How to make Gandalf in Skyrim (A comprehensive character creation guide)

Ok so I've googled this a few times, and nothing's come up. But I can't be the only one interested in how this is going to pan out and how I can customize a new character in the style of Gandalf (primarily the White, but the Grey isn't that much different). I'm going to have a quick run through of skills, lore and the overall similarities which you can convey in Skyrim as a characterisation of Gandalf from Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings series.

The first hurdle to overcome is the physical adaptation of the character. Let's have a look at some lore. Gandalf is described in the first book as a 'wandering conjuror', having ' skill with fires, smokes, and lights', as outlined in chapter one. There is also a physical manifestation: 'He wore a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, and a silver scarf. He had a long white beard and bushy eyebrows that stuck out beyond the brim of his hat.'

Taking into account Ian McKellen's portrayal of the wizard in the films, it's quite easy to get an idea of how your character can shape up. To begin with, you have the option of choosing race. Having analysed each one in turn, it is safe to say we can disregard Argonians, Khajiit and Orcs immediately, as they are the least similar to humans, of whom Gandalf is purported to have resembled (though his skill with magic meant he was often thought of as an Elf- hence the name Gandalf, a moniker the race of Men took up due to his mystical appearance and unfathomed mission, and a direct translation of Wand-Elf.) The elves of Skyrim are also dissimilar from Gandalf's novel and film appearance, bar possibly the High Elves, whose magical prowess would also aid gameplay-wise, as magic will be vital in combat.

The Bosmer, Dunmer (Wood and Dark elves respectively) and Redguard (the Elder Scroll's race of Arabic/Africans) would also be unsuitable for playing through as Gandalf, due to the wizard's perceived look. So we have narrowed the possible races down to Altmer (High elf), Imperial, Breton, and Nord. Now, I'm going to pass on the inherent racial abilities as I don't believe they belie any real importance, the only one making a difference being the +50 magicka for Altmer anyway. Thus I will conclude with the most appropriate race- the Nords. There are a few reasons for these Skyrim natives being the most accurate representation of Gandalf, mainly steeped in lore. Tolkien outlines in his earlier writing how the character of Gandalf, along with most of the LOTR story, was inspired by Norse mythology, and that the wizard is taken from the guise of Odin in his wanderer form. I won't bore you with details; this is all available on the wikipedia page, the Tolkien wiki, etc. But from the author's perspective it would be fitting to ascertain that Gandalf's race in Skyrim would be most similar to a Nord. I can't see the difference in making a Breton or Imperial, though, so long as you can get the look accurate, Nordic heritage serves only as thorough, lore-based accuracy in your character creation.

In terms of the look of Gandalf, I won't dedicate a lot of time or space to it- simply google a few pictures and construct the most accurate representation, or best from your perspective. I personally chose mine to look like Ian McKellen's characterisation.

Now, for the first hour or so you won't have a great choice of apparel, weapons, etc. When you've finished the intro, however, you'll be faced with the Three standing stones. Here is where it starts to get complicated. Gandalf, as you may know from the numerous interpretations, was both a mage and a warrior, whilst also being an incredible sneak and diplomat. So which stone is the best choice?

Mage stone- 20% skill increases for Magic trees

Warrior stone- 20% skill increases for Warrior trees

Thief stone- 20% skill increases for Thief trees

The Mage stone would be your best bet for Gandalf. Later on I will discuss the skills and perks that give the most accurate representation for role-playing the wizard, and you will realise how the Mage tree has the most applicable skills. Thus, the Mage stone would be the best first-choice stone. However, later in the game, or whenever possible, a switch to either the Lover's stone (for leveling) is recommended. To be true to lore, the Lord or Lady stone would be accurate to portray Gandalf's hardy nature, and to give extra survivability in the harsh atmosphere of Skyrim, especially considering how little damage you will be able to take in mage's robes.

Now, the key part: the skill trees you will level. Here they are.

Tier 1- Most relevant: One handed. Destruction. Alteration. Speech.

Gandalf uses these four skills effortlessly and continuously throughout the books. He wields Glamdring, his enchanted Elf-sword, which can either be one or two-handed depending on the scenario; for ease of use and due to the large amount of magic you'll be casting, we'll stick with one-handed. It is indispensible, and will more likely than not be the major constituent of your aggressive combat. Perks to choose: Full-rank Armsman (5/5). At least one rank in Bladesman, preferably more. Depending on your usage, Fighting Stance and Critical Charge can also come in useful and are somewhat accurate when compared to the written lore of the character and his prowess in war.

Destruction, again, a no-brainer. Gandalf uses fire as an offensive weapon several times in The Hobbit, and it is the embodiment of his soul. You'll want full perks in the Fire tree, so Augmented Flames and Intense Flames, and also Destruction Dual-Casting and Impact. The skills to reduce magicka usage are vital- these are the 'Novice Destruction, Apprentice Destruction, Adept Destruction' perks. An interesting point is that Gandalf uses lightning to battle several enemies in the books, most notable the Balrog of Moria. My character uses shock proficiently, and it's an avenue you could look into if interested (personally, I prefer it to fire).

Alteration is something Gandalf would know like the back of his hand. He is a trickster by nature and a cheeky conjuror, and the novels allude often to his use of the ethereal to undermine aggressors. Key perks include Mage Armor (3/3), Magic Resistance and Stability- whichever perks are needed to access these are probably also beneficial. True hardcore RPG'ers of the character will use stoneflesh to increase armour often, and spells like magelight and clairvoyance to get an insight into the character's real style.

Finally, Gandalf without Speech wouldn't have had half the success he had in many scenarios, most notably any involving Saruman, Beorn and the rallying of Theoden & his men. The key perks are to the left of the skill tree- the ones dictating better persuasion, intimidation and bribe attempts.

Secondary skills are Illusion (muffle and invisibility, as well as calm spells and fear spells, are incredibly relevant to Gandalf's style of fighting and escaping), Sneak (the 100-rank perk is also painfully relevant; the wizard manages to disappear countless times in the novels, and bypass enemies often), and Restoration (Guardian Circle, perks to give +25%, 50% magicka regen).



So ends the character creation guide, to a degree. How you play and what apparel/weapons you use is your choice- personally, I use dual-spell or one-armed sword + spell dual wielding, but in the end it is your call. Hope you have found this interesting and may there be more to come in the future!




JOHN
Next time: Legolas Creation guide