Skyrim Sneak Guide
Staying Hidden, Sneak Attacks, and Skill Perk Info
Skyrim's Sneak skill allows your Dragonborn to slip past enemies undetected, pickpocket to loot valuables, and sneak attack enemies with melee and ranged attacks. This guide to Sneaking will teach you about leveling the skill, choosing your Perks, and becoming a master in stealth or assassination by backstabbing your enemies.
Sneaking Explained
When you press the button to Sneak, Skyrim's targeting crosshair in the center of your screen will change to an eye. When this eye is closed, you are hidden. As enemies become aware of your presence, the eye will open. They will search for you, and as they get closer, the eye will open until it states you are detected. Distance, lighting, and whether there is anything between you and the enemy (line of sight) determine visual detection. Enemies can also hear you while moving. The amount of noise you create is determined by the weight of your armor, with no armor being best, followed by light or heavy armor - though weight is more important than the type. Sneaking Perks can reduce the likelihood of detection through various means.
Wearing boots with the Muffle effect, which can also be learned as an Enchantment, will reduce the effective weight of your armor. This is also a spell in the Illusion school of magic. Another Illusion spell, Invisibility, acts like Sneaking, though with no visual component - you can still be heard, meaning it's best to move slowly and avoid getting to close to anyone. Using sneak in this situation will further help you avoid detection, while raising the skill. Fortify Sneak can be put on boots, gauntlets, rings, and amulets, and will help reduce the chance of detection by raising your Sneak skill.
Raising Sneak & Skill Trainers
Sneak will increase so long as you're undetected with something capable of detecting you nearby, you do not have to move, though it seems to help. Finding an easy spot to walk into a wall and sneak near an enemy can raise the Sneak skill quickly, though you are more likely to have fun by using the skill naturally. Sneak attacks give the most skill experience, with melee attacks giving more than attacks with a bow or crossbow.
Delvin Mallory of the Thieves' Guild in Riften is Skyrim's Master Sneak Trainer, though you must join up to use him. An Expert Trainer that anyone can access is Garvey in the Warrens of Markarth. Neither of these guys is particularly necessary, given how easy it is to level Sneak. Coin is best spent on training more challenging Skills like One-handed or Destruction Magic.
Sneak Attacks
While hidden, the Dragonborn can perform sneak attacks with melee, dual wield, ranged, and unarmed attacks. You cannot score a sneak attack with a magical spell. Sneak attacks with bows, two-handed weapons and unarmed (fists) do double damage, while swords, maces and daggers do triple. Various Perks can boost the damage done. So long as you're undetected, the extra damage will be applied - so while enemies are searching for you, you can still lay on the damage. This mainly applies to the bow, as killing an enemy in melee range is likely to alert others nearby unless your Sneak skill is very high. You can use Illusion spells to augment this. Note that daggers alone are silent, and swinging any other weapon will tell nearby hostiles that something is up.
In order to pull off a Backstab or use the Assassin's Blade perk with a Dagger, you should move slowly as you get close to your target, and try to stay behind them, or keep something between you to obscure their field of vision. Shadows always help - you're less likely to be detected there. When you are behind your target (or even in front of them if you're that good), unleash a power attack to deal huge damage. This always works, so long as you haven't yet been detected. Taking Perks can help with this - reducing detection, movement noise, and giving you Silent Roll to let you move into position for your killing blow.
Sneak attacking with a bow is a simple affair. You're already at range, so the enemy has a disadvantage in detecting you. You also don't have to move for quite some time if you pick a good spot. Fire on closer enemies first, as they charge toward you. If you're sneaky, you can fire a shot then relocate so that they search your original position, only to take an arrow in the back.
Skyrim Sneak Skill Perks
Stealth (5 Ranks, 20/25/30/35/40% harder to detect while Sneaking)
(level 0/20/40/60/80 Sneak Skill required)
Does exactly as it says. If you're using Sneak as an Archer, taking one point is recommended no matter what else you do with your build, as it will let you get more shots off before detection.
Backstab
(level 30 Sneak Skill required)
Sneak attacks with One-handed weapons do six times normal damage. This counts with dual-wielded weapons, it's simply meant to say that it affects 1H daggers, swords, maces, and axes.
Deadly Aim
(level 40 Sneak Skill required)
Raises bow sneak attack damage from 2x to 3x damage. That's a big boost in power, considering you usually get more than one shot, and sometimes several.
Assassin's Blade
(level 50 Sneak Skill required)
Sneak attacks with daggers do 15x damage. Incredibly powerful, making Daggers the most damaging weapon to sneak attack with. You'll want light armor or muffle to help you get close enough to the enemy to pull off such a backstab.
Muffled Movement
(level 30 Sneak Skill required)
Reduces the noise of your armor by 50%, meaning your effective weight is halved, making you harder to detect while moving.
Light Foot
(level 40 Sneak Skill required)
You will no longer trigger pressure plates on the ground while sneaking, making you immune to those types of traps in dungeons.
Silent Roll
(level 50 Sneak Skill required)
Sprinting while sneaking makes you roll forward, silently. This helps you close distances and even pass through lit areas to remain undetected.
Silence
(level 70 Sneak Skill required)
Walking and running no longer affect detection, meaning your armor's weight no longer matters. You won't need muffle.
Shadow Warrior
(level 100 Sneak Skill required)
Allows you to stealth during combat, so long as there is some distance between your Dragonborn and the enemy. Simply crouch, and you may slip into the shadows... This is an incredibly powerful Perk that any self-respecting assassin will take.
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