SPECIAL NOTE:This guide is very long and thus can take a long time to read. If you are looking for general strategies read the first section and skip the second. If you are looking to hunt a specific type of enemy, then skip the first section and read the second section.
Dungeon Diving is probably the most fun and most profitable thing to do in Oblivion. The main quest and guilds are fun and all, but they end eventually. You can dungeon dive whenever you want and you can still have fun no matter what level you are. Newcomers to this forum and the game itself usually ask questions about where they should go to get some sweet items, or what the best items in the game are. Well this guide will help to answer a lot of those questions.
This guide is broken up into two sections; the first section will list general strategies for dungeon diving. The second section will list dungeons with specific types of enemies and give an overview of strategies for those specific types of dungeons.
Section 1: Strategies for Dungeon Diving
1)Know what enemies reside there and prepare yourself accordingly. If you know what your enemies are weak to, this can make the dungeon a heck of a lot easier. A general rule of thumb would be to use Fire on vampires and undead, and Shock on Daedra/Dremora. If you don't know what enemies you will be facing, or don't want to worry about which element to use, choose Shock. The only creature in the game with a resistance to shock is the Storm Atronach(they are immune to it). They only appear at higher levels, and even then you won't see them all the time. If you see one, just switch to fire or frost for the time and you will be fine. The best strategy would be to walk around wielding Goldbrand and using Shock.
NOTE: Go here for a listing of all the creatures in the game who have weaknesses.
2)Alchemy is your friend. Potions are extremely useful in dungeons. It is always nice to have a couple healing potions for when you are fighting enemies and don't have time to heal yourself with spells or by waiting around. Poisons are nice too if you don't want to spend forever fighting creatures.
3)If you haven't started it already, I would highly recommend doing parts of the Seeking Your Roots quest. The quest is fairly easy and you can do it while just traveling around Cyrodiil. Your reward for completing portions of the quest is the Elixir of Exploration, which is made specifically for Dungeon Divers. If you don't want to spend all your time looking for nirnroot, just get the 10 required for the weak version. Even though it just has Night Eye and Fortify Health effects, those are still very helpful in helping you explore the dungeon and surviving combat.
4)Bring some feather potions or make sure you can cast a couple feather spells. Unless you are looking for a specific item, you will probably find yourself overencumbered by loot as you fight through dungeons. Cast the feather spells or drink some potions and your problem is solved. A simple Feather 100 pts for 2 minutes spell only requires you to have an Alteration Level of 25 and doesn't cost a lot of money or Magicka, if you don't want to buy all the premade feather spells, just make a bunch of these.
5)Luck, Luck, Luck! Items are generated in dungeons based on your luck when you enter. So get some Fortify Luck spells and potions and cast/drink them quickly and then enter. You will usually find better loot in the dungeon if your luck is Fortified when you enter. An easy thing to do would be to make 2 Fortify Luck 100 pts for 5 sec spells and cast them both right before you enter. You only need to have a Restoration Level of 50 to make these. Go here to look at my Guide to Robber's Glen Cave. If you look at the bottom of the guide, I have listed all of the elite items I have received in my raids there.
6)Save your game! You won't always get what you want on your first dungeon run. So just reload if you end up getting crappy loot or don't get that one item you wanted from a chest. If you are Fortifying your luck before entering, I would recommend Fortifying it and then saving your game.
NOTE: When you are reloading, DO NOT reload the autosave. You will get the same stuff over and over again because you will already be in the dungeon and the items and enemies will already have spawned.
Section 2: Strategies for Specific Types of Dungeons
1)Most dungeons can be specified as one of two types, a Fight Dungeon or a Treasure Dungeon. The inhibitants of most dungeons can be specified as one of two types, humanoid or creature.
A fight dungeon is usually inhabited by humanoids, and contains lots of combat and does not have a lot of chests. Visit a fight dungeon if you are looking for a place to train and want to make money and get unenchanted armor and weapons.
EXAMPLE:Rockmilk Cave.
A treasure dungeon is usually inhabited by creatures and contains lots of chests, combat is usually optional. Visit a treasure dungeon if you are looking for some decent enchanted items and want some creatures.
EXAMPLE:Robber's Glen Cave.
Creatures can be split up into several different types: Mythic, Beast, Dremora, Goblin, Undead and Daedra.
Likewise, Humanoids can be split up into several different types: Bandits, Marauders, Vampires, Necromancers and Conjurers.
2)Mythic enemies are usually unarmed and use magic or brute force to kill you. They are compromised of imps, trolls, will-o-the wisps, spriggans, minotaurs, land dreughs, ogres and minotaur lords. Imps are extremely easy to kill and don't do much damage, so you don't have to worry about them. Trolls are weak to fire, and regenerate health quickly, they are also fast but you will be able to evade their attacks after fighting them for a while. Will-o-the-Wisps are in my opinion, the oddest creatures in the game. They can be dangerous to you whether you are level 1 or level 30. They only attack with magic and have immunities to normal weapons, disease, paralysis and poison. In addition, they have a special attack which will Absorb Health and Magicka, while also damaging your Intelligence and Willpower. I would not recommend fighting them with a bow, as they tend to disappear and rematerialize right before your face. And in addition to all of this, WOW's can only be harmed by a silver, daedric or enchanted weapon. Spriggans look like a combination of a tree and a human. They will summon a Black Bear to help them, are resistant to shock and have the ability to heal themselves completely 3 times. That being said, they have a weakness to fire. Ogres are big and bulky, and only fight with their hands. They have a ton of health, but are weak to poison. The best strategy for fighting ogres is to hit them with a bunch of poisoned arrows. Just keep backpedaling until they are dead and you should be fine. Land dreughs are big walking spiders. They are resistant to magic and normal weapons and fight using Shock damage over time. They are rather slow though, so fight them just like you fight ogres. They don't have much health and are rather easy to fight despite how hard they look. Minotaurs and minotaur lords are huge walking half-men half-bulls. They will either fight with their hands or use a warhammer. They have a special attack where they hit you with their horns which will cause damage to your armor. Minotaur lords are similar to regular minotaurs but have a resistance to magic.
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by mythic enemies are:
-Crayfish Cave
-Robber's Glen Cave
-Kingcrest Cavern
3)Beasts are the regular animals that you see walking around the wilderness. They are compromised of rats, wolfs, timber wolfs, black/brown bears and mountain lions. If they are ever in a cave, it is usually with some mythic enemies. With the exception of rats, all beasts have pelts which can be sold for cash. They are very fast and quick, but only attack with their claws. Best strategy for fighting beasts would be to use a bow and arrow or some destruction magic, or just a good old sword in their face.
4)Dremora are humanoids but are usually found in caves with other Daedra(non-Dremora). All dremora are resistant to fire and magic, but have a weakness to shock. They use a combination of magic and regular weapons. They usually come in two versions, armored or unarmored. The unarmored versions generally summon an ally and attack you with destruction magic and use their staff, but will switch to a regular weapon if you get in close. The armored versions usually cast some defensive spells and then charge in with a claymore. As you level up, the Dremora will increase in their rank and will be tougher. You will encounter these regularly when entering Oblivion Gates.
5)Daedra(non-dremora) are creatures and are found fighting side by side with dremora. They are compromised of Scamps(stunted and regular), Clannfears(runt and regular), Elemental Atronachs, Daedroths, Spider Daedra and Xivlai. With the exception of the Atronachs, all Daedra are resistant to fire and weak to shock. Scamps are the easiest forms, and just use fireballs and their claws. Stunted scamps don't drop scamp skin, regular ones do. Clannfears are extremel fast and attack with their claws. However, they always attack in the same pattern every single time so they become extremely easy after a while. Clannfear runts don't drop clannfear claws, regular ones do. Atronachs will attack you with their specified element either from far away using a spell, or up close with their hands. They are all immune to their respective elements, disease, poison and can reflect damage. Flame Atronachs have a weakness to frost, Frost Atronachs have a weakness to fire, while Storm Atronachs have no weaknesses and are also immune to paralysis. Daedroths are big walking dinosaurs, and will attack from afar using Fire Breath, and will melee you with either their claws or their teeth. Spider Daedra are huge spiders with a female upper body. They are also extremely fast. They attack using their legs and a shock bolt. They can also spit poison from distance that will damage your Agility, Speed and Health. They have the ability to heal themselves, and will summon a spiderling that has a paralyzing bite. They are immune to paralysis but are weak to shock and frost. Xivlai are the most powerful of all Daedra. They are as tall as you, and fight using a Battleaxe or a Claymore. It has spell absorbtion but have stunted magicka. They will use their weapons and magic to fight you, and will usually summon a Clannfear. They will use fireballs to attack you from range. As with all Daedra, just fight using Shock.
Daedra and Dremora can be found at:
-Brittlerock Cave
-Fort Entius(Second Level)
-Oblivion Gates
6)Undead are various versions of ghosts, skeletons and zombies. Undead in general are immune to frost, disease, normal weapons and poison, and are weak to fire. Zombies can spread various types of diseases. Zombies attack with their hands and spread disease, but just hit them with some fire and they will die quickly. Skeletons are usually armed with a war axe or a mace and most arrows usually bounce off of them. Skeleton heroes and champions will summon other skeletons to help them. Ghosts are extremely slow but will attack you with various destruction spells. Wraiths are similar to ghosts but will also carry a longsword and cast some weakening spells. Liches are the toughest versions of undead, but will only attack you with their staves. They can also take a tremendous beating. The best way to fight undead would be to complete Boethia's quest and attack with Goldbrand. Since undead are weak to fire and Goldbrand has a Fire Damage enchantment, it will annihilate them. Undead are found in a lot of spots, but are generally found in Ayleid Ruins.
7)Goblins are quick, agile creatures who usually carry lockpicks. They usually attack with a war axe or a bow. They come in a couple versions:Regular, Skirmisher, Berserker, Shaman and Warlord. With the exception of the Shaman and Warlord, they don't really use magic. Skirmishers will usually have a bow, and Berserkers will also have a shield. The Shaman will usually have a staff, and will Summon a Headless Zombie to help. The warlord is the most powerful goblin, and will wield a variety of weapons. At higher levels, Goblin Warlords have a ton of health and can take a long time to kill. You can have a bit of fun with goblins by playing around with the staffs of various tribes. The best strategy for fighting goblins is to just charge on in and maybe summon an ally to help.
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by Goblins are:
-Rock Bottom Caverns
-Pillaged Mine
-Goblin Jim's Cave
NOTE:When fighting Necromancers, Conjurers and Battlemages, most of them are High Elves, so Elemental Magic can work just as well as a blade.
8)Bandits wear light armor and use blunt weapons. They also carry lockpicks and poisons. Bandit Ringleaders will usually have some decent enchanted armor and weapons. You may also encounter some hedge wizards (usually Bretons) with them. Black bow bandits all use black bows, which can be sold to the Count of Leyawiin for cash after completing the Knights of the White Stallion Quest. Bandits are composed(starting with most common race) of mostly Imperials, Redguards, Khajit, Wood Elves and Dark Elves.
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by Bandits are:
-Belletor's Folly
-Shattered Mine
-Talwinque
9)Marauders wear heavy armor and use blades. They also carry some repair hammers. Marauder Warlords will usually have some decent enchanted armor and weapons. You may also encounter some Marauder archers and battlemages in large marauder dungeons. Maruaders are composed(starting with the most common race) of mostly Nords, Imperials, Orcs, Argonians and High Elves(Battlemages).
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by Marauders are:
-Fort Wooden Hand
-Infested Mine
-Fort Homestead
10)There are some places where you may find both Marauders and Bandits. They may be fighting or may not be aware the other group is there, in which case a well placed arrow can start a fight between them. You can wait and let them kill each other, which means you will fight less enemies, but they will focus all of their attention on you. You could just go right into the battle, meaning there are more enemies, but they will mainly be fighting each other instead of just fighting you.
Some examples of dungeons where Marauders and Bandits battle are:
-Rockmilk Cave
-Fort Nikel
11)Vampires are difficult to classify. They come in all different types, and wear a variety of armor. However, every Vampire will be one of the predefined classes you can choose at the beginning of the game (bard, battlemage, nightblade etc). They will usually wear the best quality armor for your level, and some will have armor with decent enchantments. They also drop vampire dust, which can be sold for 250 gold after completion of the Order of the Virtous Blood quest. But, they have a resistance to normal weapons, can turn invisible and can transmit Porphryric Hemophilia(which leads to vampirism) to you. That being said, Vampires have one large weakness: fire. As with undead, Goldbrand will work wonders here. The boss form of the Vampire is a Vampire Patriarch/Matriach(depending on gender). These vampires will usually have very good enchanted armor and usually wield a weapon with a decent enchantment. Overall, Vampires are probably the best things to hunt in my opinion.
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by Vampires are:
-Fort Hastrel
-Lipsand Tarn
-Fort Vlastarus
12)Necromancers are mages who summon undead creatures. Most necromancer lairs will usually contain some undead as well. They will always summon undead, and then usually run away and let the undead do the fighting. Your best bet is either to summon your own ally to deal with the undead, or just ignore the undead and head straight for the necromancer(this will also kill the summoned creature as well). They will usually switch to a dagger at close range, but are weak and easy to kill. They are a good source for potions and scrolls, and will sometimes carry black soul gems. The main point of the Mages Guild questline is to fight these Necromancers. They mostly live in Ayleid Ruins. Most Necromancers are either High Elves or Bretons.
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by Necromancers are:
-Garlas Agea
-Fort Istirus
-Echo Cave
13)Conjurers are simlar to Necromancers except they summon Daedra instead of undead. Use the same strategy for conjurers as you would necromancers. Conjurers usually carry alchemy equipment, and you can usually find some decent level alchemy equipment in chests in conjurer lairs. Most Conjurers are either High Elves or Bretons.
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by Conjurers are:
-Beldaburo
-Fort Rayles
-Fort Black Boot
-Fort Entius(first level)
14)In addition, there are some dungeons which are kind of cool and have some hidden secrets and sidequest associated with them.
Some examples of these dungeons are:
-Black Rock Caverns
-Lost Boy Cavern
-Sideways Cave
That's it. Feel free to leave some feedback or suggestions. Even if its negative, any type of feedback would be useful to make the guide better.
NOTE:If you find some decent dungeons that you think are pretty good places to raid, fell free to post them and I will check them out and add them to this guide(and maybe even make a seperate guide for that dungeon like I did with Rockmilk and Robber's Glen) if I think they are good.
Credits:
RainmanMP
SwordOfDeath11 for helping me go through countless revisions and giving me some good tips.
Wraithman for the tip about what races you will encounter when fighting certain types of humanoid enemies.
Dungeon Diving is probably the most fun and most profitable thing to do in Oblivion. The main quest and guilds are fun and all, but they end eventually. You can dungeon dive whenever you want and you can still have fun no matter what level you are. Newcomers to this forum and the game itself usually ask questions about where they should go to get some sweet items, or what the best items in the game are. Well this guide will help to answer a lot of those questions.
This guide is broken up into two sections; the first section will list general strategies for dungeon diving. The second section will list dungeons with specific types of enemies and give an overview of strategies for those specific types of dungeons.
Section 1: Strategies for Dungeon Diving
1)Know what enemies reside there and prepare yourself accordingly. If you know what your enemies are weak to, this can make the dungeon a heck of a lot easier. A general rule of thumb would be to use Fire on vampires and undead, and Shock on Daedra/Dremora. If you don't know what enemies you will be facing, or don't want to worry about which element to use, choose Shock. The only creature in the game with a resistance to shock is the Storm Atronach(they are immune to it). They only appear at higher levels, and even then you won't see them all the time. If you see one, just switch to fire or frost for the time and you will be fine. The best strategy would be to walk around wielding Goldbrand and using Shock.
NOTE: Go here for a listing of all the creatures in the game who have weaknesses.
2)Alchemy is your friend. Potions are extremely useful in dungeons. It is always nice to have a couple healing potions for when you are fighting enemies and don't have time to heal yourself with spells or by waiting around. Poisons are nice too if you don't want to spend forever fighting creatures.
3)If you haven't started it already, I would highly recommend doing parts of the Seeking Your Roots quest. The quest is fairly easy and you can do it while just traveling around Cyrodiil. Your reward for completing portions of the quest is the Elixir of Exploration, which is made specifically for Dungeon Divers. If you don't want to spend all your time looking for nirnroot, just get the 10 required for the weak version. Even though it just has Night Eye and Fortify Health effects, those are still very helpful in helping you explore the dungeon and surviving combat.
4)Bring some feather potions or make sure you can cast a couple feather spells. Unless you are looking for a specific item, you will probably find yourself overencumbered by loot as you fight through dungeons. Cast the feather spells or drink some potions and your problem is solved. A simple Feather 100 pts for 2 minutes spell only requires you to have an Alteration Level of 25 and doesn't cost a lot of money or Magicka, if you don't want to buy all the premade feather spells, just make a bunch of these.
5)Luck, Luck, Luck! Items are generated in dungeons based on your luck when you enter. So get some Fortify Luck spells and potions and cast/drink them quickly and then enter. You will usually find better loot in the dungeon if your luck is Fortified when you enter. An easy thing to do would be to make 2 Fortify Luck 100 pts for 5 sec spells and cast them both right before you enter. You only need to have a Restoration Level of 50 to make these. Go here to look at my Guide to Robber's Glen Cave. If you look at the bottom of the guide, I have listed all of the elite items I have received in my raids there.
6)Save your game! You won't always get what you want on your first dungeon run. So just reload if you end up getting crappy loot or don't get that one item you wanted from a chest. If you are Fortifying your luck before entering, I would recommend Fortifying it and then saving your game.
NOTE: When you are reloading, DO NOT reload the autosave. You will get the same stuff over and over again because you will already be in the dungeon and the items and enemies will already have spawned.
Section 2: Strategies for Specific Types of Dungeons
1)Most dungeons can be specified as one of two types, a Fight Dungeon or a Treasure Dungeon. The inhibitants of most dungeons can be specified as one of two types, humanoid or creature.
A fight dungeon is usually inhabited by humanoids, and contains lots of combat and does not have a lot of chests. Visit a fight dungeon if you are looking for a place to train and want to make money and get unenchanted armor and weapons.
EXAMPLE:Rockmilk Cave.
A treasure dungeon is usually inhabited by creatures and contains lots of chests, combat is usually optional. Visit a treasure dungeon if you are looking for some decent enchanted items and want some creatures.
EXAMPLE:Robber's Glen Cave.
Creatures can be split up into several different types: Mythic, Beast, Dremora, Goblin, Undead and Daedra.
Likewise, Humanoids can be split up into several different types: Bandits, Marauders, Vampires, Necromancers and Conjurers.
2)Mythic enemies are usually unarmed and use magic or brute force to kill you. They are compromised of imps, trolls, will-o-the wisps, spriggans, minotaurs, land dreughs, ogres and minotaur lords. Imps are extremely easy to kill and don't do much damage, so you don't have to worry about them. Trolls are weak to fire, and regenerate health quickly, they are also fast but you will be able to evade their attacks after fighting them for a while. Will-o-the-Wisps are in my opinion, the oddest creatures in the game. They can be dangerous to you whether you are level 1 or level 30. They only attack with magic and have immunities to normal weapons, disease, paralysis and poison. In addition, they have a special attack which will Absorb Health and Magicka, while also damaging your Intelligence and Willpower. I would not recommend fighting them with a bow, as they tend to disappear and rematerialize right before your face. And in addition to all of this, WOW's can only be harmed by a silver, daedric or enchanted weapon. Spriggans look like a combination of a tree and a human. They will summon a Black Bear to help them, are resistant to shock and have the ability to heal themselves completely 3 times. That being said, they have a weakness to fire. Ogres are big and bulky, and only fight with their hands. They have a ton of health, but are weak to poison. The best strategy for fighting ogres is to hit them with a bunch of poisoned arrows. Just keep backpedaling until they are dead and you should be fine. Land dreughs are big walking spiders. They are resistant to magic and normal weapons and fight using Shock damage over time. They are rather slow though, so fight them just like you fight ogres. They don't have much health and are rather easy to fight despite how hard they look. Minotaurs and minotaur lords are huge walking half-men half-bulls. They will either fight with their hands or use a warhammer. They have a special attack where they hit you with their horns which will cause damage to your armor. Minotaur lords are similar to regular minotaurs but have a resistance to magic.
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by mythic enemies are:
-Crayfish Cave
-Robber's Glen Cave
-Kingcrest Cavern
3)Beasts are the regular animals that you see walking around the wilderness. They are compromised of rats, wolfs, timber wolfs, black/brown bears and mountain lions. If they are ever in a cave, it is usually with some mythic enemies. With the exception of rats, all beasts have pelts which can be sold for cash. They are very fast and quick, but only attack with their claws. Best strategy for fighting beasts would be to use a bow and arrow or some destruction magic, or just a good old sword in their face.
4)Dremora are humanoids but are usually found in caves with other Daedra(non-Dremora). All dremora are resistant to fire and magic, but have a weakness to shock. They use a combination of magic and regular weapons. They usually come in two versions, armored or unarmored. The unarmored versions generally summon an ally and attack you with destruction magic and use their staff, but will switch to a regular weapon if you get in close. The armored versions usually cast some defensive spells and then charge in with a claymore. As you level up, the Dremora will increase in their rank and will be tougher. You will encounter these regularly when entering Oblivion Gates.
5)Daedra(non-dremora) are creatures and are found fighting side by side with dremora. They are compromised of Scamps(stunted and regular), Clannfears(runt and regular), Elemental Atronachs, Daedroths, Spider Daedra and Xivlai. With the exception of the Atronachs, all Daedra are resistant to fire and weak to shock. Scamps are the easiest forms, and just use fireballs and their claws. Stunted scamps don't drop scamp skin, regular ones do. Clannfears are extremel fast and attack with their claws. However, they always attack in the same pattern every single time so they become extremely easy after a while. Clannfear runts don't drop clannfear claws, regular ones do. Atronachs will attack you with their specified element either from far away using a spell, or up close with their hands. They are all immune to their respective elements, disease, poison and can reflect damage. Flame Atronachs have a weakness to frost, Frost Atronachs have a weakness to fire, while Storm Atronachs have no weaknesses and are also immune to paralysis. Daedroths are big walking dinosaurs, and will attack from afar using Fire Breath, and will melee you with either their claws or their teeth. Spider Daedra are huge spiders with a female upper body. They are also extremely fast. They attack using their legs and a shock bolt. They can also spit poison from distance that will damage your Agility, Speed and Health. They have the ability to heal themselves, and will summon a spiderling that has a paralyzing bite. They are immune to paralysis but are weak to shock and frost. Xivlai are the most powerful of all Daedra. They are as tall as you, and fight using a Battleaxe or a Claymore. It has spell absorbtion but have stunted magicka. They will use their weapons and magic to fight you, and will usually summon a Clannfear. They will use fireballs to attack you from range. As with all Daedra, just fight using Shock.
Daedra and Dremora can be found at:
-Brittlerock Cave
-Fort Entius(Second Level)
-Oblivion Gates
6)Undead are various versions of ghosts, skeletons and zombies. Undead in general are immune to frost, disease, normal weapons and poison, and are weak to fire. Zombies can spread various types of diseases. Zombies attack with their hands and spread disease, but just hit them with some fire and they will die quickly. Skeletons are usually armed with a war axe or a mace and most arrows usually bounce off of them. Skeleton heroes and champions will summon other skeletons to help them. Ghosts are extremely slow but will attack you with various destruction spells. Wraiths are similar to ghosts but will also carry a longsword and cast some weakening spells. Liches are the toughest versions of undead, but will only attack you with their staves. They can also take a tremendous beating. The best way to fight undead would be to complete Boethia's quest and attack with Goldbrand. Since undead are weak to fire and Goldbrand has a Fire Damage enchantment, it will annihilate them. Undead are found in a lot of spots, but are generally found in Ayleid Ruins.
7)Goblins are quick, agile creatures who usually carry lockpicks. They usually attack with a war axe or a bow. They come in a couple versions:Regular, Skirmisher, Berserker, Shaman and Warlord. With the exception of the Shaman and Warlord, they don't really use magic. Skirmishers will usually have a bow, and Berserkers will also have a shield. The Shaman will usually have a staff, and will Summon a Headless Zombie to help. The warlord is the most powerful goblin, and will wield a variety of weapons. At higher levels, Goblin Warlords have a ton of health and can take a long time to kill. You can have a bit of fun with goblins by playing around with the staffs of various tribes. The best strategy for fighting goblins is to just charge on in and maybe summon an ally to help.
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by Goblins are:
-Rock Bottom Caverns
-Pillaged Mine
-Goblin Jim's Cave
NOTE:When fighting Necromancers, Conjurers and Battlemages, most of them are High Elves, so Elemental Magic can work just as well as a blade.
8)Bandits wear light armor and use blunt weapons. They also carry lockpicks and poisons. Bandit Ringleaders will usually have some decent enchanted armor and weapons. You may also encounter some hedge wizards (usually Bretons) with them. Black bow bandits all use black bows, which can be sold to the Count of Leyawiin for cash after completing the Knights of the White Stallion Quest. Bandits are composed(starting with most common race) of mostly Imperials, Redguards, Khajit, Wood Elves and Dark Elves.
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by Bandits are:
-Belletor's Folly
-Shattered Mine
-Talwinque
9)Marauders wear heavy armor and use blades. They also carry some repair hammers. Marauder Warlords will usually have some decent enchanted armor and weapons. You may also encounter some Marauder archers and battlemages in large marauder dungeons. Maruaders are composed(starting with the most common race) of mostly Nords, Imperials, Orcs, Argonians and High Elves(Battlemages).
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by Marauders are:
-Fort Wooden Hand
-Infested Mine
-Fort Homestead
10)There are some places where you may find both Marauders and Bandits. They may be fighting or may not be aware the other group is there, in which case a well placed arrow can start a fight between them. You can wait and let them kill each other, which means you will fight less enemies, but they will focus all of their attention on you. You could just go right into the battle, meaning there are more enemies, but they will mainly be fighting each other instead of just fighting you.
Some examples of dungeons where Marauders and Bandits battle are:
-Rockmilk Cave
-Fort Nikel
11)Vampires are difficult to classify. They come in all different types, and wear a variety of armor. However, every Vampire will be one of the predefined classes you can choose at the beginning of the game (bard, battlemage, nightblade etc). They will usually wear the best quality armor for your level, and some will have armor with decent enchantments. They also drop vampire dust, which can be sold for 250 gold after completion of the Order of the Virtous Blood quest. But, they have a resistance to normal weapons, can turn invisible and can transmit Porphryric Hemophilia(which leads to vampirism) to you. That being said, Vampires have one large weakness: fire. As with undead, Goldbrand will work wonders here. The boss form of the Vampire is a Vampire Patriarch/Matriach(depending on gender). These vampires will usually have very good enchanted armor and usually wield a weapon with a decent enchantment. Overall, Vampires are probably the best things to hunt in my opinion.
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by Vampires are:
-Fort Hastrel
-Lipsand Tarn
-Fort Vlastarus
12)Necromancers are mages who summon undead creatures. Most necromancer lairs will usually contain some undead as well. They will always summon undead, and then usually run away and let the undead do the fighting. Your best bet is either to summon your own ally to deal with the undead, or just ignore the undead and head straight for the necromancer(this will also kill the summoned creature as well). They will usually switch to a dagger at close range, but are weak and easy to kill. They are a good source for potions and scrolls, and will sometimes carry black soul gems. The main point of the Mages Guild questline is to fight these Necromancers. They mostly live in Ayleid Ruins. Most Necromancers are either High Elves or Bretons.
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by Necromancers are:
-Garlas Agea
-Fort Istirus
-Echo Cave
13)Conjurers are simlar to Necromancers except they summon Daedra instead of undead. Use the same strategy for conjurers as you would necromancers. Conjurers usually carry alchemy equipment, and you can usually find some decent level alchemy equipment in chests in conjurer lairs. Most Conjurers are either High Elves or Bretons.
Some examples of dungeons inhabited by Conjurers are:
-Beldaburo
-Fort Rayles
-Fort Black Boot
-Fort Entius(first level)
14)In addition, there are some dungeons which are kind of cool and have some hidden secrets and sidequest associated with them.
Some examples of these dungeons are:
-Black Rock Caverns
-Lost Boy Cavern
-Sideways Cave
That's it. Feel free to leave some feedback or suggestions. Even if its negative, any type of feedback would be useful to make the guide better.
NOTE:If you find some decent dungeons that you think are pretty good places to raid, fell free to post them and I will check them out and add them to this guide(and maybe even make a seperate guide for that dungeon like I did with Rockmilk and Robber's Glen) if I think they are good.
Credits:
RainmanMP
SwordOfDeath11 for helping me go through countless revisions and giving me some good tips.
Wraithman for the tip about what races you will encounter when fighting certain types of humanoid enemies.