You just offed Rufio. He was old, he was pathetic, and honestly, he probably didn't see it coming. But now you’re in. You’ve got that weird "Sanguine, my brother" password memorized, and you’re ready to start collecting. Most players treat the Dark Brotherhood like a standard questline where you just grab whatever the quest giver hands you and move on. That is a massive mistake.
In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the oblivion dark brotherhood rewards are actually some of the most complex, level-dependent, and easily missable items in the entire game. If you rush through this at level 5, you’re basically throwing away the most powerful endgame gear.
The Problem With the Blade of Woe
The Blade of Woe is the literal face of the Dark Brotherhood. Lucien Lachance hands it to you during your very first meeting, and at that point, it’s basically a paperweight. It has zero enchantments. It does almost no damage. It’s a quest item that you can’t even drop.
Here is what most people miss: the Blade of Woe "wakes up" at the very end of the questline. When you complete Honor Thy Mother, the Night Mother herself enchants it.
If you finish that quest at level 30 or higher, the blade becomes a monster. We’re talking about a dagger that can do 20-30 points of damage while simultaneously demoralizing the target and damaging their health/magicka. But if you finish it early? You’re stuck with a mediocre version forever.
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- Pro Tip: Hold off on finishing the final quest until you're level 30.
- The Recharge Tax: Be warned, the max-level Blade of Woe has a massive charge cost. You’ll be living at the local Mages Guild paying for recharges unless you have Azura’s Star.
Those Bonus Rewards Are Better Than the Gold
Every contract Vicente Valtieri and Ocheeva give you comes with a "bonus" requirement. Usually, it’s "don't kill the guards" or "make it look like an accident." If you fail the bonus, you just get gold. Gold is boring. Cyrodiil is literally overflowing with gold. You want the unique items.
The Scales of Pitiless Justice
You get these for the Scheduled for Execution quest if you don't kill any guards. It’s a literal set of scales that sits in your inventory. It boosts your Strength, Agility, and Intelligence by 2 points each.
The catch? It lowers your Personality by 2 points. Honestly, who cares? You’re an assassin. You don't need people to like you; you need to carry more loot and hit harder. It’s basically a permanent +6 carry weight (once you factor in the item's own 4-pound weight).
Sufferthorn and Shadowhunt
Sufferthorn is a dagger you get for the Abandoned House quest. It’s great for slowing down enemies because of its Damage Agility enchantment. Then there’s Shadowhunt, the bow you get from the Lonely Wanderer quest. This thing is a stealth archer's dream because it has Turn Undead and Damage Magicka. If you’re playing on the higher difficulty sliders, these specific stat-draining effects are way more useful than raw fire or frost damage.
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Shadowmere: The Reward That Won't Die
After the quest The Purification—which, let's be real, is a total gut-punch—Lucien gives you Shadowmere.
She isn't just a fast horse. She’s an essential NPC. This means if she "dies," she just falls unconscious and gets back up a few seconds later. You can use her as a portable chest. Seriously. Attack her until she’s knocked out, shove all your heavy loot into her inventory, and wait for her to stand up.
She’ll carry your 400 pounds of Daedric armor across the map without breaking a sweat. It's a bit mean, sure, but Sithis probably doesn't mind.
The Black Hand Robes (and How to Cheat)
When you finally reach the rank of Speaker, you get the Black Hand Robes and Hood. These are arguably the best stealth clothes in the game. They fortify your Sneak, Illusion, Marksman, Blade, and Speechcraft.
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But wait. There’s a way to get them way earlier.
In the town of Applewatch, there’s a house belonging to J'Ghasta. If you break into his basement, there’s a secret keg hidden behind some crates. It’s locked with a "Very Hard" lock. If you can pick it (or use the Skeleton Key), you can find a spare set of Black Hand Robes inside long before the game actually gives them to you.
The Night Mother's Blessing
Once you become the Listener, you can visit the Lucky Old Lady statue in Bravil once a week. You talk to the Night Mother, she gives you a "list" (which is really just a prompt), and you get a cut of the weekly profits.
But the real reward is the permanent buff. Standing before the Night Mother’s crypt at the end of the line grants you the Night Mother’s Blessing. It’s a permanent +2 to your Sneak, Security, Acrobatics, Marksman, and Blade skills. It doesn't sound like much, but in Oblivion’s math-heavy leveling system, every permanent point helps you push past the level 100 cap.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Run
If you want to maximize your oblivion dark brotherhood rewards, follow this specific order:
- Start Early: Join the Brotherhood at level 1 to get the Shrouded Armor immediately. It’s the best light armor for the early game.
- Get the Bonus Every Time: Do not settle for just the gold. Use the Invisibility or Chameleon spells to ensure you hit every bonus requirement.
- The J'Ghasta Heist: Swing by Applewatch as soon as you have a way to open "Very Hard" locks to snag the Black Hand Robes early.
- The Level 30 Pause: Stop right before you do the quest Honor Thy Mother. Go do the Arena or the Mages Guild. Come back when you’re level 30 so the final Blade of Woe enchantment is at its absolute peak.
The Dark Brotherhood is easily the best written guild in the game, but it's also a goldmine for unique gear. Don't waste the opportunity by rushing the ending. Treat the Night Mother with some respect, wait for your level to climb, and you'll walk away as the most dangerous person in Cyrodiil.