Elder Scrolls Skyrim Infinite XP Guide

• About
• Latest Posts

James Gibson

James Gibson is a writer for Venture 4th Media specializing in the fast-moving, ever-evolving, gaming market. James has been writing content within the gaming sector for many years, alongside myriad scriptwriting and reviewer roles all whilst being fully immersed in said sector. He also believes that articles related to gaming should be at all times, simultaneously light-hearted and informative. James has a passion for RPGs in particular and can often be found playing these games rather than writing about them.

Latest posts by James Gibson (see all)

• Elder Scrolls Skyrim Forbidden Legend Guide - September 30, 2023
• Elder Scrolls Skyrim Eye of Magnus Guide - August 4, 2023
• Elder Scrolls Skyrim The Blessing of Nature Guide - August 3, 2023

As with any Bethesda-made game, there are myriad ways to take Skyrim and use some developer blunders to our own advantage, regardless of the console or system we do our dragon slaying on. Therefore, if you type Skyrim and glitch into your favorite search engine or onto YouTube, there will be an article or video displaying how you can take this developer oversight and use it to your own advantage. 

While a lot of my Skyrim gaming time takes place on the PC, I tend not to use console commands throughout most of my playthroughs as I feel that this is overtly cheating. Console commands are simple and easy; Pc gamers are almost invited to use them right from the get-go.

Therefore, when I manipulate Skyrim, I stick to some of the trickier or more inventive ways of using the game’s mechanics to progress my character in whichever way I see fit. Of course, this is still technically cheating, but there is something slightly more noble about this method if you ask me. 

With this in mind, though, today we are going to be looking at the best Infinite XP glitch that is currently working on all versions of Skyrim at the time of writing this article. Needless to say, you can always use your trusty console commands and get XP a lot quicker, but we will take the scenic route in this guide. 

If all of this sounds like something that would interest you, stick around and find out exactly how you can take Todd Howard’s beautiful toy and bend the rules of this amazing world to your own will without cheating – technically all in this Elder Scrolls Skyrim Infinite XP Guide.

Getting That Precious XP

Now, I am not going to sit here and say that there is only one definitive XP glitch that the experienced Skyrim player can use. The community is still debating regularly about which method is the best to use for quick XP.

However, after playing this game since launch day and trying out every XP glitch as it came to the forefront of the community (until it was eventually patched), I do think that I have found the best possible XP glitch for the current Skyrim update. 

While I am going to talk about this specific glitch, I’m also going to make some honorable mentions that still work and are worth your attention, just in case you find them slightly more appealing. 

Fast Travel XP Generation

Core Concept

This glitch works by taking advantage of the in-game fast travel mechanic that continues to advance time in the background while the player instantly arrives in a new location. Time passes in the game, but for the player, only a few seconds have lapsed.

Therefore, if you manage to cast a spell that lasts the duration of this travel time, just think of the amount of XP this will generate.

Setup

The setup for this glitch is actually pretty simple. You only need the Telekinesis spell, an item you don’t mind losing, and a location you can fast-travel from. 

However, you will also need a set of armor or jewelry that render Alteration spells effectively free. This can be done by equipping four items of armor or jewelry with a 25% reduction in Alteration cost enchantment on them, combining to give you 100%.

Execution

Once you have everything you need, place the item on the floor when you are in a suitable location, cast Telekinesis, and while the item is floating in the air, fast travel to a distant location. 

Since the spell didn’t cost you any Magicka upon casting, it won’t run out during your travel and give you the same effect as casting the spell for hours on end.

Alternatives

Farming Hadvar or Ralof: Core Concept

We all know about Hadvar and Ralof, the two characters at the beginning of the game that represent the Empire and the Stormcloaks. As these NPCs are part of the opening tutorial, the player can pretty much do anything to them without facing any repercussions. 

Due to this, we can use these poor men to rank up several skills, hitting high levels before we even leave the starting area.

Proceed through the dragon chase in Helgan at the start of the game, then choose between Hadvar and Ralof before proceeding into the building. From here, once you get your hands on a weapon, you can start the exploit.

While I am certain I have missed a few potential skills that you can level up with this method, I have personally ranked up my One-Handed, Two-Handed, Sneak, Pickpocket, and several other skills using this exploit before even leaving the tutorial area. 

Spam Healing 

In a similar vein to the previous entry, the player can stand in the middle of a massive altercation with a healing spell in one or both hands, continually healing themselves while being attacked. 

This method will allow the player to level up several skills at once, depending on the armor type you are using. You can gain a lot of levels very quickly in Light Armor, Heavy Armor, Block, and Restoration with very little effort.

Past Exploits 

There have been more XP glitches and exploits for Skyrim than I can count over the years. These have routinely been milked to death by the player base up until a patch is released and said the exploit is gone forever. 

Some of these glitches have given me and many other gamers a great deal of fun and easy levels, so let’s take a look at some of the best ones.

Oghma Infinium Glitch

Patched: 1.9 Update (March 2013)

This glitch involved the player acquiring the Oghma Infinium, a Daedric artifact that grants the player skill in a chosen path. After you complete the related quest, ‘Discerning the Transmundane,’ take the book to a bookshelf in an owned location. 

Here, you would perform an intricate couple of steps to increase your stats down certain paths one after another continually. This glitch was the most popular one of its time and was a real game changer. It truly was sad the day it was fixed.

While this glitch was patched and did not allow me to proceed during my testing.

The internet is full of people stating that you can still use the Oghma Infinium for XP-related trickery, stating that the issue is with updated bookcases, not the book itself. While this may be true, I simply could not get it to work on my completely vanilla playthrough.

Restoration Loop

Patched: 1.9 Update (March 2013) 

This glitch involved the player using a combination of Alchemy and Enchanting skills. Essentially, this loop was more a clever use of game mechanics than an actual glitch, but it did work wonders in progressing the player’s level quickly.

Simply put, this glitch involved the player using their already decently high level of Enchanting and Alchemy skill to create a potent Fortify Enchanting potion. With this potion drank and the effects active, create a set of armor that also boosts Enchanting.

The effects of the potion will make the Enchantment stronger, so when you go to do the same steps again with even stronger enchanted gear, the resultant effect will be stronger again. 

The player then repeats these steps until satisfied and completely laden with incredibly strong armor.

Pickpocket Loop 

Patched: 1.6 (Special Edition Patch, September 2022)

Much like the Restoration Loop glitch we covered previously, this strategy involves the creative use of game mechanics to repeatedly enact an XP-boosting action. In this case, pickpocketing.  This loop starts when the player enters sneak and begins the pickpocketing proceeding, ensuring they are not seen. Once in the pickpocket menu, save your game and steal the item you desire.

Another save had to happen here. As you pickpocket and reload your saves, you will continuously get pickpocket XP for as long as you please without having to find numerous marks to sneak up on.

Conjuration Ritual Spell Glitch

Patched: 1.9 Update (March 2013)

This glitch requires the player to have already put in a little bit of gruntwork before you get to reap the benefits. By reaching level 90 in Conjuration, a College of Winterhold mage by the name of Phinis Gestor will give the player the Conjuration Ritual Spell quest.

At the end of this quest, Phinis will allow the player to repeatedly purchase the spell from him. Simply cast the spell and purchase another to continually increase your Conjuration and, therefore, overall skill.

FAQs

Elder Scrolls Skyrim Infinite XP Guide: Conclusion

There are a lot of great hacks, glitches, and cheesy things that players have discovered during their hundreds, if not thousands, of hours playing Skyrim over the years. However, not all of them are created equal. 

This XP glitch is one of the most reliable and easy-to-set-up systems to make sure that every player, experienced or not, can level up their character in the quickest way possible. 

While sometimes the fun is in the journey, it can be a hoot to skip right to the good part, where you can one-shot Alduin with your God-like Dragonborn character. 

I hope this guide shows you a new and more effective way to work your way up through the ranks and that you will come back again soon to check out some more interesting Skyrim tips and tricks. Until then, I wish you good luck. 

Continue reading

Best Dagger in Skyrim

Best One Handed Weapons in Skyrim: Unsheath Your Sword

Kematu or Saadia: Which to Side With?