Stealth

Stealth lets you walk while hidden instead of standing still. It requires Hiding 80 and goes all the way to 120 via Skill Scrolls — and the 120 points are worth it: they unlock stealth gathering and the strongest sneak-attack play on the shard.

How it works

Hide first, then use the Stealth skill. On success you "begin to move quietly" and receive a number of stealth steps:

• Steps = Stealth skill ÷ 10 (12 steps at 120 skill).
• Each tile walked uses one step. When the steps run out, you are revealed — use the skill again before that happens to keep going.
• Running reveals you instantly, as does mounting up or riding.
• The skill can be used once every 10 seconds, so plan your route.

The Thief mastery's Phantom perk grants an extra step, and at high perk level even allows running while stealthed (at double step cost) — see Stealth Mastery.

Armor limits

Heavy armor makes sneaking harder or impossible. Each piece adds an armor penalty; above a total of 50 you cannot stealth at all. Cloth and normal leather are completely free. Rough values per piece:

Every point of armor penalty also makes the stealth check harder — which is exactly how you train the skill past the easy range (see below).

What Stealth enables

• Sneak attacks — open a fight from stealth. With the Thief mastery, stealth attacks gain big bonuses (Backstab, Shadowstrike); see Stealth Mastery. Mastery bonuses are PvM only.
• Stealth gathering — a hidden gatherer with Stealth above 100 can keep working without being revealed: see Mining (scales from 100 to 120) and Lumberjacking (50% chance per tree at 120).
• Chest running — sneak through dungeons to crack Dungeon Chests while PKs walk past you.
• Scouting — with 120 Detect Hidden countering you, only another dedicated detector will ever find you.

Training 0 → 120

Requires Hiding 80 first — train Hiding up before you start.

1. 0–40 (naked/leather): hide, then use Stealth on cooldown. With no armor the check is easy and gains stop around the 40s.
2. 40–90 (add armor): put on studded pieces to raise the difficulty and keep gaining. Add heavier pieces as you gain — just keep the total penalty at 50 or below.
3. 90–120: full difficulty gear (near the 50 penalty limit) and patience; simply stealthing around while you play — gathering, chest hunting — gains naturally.

See Skills Overview for gain modifiers.

Related

• Hiding — required at 80, and what Stealth builds on
• Detect Hidden — the counter-skill
• Stealth Mastery — Thief mastery perks for Stealth
• Skill Masteries — how the mastery system works
• Mining / Lumberjacking — stealth gathering