# Two weeks to..... Oblivion **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180 "2006-03-05T21:40:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/301 "2006-03-30T04:47:48Z")
> [@brightpenny](#): > > I’m not really playing yet, just looking around a little and trying out mods. I’ve only gotten to Imperial Market after escaping prison. But I was wondering…is it better to sell things to shopkeepers or are there freelance NPC’s in each town who give you better deals? Same question with buying. While it certainly pays to shop around, I haven’t noticed massive price differences between different people. I do get the feeling (but I’m not entirely sure) that you get good deals when trading with people in one of your guilds. I believe you can buy stuff cheaply from The Copious Coinpurse in the Imperial Market, at least at the start of the game (don’t want to spoil this too much, but there is a quest in which you find out the reason). I’m not sure if a good trader to buy from is necessarily a good or bad trader to sell to, or if this is unrelated. Frankly, the price differences between merchants just hasn’t been enough to motivate me to look into this in depth. Having said that, the merchant’s disposition toward you can make a big difference as to how far you can haggle. Before trading anything with anyone, I think it’s a good idea to play the persuasion game until it’s maxed out. In fact, when you’re starting out, play the persuasion game with _everyone_ you talk to. Become one with the persuasion game. Don’t bribe anyone unless you _need_ them to like you (to give you information, or if you plan to trade with them regularly). But the persuasion game is free and well worth it. Playing it on everyone you meet is not only good practice for you, it raises your character’s Speechcraft ability. Getting your character up to 25 Speechcraft levels gives you the rotate button, which makes future persuasions a lot easier. > [@](#): > > Also, how do you use “touch” spells? How do you just touch someone in a battle? Unequip the weapon and punch him with your hand? No need to unequip. Just cast the spell as normal (press ‘c’). If you’re close enough to someone it will work. If not, it will just fizzle out. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/302 "2006-03-30T05:26:23Z")
The nice thing about Touch spells, though is that you don’t have to sheath any weapons. You can do a Touch while holding sword and shield. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/303 "2006-03-30T06:22:54Z")
Thought I’d post a link to [some useful console commands](http://www.elderscrolls.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=301961&hl=). I just had to use no clipping to fix a glitch in a quest (I had to kill someone who had somehow gotten behind a gate that wouldn’t open until that person was dead). ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/304 "2006-03-30T06:57:25Z")
> [@Jayrot](#): > > The nice thing about Touch spells, though is that you don’t have to sheath any weapons. You can do a Touch while holding sword and shield. Yup. But of course, for the second or so it takes to cast the spell, you can’t block or attack, leaving you open to the enemy. So good timing is important here. A great time to cast a touch spell is just after the enemy has swung and missed, while he’s still regaining his balance. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/305 "2006-03-30T07:14:06Z")
> [@Jayrot](#): > > More basic questions since y’all are doing such a great job of bringing me up to speed. If you want me to stop, just tell me to buzz off and start a new thread: > > Is weapon magic damage cumulative? That is, if I have my Sufferthorn blade which says that it damages strength 5pts on strength, this baddie should be a 90lb weakling after I’ve landed 7 or 8 hits, right? Doesn’t seem to be the case. Similar for spells like “Burden”, etc. If I cast it 10 times on someone (as I’ve been known to do), logically they shouldn’t be able to move at all after several hits, no? This is my biggest complaint besides the interface - spell effects can be ambiguous. For instance, from what I gather, something that says “damage health 5 points for 30 seconds” means 5 damage to health every second for 30 seconds, 150 damage total. However, “drain strength 30 for 30 seconds” means a single, instant drain of 30 strength, that lasts 30 seconds, after which the mana comes back. Most effects don’t stack, as far as I can tell. Casting burden 10 times just renews the timer every cast. Some probably do. How can you tell? As far as I know, you can’t except through observation, which can be a pain with all the spells available. > [@](#): > > Continuing on this line of questioning, what’s the deal with fatigue. I guess it’s > really mislabeled Stamina. But if I drain 20 points of an opponent’s fatigue, what does that mean practically? They’re less likely to block? They move slower? What does that do for me? You, and they, don’t hit as hard with low fatigue. Less damage with melee weapons. > [@Lissa](#): > > How much you will make depends on the merchant’s disposition towards you and your mercantile skills. You can bribe the merchant to get his disposition up, or if you do a task for them (if they offer you a quest) their disposition will be high. Playing the speechcraft game, and using charm spells, also raise disposition. > [@](#): > > Sorta. You’ll see your hand reach out and tap them. I prefer “blast” spells myself that let you kill enemies at safe distances. Touch spells are more cost effective in terms of mana than ranged spells. I find them ideal for battlemages where you two are standing shield to shield and no one wants to take the first swing and make themselves vulnerable… great moment for some frost touch. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/306 "2006-03-30T07:21:45Z")
By the way - when haggling, look at the level of their mercantile skill. In the haggling window it’ll tell you mercantile: novice (or apprentice, journeyman, expert, master) - that affects how much you can haggle. Try to bargain with people with low skill. Additonally, as you get higher in level, you’ll notice shops have more or less gold. It can be worth going to another shop because you can get 1200 gold for your 4000 gold item rather than 800. By the way, the values on the haggle slider aren’t constant with different shops. Dead smack in the middle might be selling for 65% of value with one person, depending on their disposition and mercantile skill, whereas dead center is 72% with another. Look at the percentages, not the slider bar relative position, when determining the best value. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/307 "2006-03-30T10:20:21Z")
Ooooh, I’ve got a hard choice. I have a sigil stone that for weapons does 50 drain magicka, and for armor has fortify 50 magicka. The dagger is awesome - I can paralyze an opponent and then hit them a few times and have enough magicka to paralyze them again… but it only lasts 50 whacks until I need a very serious recharge… whereas the 50 mana, where now I have about 110, gives me a significant, permanent boost. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/308 "2006-03-30T14:50:47Z")
Perhaps someone higher level than me can answer this. Is there a higher level nighteye spell that lasts longer than 15 seconds? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/309 "2006-03-30T14:56:51Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Ooooh, I’ve got a hard choice. > > I have a sigil stone that for weapons does 50 drain magicka, and for armor has fortify 50 magicka. The dagger is awesome - I can paralyze an opponent and then hit them a few times and have enough magicka to paralyze them again… but it only lasts 50 whacks until I need a very serious recharge… whereas the 50 mana, where now I have about 110, gives me a significant, permanent boost. The one question I had was can you use the sigil stones for enchantment without a problem or may they be useful later? I assume it doesn’t matter… but it is always in the back of my mind… I mean these were the stones that created planes of Oblivion after all! ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/310 "2006-03-30T14:57:55Z")
(forgot something) … though I guess if you weren’t supposed to use them, you couldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Grossbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@Grossbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grossbottom)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/311 "2006-03-30T16:35:14Z")
> [@DeadlyAccurate](#): > > Perhaps someone higher level than me can answer this. Is there a higher level nighteye spell that lasts longer than 15 seconds? Check Bravil, the mages’ guild there specializes in illusion and has one or two longer versions available, although they take a high illusion skill. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/312 "2006-03-30T16:55:00Z")
> [@DeadlyAccurate](#): > > Perhaps someone higher level than me can answer this. Is there a higher level nighteye spell that lasts longer than 15 seconds? Sure. If you’re a vampire then there’s an inherent power that gives you quite a bit of nighteye, and if you go to the arcane university after doing the recomendations quest you can craft your own version of the spell. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/313 "2006-03-30T17:11:17Z")
> [@brightpenny](#): > > Omg, I’m still shaking. Happy Birthday to me next month! (Shipping mid-April): > > \*\*Aurora™ 7500 \*\* > \ I just pulled the trigger on a very similar system from Alienware. I feel good about the X2 4400 knowing that others made the same decision. I went for 2 7900 GT’s though. Not sure why, or how the 2 would compare to a single GTX. Also added a 2nd hard drive. Nothing like scheduling a full [and bootable!] backup once week. If anything goes wrong, you just have to change to boot order and you’re back in business. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/314 "2006-03-30T17:11:56Z")
I don’t have time right to read the whole thread. I went to the first Oblivion Gate and accidentally killed one of the guys helping me. I went back to Imperial City, went to the waterfront and ran out to the lighthouse. A guard immediately arrested me. What did I do wrong? Did “forces unknown” see me kill one of my own men and turn me in? Is the lighthouse off limits somehow? ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/315 "2006-03-30T17:26:38Z")
Unfortunately it seems that guards/soldiers/etc. from each town can telepathically talk to each other. That is, if you have a bounty on your head or a warrant for your arrest (say for killing a guard) it goes for everywhere in the game. ---
**Author:** ![Grossbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@Grossbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grossbottom)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/316 "2006-03-30T17:28:02Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > What did I do wrong? Did “forces unknown” see me kill one of my own men and turn me in? Is the lighthouse off limits somehow? Probably the former. I’ve crawled all over the lighthouse without a problem. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/317 "2006-03-30T17:38:26Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > I don’t have time right to read the whole thread. I went to the first Oblivion Gate and accidentally killed one of the guys helping me. > > I went back to Imperial City, went to the waterfront and ran out to the lighthouse. A guard immediately arrested me. > > What did I do wrong? Did “forces unknown” see me kill one of my own men and turn me in? Is the lighthouse off limits somehow? The guard have senses that would make Superman blush. As an archer, I’m quite annoyed at how often the guards get in my way. Yes, I know that shooting arrows into a melee may not be smart, but this is fantasy! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/318 "2006-03-30T17:59:32Z")
I learned today the hard way that there are four save slots and old saves are deleted (without warning) when you quicksave. I lost two or three hours on my first character when I created a new one to practice some console cheats. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/319 "2006-03-30T18:05:40Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > I learned today the hard way that there are four save slots and old saves are deleted (without warning) when you quicksave. I lost two or three hours on my first character when I created a new one to practice some console cheats. This must be on the XBox. On the PC, I’ve got close to 30 saves at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180/320 "2006-03-30T18:09:45Z")
No, on the PC. I can’t seem to find more save slots. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-weeks-to-oblivion/347180.md?page=17)