Speed boots
Speed boots (also dubbed boots of speed) are one of the pairs of magical boots that appear in NetHack.
Description
When worn, speed boots grant extrinsic very fast speed - as the only permanent source of such speed, these boots are a popular choice for an ascension kit.
Speed boots give a player 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, the player will thus get 20 movement points per turn (167% normal speed, or 5 moves every 3 turns). Wearing speed boots yourself does not allow you to move any faster when riding a steed.
Monsters can also wear speed boots, but they have the same effect as a wand of speed monster, potion of speed or the haste self monster spell.
Strategy
In the early game, speed boots are generally considered the most useful boots if not one of the most useful items overall - very fast players can outrun highly dangerous soldier ants, leocrottas, and most non-mountain centaurs while unburdened. While they will not be able to outrun exceptionally fast monsters such as air elementals, warhorses, and unicorns, the speed still provides a viable edge against them via extra attacks - a player in speed boots gets five attacks for every three that they would get otherwise.
Blessed fireproof +2 (or +3) speed boots are a common wish for players who find an early wand of wishing and have already obtained a source of magic resistance and reflection. However, they become a less essential wish in the late game, as the player likely has a few potions of speed that they can use to haste themselves in especially dangerous areas such as the Plane of Air or the Astral Plane. Players who can cast the haste self spell will also find speed boots entirely unnecessary, and pets will have no use for them - spellcasting pets such as Archons will eventually permanently haste themselves, and the rest can be hasted via the wand.
Players committed to riding would possibly do better with water walking boots for emergencies involving saddle-theft or steed loss occurring over water. Jumping boots can let you move even farther in one turn, especially in tandem with haste self, but require a light source and a clear path to use effectively, making them somewhat tedious to use.
Speed boots are an essential item in turncount speedrunning, due to their ability to give the player multiple actions without advancing the turn counter.
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 gained/lost intrinsic speed while wearing the boots.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, Whisperfeet is an artifact pair of speed boots that, in addition to their normal effect, give stealth and act as a luckstone. They are the guaranteed first sacrifice gift for tourists. Additionally, due to the new create pool spell that monsters will cast at you, non-flying players may prefer water walking boots to speed boots as their primary shoe of choice in the late game.
Slash'EM Extended
In Slash’EM Extended, boots with the randomized appearance “speed boots” will function as speed boots in addition to their original effects.
