# Upgrading objects
In SLASH'EM, items may be upgraded into other objects.

Contents

1 Description
2 List of upgradeable items

2.1 Weapons and ammunition

2.1.1 Daggers
2.1.2 Short swords
2.1.3 Bows
2.1.4 Arrows
2.1.5 Other weapons

2.2 Armor

2.2.1 Cloaks
2.2.2 Helmets
2.2.3 Gloves
2.2.4 Shields
2.2.5 Robes
2.2.6 Other armor

2.3 Tools

2.3.1 Containers
2.3.2 Magical tools
2.3.3 Mundane tools

2.4 Food
2.5 Stones
2.6 Strategy

2.6.1 Cost and safety
2.6.2 Enchanted armor and weapons
2.6.3 Polyfodder

2.7 Hack'EM

2.7.1 Weapons
2.7.2 Armor
2.7.3 Tools

2.8 References

Description
Upgrading is done by dipping an object into a potion of gain level[1] or using the gnomish tinker technique. If an object has multiple possible upgrades, each one is equally likely unless otherwise noted. Artifacts cannot be upgraded.
Upgrading objects does not break polymorphless conduct, and upgraded objects do not need to be dipped in a potion of restore ability to make the upgrade permanent as with polymorphed objects.

List of upgradeable items
Much of the information is taken from (with thanks to) Eva Myers's spoiler.[2]

Weapons and ammunition
Daggers

Old Object

New Object

Orcish dagger

Dagger

Dagger

elven dagger, or dark elven dagger

Great dagger

Elven dagger

Great dagger

Dark elven dagger

This is a good source of great daggers, since they are never randomly generated.
As of SLASH'EM version 0.0.7E7F3, great daggers DO NOT STACK. This is by design.[3] If you upgrade to a stack of great daggers, it will be stacked ONLY until they are thrown or dropped individually. After that, they will never stack again

Short swords

Old Object

New Object

Orcish short sword

Short sword

Elven short sword

Dwarvish short sword

Dark elven short sword

Short sword

Dwarvish short sword

elven short sword, or dark elven short sword

Bows

Old Object

New Object

Elven bow

Bow

Dark elven bow

Yumi

Orcish bow

Bow

elven bow, dark elven bow, or yumi

Arrows

Old Object

New Object

Elven arrow

Arrow

Dark elven arrow

Ya

Orcish arrow

Arrow

elven arrow, dark elven arrow, or ya

Other weapons

Old Object

New Object

Knife

Stiletto

Stiletto

Knife

Axe

Battle-axe

Battle-axe

Axe

Pick-axe

Dwarvish mattock

Dwarvish mattock

Pick-axe

Broadsword

Elven broadsword

Elven broadsword

Broadsword

Club

Aklys

Aklys

Club

War hammer

Heavy hammer

Heavy hammer

War hammer

Armor
Cloaks

Old Object

New Object

Cloak of protection

oilskin cloak, or elven cloak

Cloak of invisibility

Cloak of magic resistance

Cloak of displacement

Dwarvish cloak

Orcish cloak

Oilskin cloak

cloak of protection, cloak of invisibility, cloak of magic resistance, or cloak of displacement

Elven cloak

Helmets

Old Object

New Object

Fedora

Elven leather helm

Elven leather helm

Fedora

Dented pot

Orcish helm

Orcish helm

Dwarvish iron helm

Helm of brilliance

Helm of telepathy

Dwarvish iron helm

helm of brilliance, or helm of telepathy

Cornuthaum

Dunce cap

Dunce cap

Cornuthaum

Gloves

Old Object

New Object

Leather gloves

gauntlets of swimming, or gauntlets of dexterity

Gauntlets of swimming

Leather gloves

Gauntlets of dexterity

Shields

Old Object

New Object

Elven shield

Uruk-hai shield, or orcish shield

Uruk-hai shield

Elven shield

Orcish shield

Dwarvish roundshield

Large shield

Large shield

Dwarvish roundshield

Robes

Old Object

New Object

Robe

robe of protection, or robe of power

Robe of protection

Robe

Robe of power

Other armor

Old Object

New Object

Elven mithril-coat

Dark elven mithril-coat

Dark elven mithril-coat

Elven mithril-coat

Orcish chain mail

Chain mail

Chain mail

Orcish chain mail

Studded leather armor

Leather armor

Leather jacket

Leather armor

Studded leather armor

Low boots

High boots

High boots

Low boots

Only low and high boots are upgradable. No boots can be upgraded into their magical counter-parts.

Tools
Containers

Old Object

New Object

Large box

Chest

Ice box

Chest

Ice box

Sack

4⁄5 chance of oilskin sack, 1⁄5 chance of bag of holding

Oilskin sack

Bag of holding

Bag of holding

Oilskin sack

Magical tools

Old Object

New Object

Tin whistle

Magic whistle

Magic whistle

Tin whistle

Wooden flute

Magic flute (10-14 charges)

Magic flute

Wooden flute

Tooled horn

frost horn, fire horn, or horn of plenty

Horn of plenty

Tooled horn

Fire horn

Frost horn

Wooden harp

Magic harp (10-14 charges)

Magic harp

Wooden harp

Crystal ball

Magic marker

Magic marker

Crystal ball (3-12 charges, unless marker had fewer)

Mundane tools

Old Object

New Object

Towel

Blindfold

Blindfold

Towel

Credit card

Skeleton key

Lock pick

Skeleton key

Lock pick

Leash

Saddle

Saddle

Leash

Tin opener

Tinning kit (70-99 charges)

Tinning kit

Tin opener

Tallow candle

Wax candle

Wax candle

Tallow candle

Oil lamp

Brass lantern

Brass lantern

Oil lamp

Food

Old Object

New Object

K-ration

cram ration, or food ration

C-ration

Lembas wafer

Food ration

Lembas wafer

Cram ration

Stones

Old Object

New Object

Loadstone

Flint stone

Flint stone

luckstone, or healthstone

Strategy
Upgrading objects, either by potions of gain level or the tinker techinque, is the "poor hacker's polypiling"[4]. It can be used to get some good items without many of the risks of polypiling. Most of the transformations are also reversible, although polypiling in SLASH'EM is by default reversible, since objects revert after some time. Also note that most of the magical items transform into other magical items, and mundane items change into other mundane items. Thus, with a few exceptions, it is not a viable way to make more magical items for polypiling. However, many useful items can be obtained, including helms of brilliance, healthstones, tinning kits, and magic markers.

Cost and safety
One potion is used up per item (or stack of items) transformed, if using a potion of gain level. If using the tinker technique, much more time passes, using up nutrition and spawning enemies. Thus, gnomes can save on potions, but must find a safe place to tinker, so they are neither interrupted or killed. Boulder forts work well, but may be hard to come by early in the game. Shops work very well in the early game, with the door locked. If you lack a way of (un)locking the door, you can also pick up an unpaid item and let the shopkeeper block the door. Be sure not to stand in a straight line from the door, so monsters can't shoot you, and beware tunneling monsters.
Upgrading a container doesn't destroy its contents, as polymorphing does.  However, if you upgrade a container to a bag of holding, it will explode if it contains an item that would cause an explosion[5].

Enchanted armor and weapons
One good use of upgrading is to get highly-enchanted armor or weapons. A +5 orcish helm may be upgraded into a +5 helm of brilliance. Also, since many transformations are reversible, the player may change a highly enchanted piece of armor from one type to another. For example, a wizard has less use of a +3 helm of telepathy than a +3 helm of brilliance. Similarly, a player could upgrade a +2 orcish dagger into a +2 great dagger, for two-weaponing with (or skill-training for) Magicbane. Additionally, Elven armor can be enchanted, fairly reliably, to +7 and then upgraded. For example, a +7 elven cloak can become something more useful like a cloak of magic resistance.

Polyfodder
Objects may also be upgraded for use in polypiling. Most magical items transform into other magical items, and most mundane items transform into other mundane items. Thus, upgrading objects for polyfodder will often be a waste of potions or time spent tinkering. The exceptions are mundane items which transform into magical items:

flint stones
dwarvish helms
orcish helms
dented pots
dwarvish cloaks
orcish cloaks
leather gloves
robes
tin whistles
wooden harps
wooden flutes
tooled horns
sacks
Hack'EM
Hack'EM incorporates the ability to upgrade items, but modifies the list to accommodate items from other variants, and attempts to fix certain logical and exploitation problems.

Weapons

Old Object

New Object

Quarterstaff

Magical Staff

Boomerang

Chakram

Armor

Old Object

New Object

Robe

Robe of protection, orrobe of power

Robe of protection

Robe

Robe of power

Robe of weakness

Oilskin cloak/elven cloak

Cloak of protection,cloak of invisibility,cloak of magic resistance,cloak of displacement, orcloak of flight

Dwarvish cloak

Oilskin/elven cloak

Cloak of protection

Cloak of invisibility

Cloak of magic resistance

Cloak of displacement

Cloak of flight

Mummy wrapping

Plain cloak

Plain cloak

Orcish cloak

Orcish cloak

Dwarvish cloak

Poisonous cloak

Alchemy smock

Striped shirt

Shirt

Toque

Dwarvish helm, ortinfoil hat

Helm of brilliance

Helm of speed

Helm of telepathy

Dwarvish helm, or tinfoil hat

Toque,helm of brilliance,helm of speed, orhelm of telepathy

Helm of madness

tinfoil hat

Fedora

Elven helm

Elven helm

Fedora

Cornuthaum

Dunce cap

Dunce cap

Cornuthaum

Leather gloves

Rogue's gloves,boxing gloves, orgauntlets

Rogue's gloves

Leather gloves

Boxing gloves

Gauntlets

Gauntlets of swimming,gauntlets of dexterity,gauntlets of protection, orgauntlets of power

Gauntlets of swimming

Gauntlets

Gauntlets of dexterity

Gauntlets of protection

Gauntlets of power

Gauntlets of fumbling

Dwarvish roundshield

Shield of reflection,shield of light,shield of mobility, orresonant shield

Shield of reflection

Dwarvish roundshield

Shield of light

Shield of mobility

Resonant shield

Dwarvish boots/elven boots

Speed boots,water walking boots,jumping boots,stomping boots, orkicking boots

Speed boots

Dwarvish boots, orelven boots

Water walking boots

Jumping boots

Stomping boots

Kicking boots

Low boots

High Boots

Fumble boots

Dwarvish Boots

Note that there is a distinction between Gloves and Gauntlets in Hack'EM.
Tools

Old Object

New Object

Sack

Oilskin Sack, or  Bag of holding

Bag of rats

Oilskin Sack

Bag of Holding

Bag of Holding

Oilskin Sack

Towel

Blindfold

Blindfold

Towel

Lock pick

Skeleton key

Skeleton Key

Lock Pick

Pea whistle

Magic whistle

Magic Whistle

Pea Whistle

Flute

Magic flute

Magic Flute

Flute

Tooled horn

Fire horn,  Frost horn,  Horn of plenty, or  Horn of Blasting

Fire Horn

Tooled Horn

Frost Horn

Horn of Plenty

Horn of Blasting

Harp

Magic harp

Leash

Saddle

Saddle

Leash

Tin opener

Tinning kit

Tinning Kit

Tin Opener

Lenses

Crystal ball

Crystal Ball

Lenses

Flint/Healthstone

Luckstone or  Whetstone

Luckstone/Whetstone

Healthstone

Loadstone

Whetstone

Land mine/Pineapple

Fire bomb,  Gas bomb, or  Smoke bomb

References

↑ potion.c in SLASH'EM_0.0.7E7F2, line 2166

↑ http://www.statslab.cam.ac.uk/~eva/slashem/potions.html

↑ http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.games.roguelike.nethack.slashem.devel/72 bug release plans for SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F3 (2006.12.28)

↑ potion.c in SLASH'EM_0.0.7E7F2, line 2167

↑ potion.c in SLASH'EM_0.0.7E7F2, line 2596