The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era – Shadows of Oblivion
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Sheogorath offers you an artifact. Mehrunes Dagon promises destruction. Hermaeus Mora whispers forbidden knowledge. You accept the pact and discover that every blessing brings a curse. And now you have to play with both.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Five entities of Oblivion that change the game's rules
Shadows of Oblivion is an expansion for The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era that introduces five Daedric Princes: Hermaeus Mora (keeper of forbidden knowledge), Sheogorath (lord of madness), Mehrunes Dagon (incarnation of destruction), Azura (queen of dawn and dusk), and Sanguine (prince of decadence). Designed by Chip Theory Games in collaboration with Bethesda Softworks, the expansion integrates into the cooperative campaign structure of the base game, adding a new dimension of risk and power.
Each Prince functions as an optional side quest: you can strike a pact that grants you a unique blessing and, inevitably, an equally heavy curse. The two sides of the pact are inseparable, and it's up to you to decide if the tactical advantage is worth the price. The components are dedicated to each Prince, with asymmetrical mechanics that reflect their nature: Sheogorath brings unpredictable chaos, Hermaeus Mora offers knowledge at a high cost, Mehrunes Dagon accelerates violence. The expansion is designed for those who want to manipulate the difficulty of existing campaigns or simply add narrative layers true to The Elder Scrolls lore.
What they say abroad
"Intoxicating and certainly damaging pacts, but a serious adventurer doesn't discard any potential advantage."
— Chip Theory Games
Shadows of Oblivion presents itself as the expansion that raises the stakes and rewards those who can live with curses. We look forward to seeing at the table how much it truly changes the balance of campaigns.
— FroGames
The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era – Shadows of Oblivion
The base game supports solo play with official rules, and Daedric pacts also work in solo: manage blessings and curses as a personal tactical puzzle, without cooperative interaction but with all the tension of risk.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · first reading: based on rules and official presentation, updated with first playsThe five pacts
Who the Princes are and what they offer you
Hermaeus Mora
The keeper of forbidden knowledge. Grants you access to knowledge others cannot obtain, but every revelation has a dark price.
Sheogorath
The Prince of Madness. His blessing is as unpredictable as his curse: pure chaos that can save you or sink the group.
Mehrunes Dagon
Destruction incarnate. Amplifies your ability to inflict damage, but feeds a spiral of violence that overwhelms you too.
Azura
Queen of dawn and dusk. Blessing and curse alternate like light and shadow, requiring perfect timing.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of every Daedric pact
The Princes are neither enemies nor allies: they are conditions that change the game.
At the beginning of the session (or at specific moments in the campaign), you can choose to make a pact with one or more Princes. Read the blessing and the curse: they are inseparable.
The blessing comes into play according to the Prince's mechanic. Some act passively (Hermaeus Mora gives you permanent access to knowledge), others require triggers (Mehrunes Dagon amplifies damage when you attack).
The curse activates in parallel or at specific moments. It can be a continuous effect (Azura alternates positive and negative phases) or an event that triggers when you least expect it (Sheogorath reverses results).
The rest of the session is an exercise in optimization: maximize the blessing, minimize the damage of the curse, and understand when the pact is becoming too costly to continue.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The choice of pact
Read the Daedric Prince cards. Each promises power, but the curse is written in small print. Someone at the table is tempted immediately, someone hesitates. Decide together whether to make the first pact or face the session without dark aids.
The blessing takes effect
The first round with the blessing active is euphoric. Hermaeus Mora reveals a key card, Mehrunes Dagon doubles your damage. It works. For now, it works. And meanwhile, the curse remains dormant.
The curse bites
Mid-session, the bill arrives. Sheogorath reverses a crucial roll, Azura obscures your resources just when they were needed. The table understands that every advantage has a real price, and now it's time to pay it while the enemy advances.
The moment of choice
It's time to either double down on the pact or break free from it. Some want out, some want to bet again. The group openly discusses whether the risk is worth survival. There's no right answer.
End of session
Win or lose, but the pact remains written on your sheet. In the next campaign session, you can invoke it or refuse it. And you already know that you will invoke it, because now you know the trick to managing it. Or at least, you hope so.
🐸Good to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know beforehand
Three things you need to know before buying
Requires the base game
Shadows of Oblivion is a pure expansion. You cannot play it without The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era. Daedric Princes are integrated into existing campaigns; they do not create standalone content.
Increases difficulty (if you want)
The expansion is designed for those who find the base game too linear or want more variables in play. Curses can make the campaign significantly harder: if your group is already struggling, consider carefully whether to add this level of chaos.
It's faithful to the lore, not the video game mechanics
The Daedric Princes function as they do in The Elder Scrolls lore (ambiguous pacts, double-edged power), but they do not replicate video game quests. It's a tabletop interpretation, not a literal translation of Oblivion or Skyrim.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat rewards the ending▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The expansion does not change the victory conditions of campaigns, but it adds ways to fail (or triumph) that did not exist before.
Victory
- You complete the campaign session with the original objectives, using the Daedric pacts as a tactical lever.
- You manage the blessing and the curse well enough to emerge stronger, not weaker.
- You conclude the campaign with an active pact, proving that you dominated the Prince instead of being dominated by them.
Defeat
- The curse overwhelms you at a key moment (Sheogorath reverses the final roll, Mehrunes Dagon unleashes a chain of damage that wipes out the group).
- You make too many pacts simultaneously and the overlapping curses make the game unplayable.
- You fail the campaign objectives because you sacrificed too much to pursue Daedric power.
Shadows of Oblivion transforms every Betrayal of the Second Era campaign into a gamble with fate. You win if you know when to stop. You lose if you believe you can control a Prince.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era – Shadows of Oblivion
Can I play with multiple Princes at once?
Yes, the expansion allows it. Each Prince has dedicated components and mechanics, so you can combine multiple pacts in the same session. The risk is that the curses will stack and make the campaign extremely difficult. It is recommended to start with only one Prince to understand how the system works.
Are pacts permanent or can I exit them?
It depends on the Prince and the specific rules of the pact. Some allow you to break the bond by paying a cost, while others remain active for the entire session or campaign. The description of each Prince clarifies the conditions.
Is it harder than the base game?
It can be, if you choose it to be. The expansion is modular: you can use only the blessings (easier), only the curses (harder), or both (as intended). Those looking for a greater challenge will find plenty, while those who just want variety can calibrate the risk.
What mechanics does Shadows of Oblivion use?
The expansion builds on the core mechanics of Betrayal of the Second Era: iconic dice resolution, hand management, campaign progression, skill trees. The Princes add asymmetric effects (triggers, conditions, permanent modifiers) that activate during the normal flow of the game without overhauling the core rules.
Is it available in Italian?
No, this edition is in English. The game is text-heavy (cards, events, pact descriptions), so knowledge of the language is necessary. Currently, there are no official Italian localizations of The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era or its expansions.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era – Shadows of Oblivion is a cooperative expansion for 1-4 players, ages 14+, lasting 120-240 minutes, which introduces five Daedric Princes into the base game: Hermaeus Mora, Sheogorath, Mehrunes Dagon, Azura, and Sanguine. Designed by Chip Theory Games in collaboration with Bethesda Softworks, the expansion adds a double-edged pact system (blessings and curses) that allows manipulation of campaign difficulty. Requires the base game to play. Available on FroGames.it.
The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era – Shadows of Oblivion
Frequently Asked Questions
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