Oblivion:Charcoal Cave

Cave: Charcoal Cave (view on map)
# of Zones	3
Occupants
Bandits, Mixed Monster/Animal Enemies, Monsters (1 boss-level Bandit)
Important Treasure
1 boss-level Chest 02
Console Location Code(s)
CharcoalCaveExterior, CharcoalCave, CharcoalCave02, CharcoalCave03
Region
Great Forest
Location
East of the Green Road, north of Bravil

Charcoal Cave

Charcoal Cave is a medium-sized cave between the Imperial City and Bravil containing monsters and bandits. It contains three zones: Charcoal Cave, Charcoal Cave - Abandoned Tunnels, and Charcoal Cave - Bandit Lair.

Notes

• This cave contains 24 Cairn Bolete plants and 39 Wisp Stalk plants.
• In the second room, near the campfire, you can find the Charcoal Cave key in a chest. This key does not open any doors or chests so it is pretty useless. Presumably it was created to open the door to the Bandit Ringleader in The Bandit's Lair, which is locked.
  • The Unofficial Oblivion Patch, version 3.0.0, addresses this issue. The key now opens the door to the Bandit Ringleader.

Exterior

Key to Maps

Charcoal Cave, Exterior

• The exterior is located at coordinates: Tamriel 8, 3
• This location's map marker (M on map) is named Charcoal Cave (editor name CharcoalCaveMapMarker). The entrance door is E of the marker, 40 feet away.
• 0-2 Monsters are near the entrance
• 1 Wilderness Creature (Forest variety) is near the entrance
• 2 Nirnroots are at locations N on map
• The following plants can be found near the entrance: 6 Fly Amanita plants, 15 Monkshood plants, 2 Primrose plants, and 4 Summer Bolete plants

Zone 1: Charcoal Cave

Charcoal Cave

At the first intersection you can choose to go forward or into the hallway to your left. When you continue on forward, you will end up in a large room guarded by two Bandits. The large hallway to your right leads to two rooms guarded by Monsters or Animals and the lower entrance to Charcoal Cave - Bandit Lair at D.

However, taking the left hallway immediately after entering the cave leads to a vantage point in the Bandit Lair and is the preferred route to take. You will arrive in a small room occupied by a Monster or an Animal. In the next corridor, you might want to sneak to the entrance on your right, because if you go forward you will trigger a Falling Log trap at T. Sneaking is recommended because if you don't sneak the enemy after the trap will be alerted and will trigger the trap.

The next room is very large and the northern entrance leads to another large room with a treasure chest. The corridor, which starts at the pit leads to Charcoal Cave - Abandoned Tunnels.

Occupants:

• 1 Bandit Hedge Wizard
• 1 melee Bandit
• 7 Mixed Monster/Animal Enemies (each 80% probability Monster/Animal, 20% Rat)
• 1 Monster
• 1 Nuisance Animal

Treasure:

• 5 Chests 02 (2 locked)
• 2 Chests 03
• 1 Rough Chest (contains Charcoal Cave Key, fur armor, possibly one soul gem; non-respawning)
• The following plants will always be found: 3 Cairn Bolete plants and 9 Wisp Stalk plants

Traps:

• 1 Falling Log trap at location T on map

Doors and Gates:

• There are three doors in/out of this zone
  • 1 door (at Out) leads outside
  • 1 door (at C) leads to the zone Charcoal Cave - Abandoned Tunnels
  • 1 door (at D) leads to the zone Charcoal Cave - Bandit Lair

Zone 2: Charcoal Cave - Abandoned Tunnels

Charcoal Cave - Abandoned Tunnels

This zone is occupied by Monsters and Animals. The first room of this zone is abandoned and serves as a hub for The Abandoned Tunnels. If you follow the southeastern route from this room you will end up in two rooms with a total of three treasure chests and three enemies. The western hallway leads to a crypt with two enemies and a treasure chest.

By taking the northern entrance in the first room you can eventually reach the vantage point in Charcoal Cave - Bandit Lair. Before you can accomplish that, you need to cross three rooms in The Abandoned Tunnels and enter the door at E.

Occupants:

• 4-8 Mixed Monster/Animal Enemies (each 80% probability Monster/Animal, 20% Rat)
• 2-3 Nuisance Animals

Treasure:

• 5 Chests 02 (2 locked)
• 1 Chest 04
• 1 Restoration Chest (locked)
• The following plants will always be found: 1 Cairn Bolete plant and 10 Wisp Stalk plants

Doors and Gates:

• There are two doors in/out of this zone
  • 1 door (at C) leads to the zone Charcoal Cave
  • 1 door (at E) leads to the zone Charcoal Cave - Bandit Lair

Zone 3: Charcoal Cave - Bandit Lair

Charcoal Cave - Bandit Lair

There are two ways to reach this zone; from Charcoal Cave at D or Charcoal Cave - Abandoned Tunnels at E.

If you followed the preferred route, you will start in a small room. If you cross that room the next corridor will take you to a room with a canyon in the middle. There is a Falling Log trap at H and if you time it right, you can use it to kill one of the bandits who patrols the canyon below you. Be careful when crossing the bridge over the canyon, because there is a Swinging Log trap at G. This trap is plain obvious and can be avoided easily. Then backtrack to the Charcoal Cave main zone or jump into the canyon.

If you went through the door at D there is a skeleton lying in front of you. The hallway opens up to a canyon and there is a tripwire, which springs the Falling Log trap at H. Behind the trap is a corridor that leads to a large cave. There are three routes to take from this cave, and all of them lead to the quarters of the Bandits. In the hallway to your right you will need to open up a locked door to fight the Bandit Ringleader. There is a Swinging Mace trap at J behind this door which can be a bad surprise. The ringleader guards the Boss Chest; it is located on top of a crate.

Occupants:

• 1 boss-level Bandit at location A on map
• 2-4 Bandit Enemies (each 50% probability melee , 25% archer Bandit, 12% Dog, 12% Nuisance Animal)
• 2 archer Bandits
• 1 melee Bandit

Treasure:

• 1 boss-level Chest 02 (Bandit variety; locked) at location B on map
• 5 Chests 01 (2 locked)
• 1 Chest 02
• 3 Chests 03 (1 locked)
• The following plants will always be found: 20 Cairn Bolete plants and 20 Wisp Stalk plants

Traps:

• 1 Falling Log trap at location H on map
• 1 Pressure Plate trigger at I
• 1 Swinging Log trap at G
• 1 Swinging Mace trap at J
• 2 Tripwire triggers at F

Doors and Gates:

• There are two doors in/out of this zone
  • 1 door (at D) leads to the zone Charcoal Cave
  • 1 door (at E) leads to the zone Charcoal Cave - Abandoned Tunnels
• 1 Wood Door at K (locked)