Every time I start training Stealth, the character dies

[Chicken]

It doesn't matter if the character is level 1 or level 27 - if I start training stealth, there is a virtual certainty the character will be dead before it goes up more than a level or two. I don't know why, I don't really understand how. This time it was a mummy wizard on Nest:2 who had a grand total of three Books of Minor Magic and one other with one spell, so I can't say I really minded since I was starting to think of quitting him anyway out of annoyance --- otherwise I would never have dared to train Stealth. And yet ... there he went, right along with all the others, courtesy of a spark wasp that went from seeming harmless to hitting him over and over until he died. He began training it at 1.5 and I think he got up to 2.1 before he passed away. I mean, the Stealth curse is so reliable I've literally started using it as a sure method of character suicide.

[Eyesburn]

the clustering illusion

theres better (faster) way to kill char: ctrl+q

[VeryAngryFelid]

I cannot imagine MuWz who starts training Stealth on Nest:2. Basically I train more fighting at this point if I am out of useful skills because aptitude is rather good and Mu is a good hybrid with the way skill training works (it's a bad idea to go for high level spells or top tier weapon).
You can easily test the 'curse' via SpEn who can start training Stealth at XL 2. Hint: the character is not expected to die at XL2 no matter what you train.

There can be at least 2 reasons of the curse:
1) You start training stealth at wrong time and thus character becomes weaker than it might be (MuWz in Nest)
2) You feel overpowered because all good skills have already been trained and you start playing recklessly (XL 27 deaths)

[pedritolo]

spark wasp that went from seeming harmless

Frankly, I think threat assessment is the true problem here.

[MainiacJoe]

FWIW (very little, I know) I find that I rarely train Stealth, but that when I do my character's survivability goes up! It's amazing what 8 Stealth can do to increase one's options. Of course, what it helps you do is choose one's battles, which gets back to the observation about threat assessment. Stealth is indeed wasted XP, if you rarely avoid combat.

[TonberryJam]

for casters it's nice to train stealth so you can always get the first shot in most the time. The trick is to train it early because you want at least 8 or upto 12 for early and mid game. So unless u got the apt or the need to stab, just getting 8 or 12 is good enough for a caster.

[Majang]

When I'm playing a caster, I'm spreading my skill training thin enough already without going for stealth. I think it's a waste of good experience. When your spells are more powerful, they are also more likely to hit. Training the relevant spell kills seems therefore a better investment.