Chest

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(
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. The chest is a lockable container that is made of wood, and it is similar to the large box.

Mimics generated in shops frequently hide by imitating chests among other items, and their default tile has a deliberately close resemblance to a chest.

Generation

Chests make up ⁷⁄₂₀₀ (3.5%) of all tools randomly generated on the floor (in the dungeon and Gehennom), in general shops or as death drops. Hardware stores can also stock chests, and any chests normally generated in shops have their contents generated as normal. Chests are always generated uncursed outside of bones levels and trap "bones".

Each level of the Dungeons of Doom has a chance of placing a single large box in a room that is dependent on the number of rooms created on that floor, with a roughly 10% chance of at least one per level. 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. Throne rooms will always have a chest present.

Randomly-generated chests have a ⁴⁄₅ chance of generating as locked, and a separate ¹⁄₁₀ chance of generating with a container trap. Chests that are created locked can generate with up to 7 random items inside, and otherwise can generate with up to 5 random items inside.

Chests are generated in several fixed locations:

• The Grotto Town map of Minetown has a chest within the closet in the southeastern-most corner of the Grotto Town top.
• The home level for each of the Quest branches minus the Monk quest and Priest quest generate a chest within the quest leader's dwelling, and almost all of them place the chest on or near the leader's square.
• An untrapped 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 and a burned Elbereth on its square. The room with the throne also contains a chest.
• Several chests are generated in the various niches on the middle and top floors of Vlad's Tower, many of which have specific contents.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.

Some themed rooms (introduced in commit 9b74ea0b) have chests with specific objects: the "water-surrounded vault" contains several chests, rather than gold like normal vaults; the "storeroom" themed room (added via commit 37f6eee1) contains several chests along with mimics disguised as chests; and the "buried treasure" themed room has a chest containing 3-12 random objects buried in the floor, with a burned engraving on a random square in the level that points to its location.

Per commit 95b410ee, a water-surrounded vault will also have one of a scroll of teleportation, ring of teleportation, wand of teleportation, or wand of digging in one of the chests—per commit d99b549b and commit 085594ac, that chest will be unlocked if the escape item generated inside it is made of a fragile material.

Per commit b0e645a6, the Castle chest with the wand of wishing is always locked. Per commit a8800a9a, it also contains a potion of gain level.

Per commit ae3e5d28, there are "supply containers" that have a ²⁄₃ chance of being generated on each dungeon level above the Oracle level—they have a ²⁄₃ chance of being chests, and contain an item intended to encourage the hero to press forward in the early game alongside other mechanical changes. This item has a roughly ¹⁄₂ chance of being a potion of healing, with a further roughly ¹⁄₂ chance of a stack of two healing potions, and will otherwise be one of the following: a potion of extra healing, speed or gain energy, a scroll of enchant weapon, enchant armor, confuse monster, or scare monster, a wand of digging, or a spellbook of healing.

Description

Chests store items like other containers and cannot be placed into other containers, and they protect their contents from certain types of external damage while also preventing them becoming wet. A chest will rot away if buried underground. A bug prevents the hero from using the open command to open a chest if they are in a pit trap or spiked pit, even if the chest is also in that pit.

A locked chest must be unlocked or have its lock forced open before a hero can store items within it, and a broken lock can be repaired with the wand of locking, the wand of opening, the spell of wizard lock, or the spell of knock.

If there is at least one chest on a dungeon level, a hero looting a throne on that level while confused and carrying gold in their open inventory will warp a random amount of that gold (up to all of it) into the nearest chest, which will then lock itself (including repairing a broken lock if necessary). If no chest is present when this occurs, a throne room monster will be generated and the gold is moved into their inventory instead. There is a bug that makes it possible for the game to crash if this is done with quivered gold.

Monsters can pick up chests, but will not open them or interact with their contents: the gelatinous cube is an exception, and will eat chests that they move across, engulfing the contents afterward without also eating them—a tame gelatinous cube will instead drop the contents, while a hero in the form of a gelatinous cube cannot eat chests at all unless they are empty.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.

Per commit b12ea03d, monsters can open chests and take out their contents—if they have an unlocking tool, they can also unlock a locked chest. Per commit 4b270099, they will properly avoid chests that are on the same square as a scroll of scare monster.

Per commit f90bb4fb, the contents of chests are not waterproof if the chest is cursed.

Per commit 4e6d3aba, the bug that prevents the open command from working on a chest in a pit while the hero is also in that pit is fixed.

Per commit 2108abd3 and commit dafd8549, gelatinous cubes will eat containers even while tame, and if a cube eats a chest and engulfs its contents, it will silently digest one organic item from its new inventory on each of its subsequent moves—digesting an item uses up its move, so it will remain motionless as it eats unless the hero is in melee range. A tame gelatinous cube will prefer eating items over dropping them.

Per commit 38185134, the bug that occurs when looting thrones with quivered gold is fixed.

Strategy

Chests can serve as stash locations and a means of dealing with troll corpses (by locking one in to prevent reviving)—trolls are often present in throne rooms within the deeper parts of the dungeon, so the throne room's chest provides a convenient means for permanently disposing of them.

Random chests are somewhat less commonplace while containing more items on average, but early chests in shops should be approached with caution in the event a player mistakes a cloaked mimic for an actual chest. Chests are heavier in weight than large boxes, so they are much less practical as an emergency container if a hero cannot find a bag elsewhere in the dungeon, but they may suffice in absence of large boxes if the hero is especially desperate and has enough carrying capacity to spare.

Untrapping chests that you come across is generally wise to avoid YASD, especially in the early game, but you can leave a trap that you discover on a chest for later if you are not confident in successfully disarming it.

The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.

Per commit 87694e1a, a hero will remember if they discover a container trap on a chest, and chests can also generate as 'obviously' trapped.

In addition to the inclusion of the "storeroom" themed room discussed above, several changes are made to the mimics' hiding ability that make them harder to distinguish from chests or other items that they may disguise as.

The changes to the gelatinous cube's item-eating habits made in commit 2108abd3 and commit dafd8549 mean that preventing them from getting onto a stash's square in the first place is much more urgent if you plan on spending significant amounts of time on that level. Additionally, if a pet gelatinous cube drops its inventory due to carrying capacity limitations, it will then eat the organic objects in the resulting pile all at once.

History

The chest first appears in NetHack 3.0.0.

Messages

You succeed in unlocking the <container>.

You successfully unlocked a locked chest with an unlocking tool.

Klick!

You unlocked a locked chest with the spell of knock or a wand of opening.

You break open the lock!

You kicked a locked chest open.

THUD!

As above, but the chest was not opened.

THUD! The lid slams open, then falls shut.

As above, but the chest wasn't locked.

You hear a muffled shatter.

You kicked or threw a chest and broke at least one item inside it.

You hear a muffled cracking.

As above, and at least one egg inside was destroyed.

Thank you for your contribution to reduce the debt.

You looted a throne while carrying gold in open inventory, and some or all of that gold was placed in a chest on the level.

Variants

Some NetHack variants may change how chests function—a common quality-of-life addition is to allow placing a container on an altar to identify the beatitude of both the container and its contents. Variants that implement object materials may alter a chest's properties based on its material.

In variants that incorporate the Pirate patch, The Treasury of Proteus is an artifact chest that acts as the Pirate quest artifact: while carried it grants magic resistance, absorbs most curses similar to Magicbane and acts as a luck item; the contents of The Treasury are polymorphed at random, and obtaining it also initiates "king of the hill" mode for a Pirate hero—see the article for more details.

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, upgrading a chest will produce an ice box and vice versa.

Several new rooms and levels have chests generated within:

• Giant courts always generate a chest within the room, as with regular throne rooms.
• Grund's Stronghold contains a dozen chests with various specified contents—see that article for more information on those contents.
• The Lawful Quest generates a chest with specific contents in the center of the "Spice Girls" room at level creation; the Neutral Quest generates a chest on the Beholder's square at level creation; and the Chaotic Quest generates eight chests in Vecna's room at level creation.
• The Sunless Sea generates a chest on the lone island in the sea at level creation.
• All the newly added roles have quest branches that place a chest in the quest leader's dwelling, minus the Yeoman quest—the Undead Slayer quest is also a near-identical copy of the Priest quest, including the several graveyards with chests that can be encountered between the home and goal levels.
• The Giant Caverns generates a chest in the hidden room near the center of the map at level creation.

SporkHack

In SporkHack, there is a chest in all four turrets of the Castle, with a burnt Elbereth on each chest's square: one contains the wand of wishing as normal, while another has a wand of secret door detection, and the other two each contain a random wand.

UnNetHack

In UnNetHack, several chests are generated in various locations:

• The buried treasure random vault has a chest buried in the ground with 3-12 items, while the "Ozymandias' Tomb" random vault has a chest with a container trap.
• There are multiple chests generated on both maps for the top floor of the Ruins of Moria at level creation.
• The Convict quest has a chest generated in the lower-right corner of the southeastern-most room on the goal level.
• The two new maps for the Castle have several chests depending on the layout:
  • The island map of the Castle has a store room with three chests, and another chest is located within each of the two turrets bordering the entrance—one of them contains the usual wand of wishing, with the chest being untrapped and on a burned Elbereth.
  • The lava map of the Castle has a chest in each of the several alcoves around the throne room—the chest with the wand of wishing is untrapped and on a burned Elbereth, while the other nine chests have random loot.
• The top level of the Palace of Sheol has two chests with random loot in each of the ice-blocked rooms bordering the room with the throne; the bottom level where the Executioner resides has four chests with random loot, two chests that each have a crystal pick inside, and a chest with a magic marker.

dNetHack

In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, there are two additional special room types that contain chests: magic item vaults are generated with at least four chests containing varying types of valuable magical items, and "island" special rooms have a buried chest full of gold next to the island's tree.

The top floor of the Windowless Tower features boxes flavored as coffins in place of chests.

The chest in the Castle contains a ring of wishes instead of a wand of wishing.

Maids that pick up chests with broken locks will mend those locks.

FIQHack

In FIQHack, monsters can loot and unlock chests—the Castle's chest is special-cased to prevent monsters stealing the guaranteed wand of wishing this way.

xNetHack

In xNetHack, a thiefstone that is keyed to a square without a container at level creation will have a chest with random loot placed on the square to hold any items "stolen" by that thiefstone.

SpliceHack

In SpliceHack, the chests in graveyards and Vlad's Tower are replaced by coffins.

EvilHack

EvilHack adds the crystal chest, a type of chest-like container made of gemstone that can only be unlocked or locked through magical means and is immune to other forms of magic. EvilHack also adds the magic chest, which functions similarly to magic chests in other variants and can only be locked of unlocked with a magic key item. Both of these items may replace normal chests within levels that are kept from vanilla NetHack.

Standard chests are generated in several areas:

• Both maps of Goblin Town have a chest in the cell near the guaranteed forge.
• Mines' End always has a chest containing a magic key with an engraving on its square, and some of the maps may also have their own chests as well.
  • In Mimic of the Mines, the chest is buried in one of the seven niches that does not contain any gems or glass, and is untrapped and locked. The engraving reads "One-Eyed Sam was here".
  • In the Gnome King's Wine Cellar, the chest is buried in one of four specific locations that is randomly chosen each game, and is untrapped and locked. The engraving reads "Property of Croesus".
  • In the Catacombs, the chest is buried in one of four specific locations that is randomly chosen each game, and is untrapped and locked. The engraving is a simple "X".
  • In the Orc Temple, the chest is buried in one of the eight niches that does not contain any gems or gray stones, and is untrapped and locked. The engraving reads "Do not dig here". The two side rooms with altars also each have a trapped chest.
  • In The Sewers of Waterdeep, the chest is located in an isolated room that can only be reached by teleportation (and has a teleportation trap the can be used to leave). This chest is the only one with a magic key that is not buried, and it is also trapped. In addition to the magic key, the chest has a random wand, a random spellbook, a smaller container, and a pair of useful tools:
    • The container will be either a sack (¹⁄₂/50% chance), an oilskin sack (²⁄₅/40% chance), or a bag of holding (¹⁄₁₀/10% chance).
    • The first tool will be either a stethoscope (⁷⁄₁₀/70% chance), a pick-axe (³⁄₂₀/15% chance), or a can of grease (³⁄₂₀/15% chance).
    • The second tool will be either a tinning kit (¹⁄₂/50% chance), a tooled horn (²⁄₅/40% chance), or a magic lamp (¹⁄₁₀/10% chance).
• The Castle has several chests.
  • The first map for the Castle has an untrapped chest in all four turrets as in SporkHack, with a burnt Elbereth and a cursed scroll of scare monster on each chest's square: one is locked and contains a wand of wishing, while another has a wand of nothing, and the other two each contain a random wand. The chest containing the wand of wishing has a ¹⁄₂ chance of being a crystal chest instead.
  • The island map of the Castle adapted from UnNetHack has a store room with three chests, and another chest is located within each of the two turrets bordering the entrance—one of them contains the usual wand of wishing, with the chest being untrapped and on a burned Elbereth.
  • The lava map of the Castle adapted from UnNetHack has a chest in each of the several alcoves around the throne room—the chest with the wand of wishing is untrapped and on a burned Elbereth, while the other nine chests have random loot.

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.

[ The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas ]