                              Water
                             =======

              by Maurice Vliege (mmavlie@cs.vu.nl).


Potions of holy water can make life easier down in the dungeons. In
NetHack 3.0, it was relatively easy to make holy water. You just
dropped a potion of water on a lawful alter, and the potion transformed
into a potion of holy water. In NetHack 3.1, things are more
complicated. What follows is an explanation of how to make (un)holy
water in NetHack 3.1.

First, you need at least one potion of water. Potions of water are
always clear potions. You can make any potion a potion of water by:

  - dipping the potion into a fountain, or
  - dipping the potion into a pool or a moat.

Both ways of dipping have advantages and disadvantages. Dipping in a
fountain is always possible, but nasty things can happen, for example,
water demons or snakes might appear. To be able to dip in a pool or
moat, you must have either an amulet of magical breathing or a pair of
water walking boots.

Converting a potion into water by dipping always requires two dips, and
turns the potion into an uncursed potion of water. Note that this
doesn't hold for potions of (un)holy water. (Un)holy water retains its
(un)holy status after dipping in a fountain, pool or moat.

The next step is to convert potions of water into (un)holy water.

The procedure for making unholy water is:

  - drop the potions of water on a non-coaligned altar and pray.

Note that it doesn't matter whether the potions were uncursed water or
holy water; after your prayer, they will all be unholy water.

The procedure of making holy water is similar, except for the fact that
it only works if your god is pleased with you:

  - drop the potions of water on a coaligned altar and pray.

The next time you want to make holy water is easier. You just dip a
bunch of potions of water in one potion of holy water. Of course, the
same holds for creating unholy water. This way you can make (un)holy
water without having to be at an altar and without having to pray,
which has obvious advantages. It should be noted that using this
method, you require two potions of holy water to convert a bunch of
potions of unholy water to holy water (and vice versa), since the first
dip will only change them to uncursed water.

