Character Creation ( Skyrim ) In past games , character creation was where the player decided their class , which would shape their character ' s strengths and weaknesses for the whole of the gaming experience ahead . With , the class system has been removed , and character creation determines very little about the capabilities of a character . The only aspects which the player will choose are race , gender , appearance , and name . The process is thus centered almost entirely on the aesthetic aspect of character creation , which has been greatly improved over past games . Players can now edit facial features in much greater detail , and add decorations like war paint , facial hair , battle scars , wrinkles , and dirt coverage . Notably absent are birthsign s . Instead , Skyrim has added Standing Stones , which are monoliths found throughout Skyrim that functionally replace both birthsigns and Doomstone s . They can be activated at any time once the player discovers them , and confer various bonuses , such as increasing experience gained for certain skill types , or buffing stats . Only one can be active at once ( unless one uses the Aetherial Crown ) . The Warrior , Mage , and Thief Standing Stones , which boost experience gained for skills associated with each archetype , can be found on the way to the first objective after the game ' s intro mission . Customize . After choosing one of the ten racial options , the following aspects can be customized : Of note to many players is that the character creation screen is brighter than most areas of the game , which may result in some features looking darker in the actual game than intended . This can be ( slightly ) alleviated by pausing the game , before naming the Prisoner , and looking through the smokescreen of the start menu . Race selection . The first thing that must be chosen is the Dragonborn ' s race . Each race starts with special bonuses to different Skills . Additionally , each race has special abilities . The racial abilities can either be passive characteristics , such as Waterbreathing , or Greater Power s that can be used once per day , such as Command Animal . The Dragonborn can be Nord , Imperial , Redguard , Breton , Argonian , Khajiit , Dunmer , Altmer , Bosmer , or Orsimer . Bonuses . Nord : Imperial : Redguard : Breton : Argonian : Khajiit : Dark Elf ( Dunmer ) : High Elf ( Altmer ) : Wood Elf ( Bosmer ) : Orc ( Orsimer ) : Guide . Due to the lack of specializations or birthsigns , the starting differences in skill values for each race are only relevant early in the game . Players wishing to specialize in a given skill can quickly make up for a disadvantaged score through consistent use , especially if aided by Standing Stone experience bonuses . That said , for players who want to choose an appropriate race for RP or leveling efficiency purposes , there are clear ways to categorize each race according to play style . Each race starts with bonuses to six skills , including one bonus of + 10 , which represents the race ' s most significant skill . These bonuses allow the races to be sorted by proficiency into the three primary play - styles , Warrior , Mage and Thief : Another important factor is racial bonuses , which are permanent , and may be a significant deciding factor in a player ' s race / class decision . Most racial bonuses have general utility to any character type , but some are clearly geared toward one playstyle more than others . These can be used to augment a chosen playstyle , or cover weaknesses when the need arises for skills the player rarely uses .