Rogue Hide & Sneak

[Fifflefluff]

I've discovered a bug with the hide skill that appears to be specific to rogues, and a bug with the sneak skill that may or may not be specific to rogues.

The hide bug is as follows. Upon successfully hiding, the rogue can hit the hide hotkey a second time to deactivate hide. He will receive the message "You stop hiding." However, all mobs for which hide already works continue to con indifferent and behave just as though the rogue were still hidden. (It's not just the con message; I tested it at close proximity to a KoS mob, and the mob didn't aggro after I deactivated hide.) The rogue is free to hide again, which doesn't change a thing; the mobs will still perceive the rogue as if he were hidden. If the rogue hides and then sneaks, he is free to drop hide at any time (either while moving or standing still) and he will remain hidden as far as the mobs are concerned (although he will appear on the screen to the player). He can even sneak safely in front of a mob that would normally be KoS to him in this way. The same is true if the rogue first sneaks, then hides. This is a pretty benign bug, but I thought I'd at least bring it to your attention.

Even while standing still, this hide bug does not apply to non-rogues. I tested it on a dark elf cleric character, and it worked just fine. I conned a mob and it returned "ally," and then I pressed hide. I conned the mob again, and it returned "indifferent." I then deactivated hide without moving, and when I conned the mob for a third time it returned "ally" like it had before. So the problem seems specific to rogues.

The sneak bug is not as benign. I noticed that I was unable to maintain sneak while infected with rabies. Hide worked just fine, but when I tried to sneak, although it would give me the usual success message ("You are as quiet as a cat stalking its prey."), sneak and its effects would last for only a fraction of a second, if at all. Sneak had been working fine up until this point. After rabies went away, I was able to sneak just fine once again. I don't recall rabies having this sort of effect in live, and I think it's likely a bug.

[Fifflefluff]

Originally Posted by Fifflefluff

He can even sneak safely in front of a mob that would normally be KoS to him in this way.

Of course, the rogue could do the same if he just didn't try to deactivate hide in the first place. The point is that deactivating hide doesn't actually deactivate hide; hide is broken only when you stop sneaking and start moving.

[Fifflefluff]

Sorry for the triple post; I just wanted to say that sneak works on its own just as it should. As long as you don't touch hide, then when you deactivate sneak, no matter whether you're standing still or moving, mobs regain normal perception of you.