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 non-magical boots that appear in Nethack. They are made of leather, and appear as jackboots when unidentified.

Generation

Many mercenaries are often generated with high boots.

Description

A pair of high boots grants 2 base AC when worn, and will protect against a xan's leg-wounding sting ⁴⁄₅ of the time.

Strategy

High boots are the only boots that give 2 AC and do not interfere with spellcasting - they are suitable for wear until the player finds their desired pair of magical boots. Elven boots can be safely enchanted to +7 for 1 more point of AC compared to +5 high boots; speed boots and jumping boots are also frequent replacements, especially for 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, Pirates start with a pair of +0 high boots, and dwarf Binders start with a +0 pair of burnt high boots.

Mayor Cummerbund, the Pirate quest leader, and the quest guardian pirate brothers will be generated with high boots. Wandering skeletal and gityanki pirates will also have high boots. The Rebel Ringleader, the default quest nemesis for Nobles in dNetHack, is generated with high boots.

Xorn monks have a ³⁄₁₆ chance of being generated with high boots.

notdNetHack

In addition to dNetHack details, notdNetHack generates Dantalion with a pair of high boots when he is summoned by an Illithanachronounbinder.

SpliceHack

In SpliceHack, high boots can be combined with a ring of levitation at a furnace to create levitation boots.

EvilHack

In EvilHack, giant Monks and Priests have the body armor in their starting inventories replaced with a pair of +1 high boots.

Cultists, the guardians for the Infidel quest, have a ²⁄₉ chance of generating with 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.

SlashTHEM

SlashTHEM retains SLASH'EM details and adds the Pirate and Noble roles, including the monsters that generate with high boots.

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 ]