Sigil, Varla (sp?), etc etc. and whats with the grand gems?

Sigil stones can enchant items. Each stone has it's own enchantments.
The soul stones are used to recharge enchanted items and enchant items as well. The better the gem, the larger the soul you can capture in it, the more points you have to recharge and create with.
The other stones are used to just recharge enchanted items.

Originally Posted by ilys

Sigil stones can enchant items. Each stone has it's own enchantments.
The soul stones are used to recharge enchanted items and enchant items as well. The better the gem, the larger the soul you can capture in it, the more points you have to recharge and create with.
The other stones are used to just recharge enchanted items.

Should I save these til late game then?

Oblivion Gates will respawn, so you can always get a supply of Sigil Stones. As for Soul Stones, it depends on how far you are along in the game. If you're rather far, you may as well ditch petty and lesser soul gems, as you probably won't be running into any petty or lesser monsters.

There is a problem with Sigil stones that they do not level up with you, so if you get them at a lower level they are pretty much useless to higher level chars and if you've completed the main quest chain you cant get any more. There is a plugin that fixes that (as well as all other leveled items) but I cant remember the name of it.

Originally Posted by ilys

There is a problem with Sigil stones that they do not level up with you, so if you get them at a lower level they are pretty much useless to higher level chars and if you've completed the main quest chain you cant get any more. There is a plugin that fixes that (as well as all other leveled items) but I cant remember the name of it.

I play on 360 so i hope that is on downloads now.

Originally Posted by ilys

There is a problem with Sigil stones that they do not level up with you, so if you get them at a lower level they are pretty much useless to higher level chars and if you've completed the main quest chain you cant get any more. There is a plugin that fixes that (as well as all other leveled items) but I cant remember the name of it.

To get some balance in the level of looted and found items the No Obsolete Items mod works fine.
http://www.tessource.net/files/file.php?id=1952

You can also have your very own private Oblivion gate to use whenever you feel like. I haven't tested it yet, but according to piotrr it's ok.
http://www.tessource.net/files/file.php?id=2925

Wait, I haven't gotten into enchanting items yet, but you can ONLY enchant items to what a sigil stone specifies? Or can you make your own item enchantments?

Originally Posted by Breadman86

.. you can ONLY enchant items to what a sigil stone specifies? Or can you make your own item enchantments?

Yes. If you want to enchant items at your discretion you need soul gems. Those, unfortunately, have fewer charges than the sigil stones. Even a Grand Soul provides only 1600 pts.

this is what really pisses me off about Oblivion. In morrowind, you could have weapons with damage/attribute bonus that were a constant effect. In oblivion, it is by charge (thus limited). Is there a mod that makes weapons have constant effects?

not all of the weapons had constant effects, just the reallly good ones

I miss having armor with constant effects... and layered clothing was great too. Some say it unbalanced. I say it was awesome.

armor can have constant effects. every peice i wear has constant effects

Yea, I miss the layered clothing too.

when i go into dungeons that have those blue glowing stones up high set in alcoves in the walls, i whip out a bow and arrow and shoot the things to knock them down

so i'll walk out of a dungeon with like 50 of them

i used to shoot them with fireballs. now that i can run and jump ****ing high, i just skip up there and get them by hand