Straitjacket

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Revision as of 22:25, 17 June 2021 by Actual-nh (talk | contribs) (Escaping a cursed straitjacket: Links)
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The straitjacket ("long-sleeved jacket") is a type of torso "armor" that appears in dNetHack.

Use as armor

As armor, the straitjacket (unusually for armor in the torso slot) protects the upper body and arms. It provides MC 2 and no extrinsic.

However, a straitjacket should never actually be used as armor, due to the risk of becoming trapped in the armor should it become cursed.

Effects of a cursed straitjacket

A cursed straitjacket prevents the use of the hands, acting as if your hands were welded to a cursed two-handed weapon, notably preventing donning and doffing armor, opening doors, and casting spells. Additionally, a cursed jacket prevents any attack that uses the upper limbs, notably including the player-character's default melee attack. While stuck in a jacket, the PC will fall back on their kick attack if possible, becoming completely unable to attack if their kick attack is somehow blocked (such as by standing in shallow water).

Escaping a cursed straitjacket

Because the jacket is stuck to itself, weld-proof-ness offers no protection against a cursed straitjacket. There are, however, numerous methods of escape. Some more frequent methods are as follows (see curse removal for a complete list):

  • Prayer. The gods recognize being stuck in a jacket as a major trouble, and so are quite likely to free you (note that Madmen, who start the game stuck in a jacket, also start with angry gods!).
  • A scroll of remove curse or an effigy will lift the curse and allow escape.
  • A scroll of destroy armor will destroy the jacket as normal.
  • Shopkeepers sometimes offer curse removal as a shop service. Gaining access to a shop may require waiting for an intelligent monster to open the door for you!
  • Allowing the jacket to be stolen by a nymph (amusingly, the nymph may proceed to trap herself in the jacket, preventing further theft attacks!).
  • Allowing the jacket to be removed by a foocubus.
  • Polymorphing to a form that breaks or shrinks out of the jacket.
  • A magic trap may uncurse the jacket (4.8% chance).