Sneaking Skill

Sneaking

Class	Skills
Type	Skill
Skill Group	Physical
Max Level	10
Total XP	32,775
Best Occupation	Burglar (+2)

The Sneaking Skill governs moving unseen while crouched. It lowers the distance at which zombies spot a sneaking character and quietens footsteps while crouching. It belongs to the Physical group.

Avoiding a fight is often the safest choice. A good sneak can slip past a group, loot a building and leave before anything notices. That saves weapons, energy and health on every trip. Crouched movement already lowers noise and detection, and the skill pushes both further. The Lightfooted skill adds to the effect, making zombies more likely to ignore footsteps entirely. The Burglar starts with the most Sneaking skill, and the Hunter trait adds one level.

How to Level Sneaking

Sneaking experience comes from sneaking near zombies without being spotted. Crouching and creeping past or around zombies trains the skill.

The experience keeps coming in the combat stance, as long as the character was crouching first.

A small, slow group is the safest training partner. Circling it at a distance while crouched builds the skill without much danger.

The Fast Learner trait raises the experience rate to 130 percent. The Slow Learner trait lowers it to 70 percent.

Sneaking and Lightfooted train from the same activity. Creeping near unaware zombies raises both skills together. That makes every careful approach to a house worth a little experience in each.

Crouching slows the character down, so training takes patience. Keep an escape route clear before getting close. If a zombie turns, stand up and move away rather than waiting to see what it does.

The XP each Sneaking level asks for, with the running total from level 0.

Level	XP Needed	Total XP
1	75	75
2	150	225
3	300	525
4	750	1,275
5	1,500	2,775
6	3,000	5,775
7	4,500	10,275
8	6,000	16,275
9	7,500	23,775
10	9,000	32,775

Sneaking Level Effects

Each level shrinks the footstep sound radius while sneaking. Crouched movement already starts far quieter than normal walking, and the skill cuts it further.

Each level also lowers the chance that zombies spot a sneaking character. At high levels, a character can pass very close before being noticed.

Lightfooted stacks with this skill. Together they make zombies far more likely to ignore footsteps.

Two traits shape the result too. Inconspicuous lowers the chance of being seen. Conspicuous raises it.

Sneaking lowers detection rather than removing it. A crouched character can still be seen and heard. Good habits make the skill work far better. Approach zombies from the side or from behind, outside their line of sight. Use solid fences and walls as cover, since see-through fences hide nothing. Keep lights off near zombies at night, because a lit window or flashlight gives a position away.

Other noise cancels out quiet footsteps. Doors, gunfire and engines all carry far. A careful sneak opens doors and containers one at a time.

A high Sneaking level pays off with short blades. Getting behind a zombie unseen sets up a quiet kill with a knife. A skilled sneak can clear a house one zombie at a time without drawing the rest.

Sneaking Starting Levels

The Burglar begins with two levels of Sneaking. The Hunter trait adds one level at character creation.

A head start makes stealthy looting possible from the first day. Burglars also start with Lightfooted and Nimble, which suit the same quiet style.

The Hunter trait suits a quiet character too. It adds Sneaking alongside Aiming, Short Blade and Tracking. That mix fits stalking game in the woods as well as slipping past zombies in town.

These occupations and traits start a character with levels in Sneaking.

Name	Image	Type	Levels	Points
Burglar		Occupation	+2	-6
Hunter		Trait	+1	-8

Notes

Crouch near zombies without being seen to train the skill.
Pair Sneaking with Lightfooted for the quietest movement.
The Inconspicuous trait helps a stealthy character stay hidden.
Crouch before entering the combat stance to keep gaining experience.

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