Guardian Stones

Guardian Stones, also known as standing stones, are thumb|300px|right|here is a video showing you all the locations of the standing stones13 small upright standing stones located in the Tamrielic province of Skyrim. The purpose of these stones is to increase specific skills of your character untill you choose another stone. Only one stone can be active at any one time.

All 10 stones appear as red X's on the physical map (as the warrior, mage and thief stones are found during the tutorial) included with any pre-ordered copy of Skyrim (UK editions are not included).

Types

 * The Warrior Stone - Combat skills increase 20% faster.
 * The Thief Stone - Stealth skills increase 20% faster.
 * The Mage Stone - Magic skills improve 20% faster.
 * The Lover Stone - All skills improve 15% faster.
 * The Apprentice Stone - Recover Magicka twice as fast; twice as vulnerable to magic.
 * The Atronach Stone - 50 extra Points of Magicka, 50% Absorb spells, -50% Magicka regen.
 * The Lady Stone - Regenerate Health and Stamina 25% Faster.
 * The Lord Stone - 50 points of armor, 25% magic resistance.
 * The Ritual Stone - Raises all the dead around you to fight for you once per day.
 * The Serpent Stone - Paralyze the target for 5 seconds, and do 25 points of damage once per day.
 * The Shadow Stone - Invisibility for 60 seconds once per day.
 * The Steed Stone - Carry weight +100, no movement penalty from armor.
 * The Tower Stone - Unlock any expert level lock (or lower) once per day.

Strategy

 * In order to maximize skill gains, it is recommended that a player visit the Warrior Stone prior to Smithing, the Thief Stone prior to Alchemy, and the Mage Stone prior to Enchanting.
 * In a dungeon environment where a player values skill gains over other combat advantages, The Lover Stone offers the best value. This is because the player can expect to use skills from at least two if not all three of the primary skill groups (Warrior, Thief, and Mage). For example, primarily Mage players would dip into the Thief skills for Light Armor and Lockpicking.
 * Both the Steed Stone and the Tower Stone are most useful after a dungeon has already been cleared. The player can initially enter and clear a dungeon using a more combat or skill focused stone, then return under the influence of the Steed Stone to carry more loot, or the Tower Stone to open any locks too difficult to pick with their current skill

Bugs

 * It is possible to get the Standing Stone Achievement without actually going to all the stones. (Confirmed on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC). Simply go to the Guardian Stones of the Thief, the Mage and the Warrior for 13 times.

Appearances

 * The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim