High boots

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[   high boots   High boots.png
Appearance jackboots
Slot boots
AC 2
Special (none)
Base price 12 zm
Weight 20
Material leather

A pair of high boots is a set of boots that appear in NetHack. They are made of leather, and appear as jackboots when unidentified.

Generation

In addition to random generation, general stores, used armor dealerships and antique weapon outlets can sell high boots.

Mercenaries have a 16 chance of generating with a pair of high boots.[1] Chieftains, pages, roshi, and warriors have a 14 chance of generating with low boots.[2]

Player monsters on the Astral Plane have an effective ~10.02% chance of generating with high boots.[3][4]

Description

While worn, a pair of high boots grants 2 base AC, and protects against a xan's leg-wounding sting 45 of the time.[5]

Strategy

High boots are the only boots that give 2 AC and do not interfere with spellcasting, making them suitable until a character 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, Yeomen always start the game with 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.

Xorn monks have a 316 chance of being generated with high boots. Mayor Cummerbund, the Pirate quest leader, and the quest guardian pirate brothers are generated with high boots. Wandering skeletal and gityanki pirates are generated with high boots. The Rebel Ringleader that serves as the Noble's quest nemesis for the default [[Noble quest] is always generated with high boots.

notdNetHack

In notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, in addition to dNetHack details, Dantalion generates 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 start with a pair of +1 high boots in place of the role's starting robe.

Cultists, the Infidel quest guardians, have a 29 chance of generating with high boots. The Paladin, the Infidel quest nemesis, is also generated with high boots.

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 ]

References

  1. src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 644
  2. src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 294
  3. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 134: special is only set to true when generating player monsters on the Astral Plane
  4. src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 294: this line requires if (special) and selects boots from all available types listed in objects.c
  5. src/mhitu.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1218: cases for AD_LEGS