How viable is stealth in combat?

[PhamTrinli]

If you min-max stealth/sneaking, then how well can you stay hidden - even really close to mob's ? and for how long before they detect you?

assuming monsters are about your level or slightly lower.

[Hathur]

If you invest heavily into stealth with a character (as in use your skill point at each level up and not spend it on other skills), stealt his extremely effective. So long as you don't directly enter an enemy's red-cone sight at close (you can enter the cone with high stealth, as long as you aren't too close) it is very easy to flank around them and ambush.

Works very well for sneak attacks, but you must invest significantly into stealth to make it ideal. It is VASTLY better than PoE1's system.

[epicsimian]

Stealth is not the only way to become unseen though there is straight up invisibility, smoke clouds, etc... There are abilities that you can execute in combat after you've been spotted to make you stealthy again.

[PhamTrinli]

I want to play a super sneaky assassin type character who focuses on doing huge crits with sneak attacks

[Hathur]

Originally posted by PhamTrinli:

I want to play a super sneaky assassin type character who focuses on doing huge crits with sneak attacks

The rogue has skills based on turning invisble as well in combat, letting him / her set up powerful sneak attacks or using it to escape to a safer location etc.

Sound like Rogue is the class you want, and investing in stealth skill heavily.. use stealth to sneak into combat for a powerful opener / positioning, then use your invisibility based skills during the fight for additional sneak attacks etc.