Sneak (Skyrim)

''Sneaking is the art of moving unseen and unheard. Highly skilled sneaks can often hide in plain sight.'' "Hands to yourself, sneak thief."

- Hold Guard

Sneak is a skill in and is one of the six skills that falls under The Thief play-style.

Skill Books and Quests
The following books raise your Sneak Skill: The following Miscellaneous Quests increase the Sneak Skill:
 * 2920, Last Seed, v8
 * Legend of Krately House
 * Sacred Witness
 * The Red Kitchen Reader
 * Three Thieves
 * Return helmet to Noster Eagle-Eye in Solitude
 * Retreive bottle of double distilled Skooma for Stands-In-Shallows in the Argonian Assemblage in Windhelm.
 * Retreive Finn's Lute for Inge Six Fingers at the Bard's College in Solitude (note: also increases the Light Armor, Alchemy, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, and Speech skills)

Trainers

 * Khayla (Adept): Khajiit Caravans
 * Garvey (Expert): Markarth
 * Delvin Mallory (Master): Thieves Guild, Riften

Changes from Previous Games
The Sneak system in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is slightly different from that of previous games. For instance, your visibility is depicted through use of an eye that remains closed while you are undetected, but opens more and more as your likelihood of being detected increases. If the word "Detected" appears on the screen, they either see you or have just seen you and know where you are. If the word "Hidden" appears on the screen, the NPCs are unaware of your presence. People around you will also change "modes" depending on whether they view you sneaking. For instance, they will be passive if they are unaware, or cautious if they are aware of you sneaking. Their ability to notice you is dependent on your Sneak skill, the level of light on your current position, how heavy your character's armor is, whether this armor is Heavy or Light, if your weapons are drawn, how fast you are moving, and the effects of various perks that you've obtained.

Perks
The following are the perks that become available to select as the skill is leveled up

Not-Quite-Hidden Theft
Despite being hidden, certain NPCs may still know the player has stolen something. They do not call the guards, so there is no bounty at all. Rather, they pay three Hired Thugs (one of which will have a Contract in their inventory) to 'teach a lesson' to your character. It is also possible to have hired thugs encounter the player even if the contract giver is dead or murdered, so the player should not be surprised when pursued even after the 'victim' is not around any more. The complete details/conditions are not yet known, but listed below are the possibilities, and most likely reason for the attack. These encounters can happen in public, for example in Whiterun, College of Winterhold and Dawnstar. Hired Thugs also are known to not be attacked by guards when attacking the player for reasons still unknown, even if the encounter happens within town walls, although it is possible for them to be attacked by the guards.
 * Stealing from a Jarl. When stealing from a Jarl's castle/home, other residents there, like the court wizard or the Jarl's guards or even the Jarl him/herself, can send Hired Thugs after the Dragonborn. Tested with Jarl Balgruuf the Greater several times, as Balgruuf and Farenger Secret-Fire each sent them.
 * Stealing from an inn. At least in the Winking Skeever, no one seems to follow the player if he goes to basements or upstairs in the inn, but it seems like the thugs can be sent by innkeepers.
 * It is also possible that getting caught stealing would mean the innkeepers will let the guards get the player rather than hire thugs, but it is not known for sure.
 * Stealing from a merchant or a hunter. These characters can send the Hired Thugs after the player.
 * Pickpocketing town guards . There are instances where town guards have sent the Hired Thugs after characters.
 * Killing NPCs. For example, killing Gaius Maro while in the Palace of the Kings during the Breaching Security mission will cause Jorleif to send the thugs after the player, even if the player remains undetected and no bounty is placed.
 * Stealing from Grelod the Kind, the cruel old lady who runs the orphanage in Riften.

It is also quite possible that one of your 'victims' may hire a Dark Brotherhood Assassin to kill you. This may or may not share the same triggers with Hired Thugs.
 * See Random encounters

​Not-Quite-Hidden Murder
With a relatively high sneak (100 with Stealth 5/5 when tested), the player can murder individuals standing just a foot or two away from a guard and not only receive no bounty, but also remain undetected as long as said guard is not looking directly at you. However, if you then proceed to walk past the guard and are detected, the guard will then attack you. While fighting back gains no bounty, killing the guard results in the normal 1000 gold bounty for murder. Other guards throughout the city/hold will not become hostile so simply murdering the guard that witnessed your indiscretion is the simplest solution other than leaving town for several days.

Leveling Tips

 * Successful sneak attacks will raise the sneak skill more quickly than simple sneaking, especially when executed with a melee weapon. Archery sneak attacks grant sneak experience as well, but at a much lower rate.
 * A great way of levelling is sneak killing sleeping Draugr. Just level sneak a little (just over 25 will do) and you can sneak past Draugr undetected and sneak kill then to get a large skill raise. Doing this can allow you to level up four times or more from one chamber of Draugr.
 * Sneak-running against a wall behind any character who is unlikely to detect you. This method works rather slowly, but can easily be accomplished by using the autorun key (PC) or a rubber band to hold the movement stick (XBOX/PS3). You will be less easily detected if you sneak backwards. Some potential targets include:
 * The sleeping bear encountered in the starting quest, Unbound.
 * The barman or barmaid of any tavern or inn.
 * Ulfr the Blind at White River Watch.
 * This can be done very early on, as the location it is just outside Whiterun, near the base of the mountain.
 * Additionally, it a a frequent location for an early Bounty quest.
 * ​ Aventus Aretino in Windhelm, at the beginning of the Dark Brotherhood quest line.
 * Another method is to find a non-hostile target and repeatedly sneak-attack it. Some potential targets include:
 * Any NPC marked as Essential (unkillable). Examples:
 * Hadvar or Ralof- Only during the starting quest, Unbound.
 * ​Will not become hostile.
 * Arniel Gane - Only during Saarthal Excavation quest.
 * Will not become hostile.
 * Ancano at the College of Winterhold.
 * ​Will not become hostile. (Unless attacked constantly while downed)
 * Astrid at the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary.
 * ​May become hostile if you are caught.
 * The Greybeards in High Hrothgar.
 * May become hostile. It is beneficial to use the "Healing Hands" spell on your chosen Greybeard, as this not only allows for faster attacks (without retaliation) but is also a good way to level up your Restoration skill. Do not, however, let their health get too low, as they are totally unbeatable once provoked.
 * Karliah at the Thieves' Guild in the Cistern.
 * May become hostile if you attack her too many times within a small time frame.
 * The Legate of any Imperial camp.
 * May become hostile, but will usually accept a yield.
 * Any follower, summoned creature, or player-owner horse. Examples:
 * Hirelings
 * Spouses
 * Conjured atronachs, zombies, dremora, or familiars.
 * Shadowmere
 * Works very well, as he has an excellent health regeneration rate.


 * Draugr, one of the most common enemies in the game, present excellent opportunities to increase Sneak. For example:
 * If the player is in a dungeon with sleeping Draugr, it is possible to sneak up to them and kill them, as they will not detect even low-level sneak. Alternatively, one can raise dead the same Draugr, and attack them while sneaking. They will not attack the player because of the spell effects.
 * In The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, there is a dungeon with a portcullis. If you trap a Draugr behind it, you can sneak and never be hurt.
 * The secluded courtyard outside of Dragonsreach in Whiterun is patrolled by a single guard who walks the front half of the perimeter. Other NPCs walk up to that area on occasion, but otherwise you'll be free to shadow this guard on his patrol route and rack up nearly continuous sneaking experience.
 * The Throw Voice shout can also be used. For example, you can sneak onto a rock above any Bandit encampment and use the shout to cause the bandits below to look away. If you have all 3 words of the shout, the cooldown is short enough to control their line of sight and sneak continuously.
 * After entering Geirmund's Hall and dropping through the hole to access the rest of the cave, you land in a water-filled room with a closed door. Do not open the door; beyond it are several Frostbite Spiders. While crouching, hit the door with a weapon to alert them of your presence. As spiders cannot open doors, they will be unable to reach you, so you can sneak with impunity. If it seems your detected status is not fading, make sure you're not crouching directly in front of the door and try moving behind one of the rock walls on either side.
 * If you finished the main quest without killing Paarthurnax, you will find him perched upon the Word Wall at the Throat of the World . Hide behind his right wing, and you can sneak-attack him for massive damage and Sneak experience.

Tips
"Walk always in shadows, so that you will see your foes before they see you."

- Jenassa


 * If coupled with the Shrouded Gloves or the Shrouded Hand Wraps, available on a cupboard in the entrance room of the Pine Forest Brotherhood Sanctuary, either of which doubles the damage of backstabs, the Assassin's Blade perk will allow the player to do thirty (30) times normal damage with a successful sneak attack with a dagger. This will turn even the lowly Iron Dagger into one of the most powerful weapons in the game, in the right hands.
 * Confirmed: At level 38, with the Assassin's Blade perk, Shrouded Gloves and a Daedric Dagger, all combined in a successful sneak power attack, it was possible to instantly kill an Elder Dragon found sleeping on a dragon roost at Master difficulty.
 * It's possible to sneak in Heavy Armor just as effectively as Light Armor or Clothing. First, either use the Steed Stone or the Conditioning (Heavy Armor) perk. Then have relatively high sneak with most perks from the Sneak tree, including Muffled Movement and Silence. Lastly, equip the Shrouded Boots or any other footwear enchanted with Muffle, and/or or acquire the Ebony Mail. This is a tried and tested method, and can be very effective.
 * It's possible, though difficult, to sneak while in battle with Alduin, allowing you to backstab him for massive damage. This only seems to work with 90+ Sneak and ALL perks up to that point.
 * If you block with a shield or weapon (with the perks Block Runner and Shield Charge) while sneaking it is possible to double your walking speed or perform a Shield Charge without breaking stealth.
 * With the Shadow Warrior perk, the Dragonborn can stay invisible indefinitely during combat by quickly and repeatedly entering and leaving stealth. With third-person mode active the Dragonborn will look like black smoke flying through the air. (Will not work for everyone) [XBOX360] [PS3]
 * Sometimes, with sufficient Sneak skill and/or Muffle active, after using a ranged sneak attack, the enemy searching for you may be unable to find you unless or until you move or attack again
 * Having Sneak at 100 with all perks in sneak maxed out makes you ridiculously hard to detect with even the smallest amount of shadows

Bugs

 * The Shadow Warrior perk conflicts with Shadowcloak of Nocturnal. With Shadowcloak of Nocturnal active, crouching when enemies see you will cause both Shadowcloak of Nocturnal and Shadow Warrior to activate, but when Shadow Warrior wears off, it erroneously removes both invisibility effects.
 * If players are playing the PC version of the game and encounter this bug, they can attempt to remove the Shadow Warrior perk using the console command "player.removeperk 00058214". Then use the Shadowcloak of Nocturnal and it will behave normally. Once the skill is finished, re-add the perk with "player.addperk 00058214". Doing this once appears to resolve the bug in some cases.
 * **Reported fixed with Patch. Please verify** Similar to the pickpocket bug, wearing equipment with Fortify Sneak enchantment will actually lower your sneaking success when you are at or near the cap for this skill. **Reported fixed with Patch. Please verify**
 * It has been confirmed that even without the Silent Roll perk, if you jump while sneaking and hold the sprint button, your player will sometimes execute a Silent Roll.
 * Similarly, holding sprint button with a weapon drawn will execute a silent roll when the weapon is sheathed. This can also be executed when switching spells, to more of an effect.
 * However, if you do have the Silent Roll perk, you can go into third-person mode and hold sprint, allowing you to continue rolling as long as you want, or until you run out of stamina.
 * Similarly, if you pop out of stealth mode (even several rooms away) and then steal something, you may be detected and acquire a Bounty.
 * Sometimes, when you're in jail, if you pick the lock and let the guard detect you, then crouch in the corner of your cell and let him walk in and out of your cell a couple times, your sneak skill will increase.
 * When holding only a one-handed weapon in your right hand, and then sneaking and running, you unsheathe your weapon and continue to move, you may find yourself moving at the same speed as if you weren't sneaking.
 * Most spouses will always be able to see you, regardless of whether you are sneaking. The only spouses that seem to not be able to spot you are Housecarls and Companions.
 * ​This also applies to Barbas in the Daedric quest A Daedra's Best Friend.
 * With the Light Foot perk there are still some pressure plates that are triggered regardless, so you still have to be on the lookout for them.
 * Executing a Silent Roll while unarmed (fist's raised) causes you to roll in place. (only bugged when in third person, 1st person still executes the roll normally)