Gauntlets of dexterity
[  [  [  [  gauntlets of dexterity | |
|---|---|
| Appearance | random |
| Slot | gloves |
| AC | 1 |
| Special |
|
| Base price | 50 zm |
| Weight | 10 |
| Material | leather |
Gauntlets of dexterity, sometimes abbreviated to GoD, are a type of magical gloves that appear in NetHack. They are made of leather, and have a randomized appearance when unidentified; the default one associated with them is a pair of "fencing gloves".[1]
Contents
Generation
In addition to random generation, general stores and used armor dealerships can sell gauntlets of dexterity.
Player monsters on the Astral Plane that do not generate with a war hammer have a 7⁄8 chance of generating with a random pair of gloves and a 1⁄5 chance of those gloves being gauntlets of dexterity, for an effective 7⁄40 chance (17.5%).[2]
Description
While worn, gauntlets of dexterity confer 1 base AC and modifies the wearer's dexterity based on its enchantment, up to a maximum of 25. Wearing gauntlets of dexterity with any non-zero enchantment will auto-identify them.
Strategy
Higher dexterity improves a player's chances of hitting with spells and attacks, but most players can maximize their chances to hit successfully through other means, particularly weapon skill and Luck. This makes gauntlets of dexterity fairly uncommon in most character kits, especially ascension kits where leather gloves often suffice. Gauntlets of dexterity can still be of use to spellcasters seeking to improve their hit rates on attack spells such as magic missile and finger of death - Monks may prefer them both for general use with martial arts and to help offset the -20 to-hit penalty should they choose to wear body armor or wield weapons.
Other uses for these gauntlets include hitting with a thrown cockatrice egg or a potion of paralysis, whose odds of hitting can only be improved by a higher dexterity score. Hitting with a wielded egg or potion in melee is more reliable if the situation allows for it, but highly-enchanted gauntlets can make for solid accuracy with thrown eggs and potions; at 23 Dexterity (assuming a hero with 18 Dex and +5 gauntlets), there is a relatively low 12% chance of the item missing.
History
Gauntlets of dexterity first appear in NetHack 3.0.0.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, upgrading leather gloves has a 1⁄2 chance of producing gauntlets of dexterity, and upgrading gauntlets of dexterity always produces leather gloves.
The Gauntlets of Defense are a neutral pair of artifact gauntlets of dexterity that provide half physical damage while worn, and can be invoked to toggle invisibility.
Dexterity improves your AC at higher values, making gauntlets of dexterity much more attractive to the point that they may feature in ascension kits. It is debatable whether they are worth spending a wish on, since they are much more available through mundane means, especially for gnomish characters who have the ability to tinker.
NetHack brass
In NetHack brass, gauntlets of dexterity set the wearer's dexterity to their race or role's maximum similar to gauntlets of power, and they will always auto-identify when worn or removed.
dNetHack
In dNetHack and notdNetHack, gauntlets of dexterity confer 2 base AC, 0 base DR and add their enchantment to the wearer's dexterity while worn. Both variants also incorporate SLASH'EM-styled bonuses to AC.
Female droven Anachrononauts start with a +1 pair of gauntlets of dexterity.
dNetHack has two pairs of artifact gauntlets of dexterity:
- The Shield of the Resolute Heart, an unaligned artifact that can be enchanted to +7 - they confer half physical damage when worn, and can be invoked to bless and repair themselves, also raising the enchantment to +3 if it is below that threshold.
- The Claws of the Revenancer, a neutral artifact that acts as the crowning gift for neutral female drow Nobles, Priests, Rangers, Rogues, and Wizards. The Claws of the Revenancer are made of silver and have several effects related to life draining and undead.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, a character's dexterity confers bonuses to AC while unburdened in a manner somewhat similar to SLASH'EM, making gauntlets of dexterity more desirable (though not to the same extent).
Gauntlets of dexterity are generated as part of various kits for player monsters, including centaurs in several roles and monks of all races.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, in addition to SLASH'EM details, The Pickpocket's Gloves are a pair of chaotic artifact gauntlets of dexterity: they confer stealth and automatic searching while worn, and additionally provide a +20 bonus to stealing from monsters via the borrow extended command.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, upgrading gauntlets of dexterity will produce gauntlets of fumbling and vice versa - all EvilHack details apply.
References
- ↑ src/objects.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 497
- ↑ src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 289: gloves are generated after weapon is determined
