One of Skyrim's unique features involves the use of 13 standing stones, each of which provides a different effect to the player character upon being activated. There are benefits and drawbacks to every stone, but some are overall more useful than others in the long run.
A large factor when it comes to Skyrim's longevity and replay value is its support for various different character builds, something many players take advantage of when returning to the game for subsequent playthroughs. Between racial abilities, spells and weapons, armor sets, enchantments, and skills, it seems that there's a nearly endless level of customizability available. The standing stones are another factor that can help change up the game experience - once all 13 have been found, players can swap between their bonuses by visiting each stone, trying out a wide range of helpful benefits.
The stones are scattered widely across Skyrim's map, so it will likely take some time to reach all of them, particularly for players who are just starting out. It might instead be more useful to look into the stones' abilities in advance and seek out whichever one seems most helpful for the Dragonborn's particular build. In light of this tactic, here are a few of the most helpful standing stones in Skyrim.
Best Skyrim Standing Stones - The Guardian Stones
The Guardian Stones are among the easiest to find locations in Skyrim, at least for first-time players who have just finished the tutorial, so they can easily be located and activated early on in a playthrough. Each one makes learning certain skills 20% faster - stealth skills for the Thief Stone, magic skills for the Mage Stone, and combat skills for the Warrior Stone.
Best Skyrim Standing Stones - The Lover Stone
Lover's Comfort, a temporary effect that allows the Dragonborn to learn skills 15% faster for 8 hours, is widely considered to be one of the best effects in Skyrim. The Lover Stone applies this same effect without wearing off - and without the requirement of being married and living with a spouse in order to acquire it.
Best Skyrim Standing Stones - The Steed Stone
Given that item collection is such a common habit among Elder Scrolls players - so much so that Skyrim's bookshelves let players display the miscellaneous things they've gathered - running out of inventory space is a common problem to run into, and it can be a frustrating experience to choose which items to leave behind in order to return to normal speed. The Steed Stone is one solution to this, giving the Dragonborn +100 carry weight and taking away weight and movement penalty from armors.
Best Skyrim Standing Stones - The Lord Stone
For players who find themselves getting repeatedly defeated in battle, the Lord Stone might be a good tool to consider taking advantage of. It provides 50 additional points of armor as well as an overall 25% resistance to magic, which can be stacked with other items to help reach the game's maximum cap of 85% magic resistance. Even when used on its own, the Lord Stone is one of the easier ways to make the Dragonborn more defensible against all of Skyrim's various threats.