This is the first time I'm actually playing this game. I've watched other people and have been told about it's fame but it's the first time I'm actually getting into it. Anyways, I'm trying to level up the sneak skill to 100 to get it out of the way. The thing is, I'm having major difficulty leveling it up a single level. My sneak skill is level 20, and while I'm crouching for some reason my skill is a level 8. Somehow I can move the progress bar a few points but no more, and when crouching it seems half way full, and then really low again. Do I have to keep moving my location? Can I make my character walk into a corner like in Oblivion? Do I have to be moving at all? If I get "caught" (I'm sneaking, but the dude finally sees me, but no bounty) will I lose experience? This is very frustrating.

It's almost impossible to train via use below level 40. It's possible to train it on scribs even at 20 I think, but it will still take a stupidly long time. Hopefully someone who knows more will come along soon.

Would you recommend I pace back and forth behind rats and little worm things? Do I gain points by simply being there or do I have to move?

If your sneak skill drops from 20 to 8 when you use it, then something is wrong. If you meant that the progress bar slowly went from left to right and then your skill increased one point and you didn’t notice it, then that is normal and nothing is wrong. Some skills improve very slowly (try athletics).

Go to Balmora. Clagius Clanler has a store across from the Mages Guild that has two levels. Go up the outside stairs to the top level and go inside. Now come down the inside stairs to the bottom of the stairs by some baskets. This puts you behind Clanler. Put something on the key that activates sneak mode that is heavy enough to depress it for you and go watch the game. After a long while you should max out sneak.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Clagius_Clanler

That is actually the method I have been using, only I was pacing up and down the steps. Yes, my sneak skill goes down to 8 while I'm crouching, and the progress bar goes heywire while I'm crouching.

Yea, I just verified. It is very difficult to sneak behind that dude successfully. I have to keep going up and down the stairs because he notices me behind him in a few seconds. If I stand up to look at my stats I can see that my sneak is slightly increasing, but while I'm crouching my skill level and progress bar is significantly lower. Sometimes level 8 with 100% progress, other times level 0 with 36% progress. Is it just me or is this normal for everyone?

Ok, I have successfully leveled up! :celebration: to level 9...

My crouching sneak went from 8 to 9 and my standing sneak went from 20 to 21... If I'd known that I wouldn't have picked a Bosmer.

I think the asker meant that the progress bar is high while sneaking, and when the icon disappears it lowers again. I've never heard of this; it shouldn't happen. I haven't actually studied the bar during sneaking, but I think it should just go from left to right and remain at the point where it was when the sneaker was seen.

Does anyone know if managing to actually steal something in front of someone's eyes, with the sneak icon on, helps the skill grow quicker?

Clearly I'm not a sneak expert (nor any other type of MW expert really... just trying to be, lol). This is sad because I usually prefer stealth-based characters. They can be pretty much anything and they always have this certain mysteriousness shrouding them. Oh well. :sadvaultboy:

Oh the topic creator made things clear before me... No, I don't think it's normal that during sneaking, the actual skill seems to vary... o_O

It's by far the easiest to train sneak with NPCs that offer to train it, if it's low at first.

Alright...I just discovered something new. In Oblivion I know that it's easier to sneak when you take your shoes off. So I removed all of my armor and now my crouching skill is 26

If the Morrowind Code Patch is installed (which it should be, it's essential for a non-buggy game) then the sneak key toggles on/off, you don't need to hold it down any more.

I maxed my sneak very quickly by sneaking around Fort Pelagiad. I'd find a guard who was on patrol inside, and get just far enough away from him... I don't know whether it is meant to happen, but it seemed like he was aware of something and he stopped patrolling, waiting for me to move, and if we just stood there my sneak just kept on clocking up. I didn't do anything special to advance early levels.

I may or may not have that patch, but I am unable to toggle. Btw I found the issue. My light chest armor weighs 6, and it brings my sneak skill low while crouching. I'm wearing nothing more than 3 weight for every other body part and my sneak skill level is unaffected while I'm crouching, and when I'm completely naked my skill went up from 22 to 26. I'll try to uncheck any patches to see if it's effected.

Wow I feel like an idiot. Evidently one of my mods have a sneak plugin. :whistling: The more armor I wear the harder it is to sneak. Sorry for confusing everyone.

my first guess was TLM (the lighting mod), but it had no penalty for armor as far as i know.

another tip for skilling up sneak: fight sneaking. yes. when you paralyze opponents your progress bar will develop. same goes for enemy deaths. during the animation you will increase your skill. sounds like a glitch or something if you ask me.

That's neat. I'll try pickpocketing and sneak attacking in the future.

I don't know why someone didn't ask you this right away, but which mods are you using? Because one of them is seriously altering the way Sneak behaves.
(sounds like the Sneak one that comes with The Lighting Mod, or Enhanced Stealth)

To raise Sneak effectively you need to be within the AI Radius of the NPC/Creature. (otherwise it doesn't count)
Moving back and forth does seem to help it increase faster as well.
In the original game, just the weight of your Boots is calculated when you Sneak, but some mods check all your armor.
And make sure your Fatigue is full.

The http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19510 has the option to let you toggle Sneak. Along with many other great fixes (all optional.)


This is the Player check for Sneaking. It runs every 5 seconds.

if sneaking:    sneakTerm = fSneakSkillMult * sneak + 0.2 * agility + 0.1 * luck + bootWeight * fSneakBootMultelse:    sneakTerm = 0    fatigueTerm = fFatigueBase - fFatigueMult*(1 - normalisedFatigue)where normalisedFatigue is a function of fatigue. empty fatigue bar -> 0.0, full fatigue bar -> 1.0Note fatigueTerm is normally 1.25 at full fatigue.distTerm = fSneakDistBase + fSneakDistMult*distx = sneakTerm * distTerm * fatigueTerm + chameleon (+ 100 if invisible)

There is another check on the NPC as well.

npcTerm = npcSneak + 0.2 * npcAgility + 0.1 * npcLuck - npcBlindnpcFatigueTerm = fFatigueBase - fFatigueMult*(1 - normalisedFatigue)using NPC normalisedFatigueif PC is behind NPC (180 degrees):    y = npcTerm * npcFatigueTerm * fSneakNoViewMultelse:    y = npcTerm * npcFatigueTerm * fSneakViewMult

In vanilla MW, I believe that either your character or the NPC or creature needs to move for you to gain from it. If the "target" tends to move around, then all you need to do is stand there, hidden. If they don't move, then you have to.

Scribs make excellent "Sneak" targets, because: ( 1 ) they're not very bright, and it's relatively easy to sneak up on them, even with mediocre skills. ( 2 ) if they do spot you, they won't attack if you don't, so you can just slink away to hide again, and start over. ( 3 ) they're easy to find, both scattered around the wilderness and in eggmines.

not sure if that's true.
i always train sneak on the dunmer in balmora mages guild. he doesn't move, but occasionally the altmer female is walking around the place.

My observation has been that I only increase my sneak skill when I am sneaking when someone has the possibility of detecting me. For example, if I hide behind a pillar or wall and sneak, my skill does not increase. The way I usually level up sneak is to cast an invisibility spell and sneak up the stairs in front of Galbedir. That's worked for me in the past.

Yes, you have to be within the AI Radius of the NPC.

Not sure why people keep guessing on how Sneak works. I posted the equation used by the game-engine in post #12