You’re wandering through the Great Forest, maybe feeling a bit over-leveled and bored with your current steel longsword, when you stumble upon a shrine dedicated to the Prince of Domination. Most players see the Oblivion Mace of Molag Bal and think they’ve just found the ultimate endgame weapon. I mean, it’s a Daedric artifact. It looks terrifying. It literally glows with malevolent energy.
But honestly? This weapon is one of the most misunderstood, glitchy, and controversial items in the entire game.
If you’ve played Skyrim, you probably remember this mace as an absolute beast that traps souls and refills your stamina. In Cyrodiil, things are... different. It’s clunky. The quest is a moral nightmare. And depending on which version of the game you’re playing, the enchantment might not even work at all. Basically, it’s the ultimate "buyer beware" of the Daedric world.
The Quest That Makes You Feel Like a Jerk
Before we talk about the stats, we have to talk about the quest. It’s dark. Like, genuinely uncomfortable. To even get the Mace of Molag Bal, you have to be at least Level 17 and offer a Lion Pelt at his shrine. Once the Prince starts talking, he doesn’t want you to kill a dragon or clear a cave.
He wants you to corrupt a man named Melus Petilius.
Petilius is a former hero who swore off violence after his wife died. He spends his days mourning at her grave near Brindle Home. Molag Bal finds this peaceful existence offensive. Your job? Force this man to break his vow and murder you.
How to Actually Finish It (Without Glitching)
This is where people get stuck. You can’t just walk up and punch him. You have to be smart about it.
- Drop the Cursed Mace: You have to literally drop the cursed weapon Molag Bal gave you right at the grave site while Petilius is mourning.
- Timing is Everything: He’s usually there between 10:00 AM and noon.
- The Assault: You have to attack him (usually with your fists) while he’s at the grave.
- The "Death" Trigger: If you’ve done it right, he’ll pick up the mace and start beating you with it. You have to let him bring your health down to almost zero.
Here’s the kicker: if your difficulty is set too high or your health is too low, he might actually kill you. If you die for real, the quest fails. In the 2025/2026 Remastered editions, this trigger is a bit more stable, but in the classic 2006 version, it’s a coin flip. If the game detects you’re about to die, Molag Bal teleports you back to the shrine, laughing because you successfully made a good man commit a sin.
You get the "real" mace as a reward. Was it worth it? Your conscience might say no, but your inventory says yes.
Is the Oblivion Mace of Molag Bal Actually Good?
Let's look at the numbers. On paper, it looks decent.
- Weight: 45 (It’s heavy, seriously).
- Damage: 25 (A tiny bit better than a standard Daedric mace).
- Value: 4,900 Gold.
- Enchantment: Absorb Strength 5 points for 10 seconds; Absorb Magicka 5 points for 10 seconds.
Wait. There's a massive "but" here.
In the original, unpatched version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the Absorb Strength enchantment has a duration of zero seconds. That means it literally does nothing. You hit someone, the game tries to absorb strength, and then it immediately expires before it affects anything.
If you're playing the Remastered version or have the Unofficial Oblivion Patch installed, this is fixed. But even then, 5 points isn't a lot. If you're Level 20+ fighting a Xivilai, 5 points of Magicka isn't going to save your life.
It’s kind of a "vampire's mace" light. It saps the enemy's power to fuel yours, making it okay for a blunt-focused battlemage, but it’s far from the best weapon in the game. Most players end up giving it to Martin during the "Blood of the Daedra" quest because, frankly, they'd rather have the Azura's Star or Goldbrand.
Why It Still Matters in 2026
Despite being "mid" in terms of power, the Mace of Molag Bal is a legendary piece of lore. It represents the King of Strife’s influence on Tamriel. Carrying it feels like a statement. It’s one of the few items that feels "heavy" in a game where combat can sometimes feel like swinging pool noodles.
📖 Related: Why the Projectile Launch System Cyberpunk Build is Actually Broken
If you’re a collector, you need it for the Oblivion Walker equivalent of achievements. Plus, if you’re playing a character who’s leaning into the "evil" side of things, nothing beats the aesthetic of a jagged, black mace that once belonged to the God of Schemes.
Strategies for Use
If you do decide to main this weapon, keep a few things in mind.
- Soul Gem Hunger: It has about 44 uses before it runs dry. You’re going to be carrying a lot of soul gems.
- The Strength Cap: Remember that in vanilla Oblivion, your Strength doesn't give you extra damage once it hits 100. If you're already at the cap, the "Absorb Strength" part of the mace is only useful for weakening the enemy, not making you stronger.
- Weight Management: At 45 units, it’s a beast. If you have low encumbrance, this weapon will eat up your loot space fast.
Honestly, the best way to use it is as a specialized tool for fighting mages. Absorbing their Magicka—even in small amounts—can sometimes prevent them from casting that one final, annoying fireball.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re sitting at the shrine right now wondering if you should go through with it, here’s my advice. Save your game before you approach Melus Petilius. The quest is notoriously buggy, and you don’t want to lose hours of progress because he refused to pick up the mace or because you accidentally punched a guard on the way there.
Once you have the mace, take it to a test run in a nearby ruin. If you find the enchantment too weak, don't feel bad about trading it in for the main quest. There are plenty of other maces in the sea—or in this case, in the planes of Oblivion.
Check your current Blunt skill level; if it's below 50, you might find the swing speed of this heavy artifact more frustrating than it's worth. Stick to a lighter silver or fine steel mace until your stats can handle the weight of Molag Bal's "gift."