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For other uses, see Soul Gem.

Soul Gem
Weight: 0.1 - 0.5	Base Value: 10 - 1400
Type: Miscellaneous Item
FormID: IDs

A Soul Gem is an item in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It is a magic stone capable of storing the "soul" of a creature. The gems are used to recharge magical weapons, or to create new enchantments.

LocationsEdit

Soul Gems are available for purchase from most alchemical and magical merchants. They can also be looted from mages and necromancers.

ValueEdit

Empty Soul gems, whether looted or bought, have a value based on the grade of the gem, which does not change if filled later. Merchant gems sold or found filled with a soul have a value based on the level of the soul, regardless of the grade of gem.

ChargingEdit

There are a few ways to charge Soul Gems:

• Soul Trap spell
• Scroll of Soul Trap
• Use a weapon with a Soul Trap enchantment, such as Umbra.
• Obtain Soul Gems that already have souls.

TypesEdit

Soul gems come in various sizes. The bigger the gem, the greater the "soul" that can be stored in it:

• Petty Soul Gem
• Lesser Soul Gem
• Common Soul Gem
• Greater Soul Gem
• Grand Soul Gem
• Black Soul Gem
• Azura's Star

Azura's StarEdit

Azura's Star is a reusable Soul Gem, obtained by completing Azuras quest at the Shrine of Azura.

Black Soul GemEdit

Black Soul Gems hold humanoid souls (Imperial, Argonian, Khajiit, etc., as well as Daedric Kyn). All others, including Azura's Star, hold only the souls of creatures. All humanoid souls have a grand value, making the value of a humanoid soul the same as a Gloom Wraith; this equality of soul value makes the creation of Black Soul Gems a basically unnecessary process once you start encountering more grand souled creatures, since the power level of an enchantment from Grand and Black Soul Gems are identical.

CreationEdit

Black Soul Gems are created by placing a Grand Soul Gem in one of four necromancer altars in Cyrodiil, then casting Soul Trap on the altar at the appropriate time. They can also be found rarely on necromancers.

Colossal Black Soul GemEdit

The Colossal Black Soul Gem is a special black soul gem with a larger capacity created by Falcar that was meant to hold the soul of Arch-Mage Hannibal Traven.

Unique soul gemsEdit

On the first floor of the Leyawiin Mages Guild resides a display case, containing uniquely sized and colored soul gems. The cabinet requires a key to open, but the key is nowhere to be found. Console commands can be used to unlock the case, but the gems cannot be added to the inventory or moved.

SoulsEdit

SoultrappingEdit

To Soul Trap without having to cast the actual spell, you can enchant a weapon with Soul Trap (1 second duration). One second is sufficient if the weapon is used to give the killing blow. If the weapon has a damaging enchantment of more than 1 second, the soul trap effect has to last longer. So, for example, if a sword dealt five seconds of fire damage, the soul trap effect would have to last 6 seconds.

Another way, if you are a spellcaster, is to create a spell that deals damage and add into the spell soul trap with a duration of 1 higher than the damage spell.

You can also soul trap creatures that you have conjured. You must, however, kill the creature to trap the soul. You cannot simply let the spell expire.

The vault guards in Frostcrag Spire in the Wizard's Tower plug-in all have a soul value of Greater and respawn in three game days.

Another easy way to fill soul gems is to get a Black Soul Gem and duplicate it with a duplicate items glitch. If you have the Staff of Worms (dropped by Mannimarco during the Confront the King quest), go to one of the Bandit or Marauder camps around Cyrodiil. Kill all of the Bandits/Marauders except for one. Soul Trap this one, and kill it. Then, use the Staff of Worms to reanimate a dead bandit. Wait a few seconds, then Soul Trap it and kill it. It will count as a humanoid soul. Continue this process for as long as you like.

A bug exists in which if a follower absorbs the soul of a creature through a weapon with the soul trap enchantment and has the appropriate soul gem then all soul gems in the stack will be filled with the soul.

Dropping soul gems that contain lesser or petty souls on the ground then picking them up will empty but not destroy the gem. Useful for clearing higher grade gems you accidentally filled with low quality souls. Potentially a bug.