Chest
( 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | chest |
| Appearance | chest |
| Base price | 16 zm |
| Weight | 600 |
| Material | wood |
| Monster use | Will not be used by monsters. |
A chest is a type of tool that appears in NetHack. It is a lockable container that is made of wood.
Mimics generated in shops frequently imitate chests among other items, and their default tile has a deliberately close resemblance to a chest.
Generation
Chests make up 7⁄200 of all randomly-generated tools in the dungeon and Gehennom. Randomly generated chests have 4⁄5 chance of generating as locked, and a separate 1⁄10 chance of generating with a container trap - they may contain up to 5 random items.
General shops and hardware stores can sell chests, whose contents are randomly generated as normal. Graveyards have a 1⁄30 chance of placing a chest on a particular square, while barracks have a 1⁄60 chance of placing a chest on a particular square.[1][2] Throne rooms will always have a chest present.[3]
The Grotto Town map of Minetown has a chest within the closet in the southeastern-most corner of the Grotto Town top.
Most (if not all) of the home levels for the Quest branches generate a chest on the quest leader's square.
A chest with a guaranteed wand of wishing is always located in one of the turrets of the Castle, with a cursed scroll of scare monster on its square.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.
The "water-surrounded vault" themed room contains several chests, rather than gold like normal vaults, and the "storeroom" themed room contains several chests along with mimics disguised as them.Description
Chests can be used to store items as with other containers, and protect their contents from becoming wet in addition to other forms of external damage; chests cannot be placed into any other container. Monsters can pick up chests, but a mass majority of them will not open chests or otherwise interact with their contents. As a wooden container, chests will rot away if buried underground - they can also be eaten by gelatinous cubes, with the contents being immediately engulfed (but not eaten) by the cube afterward.
A chest that is locked must be unlocked or have its lock forced open before it can be used: successfully forcing a chest open with a blunt weapon may destroy the chest as well as some of its contents, while successfully forcing the lock with an edged weapon will prevent the chest from being locked again until it is repaired. A wand of locking or the wizard lock spell used on a chest will repair broken locks.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.
Monsters can open chests and rummage through their contents - if they have an unlocking tool, they can also unlock locked chests.Strategy
Chests and large boxes are generally used as stashes for characters throughout the game, even after they obtain a bag of holding and can carry more items with them - of the two lockable containers, the chest is much heavier and less commonly encountered, but generates with more items on average. Chests can also be used to lock troll corpses inside them and prevent them from reviving: throne room chests are a convenient form of disposal for any trolls generated within.
History
The chest first appears in NetHack 3.0.0.
Encyclopedia entry
Dantes rapidly cleared away the earth around the chest. Soon
the center lock appeared, then the handles at each end, all
delicately wrought in the manner of that period when art made
precious even the basest of metals. He took the chest by the
two handles and tried to lift it, but it was impossible. He
tried to open it; it was locked. He inserted the sharp end
of his pickaxe between the chest and the lid and pushed down
on the handle. The lid creaked, then flew open.
Dantes was seized with a sort of giddy fever. He cocked his
gun and placed it beside him. The he closed his eyes like a
child, opened them and stood dumbfounded.
The chest was divided into three compartments. In the first
were shining gold coins. In the second, unpolished gold
ingots packed in orderly stacks. From the third compartment,
which was half full, Dantes picked up handfuls of diamonds,
pearls and rubies. As they fell through his fingers in a
glittering cascade, they gave forth the sound of hail beating
against the windowpanes.
