Oblivion:Oblivion Gates

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This page provides details on where Oblivion Gates can be found and what they are. More information on the realm of Oblivion, which is inside the gates, can be found at the Planes Of Oblivion page.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Details 3 Fixed Gates 3.1 Appear at the start of the Game 3.2 Appear after completing the Dagon Shrine quest 3.3 During the Bruma Gate quest 3.4 During the Great Gate quest 4 Random Gates 4.1 Locations of Random Gates 4.1.1 Blackwood 4.1.2 Colovian Highlands 4.1.3 Gold Coast 4.1.4 Great Forest 4.1.5 Heartlands 4.1.6 Jerall Mountains 4.1.7 Nibenay Basin 4.1.8 West Weald 5 Console Commands

[edit] Overview

Doorway to the Planes of Oblivion.

The cold charred remains of a recently closed Oblivion Gate.

These are portals that are opened by the forces of Oblivion, acting as bridges between the Mortal plane (Mundus) and the Daedric planes. Oblivion Gates are easily visible, especially at night, with their surrounding ring of fire. Also, just in case you missed their presence, passing near one will normally make the sky turn ominously red. Nearby gates will appear on your compass; if you approach near enough to the gate, a marker will be permanently added to your map (the marker remains present even if you close the gate).

Initially, only one Oblivion gate exists in the game, in front of the main gate of Kvatch. As you advance through the Main Quest, more and more gates will appear. There are a few locations where gates will always appear; in addition, there are a large number of randomly appearing gates. Completing the main quest will make them all disappear.

Closing an individual gate can only be accomplished by locating and removing the Sigil Stone that powers the gate. This sigil stone is found in the Sigillum Sanguis at the top of the main tower within the associated Plane of Oblivion the gate leads to. Once removed, the sigil stone can then be used to enchant one item. Although sometimes there are many towers, the main tower is always easily distinguishable by the blood red windows on its top floor.

[edit] Details

The appearance of an oblivion gate generally triggers additional changes in the surrounding landscape. Bloodgrass and Harrada may be found near the gate; architectural features such as spikes and bridges that are normally only found in the Plane of Oblivion may appear.

Probably of more immediate interest to your character are the creatures that come through the gate from Oblivion. Near each gate you will find one to four leveled Daedra. If you are planning to enter the gate, it is probably worth spending the time killing off these daedra before entering. Otherwise, you will be forced to face them after you close the gate; they will not magically disappear along with the gate.

Before venturing into the realm of Oblivion, make sure that your armor and weapons are in top condition and that you’re well equipped with lots of potions, arrows, repair hammers, soul gems, and even a backup weapon if necessary (this is especially advised if you use a magic weapon and have not yet reached Journeyman level in Armorer). It is generally possible to return back through the gate for resupplies, but there are some Oblivion worlds where it becomes impossible to return to the gate.

After you have closed a gate, its charred wreckage will remain, permanently blighting the landscape. Any bloodgrass or harrada that took root near the gate will remain present, which can provide a useful source of ingredients after you have finished the main quest.

A few Oblivion Gates form on top of Wayshrines, destroying most of the shrine. However, the altar itself remains present, half-buried next to the gate. The altar can still be activated while the gate is open and after the gate has been closed.

There are different approaches to take with the Oblivion Gates. You may wish to close each gate as you encounter it. This is particularly useful if you want to collect sigil stones and gain Fame. Entering a gate early will allow you to battle easier daedra (the daedra are all leveled, based upon your level at the moment you enter the gate). This might allow you to quickly get the gate closed. If you wait you will find increasingly harder opponents and more valuable loot until both cap at level 24.

There are some good reasons to close a gate:

• Sigil Stones found after level 17 will give up to twice the power of enchantments made at an altar of enchanting.
• You gain one or two points of Fame, usually one point.
• Dremora found inside have a good chance of carrying powerful rings and amulets.

There are no penalties for not closing a gate, so if the above does not look tempting, you can safely ignore all of the random gates. One Master Training quest, namely Mysticism training with Dagail, requires you to close three gates, but this is possible even if you close the minimum number of gates necessary to complete the main quest.

No gates reopen (unless you use the console to change the default game settings) and if you have closed 60 Oblivion gates you have closed them all (this includes 50 random gates, 9 standard gates, and the Great Gate). There are actually a total of 100 fixed locations where gates may open. At 10 locations this will always happen, and for 90 locations this is random. However, no more than 60 gates will open during the course of playing the game.

If you want your accomplishment page to read the total 60, then you must leave one random gate open until after closing the Great Gate. Prior to closing either of these last two, your accomplishment page will read 58. Even after you close the Great Gate, the accomplishment page will not change to 59. Only after you close the last standing random gate will both that gate and the Great Gate register as closed, giving you a total of 60.

[edit] Fixed Gates

There are 10 gates that are always at the same place when you reach certain points in the Main quest. These gates typically have fixed oblivion worlds associated with them. These gates are:

[edit] Appear at the start of the Game

• The gate in front of Kvatch (see map), leads to the Kvatch Oblivion World.

[edit] Appear after completing the Dagon Shrine quest

• The gate by Cheydinhal (see map), leads to the Cheydinhal Oblivion World.
  • see The Wayward Knight for details.
• The gate by Fort Sutch (see map), leads to one of four random worlds (2, 3, 4, or 7).
  • see Attack on Fort Sutch for details.
• The gate by Anvil (see map), leads to Random Oblivion World 7.
• The gate by Chorrol (see map), leads to Random Oblivion World 2.
• The gate by Leyawiin (see map), leads to Random Oblivion World 3.
• The gate by Skingrad (see map), leads to Random Oblivion World 4
• The gate by Bravil (see map), leads to Random Oblivion World 1

[edit] During the Bruma Gate quest

• The gate from Bruma Gate, located near Bruma (see map), leads to the Bruma Oblivion World.

[edit] During the Great Gate quest

• The Great Gate that also appears outside Bruma, leads to the Great Gate Oblivion World.

[edit] Random Gates

Most of the gates that you will encounter during the game appear randomly. These gates will connect to one of seven randomly chosen Oblivion worlds.

The number of random gates that can be open at any given time during the game is determined by how much of the Main Quest has been completed. In order to have the maximum number of gates open at a particular stage of the game, it is likely that you will need to explore and revisit several areas in order to trigger the random gates.

Ten random gates immediately appear after you complete the quest Find the Heir (i.e., once Martin is delivered to Weynon Priory). As you wander the countryside, there is a 25% chance that one of the gates listed below will appear. A maximum of 25 gates can be open at this point in the Main Quest.

When you complete Dagon Shrine, the Oblivion crisis escalates. The probability of a gate opening increases to 50%, and the maximum number of possible gates increases to 50.

After you exit Paradise and deliver the amulet to Martin, the probability of a gate opening reduces to 25% and the maximum number of open gates reduces to 20. If you have closed more than 20 gates at this point, no more will spawn. Only the fixed gate locations will be present.

When the Main Quest is completed, the probability reduces to 0% with zero maximum gates. All open gates are closed. There is a glitch, however, that will sometimes leave a gate open. This gate will have a fixed animation and Daedra may spawn, though you can't enter it.

[edit] Locations of Random Gates

Here are the general locations of some of the gates. There are 90 possible random gate locations in all, although at most 50 random gates will appear (plus the 10 fixed gates). The gates which appear in your game are selected randomly. To see the exact locations of these gates use the oblivion map.

[edit] Blackwood

• Southwest of where the map labels the Panther River, south of Welke.
• Immediately southeast of Arpenia.
• North of Leyawiin along the Yellow Road.
• Immediately north of Leyawiin.
• Immediately east of Leyawiin.
• Due east of Leyawiin, in Blackwood.
• Southeast of Leyawiin, north of Fort Blueblood.
• Southeast of Leyawiin and southwest of Fort Blueblood, on the coast of Topal Bay.
• Far southeast of Leyawiin, on a little peninsula in Topal Bay.

[edit] Colovian Highlands

• North of Chorrol and Hrotanda Vale.
• Immediately west of Chorrol.
• Southwest of Chorrol, west of Wendir.
• A little west of Talwinque.
• Immediately north of Kvatch.
• A little northeast of Kvatch.
• Far northwest of Kvatch, northeast of Trumbe.
• Northeast of Fort Linchal.
• Northeast of Fort Hastrel.
• Southwest of Varondo.
• Northeast of Varondo, southwest of Fort Ontus.
• Southwest of Fort Dirich.
• Northwest of Fort Dirich, southeast of Nonungalo.
• Northeast of Fort Ontus.

[edit] Gold Coast

• Southwest of Kvatch, a little southeast of Garlas Agea.
• A little west of Garlas Agea.
• South of Fort Strand.
• Immediately northwest of Anvil.
• Far north of Anvil, east of Beldaburo.
• A little northeast of Fort Sutch.

[edit] Great Forest

• South of Bruma, where the Silver and Orange Roads meet.
• Immediately southwest of Bruma.
• West of Bruma, northeast of Ninendava Ruins.
• Southwest of Bruma along the Silver Road.
• Immediately south of Chorrol near the Black Road.
• Northwest of Bravil, near Wenyandawik.
• North of Bravil, a little south of Fort Variela.
• Far north of Bravil and a little northwest of Fort Variela, near the Upper Niben.
• Far northwest of Bravil, southwest of Nenyond Twyll.
• Northwest of Bravil along the Green Road.
• Immediately west of the White Rose River, northwest of Fort Roebeck.
• Southeast of Fort Wooden Hand, northwest of Ceyatatar.
• A little northwest of Fort Nikel.
• Due north of Skingrad.
• A little southeast of Fort Carmala.
• Immediately northeast of Inn of Ill Omen

[edit] Heartlands

• Southeast of the Arcane University on City Isle.
• Immediately northeast of Vilverin.
• Northwest of Roland Jenseric's cabin.

[edit] Jerall Mountains

• Far North of Chorrol, northeast of Lipsand Tarn.
• West of Bruma, south of Rielle.
• East of Bruma, northeast of Sedor.
• Far east of Bruma and due North of Cheydinhal (a short walk West of Temple of the Ancestor Moths).
• A little southeast of Sedor, due east of where the Silver and Orange Roads meet.

[edit] Nibenay Basin

• A little north of Cheydinhal.
• Immediately northwest of Cheydinhal.
• Southeast of Cheydinhal near the Reed River.
• Southwest of Cheydinhal, near Lake Poppad.

[edit] West Weald

• Northwest of Skingrad, southwest of Bleak Flats Cave.
• Immediately south of Kvatch.
• East of Skingrad and southwest of Fort Vlastarus.
• Northeast of Skingrad along the Gold Road.
• East of Skingrad, near the Gold Road.
• Far southeast of Skingrad, north of Silorn.
• Northwest of Skingrad.
• Due west of Skingrad along the Gold Road.
• Southwest of Skingrad, east of Fort Istirus.
• Far northwest of Skingrad, southeast of Talwinque.
• Far south of Kvatch near the Putrid River.

[edit] Console Commands

There are several Console commands that can be used to control Oblivion Gates or influence whether or not random gates open. Note that all of the commands provided here are case insensitive; capitalization is done just for clarity.

• To close a gate while in Tamriel, click the gate in the console, and type:

CloseOblivionGate

• To close a gate while in Oblivion, type:

CloseCurrentOblivionGate

This will close the gate that you entered through and teleport you back to Tamriel.

• To determine how many of the random gates will open, type:

set MQ00.MaxOpenGates to x

x is a number between 0 and 90. Setting x to 0 will prevent any new random gates from opening (but will not close any that have already opened). Setting x to 90 makes it possible for all random gate locations to open (although does not guarantee that they will open: whether any particular one opens is still randomly determined each time you approach that area). Note that several Main Quests reset this variable.

• To change the likelihood of a random gate opening, type:

set MQ00.RandomGateChance to y

y is a number between 0 and 100, and provides the percent probability that a gate opens when you enter that cell. Setting y to 0 will prevent any new random gates from opening. Setting y to 100 will guarantee that a gate will open when you enter the cell (provided that the total number of opened gates is less than MQ00.MaxOpenGates). Normally, y will range from 0 to 50, depending upon where you are in the Main Quest. Note that this variable is reset by several quests.

• To allow gates to reopen, type:

set MQ00.AllowGatesToReopen to z

z can be 0 or 1. Normally it is set to 0 (i.e., gates will not reopen, despite what the game guide says). If you set z to 1, it becomes possible for a new random gate to open in a location where you had previously closed the gate. The chance of a gate reopening is controlled by the MQ00.RandomGateChance variable.

• To find the number of gates that can potentially be closed at your current stage in the game type:

show MQ00.MaxOpenGates

To find the chance of a gate opening at your current stage in the game type:

show MQ00.RandomGateChance