High boots
[ high boots 
| |
|---|---|
| Appearance | jackboots |
| Slot | boots |
| AC | 2 |
| Special | (none) |
| Base price | 12 zm |
| Weight | 20 |
| Material | leather |
High boots are a set of boots found in Nethack. They are non-magical, made of cloth, and appear as jackboots when unidentified.
Contents
Generation
Mercenaries - i.e., members of the Yendorian Army, the watch and vault guards - are often generated with high boots.
Strategy
High boots are the only boots with base AC of 2 that don't interfere with spellcasting; they are suitable for wear until the player finds their desired pair of magical boots, such as elven boots (which can be safely enchanted to +7 for 1 more point of AC compared to +5 high boots). Speed boots and jumping boots will also generally supercede high boots in most players' kits, especially ascension kits, and can be polypiled from enchanted elven boots.
History
High boots are introduced in NetHack 3.0.0.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, the Yeoman's starting inventory always contains a pair of high boots.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, dwarvish Binders start with a +0 pair of burnt high boots.
Pirate Patch
In Slash'EM Extended, SlashTHEM and dNetHack, high boots are included in the Pirate starting inventory. The pirate brothers and Mayor Cummerbund in their quest will also be generated with high boots, as are the wandering skeletal and gityanki pirates players encounter within and elsewhere.
Noble Patch
The Rebel Ringleader, the default quest nemesis for Nobles in dNetHack and Slash'EM Extended, is also generated with high boots.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, giant Infidels, Monks and Priests have the body armor in their starting inventories replaced with a pair of +1 high boots. The Paladin, the Infidel quest nemesis, is also generated with high boots among her suite of armor.
The November NetHack Tournament
In The November NetHack Tournament, the Devteam members found in their office have high boots among their starting armor.
Encyclopedia entry
In Fantasyland these are remarkable in that they seldom or
never wear out and are suitable for riding or walking in
without the need of Socks. Boots never pinch, rub, or get
stones in them; nor do nails stick upwards into the feet from
the soles. They are customarily mid-calf length or knee-high,
slip on and off easily and never smell of feet. Unfortunately,
the formula for making this splendid footwear is a closely
guarded secret, possibly derived from nonhumans (see Dwarfs,
Elves, and Gnomes).
[ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ]
