Choosing what attributes to level in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered can be overwhelming, but the part that's likely to cause the most indecision is the inclusion of Luck. While other attributes pertain to specific strengths, which can range from Strength's impact on melee combat to Intelligence's boost to magic, Luck is a broader concept. The game clarifies that it affects skills en masse, but without details on how it does so, it can be hard to tell whether it's worth the investment.

Oblivion Remastered also tweaks the way that the process of leveling skills works in general, which could further complicate the matter even if you're an Oblivion veteran. Like in Skyrim, all skills now contribute to level-ups and can be leveled at any time, a change that makes the system much less restrictive than before. This makes it easier to max out desired skills, which could consequently shift the value of investing in Luck in an interesting way.

How Luck Works In Oblivion Remastered

Smaller Boosts To Every Attribute

The core function of Luck in Oblivion Remastered appears to follow the same formula as in the original game. Luck's effect on other skills is based on its distance from 50 rather than the number itself, which is why every race starts with 50 of this particular stat. While other attributes require one Virtue point to level, Luck requires four, an investment that's balanced out by its wide-ranging effects.

To calculate the effect that Luck has on other stats, subtract 50 from your Luck score and take 40% of the result. For example, if you have 70 Luck, you would subtract 50 to get 20, then multiply that by 40% to get 8. All skills except Acrobatics, Athletics, and Speechcraft would consequently be increased by 8, although this number will never be shown to you in-game.

If your Luck falls below 50 for any reason, it will have an active negative impact on your other scores, as the formula will result in a negative multiplier.

In addition to the boost it provides to other stats, Luck also increases your fortunes in some chance-based situations. Gambling in Oblivion Remastered's arena, using repair hammers, and avoiding illnesses can all be helped by a favorable Luck score.

You Should Only Invest In Luck Early

Luck Isn't As Useful In The Late-Game

The boost provided by Luck can be useful early on in Oblivion, as you'll probably be attempting to raise the baseline competence of your character across the board. You're only able to invest one batch of four Virtue points into Luck on each level up, so there isn't any real worry about going quickly overboard in this regard. If you're trying to get the most effective returns for your Virtues, however, leveling in Luck isn't as efficient.

Other attributes each affect three skills, while Luck affects 18, but the use of four Virtues and the 40% formula trade away more than that. After leveling Luck five times, you'll have gained 2 points in 18 different skills for the cost of 20 Virtues — effectively a return of36. Putting those 20 Virtues into standard attributes, however, gives you an effective return of 60, since each attribute affects three skills. This ratio holds true across levels, making Luck 60% as effective as other attribute leveling.

If you're particularly committed to Luck, choosing a Thief class will give you an initial +10 to the attribute.

Setting aside the random benefits Luck provides, the biggest reason to use it early on would be boosting your favorite attributes further while helping out everything as a side bonus. You can only put 5 Virtues into any other attribute at each level, so leveling Luck will let you go a bit further by adding the percentage modifier to both that attribute and all others. Since Acrobatics and Athletics, both Agility skills, are excluded from Luck's benefits, you might not want to employ this strategy if Luck is the attribute you're focusing on.

Later in an Oblivion playthrough, investing in Luck will eventually stop being worthwhile. The slow creep of its percentage boost won't feel as rewarding once stats are high, and the boost that Luck provides to attributes and skills won't apply past their natural caps at 100.

If Strength is at 90, for example, only 10 bonus points can be applied by Luck, even if your Luck stat is high enough to provide more. With Strength at 100, Luck would cease to affect it at all. Once you reach the point in the game where some skills are starting to max out, investing in those that still need work will universally become more efficient than raising Luck.

Ultimately, leveling or ignoring Luck won't make or break an Oblivion playthrough, but it's not a bad idea up to a certain point. The key is knowing when to stop leveling Luck, which will eventually be one of the least effective leveling choices in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered.