Wet

Several things can happen if an object becomes wet. The most common effects are to rust metal and make blank scrolls and blank spellbooks. The normal way to make an object wet is to dip it into water, usually a pool or moat, or to submerge yourself while carrying the object.

Note some special sources of water will not wet an object, but will have a different effect. Dipping into a pool, moat, or uncursed potion of water will always wet an object. Dipping into a fountain might or might not wet the object, and dipping into holy water or unholy water will never wet an object.

What happens when an object becomes wet?

The effect is determined by a function called get_wet in potion.c#line1419. When an object becomes wet, the following happens:

• Nothing happens to an object protected by grease, except that the grease might dissolve.
• A potion of acid will explode, harming you! (If you die, you are "killed by elementary chemistry".)
• Other potions will become diluted. Potions already diluted will become water. (You can make uncursed water by twice dipping potions in water, then later you can change the uncursed water into holy water.)
• Scrolls and spellbooks become blank; if you have a magic marker, you can then write new ones. The Book of the Dead cannot become blank. ("The Book of the Dead suddenly heats up; steam rises and it remains dry.") Neither can a scroll of mail. Thus if you send yourself much mail during the game, you cannot use it to supply yourself with blank scrolls.
• Metal objects will rust if possible. Some metal, such as mithril, cannot rust; "thoroughly rusty" objects are already rusted to the maximum.

If you dipped into an uncursed potion of water, and one of the above effects occurs, you lose your potion; otherwise you keep it ("Object gets wet."). You keep your potion if the dipped object was greased. It's a waste to use your potions this way; it is better to dip uncursed potions of water into holy water to make more holy water. If you want to manufacture uncursed potions of water or blank paper, do not dip into potions of water; dip into a pool or moat, or use cancellation.

In real need, you can dip into a fountain, or quaff from a sink in the hope of turning it into a fountain, but be aware that this incurs real risks, such as summoning demons. The safest technique for dipping is to wear water walking boots, walk over open water that is devoid of sea monsters, and dip away. This is not always an option, so second to this is to drop any inventory item you don't want to get wet, get unencumbered, and walk into open water. You will escape the water and have any scrolls in your inventory blanked and potions diluted. Be careful! This also happens to items in a bag, unless it is oilskin or has been temporarily protected with grease.