The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered has some great ways to get powerful buffs and spells dotted all over Cryodiil. These often take the form of magical stones, referred to as Doom Stones, which take the form of rune-covered monoliths that can be activated to get unique gifts. One set of these stones corresponds to the 13 birthsign constellations to give some incredibly useful spells throughout the game.

When creating a character, one of the final options is choosing one of the 13 birthsigns in Oblivion Remastered. This will permanently assign either a spell or ive buff to your character, however, more can be gained by finding each of the birthsign Doom Stones in Cyrodiil. These stones can only be activated between 6 pm and 6 am, and only one can be active at a time, but they can be swapped whenever needed with no penalty.

13 The Apprentice Stone - Void Seed

Southwest Of Skingrad

The Apprentice Stone is located southwest of Skingrad, and is a very short walk south from the Grateful Stables. When activated, the stone will give the great power spell Void Seed. This spell can only be used once per day on your character before needing to recharge for 24 hours.

Void Seed gives powerful buffs to both Illusion and Alchemy, increasing them by 20 points for 120 seconds. Both of these skills are great for multiple builds, such as thieves wanting to hide using Chameleon or invisibility, or potion makers needing a boost for more powerful effects. The Apprentice Stone is one best revisited from time to time depending on circumstances.

12 The Atronach Stone - Arcane Well

Northwest Of Skingrad, Northeast Of Kvatch

The Atronach Stone is also close to Skingrad, this time to the northwest and just a short walk from the farm of Shardrock. There are lots of West Weald bears in the area due to a quest available from the farm, so it's important to be on guard in the area when arriving for the first time.

Unlike Daedric Shrines, ruins, campsites, and other places of interest, Doom Stones do not have map markers for fast travel.

The Atronach Stone gives the spell Arcane Well, which can only be used once per day on yourself. This spell fortifies Intelligence by 10 points for 120 seconds as well as increases spell absorption by 30 points, also for 120 seconds. This is incredibly useful when fighting powerful mages and is well worth the trip to get.

11 The Lady - Lady's Warding

Directly West Of Anvil

The Lady Stone can be found directly to the west of Anvil, and I found it best to walk around the city walls from the Horse Whisperer Stables. As with the other Doom Stones, the Lady can only be activated at night and will give the restoration spell Lady's Warding.

Lady's Warding can only be used once every 24 hours in game, and gives a great boost to two attributes. Once used, Lady's Warding will fortify Willpower and Endurance by 20 points for 120 seconds. This is great for surviving tough encounters by giving a boost to Destruction and Restoration spells, as well as health.

10 The Lord - Ysmir's Scales

North Of Anvil, Northwest Of Kvatch

The Lord Stone is a little harder to find and will involve more of a trek to find it. It's located north of Anvil, northwest of Kvatch in the middle of nowhere, with the closest fast travel point being the Ayleid ruins of Niryastare. There is also the bandit camp of Varus Camp close by, who will chase you if you get too close.

The Lord Stone gives the once-a-day spell Ysmir's Scales, which has some great boosts to armor. With Ysmir's Scales, you'll get a 50% boost to frost resistance for 120 seconds, and also a 10-point fortification of both Light and Heavy Armor for 120 seconds.

9 The Lover - Lover's Bower

Directly East Of Bravil

The Lover Stone can be found in the forest close to the banks of the Silverfish River, almost directly east of Bravil. I found the best way to find it was to follow the river east from the bridge, the same method I used when looking for Peryite's Daedric Shrine in Oblivion.

The Lover Stone grants the spell Lover's Bower, which gives a 20-point boost to both Luck and Personality. This is a great increase, but knowing when to use it can be difficult. I've often used it when needing to increase the disposition of particular NPCs, but otherwise struggled to find a good use for it.

8 The Mage - Magicka Manifold

Southeast Of Cheydinhal, Northeast Of Bravil

The Mage Stone is another birthsign monolith, which is out in the middle of nowhere. It is located southeast of Cheydinhal and northeast of Bravil. I found it by following the banks of the Silverfish River, then continuing north slightly. Another route is to travel almost directly south from Boethia’s Shrine in the mountains.

As you might expect from the Mage Stone, its spell is perfect for spellcasters, but has very limited use for any other builds. Magicka Manifold can be cast once per day to give a whopping 50-point boost to Magicka for 120 seconds. This is great for casting spells that you might not have the Magicka for just yet, making it a great choice early game.

7 The Ritual - Mara's Milk & Mara's Mercy

North of Leyawiin

The Ritual Stone is very easy to find, sitting just off the road leading out of Leyawiin's East Gate. Following the road north, past Nocturnal's Shrine, the Ritual Stone can be spotted in its stone circle. This stone is one of only two that will grant two spells when activated.

Healing spells also work on horses to keep them alive if you get attacked while riding one.

Firstly, Mara's Milk can be used once a day to heal yourself for 100 points, which is fantastic, especially early in Oblivion for melee characters. The second spell is Mara's Mercy, which can be cast to heal a target for 150 points. This is less useful unless you enjoy traveling around Cryodiil with a follower.

6 The Serpent - Cobra's Dance

Southeast of Leyawiin

The Serpent Stone is also best reached from Leyawiin's East Gate and can be found at the southern tip of the map. Unlike many of the other spells on this list, the Serpent Stone gives an offensive spell, instead of a boost to attributes or skills.

Cobra's Dance can be cast once per day, and has two effects on its target. The spell paralyzes the target for five seconds, while also dealing four points of damage. This is perfect for tougher enemies, as five seconds might not seem like a lot, but you can deal plenty of damage to them in that short time, or even flee.

5 The Shadow - Fingernail Moon

Southeast Of The Imperial City, Northeast Of Bravil

The Shadow Stone can be found southeast of the Imperial City and northeast of Bravil. It is located just off the Yellow Road, close to the bridge crossing the Corbolo River. Activating the Shadow Stone will grant the once-a-day spell Fingernail Moon.

Fingernail Moon is a great early game spell to get your hands on as it casts 15% Chameleon for 120 seconds. Unlike invisibility, Chameleon does not make you completely impossible to see, and acts within percentages of being seen. The Shadow Stone is a great way for stealth builds to get past difficult areas and can be combined with other items to increase the percentage of Chameleon’s effect.

4 The Steed - Hellride

West Of Cheydinhal

The Steed Stone is located slightly southwest of Cheydinhal, offset from the blue leading to the Imperial City. Traveling west along the road from the Black Water Stables is the easiest path, but be cautious as there are often bandits along the road. Activating this stone at night will grant the spell Hellride.

Hellride is often described by long-time Oblivion players as a panic button spell, best used when needing to escape a situation that will probably kill you. When cast, Hellride boosts both Speed and Acrobatics by 20 points for 120 seconds. This is more than enough to sprint away from groups of enemies, and is most useful at higher difficulties.