The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion/Enchanting

SUMMARY
Enchanting is the practice of infusing; items (amulets/rings), armor (ie: helmet, bracers, etc...) or weapons (ie: bows, swords, clubs, etc...) with a magical effect or destructive ability. This will, in effect, improve various factors of the game, by adding spell effects to do one of the following:
 * Boost "Attributes" - add a constant effect bonus to existing attribute.
 * Boost protection - add protection against specific schools of magic (against illusion) or destructive magic (ie: frost, fire, etc...).
 * Boost damage done by adding destructive magic - like adding fire bonus to a bow to include fire destruction magic for more damage per arrow shot. The degree of destruction is calculated in a similar manner to spells, in that there is an "area of effect", "points of damage" and "duration" factor.

Enchanting can only be done by a character of Apprentice Rank (you must finish the Mage's Guild Recommendation Quests) or Higher.

There are two ways to enchant an item: By using a Sigil Stone (found only within the Oblivion Gates), or by using an enchanting altar in conjuction with filled "Soul Gems".

Filled "soul gems" are a must otherwise the Enchanting Alters will be useless to your endeavor.

Enchanting Altars
Enchanting altars are found in three places. In the Chironasium in the Arcane University, the Arch-Mage's quarters, and in Frostcrag Spire.

All you need is a filled soul gem, some cash, and an item to enchant.

Also needed is a good variety of purchased spells for the effects bonus added. Some spells do not require purchase in order to obtain the effect, for example:


 * Cheydinhal Mage's Guild 'Recommendation Quest' - The Bouyancy Spell is obtained for free. It contains two (2) spell effects for the purchase price of nothing, and both spell effects are available without purchasing any other kind of single-purpose spell.  The two effects, which is actually three dependending on circumstance of enchanting, are:
 * Burden/Feather (depends on what's being enchanted, a weapon or a piece of equipment/amulet/ring)
 * Water Breathing

NOTE - No, you can't have more than 1600 charge on an item enchanted by an enchanting altar. The item gets 16 uses.

Sigil Stones
You should make it a practice to close any oblivion gates you find, and take the Sigil Stone. The best Sigil Stones can be found once you reach level 17. By then, they will have the best enchantments in the game. There are two effects: an anti-enemy effect, and a character effect. If you select a weapon, you'll only be offered the enemy effect, and vice-versa. The stone gets destroyed when the enchantment gets complete, so use the cloning glitch or something.

Soul Gems
Soul gems are funky nearly tear-shaped stones that can be found; 'free' in any Mage's Guild Chapter Quarters (all cities except Imperial City, where it's the Arcane University), available for purchase at specific magic shops in the various cities or stolen. (They actually look like crystal shards more than gems.)
 * NOTE - once the 'stolen' ones are filled with the soul of a dearly departed creature, the 'stolen' status goes away (need to double check this info). The 'stolen' status definitely disappears after the gem is used to infuse something with a magical ability or effect.

The 'Soul Trap' spell is required prior to making any attempt to fill a soul gem for the use in enchantment. Purchase the spell at any guild, magicka shop or the University, but note your Alteration skill must be above 25 to access this spell for use or to add to the enchantment of a weapon (it's of no use on equipment, like armor or amulets and you can't do it anyway).

Soul gems have categories based on the creature 'soul' that can be trapped within it and their assigned Charge value. They are:
 * Petty (150 charges)
 * Lesser (300 charges)
 * Common (800 charges)
 * Greater (?, haven't played that high)
 * Grand (?, haven't play that high)
 * NOTE - Creatures of a lower value can be trapped in a higher valued gem and change the value to the lowest number, but not the reverse, example:
 * Goblin (Petty) can be trapped in a "Lesser" or "Common" soul gem, rendering the value of that gem to be "Petty" or 150 charges.
 * Ghost (Lesser) cannot not be trapped into a "Petty" soul gem.

Examples of Enchantments
Armor

Lucky Boots (needs)
 * 1 - pair of boots, shoes or any footwear
 * 1 - filled 'Soul Gem' of choice
 * Add bonus to 'Luck' attribute, value based on gem size (Petty equals +6 pts to Luck)

Thinking Cap (needs)
 * 1 - helmet, circlet or other head adornment
 * 1 - filled 'Soul Gem' of choice
 * Add bonus to 'Intelligence' attribute, value based on gem size (Common equals +12 pts to Intelligence)

Weapons

Bow of Destruction (needs)
 * 1 - Bow (your choice of level)
 * 1 - filled 'Soul Gem' of choice
 * Add destruction spells as when spellmaking
 * - Fire dmg, "On Target", 4 pts, 3 sec
 * - Frost dmg, "On Target", 4 pts, 3 sec
 * - Shock dmg, "On Target", 4 pts, 3 sec
 * Total Destructive Power - 12 pts per sec x 3 seconds equals 72 pts of elemental damage (plus original bow and arrow damage)

Item

Amulet of Protection
 * 1 - Amulet, of choice
 * 1 - filled 'Soul Gem' of choice
 * Add any protective magic for a 'Constant Effect'
 * - Protect from Frost Damage, based on gem size for a percentage value.