There are few things more satisfying in gaming than sneaking up behind an enemy and taking them out in a quick and calculated sneak attack. And in Hogwarts Legacy not only do players have the chance to perform stealth attacks, but they can do so using the classic spell, Petrificus Totalus. This curse in the Harry Potter series allowed Harry and the gang to stun enemies (or occasionally friends as in Neville’s case), and now players will be able to use Petrificus Totalus to sneak up on enemies in the game. But how do you pull it off?
To Perform a Sneak Attack Using the Petrificus Totalus Spell, Hogwarts Legacy Players Will Need the Disillusionment Charm
The Disillusionment Charm, which is the same spell used on the Hogwarts Legacy eyeball chests to open them, is picked up early in the main quest line, so you should have access to it pretty quickly if you are completing main quest goals.
Once you have the Disillusionment Charm, you will cast this on yourself before carefully approaching an enemy from behind. Casting this improves your stealth capabilities, making it less likely for enemies to see you sneaking up. If they become suspicious of your presence it will be indicated by a gray question mark that will show up above their head. The closer they are to discovering you, the more this question mark will fill up, and if it reaches the top and turns yellow, they will start actively searching for you. The process begins again filling up, and if it is filled a second time they will spot you.
If you believe you are about to get tracked down, you can throw off investigating wizards and enemies by casting at other areas around the room like the wall, as a means to draw their search away from you. This can be helpful if you get in a close encounter bind or even want to avoid an encounter entirely.
That brings us to the Petrificus Totalus spell, which, while you have the Disillusionment Charm cast, can be a one-shot to take out regular enemies in Hogwarts Legacy, as well as a way to take off a good chunk of a boss’s health before even starting a battle. If you use Petrificus Totalus successfully on a regular enemy, you will also maintain your stealth, allowing you to sneak up on more enemies. To use the spell, you will want to tap on the square button if you’re playing on PlayStation 5, the X button if playing on Xbox, or the F key on PC. Remember, if you are discovered before successfully getting the spell off, you’ll have to fight the enemies and the stealth attack will be unsuccessful.
Armed with that information, you now know how to use the sneak attack with the Petrificus Totalus spell in Hogwarts Legacy!