My character got into position behind a giant without detection, but got no pickpocket prompt, nor could she backstab. Is this a glitch, or is it normal for giants?

In that crouch, she might have reached his knees!

You cannot pickpocket a creature. I have never done a backstab so I cannot answer that part of your question.

I figured that the no pickpocket meant the game wasn't treating giants as NPC's, and she wasn't trying to do that anyway. It's just a useful indicator for the backstab when it IS an NPC involved, as it tells you you're close enough.

I don't think Giants are "immune" to backstab. I'm trying to recall if I've ever done that. I know I've gotten KillCams, but not sure if they were teamed with backstabs

Yes, in a crouch, knees and hamstrings are where we have a shot

And depending on the race maybe the heel. Maybe that is the weak spot for Giants.

Never tried a backstab against a Giant and my characters never sneak. All my characters have a great respect the Giants and they usually like to offer gifts to them since most of the time they are friendly.

Lucrezia is a backstabbing poisoner just about exclusively, and this was as much an experiment as anything else. With the DB gloves, she gets a x30 multiplier on damage, which takes out almost anything.

Dragons don't land until you're long ago detected, and I don't think you can sneak up to any on word walls*, so a giant was her toughest opponent to test with.

*If anyone knows otherwise, that's useful knowledge, too.

I have sneaked (snuck?) up to Dragons on word walls, specifically Autmnwatch Tower and Skyborn Altar (dropping from above it).

Also, I was curious about the Giants, so just now tried backstabbinig at Secunda's Kiss. I backstabbed them both

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Curious now... Is there an item with X2 Backstab that one can disenchant? Or can the DB gloves be disenchanted. It's been so long since I looked at DB gear

You certainly can backstab giants. They should go down in one hit with the Assassin's Blade perk and any of the Dark Brotherhood gloves that give double sneak attack damage.

As for dragons, it is possible to sneak up to one on a word wall, but it's pretty tricky. I managed to do it at Skyborn Altar by climbing up above the wall and jumping down onto it while invisible.

Never seen one in vanilla.

Of course, everyone who can create a mod, can put such an item into the world.

Personally, I like the Black-Sacrament-Mod: http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/5696/?

Well, I just tried on a giat in Sleeping Tree Cave and got the 15x damage text. I do have USLEEP installed too

If you want to try and sneak up on a dragon, try Autumnwatch Tower as AlBQuirky mentions. Take the high road up the mountain by Froki's Shack and take the long way around to sneak up on that dragon. Careful with the collision detection though, it's a little hard to judge with dragons. Of course silent casting and invisibility go a long way

The enchantment on the DB gloves can't be disenchanted, but I am considering making a set of bangles (glove slot) to use it.

I may have just been unlucky with my giant. I'll have to try another. I don't think she's been to Autumnwatch, so that's added to the itinerary now.

I should have mentioned that I also have USLEEP installed, too

At Autumnwatch Tower, I get a sneak attack by going through the tower underneath the Dragon. It usually sits with its back to the stairs coming up

I don't use USLEEP, I still have the individual unofficial patches, as I want to be able to turn off individual DLC's for some games. If this is something that changed after the merge, it might make sense.

I also use USLEEP.

Incidentally, if you do manage to backstab a dragon on a word wall, it takes off and flies up into the air before plummeting dramatically to the ground! Guess there's no animation for dying on a word wall.

Tried another giant and was successful this time.

So I went to Autumnwatch to check out the dragon. Saved as I was getting close, and struck. 15x damage, dragon down to about 1/3 health, flew off, crash landed, and died after a couple of arrows.

Then I reloaded, put on the shrouded handwraps, and did it again. This time 30x damage, but dragon's remaining health was about the same as last time. Huh? The theory about what death animations are available may account for this.

YOU, want to backstab a giants?... Does this also implies that you want to go looking under their skirts?, BECAUSE I dont think you are crouching behind them looking at their toes, OR AM I WRONG? xD.

shhhh... they might hear you...

She has 100 health. She HAS to backstab.

If her motives were otherwise, she'd approach from the front, and attempt bribery.

The masochist type I see, you like to get whip in the bedroom too I bet, all you leather perverts make me envious :].

Backstabs are a kill cam. You can sneak attack whatever you like and receive the full damage modifier, but won't see any special animation for it.

You can only pickpocket advlt members of the ten playable races.

How do you mean that? I've had a few different "sneak attack" animations. Or are those the "backstabs" you referred to?

I've had a slit throat animation from sneaking, a double blade through the chest animation, and I think a head lopping one(?) all from sneaking, but also could be called "backstabs"