Speed boots
Speed boots (also dubbed boots of speed) are a set of boots that appear in NetHack. They are magical boots that are made of leather, and have a randomized appearance when unidentified; the default one associated with them is a pair of "combat boots".[1]
Contents
Generation
In addition to random generation, general stores, used armor dealerships and antique weapons outlets can sell speed boots.
Player monsters on the Astral Plane have an effective ~8.01% chance of generating with speed boots.[2][3]
Description
While worn, speed boots grant 1 AC and extrinsic very fast speed. Changing speed from wearing or removing speed boots will auto-identify them.
Worn speed boots give a character an extra six movement points per turn, plus a 1⁄3 chance of an additional six movement points. This boosts the normal movement rate from 12 to 18 (150% normal speed, or 3 moves every 2 turns), with a 1⁄3 chance per turn of movement rate being 24 (200% normal speed, or 2 full moves per turn) - on average, this means 20 movement points per turn (167% normal speed, or 5 moves every 3 turns).
Monsters can also wear speed boots, with the same effect as a wand of speed monster, potion of speed or the haste self monster spell. Speed boots worn by a character have no effect on a steed's movement speed while riding.
Strategy
Speed boots are the only source of extrinsic speed that doesn't time out, making them popular choice for an ascension kit. Very fast speed is a huge basic advantage for any character, moreso than even intrinsic fast speed - more actions per turn means more damage with weapons and spells, more reliable escape from combat, more effective use of hit and run tactics, and more chances to through gaps in groups of hostile monsters before being surrounded. Blessed fixed +2 or +3 speed boots are a common early wish for characters that have already secured gray or silver dragon scale mail, depending on the character's circumstances.
Speed boots are of little use to humanoid pets that can wear them, since they can pick up and use the wand or potion; spellcasting pets can make themselves fast using the haste self monster spell. Extrinsic speed is typically not necessary for dedicated steed-riders: wearing jumping boots allow them to jump while atop their steed and can cover more distance than speed boots, while water walking boots can be a life saver if they are dismounted over water. Bear in mind that no steed is immortal, and speed boots are still worth keeping around - a character should be prepared to continue on foot if necessary should an accident or unfortunate circumstance befall their mount.
Speed boots are a valuable item in turncount speedrunning, due to their ability to give the player multiple actions without advancing the turn counter; an air elemental polyself is even faster, though characters cannot wear boots in that form.
History
Speed boots are introduced in NetHack 3.0.0.
Messages
- You feel yourself speed up.
- You put on a pair of speed boots while at normal speed.
- You feel yourself speed up a bit more.
- You put them on while already at fast speed.
- Your quickness feels <more/less> natural.
- You either gained or lost intrinsic speed while wearing the boots.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, Whisperfeet is an artifact pair of speed boots that acts as a luckstone and confers stealth when worn, and acts as the guaranteed first sacrifice gift for Tourists.
The black market shopkeeper, One-Eyed Sam, is always generated wearing an enchanted pair of speed boots; a guaranteed pair of speed boots also appears in The Spider Caves.
Due to the new create pool spell that monsters will cast, non-flying characters may prefer water walking boots to speed boots as their primary boots of choice in the late game.
NetHack brass
In NetHack brass, speed boots provide a boost to speed that can stack with other sources of speed, rather than setting the character's speed to very fast.
GruntHack
In GruntHack, speed boots are generally less desirable since other boots and all types of armor can have the speed property, providing more sources of extrinsic speed - for example, "blessed greased fixed +3 dragonhide water walking boots of speed" is a common wish target for the boots slot.
Monsters that are given a wish and are not already fast may wish for a blessed, greased and fixed +3 pair of speed boots.
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, the black market shopkeeper One-Eyed Sam is generated with an enchanted pair of speed boots as in SLASH'EM.
dNetHack
In dNetHack and notdNetHack, Whisperfeet is present as a chaotic artifact pair of speed boots that is not tied to any specific role.
Asmodeus will always generate with speed boots, and xorn monks have a 1⁄144 chance of generating with speed boots.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, centaurs and tortles cannot wear speed boots or any kind of footwear - the helm of speed is an alternative source of speed that they can wear.
A typical wish for characters seeking a speed source that are not centaurs or tortles is "blessed greased fixed +3 dragonhide speed boots". A monster that is given a wish may wish for a blessed, greased and fixed pair of speed boots enchanted from +1 to +4 if they are not already fast and can wear boots.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, in addition to SLASH'EM details above, Duri generates with a pair of speed boots.
References
- ↑ src/objects.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 514
- ↑ src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 134:
specialis only set to true when generating player monsters on the Astral Plane - ↑ src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 294: this line requires
if (special)and selects boots from all available types listed in objects.c
