Critical Hit and Sneak Questions

[Claudius]

I read in the manual that if you are unobserved and score a hit then 'critical hit' will display on your screen and you do 4X damage. I have several questions. First I wonder who has experience with this? Is it a good strategy or not (essentially my question)? Some things in morrowind are theoretically possible (eg pickpocket) but don't happen. I haven't got the 'critical hit' to appear on the screen so I can't personally guarantee it works.

A second question has to do with sneak and leveling. I know that I could power level it by finding the right spot and setting a weight on the control button. But I am trying to role play the game as I find Morrowind one of the few games I've played where that is fun. Most games like icewind dale or something I really can't imagine role playing. Even BG its a stretch although the dialogues are great. In essence I want to only role play (I could buy training but not cheese gold to afford the training), but I don't want to waste my time on a phantom skill of no value that does not level.

So the question is how do you level sneak without cheese. Mine started at 25 and it has gone 10% of the way to 100 but believe me I have attempted to use it a LOT to sneak on monsters and steal from shops (many prices on my head haha). I am only level 2 but actually that takes half a day to do if you are role playing (at least). I don't know when that advance to 10% occured so I don't know what to repeat. Well its fun anyhow I have always been delighted by stealth.

By the way I am having much more fun role playing than I did cheesing gold and running around buying useless training to get 5 attribute points at level.

claudius

[Kipi]

So the question is how do you level sneak without cheese. Mine started at 25 and it has gone 10% of the way to 100 but believe me I have attempted to use it a LOT to sneak on monsters and steal from shops (many prices on my head haha). I am only level 2 but actually that takes half a day to do if you are role playing (at least). I don't know when that advance to 10% occured so I don't know what to repeat. Well its fun anyhow I have always been delighted by stealth.

By the way I am having much more fun role playing than I did cheesing gold and running around buying useless training to get 5 attribute points at level.

claudius

Well, when I played as a rogue -type character, I tried alot to steal items from shops. I don't mean by pickpocketing shopkeepers, but finding a spot where npcs didn't see me, then try to sneak close enough to shelves or crates to be able to pick items...

This was good way to both increase my sneak level as well as increase my money by selling stolen items...

[Claudius]

Good idea. I did a search on backstab and found not too much on that topic but a fair amount on stealing. The trick (which I tested) is to get them to look at you at one area of the store then run over to the item you want then sneak and steal. I have only tried this trick with Beruvas aversion (invisibility spell) cast before I run over to the item so I don't know if it works without the invisibility.

I managed to steal an enchanted helm that casts bound curaiss and spell absorption Pretty sweet.

I am still curious if anyone has got 'critical hit' when unobserved to occur. This would rock with a bow because you wouldn't need to get that close. Does it have to hit the back or just unobserved?

I am also curious how chameleon or invis interact with sneak and stealing. If I am invisible can I steal any item I want? Or is it just a higher chance that I am unobserved? Same with chameleon. Also curios if multiple chameleon spells or enhants will stack.

claudius

[wing]

critical hits are a bit hard to get. im not sure about using a bow and arrow to do it because i hardly ever do marksmanship. anyway, to practice sneak, its not too hard. first use a trainer to get to around 25. then go to the swamps and sneak around mudcrabs and rats. just walk up behind them, sneaking, and attack. try it. its not too hard. you get plenty of experience and you get potion ingredients. and you have fun. what kind of a role are you playing?

for invis vs chameleon: invisibility goes away if you do anything besides walk, so its more for getting past people to avoid a fight. its also not too difficult to cast or make a potion for. chameleon is much more complex, but more practical for thieves. with chameleon, it has percent and time. time is, obviously, time that you get while chameleoned. percent is how much you're concealed. so 100% chameleon is like invisibility, but it doesn't go away when you do something. an enchantment that's good but costs a lot is chameleon 100% for 12 seconds.(thats how much time an extravagant amulet can hold. you could use exquisite and have it be longer, but if you want longer, just cast it again. it's simple.) you can steal practically anything with 12 seconds. just get next to it and cast, then swipe it. also, a thing with invisibility and sneak attacks, it will usually get you a sneak attack. but then you'll be visible. with chameleon, go ahead, but it'll get about the same result and take about 10 times more magic points/enchantment points.

you made me wanna go play morrowind...

edit: another thing that wasn't mentioned for stealing is telekinesis. find a nice little corner, cast telekinesis, and then grab anything you want.

[Claudius]

Telikinesis eh? Now I have a goal! Make telepotions and train mysticism (not a maj/min for me). Or need enchanted telikinesis ring. So far I have some good items for a low level guy: ninja suit, helm of bound cuirass spell abs 60sec/10sec, ring of invis, ring of rest, amulet recall, frostmirror robe, sparksword, ring of 10-50 damage health.

I have tried backstabbing with chameleon and invis (ring) and I can hit them first but I don't see damage x4 and it doesn't do that much damage to their bar. Marksmanship is sucky so far even though I'm a bosmer but I have heard others who like it...

As far as role playing goes I guess to me that doesn't mean I have to develope a character profile (although I do that to a limited extent). Such as a story or background or personality. No I mean that I don't do things that don't make sense ie I keep a sense of realism. For example I can feel absorbed in the story if I do a little alchemy as a side job buying just what merchants have in stock (not repeatedly bartering or worse yet making them have unlimited ingredients). I also feel immersed if I train a little and have to work to get my money. But it is silly if you do too many scams and can train every skill to that trainers capacity without a second thought. All the sudden your level 20 and you are apprentice, toad, etc. Another aspect of the realism is to not train to maximize stats (or have a conscious plan at level up). Thats game mechanics knowledge. Would a adventurer really say gee I need endurance lets level up spear oh gosh I need one more 'point'? Thats ludicrous. But I do take the highest multipliers and I pick even ones based on how the char is in my view. Example: boy he worked hard training his mysticism 4 points lets give him some will.

But that does make me think about roleplaying a personality. I guess my character is a survivalist. He would like to do good things and be a hero but the temptation to steal useful items (or money to buy them) is too much for him and he succumbs. He wouldn't kill in cold blood. Example: I may not do fighters guild because they seem like they want me to be their hit man. So he's a thief but wouldn't kill etc.

I wonder with that feeling what the best house for me is? He's kind of a split personality thief yet noble. I think Halua and Telvani are too ruthless?

claudius

[galraen]

Critical hits are possible with a bow, but I found I had to get both sneak and marksman over 33 for them to be effective. Once over that the sneak skill goes up quite quickly, marksman on the other hand takes a lot longer. Once you become good at it however, it can get rather too easy to clear a dungeon. Get a decent bow and it's one shot kill time, especially if you're using magic arrows.

[Claudius]

Having so much fun

The adventure continues I met my first flame atronauch and he is too much for me. And I thought I was pretty sharp!! Even with an invis ring and health pots gulped right and left he still thrashed me. Level 5 now though...

My sneak is at 32 now and I still haven't really figured it out. But I can steal sometimes at least. Marksmanship is at 40 and sometimes I actually hit with my steel crossbow.

Cool game. Classic.

claudius

[Claudius]

Critical Hit Possible

Just for the record (if anyone searches this thread) it IS possible to score critical hits and the game flashes 'critical hit' on the screen. coool

claudius

[Coot]

For your sneak skill to improve you might want to just sneak more. If you want to be good at your trade you have to practice. That's why I often try to sneak through cities, just to train my skill.
When your sneak skill improves, so do your chances of scoring a critical hit.