Introduction
The sprawling world of Cyrodiil in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is as beautiful as it is dangerous. Amidst its lush forests, crumbling ruins, and bustling cities, lurks a silent threat: disease. These afflictions, contracted from creatures, traps, and the environment, can severely hamper your character’s abilities, turning even the most skilled adventurer into a weakened shadow of their former self. More sinisterly, certain diseases can lead to the dreaded curse of vampirism. Learning how to cure disease and, more importantly, prevent it, is crucial for survival and success in Oblivion. This guide will equip you with the knowledge and strategies you need to identify, avoid, and ultimately eliminate diseases from your character’s life in Cyrodiil, ensuring a healthy and prosperous adventure. Note that this guide is for curing non-Vampire diseases. If you are dealing with Vampirism, you should seek alternate guidance.
Identifying Diseases: Know Your Enemy
Diseases in Oblivion are not merely an inconvenience; they directly impact your character’s attributes, skills, and overall effectiveness. Contracting diseases is a common occurrence, especially when facing creatures that carry them. Rats scurrying in the sewers, diseased wolves prowling the wilderness, and the undead haunting forgotten ruins all pose a significant risk. Traps can also be a source of infection, and simply existing in certain environments can expose you to airborne maladies.
Understanding the different types of diseases and their effects is the first step toward combating them. Here are some of the common diseases you’ll encounter and their corresponding penalties:
- Ataxia: Inflicts damage to your Agility, impacting your ability to sneak, pick pockets, and perform acrobatic maneuvers.
- Dementia: Drains your Intelligence, hindering your magical abilities and slowing down your skill advancement.
- Deterioration: Weakens your Strength, reducing your carrying capacity and damage output in melee combat.
- Droops: Reduces your Endurance, lowering your maximum Health and increasing your susceptibility to fatigue.
- Feeble Limb: Hinders your Speed, slowing your movement and attack speed.
- Greenspore: Damages your Magicka, restricting your ability to cast spells and utilize enchanted items.
- Rattles: Lowers your Personality, making it more difficult to persuade others and barter effectively.
- Red Rum: This nasty disease inflicts damage to your Strength while also giving you a weakness to fire damage.
- Rust Lung: Impairs your Fatigue, making it harder to run, jump, and perform power attacks.
- Scourge: Directly damages your Health, leaving you vulnerable to attacks.
- Shake: Reduces your Agility, impairing your movement and combat skills.
- Withering: Reduces your Endurance, lowering your maximum Health and increasing your susceptibility to fatigue.
The best way to check if you have contracted a disease is to access your magic menu and examine the “Active Effects” section. Any diseases affecting your character will be listed here, along with their specific effects. However, you might notice subtle warning signs even before checking your Active Effects. Keep an eye out for unexplained drops in your stats, unusually rapid fatigue depletion, or a general feeling of unwellness. Recognizing these early indicators can help you address the problem quickly and prevent further complications.
Prevention is Better Than Cure: Fortifying Your Defenses
While knowing how to cure disease is essential, preventing infection in the first place is a far more efficient strategy. Oblivion offers several ways to bolster your defenses against disease, minimizing your risk of contracting these debilitating ailments.
One effective approach is to utilize Resist Disease buffs. Certain races possess inherent resistances. Nords and Dunmer have a racial resistance to diseases, reducing their likelihood of infection. Additionally, the Atronach birthsign grants a bonus that significantly increases your resistance.
Furthermore, you can acquire armor and enchantments that provide Resist Disease properties. Keep an eye out for items with this enchantment while exploring dungeons or trading with merchants. Alternatively, you can enchant your own gear with Resist Disease, allowing you to customize your defenses to your specific needs.
Potions offer another avenue for disease prevention. Resist Disease potions can be purchased from alchemists and healers throughout Cyrodiil. However, if you possess the necessary skills and resources, you can craft your own Resist Disease potions through alchemy. Common ingredients include:
- Elf Cup Cap
- Green Stain Cup
By combining these ingredients using an alchemy apparatus, you can create powerful potions that provide temporary immunity to disease. Leveling your alchemy skill provides the added benefit of more potent potions and can also increase the amount of potions you can create from a single ingredient.
Beyond bolstering your character’s inherent resistances, practicing caution in your environment can greatly reduce your risk of infection. Be wary of creatures known to carry diseases, such as rats, wolves, and undead. Avoid traps and environmental hazards that may expose you to pathogens. When resting, choose clean, safe locations and avoid sleeping in dirty or unsanitary conditions. Finally, ensure that you heal yourself during combat and don’t push yourself beyond your limits without proper restoration. By taking these preventative measures, you can significantly minimize your exposure to disease and maintain a healthy lifestyle in Cyrodiil.
Methods of Curing Disease: Restoring Your Health
Despite your best efforts, you may inevitably contract a disease during your adventures in Oblivion. Fortunately, several effective methods exist for curing disease and restoring your character to full health.
Potions of Cure Disease are perhaps the most readily available and convenient solution. You can purchase these potions from alchemists and healers in most towns and cities. Keep a supply of Cure Disease potions on hand, especially when venturing into dangerous areas.
If you prefer a more self-sufficient approach, you can craft your own Cure Disease potions through alchemy. Several ingredients possess curative properties, including:
- Garlic
- Mandrake Root
- Lavender
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Green Stain Cup
A basic Cure Disease recipe could be Garlic and Lavender. The higher your Alchemy skill the higher the rate of success and more potent the outcome of the Cure Disease potion.
Another reliable method for curing disease is to visit temples or chapels dedicated to the Divines. These sacred places often feature altars or shrines where you can receive blessings that restore your health and cure any afflictions. Chapels can be found in cities such as:
- Bruma
- Anvil
- Bravil
- Cheydinhal
- Chorrol
- Kvatch (after the main quest has been completed)
- Leyawiin
- Skingrad
These blessings are typically offered free of charge, making temples and chapels an excellent resource for adventurers on a budget.
Scrolls of Cure Disease provide another option for removing diseases, although they are generally less reliable than potions. You can find or purchase scrolls from merchants, but their availability may be limited.
Spells can also be used to cure disease. Cure Disease spells need to be learned and require Magicka to cast, but they can be a reliable option once acquired. The higher your Restoration skill, the more effective these spells become.
Dealing with Vampirism: A Special Case
One particularly nasty disease to watch out for is Porphyric Hemophilia, the precursor to vampirism. If left untreated for three days, this disease will transform your character into a vampire, complete with all the strengths and weaknesses that come with the condition.
The good news is that Porphyric Hemophilia can be cured using the same methods described above: potions, temples, scrolls, or spells. The key is to act quickly and cure the disease before it progresses to full vampirism. If you find yourself succumbing to vampirism, you will need to seek guidance elsewhere on how to cure the disease.
Advanced Strategies and Tips: Mastering Disease Management
To become a true master of disease management in Oblivion, consider these advanced strategies and tips.
For aspiring alchemists, farming ingredients can be a highly profitable endeavor. Explore the wilderness and gather as many ingredients as possible. Consider creating specialized gardens near your player home to cultivate your favorite herbs and fungi. Experiment with different combinations to discover new potion recipes and optimize your crafting process.
Effective resource management is crucial for long-term success. Keep a close eye on your finances and avoid wasting valuable ingredients or potions. Prioritize purchasing or crafting essential items and save your money for more pressing needs.
In the early stages of the game, disease prevention is especially important. Prioritize acquiring Resist Disease buffs and avoid risky situations. Be cautious around potentially dangerous creatures and always carry a few Cure Disease potions as a safety net.
Consider your character’s roleplaying aspects when dealing with disease. A Nord character, with their inherent resistance, may be less concerned about prevention, while a mage focused on spellcasting may rely more heavily on alchemy and potions.
Finally, consider enhancing your game with mods. While vanilla Oblivion provides a solid foundation for disease management, many mods enhance the experience with more realistic mechanics, additional cure methods, or improved roleplaying options.
Conclusion: A Healthy Adventurer is a Successful Adventurer
In conclusion, diseases pose a significant threat to adventurers in Oblivion, but with the right knowledge and strategies, you can effectively manage and overcome these challenges. By understanding the different types of diseases, implementing preventative measures, and mastering the methods of curing disease, you can ensure that your character remains healthy, strong, and ready to face any obstacle that comes their way. Being proactive about disease in Oblivion ensures your champion will adventure into the jaws of Oblivion with strength and vigor. Go forth and conquer Cyrodiil, free from the debilitating effects of disease.
