During your playthrough of Oblivion Remastered, you might accidentally find yourself suspended from the Mages Guild. When this happens, you won’t be able to continue your guild questline, and you’ll lose certain membership privileges. Although the game provides steps to resolve the suspension, it can still be challenging to execute. I’ll guide you through what you need to do to get back on track if you find yourself in this situation.
Joining one of the guilds in Oblivion Remastered comes with specific rules you’re expected to follow. The simplest way to avoid suspension is to steer clear of breaking these rules. However, as I’ll illustrate with my own experience, this is often easier said than done. The temptation to bend the rules occasionally arises for the sake of convenience. Fortunately, reversing your suspension is straightforward if you know where to find the required materials.
What Can Lead to Mages Guild Suspension?
Violating the Mages Guild Charter Will Result in Suspension
Upon joining the Mages Guild in Oblivion Remastered, you’ll be briefed on the guild’s charter, which specifies that committing a crime against any guild member will lead to suspension. Crimes may include theft or murder. There is a bit of leeway here: for instance, if you steal something without getting caught, you won’t face suspension. However, if you commit murder, you will automatically be suspended.
It can be tricky to know when you’re stealing from a fellow Mages Guild member. I once encountered a horse unattended near Leyawiin. Realizing the ride icon was red indicated I was stealing, but I didn’t know it belonged to a guild member. After I rode the horse, I received a notification that I was suspended from the guild, and my key to the guild halls vanished from my inventory. Additionally, if you commit a crime within a Mages Guild location, you will be forcibly ejected.
How to Lift Your Mages Guild Suspension
Consult Raminus Polus at the Arcane University
To initiate the process of lifting your Mages Guild suspension, head over to the Arcane University and speak with Raminus Polus. You’ll find him in the lobby, so there’s no need to worry about navigating beyond restricted areas. Upon talking to him, you’ll receive a chance to make amends by gathering specific materials, which vary based on your crime. If you were caught stealing, you’ll need to find 20 Dragon’s Tongues and 20 Redwort Flowers. For a murder, you’ll have to collect 20 Daedra Hearts and 20 Vampire Dust.
You can continuously farm Daedra Hearts if you’ve progressed to Garlas Malatar during the Umaril the Unfeathered quest. The Auroran enemies there will keep respawning until you complete the quest, and they drop Daedra Hearts.
Here’s a list of where to find the items required:
| Ingredient | Location | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon’s Tongues | Fort Redwater | ~20 |
| Dragon’s Tongues | South of Brazil | ~20 |
| Dragon’s Tongues | Swamp near Blackwood | 6 |
| Dragon’s Tongues | Southwest of Fort Irony | 14 |
| Dragon’s Tongues | North of Leyawiin | 4 |
| Dragon’s Tongues | Fort Bulwark | 11 |
| Redwort Flowers | Fort Bulwark | 25 |
| Redwort Flowers | Between Leyawiin and Fort Blueblood | 5 |
| Daedra Hearts | Oblivion Gates | Varies |
| Daedra Hearts | Brittlerock Cave | Varies |
| Daedra Hearts | Garlas Malatar | Infinite* |
| Vampire Dust | Vampire Dungeons | Varies |
Once you’ve gathered all the necessary items, return them to Raminus Polus. He will collect them and reinstate your membership in the Mages Guild. In the original version of Oblivion, there was a glitch that allowed you to only need 20 of one item for your first offense. If you were suspended a second time, the glitch no longer applied. While I haven’t tested this glitch in Oblivion Remastered, it might be worthwhile since many of the original game’s glitches seem to have been intentionally preserved.
How Many Suspensions Can You Endure?
You Can Be Suspended Twice Before Permanent Expulsion
You can face suspension from the Mages Guild up to two times. Each suspension will require you to complete a task related to your offense to regain your membership. If you face a third suspension, you’ll be permanently expelled from the Mages Guild, and the only way to return is to load a save made before your expulsion. The sole exception exists if you achieve the highest rank, Arch-Mage, in which case you cannot be expelled no matter your actions.
Avoiding permanent expulsion from the Mages Guild is crucial, as you would miss benefits like spell enchanting and creation. Furthermore, some of the best spell merchants in Oblivion Remastered are located in the Arcane University, and without access, you won’t be able to purchase from them. Becoming Arch-Mage grants access to an Enchanted Chest that allows ingredient duplication. Overall, maintaining some level of standing with the Mages Guild is essential if you wish to excel as a magic user in Oblivion Remastered.
