by Eric Abent

Created on: August 25, 2009

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is one of those games that can seem simply perfect one minute, then mind-numbingly frustrating the next. One of the most irritating parts of starting a new character in this massive game is the lack of gold that always seems to plague them. Running around Cyrodiil and raiding caves and temples is always a nice idea, but it can take up a large chunk of time, not to mention the fact that if you're still in the single digits level-wise, you won't be pulling in much of anything that's actually valuable.

So how does a low-level character make money in this world? Well, there's a few things you can do, even at level one.

It's important to remember that the enemies in this game level with you. So, for instance, facing a highwayman at level ten will prove to be a more difficult battle than fighting the same highwayman at level one. How can you use this to your advantage? Take it to the Arena.

It's entirely possible to fight through the whole arena at level one, especially if your character's stats weigh heavily toward strength or magic. If it's the former, equip yourself with a full suit of armor (probably of the heavy variety if you're focusing on strength), a shield (at level one, it doesn't really matter what kind of shield it is) and your weapon of choice and jump in. Watch your opponent's movements carefully; since you're only level one, chances are you don't have many healing potions, and since you're reading this, you definitely don't have the money to buy any. This is where blocking will, quite literally, save your character's life.

For magic characters, make sure you have a couple of offensive spells and at least one healing spell in your spell book, and you're set to go. Lack of defensive power is something magic characters always have trouble with, but that isn't a problem if you're too far away to be successfully attacked. Keeping a safe distance from your opponent and lobbing a simple fireball spell at them should put them down rather quickly, and without much effort.

Keep fighting, make sure you heal at the fountain provided in-between battles, and for the love of God make sure you don't sleep if you level up! The idea is to beat the entire Arena at level one, when the enemies in the game are at their easiest. Keep at it, and soon you should have enough gold to tide you over for a while.

Joining a guild is always a good idea, whether you need the money or not, so you might as well take advantage of the various ones

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