How to Get Skooma Oblivion Remastered

Of the many strange and dangerous substances that can be found all over Tamriel, Skooma is one of the worst. In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Skooma is a highly addictive drug that is refined from Moon Sugar, a crystalline, sparkling material that is found primarily in Elsweyr. To the Khajiit, Moon Sugar is a holy gift of the gods, but when it is refined into Skooma, it is a drug so potent that it's prohibited all over Cyrodiil. Regardless of whether you're a hero or an adventurer who isn't so good, Skooma in Oblivion is a fascinating thing. It increases physical attributes by massive amounts, but at the price of your head and agility. It's also very central to several quests, and discovering it can lead you to some of Cyrodiil's cities' less desirable places. Understanding how it works and where to buy Skooma in Oblivion Remastered can give a boost to exploration as well as roleplay.

What Does Skooma Do in Oblivion Remastered?

When you drink it, Skooma gives you enormous amounts of temporary physical strength. The effects are instantaneous: you get more Strength and Speed, making you deal more damage and move faster than almost any other foe in the game. But this is at a terrible cost. The drug also lowers your Intelligence and Agility, making you cast spells worse, sneak worse, or use ranged weapons worse. In terms of gameplay, consuming Skooma in Oblivion Remastered has the following effects:

• Fortify Strength by 60 points
• Fortify Speed by 60 points
• Drain Agility by 60 points
• Damage Intelligence by 2 points This combination of effects makes you a temporary powerhouse, ideal for players who simply play off strength or for those who must dash through danger zones. The downside is that your weak agility makes you more difficult to hit, and your weak intelligence makes magic much more difficult to cast at its optimal level. In contrast to Morrowind, where Skooma bottles could be guzzled for ridiculous stacking bonuses, Oblivion Remastered is more equitable. The effects can't be stacked indefinitely, and no withdrawal penalties linger when the effects end. While Skooma is called "addictive" in the game's lore, your character can't become addicted to Skooma in gameplay. However, its bad reputation still takes center stage in Oblivion's worldbuilding, no more so than in the "Lonely Wanderer" quest, where the player encounters Faelian, an erstwhile noble Altmer who had everything taken from him by Skooma.

Is Skooma Illegal in Oblivion Remastered?

Yes. Skooma is strictly illegal in Oblivion Remastered, and it’s one of the few consumables in the game that will trigger guard intervention. If you’re caught by guards while carrying Skooma, they will confiscate it immediately, even if it doesn’t have the “stolen” flag. You can determine what items are illegal by observing your inventory: Skooma bottles have a red hand symbol on them to indicate contraband. To protect your stash, you should put it in a locked chest in one of your owned houses because guards won't search through your containers. If you are apprehended with Skooma, the bottles are confiscated along with any of the looted goods, so it is wiser to sell or hide them first before committing other crimes. Even buying Skooma from a merchant legally doesn't make it legal once in your inventory; it is contraband.

How to Get Skooma in Oblivion Remastered

There are two main ways of acquiring Skooma in Oblivion Remastered: finding it in the world or purchasing it from concealed retailers.

Finding Skooma in Cyrodiil

Throughout Cyrodiil, Skooma is hidden in basements, dungeons, and squalid houses. Each bottle has the same distinctive appearance, a brief, purple-radiating potion bottle smaller than most potions in Oblivion. Bottles are typically found near criminal NPCs, in locked chests, or on tables in run-down areas. Some of the most popular locations where players can find Skooma in Oblivion Remastered include:

• Lorkmir's House (Imperial City, Elven Gardens District): Two bottles of Skooma sit on a table in the main room. This location is linked to the Dark Brotherhood quest "The Lonely Wanderer."
• The Bravil Skooma Den: In the back of the chapel stands this rundown building, which is home to addicts and bottles of Skooma in all the rooms.
• Roland Jenseric's Basement (Imperial City): Two bottles here can be picked up during the quest "Order of the Virtuous Blood."
• Robber's Glen Cave (northwest of Bravil): Three bottles of Skooma are located in a chest here, which is usually seen during the Fighter's Guild quests.
• Southwest Imperial Watch Tower (Imperial City): Two bottles are found on a table in the basement here, which can be accessed during the early quests of the Thieves Guild.

Keep in mind, these bottles never respawn. Once you pick them up, they are gone for good, even if they are in a box. Skooma is meant to be hard to find, emphasizing its status as a high-risk and desirable commodity.

Where to Buy Skooma Oblivion Remastered

Or, if you'd rather not risk housebreaks or shoplifting from addicts, you can buy Skooma in Oblivion Remastered at two black market dealers:

• Nordinor (Bravil): Near the Silverhome on the Water Inn, near Bravil's north gate. Nordinor appears about midnight in the alleyway behind the inn, and there he sells Skooma and other illicit wares.
• Shady Sam (Imperial City): Outside the city walls, northeast of the Chestnut Handy Stables. He's against the outside wall, just about where your map indicates the Elven Gardens District.

These two characters both sell contraband and only exist at night. Be careful to approach them, and remember, even if you buy Skooma from them, it's still contraband. Guards will steal it from you if you are detected with it.

The Risks and Rewards of Skooma

Difficult use of Skooma in Oblivion Remastered is all about taking and giving. Its Strength and Speed bonus can render you unstoppable in melee or get you out of harm's way in a flash, and Intelligence and Agility loss can destroy stealth and spellcast builds. It's best used situationally, for example, against challenging melee enemies or when you have to escape from an exploding Oblivion Gate. Roleplaying-wise, Skooma enriches your character as well. Your hero may have a secret, deadly addiction, or your thief uses it for daring robberies. It's a tidbit of detail that wonderfully fits into Oblivion's morally gray world.