I've only created 5 black soul gems through the altars. However, I think I have about 30 now, and I haven't made any more. When I kill vampires or Xivilais or other creatures that qualifies as grand souls with Umbra, I get a new filled black soul gem from out of nowhere. Is this supposed to happen, or is it a bug? It doesn't happen every time, but most of the times.

Also I think this happens with greater soul gems as well.

On a similar note, the enchanted chest does not produce ingredients anymore. It did the first time, but not anymore. I have a flax seed in it, btw. Not sure if this is relevant, but it can somehow seem like instead of giving me extra ingredients, the game gives me extra soul gems...

I don't know about the soul gems or anything but I believe that this should be in the spoilers section...

Definatly a bug. I haven't experienced anything like this, but.....
Or more posible, It may be a screw up of some mod you are using

Thanks, and sorry about posting it in the wrong forum at first. I could have sworn I was in the hints forum when I created the post, but obviously not...

I have a few mods installed, the most recent being that wizard tower (not the official). I've also installed that Reich Parkeep alpha version, but the door to it in Cheydinhal does not work for me, so that could indicate a bug. I'll disable it...

The other mods I've had installed since I started this game, and this soul gem cloning started recently, so I hope that'll fix it. I don't want to remove the wizard's tower, as I like that one...

Alright, let me know did it work.
BTW do you have the patch? It could be that some mod that was campatible with the unpatched version, is now not compatible with the patched version.

No I've disabled the Reich Parkeep, but I'm still getting soul gems from out of nowhere. And I do have the beta patch installed. There must be some kind of conflict somewhere.

The other mods I have:

- Beneath the Wall (New dungeon. Had forgotten about this, haven't been there yet)
- Brighter Torches
- CFVBloodgrass (fix for vampire cure bug)
- Improved UI
- DEJ Harvest (removes graphics of plants etc. for 3 days after you harvest them)
- Display rooms and mannequins
- Orrery and Frot Crag Spire official mods
- A mod that reduces the weight of ingredients to 50%
- Quest award leveling mod (leveled items level up with you after you get them)
- Top tower (allows you to stand on top of the White Tower in the Imperial City)
- Saddlebag for horses
- ...and various texture replacements for enhanced scenery graphics

Well it's no big deal, although I have more soul gems now than I'll ever need, which takes a bit of the challenge away. I'll stop using Umbra if that blade from Boetha is better (currently doing that quest)

Actually I had this happen with my mage character. Do you have Azura's star and the Colossal Black Soul Gem from completing the mage guild quest line?

It seems to be the interaction between the two... Not sure if its a bug or not... it may just be the effect of the Colossal Black gem spitting out gems occasionally.

Yes I have those.

I've noticed a pattern of some sort: Whenever I enter a new area I can trap 2 or 3 souls even if I have no free soul gems, and then I get the message 'you do not have any soul gems large enough...' etc.

So I always try to trap 2-3 dremoras or some grand souls when I first enter a new area.

Obviously this is some kind of bug, but I see it is very handy as that Hatred of Souls bow is really eating soul gems...

I also have experianced the chest not giving ingrediants bug... My power cord is broken though, and in Iraq that is kind of a big deal since there ARENT ANY FOR SALE, so I am grounded from Oblivion for a little bit, and cant tell you which mods I have installed other than memory...

The Daedric Katana
UI Upgrade
Quest Reward Levelup
Saddlebags/Callsteed

Cant remember anymore...

I do have both the Collossal Black Soul Gem and Azura's Star in inventory, so I dont know...

Cadaver