In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the Standing Stones bless players with bonuses, but they are not all equal. Which one is the best?
As the fifth chapter in The Elder Scrolls franchise, Skyrim made leaps and bounds in simplifying old-school RPG elements into a more easily accessible final product. This was clearly the right move, given how popular the series has remained (and how often it’s been ported). One of the more drastic changes Skyrim made was in character creation.
In previous Elder Scrolls games, the player selected a Birth Sign for their character; however, in Skyrim, they instead have the option of choosing a Standing Stone blessing by finding each in the world. The Skyrim Standing Stones are spread throughout the province, though some are more worth looking for than others.
Updated June 30, 2023 by Erik Petrovich: The best Standing Stones Skyrim offers are those that give long-lasting benefits or an exceedingly powerful daily ability. There are some Skyrim Standing Stones that should be avoided, though for the most part, Skyrim Standing Stones are made equally. Whichever passive you end up choosing, you’ll have to trek across the province to find each Skyrim Stone’s location. Sometimes, finding Skyrim’s Standing Stones is easy, but sometimes it can be quite a frustrating game of climbing mountains and following compass icons to the bottom of cliffs – especially with Survival Mode enabled, which requires players to make an offering to receive a blessing from a Skyrim Stone. 13 The Atronach Stone
Choosing the Atronach Stone is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it lets the player convert half the damage of enemy spells into Magicka, preventing damage. However, the blessing also makes the player’s Magicka regenerate 50% slower – this makes absorbing enemy spells a necessary means to the player’s spellcasting ends.
The blessing is balanced, somewhat, by a slight bonus to the player’s maximum Magicka, but ultimately this ability will lead to you taking more hits, when it’s usually best to take less. This blessing is situationally ideal for a spellcaster who expects to face other spellcasters, but it’s not great for 24/7 use on any character.
The Atronach Stone is found in Eastmarch, and can be reached easiest by heading to Darkwater Crossing or Mistwatch and heading north. The Atronach Stone is located in the middle of the Hot Springs that cover the area. 12 The Apprentice Stone
Another double-edged sword, the Apprentice Stone is in many ways the polar opposite of the Atronach Stone. This Standing Stone lets the player regenerate Magicka twice as fast but also makes them twice as vulnerable to magic-based attacks. Instead of taking spells to the dome to regenerate Magicka, the player must dodge incoming spells to maximize this Stone’s potential.
This blessing is ideal for a spellcaster who is particularly sure of their ability to evade incoming attacks, but it is also very useful against non-Magicka-based enemies like bandits, raiders, and guards.
The Apprentice Standing Stone can be found in a marsh in Hjaalmarch. The easiest way to find this Standing Stone is to head to Solitude and look at your compass. At the docks, the icon for the Standing Stone should appear. Alternatively, head to Morthal and head northwest into the swamp to find the Apprentice Stone. 11 The Tower Stone
Accepting the blessing of the Tower Stone grants the player the unique ability to unlock any Expert-level lock or below without having to go through the lockpicking minigame. This Standing Stone ability can only be used once each day though, and the player must either play long enough or wait long enough before being able to use it again.
This blessing is best-suited for players who don’t use the Lockpicking skill often, as it provides a definite way to unlock all but the toughest of locks. It’s a good choice for thief types, too, for its reliability.
The Tower Stone can be found on a cliff roughly halfway between the cities of Dawnstar and Winterhold in the Reach – it can be seen from far away, so look up to the hills if you’re lost. 10 The Ritual Stone
A player who chooses the blessing of the Ritual Stone will be given the daily power to mass resurrect the dead on a limited basis. Once per day, the player can reanimate all dead bodies around them in a 75-foot radius to fight for them for 200 seconds. The resurrected thralls will fight for the player and follow them until they collapse to the ground.
This Standing Stone is best used right at the end of a long, arduous dungeon, after fighting several high-power enemies before the final encounter.
