Oblivion's Daedric quests actually feel like you're making a deal

[ScrollsOfTamriel]

I've been replaying Oblivion after a long Skyrim run and I just finished A Daedra's Best Friend (the Sanguine Rose one) and man, there's something about how these quests frame the transaction that Skyrim completely loses.

Like in Skyrim, when you pick up the Wabbajack or whatever, it's just... here's an artifact, congrats. But in Oblivion the Daedric princes are actually negotiating with you. You're not finding a sword in a ruin, you're making an actual pact. The quest giver sets terms, you fulfill them, and then you get rewarded like you've earned a favor from something genuinely dangerous.

The Mace of Molag Bal quest especially hits different when you realize what you're actually agreeing to do. It's not just "kill this person" - it's specifically structured so you're committing to something that has weight. Skyrim's Daedric artifacts feel more like collectibles for a checklist than actual supernatural transactions.

I know Skyrim streamlined a lot of stuff for accessibility but I think they lost something here. The Daedric princes should feel like they're getting something out of the deal too, not just handing out loot to anyone who walks up to a shrine.

 

[EbonyWarrior]

Yeah, I think you're onto something real here. The Oblivion Daedric quests had this transactional weight that Skyrim kind of abandoned. When you did that Sanguine Rose quest in Oblivion, it felt like you were actually negotiating with a Daedra - there were terms, consequences, a sense that you were making a genuine pact with something that could screw you over if it wanted to.

Skyrim's version is way more streamlined. A Daedra's Best Friend in Skyrim is basically just "go get drunk and wake up in a temple" which is funny but doesn't have the same bite. Even the harder ones like Boethiah's Calling or the Mace of Molag Bal feel less like you're making a deal and more like you're just completing a task for loot. The Daedric princes come across as quest-givers rather than actual entities you're making a supernatural bargain with.

That said, I think Skyrim's approach works better for how that game's pacing and tone are structured overall. Oblivion had more of that weird, alien feeling to its Daedric interactions - the whole thing was off-kilter and unsettling. Skyrim wanted you to feel like a legendary hero collecting artifacts, not necessarily like you were risking your soul. Different design goal, but you're right that something got lost in the translation. The Daedric princes should probably feel more dangerous and less like they're just handing out participation trophies.