The Absolute First Thing You Should Do in Skyrim: A Comprehensive Guide

The sprawling world of Skyrim awaits, ripe with adventure, peril, and untold stories. But stepping out of that opening cart scene can be overwhelming. With so much to see and do, where should a new Dragonborn even begin? The definitive answer is this: before you delve into any questline or explore any major cities, your very first priority should be to visit the Guardian Stones.

Why the Guardian Stones Are Your First Stop

The Guardian Stones, located just south of Riverwood, offer a critical early game advantage: a powerful standing stone blessing that grants a significant boost to a specific skill progression. These stones, easily accessible after the tutorial section, allow you to immediately tailor your gameplay experience and rapidly develop the skills that align with your preferred playstyle.

The Three Stones and Their Benefits

There are three Guardian Stones to choose from:

• The Warrior Stone: This stone increases the speed at which you learn all combat-related skills by 20%. This encompasses skills like One-Handed, Two-Handed, Archery, Block, Heavy Armor, and Smithing. If you’re envisioning a hardy warrior, this is the stone for you.
• The Mage Stone: This blessing accelerates the learning rate of all magic-related skills by 20%. This includes skills like Illusion, Conjuration, Destruction, Restoration, Alteration, and Enchanting. Aspiring mages, look no further.
• The Thief Stone: This stone boosts the speed at which you learn all stealth-related skills by 20%. This includes skills like Light Armor, Sneak, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, and Speech. If you fancy skulking in the shadows, this stone is your ideal pick.

Making the Right Choice

Choosing the right Guardian Stone early will have a significant impact on how quickly your character grows. While you can change your standing stone at any time, starting with the one that best complements your initial approach allows for faster progression. Don’t worry too much about making a permanent choice, consider it a starting point. For example, if you think you might enjoy using bows at any point, going with the Thief Stone would be a good start. If you favor heavy armor and melee, you may want to go with the Warrior Stone. If you think you’ll be casting spells often, the Mage Stone is a good start.

Beyond the Guardian Stones

While visiting the Guardian Stones is the absolute first thing you should do, there are a few other things you can complete in rapid succession to round out the tutorial phase. Following a brief exploration of Riverwood, and maybe selling a few items to the merchants, begin making your way towards Whiterun, the next major hold in the game. You can start the Companions questline there if you wish, but do not begin the Main Quest. Feel free to explore and take in all the sites that you can find.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions that often arise for new players in Skyrim, designed to further enhance your understanding of the game’s initial stages.

1. Should I follow Ralof or Hadvar?

Your initial choice of following Ralof or Hadvar primarily impacts your starting gear and your potential first contact in Riverwood. Following Ralof gets you in good with the Stormcloaks. Hadvar starts you on a path toward the Empire. Both paths are very similar and allow you to take advantage of glitches to quickly level up some skills. The choice is largely down to personal preference and doesn’t affect the major storylines immediately.

2. Where is the best place to start exploring after Riverwood?

Whiterun is the next major location, and is also the starting point for the Companions questline. It is also the central hub for the main questline. It’s a great place to begin exploring and find some initial quests, as well as a starting base for your adventures.

3. What is the best way to get rich early in Skyrim?

One of the fastest ways to make money is by crafting potions and poisons and then selling them to merchants. Also, you can start the Transmute Spell and make gold from iron. Early on, loot every item you find and sell it. Do not sell every item, keep a few extra for enchanting purposes.

4. What is the best skill to level up first?

Speech is one of the easiest skills to level early on. Selling items looted from dungeons will quickly raise your Speech skill. Also, higher speech makes merchants give you better prices.

5. Imperial or Stormcloak: Which side is the best choice?

The Imperial side is typically seen as the more stable and diverse faction, while the Stormcloaks are a more nationalist group for Nords. Choosing one over the other has major story ramifications, but ultimately it’s a personal choice. There are rewards for both sides, so decide what feels best for your character.

6. Who is a good person to marry in Skyrim?

Aela the Huntress, a member of the Companions, is a popular choice. She is a warrior, and also an ally. There are many romance options available in the game, so choose someone who suits your character and your playstyle.

7. Should I do the Dawnguard DLC or the Main Quest first?

It is recommended to do the Main Quest first, and then interweave Dawnguard, followed by Hearthfire, then ultimately Dragonborn. This is the order that Bethesda intended, and doing so in this order feels much more natural to the game’s progression.

8. What level should I stop leveling in Skyrim?

There is no real level cap in Skyrim, and most enemies scale with you. You can tackle quests at any level, though certain content (like the Dragonborn DLC) is significantly more challenging at lower levels. Level 20 is a good benchmark for the main quest, but feel free to keep exploring and leveling.

9. How many endings does Skyrim have?

The main story has a single outcome in which you defeat Alduin. The Civil War has two alternate endings based on the side you pick. The various Guild storylines have varying endings depending on how you resolve the conflicts.

10. How long does it take to complete everything in Skyrim?

Skyrim has enormous depth. Main Quest can take roughly 34 hours. Completing everything can take over 230 hours, depending on your playstyle. If you only do a fraction of the extra activities in the game, you should expect a much longer time.

11. Should I side with the Dawnguard or become a Vampire?

Choosing the Dawnguard provides better weapons and a more heroic feel, while siding with the Vampires gives you access to the Vampire Lord form and a darker gameplay style. This choice depends heavily on your personal preference and character roleplay.

12. What level should I do Dawnguard at?

Dawnguard can activate as early as level 10, it’s better to wait until you’re level 30 or higher, to account for the strong enemies in the DLC.

13. How many wives can you have in Skyrim?

You can only have one wife in Skyrim. Once you marry, you cannot remarry even if your spouse dies. Make sure to choose wisely.

14. Can you choose to be evil in Skyrim?

Yes, you can choose to play an evil character in Skyrim by making dark choices, joining villainous guilds, and engaging in unsavory activities. This is one of the best parts of the game, is that you can play whatever way you want.

15. What is the hardest skill to level in Skyrim?

Some of the hardest skills to level up include Restoration, Smithing, Illusion, and Conjuration. There are specific strategies that can help with leveling up these skills. Many of these skills have very specific usage cases, or require the player to purchase materials to level up.

By focusing on the Guardian Stones at the very beginning of your Skyrim adventure, you’ll set yourself up for a much more rewarding, and tailored experience. Use this guide to help guide you on your first few steps into the vast world of Skyrim, and remember to always explore and enjoy the journey.