaggressive. But tasty.

The Slaughterfish is an aggressive predator found in both open waters and subterranean pools.

A common predator throughout Cyrodiil, Wolves can be found both outdoors and in the caves where they make their lairs. Vampires often keep them as guards and companions.

A larger and fiercer cousin of the Wolf, Timber Wolves can bring down the largest prey when a pack has assembled.

The Flame Atronach is a powerful Daedric summoning associated with elemental fire. Crystalline elemental fire compounds called fire salts may be salvaged from the remains of Flame Atronachs. They prefer to stand off and blast their enemies with fireballs, but they are equally dangerous in melee. Use frost magic to bring them down quickly.

The ponderous Frost Atronach makes up in hitting power what it lacks in speed, so stay out of reach of its huge fists. Its freezing grip can do lasting frost damage, and it can hurl icy chunks of its body great distances.

The Storm Atronach is a powerful Daedric summoning associated with elemental lightning. It can deliver shock damage at range or in melee.

Minions of Meridia that have not been seen in Tamriel for thousands of years. Exclusive to the Knights of the Nine official plugin.

The Clannfear, with its terrifying speed and razor-sharp claws, is one of the most dangerous Daedric beasts. Its heavy strike and damage reflection make it especially deadly to melee fighters. Fight it from a distance if you can, or use magic to bypass its damage reflection.

The mighty Daedroth can breathe fire and do terrible damage with its teeth and claws. Its teeth are highly prized by alchemists, but they remain very rare for good reason.

Dremora are a class of intelligent, powerful war spirits in the service of the Daedra Lord Mehrunes Dagon.

Churls are the lowest rank of Dremora: obsequious to superiors, ferociously cruel to humans and other Daedra. Like all Dremora, they wield both weapons and magic. Dremora mages may summon lesser Daedra to assist them in battle.

Caitiffs are the second rank of Dremora. They favor a heavy mace and shield in melee combat, and may use magic as well. They often carry potions and scrolls to fortify themselves in battles.

The third rank of Dremora are known as Kynval, or knights. They wield longswords and will not hesitate to use magic or potions to gain an advantage in combat.

The Kynreeve is an officer of a Dremora clan battle unit. They are equipped similarly to the Kynval, with the addition of a shield.

A Kynmarcher is a high officer responsible for a citadel, outpost, or gate, or a commander of a clan battle unit. These dangerous warriors wield heavy claymores, often enchanted, as well as an array of potions and spells.

The Markynaz, or grand dukes, are members of Mehrunes Dagon's Council of Lords. As such, they are among the most battle-hardened warriors in Dagon's service.

The Valkynaz are Mehrunes Dagon's elite personal guard. They are the most dangerous foes you will encounter within Dagon's realm.

The Scamp is a weak, cowardly servant of Mehrunes Dagon. Scamps may be summoned by Conjurers, and their skin is sought by alchemists for its magical properties.

The Stunted Scamp is a smaller and weaker cousin of the Scamp.

The bizarre Spider Daedra can spit poison great distances, but even more deadly is its ability to summon a tiny Spiderling that has a paralyzing bite.

The Xivilai is a powerful, semi-intelligent servant of Mehrunes Dagon. With a balanced combination of high melee skill and spellcasting, the Xivilai is a dangerous opponent for any type of character. Its one weakness is an inability to regenerate Magicka -- so be aware that when casting spells at it, you may simply be recharging its Magicka reserves.

The Land Dreugh is one of the odder creatures to infests the wilds of Cyrodiil. Its thick shell is highly resistant to both magical and normal damage, and it has the ability to direct electricity into its prey through its claws. Thankfully it is rather slow-moving, so keeping out of its way is the best way to deal with it.

The Berserker carries the best weapons of any Goblin and may also carry a shield. Their high Agility makes them formidable melee opponents.

The common Goblin is dangerous only in packs. They rarely venture from their underground lairs. Typically armed with iron weapons, they may also carry lockpicks and potions.

The Goblin Shaman is a dangerous spellcasting opponent. Particularly beware of its ability to paralyze you within melee range. The Shaman may carry a staff, but even without it has a range of spells to call on in combat, including summoning a Headless Zombie.

The Goblin Skirmisher is stronger than the common Goblin and is often armed with a bow.

The Warlord is the most powerful Goblin, wielding a variety of weapons and a shield. Like the shaman, it will level with you, so it will always provide a challenge even to the highest-level characters.

Imps are equally at home in the forests and caves of Cyrodiil. Usually solitary, they possess a mean intelligence that can make them dangerous opponents. Many an unwary traveler has been surprised by a blast of magic from a distant Imp.

The Minotaur Lord adds magic resistance to the already dangerous capabilities of the normal Minotaur. It is leveled to you, so he will become stronger along with your character.

A fierce fighter with either fists or a warhammer; watch out for the Minotaur's head-butt, which (in addition to doing damage) will heavily damage your armor.

The huge Ogre deals tremendous damage with his fists, if he can get close enough. Despite their great size, Ogres are surprisingly susceptible to poisons of all kinds.

The Spriggan is a guardian nature spirit, found both above and below-ground. She will summon a Black Bear to help her in combat. She also has the ability to heal herself completely three times, so she can be a very difficult opponent unless you can kill her quickly.

The Troll's uncanny ability to regenerate itself makes it a very dangerous opponent. Although the old wives' tale that it can only be killed by fire is false, there is a kernel of truth there. Fire, magical or otherwise, is one of the quickest ways to put an end to a Troll.

There are also powerful Painted Trolls unique to the quest called "A Brush with Death".

The mother of BloodMoon's Udyrfrykte, found on Dive Rock in northeastern Cyrodiil. As it is simply a curiosity and a nod to BloodMoon players, the developers used the Troll model with a special effect applied on it, instead of making a new one.

The Will-o-the-Wisp is unlike any other creature you will encounter. It isn't even clear whether it is a creature or spirit. Its ability to absorb Health and Magicka makes it particularly dangerous to melee fighters. It can also be difficult to hit with ranged weapons, due to its speed and ability to seemingly vanish and reappear in another place.

These restless spirits can only be harmed with silver or enchanted weapons. Beware of their ability to curse your Fatigue.

There are also Ancient Ghosts that are more powerful.

Like all noncorporeal undead, the Ancient Ghost can only be harmed by silver or magical weaponry, or destructive magic. It can turn itself invisible and strike from an unexpected direction.

The Lich is the pinnacle of the Necromancer's art. Particularly dangerous to spellcasters, the lich is difficult to harm with magic and has a wide range of high-level spells to draw upon.

A weaker version of the Lich, the Nether Lich is still a formidable opponent, with almost all the same dangerous magical abilities.

The Skeleton is a revenant that can be found wherever the restless dead are buried. Often the creation of Necromancers pursuing their dark researches, they are capable of using all manner of melee weapons, although the most common Skeleton usually is armed with a war axe.

The Skeleton Guardian dimly remembers its former life as a warrior and wields mace, shield, and bow with deadly skill.

The Skeleton Hero's high combat skill makes it a dangerous opponent in melee combat, as it can use a full repertoire of advanced combat moves and is equally adept at blocking.

The Skeleton Champion has one of the highest combat skills you will encounter, and it will often carry a sword as good as your own.

The strongest version of the Wraith, the Gloom Wraith adds a burden/absorb health curse to the usual deadly combination of weapon, claw, silence, and ranged frost attacks. The Gloom Wraith is leveled to you, so it will continue to increase in strength as your character rises in level.

The Wraith can attack with claw, weapon, or magic. Beware of its silence spell, and make sure to bring a magic or silver weapon, because it is immune to normal weapon damage.

The Faded Wraith is the weaker version of the Wraith, but it is deadly enough. Spellcasters need to especially beware of its ability to silence its enemies. Not completely incorporeal like the Ghost, the Wraith is even capable of using (all-too-real) weapons.

This mindless animated corpse can sustain an impressive amount of damage before being permanently laid to rest. Zombies also carry a wide variety of nasty diseases, so they are best avoided when possible.

Headless Zombies are even fiercer than their cranially advantaged fellows, perhaps due to their futile longing to regain their lost brains. As with all Zombies, fire is the preferred method of laying them to rest.

The Dread Zombie is easily recognizable by the foul cloud of corruption that it exudes. This cloud may in some way contribute to the Dread Zombie's ability to slowly repair its damaged flesh, which makes it a very dangerous opponent, particularly when attacking in groups. As with all Zombies, fire is the best remedy.