Stealth

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Guide - The Basics

Stealth

Characters geared toward stealth focus on avoiding detection and surprising the enemy. The heart of stealth is Sneak Mode. To toggle Sneak Mode simply click the Left Stick. While in Sneak Mode, an eye icon will appear in the middle of the display. If the icon is faded, your character is effectively hidden. If the icon is bright and solid, your character has been detected.

Several factors affect your chance of being detected by an NPC; the weight of your character's boots, the amount of light in a location, and movement speed all have an effect. It's a good idea to avoid casting spells while sneaking, as doing so is sure to generate light. As your character's Sneak skill level increases and you reach new mastery levels, the role that the above factors play in determining the chance that your character will be detected are diminished. To learn about the perks unlocked at higher mastery levels, refer to the “Skills” section of this guide.

While in Sneak Mode, one can perform a sneak attack for bonus damage on unwitting enemies. With ranged weapons, the damage dealt is multiplied by three, and with one-handed weapons the damage is multiplied by six. A sneak attack cannot be performed with a two-handed weapon.