You're wandering through the Great Forest west of Chorrol. The moons, Masser and Secunda, are high, casting a silver glow over the brush. Suddenly, you hear a howl. If you're coming from Skyrim, your first instinct is probably to check your active effects or find a way to join the pack. You want that beast form. You want to tear through bandits with your bare claws. But then the realization hits. Can you become a werewolf in Oblivion, or are you just chasing shadows?
The short answer is a bit of a heartbreaker for fans of the hairy life: No. In the base version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, you cannot become a werewolf. It's just not in the code. Unlike its predecessor Morrowind (specifically the Bloodmoon expansion) or its successor Skyrim, Bethesda skipped lycanthropy for this specific entry. Honestly, it's one of the most frequent points of confusion for new players who assume the "middle" game of the modern trilogy would naturally include the series' most iconic curse.
Why Lycanthropy is Missing from Cyrodiil
It feels weird, right? Every other major modern Elder Scrolls game lets you howl at the moon. In Oblivion, you've got vampires. You've got the Dark Brotherhood. You've even got a guy who thinks everyone is spying on him in Skingrad. But no wolves.
The developers at Bethesda Game Studios shifted their focus toward the "Vampirism" mechanic for this release. They wanted a deep, multi-stage infection system where your appearance changed and NPCs reacted to your withered face. Adding a full werewolf transformation would have required a whole separate set of animations, a third-person forced perspective (which Oblivion struggled with in tight spaces), and a balancing act for the leveling system. Basically, they ran out of time or just decided it didn't fit the "High Fantasy" vibe of Cyrodiil.
Interestingly, there are actually werewolves in the lore of the province. You just don't see them. If you talk to certain NPCs or read the books scattered in the Chorrol Mages Guild, you'll hear about the "Lupine" creatures. But in the actual game world? You’re stuck with two legs and a distinct lack of fur.
The Hircine Connection
Even though you can't transform, the Daedric Prince of the Hunt, Hircine, is very much present. You can find his shrine in the Nibenay Valley. He’ll ask you to hunt down a unicorn. It’s a bit dark, honestly. Once you bring him the horn, he rewards you with the Saviour's Hide.
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Now, in other games, this artifact is deeply tied to werewolves. In Oblivion, it’s just a nice piece of light armor with some magic resistance. It feels like a leftover scrap from a feast you weren't invited to. It’s a tease. Players often reach this quest and think, "Okay, surely this is how I start the werewolf questline." Nope. It ends right there.
What about the "Bloodmoon" Rumors?
Back in 2006 and 2007, the internet was full of "guides" claiming that if you got bit by a wolf during a full moon near Bruma, you’d turn. These were the schoolyard rumors of the digital age. People were desperate to find a hidden mechanic. Some players even confused the "Fit of Rage" spell or certain Shivering Isles madness effects with lycanthropy.
They were all wrong.
Mods: The Only Way to Howl
If you’re playing on PC, the answer to can you become a werewolf in Oblivion changes from "no" to "absolutely, yes." The modding community looked at Bethesda’s omission and said, "We’ll do it ourselves."
The most famous of these is Curse of Hircine. It’s not just a skin swap. It adds a full transformation sequence, a hunger mechanic where you have to feed to maintain your strength, and even custom sound effects. When you're in wolf form, guards will hunt you down on sight. It captures that feeling of being a monster that the later games eventually polished.
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Another one to look for is Legendary Creatures. It adds werewolves as enemies to the wilderness. It makes the forests of Cyrodiil feel a lot more dangerous at night. Without mods, the most "beast-like" you can get is playing as a Khajiit and squinting really hard.
Comparing the Experience to Skyrim and Morrowind
It’s worth looking at what you’re actually missing. In Morrowind, being a werewolf was a power trip, but it was clunky. You had to kill an NPC every night or you’d lose massive amounts of health. In Skyrim, it’s a bit more "superhero" style—you have a perk tree and can controlledly transform.
Oblivion sits in this awkward gap where the engine (Gamebryo) was being pushed to its limits with the Radiant AI system. Adding a werewolf transformation might have broken the way NPCs tracked the player. Imagine the chaos of transforming in the middle of the Imperial City Market District; the AI would likely have had a meltdown trying to figure out if you were the Hero of Kvatch or a random forest monster.
Real In-Game Alternatives to Lycanthropy
Since you can't be a wolf, what can you be? If you’re looking for that "forbidden power" itch, here are your actual options:
- Vampirism: This is the big one. It has four stages. You get stronger the longer you go without blood, but you start burning in sunlight. It’s a trade-off. It’s the only "monster" transformation available in the base game.
- The Gray Cowl of Nocturnal: While not a physical transformation, putting on the cowl literally changes your identity. The guards don't see "The Champion," they see "The Gray Fox." It provides that "living a double life" feeling that werewolf players usually crave.
- Summoning: If you just want to see a big scary dog, you can use Conjuration. You can’t be the wolf, but you can have a Timber Wolf or a Daedroth fight by your side. It’s a lonely substitute, but it’s what we’ve got.
Future Proofing Your Save
If you are starting a new playthrough in 2026, don't waste time looking for a "Cure for Lycanthropy" or a "Wolf Blood" potion in the vanilla game. It doesn't exist. If you see a YouTube thumbnail showing a werewolf in the Kvatch ruins, check the description—it’s 100% a mod.
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The lack of werewolves is a bummer, especially since the Shivering Isles DLC gave us so many other weird creatures like Gnarls and Scalons. You’d think Sheogorath would have appreciated a few flea-ridden shapeshifters. But alas, the Prince of Madness had other plans.
To get your werewolf fix, you really have two choices: go back to the frozen island of Solstheim in Morrowind or head north to Skyrim. Cyrodiil remains a strictly "no-wolf" zone for the player character.
Actionable Steps for Players
If you’re still itching for that beast-mode gameplay in Oblivion, here is exactly what you should do:
- Check your platform: If you are on Xbox or PlayStation (including via backward compatibility), give up the search. It is impossible.
- Install OBSE: If you are on PC, download the Oblivion Script Extender. Most werewolf mods require this to function.
- Search Nexus Mods: Look for "Curse of Hircine - Resurrected." It is widely considered the most stable and lore-friendly way to add lycanthropy to the game.
- Embrace the Fangs: If you can't mod, go find a vampire. Head to Vile Blood Gallery or any random fort filled with vampires. Let them attack you until you contract Porphyric Hemophilia. Wait three days, sleep, and you’ll have the closest thing to a "monster" build the game allows.
- Visit the Shrines: Complete Hircine’s quest anyway. Even if you aren't a wolf, the Saviour’s Hide is one of the best pieces of early-game armor for a scout or thief.
The mystery of the missing werewolves in Oblivion is ultimately a tale of development priorities. Bethesda built a masterpiece of a world, but they left the howling to the wind.