How to join the Mages Guild in Oblivion

Working out how to join the Mages Guild in Oblivion is a worthwhile pursuit, even for players who don’t consider themselves major magic users. Alongside the usual benefits of joining a guild (like a place to sleep and improved Disposition among its members), the Mages Guild gives you access to a treasure trove of alchemical tools and ingredients that you can use to craft potions or even just sell off for some sweet, sweet gold.

Thankfully for any aspiring Arch-Mage, the Mages Guild is one of the simplest memberships to earn in the game, so don’t expect anything quite as involved as trying to join the Thieves Guild. While its upper ranks are more exclusive, you can become an Associate of the Mages Guild within minutes of emerging from the sewers of Imperial City. Here’s how it’s done.

How to join the Mages Guild in Oblivion Remastered

Mages don’t have to be quite as shady or secretive as other guilds like the Dark Brotherhood, and that really works to your benefit when trying to join their ranks. Just follow these three simple steps and, as if by magic, you’ll find yourself the newest member of the Mages Guild:

1. Fast travel to any city other than Imperial City or Kvatch. The Imperial City doesn’t have a local Mages Guild Hall, and is instead home to the Guild’s prestigious Arcane University. Meanwhile, Kvatch is … mostly rubble.
2. Locate the Mages Guild Hall in your city of choice. For example, Bruma’s Mages Guild Hall is to the north of the city, beside the Fighters Guild Hall.
3. Identify the local leader there and speak to them about joining the Mages Guild. Note that if you show up at night, the guild leader may be sleeping in their quarters. In this case, you’re best off returning later or using the wait action to skip to morning. Having an active bounty on you will also get in the way of joining the Mages Guild, so be sure to keep that in mind too.

Where to find Mages Guild hall leaders in Oblivion Remastered

There are seven Mages Guild halls dotted across the map of Cyrodiil. These are located in each city—with the exception of the Imperial City and Kvatch—and each one of them houses a local leader. Any of these fine folks can approve your induction into the Mages Guild. The best part is you don’t need to have mastered the persuasion minigame either; it really is as easy as just asking to join.

How to access the Arcane University in Oblivion Remastered

The Arcane University in the Imperial City is an elite centre of learning that’s reserved for members of the Mages Guild. Any visitor can enter the lobby but as a lowly Associate, you’ll need to rise through the ranks a bit before you can properly access it. In order to do that, make sure to acquire a recommendation from each of the seven Mages Guild leaders by completing their respective quests.