The Oghma Infinium is a powerful Daedric artifact in Skyrim, capable of granting significant skill boosts. However, a well-known glitch allows players to use the Oghma Infinium repeatedly, leading to potentially limitless skill gains and level advancement. This guide provides a detailed walkthrough of how to execute the Oghma Infinium glitch, its potential benefits and drawbacks, and some troubleshooting tips.
**What is the Oghma Infinium Glitch?**
The Oghma Infinium glitch exploits a loophole in the game’s quest mechanics when combined with a follower. Normally, once you read the Oghma Infinium after completing the ‘Discerning the Transmundane’ quest, you choose one of three paths (The Path of Steel, The Path of Shadow, or The Path of Magic), permanently boosting certain skills. After the choice, the book is removed from your inventory. The glitch involves using a bookshelf or container and follower interaction to prevent the book from being removed, allowing you to read it again and again.
**Prerequisites**
Before attempting the Oghma Infinium glitch, ensure you meet the following requirements:
* **Complete the ‘Discerning the Transmundane’ Daedric Quest:** This quest is initiated by speaking to Septimus Signus, who resides in Septimus Signus’s Outpost, north of the College of Winterhold. Completing this quest is mandatory to obtain the Oghma Infinium.
* **Have a Follower:** A follower is crucial for the glitch to work. Any follower will do, such as Lydia (your housecarl in Whiterun), or any member of the Companions after joining.
* **Find a Bookshelf or Container:** You need access to a bookshelf in your home or a container (chest, barrel, etc.) where you can store items. A player home is ideal due to its accessibility.
* **(Optional but Recommended) Skill Leveling Training:** If you intend to rapidly level using this glitch, having some gold on hand to pay trainers for skill increases can greatly expedite the process.
**Step-by-Step Guide to Performing the Glitch**
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the steps involved in performing the Oghma Infinium Glitch:
1. **Obtain the Oghma Infinium:**
* Start the quest ‘Discerning the Transmundane’ by speaking to Septimus Signus. He’ll task you with collecting Elder Scroll.
* Retrieve the Elder Scroll (Dragon) from Alftand (a Dwemer ruin west of Winterhold). This requires navigating a lengthy dungeon crawl filled with Falmer and Dwemer automatons.
* Return to Septimus Signus with the Elder Scroll. He’ll ask you to transcribe it using his Dwemer Lexicon.
* Collect the blood of different Elven races (High Elf, Wood Elf, Dark Elf, Falmer, and Orc).
* Return to Septimus and place the blood samples in the Dwemer contraption. Septimus will unlock the way to the Oghma Infinium, and he will then crumble to dust.
* Take the Oghma Infinium from the pedestal.
2. **Travel to Your Chosen Location (Bookshelf or Container):**
* Go to your house or any other location where you have a bookshelf or container. Make sure your follower is with you.
3. **Position Yourself Correctly:**
* Stand in front of the bookshelf or container. Ensure that you can interact with both the bookshelf/container *and* your follower. This might require some careful positioning and maneuvering. Save your game at this point, in case you accidentally proceed without initiating the glitch.
4. **Initiate the Dialogue with your Follower:**
* Speak to your follower and give them the order to read the Oghma Infinium. The command varies depending on the follower but usually involves selecting the “I need you to do something” dialogue option.
5. **Reading the Oghma Infinium and Storing it Simultaneously (The Key Step):**
* This is the most crucial step and requires precise timing. While your follower is walking to read the book, you need to simultaneously attempt to read the Oghma Infinium yourself *and* activate the bookshelf or container. The goal is to trigger both actions at roughly the same instant.
* If using a container, open the container menu just as the follower is about to read the book.
* If using a bookshelf, activate the bookshelf to open its inventory just as the follower is about to read the book.
* This often requires multiple attempts. If done correctly, the Oghma Infinium will appear in both your inventory *and* the bookshelf/container inventory. This is because the game gets confused and doesn’t remove it from your inventory after you’ve read it.
6. **Read the Oghma Infinium:**
* From your inventory, read the Oghma Infinium. Choose your desired path (Path of Steel, Path of Shadow, or Path of Magic) to gain the skill boosts.
7. **Retrieve the Book:**
* Close the Oghma Infinium selection screen. Now, retrieve the Oghma Infinium from the bookshelf or container that you placed it in.
8. **Repeat the Process:**
* Repeat steps 4 through 7 as many times as you wish. Each time, you’ll receive the skill boosts associated with your chosen path.
**Choosing the Right Path**
The Oghma Infinium offers three paths, each granting different skill boosts:
* **The Path of Steel:** +5 to Block, Heavy Armor, and Smithing.
* **The Path of Shadow:** +5 to Alchemy, Sneak, Lockpicking, Light Armor, Pickpocket, Speech.
* **The Path of Magic:** +5 to Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Illusion, Restoration, and Enchanting.
Consider your character build and which skills you want to improve the most when choosing a path. If you want to level up quickly, choosing the skills that you have the lowest level will give you the highest experience gain. Remember that you can repeat the glitch as many times as you want, allowing you to maximize all skills eventually.
**Exploiting Skill Leveling for Character Leveling**
The Oghma Infinium glitch is most effective when used strategically for character leveling. The amount of experience needed to level up increases exponentially as your character level rises. Therefore, it’s beneficial to focus on skills that are relatively low to maximize the experience gain from each use of the Oghma Infinium.
For example, if your Alchemy skill is low, choosing the Path of Shadow will provide a significant boost. You can then further train Alchemy by crafting potions, earning even more experience. Combine this with other skills boosted by the Oghma Infinium, such as Lockpicking or Sneak, and you can rapidly level up your character.
**Troubleshooting**
The Oghma Infinium glitch can be finicky and may require several attempts to execute correctly. Here are some common issues and their solutions:
* **The Oghma Infinium disappears after reading it:** This means you didn’t perform the container/bookshelf interaction correctly. Try to time the opening of the container/bookshelf inventory precisely as the follower reads the book. Saving your game before attempting is highly recommended.
* **My follower won’t read the book:** Ensure that your follower is close enough to the container/bookshelf and that they have a clear path to it. If they are blocked by obstacles, they may not be able to interact with it. Also, make sure you selected the proper follower interaction for them to read the book.
* **The book isn’t appearing in the container/bookshelf:** This is also a timing issue. Try to activate both the reading of the book and opening the container at the exact same instant.
* **The skills aren’t increasing:** Double-check that you are selecting a path (Path of Steel, Shadow, or Magic) each time you read the book. If you accidentally exit the book without choosing a path, you won’t receive the skill boosts.
* **Game Freezes or Crashes:** While rare, repeatedly exploiting glitches can sometimes lead to instability. Save your game frequently to mitigate potential data loss. If crashes persist, consider reducing the number of repetitions in a single session.
**Potential Benefits**
* **Rapid Skill Leveling:** The most obvious benefit is the ability to quickly level up skills, allowing you to unlock powerful perks and abilities.
* **Character Leveling:** As your skills increase, so does your character level, granting you more health, magicka, stamina, and perk points.
* **Customization:** The glitch allows you to tailor your character to your preferred playstyle, regardless of your starting skills or race.
* **Overpowered Character:** With maxed-out skills, you can create a virtually unstoppable character, capable of dominating any challenge the game throws at you.
**Potential Drawbacks and Considerations**
* **Game Balance:** Using the Oghma Infinium glitch can severely disrupt the game’s balance. The game may become too easy, diminishing the sense of challenge and accomplishment.
* **Repetitive Gameplay:** Repeating the same steps multiple times can become tedious and boring.
* **Potential Bugs:** While the glitch itself is generally safe, excessive exploitation could potentially lead to unforeseen bugs or glitches. However, this is extremely rare.
* **Loss of Immersion:** Some players may find that using glitches breaks the immersion of the game and detracts from the overall experience.
* **Ethical Considerations:** Some players consider using glitches to be a form of cheating, which may diminish the sense of satisfaction from achieving goals through legitimate means.
**Alternatives to the Oghma Infinium Glitch**
If you want to level up quickly without using glitches, consider these alternative strategies:
* **Skill Trainers:** Pay trainers to increase your skills. This is a legitimate way to level up, but it can be expensive.
* **Skill Books:** Find and read skill books to gain a permanent skill boost.
* **Crafting:** Crafting items (potions, weapons, armor) is a reliable way to level up relevant skills.
* **Questing:** Completing quests provides experience and can lead to skill increases.
* **Exploration:** Discovering new locations and completing dungeons can reward you with experience and valuable items.
* **Standing Stones:** Utilize standing stones that boost skill experience gain. For example, the Thief Stone boosts experience gained in stealth skills.
**Ethical Considerations and the Use of Glitches**
The decision to use glitches like the Oghma Infinium glitch is ultimately a personal one. There’s no right or wrong answer, and it depends on your individual preferences and playstyle.
Some players enjoy the freedom and power that glitches provide, while others prefer a more challenging and immersive experience. If you’re unsure whether to use glitches, consider the potential benefits and drawbacks and how they align with your goals for the game.
**Conclusion**
The Oghma Infinium glitch is a powerful tool that can be used to rapidly level up your skills and character in Skyrim. However, it’s important to be aware of the potential drawbacks and ethical considerations before using it. If you choose to use the glitch, follow the steps outlined in this guide carefully and be prepared to troubleshoot any issues that may arise. Remember to save your game frequently to avoid data loss. Ultimately, the decision to use the Oghma Infinium glitch is up to you. Whether you’re looking to create an overpowered character, experiment with different builds, or simply speed up the leveling process, the glitch can be a valuable tool. Just be mindful of the potential impact on the game’s balance and your overall enjoyment. Happy adventuring!