Conjuration in Oblivion Remastered isn’t just about summoning bigger Daedra; it’s about understanding how the game quietly gates power behind skill thresholds, guild access, and NPC disposition. New players often hit a wall wondering why spell vendors won’t sell anything stronger than a scamp, while veterans remember the pain of grinding skill levels just to unlock a single spell. If you’re planning a mage or hybrid build, mastering Conjuration progression early saves hours of wasted gold and awkward combat scaling.
Unlike weapon skills that scale mostly through use, Conjuration progression is tightly bound to spell tiers. Your available summons, bound weapons, and undead control spells are determined by your current Conjuration skill, not your character level. This means rushing Conjuration early has a massive payoff, especially on higher difficulties where aggro control and disposable tanks decide fights.
Conjuration Skill Tiers and What They Actually Unlock
Conjuration is divided into five ranks: Novice (0), Apprentice (25), Journeyman (50), Expert (75), and Master (100). Each rank unlocks new categories of spells at vendors and determines which spell tomes appear in inventories. If a spell vendor refuses to sell you something, it’s almost always because your skill hasn’t crossed the required threshold.
At Novice and Apprentice, you’re limited to basic summons like Scamps, Skeletons, and short-duration Bound Dagger or Bound Armor spells. These are cheap to cast and excellent for leveling, but they fall off fast once enemies start hitting harder and breaking through aggro. Apprentice is also where Soul Trap becomes reliable, which is critical for enchanting and long-term build scaling.
Journeyman is the real turning point. This rank unlocks Clannfear, Headless Zombie, and stronger bound weapons that can carry hybrid builds through mid-game content. Vendors also start offering longer-duration summons, which drastically improves DPS uptime and survivability in drawn-out dungeon crawls.
Expert and Master ranks are where Conjuration turns borderline unfair. Daedroth, Dremora, Xivilai, and eventually Storm Atronachs become available, letting you control the battlefield without ever taking a hit. At these tiers, summons scale well enough to tank bosses, body-block doorways, and manipulate enemy hitboxes while you free-cast or reposition.
How Spell Vendors Gate Their Inventory
Every Conjuration spell merchant in Oblivion Remastered checks your skill rank before showing their full inventory. This applies across Mages Guild halls, independent spell sellers, and certain chapel-associated NPCs. You can have infinite gold and perfect disposition, but if your skill is too low, the spell simply won’t appear.
This is why power-leveling Conjuration early is so important. Spamming low-cost summons in safe areas, dismissing them manually, or using training services can push you into Journeyman faster than natural play. Once you cross a tier threshold, revisiting vendors often reveals entirely new spell lists that weren’t visible before.
Guild Rank, Quests, and Non-Vendor Spell Access
While skill level is the primary gate, guild progression still matters. Advancing through the Mages Guild unlocks access to better trainers, specialized spell merchants, and quest rewards that bypass normal vendor restrictions. Some Conjuration spells are awarded directly through quests, letting you punch above your current skill tier if you know where to look.
Chapels and certain faction-aligned NPCs also sell niche Conjuration spells, especially undead-related magic tied to lore themes. These aren’t always optimal for DPS, but they can fill gaps in early-game kits or enable specific roleplay builds.
Understanding these layers is the difference between feeling underpowered and feeling like you’re breaking the game. Conjuration rewards planning more than almost any other magic school, and once you know how the tier system works, every summon becomes a calculated choice rather than a random purchase.
Mages Guild Conjuration Vendors: Who Sells What and When
Once you understand how skill gating works, the Mages Guild becomes the most reliable Conjuration pipeline in Oblivion Remastered. Every local hall has at least one spell merchant tied to a magic school, and Conjuration vendors scale their inventory almost entirely off your current skill tier. If a spell isn’t showing up, it’s nearly always a progression issue, not RNG or disposition.
The smart play is to treat guild halls as checkpoints. As soon as you hit a new Conjuration rank, you should immediately revisit vendors you’ve already checked. Entire summon categories unlock at once, and the difference in combat impact between tiers is massive.
Apprentice to Journeyman: Early Guild Hall Inventories
At Novice and Apprentice Conjuration, Mages Guild vendors focus on foundational summons. Expect basic Scamp, Skeleton, and Zombie spells, along with utility options like Bound Dagger or short-duration Bound Armor pieces. These spells are cheap, fast to cast, and ideal for early power-leveling since dismissing and resummoning still grants skill XP.
Once you reach Journeyman, the inventory jump is noticeable. Headless Zombies, Skeleton Champions, and stronger Bound Weapons begin appearing, giving you real frontline presence. This is the tier where Conjuration stops feeling like a gimmick and starts controlling aggro reliably.
Expert Unlocks: Regional Halls vs. the Arcane University
At Expert Conjuration, most local Mages Guild halls expand their lists, but the Arcane University pulls ahead hard. This is where higher-tier Daedra, longer-duration summons, and more efficient Bound Weapon variants start appearing consistently. If you’ve unlocked University access through the recommendation quests, this becomes your primary shopping hub.
Volanaro at the Arcane University is the most important Conjuration vendor in the game. He sells a broad spread of Expert- and Master-tier summons as soon as your skill qualifies, without requiring additional quest flags. If you’re planning a pure summoner or spellblade hybrid, checking his inventory at every rank-up is mandatory.
Master Tier: When the Guild Fully Breaks the Game
At Master Conjuration, the remaining restraints fall away. Dremora Lords, Xivilai, Daedroths, and Atronachs with long durations become standard vendor offerings, not rare finds. These summons have enough health, damage, and hitbox control to trivialize most dungeon encounters.
Not every guild hall carries the full Master list, which is why the Arcane University remains dominant. Regional halls may still sell niche or elemental variants, but for raw power and consistency, University vendors are unmatched. At this point, gold becomes the only real limiter, not availability.
Trainer-Vendor Synergy: Buying Power Faster Than Intended
Several Conjuration vendors also double as trainers, which creates an efficient feedback loop. You can buy training to push into the next skill tier, immediately refresh the vendor’s inventory, and purchase spells that outperform anything you were using minutes earlier. This is one of the fastest ways to spike your build’s effectiveness without touching combat.
Selena Orania in Bruma is a standout early-game example, offering both training and spell access in one stop. Leveraging NPCs like this lets you smooth out Conjuration’s early weakness curve and reach summoner dominance far earlier than natural play would suggest.
Optimal Vendor Route for Conjuration-Focused Builds
For returning veterans, the optimal path is clear. Rush Mages Guild recommendations, power-level Conjuration to Journeyman using cheap summons, then pivot hard to the Arcane University once access is unlocked. Each skill milestone should trigger a vendor sweep, not a passive wait.
New players benefit just as much from this structure. The Mages Guild removes guesswork, teaches you how Conjuration scales, and rewards planning over brute force. If you ever feel underpowered, it’s almost always because you’re one vendor refresh away from a completely different tier of magic.
Imperial City Arcane University: High-Tier & Expert Conjuration Spells
Once you have full access to the Arcane University, Conjuration stops being a support skill and starts defining your entire build. This is the moment where vendor RNG disappears and spell availability becomes predictable, scalable, and brutally efficient. If you’re chasing Expert or Master-tier summons in Oblivion Remastered, this is the hub that matters.
Unlike regional guild halls, the University doesn’t drip-feed power. It assumes you’re ready to break encounters and gives you the tools to do it cleanly.
Athragar and the Mystic Archives: The Conjuration Backbone
Athragar, found in the Mystic Archives, is the single most important Conjuration vendor in the game. He sells a full spread of Expert and Master Conjuration spells as soon as your skill meets the requirement, no quest gating or regional variance involved. This includes high-duration Dremora, Daedroth, Xivilai, and advanced Atronach summons that outclass anything sold outside the University.
What makes Athragar especially dangerous is that he’s also the Master Conjuration trainer. You can buy training to push your skill threshold, reopen his inventory, and immediately purchase stronger spells. This collapses what would normally be hours of progression into a single visit.
Expert Tier: Where Summons Take Over Combat Flow
Expert Conjuration is the real turning point for hybrid and pure mage builds. At this tier, summons stop feeling disposable and start controlling aggro, blocking corridors, and soaking boss damage without micromanagement. Expert-tier Dremora and Atronachs have enough health and DPS to solo many dungeon packs while you play support or stack damage from range.
At the Arcane University, Expert spells are always available once your skill hits the threshold. There’s no need to bounce between guild halls or wait for level-ups. This reliability is why veterans rush University access before committing to a summoner playstyle.
Master Tier Availability: No Guesswork, Just Gold
Master Conjuration spells are not quest rewards or hidden unlocks here. Once your skill hits 100, Athragar simply sells them. Long-duration Dremora Lords, top-tier Daedra, and elemental Atronachs with massive hitboxes and damage output become standard purchases.
At this stage, the only limiter is magicka cost and gold. With basic enchanting or birthsign optimization, even these massive summons become sustainable in normal dungeon pacing. The Arcane University removes every remaining barrier except preparation.
Spellmaking Altar: Custom Conjuration That Outperforms Vendors
This is where the Arcane University truly separates itself from every other spell source in Oblivion Remastered. The Spellmaking Altar lets you create custom Conjuration spells that are cheaper, longer-lasting, or more specialized than vendor versions. You can fine-tune duration to hit perfect magicka breakpoints or stack multiple summons into a single cast if your skill allows it.
For experienced players, this is how you outscale the game. Vendor spells establish the baseline, but custom spells let you optimize around your magicka pool, difficulty setting, and combat rhythm. No chapel, guild hall, or quest reward competes with this level of control.
Why the Arcane University Is Non-Negotiable for Conjurers
Every reliable path to endgame Conjuration funnels back here. Mage Guild vendors get you started, regional halls smooth early progression, but the Arcane University finishes the build. It centralizes Expert and Master spells, training, and spellcrafting in one location with zero RNG friction.
If your Conjuration-focused character feels capped or inefficient, it’s almost always because you haven’t fully leveraged the University yet. Once you do, the power curve doesn’t just rise, it spikes.
Chapels, Necromancers, and Unofficial Sellers: Alternative Spell Sources
Once you’ve tasted the efficiency of the Arcane University, everything else in Cyrodiil feels secondary. Still, not every Conjuration spell comes from polished guild halls and sanctioned vendors. There are fringe sources that matter early, fill gaps mid-game, or cater to darker roleplay paths.
These options are less consistent, sometimes risky, but they round out the full Conjuration ecosystem in Oblivion Remastered.
Chapels and Court Wizards: Early Utility With Hard Limits
Most city chapels and their attached court mages technically sell Conjuration spells, but expectations need to be realistic. These vendors focus on Novice and Apprentice-tier effects, usually limited to basic undead summons or low-duration creatures. Think Summon Skeleton, Summon Scamp, or short-lived zombies meant for early dungeon pacing.
Their real value is accessibility. You don’t need Mage Guild rank, recommendations, or quest progress to buy from them. For new characters testing a hybrid build or supplementing melee with temporary aggro control, chapels are a safe on-ramp.
The downside is progression lockout. Once your Conjuration skill pushes past the early thresholds, chapels stop offering anything meaningful. They will never scale with you, and they will never sell Expert or Master-tier spells.
Necromancers and Black Market Casters: High Risk, Narrow Rewards
Necromancer lairs and rogue spellcasters occasionally carry Conjuration spells you won’t see in polite society. These are usually tied to undead summons, reanimation variants, or niche effects that lean into dark fantasy flavor. Mechanically, they rarely outperform Mage Guild equivalents.
The real issue is reliability. These vendors are hostile by default, gated behind combat, or tied to one-off quest outcomes. If you kill them, you lose access permanently, and if you miss the window, there’s no backup vendor elsewhere.
For roleplayers or completionists, they’re worth seeking out. For pure optimization, they’re a detour that costs more time than they save.
Quest Rewards and Fixed Spell Drops: Supplement, Not Progression
A handful of quests across Cyrodiil reward Conjuration spells directly, often themed around Daedra, necromancy, or magical experimentation. These spells are fixed in power and don’t scale with your skill level or character progression.
That makes them useful only within a narrow band. Early on, they can save gold or give you a new summon slightly ahead of vendor availability. Later, they’re immediately outclassed by what guild vendors or the Spellmaking Altar can produce.
Treat quest spells as bonuses, not milestones. They should never define your Conjuration build path.
Why Alternative Sources Still Matter for Smart Progression
Despite their limitations, these sources smooth the early game and offer flexibility before Mage Guild infrastructure fully opens up. A chapel-bought summon can carry you through your first Oblivion Gate. A quest reward can bridge the gap while waiting on skill thresholds.
The key is understanding when to move on. Alternative sellers are stepping stones, not destinations. The moment they stop offering meaningful upgrades, it’s time to pivot back to structured vendors and spellcrafting.
Used correctly, these fringe sources support your climb. Used too long, they quietly stall it.
Quest Rewards & Faction Progression: Guaranteed Conjuration Spells
After fringe vendors and risky spell hunting, the next step up the reliability ladder is content that guarantees results. These spells are locked behind quest completion or faction progression, meaning no RNG, no rotating vendor stock, and no hoping the right spell appears at the right time.
They won’t replace Mage Guild vendors or spellcrafting, but they do provide fixed, dependable power spikes. For early-to-mid game Conjuration builds, that consistency matters.
Necromancer’s Moon: The One True Quest-Based Conjuration Spell
If you want a guaranteed, permanent Conjuration spell as a quest reward, Necromancer’s Moon is the standout. Completing this Mage Guild–adjacent quest grants a unique undead summon tied to Mannimarco’s cult and the Revenant mechanic.
The spell is fixed in magnitude and duration, so it doesn’t scale with skill. That limits its long-term viability, but at the level you obtain it, the summon’s aggro control and damage output are legitimately useful.
This is especially valuable for hybrid builds that haven’t fully committed to Conjuration yet. You get a functional tank summon without needing to meet higher skill thresholds or spend gold.
Mage Guild Progression: Access Is the Real Reward
Technically, Mage Guild quests don’t hand you Conjuration spells directly. What they guarantee is access, and that distinction matters for optimal progression.
Completing all local recommendation quests unlocks the Arcane University. From that point forward, every major Conjuration spell in the game becomes reliably obtainable through official vendors or the Spellmaking Altar.
This is the single most important progression milestone for any Conjuration-focused character. It removes uncertainty entirely and lets your build scale cleanly with skill investment.
Faction Advancement and Skill-Gated Spell Tiers
As your Conjuration skill increases, higher-tier spells automatically enter vendor inventories. This isn’t random and isn’t quest-dependent once you’re inside the Mage Guild ecosystem.
That means your “reward” for faction progression is effectively future-proofing. You’re not locked into fixed-power quest spells; you’re unlocking an upgrade path that keeps pace with your character’s growth.
From an optimization standpoint, this is why faction progression matters more than isolated rewards. It ensures your summons, bound gear, and utility spells stay relevant well into the late game.
Why Guaranteed Spells Are Support Tools, Not Endgame Staples
Quest-based Conjuration spells shine because they bypass gold costs and skill checks. They’re perfect bridges during awkward leveling windows where vendors haven’t caught up yet.
But they’re also capped. Once you hit higher Conjuration thresholds, vendor-bought and custom-crafted spells outperform them across the board in DPS, duration, and flexibility.
Use guaranteed spells to stabilize your build, not define it. Their real value is buying you time until the Mage Guild and spellcrafting systems take over.
Summon Spell Breakdown by Skill Level (Novice to Master)
Once you understand that access scales with skill, the Conjuration spell list starts to make a lot more sense. Each tier isn’t just a raw power bump; it changes how you control aggro, manage magicka efficiency, and survive fights that would otherwise overwhelm a caster.
Below is how summon spells evolve from early-game safety nets into full-blown battlefield control tools, along with where you reliably obtain them at each stage.
Novice Conjuration (0–24): Disposable Defense and Training Wheels
At Novice level, your summons exist to keep enemies off you, not to win fights outright. Spells like Summon Skeleton are cheap, fast to cast, and widely sold by Mage Guild vendors in every major city.
These creatures have low DPS and fragile health pools, but they do one critical thing well: they pull aggro instantly. That breathing room is invaluable while leveling Destruction, Restoration, or even blade skills on hybrid builds.
This tier is also where quest rewards occasionally fill gaps. If you’re under-skilled or under-funded, guaranteed low-tier summons from quests can keep your build functional until vendor inventories expand.
Apprentice Conjuration (25–49): Real Damage, Real Control
Hitting Apprentice is the first major power spike for Conjuration-focused characters. Vendors begin selling more aggressive summons like scamps or undead variants with better health and spell resistance.
These summons can actually finish fights against bandits, wildlife, and early Daedra without constant micromanagement. From a DPS standpoint, they finally justify their magicka cost instead of acting as pure distractions.
Mage Guild halls remain your primary source here. Chapels are still irrelevant for summons specifically, offering only Turn Undead utility spells that don’t replace a proper conjured frontline.
Journeyman Conjuration (50–74): Midgame Carry Potential
Journeyman-tier summons mark the transition from support tools to win conditions. Creatures like clannfear or atronachs bring high health, strong hitboxes, and pressure that forces enemies into defensive behavior.
At this stage, summon duration and survivability scale well enough that you can chain fights without recasting every engagement. This is where Conjuration starts outperforming follower NPCs due to consistency and instant deployment.
Most of these spells appear naturally in Mage Guild vendor inventories once you hit the skill threshold. If you’ve unlocked the Arcane University, this is also where custom spellcrafting starts to shine.
Expert Conjuration (75–99): Battlefield Dominance
Expert-level summons fundamentally change encounter pacing. Daedric creatures like daedroths, spider daedra, or storm atronachs apply constant pressure, soak massive damage, and punish clustered enemies.
These summons excel at area denial and boss control, often trivializing Oblivion Gates and high-level dungeon rooms. Their ability to hold aggro lets you free-cast, reposition, or even disengage safely.
Expert spells are reliably sold at the Arcane University and select high-ranking Mage Guild vendors. At this point, gold is rarely the bottleneck; skill investment is the real gate.
Master Conjuration (100): Endgame Power and Customization
Master-tier summons are pure dominance tools. Dremora lords and liches bring endgame-level damage, spellcasting, and survivability that rival or exceed most quest bosses.
These spells are expensive and magicka-hungry, but they scale absurdly well with enchantments, sigil stones, and custom spell tuning. One properly supported summon can clear rooms while you play pure support or DPS.
Master spells are obtained through the Arcane University or top-tier Conjuration vendors once your skill hits 100. This is the payoff for full Mage Guild progression and long-term investment, and it’s where Conjuration fully earns its reputation as one of Oblivion’s strongest schools.
Optimal Early, Mid, and Late-Game Paths for Conjuration-Focused Characters
Conjuration’s power curve is all about hitting the right thresholds at the right time. If you chase spells too early, magicka costs will choke your DPS and force constant resting. Follow a clean progression path, and each tier of summons naturally replaces the last without wasted gold or dead skill points.
Early Game (Conjuration 0–25): Establishing Control
Early Conjuration is about battlefield stability, not raw damage. Summon Skeleton, Summon Scamp, and Summon Zombie are your core tools, giving you reliable aggro control while you level Destruction, Marksman, or Blade safely behind them.
All Novice-level Conjuration spells are sold by Mage Guild vendors in every major city. Chorrol, Bravil, and Skingrad are especially convenient stops early, letting you buy multiple summons without bouncing across Cyrodiil.
At this stage, gold is tight, so avoid buying every spell you see. Pick one durable summon and commit to it, using repeated casting in combat to push Conjuration skill gains efficiently.
Mid Game (Conjuration 25–50): Scaling Pressure and Flexibility
Once you hit Apprentice and Journeyman thresholds, Conjuration starts defining your playstyle. Clannfear, Flame Atronach, and Headless Zombie bring higher health pools and better hitboxes, making them far more consistent in dungeons and Oblivion Gates.
These spells unlock naturally in Mage Guild inventories as your skill rises, which means you should revisit vendors after every few level-ups. This is also when joining and progressing the Mage Guild pays off, since Arcane University access lets you craft cheaper, longer-lasting custom summons.
Quest rewards occasionally supplement your toolkit, but vendors remain the most reliable source. Think of mid-game Conjuration as optimization time: lower magicka cost, longer duration, and summons that survive entire fights without babysitting.
Late Game (Conjuration 50+): Specialization and Spellcrafting
From Adept into Expert, Conjuration shifts from support to encounter control. Daedroths, Spider Daedra, and Storm Atronachs don’t just tank; they dictate enemy movement, split aggro, and punish clustered targets with splash damage.
At this point, Mage Guild vendors and the Arcane University are your primary pipelines for new spells. Gold is rarely an issue now, so prioritize acquiring multiple summon types to counter different enemy resistances and AI behaviors.
Late-game optimization revolves around custom spells. Tweaking duration and magicka cost lets you maintain near-permanent summons, turning Conjuration into a passive win condition while you focus on DPS, crowd control, or utility casting.
Endgame Transition: From Summoner to Battlefield Architect
By the time you approach Master Conjuration, your progression path converges. Vendor-bought master spells and custom-crafted variants let you fine-tune exactly how much pressure you apply and when.
This is where Conjuration stops being reactive and becomes proactive. You’re no longer responding to enemy spawns; you’re placing threats on the field before enemies can even reach you, fully leveraging everything the Mage Guild progression and spell system offer.
Spellmaking and Custom Conjuration Spells: Unlocking Maximum Power
If late-game Conjuration is about control, spellmaking is how you hard-lock that control in your favor. This is where vendor spells stop being the ceiling and start becoming raw ingredients. Once you understand how Oblivion Remastered calculates magicka cost and duration, custom Conjuration spells let you outscale almost every pre-built option in the game.
Access is the first gate. Completing all Mage Guild recommendation quests unlocks the Arcane University, giving you permanent access to the Spellmaking Altar, while Frostcrag Spire offers an early alternative if you own the DLC. Either route opens the same system, and once you’re in, your Conjuration build truly comes online.
How Spellmaking Actually Breaks the Curve
Spellmaking works because cost scales faster than duration. A 10-second summon is dramatically cheaper than a 30-second one, but in real combat, even 15 to 20 seconds is enough to decide a fight. This lets you create low-cost summons you can cast repeatedly without draining your magicka pool.
This is especially powerful for Atronachs and Daedra. Custom versions with trimmed durations often cost half as much as vendor spells, meaning higher uptime, fewer pauses, and better tempo in multi-room dungeon crawls. You’re trading excess duration for consistency, which is almost always the right call.
Optimal Custom Conjuration Spells to Build First
Start with your core tank summon. A custom Clannfear, Daedroth, or Storm Atronach at 15–20 seconds gives you reliable aggro control without overcommitting magicka. These durations align perfectly with Oblivion’s average enemy TTK once your DPS or crowd control is online.
Next, look at Bound equipment. Custom Bound Sword or Bound Bow spells with 20-second durations are massively cheaper than vendor versions and scale directly with your combat skill. For hybrid builds, this is free damage with zero gear investment, and it synergizes perfectly with Conjuration leveling.
Skill Requirements, Availability, and Hidden Progression Rules
You can only craft effects you’ve already learned, so vendor spells still matter. Mage Guild halls remain the most reliable source of new Conjuration effects, unlocking stronger summons as your skill hits Apprentice, Journeyman, Expert, and Master thresholds. This is why revisiting vendors after leveling Conjuration is non-negotiable.
Skill level also determines whether you can actually cast what you make. Even if a custom spell exists, insufficient Conjuration skill will spike its failure rate or make it unusable. Training Conjuration, using bound weapons, and maintaining summon uptime all feed back into faster progression.
Why Custom Spells Define Endgame Conjuration
At high levels, custom spells let you shape encounters before they begin. You can pre-cast low-cost summons, reposition, and re-summon mid-fight without ever bottoming out on magicka. This turns Conjuration into sustained battlefield pressure rather than a cooldown-based tool.
Vendor Master spells still have their place, but custom variants win on efficiency. When your summons last exactly as long as they need to, every point of magicka does work, and that’s the real endgame advantage.
In Oblivion Remastered, Conjuration rewards players who think like systems designers, not just spell collectors. Master spellmaking early, tune your summons ruthlessly, and you’ll turn every dungeon, gate, and boss fight into a controlled experiment where the outcome is never in doubt.