Stealth ( Oblivion ) Stealth in , like in most games , can be used to sneak past enemies undetected , steal objects of value or murder either enemies or innocent without ever being caught . There is also a Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood for those who would like to put their skills in sneaking to a good , personal use . One should also keep in mind that to complete missions for these Guilds , they may need to keep raising their sneak level . Having it above Journeyman is recommended . Uses . There are several uses for stealth : Pickpocketing . When in stealth mode it is possible steal goods from an NPC by selecting them . However , the player needs to note that this doesn ' t mean nobody can see them . It should be also noted that the heavier and more numerous ( especially in the case of ) the item is , the higher the chance that the Hero will be detected and a small bounty will be placed on their head . Stealing will also lower the victim ' s disposition towards the Hero . Weightless items can be placed in the inventory of NPCs via " reverse - pickpocketing " . When pickpocketing from someone who is already hostile towards the Hero , the items they steal do not seem to be categorized as stolen . A good tactic is to wait until the pickpocket target is asleep , which makes it possible to pickpocket items without worrying about the target moving . Sneaking . Moving undetected while trespassing , staying in the shadows - these things are affected by sneak skill . However , hiding behind various pieces of furniture works just as well as previously mentioned methods along with moving behind someone , however one should take care they don ' t turn around and spot the Hero . A combination of these three methods is even better . One should be aware that until they reach a certain level , the weight of boots they wear will affect their sneaking ability . This can easily be avoided by simply taking off boots to sneak . Jumping can also draw unwanted attention . It is advisable to make sure that location of the person the player aims to sneak by is known so that they don ' t have to deal with various surprises . Stealing . Any item that belongs to another NPC that cannot be taken without being recognized as crime will have a red hand icon ( ) . If taken , such items can only be sold to fences of the Thieves Guild . Also , if a guard or NPC sees the Hero stealing something , they will have officially committed a crime and will have to flee , be imprisoned or pay a fine . In the case of the latter two , all stolen possessions ( except gold and quest items ) will be taken from the Hero ' s inventory . Thus , one should avoid getting caught " red - handed " . Some items ( usually unimportant ones , such as silverware ) will lose their " stolen " status over time . This is represented by a partially - faded red hand icon on the item ' s icon in the inventory menu . Lockpicking . Although stealth itself is not required to pick a lock , if the player is being watched while lock picking a chest marked as someone else ' s property or a door to a forbidden area , they may be reported to a guard and receive a small bounty . It is only necessary to be unseen " at the exact time " that the lockpicking is began ; time stops when the mini - game begins . Quiet killing . There are various tactics for a person looking into a stealth player . Sneak , shoot and shank . The one most preferred is the sneak , shoot , and shank . The object of this tactic is to sneak around until the enemy is found . Then , making sure the Hero is not seen , sneaking as far away as possible while still being able to get an accurate shot . Then , letting arrow fly and hoping it hits . It should be noted that , if it misses , the enemy could be alerted of the player ' s presence . As the enemy runs towards the Hero , they should send some more arrows at him until he reaches them . By now , at least half his health should be gone . Now , only to finish the work with blade . This is the tactic of a well balanced character using most of the stealth battle abilities . Poisoned dart . Another tactic is the poisoned dart . In this strategy , a person will use poisoned arrows and a bow . Normally , the person doing this should sneak slowly , making sure that they will have the maximum distance possible before they have to confront their enemies . Once an enemy is spotted , they should normally look for a platform , or some cover to hide from the enemy . Then they are to launch the poisoned arrow into their enemy . If the poison doesn ' t kill the enemy on the spot , maybe another poisoned arrow will . The player should keep this up until the enemy is dead . This is best used in large corridors or huge chambers when there is a lot of cover . The upside is that not much health or arrows is lost and that this is the perfect way to pick off an enemy quietly . The downside is that one needs to make or buy the poison . Some useful attributes are alchemy so that the Hero can make their own poisons , marksman and sneak so that the player ' s enemies won ' t see them before they strike . In case the enemy has spotted the Hero , they should have a decent weapon and armor skill to hold on their own . Shadow step . The hardest tactic is the shadow step . The player that uses this should have a very high sneak skill and may or may not have chameleon on their armor . This person will stay in sneak almost always . If they are not in a shadow , they are either moving to another or about to ambush the enemy in front of them . Now , they can either ; move and try not to be seen at all , or sneak and try to kill the enemy . the first is extremely hard , while the latter is a bit easier , but having a good weapon is advisable . If this form is chosen , night eye and detect life can be quite helpful . That way , is possible to see people coming and hide before the detect the player . This is best used in cramped corridors , or shadowy caves . A poisoned blade could also be helpful . Getting weapon and sneak level up are advisable if one is want to play like this . One will also need to be able to deal with these enemies quickly and without a sound . Alchemy and light armor can be used for making poisons and protection respectively .