Disintegration

Disintegration is a way items and creatures can be destroyed. Disintegration is one kind of instadeath, which occurs when you are hit by a blast of disintegration. The only possible source of such a blast is a black dragon's breath; there are no spells or wands of disintegration.

Reflection will save you from a blast of disintegration. (Magic resistance does not!) You can also gain disintegration resistance, by wearing black dragon scale mail or by eating a black dragon corpse.

On an unrelated note, certain items can also disintegrate. Spellbooks can disintegrate when you fail to read them, and one type of scroll can disintegrate when picked up: Uncursed scrolls of scare monster disintegrate when picked up if they've already been picked up once when uncursed. Cursed scrolls of scare monster always disintegrate when picked up. Disintegration resistance does not protect against the loss of these items.

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