Leveling up stealth-related skills in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion—like Sneak, Security, Marksman, Acrobatics, Light Armor, Mercantile, and Speechcraft—is all about grinding smart. Whether you’re sneaking past guards, picking locks, sniping with a bow, jumping around, dodging in light gear, haggling for better prices, or charming NPCs, repeating the right actions will pump up your skills fast. This guide gives you straightforward ways to grind each skill, plus some slick tricks to make it quicker. Let’s get you stealthy and skilled!

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1. General Tips

  • Keep using a skill like sneaking or lockpicking to make it level up.
  • If Sneak, Security, or Marksman are Major Skills, they’ll grow quicker, but they also bump your character level, so watch your combat skills.
  • Pick spots where you won’t get attacked or spotted to grind without hassle.
  • Grab gear with Fortify Skill (like Fortify Sneak) or Chameleon enchantments to make things smoother.
  • Stick to easy tasks, like picking simple locks, to spam actions without burning through resources.

2. Specific Grinding Methods

Sneak

  • Method: Crouch into Sneak mode near an NPC who won’t spot you, then walk into a wall or corner to keep moving automatically while sneaking. This builds Sneak XP over time.
  • Setup: Find a sleeping NPC (like in a house at night) or someone distracted (like a guard looking away). Position yourself in a corner, hold the move key (or prop it for consoles), and let it run.
  • Location:
    • Skingrad: Sneak behind the counter at Colovian Traders near Glarthir.
    • Imperial City: Sneak behind the sleeping beggar in the Waterfront shack at night.
  • Exploit: Use a Chameleon spell or gear (like 100% Chameleon items) to sneak anywhere without being seen, speeding things up.
  • Tip: Higher Sneak levels need you to be near NPCs, so make sure someone’s close but clueless.

Security

  • Method: Keep picking easy or very easy locks to rack up Security XP. Each tumbler you set adds to your skill.
  • Setup: Find a simple lock (1-2 tumblers) on a door or chest. Pick it, relock it with a Lock spell (from Alteration), and repeat. You can also break lockpicks on purpose for faster XP since failed tumblers still count.
  • Location:
    • Imperial City Market District: Shop doors at night (like Jensine’s “Good as New” Merchandise).
    • Your house (like in Cheydinhal) with a chest you can relock.
  • Exploit: Craft a cheap Lock spell (like Lock 1 pt) at the Arcane University to relock stuff endlessly. Pick, cast, repeat.
  • Tip: Use Auto-Attempt for quick lockpicking on easy locks, but manual picking gives more XP at higher levels.

Marksman

  • Method: Shoot arrows over and over to build Marksman XP. Hitting enemies or targets gives more, but any shot helps.
  • Setup: Grab a basic bow and a stack of arrows (like iron ones). Fire at something that won’t fight back, like a practice target, or an NPC who won’t get mad or die.
  • Location:
    • Bravil: Shoot Gellius Terentius while he sleeps in his house (he’s tough and won’t wake easily).
    • Cheydinhal Mages Guild: Use the practice target.
  • Exploit: Target an essential NPC (like a quest character who can’t die) or a summoned creature (like Summon Skeleton from Conjuration) to keep hitting without issues.
  • Tip: Cast a Drain Marksman spell (like Drain Marksman 100 pts for 1 sec on Self) to level Mysticism while shooting for direct Marksman XP.

Acrobatics

  • Method: Jump repeatedly or fall from small heights to gain Acrobatics XP. Each jump or fall counts toward skill progress.
  • Setup: Find a spot with a low ledge or staircase to jump off repeatedly. Alternatively, spam jump while running or auto-walk into a wall to keep jumping.
  • Location:
    • Imperial City: Use the steps near the Arboretum for small, repeatable falls.
    • Any sloped area (like outside Bruma) to slide and jump.
  • Exploit:
    • Cast a Fortify Acrobatics spell (e.g., Fortify Acrobatics 100 pts for 1 sec) and spam it to level Alteration while jumping for Acrobatics XP.
    • Use auto-walk to jump endlessly against a wall.
  • Tip: Avoid high falls at low levels to prevent damage. Wear Fortify Acrobatics gear to reduce fall damage later.

Light Armor

  • Method: Get hit by weak enemies while wearing Light Armor to gain XP. Each hit on your armor counts, regardless of damage.
  • Setup: Equip a full set of Light Armor (e.g., leather or fur) and let low-level enemies (like rats or mudcrabs) attack you. Heal with Restoration spells or potions to stay alive.
  • Location:
    • Sewers under Imperial City: Fight rats or goblins with low damage.
    • Outside Anvil: Let mudcrabs hit you near the shore.
  • Exploit: Summon a weak creature (like Summon Scamp from Conjuration) and let it hit you repeatedly. Use a Drain Light Armor spell (e.g., Drain Light Armor 100 pts for 1 sec on Self) to level Mysticism while getting hit.
  • Tip: Keep your health topped up and use weak enemies to avoid dying. Unequip weapons to prevent killing them.

Mercantile

  • Method: Buy and sell items repeatedly to gain Mercantile XP. Each transaction counts, even if it’s the same item.
  • Setup: Find a merchant with lots of gold (like Jensine in Imperial City). Sell cheap items one at a time (e.g., arrows or potions), then buy them back and repeat.
  • Location:
    • Imperial City Market District: Jensine’s “Good as New” Merchandise or Thoronir at The Copious Coinpurse.
    • Any Mages Guild: Sell alchemical ingredients or potions.
  • Exploit: Use a Fortify Mercantile spell (e.g., Fortify Mercantile 100 pts for 1 sec) and spam it while trading to level Alteration alongside Mercantile. Duplicate cheap items (via Scroll Duplication Glitch) to sell endlessly.
  • Tip: Haggle to maximize prices for slightly more XP per sale, but speed matters more than profit for grinding.

Speechcraft

  • Method: Play the persuasion mini-game with NPCs repeatedly to gain Speechcraft XP. Each full cycle of the mini-game (admire, boast, joke, coerce) counts.
  • Setup: Find an NPC who won’t walk away (like a shopkeeper or guild member). Spam the persuasion mini-game, picking random options to finish cycles quickly.
  • Location:
    • Chorrol: Seed-Neeus at Northern Goods and Trade (stays put and is friendly).
    • Imperial City: Any beggar or shopkeeper during business hours.
  • Exploit: Cast a Charm spell (e.g., Charm 100 pts for 1 sec from Illusion) to make persuasion easier and level Illusion too. Use a Drain Speechcraft spell (e.g., Drain Speechcraft 100 pts for 1 sec on Self) to level Mysticism while persuading.
  • Tip: Don’t worry about disposition; just complete mini-game cycles as fast as possible.

3. Exploits and Tricks

  • Sneak Auto-Run: On PC, bind a movement key or use a rubber band on consoles to keep sneaking into a wall. Let it run for hours to grind passively.
  • Infinite Lockpicks: Stock up on lockpicks or duplicate them (using glitches like the Scroll Duplication Glitch) to keep grinding Security without running out.
  • Chameleon Gear: Stack Chameleon enchantments (like rings with 20% Chameleon) to hit 100% invisibility, letting you sneak anywhere, no problem.
  • Drain Skill Exploit: For Sneak or Security, make a spell like Drain Sneak 100 pts for 1 sec on Self at the Arcane University. Spam it to level the skill super fast since every cast counts.
  • Bound Bow for Marksman: Use Bound Bow (from Conjuration) for a free, solid bow. Keep shooting and recast to refresh it, leveling Conjuration too.