Stealth, also known as Sneak or crouching, allows the Vestige to slip unnoticed behind NPCs. This allows one to pickpocket, murder, feed on, or sneak attack them. Note that feeding generally requires one to be farther away from the target than using the Blade of Woe. Sneaking can be useful to avoid powerful enemies (including optional dungeon bosses) and successfully completing Heists and Sacraments.
Mechanics[]
Crouching uses Stamina, which will regenerate while holding still. Sneak attacks deal triple damage of a normal weapon. Attacking this way will reveal oneself to others, and will incur a bounty if the witness is not killed from the sneak attack. Movement speed is reduced by halfconfirmation needed, though this can be mitigated or eliminated with certain effects.
Since one generally attacks from sneak behind or to the side of an NPC, buffs to flanking attacks may be useful. These include:
- Veiled Strike and morphs (Nightblade ability) – 3 second stun, sets Off Balance
- Master Assassin (Nightblade passive) – Increases Physical and Spell Penetration against enemies you are flanking by 2974. Increases the duration of the stun from Sneak by 100%.
- Camouflaged Hunter (Fighters Guild morph) – Minor Berserk for 5 seconds if Critical hit
- Flanking Strategist (item set) – up to 400 Weapon Damage when attacking from behind or sides
- Dragonguard Elite (item set) – ramping Weapon Critical increase when attacking from sides
One can also become invisible, which has the same effect as being completely hidden in stealth.
Sneak Suppression[]
Some enemies can suppress the Vestige's ability to sneak. Also, each piece of heavy armor increases one's detection area by 10%. While wielding Volendrung or carrying an Elder Scroll, one cannot enter stealth. [?]
Buffs[]
- Feline Ambush (Khajiit racial passive) – Decreases detection radius in Stealth by 3 meters.
- Master Assassin (Nightblade passive) – Increases your Physical and Spell Penetration against enemies you are flanking by 2974. Increases duration of the stun from Sneak by 100%.
- Concealed Weapon (Nightblade ability) – Movement Speed while stealthed/invisible is increased by 25% while slotted
- Dark Stalker (Vampire passive) – Ignore the Movement Speed penalty of Sneak. Decreases the time it takes to enter Sneak by 50%.
- Strike from the Shadows (Vampire passive) – at Vampire Stage 2 or higher: When you leave Sneak, invisibility, or Mist Form your Weapon and Spell Damage is increased by 300 for 6 seconds
- Light Armor Bonuses – each piece of light armor reduces the Movement Speed penalty of Sneak by 5%
- Medium Armor Bonuses – each piece of medium armor worn reduces sneak cost by 5%
- Improved Sneak (Medium Armor passive) – Reduces Sneak cost by 7% for each Medium Armor piece equipped. Reduces detection radius by 5% for each Medium Armor piece equipped.
- Improved Hiding (Legerdemain passive) – Reduces Sneak cost by 10-40%.
- Veil of Shadows (Thieves Guild passive) – Decreases detection range of witnesses and Guards by 10%.
Item sets (requires 5 pieces unless otherwise noted):
- Night Mother's Embrace – Reduces detection radius 2 meters. Reduces Sneak cost by 25%.
- Night Terror (3 pieces) – Reduces detection radius 2 meters. Reduces Sneak cost by 10-27%.
- Night's Silence & Shadow Dancer's Raiment – Ignore the Movement Speed penalty of Sneak.
- Darkstride – reduces Sneak and Sprint cost by 50%
- Shadow Walker (Set) – While Sneaking/invisible and not moving, heal for 50-2150 Health and restore 50-2150 Stamina every 1 second.
- Vesture of Darloc Brae (4 & 5 pieces) – Reduces detection radius by 2 meters. Reduces Sneak cost by 10%. While sneaking and not blocking, restore 15-670 Magicka and Stamina and heal for 15-676 Health every second.
- Archer's Mind – Increases your Critical Damage and Healing by an additional 12% when you are Sneaking or Invisible.
- Stygian – When leaving Sneak or invisibility, your Spell Damage is increased by 8-369 for 15 seconds.
- Vicecanon of Venom – critical hits from Stealth inject a leeching poison that deals 192-16880 Poison Damage over 15 seconds and heals you for the damage done.
Other:
Counterplay[]
In PvP:
- Area of effect attacks (Wall of Elements, Caltrops, etc)
- Piercing Mark (Nightblade morph)
- Expert Hunter
- Magelight
- Revealing Flare
- Soul Strike (3 second duration after being hit)
- Crowd control
- Hunter's Eye (Bosmer racial passive) – increased detection by 3m
- Way of Air item set (4 pieces)
- Sentry item set
- Detection potions and poisons
- Invisible poisons
- Unstoppable potions and poisons (potentially)
- Unstoppable ability
Trivia[]
- NPCs cannot really become invisible. However, some enemies can be seen crouching and moving around as if sneaking, such as Dremora and Skeletons in Bruma.