Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

v0.34:Advanced world generation

2012-08-20T17:43:49Z

Bronzebeard: /* Desired Good/Evil Square Counts */

{{quality|Exceptional|23:35, 30 March 2011 (UTC)}}{{av}}
{{old}}

:''This article contains information on advanced world generation. For information on basic world generation, see [[World generation]].''
:''See [[World token]] to more easily find information by the names used in the world_gen.txt file.''
:''See [[World rejection]] for information on solving problems related to worlds always being rejected.''
:''See [[Worldgen examples]] for example worlds.''

When you want more control of what your world looks like, it's time for '''advanced world generation'''. A detailed reference with advice is provided below. This article assumes that you are already familiar with [[World generation|'''basic''' world generation]]. If you are not then please read about that first.

Once you select {{DFtext|Design New World With Advanced Parameters}} from the main menu, a screen that looks something like this will appear:

[[File:AdvancedWorldGen.png‎]]

This screen is relatively intuitive but some parts could use some explanation.

== Parameter sets ==

The list of already defined parameter sets is in the upper right corner. You can select the current set that you want to work with using the up and down directional keys.

Hitting {{K|a}} will add a new set to the end of the list. You can also {{K|c}}opy an existing set to a new one allowing you to base a new set on an existing one. Using {{K|t}} you can change the name of the parameter set but note that this will not affect the name of the world that is generated.

Parameter sets are stored in the <tt>data/init/world_gen.txt</tt> file in the main DF directory. The {{K|F1}} and {{K|F6}} keys will load and save '''all''' of the parameter sets to this file. You will need to save the world gen parameters to this file before you hit {{K|Enter}} to generate the world.

The <tt>world_gen.txt</tt> file can also be edited with a text editor. This is particularly useful because people will often post their parameter sets on the forum or wiki in text form. (See below for more info.) The {{K|F1}} key comes in handy when editing this file while the game is still running.

The tokens used in <tt>world_gen.txt</tt> are at the bottom of each parameter description. Here's the one for title.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[TITLE: <name>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[TITLE:MEDIUM ISLAND]</nowiki></tt>
| Required
|}

== World name ==

As previously mentioned, the title of the parameter set doesn't affect the name of the world. You can force a particular name for your world using {{K|n}} or set it back to the default random setting using {{K|N}}.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[CUSTOM_NAME: <name>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[CUSTOM_NAME:Realm of Cheese Engravings]</nowiki></tt>
| For a random name, simply don't use this token.
|}

== World dimensions ==

The size of the map to be generated can be selected with {{K|u}} {{K|i}} {{K|o}} {{K|p}}. Larger maps take longer to generate and may limit [[Frames per second|FPS]] in game.

Changing the dimensions of the world will reset the parameters because many of them have different defaults depending on the surface area available.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[DIM:<width>:<height>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[DIM:129:129]</nowiki></tt>
| Valid values are 17,33,65,129, and 257. Others may not work.
|}

== Seed values ==

The world generation process uses a PRNG (Pseudo Random Number Generator) algorithm. A PRNG will produce a sequence of numbers that "looks" random even though the actual sequence of numbers will always be the same if the PRNG is started with the same seed value. Basically this means that if you run word generation with a certain seed value on your computer, and someone else runs world generation with the same seed value on their computer, the same sequence of random numbers will be generated on both computers. The practical impact of this is that someone else can generate exactly the same world that you generated by entering the same seed value that you used.

A specific seed value can be entered with {{K|s}}. This will change '''all''' of the seed values to the value you enter. If you need to enter different seed values for each type of seed, use {{K|e}}.

In order to find out what seed values were used for the last world you generated you can look at this screen. If you want to be able to tell someone else how to generate exactly the same world that you just generated, they will need all of the seed value listed under Last Param Set.

When generating a world using a seed, the way that the world is generated is also based at least in part on certain world tokens. As such you cannot for example change the minimum and maximum rainfall and get the same world but drier or wetter, instead a different world is generated. Saying that, it would also seem that certain small changes to these world tokens can occasionally generate a very similar world, however other tokens are more sensitive. For more information see the forum thread [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112132.msg3404199#msg3404199 here].

The following are tokens which appear to be involved in the implementation of the seed and are not safe to change:

[DIM:X:X] <br />
[ELEVATION:X:X:X:X]<br />
[RAINFALL:X:X:X:X] <br />
[TEMPERATURE:X:X:X:X]<br />
[DRAINAGE:X:X:X:X]<br />
[VOLCANISM:X:X:X:X]<br />
[SAVAGERY:X:X:X:X]<br />
[ELEVATION_FREQUENCY:X:X:X:X:X:X]<br />
[RAIN_FREQUENCY:X:X:X:X:X:X]<br />
[DRAINAGE_FREQUENCY:X:X:X:X:X:X]<br />
[TEMPERATURE_FREQUENCY:X:X:X:X:X:X]<br />
[SAVAGERY_FREQUENCY:X:X:X:X:X:X]<br />
[VOLCANISM_FREQUENCY:X:X:X:X:X:X]<br />
[PARTIAL_OCEAN_EDGE_MIN:X]<br />
[COMPLETE_OCEAN_EDGE_MIN:X]<br />
[HAVE_BOTTOM_LAYER_1:X]<br />

Many other world parameters such as end year and embark points can however be changed without it having any effect on the geography of the world generated from the seed values.

Normally you don't enter these seed values and the world generation process comes up with seed values based on some sort of "true" random information from things like random values in uninitialized memory, the current date/time, etc. If you have entered a seed value you can revert back to all seeds being random using {{K|S}}.

== Generating a world ==

Unless you're using an already defined parameter set you will probably want to {{K|e}}dit the parameters. Select the set you want to edit using the up/down directional keys and press {{K|e}}. Information about each parameter is documented below.

Once you are happy with the parameters you have set, hit {{K|Esc}} to get back to this screen, hit {{K|F6}} to save the values you just edited, and hit {{K|Enter}} to start. The rest of the process is the same as basic [[World generation]].

The phases of the world generation process are (this order is not completely correct):
* Preparing elevation...
* Setting temperature...
* Running rivers...
* Forming lakes and minerals...
* Growing vegetation...
* Verifying terrain...
* Importing wildlife...
* Recounting legends...
* Placing civilizations...
* Making cave civilizations...
* Making cave pops...
* Placing other beasts...
* Placing megabeasts...
* Placing good/evil...
* Placing caves...
* Prehistory generation
* Finalizing civ mats...
* Finalizing art...
* Finalizing uniforms...
* Finalizing sites...

== World painter ==
:''Main article: [[World painter]]
The '''world painter''' tool allows you to paint features onto a map that is then used when generating a world. It is very difficult to use properly, and tends to result in endless rejected worlds, unless you loosen or remove the restrictions placed on biomes and civilizations in the advanced settings. That being said it is also a very powerful tool, and allows you to generate worlds more to your liking.

To access the world painter, hit {{k|e}} to start editing the advanced parameters and finally hit {{k|p}} to open world painter. How to use the world painter is not entirely obvious so please check out the [[World painter]] documentation to avoid frustration. (Losing may be fun, but frustration is not.)

== Editing the parameters init file ==

Parameter sets are stored in ''world_gen.txt'' in the ''\data\init'' folder, using [[world token]]. You can copy and paste other player's sets of parameters into your ''world_gen.txt'' to use their parameter sets, and some are provided at [[Main:Pregenerated worlds|Pregenerated worlds]]. Another place to find parameter sets is the [http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=20638.0 Worldgen cookbook] thread on the official forums.

== Advanced parameters ==

To access advanced parameters, press {{key|e}} when at the screen for creating new worlds with parameters screen. This will bring you to an editable list of various guidelines the world-gen process will use when creating your new world.

The parameters are described below in the order that they appear in the list in the UI, not necessarily the other they appear in the configuration file. See [[world token]] for an index that will help you look things up by token name.

There are essentially 4 types of controls for the generation of the surface map;

Terrain Parameters, as described below, these 5 variables define the basic background world, how hot or cold it is, how much rainfall, how high the mountains are. The world automatically goes through the temperature range along the Y axis although sometimes it will be hotter in the north, other times in the south. Minima and maxima and X,Y variance can drastically alter the world.

Weighted Meshes, these are a way to fine tune the amount of the 5 basic variables on the map. It can be used to set the specific distribution of different elevations or rainfall areas for example.

Rejection Parameters, Dwarf Fortress has a belt and braces approach to world generation. The above controls allow you to shape the world then the rejection parameters throw it out if it isn't right! There are a number of rejection parameters for the number and degree of the 5 basic variables, for biome types etc. If the world does not meet the requirements of any one rejection parameter the world is rejected an re-randomised. Also see [http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:World_rejection World Rejection]

The are also the feature placing options such as rivers, mountain peaks, volcanoes and oceans. These can cause rejections if the terrain parameters don't allow enough suitable locations for the features to be placed.

If you are experimenting with world design, one method would be to disable the rejection parameters and use the first two control types. Otherwise any significant change will likely result in endless rejections.

=== Seed values ===

Here you can enter specific seed values for different parts of the world generation process. Different sequences of pseudorandom numbers are used for different parts, so you can use this to reproduce only the particular part of world generation from some previously generated world if you want.

Normally you will want to leave all of these set to Random unless you're specifically trying to reproduce the results of another world generation run.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[SEED:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[SEED:31337]</nowiki></tt>
| rowspan="4" |
For each of these not in the config file, a random seed will be used.
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[HISTORY_SEED:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[HISTORY_SEED:31337]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[NAME_SEED:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[NAME_SEED:31337]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[CREATURE_SEED:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[CREATURE_SEED:31337]</nowiki></tt>
|}

=== Embark Points ===

This controls the number of points that you have for skills and equipment when you embark in fortress mode. Turning this value up will allow games started in this world to start with more skilled dwarves with better equipment. Normally you can do just fine by leaving this value set to default, but you might want to up it for experimental/testing purposes or to help dwarves survive in a particularly evil world.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[EMBARK_POINTS:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[EMBARK_POINTS:1274]</nowiki></tt>
| Required
|}

=== End year ===

This is how many years of history are generated for the world. This is basically the same as the History parameter in basic world gen, except that you can enter an exact value for number of years. See [[World_generation#History|History]] for more info.

History is divided into "ages" which are determined by the ''percentage'' of megabeasts and semi-megabeasts killed at various points. One can attempt to make a world go through the ages more quickly by pumping up the ratio of semimegabeast to megabeast caves, the former of which are usually more killable than the regular megabeasts. This will net you more "Age of Legends", "Age of Heroes", etc.

For more information on the history aspect of the game, see [[Legends]] and [[Calendar#Ages|Ages]].

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[END_YEAR:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[END_YEAR:1050]</nowiki></tt>
| Required
|}

=== Population cap after civ creation ===

This determines the maximum possible population of civilization member beings on the map. It should usually be kept the same value as the appropriate sized standard map. Turning the value up will result in larger civilizations. You can enter -1 to make population unlimited in which case populations will only be limited by factors like biome, space, number of sites, and per-civilization population caps.

Each race may have up to 100 civilizations each, and each civilization a maximum population of 10,000. This means that '''if you set this parameter to -1 ("No cap"), you can quickly be overrun''' by sites and population. Civilizations, known as ''entities'' in the [[Raw file|raw files]], have 3 or 4 basic variables that will greatly affect their final placement on the world map, in respect to this kind of unchecked growth. See [[Entity_token#Population|Population (Entity Token)]] for more information on interpreting/editing the raws if you need more precise control of civilization placement.

Huge populations can cause the size of history data to explode, cause history generation to take forever, lower FPS, and generally slow down the game.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[TOTAL_CIV_POPULATION:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[TOTAL_CIV_POPULATION:15000]</nowiki></tt>
| Required
|}

=== Site cap after civ creation ===

This controls the maximum number of towns and similar sites on the entire map. Raising the number will allow for more towns, etc though the number of sites will ultimately still be limited by things like space, terrain, and population cap.

Note that '''this parameter controls only "civilization" sites''' like towns. Other sites such as lairs will be added on to this maximum. After civilizations reach this cap, they will not spread out anymore to place new cities.

By default, the raws limit each civilization site to a population of 120 regardless of the race of the civilization. Therefore, without editing the raws, the total population on the map can't go above site cap x 120.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[SITE_CAP:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[SITE_CAP:1040]</nowiki></tt>
| Required
|}

=== Beast control ===

These parameters don't usually matter too much, but may matter for small numbers of beasts.

==== Percentage of Megabeasts and Titans Dead for Stoppage ====

The world starts out with a certain number of powerful megabeast and titan entities in existence. If a percentage of the megabeast and titan population dies out during history generation, then history generation will stop early. For example, if the elimination value is 80%, and the generated history starts with 200 entities and 160 of those 200 entities are eliminated by historical events before the End Year is reached, history generation will stop early.

==== Year to Begin Checking Megabeast Percentage ====

The percentage of dead megabeasts and titans for stoppage will not be checked until this year is reached in history generation. This can be used to insure that a world reaches a certain year even if all of the megabeasts in the world are slain earlier.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[BEAST_END_YEAR:<year>:<percentage or -1>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[BEAST_END_YEAR:200:80]</nowiki></tt>
| Use -1 as percentage to disable. Year must still be at least 2.
|}

=== Cull Unimportant Historical Figures ===

Whether or not the game ignores unimportant figures in history generation. The culling is many CPU-intensive steps in history generation but it saves memory and will speed up loading/saving games a bit. This does mean that the "unimportant" figures will not appear in Legends mode or in things like dwarf engravings, but they might not appear in engravings anyway.

Unimportant figures are people or creatures who suffer early deaths, never having offspring or killing anything named during history generation. For example, residents of goblin towers may get murdered by demons at a young age. After culling unimportant figures, Legends mode would say something like the demon has killed "a creature at Eviltower in the year 102."

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[CULL_HISTORICAL_FIGURES:<0 or 1>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[CULL_HISTORICAL_FIGURES:0]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 = No, 1 = Yes
|}

=== Reveal All Historical Events ===

Setting this to Yes will allow access to all information about the history of the world in Legends mode. If set to No, then you will have to discover historical information in adventure mode or by instructing dwarves to make engravings.{{Verify}}

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[REVEAL_ALL_HISTORY:<0 or 1>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[REVEAL_ALL_HISTORY::1]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 = No, 1 = Yes
|}

=== Terrain Parameters ===

These determine how random values for terrain elevation, rainfall, temperature, drainage, volcanism, and savagery are generated. What biomes exist are then determined by how these factors overlap with each other.

==== Minima and Maxima ====

These are the absolute minimum and maximum values that can ever be generated for a particular map square characteristic. Changing these can cause the occurrence of certain [[Biome|biomes]] to become impossible, so modify these with care. Because of this problem, you may want to use [[#Weighted Ranges|Weighted Ranges]] instead.

By ''subtly'' tweaking the min and max values, vastly different maps can be made.

==== X and Y Variance ====

These control how wildly things like elevation and rainfall can vary between adjacent map squares. For example, if these values are set to the maximum of 3,200 for elevation then you will end up with more very low areas right next to very high areas. The number for X determines the east-west variance and the number for Y determines the north-south variance. By setting only one of these to a high value you can, for example, create horizontal or vertical bands of areas which are more similar to each other.

Generally speaking, raising both of these values will create a more random "patchwork" of many small biomes while setting both x and y values to 0 will cause every square on the map to use a single random value for the given characteristic.

For "patchwork" worlds to avoid being rejected, [[#Maximum_Number_of_Subregions|Maximum Number of Subregions]] will probably need to be increased from the default.

==== Elevation ====

This controls the range of terrain elevations that can occur in the world.

Usually you just want to leave the min/max values alone. Raising the minimum elevation can, for example, make it impossible for oceans to exist. This does '''not''' directly control the number of available Z-levels at a particular site, though high maximum values may contribute to peaks which can raise the number of above ground Z-levels. In other words, a maximum elevation of 400 and minimum of 1 does not mean you get 400 Z-levels but it might increase the number of Z-levels somewhat in some regions compared to others.

Raising the variance will result in a more bumpy uneven landscape.

Some biomes/features that are impacted by elevation:
* A high minimum (above 99) means no oceans as they need elevations below 100.
* A low maximum (below 300) means no mountains as mountains need elevations above 300.
* River start locations need a minimum elevation of 300. Therefore, a world with a maximum elevation of 299 everywhere prevents river generation, but rivers can still occur if maximum elevation is set to 300.
*Mountain peaks can only form in squares with an elevation of 400.

==== Rainfall ====

Controls the amount of rainfall in each map square/area. Setting the minimum too high or the maximum too low can make the formation of certain biomes impossible. Rainfall causes it to [[Rain]] more in a given area, which can have various effects.

Also makes more rivers appear on the world map.

Note that if [[#Do Orographic Precipitation and Rain Shadows|orographic precipitation and rain shadows]] is on then mountains will cause additional variance in rainfall, so (for example) rainfall below the specified minimum can occur in the shadow of a mountain. If you want the minimum and maximum for this parameter to be absolutely respected you must turn off the orographic precipitation option.

==== Temperature ====

These parameters control how hot or cold various areas will be. If you lower the minimum and maximum values, the world will be colder overall, for example. As with the others, changing these values too much could make it impossible for certain biomes to exist. See [[Climate]] for more info.

[[Temperature]] appears to always be a vertical gradient of some sort no matter how these parameters are set, but if the values are lower then the gradient could be from "cold" to "colder" rather than "cold" to "warm" for example. Dwarf Fortress automatically applies temperature variations for latitude and elevation.

So, the value from the temperature rolling process is ''not the absolute temperature value the region will get, but rather local variation.'' The "base" temperature for an area is derived from its latitude and elevation, and then the random value determined by these parameters are applied to it to make it vary a bit. The local variation is fairly small compared to the base temperature, which appears to be hard coded.

==== Drainage ====

Changing drainage parameters will change the way water-affected biomes are formed. Low drainage will contribute to the formation of [[Lake|lakes]], [[River|rivers]], and [[Swamp|swamps]]. High drainage will cause water to sink into the ground rather than sit on the surface, which is important for forming hills.

Lower drainage values have been reported to contribute to the formation of thicker soil layers though it is currently unknown exactly how other factors (such as elevation or perhaps rain) impact soil formation.

==== Volcanism ====

Volcanism controls the occurrence of Igneous [[Layer|Layers]], and the formation of volcanoes. For a volcano to form, a square must have a volcanism value of 100 so reducing the maximum from 100 will make volcanoes impossible. Raising the minimum will increase the rarity of non-igneous layers.

Setting minimum to high value is not a good way to produce multiple volcanoes as you are likely to get a "Volcanism not evenly distributed" rejection. Instead use the Minimum Number of Volcanoes parameter and possibly adjust the weighted ranges for volcanism as described below.

==== Savagery ====

These parameters control the level of [[Surroundings#Savage|savagery]] on the map. Raising the minimum savagery too high may make it impossible for certain races to exist, and similarly lowering the maximum too far can make it impossible for certain creatures to exist. The largest chance of having unusable maps comes from too high of a savagery value.

==== Configuration Tokens ====

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[ELEVATION:<min>:<max>:<x variance>:<y variance>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[ELEVATION:1:400:401:401]</nowiki></tt>
| Range: 0 to 400<br/>Maximum of 400 required for mountain peaks.<br/>Variance range: 0-3200
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[RAINFALL:<min>:<max>:<x variance>:<y variance>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[RAINFALL:0:100:200:200]</nowiki></tt>
| Range: 0 to 100 <br/>Variance range: 0-3200
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[TEMPERATURE:<min>:<max>:<x variance>:<y variance>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[TEMPERATURE:25:75:200:200]</nowiki></tt>
| Range: -1000 to 1000 <br/>Variance range: 0-3200
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[DRAINAGE:<min>:<max>:<x variance>:<y variance>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[DRAINAGE:0:100:200:200]</nowiki></tt>
| Range: 0 to 100 <br/>Variance range: 0-3200
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[VOLCANISM:<min>:<max>:<x variance>:<y variance>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[VOLCANISM:1:100:200:200]</nowiki></tt>
| Range: 0 to 100<br/>Maximum of 100 required for volcanoes. <br/>Variance range: 0-3200
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[SAVAGERY:<min>:<max>:<x variance>:<y variance>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[SAVAGERY:1:100:200:200]</nowiki></tt>
| Range: 0 to 100 <br/>Variance range: 0-3200
|}

=== Terrain Mesh Sizes and Weights ===

These parameters make it possible to influence the number of squares in a particular range without making conditions outside of that range impossible. For example, you can make it possible for more many more low elevation squares to exist without making it impossible for high elevations to form. Changing these parameters is often preferable to simply changing the min/max values.

[[File:World_map-large-32x32-elevation-mesh.png|thumb|300px|A large world generated with an Elevation Mesh Size of 32x32 and range weights set to 1:0:0:0:1 (i.e., only extreme high and low elevations). Notice that with this coarse mesh, the terrain seems to appear almost like a grid of "pyramids" that are smoothed together. With a finer mesh size, these pyramids will be smaller, more numerous, smoother, and less apparent.]]
==== Mesh Size ====

Mesh size determines how "finely grained" weighted ranges will be applied. Setting this to Ignore will cause the weighted range settings to be ignored for that terrain characteristic. The end result of this is that a small mesh, for example 2x2, will affect less of the map than a large mesh, like 16x16 for a medium map, which will affect almost all of the map. Also note that the X,Y variance can also have a profound effect on the implementation of the mesh, see this [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112132.msg3410520#msg3410520 forum post] for more details.

Mesh Size affects the smoothing brush in the world painter.

==== Weighted Ranges ====

If mesh size is set to something other than Ignore, these weights will be applied at the granularity of the selected mesh size for purposes of generating random values in each range. This allows random number generation to be non-linear for the given terrain characteristic.

For example, if the Elevation Weighted Range parameters were set to (starting with the 0-20 range) 60:10:10:10:10 (these values do not have to add up to any particular number) then about 60% of the map squares (on average) will have an elevation in the range of 0-20, and the other ranges will be represented by around 10% of the map squares each. The exact distribution is still left up to chance though ''on average'' it will be close to this specification.

The way the process appears to work is that the map is divided into a "wireframe mesh" where the lines are Mesh Size number of tiles apart. Each intersection of the "wires" is randomly assigned an elevation (or whatever) and then the tiles between these points are smoothed out. See the image on the right for an example.

Weighted ranges do not make rejection checks, although they can be responsible for many rejections if you neglect to adjust or disable some of the [[#Minimum Number of Mid/Low/High Characteristic Squares|Minimum Number of Mid/Low/High Characteristic Squares]] for example.

==== Configuration Tokens ====

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[ELEVATION_FREQUENCY:<mesh>:<0-20 weight>:<20-40 weight>:<40-60 weight>:<60-80 weight>:<80-100 weight>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[ELEVATION_FREQUENCY:2:1:2:3:4:5]</nowiki></tt>
| rowspan="6" | Valid mesh values:

1 = Ignore

2 = 2x2

3 = 4x4

4 = 8x8

5 = 16x16

6 = 32x32

(limited by world size)
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[RAIN_FREQUENCY:<mesh>:<0-20 weight>:<20-40 weight>:<40-60 weight>:<60-80 weight>:<80-100 weight>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[RAIN_FREQUENCY:3:1:2:3:4:5]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[DRAINAGE_FREQUENCY:<mesh>:<0-20 weight>:<20-40 weight>:<40-60 weight>:<60-80 weight>:<80-100 weight>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[DRAINAGE_FREQUENCY:4:1:2:3:4:5]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[TEMPERATURE_FREQUENCY:<mesh>:<0-20 weight>:<20-40 weight>:<40-60 weight>:<60-80 weight>:<80-100 weight>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[TEMPERATURE_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[SAVAGERY_FREQUENCY:<mesh>:<0-20 weight>:<20-40 weight>:<40-60 weight>:<60-80 weight>:<80-100 weight>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[SAVAGERY_FREQUENCY:5:1:2:3:4:5]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[VOLCANISM_FREQUENCY:<mesh>:<0-20 weight>:<20-40 weight>:<40-60 weight>:<60-80 weight>:<80-100 weight>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[VOLCANISM_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]</nowiki></tt>
|}

=== Minimum Mountain Peak Number ===

This will cause the world to be rejected if fewer than this many peaks (based on elevation) are present on the map. Elevations of 400 must be possible for mountain peaks to occur. If set to zero then worlds will not be rejected based on number of peaks.

You may need to adjust elevation parameters, such as the highest weighted range, in order to get the desired number of elevation 400 squares needed for larger numbers of peaks. Like volcanoes, mountain peaks can make embark zones more interesting but other than that they don't appear to "do" anything special. Reportedly they do increase the highest Z-level above ground in all embark zones in the same region even if the selected embark zone does not include the peak.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[PEAK_NUMBER_MIN:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[PEAK_NUMBER_MIN:20]</nowiki></tt>
| Elevations of 400 must occur for peaks to form.
|}

=== Minimum Partial Edge Oceans ===

This will cause a world to be rejected unless there are at least this many oceans touching an edge of the map. If set to zero then worlds will not be rejected based on this criterion. Setting both this parameter and Minimum Complete Edge Oceans to values that total more than 4 when added together may cause all worlds to be rejected as you can't have both a partial and complete edge ocean on a given edge.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[PARTIAL_OCEAN_EDGE_MIN:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[PARTIAL_OCEAN_EDGE_MIN:2]</nowiki></tt>
| Maximum of 4
|}

=== Minimum Complete Edge Oceans ===

This will cause a world to be rejected unless there are at least this many oceans which completely cover an edge of the map. Since a square map only has 4 edges, the maximum value possible is 4. If set to zero then worlds will not be rejected based on this criterion but still might end up with complete edge oceans by chance.

Note that the ability for this many edge oceans to exist will be limited by elevation. Therefore to actually create large oceans you will probably need to change things like the Elevation Mesh Size and Weighted Ranges to increase the number and distribution of very low elevation squares on the map.

Given appropriate weight, range, and variance values for things like elevation, a setting of:
*1 results in a world that seems like a chunk of coastline. One edge of the map will be completely underwater and there will be ocean taking up much of the map on that side. Think the east or west coast of the United States, the north coast of Canada, or southern Europe. If your edge ocean happens to pick your world's frozen side most of it will be glacier.
*2 results in another coastline along with the first one. The map could end up looking something like Panama if the oceans pick opposite sides of the map.
*3 results in a peninsula, like Florida in the US. There will be oceans surrounding 3 sides of the map, and land touching only one side of the map.
*4 results in one or more island(s) depending on things like elevation variance and weights. Regardless of whether you get one island or multiple islands, the entire map will be surrounded by water.
Unfortunately there's no easy way to control which oceans end up on which edges, except perhaps setting X and Y variance to different values.

Edge oceans will take up part of the other edges too. For example a full edge ocean on the east side will have part of the north and south sides underwater, but that does ''not'' add to the ''partial'' edge oceans count.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[COMPLETE_OCEAN_EDGE_MIN:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[COMPLETE_OCEAN_EDGE_MIN:0]</nowiki></tt>
| Maximum of 4
|}

=== Minimum Volcano Number ===

Worlds with less than this number of volcanoes will be rejected. Note that this will not just create this many volcanoes at random; there must be at least this many squares with a Volcanism of 100. Therefore adjusting Weighted Range for 80-100 to some higher value is recommended if you want to facilitate a large number of volcanoes. In addition, Maximum Volcanism must be set to 100 or squares with volcanism of 100 will be impossible making volcanoes impossible.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[VOLCANO_MIN:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[VOLCANO_MIN:15]</nowiki></tt>
| Volcanoes require a volcanism of 100 to occur.
|}

=== Mineral Scarcity ===

Controls the frequency at which minerals occur. Setting this value lower will increase the amount of ore present on a map, the number of different types of ore, and the number/types of gems. The default value will result in a maximum of 2-4 metal ores per map (assuming you choose a good embark location) which may be limiting until the economy is fully implemented and desired metals can be traded for.

According to [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=79018.msg2063804#msg2063804 research] by Shandra on v0.31.25, this is the relationship between the value of this setting and the approximate number of gems and ore:

[[File:MineralSetting_v25_limit10k.png]]

This is for the same 8x8 embark region in a world which is otherwise the same except for the mineral scarcity parameter. Although most of the detailed information comes from experiments on previous versions.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[MINERAL_SCARCITY:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[MINERAL_SCARCITY:2500]</nowiki></tt>
| Range: 100 to 100,000

|}
<small>'''Note: as of DF2012 low mineral scarcity settings do not cause rejections.'''</small>

=== Max Megabeasts Caves ===

This is the number of megabeasts placed at the beginning of history. Megabeasts are hydras, bronze colossuses, rocs and dragons which are all placed in equal proportions [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112465.msg3415177#msg3415177 <sup>data</sup>].

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[MEGABEAST_CAP:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[MEGABEAST_CAP:75]</nowiki></tt>
| Megabeasts count towards BEAST_END_YEAR calculation.
|}

=== Max Semi-Megabeast Caves ===

This is the number of semi-megabeasts placed at the beginning of history. Semi-megabeasts are giants, ettins, minotaurs and cyclopes which are placed in equal proportions [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112465.msg3415188#msg3415188 <sup>data</sup>].

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[SEMIMEGABEAST_CAP:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[SEMIMEGABEAST_CAP:150]</nowiki></tt>
| Semimegabeasts do not count towards BEAST_END_YEAR calculation.
|}

=== Titan Parameters ===

==== Number ====

This controls the number of titans that exist at the beginning of history[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112465.msg3415203#msg3415203 <sup>data</sup>]. The number of forgotten beasts is unaffected by this parameter [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112465.msg3415155#msg3415155 <sup>data</sup>].

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[TITAN_NUMBER:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[TITAN_NUMBER:33]</nowiki></tt>
| Titans count towards BEAST_END_YEAR calculation.
|}

==== Attack Population Requirement ====

Megabeasts will begin to attack your fort once at least this many dwarves inhabit it, regardless of whether any other attack criteria have been met. This number defaults to 80 which isn't usually too difficult to deal with.

==== Exported Wealth Requirement ====

Megabeasts will begin to attack your fort once you have exported at least this many [[Currency|dwarfbucks]] worth of merchandise, regardless of whether or not any other criteria have been met. This parameter defaults to None (disabled).

==== Created Wealth Requirement ====

Megabeasts will begin to attack your fort once the fort's total wealth has reached this many [[Currency|dwarfbucks]] in value. This happens regardless of whether any of the other criteria, such as population, have been met. Therefore even with 1 dwarf a fort could be attacked if the fort were worth at least this value.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[TITAN_ATTACK_TRIGGER:<population>:<exp wealth>:<created wealth>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[TITAN_ATTACK_TRIGGER:80:0:100000]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 = None (disabled). Only one requirement must be met for an attack.
|}

=== Number of Demon Types ===

[[Demon|Demons]] are similar to titans and forgotten beasts in that they are procedurally generated, but unlike titans they are not unique. Thus many different types of demons will exist in the world but there will be many members of each type. Setting this to zero means no demons will exist, limiting the amount of fun you can have.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[DEMON_NUMBER:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[DEMON_NUMBER:52]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 to 1000
|}

=== Number of Night Troll Types ===

The number of different [[Night troll|night trolls]] that will exist in the world. These are also procedurally generated. Setting this to zero means that the world will have no night trolls.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[NIGHT_TROLL_NUMBER:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[NIGHT_TROLL_NUMBER:77]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 to 1000
|}

=== Number of Bogeyman Types ===

The number of different [[Bogeyman|bogeyman]] forms that will exist in the world. Bogeyman are procedurally generated, though their forms do not vary by much. Setting this to zero, means that the world will have no bogeyman.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[BOGEYMAN_NUMBER:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[BOGEYMAN_NUMBER:27]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 to 1000
|}

=== Number of Vampire Curse Types ===

The number of different [[Vampire|vampires]] that will exist in the world. Although they too are generated at the start of a new world, they generally no different from one another, with the biggest difference being what stat bonuses their vampirism gives {{verify}}. Setting this to zero means no vampires will exist.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[VAMPIRE_NUMBER:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[VAMPIRE_NUMBER:72]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 to 1000
|}

=== Number of Werebeast Curse Types ===

The number of different [[Werebeast|werebeasts]] that can exist in the world. It is common for werebeasts, unlike vampires, to assume many different forms and variations, the most well known of these amount as different species of animal beasts. From lizards, to wolves, to maybe even bears. Setting this to zero means no werebeasts will exist.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[WEREBEAST_NUMBER:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[WEREBEAST_NUMBER:58]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 to 1000
|}

=== Number of Secret Types ===

Though I specifically am not sure, I'm convinced that by secret types, they are talking about [[Forgotten beast|Forgotten beasts]] {{verify}}. If so, then the number limits how many unique forgotten beasts can exist.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[SECRET_NUMBER:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[SECRET_NUMBER:44]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 to 1000
|}

=== Number of Regional Interaction Types ===

Many maintain the idea that regional interaction types are what permit the dead to rise in [[Surroundings#Evil|evil]] biomes. Rumors have it that the other [[Surroundings#Good|two]] [[Surroundings#Savage|biomes]] have interaction types themselves.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[REGIONAL_INTERACTION_NUMBER:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[REGIONAL_INTERACTION_NUMBER:20]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 to 1000
|}

=== Number of Disturbance Interaction Types ===

The number of different [[Mummy|disturbed dead]] {{verify}} that can exist in the world. Setting this to zero, while being as pointless as is, (since you're never forced to enter a tomb anyways), will most likely prevent any toilet roll spooks from appearing, but it may or may not also prevent the existence of the pyramids which house them too.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[DISTURBANCE_INTERACTION_NUMBER:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[DISTURBANCE_INTERACTION_NUMBER:10]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 to 1000
|}

=== Number of Evil Cloud Types ===

This number specifies [[Weather#Evil weather|the total amount of various face-melting, eye-boiling, and zombifyingly-fun]] clouds of pure evil may appear in your world. Setting this to zero means you no longer will ever have to deal with encroaching dust walls of doom in that world. I'd keep this value low...

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[EVIL_CLOUD_NUMBER:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[EVIL_CLOUD_NUMBER:45]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 to 1000
|}

=== Number of Evil Rain Types ===

The lesser of a relatively large group of evils... evil rain. This number states how many different types of green-ooze drenchers, disconcerting blood-showers, and sickly yellow slime-baths can occur in your world. Compared to evil clouds though, this one hardly is worth stressing out about, usually.... Setting this to zero means the only semi-solid to fully liquid liquids to fall from the sky will be pure H2O.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[EVIL_RAIN_NUMBER:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[EVIL_RAIN_NUMBER:352]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 to 1000
|}

=== Desired Good/Evil Square Counts ===

These values change the amount of [[Surroundings#Good|good or evil]] tiles on the map, depending on the size of the region they are being considered for.

The exact size of small, medium, and large are: small is 1-24, medium is 25-99, and large is 100+, for any map size. The counts used here will always be restricted to regions of the given size no matter how large the number. Also, the count is more of a goal than a minimum or maximum. As a result you can end up with many more or many fewer than the requested number of squares in some situations.

In particular, if you have something like a case where only 3 large regions exists in a world, and you request "1 evil square" in large regions, you will end up with one of the large regions being ''entirely evil''. So any non-zero value in one of these settings essentially means "force at least one region of this size to be all good/evil."

Note that the "evilness" of evil biomes is also impacted by savagery.

Certain civilizations can not exist in good and/or evil squares, so too many of one or the other may limit the size of certain types of civilizations. Dwarves, for example, need non-aligned biomes.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[GOOD_SQ_COUNTS:<small region>:<med region>:<lg region>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[GOOD_SQ_COUNTS:100:1000:2000]</nowiki></tt>
| rowspan="2" | Set count to zero to disable for that region size.
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[EVIL_SQ_COUNTS:<small region>:<med region>:<lg region>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[EVIL_SQ_COUNTS:100:1000:2000]</nowiki></tt>
|}

=== Minimum Biome Square Counts ===

These numbers control whether or not a world will be rejected based on a lack of different [[biome|biomes]]. Raising these numbers will '''not''' automatically generate the given number of squares of the given biome! For a biome to exist, certain conditions like elevation and rainfall must exist.

These parameters simply filter out worlds that (for example) randomly fail to have enough high elevation squares to support a given number of mountains, etc. Some settings may cause worlds to always be rejected. For example, if for some reason the maximum elevation parameter is set to a value below what will support mountain biomes, it will be impossible to satisfy a non-zero requirement for mountain squares. The same principle goes for other conditions and biomes such as low elevations and oceans, etc.

Certain civilizations require different biomes to exist (such as dwarves and mountains), so eliminating certain biomes will make it impossible for certain civilizations to form.

These parameters often result in infinite world rejection problems. See [[World rejection]] for information on solving problems related to worlds always being rejected due to one or more of these parameters.

0 means no minimum for rejection. Setting to 0 does not guarantee 0 squares of that biome.

==== Biome Type Requirement Table ====

Terrain requirements for various biomes are described below.{{Verify}} Note that some of the exact ranges are unknown.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! rowspan="2" | Biome
! colspan="4" | Terrain Requirement
|-
! Elevation
! Rainfall
! Temperature
! Drainage
|-
| Swamp/Marsh
| 100-299
| 33-100
| Non-Freezing
| 0-32
|-
| Desert/Badland
| 100-299
| 0-9
| non-freezing
| note<sup>1</sup>
|-
| Forest
| 100-299
| 66-100
| non-freezing
| 66-100
|-
| Mountains
| 300-400
| N/A
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| Ocean
| 0-99
| N/A
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| Glacier
| 100-299
| N/A
| Freezing
| 80(?)-100
|-
| Tundra
| 100-299
| N/A
| Freezing
| 0-66
|-
| Grassland
| 100-299
| 0-66
| Non-Freezing
| 0-66
|-
| Hills
| 100-299
| 0-66
| Non-Freezing
| 66-100
|}
note<sup>1</sup> drainage: 00-32 sand desert, 33-49 rocky wasteland, 50-65 rocky wasteland but different characters/appearance, 66-100 badlands

==== Minimum Initial Square Count ====

This is the minimum number of squares of the given biome that must exist before things like erosion take place.

One thing to keep in mind is the maximum number of squares on a map of a given size. If the total number of squares on a map is lower than the sum of all square count parameters then you will get infinite world rejection.

To determine the number of squares on a map, just multiply the dimensions. In practice these parameters will need to sum to lower than the maximum because some space is needed for "slack".

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Map Size
! Number of Squares
|-
| 17x17
| 289
|-
| 33x33
| 1089
|-
| 65x65
| 4225
|-
| 129x129
| 16614
|-
| 257x257
| 66049
|}

==== Minimum Initial Region Count ====

This is the minimum number of regions of contiguous biome squares that must exist before other processes such as erosion take place.

==== Minimum Final Region Count ====

This many regions of the given biome must exist after erosion and similar phases of generation have been completed.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:SWAMP:<init sq>:<init rg>:<final rg>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:SWAMP:1032:7:6]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:DESERT:<init sq>:<init rg>:<final rg>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:DESERT:1032:7:6]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:FOREST:<init sq>:<init rg>:<final rg>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:FOREST:4128:13:12]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:MOUNTAINS:<init sq>:<init rg>:<final rg>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:MOUNTAINS:8256:9:9]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:OCEAN:<init sq>:<init rg>:<final rg>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:OCEAN:8256:7:6]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:GLACIER:<init sq>:<init rg>:<final rg>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:GLACIER:0:0:0]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:TUNDRA:<init sq>:<init rg>:<final rg>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:TUNDRA:0:0:0]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:GRASSLAND:<init sq>:<init rg>:<final rg>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:GRASSLAND:8256:13:12]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:HILLS:<init sq>:<init rg>:<final rg>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[REGION_COUNTS:HILLS:8256:13:12]</nowiki></tt>
|}

=== Erosion Cycle Count ===

Tells the world-generator how long the world has to erode its tall peaks down to mountainsides during the 'running rivers...' stage of world creation. The higher this number, the less jagged the world will be, and the more wide the major rivers will be. If you use the maximum number, your mountains will dissolve before your eyes into plains which can lead to rejections if there aren't enough mountains to use for river start points and dwarven civilization origin points.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[EROSION_CYCLE_COUNT:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[EROSION_CYCLE_COUNT:250]</nowiki></tt>
| Range: 0 to 1000
|}

=== Minimum/Desired River Start Locations ===

This is the minimum number of riverheads that must exist before and after erosion takes place. Worlds will be rejected if they fail to meet these numbers. As with minimum biome counts, raising this number doesn't automatically create this many riverheads. Other conditions like terrain and rainfall must exist for rivers to form.

Extremely high pre-erosion values speed erosion greatly, while low post erosion values are useful for limiting rejects due to lack of river origin points. One can try the 800 value to get more lakes.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[RIVER_MINS:<min pre-erosion>:<des post-erosion>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[RIVER_MINS:200:400]</nowiki></tt>
| Range: 0 to 800
|}

=== Periodically Erode Extreme Cliffs ===

If enabled, makes every impassable rock wall into a series of ramps. Some prefer to pump up erosion to about 250, and turn the "Desired pre-erosion river count" to 0 for good erosion and no extra canyons.

Normally this is set to Yes (1).

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[PERIODICALLY_ERODE_EXTREMES:<1 or 0>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[PERIODICALLY_ERODE_EXTREMES:1]</nowiki></tt>
| 1/0 = Yes/No
|}

=== Do Orographic Precipitation and Rain Shadows ===

Toggle that allows terrain height to affect rainfall. For example, moist air coming from the ocean blows over the land. As the terrain gets higher, it forces the moist air up, causing it to rain on the seaward side of a mountain. Eventually, all the rain has fallen if the mountain is tall enough. So, when the breeze goes over the top, there's no moisture left to fall on the other side, creating a rain-shadow. This should create a tendency for more extreme rainfall in regions, creating more forests, deserts, marshlands, and grasslands. Also note that it can create rainfall outside of mix-max rainfall settings, so even in a world with a 0 max rainfall you may get rainfall biomes. Turning it off should result in more controllable, less complex rainfall conditions based on rainfall parameters as it adds a random element which can distort or otherwise mess up the climates on a pregenerated map.

This should be disabled if you're importing a map or using a preset map file that has weather.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[OROGRAPHIC_PRECIPITATION:<1 or 0>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[OROGRAPHIC_PRECIPITATION:1]</nowiki></tt>
| 1/0 = Yes/No
|}

=== Maximum Number of Subregions ===

This is the number of separate biomes (the flashing regions you see on embark when you hit F1, F2, etc when there's more than one biome on the embark location) that are allowed to exist on the entire map.

Setting this to very low values will result in numerous rejections depending on [[#X and Y Variance|variance parameters]]. If variance values are set to high numbers, many small biomes will be created causing rejection if this parameter value is not increased beyond the default.

Increasing the value of this tag is often a must when generating "patchwork" worlds with lots of biome variance, but simply increasing it without increasing variance parameters will not guarantee more biomes.

It is also interesting to note that the maximum subregions is 5000 which is more then the total number of squares for a pocket or small map. However for a medium or large map (16641 or 66049 squares) it quickly becomes a mere fraction of the total number of possible subregions. In fact it would be quite easy on a large map to end up with far to many subregions and get endless rejections of this type.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[SUBREGION_MAX:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[SUBREGION_MAX:2750]</nowiki></tt>
| Range: 1 to 5000
|}

=== Cavern Parameters ===
[[Caverns]] are the hollow areas underground which dwarves tend to encounter when they're digging around.

==== Cavern Layer Number ====

This parameter determines how many cavern systems will be generated, not including the Magma layer or the Bottom layer. Defaults to three. Setting it to lower values could help FPS.

'''Warning:''' If this is 0 then you will not have caverns on your map. Note that disabling caverns will make it impossible to grow any underground plants because none will exist for your civilization to cultivate. (Underground plants will not be available on embark.)

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_COUNT:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_COUNT:3]</nowiki></tt>
| Range: 0 to 3
|}

==== Cavern Layout Parameters ====

Open caverns and dense passageways are not mutually exclusive. When both are raised, bizarre results can occur, such as layers showing a combination of open caverns, a cluster of network passages, and natural walls sprinkling the inside of an otherwise open cavern. [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=76355.msg1936859#msg1936859 Reference]

If you want the largest open spaces possible, then decrease the density and increase the openness. If you want a labyrinth of passageways, lower the openness and raise the passage density.

Another interesting note about the cavern layers is that the seed and number of demon types affect the layout of the caverns.

<gallery widths=200 heights=200 perrow=2>
File:Open00Density100.jpg|Cavern slice with Openness of 0 and Density of 100
File:Open100Density00.jpg|Cavern slice with Openness of 100 and Density of 0
File:Open100Density100.jpg|Cavern slice with Openness of 100 and Density of 100
File:Open50Density50.jpg|Cavern slice with Openness of 50 and Density of 50
</gallery>

===== Layer Openness Min/Max =====

Dictates the size of cavern passages. When Passage Density (see below) is set to minimum (0), caverns will be open expanses. Raising the maximum will increase the size of the caverns.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_OPENNESS_MIN:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_OPENNESS_MIN:0]</nowiki></tt>
| rowspan="2" | Range: 0 to 100
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_OPENNESS_MAX:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_OPENNESS_MAX:100]</nowiki></tt>
|}

===== Layer Passage Density Min/Max =====

This determines how many passages form the cavern. If openness (see above) is set to minimum and density increased then you will get a maze like network of small criss-crossing passages. Raising the values further increases the number of the maze-like passages.

Caverns will be large, open spaces at 0, and comprised of many small vertical shafts of rock at 100. Setting both values to be the same results in a uniform look for the caverns.{{Verify}}

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_PASSAGE_DENSITY_MIN:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_PASSAGE_DENSITY_MIN:0]</nowiki></tt>
| rowspan="2" | Range: 0 to 100
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_PASSAGE_DENSITY_MAX:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_PASSAGE_DENSITY_MAX:100]</nowiki></tt>
|}

See [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=76355.0 this forum thread] for more information on openness and density including many more images.

===== Layer Water min\max =====

Determines how many caverns will have water at the bottom. Note that, even at 100, there will be some amount of ground in caverns, but each cavern 'bubble' will contain some amount of water.

At 0, there will be no water in your caverns. This may impact future underground plant growth, although maps will still start with underground flora.{{Verify}}

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_WATER_MIN:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_WATER_MIN:0]</nowiki></tt>
| rowspan="2" | Range: 0 to 100
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_WATER_MAX:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVERN_LAYER_WATER_MAX:100]</nowiki></tt>
|}

==== Magma Layer ====

This parameter controls whether the [[magma sea]] exists.

Setting 1/Yes causes the magma layer to exist, value 0/No prevents it. Appears not have impact on volcanoes, nor volcanism, so even if 0/No there will still be embark locations with magma. If a [[volcano]] exists, it appears to always tap the magma sea, but the magma sea will not be revealed by revealing the volcano.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[HAVE_BOTTOM_LAYER_1:<1 or 0>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[HAVE_BOTTOM_LAYER_1:1]</nowiki></tt>
|}

==== Bottom Layer ====

Determines if the space below the magma sea exists. If Yes the "HFS" layer is always present. Normally you want to leave this set to Yes for maximum fun.

If enabled, this will force the magma layer above it. (Unknown whether this has any impact on occurrence of HFS "temple".){{Verify}}

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[HAVE_BOTTOM_LAYER_2:<1 or 0>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[HAVE_BOTTOM_LAYER_2:1]</nowiki></tt>
|}

=== Z Levels (Depth) Settings ===

These parameters control the "thickness" of various "layers" on the map. Note that a "layer" in this case does not refer to one Z-level, but refers to a number of related Z-levels such as "levels above ground".

The following table assumes that you have 3 cavern layers. The Levels Above Layer settings control how many Z-Levels are above each layer. A layer may itself consist of multiple Z-Levels (and almost always does).

{|style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class="wikitable"
|-style="background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;"
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;" width="120"|Setting Name
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;" width="200"|Token
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| Description
|-
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| Above Ground
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| <nowiki>[LEVELS_ABOVE_GROUND:<number>]</nowiki>
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| The number of Z-Levels of air above the highest surface level.<br />Has no impact on how many Z-levels deep the surface layer is.
|-
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| Above layer 1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| <nowiki>[LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_1:<number>]</nowiki>
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| Z-Levels of stone above the first cavern layer. Making this higher will guarantee ''at least'' this many levels to build your fortress, but will have no impact on how many z-levels thick the surface layer is. Also, the top of a cavern may be higher than the rest of a cavern, so in practice there will be more "solid" levels than this above the cavern.
As for version 0.31.25 this setting is inaccurate. The actual number of z-levels may vary in a range of approx. ±5, which may result in non-existence of any solid z-levels between a surface layer and first cavern layer.
|-
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| Above Layer 2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| <nowiki>[LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_2:<number>]</nowiki>
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| Z-levels of earth between very top of second cavern and very bottom of first cavern.
|-
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| Above Layer 3
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| <nowiki>[LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_3:<number>]</nowiki>
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| Z-levels of earth between very top of third cavern and very bottom of second cavern.
|-
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| Above Layer 4
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| <nowiki>[LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_4:<number>]</nowiki>
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| Z-Levels of earth between very highest magma and very bottom of third cavern.<br />Spoiler Hidden (select invisible text to read): <span style='color:#eee;'>Making this high will give a large area for HFS veins, so that it never touches caverns, giving more to mine '''if''' it was impacting the cavern previously.</span>
|-
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| Above Layer 5
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| <nowiki>[LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_5:<number>]</nowiki>
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| Uncertain. May control the number of levels of "Semi Molten Rock" between HFS and Magma, may control number of levels of magma, may impact both.<br />In experimentation, the overall depth of all magma sea and semi-molten rock levels appears to increase, but not consistent enough to say for certain.<br />Only valid if Magma Layer present.<br />Spoiler Hidden:<span style='color:#eee;'>Often the HFS vein will only extend as high as the highest magma, making this the only guaranteed way to increase amount of HFS to mine, but unfortunately also creating enormous useless semi-molten z-levels</span>
|-
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| At Bottom
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| <nowiki>[LEVELS_AT_BOTTOM:<number>]</nowiki>
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"| Appears to be number of levels of HFS chamber.<br />Only valid if Bottom Layer present.<br />Often has no impact.<br />Values larger than default results in strange things.
|}

Some implications:
* The number of surface layers (e.g. soil), at this time, can not be controlled. For example, on a map with 1 layer of Peat, then a layer of Silt, then a layer of Obsidian, there is no control to let you increase either one to be, say, 20 z-levels. (though you may get lucky with the Obsidian).
* There can be multiple stone layers between the cavern and the surface. So increasing Levels Above Layer 1 may give you more Conglomerate, or more Granite, and you have no control over which stone layer spans those Z-Levels.
* The layers shown on embark span across the cavern layers in an unknown and inconsistent way. Sometimes those 10 different layers of stone are evenly distributed over your 400 z-level deep map, sometimes the first 9 get 1 z-level each and the last gets the other 391 levels. No way to control found yet.
* The HFS temple, if present, will always extend into the rock layers, and appears to always make contact with the bottom cave. Large values for levels above layer 5 and layer 4 can result in enormous temples, but the number of levels at the top (the part with undead) appears to be unaffected.
* Unconfirmed whether number of levels between caverns has any impact on cavern height. There will be connecting ramps and/or shafts between cavern layers no matter how many levels are between them.
* '''Very Important''': These values appear to apply across a whole 16x16 Region, not just embark areas. That means that if a 16x16 region is completely flat, but has one tall mountain in one far corner, even if you set Levels Above Ground low (e.g. 2 z-levels) you still have all the empty air of the highest mountain in every embark tile (e.g. 200 z-levels). Also can happen to the semi-molten layer, and can lead to unexpected behavior.
* Very large values can cause strange things to happen. Even more true for small values.

=== Cave Parameters ===

Caves are sort of like caverns except that they have a passage to the surface and are generally much smaller. Caves can connect to caverns if they are sufficiently deep.

==== Minimum/Maximum Natural Cave Size ====

These parameters appear to control the length and depth of caves.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVE_MIN_SIZE:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVE_MIN_SIZE:5]</nowiki></tt>
| rowspan="2" | Range: 1 to 500
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVE_MAX_SIZE:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[CAVE_MAX_SIZE:25]</nowiki></tt>
|}

==== Number of (Non-)Mountain Caves ====

The number of caves that will be generated. Lurking kobolds set up shop in caves and store stolen items here. A setting of 0 in both will stop kobold civilizations from appearing. Special note: a cave is not a lair.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[MOUNTAIN_CAVE_MIN:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[MOUNTAIN_CAVE_MIN:100]</nowiki></tt>
| rowspan="2" | Range: 0 to 800
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[NON_MOUNTAIN_CAVE_MIN:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[NON_MOUNTAIN_CAVE_MIN:200]</nowiki></tt>
|}

==== Make Caves Visible ====

If set to no (default) then the location of caves will not be marked on the map. If set to yes, caves will appear on the map as {{Raw Tile|•|#808080|#00DD00}} symbols so that they may be sought out or avoided as desired.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[ALL_CAVES_VISIBLE:<1 or 0>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[ALL_CAVES_VISIBLE:0]</nowiki></tt>
| 1/0 = Yes/No
|}

=== Allow Init Options to Show Tunnels ===

This parameter doesn't do anything.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[SHOW_EMBARK_TUNNEL:<0-2>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[SHOW_EMBARK_TUNNEL:2]</nowiki></tt>
| 0 = No<br/>1 = Only in Finder<br/>2 = Always
|}

=== Number of Civilizations ===

This number of civilizations will be placed on the map before history generation begins. These civilizations may later die out due to historical events. The five races being Dwarf, Elf, Human, Goblin and Kobold, they will be placed in equal numbers until the quota has been reached. If there is an odd number of civs (not divisible by 5) then the remainder is distributed randomly. Kobold civs require caves to be placed, if no caves exist then the Kobold civs are skipped and other civs placed, it does not cause rejections [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112465.msg3415125#msg3415125 <sup>data</sup>].

Note that a high value here can cause lots of map rejections, particularly on smaller maps as there simply isn't enough room or regions to put them all in.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[TOTAL_CIV_NUMBER:<number>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[TOTAL_CIV_NUMBER:40]</nowiki></tt>
| Range: 0 to 300
|}

=== Playable Civilization Required ===

If this is set to yes (default) then worlds will be rejected if no civilization with [[Entity token|CIV_CONTROLLABLE]] can be placed. In an unmodded game, only the dwarves have this token.

If set to no, the result may be a world that cannot be played in Fortress Mode.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[PLAYABLE_CIVILIZATION_REQUIRED:<1 or 0>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[PLAYABLE_CIVILIZATION_REQUIRED:1]</nowiki></tt>
| 1/0 = Yes/No
|}

=== Minimum Number of Mid/Low/High Characteristic Squares ===

Sets the minimum possible number of squares of certain ranges of each of the region qualities, such as elevation, rain, drainage, volcanism, savagery, and temperature. These need to be changed to reflect your regional meshes and weights. These are responsible for a HUGE number of map rejections. These values can all be set to 0 for much fewer map rejections, particularly in the case of more wacky, non-standard maps.

These values will cause worlds to be rejected unless at least the given number of squares of the given type are randomly generated. Setting these values too high could result in worlds always being rejected if other parameters such as the maximum/minimums for elevation, etc, don't allow enough of those squares to get generated.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#dddddd"
! Token
! Example
! Notes
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[ELEVATION_RANGES:<low sq>:<mid sq>:<high sq>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[ELEVATION_RANGES:8256:16512:8256]</nowiki></tt>
| rowspan="5" | Minimum number of squares that must have low, medium, and high amounts of the given attribute.<br/>
0 = No minimum
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[RAIN_RANGES:<low sq>:<mid sq>:<high sq>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[RAIN_RANGES:8256:16512:8256]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[DRAINAGE_RANGES:<low sq>:<mid sq>:<high sq>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[DRAINAGE_RANGES:8256:16512:8256]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[SAVAGERY_RANGES:<low sq>:<mid sq>:<high sq>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[SAVAGERY_RANGES:8256:16512:8256]</nowiki></tt>
|-
| <tt><nowiki>[VOLCANISM_RANGES:<low sq>:<mid sq>:<high sq>]</nowiki></tt>
| <tt><nowiki>[VOLCANISM_RANGES:8256:16512:8256]</nowiki></tt>
|}

==World rejection==

:''Main article [[World rejection]]''

If you are having the common problem of your generated worlds always being rejected by the world generator, see [[World_rejection#Solving_World_Rejection_Problems|Solving World Rejection Problems]] as it contains many detailed suggestions on how to troubleshoot and solve these issues.

== Default Worldgen Parameters ==

There is no single default for each parameter. Several advanced world generation profiles come with the game by default. See [[world_gen.txt|Default world_gen.txt]] to take a look at this file.

== Parameter Set Examples ==

If you're trying to do something specific then the [[Worldgen examples|Worldgen examples]] might be helpful. These are complete parameter sets that can be copied directly into your ''world_gen.txt'' file and customized as desired.
If they have nothing for you try [[Worldgen Tricks|Worldgen Tricks]], for known tricks and tips on making a world just right for you.

For many many more examples see:
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=101280 v0.34 WorldGen "Cookbook" Thread]

== Bugs ==
*Anti-Gravity Ants - Floating ant hills above river{{bug|3054}}

{{World}}

v0.34:Mayor

2012-08-17T18:58:41Z

Bronzebeard:

{{Noble
| noble= Mayor
| office= Decent Office
| quarters= Decent Quarters
| dining= Decent Dining Room
| chests=2
| cabinets=1
| racks=1
| stands=1
| mandates=1
| demands=2
| arrival=
* 50 population
* Elected
| function=
* Meet with foreign dignitaries
* Talk with disgruntled workers
}}
{{av}}{{Quality|Fine}}
[[Image:Goblin_slaying_Mayor.png‎|thumb|left|A dwarven mayor conducting a "meeting" with some goblin "liasons".]]
The mayor is a [[Noble]] whose job it is to speak with disgruntled workers and entertain foreign diplomats. He or she is automatically created from the most social dwarf, most likely the [[Expedition leader]], once the population reaches 50. A new mayor will be elected from time to time.

*Mayors are [[Leader|leaders]].
*Mayors, along with Expedition Leaders, are capable of appointing other Nobles. If you find yourself unable to appoint new Nobles, you will have to wait for a new Mayor to become appointed.
*Mayors are classy individuals, who require certain living standards in their rooms and furniture.
*Mayors can [[Mandate]] the production of certain goods, and receive a happy thought if you comply.
*Mayors can prohibit the export of certain goods instead of mandating their construction, resulting in Dwarves being punished for trade violations.
*Mayors can [[Demand]] certain types of furniture in their rooms and may get uppity if you don't comply.
*When an election happens, it's usually the dwarf with the most [[friend]]s who gets elected. Since [[children]] have nothing to do but socialize, they make lots of friends, friends which carry over when a child becomes an adult at age 12. Thus it's not unusual for a 12 year old to become mayor.

{{Nobles}}
{{Category|Elected Nobles}}

v0.34:Exploratory mining

2012-08-16T00:13:37Z

Bronzebeard: /* Rows */

Once you've had enough [[Losing|fun]] to have a basic fortress working, it becomes necessary to dig down in search of ores, gems, water, etc. Exploratory mining attempts to dig out as little as possible in order to see as much as is possible, using clever digging patterns.

{{av}}{{Quality|Exceptional}}

== Goals ==
Minerals are quite common (as of v0.31.01), reducing the need for extensive exploratory mining to find raw materials. Instead, the goal of most exploratory mining will be finding special features like [[Caverns]] and [[Magma]].
One might want to dig down to the caverns to find drinkable water, if the surface is all saltwater or winter-frozen ponds.

== Dangers ==
Potential dangers include:
*Hostile creatures which inhabit underground areas
*Large pools of liquids ([[Water]], [[Magma]])
*[[Hidden Fun Stuff|Fun]]

==Strategies==
All of the interesting stuff is below you when you start - digging straight down may be the fastest (though not the safest) way to find points of interest.

Those interested in *safely* exploring the depths may wish to create a level every so often where the stairway is broken so you can create barriers (like doors or lever-controlled floodgates) or garrison military squads to deal with any discovered hostiles.

== Exploratory Patterns ==

Patterns are represented by a unit tile. This unit tile is repeated throughout the area intended for excavation to create the desired pattern. Each pattern is analyzed with the above factors in mind.

Key:
. = Mined (floor)
x = Mined (shaft)
░ = Visible, not mined (wall)
▓ = Not mined, not visible

=== Hollow ===
All tiles are excavated.

* ''Labor'': 100% of the tiles are excavated.
* ''Target'': Any size. If it exists in the layer, it will be found.
* ''Visibility'': '''100%''' of the tiles are visible, obviously.
* ''Reusability'': Approaches zero, except for mass storage. Any design other than a large hall requires reconstruction.
* ''Bottom line'': Easy to designate, but miners tend to be a bit chaotic in their approach to the task. Hollowing wastes labor like there's no tomorrow, but integrates extraction into the exploratory mining process. Use only if you have a lot of labor to spare, or need huge amounts of stone and don't mind the reconstruction required to make the hollow area habitable.

=== Rows ===
<div style="font-family: monospace; white-space: pre; line-height: 126.5%"><nowiki>░░░░░░
......
░░░░░░
░░░░░░
......
░░░░░░</nowiki></div>
* ''Labor'': 1 per every 3 tiles (~33%) of the tiles are excavated.
* ''Target'': Any size. Clusters as small as a single tile are revealed.
* ''Visibility'': '''100%'''.
* ''Reusability'': Very low. The long corridors aren't very useful, and can only be expanded to long, wide corridors, but can be made into plenty of 3x3 rooms with the right use of walls.
* ''Bottom line'': Easy to designate, and a single miner will focus on one tunnel to the end or they take a [[break]]. This method achieves the same visibility as hollowing out, but using a mere third of the labor. Ideal for hunting single-tile gems. As an added bonus, it is more efficient than a 3×3 design.

Larger "tunnel" patterns are suggested to be dug in multiples of "3" to allow for later complete revealing with minimum effort.

=== Ladder Rows ===
<div style="font-family: monospace; white-space: pre; line-height: 126.5%"><nowiki>░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░.░░░░░.░
.░..░..░..░.
░.░░░░░.░░░░
░░░░░░░░░░░░
░░░░.░░░░░.░
.░..░..░..░.
░.░░░░░.░░░░
</nowiki></div>
* ''Labor'': 25% of the tiles are excavated (1 in 4).
* ''Target'': Any size. Clusters as small as a single tile are revealed.
* ''Visibility'': '''100%'''.
* ''Reusability'': Moderate. Alternating corridors can be mined out to create 5 tile wide rooms of any length... if the extra doors aren't a concern.
* ''Bottom line'': A little more tedious to designate, but the increased re-usability and efficiency make this an attractive alternative.

=== Diagonal every 5 ===
<div style="font-family: monospace; white-space: pre; line-height: 126.5%"><nowiki>░░.░░░░.░░
░.░░░░.░░░
.░░░░.░░░░
░░░░.░░░░.
░░░.░░░░.░</nowiki></div>
* ''Labor'': 20% of the tiles are excavated (1 per 5).
* ''Target'': Any size. Clusters as small as a single tile are revealed.
* ''Visibility'': '''100%'''.
* ''Reusability'': With a bit of imagination you can build nice 3x3 rooms
* ''Bottom line'': This method is moderately efficient among those with 100% visibility. This one doesn't use other levels to move from one spot to another but is annoying to designate.

A variation would put diagonals every 10 or 20, laying the groundwork to fill them in later for higher visibility if desired.

=== Mine shafts, grid of every 3 tiles ===

<div style="font-family: monospace; white-space: pre; line-height: 126.5%"><nowiki>░░░░░░░░░
░X░░X░░X░
░░░░░░░░░
░░░░░░░░░
░X░░X░░X░
░░░░░░░░░</nowiki></div>
* ''Labor'': 11.1% of the tiles are excavated (1/9).
* ''Target'': Any size. Clusters as small as a single tile are revealed.
* ''Visibility'': '''100%'''.
* ''Reusability'': It's easy to make into square rooms of various sizes, the stairways can be removed and used as doorways, or just carved out as part of the rooms.
* ''Bottom line'': You'll need to clear part of one layer to get the shafts started up or down (use one of the other methods to cover the area), but for one shaft at a time this method is, tile for tile, the most efficient for those with 100% visibility, and has a great reuse value. In practice, however, if you have more than one shaft being dug at one time, up/down-mining can cause miners to jump around between shafts, wasting time.

:It takes a lot of keypressing to designate, although you can save some effort by designating every third row across the entire width and height of the area to be excavated and then removing the designations ({{k|d}}-{{k|x}}) on all but every third column.
''For a discussion on optimizing travel times through mineshafts, see [[Mineshaft stitching]].''

=== Diagonal ramps ===

The pattern as shown is 1 up-ramp every 7 tiles vertically, or 1/14 horizontally, though this could be turned 90 degrees. The downramps are shown, but are only designated on the next level down. (Be ''sure'' you know how [[ramp]]s work before trying this one!)

<div style="font-family: monospace; white-space: pre; line-height: 126.5%"><nowiki>░░▼░░░░░░░░░░▲░░▼░░░░░░░░░░▲
░░░░░░░░░▲░░▼░░░░░░░░░░▲░░▼░
░░░░░▲░░▼░░░░░░░░░░▲░░▼░░░░░
░▲░░▼░░░░░░░░░░▲░░▼░░░░░░░░░
▼░░░░░░░░░░▲░░▼░░░░░░░░░░▲░░
░░░░░░░▲░░▼░░░░░░░░░░▲░░▼░░░
░░░▲░░▼░░░░░░░░░░▲░░▼░░░░░░░
░░▼░░░░░░░░░░▲░░▼░░░░░░░░░░▲</nowiki></div>
* ''Labor'': 14.3% of the tiles are excavated (1/7).
* ''Target'': Any size. Clusters as small as a single tile are revealed.
* ''Visibility'': '''100%'''.
* ''Reusability'': Moderate. 3x3 spaces cannot be created until at least one up-ramp is removed or a down-ramp floored over. [[Ramp]]s are less convenient than stairs for many purposes (for example, digging out the wrong tiles around a ramp can make it unusable).
* ''Bottom line'': In some ways the most efficient method of all, but difficult to designate and somewhat inconvenient (especially around the edges of the map). Awkward to stitch together.

=== Pinwheel Shafts===

<div style="font-family: monospace; white-space: pre; line-height: 126.5%"><nowiki>░░░░░░░░░░░
░XX░░X░░XX░
░░░░░X░░░░░
░░░▓░░░▓░░░
░X░░░░░░░X░
░X░░XXX░░X░
░X░░░░░░░X░
░░░▓░░░▓░░░
░░░░░X░░░░░
░XX░░X░░XX░
░░░░░░░░░░░</nowiki></div>
* ''Labor'': In this example about 17.3% of the tiles are being excavated.
* ''Target'': All except single-tile targets are guaranteed to be found, and those will only rarely be missed.
* ''Visibility'': '''96.6%'''.
* ''Reusability'': Workshops can be easily fitted into the unmined 3x3 areas.
* ''Bottom line'': Very similar to Mine Shafts, but you can replace the up/down stairways with alternating up stairs and down stairs on different levels, eliminating the chance that one of your dwarves will slip and fall all the way down the shaft to their deaths.

=== 7×7 blocks ===
<div style="font-family: monospace; white-space: pre; line-height: 126.5%"><nowiki>▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓
░░░░.░░░░░░░.░░░
................
░░░░.░░░░░░░.░░░
▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓
▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓
▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓
▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓
▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓
░░░░.░░░░░░░.░░░
................
░░░░.░░░░░░░.░░░
▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓
▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓</nowiki></div>
* ''Labor'': 15/64 (~23%) of the tiles are excavated.
* ''Target'': Veins and up, as the large 5X5 space left in each unit tile can easily conceal a small cluster. Small clusters will be found perhaps half the time.
* ''Visibility'': 39/64 (~61%) of the tiles are visible.
* ''Reusability'': Medium. The 7×7 blocks can easily be converted into 5×5 rooms, suitable for individual rooms, storage or workshops. Optionally, it can be converted into a grid of connected 7×7 rooms, if you center each room on a crossroad; or similarly into a grid of 3x3 rooms, good for workshops, etc. Easily converted into a more thorough 3×3 block patten by digging through the large blocks.
* ''Bottom line'': This is a low-labor method great for vein-hunting. The low labor cost puts you in a position to invest more and get better coverage if desired.

If you think you may wish to later use the "rows" method (above) for 100% visibility, this could be based on a spacing of 6, 9, or 12. Wider spacing starts to risk missing even veins.

=== 15×15 blocks ===
<div style="font-family: monospace; white-space: pre; line-height: 126.5%"><nowiki>▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
░░░░░.░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░.░░░░░░░░░░
................................
░░░░░.░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░.░░░░░░░░░░
▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░.░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓</nowiki></div>
* ''Labor'': 31/256 (~12%) of the tiles are excavated.
* ''Target'': Large clusters are guaranteed, and unless you have particularly bad luck you should also find all veins, but there is no guarantee. Veins would only rarely be hidden in the large 13×13 space left. The large 13×13 space left in each unit tile can easily conceal quite a lot.
* ''Visibility'': 87/256 (34%) of the tiles are visible.
* ''Reusability'': High. A 15×15 block of solid rock is extremely versatile when it comes to interior design. It's easily converted into a 7×7 block design, which may be further converted into a 3×3 block design.
* ''Bottom line'': This method is preferable when you are low on labor. It can easily accommodate parts of your fort, or serve as the precursor for a more thorough search. A 12×12 or 18×18 version are also valid options, with obvious (dis)advantages.

=== Mine Shafts on a 6-, 9-, 12-, or 15-grid ===

<div style="font-family: monospace; white-space: pre; line-height: 126.5%"><nowiki>▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓░░░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓░X░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░X░▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓░░░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓░░░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓░X░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░X░▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓░░░▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓</nowiki></div>
* ''Labor'': from under 3% (1/36) for the 6-grid to less than 0.5% for the 15-grid (1/225).
* ''Target'': Large clusters and up (as above) and underground features.
* ''Visibility'': from 25% for the 6-grid to 4% for the 15-grid.
* ''Reusability'': High. Any area often needs a set of stairs (or more than one) leading up/down, and these would be the start of them.
* ''Bottom line'': This method should be used when you are looking for [[caverns]], or getting a feel for the various rock layers, or just hoping to get lucky with little effort. Grids larger than 15 may start to miss even large features such as large clusters, but can be used for identifying stone layers, and can always be filled back in later with shafts on a tighter grid.

With any grid pattern, a (much) wider version could be used to start and to locate specific stone layers/areas, and then filled in later in a tighter pattern where you want if you're not lucky the first pass. If you plan to use the 3-grid pattern (for a 100% tile reveal) later, create your grid with intervals that are a multiple of "3". If you are only looking for veins, features or just don't care, then do as you will and play it by ear later.

----
== Mountain Top Removal Excavation ==
When the fortress is large enough, nearly every dwarf is standing idle, you have plenty of picks, and just want to mine it all ([[Elf|Environmentalist Hippies]] can go to HFS!), complete excavation may be in order. The risk of cave-in or stranded dwarfs prevents simply designating an entire mountain Channel, but mining the whole thing can be done with minimum player effort.

* Designate up-down stairs on the entire area to excavate, on every z-level. Designate the lowest level up-stairs, and leave a single tile one z-level above undesignated.
* Let the dwarfs mine it.
* If any walls are attached to the outermost edge of the excavation area, designate all of the edge stairs Channel to remove them (dwarfs will mine them from the neighboring stairs).
* Designate the lowest z-level for Remove Up Stairs. Leave one to prevent cave-in!
* Build a support under the unmined tile (remember step #1?). Remove the last up stair, once everyone is out of the stairs above.
* Link a lever far away, keep away all the <strike>suicidal idiots</strike> dwarfs and pull it.

After a long wait, the entire block of stairs will collapse, leaving the entire area safely excavated. The lever can now be removed, and all goodies from an entire mountain can be collected.
----

{{Category|Guides}}

v0.34:Goblin

2012-08-15T23:45:38Z

Bronzebeard:

{{quality|Masterwork|16:15, 13 April 2012 (UTC)}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|contrib=no
|death=nobutcher
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

Goblins are intelligent, evil, aggressive humanoid creatures that live in mountains, and are the main opponent in [[fortress mode]]. They often establish settlements in Dark Fortresses (currently these do not exist) within regions touched by evil, though it may be hard for some to imagine that goblins are capable of building those obsidian monoliths. They are also playable as adventurers. They quickly become a threat to the great majority of fortresses - except some island or mountain forts.

Goblins will start harassing a fortress early in its life, first with babysnatchers and ambushes, and later with [[siege]]s. Goblin babysnatchers carry a bag for their purpose. Their soldiers are commonly armed with [[copper]] and [[iron]] [[armor]], as well copper, iron and silver [[weapon]]s, generally with no quality levels unless on weaponmasters. These items can be a valuable source of metals for fortresses that embarked on metal-scarce areas (leading some players to refer to the plunders of a defeated goblin attack as [[Goblinite]]). Defeating a majority of an attacking force usually sends the rest of them running.

Goblins show the least concern for [[ethics]] out of any race in the game, with the sole exception being that treason is punishable by death. It appears that goblins do not enforce punishment, but instead simply ignore crimes and leave any punishment to be determined by the parties involved. It is because of their acceptance of controversial acts that goblins become enemies with nearly every other race. For example, goblins find the torture of animals, the butchering and consuming of sapient beings, oath breaking, and general malice acceptable or consider it a personal matter. Invading goblins are even willing to attack other goblins lounging around at your fortress.

In [[Adventurer mode]], "goblin" settlements will sometimes be completely goblin-free, having been displaced by the descendants of children that were captured in ages past. In this respect, whilst they're a goblin ''faction'', they're populated purely by prisoners and brainwashed humanoids.

While aggressive, goblins are notably cowardly. Although they're brutal and sadistic, they will not hold the line against a superior force and are more than willing to sacrifice their wounded comrades in a badly organized retreat. Their strength generally comes from pure numbers, as they're usually weaker than a dwarf one on one (a notable exception is their weapon lords and masters, who can be VERY talented in warfare.)

If a goblin siege attacks you with mounts and with a flashing goblin "General", it will be the last time they come on mounts. Since generals train all the mounts, there will be no more mounts when they die in an attack {{bug|3442}} or disappear off the map {{bug|2892}}. (As of v34.11 this appears to have been partially fixed: the general will disappear from the goblin civilization leader list even if they were not killed; however, that goblin civilization will continue to use mounts afterwards.)

{{D for Dwarf}}
Despite their bloodthirsty, selfish, unsympathetic and cruel nature, goblins are also recognized as a benevolent and merciful race in some aspects. Goblin Baby-Snatchers claim moral superiority by "supposedly" rescuing innocent lives from the slavery of making [[finished goods|rock trumpets]] until they are eaten by a [[giant cave spider]]. Atrocities such as the so-called [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91093.0 "dwarven day care"] institution also spur snatchers to rescue the children from constant abuse. Goblin [[Siege]]s are considered to be a form of mass mercy killings, as a fort can die in the most horrific of ways, such as [[tantrum spiral|social disagreement]]s, an infestation of [[Noble|parasitic organisms masquerading as dwarve]]s, or worst of all: a visit from the [[Demon|circus]].
{{gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}
{{Category|Races}}
{{Category|Humanoids}}

v0.34:Goblin

2012-08-15T23:45:02Z

Bronzebeard:

{{quality|Masterwork|16:15, 13 April 2012 (UTC)}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|contrib=no
|death=nobutcher
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

Goblins are intelligent, evil, aggressive humanoid creatures that live in mountains, and are the main opponent in [[fortress mode]]. They often establish settlements in Dark Fortresses (currently these do not exist) within regions touched by evil, though it may be hard for some to imagine that goblins are capable of building those obsidian monoliths. They are also playable as adventurers. They quickly become a threat to the great majority of fortresses - except some island or mountain forts.

Goblins will start harassing a fortress early in its life, first with babysnatchers and ambushes, and later with [[siege]]s. Goblin babysnatchers carry a bag for their purpose. Their soldiers are commonly armed with [[copper]] and [[iron]] [[armor]], as well copper, iron and silver [[weapon]]s, generally with no quality levels unless on weaponmasters. These items can be a valuable source of metals for fortresses that embarked on metal-scarce areas (leading some players to refer to the plunders of a defeated goblin attack as [[Goblinite]]). Defeating a majority of an attacking force usually sends the rest of them running.

Goblins show the least concern for [[ethics]] out of any race in the game, with the sole exception being that treason is punishable by death. It appears that goblins do not enforce punishment, but instead simply ignore crimes and leave any punishment to be determined by the parties involved. It is because of their acceptance of controversial acts that goblins become enemies with nearly every other race. For example, goblins find the torture of animals, the butchering and consuming of sapient beings, oath breaking, and general malice acceptable or consider it a personal matter. Invading goblins are even willing to attack other goblins lounging around at your fortress.

In [[Adventurer mode]], "goblin" settlements will sometimes be completely goblin-free, having been displaced by the descendants of children that were captured in ages past. In this respect, whilst they're a goblin ''faction'', they're populated purely by prisoners and brainwashed humanoids.

While aggressive, goblins are notably cowardly. Although they're brutal and sadistic, they will not hold the line against a superior force and are more than willing to sacrifice their wounded comrades in a badly organized retreat. Their strength generally comes from pure numbers, as they're usually weaker than a dwarf one on one (a notable exception is their weapon lords and masters, who can be VERY talented in warfare.)

If a goblin siege attacks you with mounts and with a flashing goblin "General", it will be the last time they come on mounts. Since generals train all the mounts, there will be no more mounts when they die in an attack {{bug|3442}} (or disappear off the map {{bug|2892}}). (As of v34.11 this appears to have been partially fixed: the general will disappear from the goblin civilization leader list even if they were not killed; however, that goblin civilization will continue to use mounts afterwards.)

{{D for Dwarf}}
Despite their bloodthirsty, selfish, unsympathetic and cruel nature, goblins are also recognized as a benevolent and merciful race in some aspects. Goblin Baby-Snatchers claim moral superiority by "supposedly" rescuing innocent lives from the slavery of making [[finished goods|rock trumpets]] until they are eaten by a [[giant cave spider]]. Atrocities such as the so-called [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91093.0 "dwarven day care"] institution also spur snatchers to rescue the children from constant abuse. Goblin [[Siege]]s are considered to be a form of mass mercy killings, as a fort can die in the most horrific of ways, such as [[tantrum spiral|social disagreement]]s, an infestation of [[Noble|parasitic organisms masquerading as dwarve]]s, or worst of all: a visit from the [[Demon|circus]].
{{gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}
{{Category|Races}}
{{Category|Humanoids}}

v0.34:Goblin

2012-08-15T23:41:14Z

Bronzebeard:

{{quality|Masterwork|16:15, 13 April 2012 (UTC)}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|contrib=no
|death=nobutcher
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

Goblins are intelligent, evil, aggressive humanoid creatures that live in mountains, and are the main opponent in [[fortress mode]]. They often establish settlements in Dark Fortresses (currently these do not exist) within regions touched by evil, though it may be hard for some to imagine that goblins are capable of building those obsidian monoliths. They are also playable as adventurers. They quickly become a threat to the great majority of fortresses - except some island or mountain forts.

Goblins will start harassing a fortress early in its life, first with babysnatchers and ambushes, and later with [[siege]]s. Goblin babysnatchers carry a bag for their purpose. Their soldiers are commonly armed with [[copper]] and [[iron]] [[armor]], as well copper, iron and silver [[weapon]]s, generally with no quality levels unless on weaponmasters. These items can be a valuable source of metals for fortresses that embarked on metal-scarce areas (leading some players to refer to the plunders of a defeated goblin attack as [[Goblinite]]). Defeating a majority of an attacking force usually sends the rest of them running.

Goblins show the least concern for [[ethics]] out of any race in the game, with the sole exception being that treason is punishable by death. It appears that goblins do not enforce punishment, but instead simply ignore crimes and leave any punishment to be determined by the parties involved. It is because of their acceptance of controversial acts that goblins become enemies with nearly every other race. For example, goblins find the torture of animals, the butchering and consuming of sapient beings, oath breaking, and general malice acceptable or consider it a personal matter. Invading goblins are even willing to attack other goblins lounging around at your fortress.

In [[Adventurer mode]], "goblin" settlements will sometimes be completely goblin-free, having been displaced by the descendants of children that were captured in ages past. In this respect, whilst they're a goblin ''faction'', they're populated purely by prisoners and brainwashed humanoids.

While aggressive, goblins are notably cowardly. Although they're brutal and sadistic, they will not hold the line against a superior force and are more than willing to sacrifice their wounded comrades in a badly organized retreat. Their strength generally comes from pure numbers, as they're usually weaker than a dwarf one on one (a notable exception is their weapon lords and masters, who can be VERY talented in warfare.)

If a goblin siege attacks you with mounts and with a flashing goblin "General", it will be the last time they come on mounts. Since the general is the one who trains all the mounts, as soon as he dies in your fort (or disappears off the map{{bug|2892}}) there will be no more mounts.{{bug|3442}} (As of v34.11 this appears to have been partially fixed. The general will disappear from the goblin civilization leader list even if they were not killed. However, that goblin civilization will continue to use mounts afterwards.)

{{D for Dwarf}}
Despite their bloodthirsty, selfish, unsympathetic and cruel nature, goblins are also recognized as a benevolent and merciful race in some aspects. Goblin Baby-Snatchers claim moral superiority by "supposedly" rescuing innocent lives from the slavery of making [[finished goods|rock trumpets]] until they are eaten by a [[giant cave spider]]. Atrocities such as the so-called [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91093.0 "dwarven day care"] institution also spur snatchers to rescue the children from constant abuse. Goblin [[Siege]]s are considered to be a form of mass mercy killings, as a fort can die in the most horrific of ways, such as [[tantrum spiral|social disagreement]]s, an infestation of [[Noble|parasitic organisms masquerading as dwarve]]s, or worst of all: a visit from the [[Demon|circus]].
{{gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}
{{Category|Races}}
{{Category|Humanoids}}

v0.34:Goblin

2012-08-15T23:40:26Z

Bronzebeard:

{{quality|Masterwork|16:15, 13 April 2012 (UTC)}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|contrib=no
|death=nobutcher
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

Goblins are intelligent, evil, aggressive humanoid creatures that live in mountains, and are the main opponent in [[fortress mode]]. They often establish settlements in Dark Fortresses (currently these do not exist) within regions touched by evil, though it may be hard for some to imagine that goblins are capable of building those obsidian monoliths. They are also playable as adventurers. They quickly become a threat to the great majority of fortresses - except some island or mountain forts.

Goblins will start harassing a fortress early in its life, first with babysnatchers and ambushes, and later with [[siege]]s. Goblin babysnatchers carry a bag for their purpose. Their soldiers are commonly armed with [[copper]] and [[iron]] [[armor]], as well copper, iron and silver [[weapon]]s, generally with no quality levels unless on weaponmasters. These items can be a valuable source of metals for fortresses that embarked on metal-scarce areas (leading some players to refer to the plunders of a defeated goblin attack as [[Goblinite]]). Defeating a majority of an attacking force usually sends the rest of them running.

Goblins show the least concern for [[ethics]] out of any race in the game, with the sole exception being that treason is punishable by death. It appears that goblins do not enforce punishment, but instead simply ignore crimes and leave any punishment to be determined by the parties involved. It is because of their acceptance of controversial acts that goblins become enemies with nearly every other race. For example, goblins find the torture of animals, the butchering and consuming of sapient beings, oath breaking, and general malice acceptable or consider it a personal matter. Invading goblins are even willing to attack other goblins lounging around at your fortress.

In [[Adventurer mode]], "goblin" settlements will sometimes be completely goblin-free, having been displaced by the descendants of children that were captured in ages past. In this respect, whilst they're a goblin ''faction'', they're populated purely by prisoners and brainwashed humanoids.

While aggressive, goblins are notably cowardly. Although they're brutal and sadistic, they will not hold the line against a superior force and are more than willing to sacrifice their wounded comrades in a badly organised retreat. Their strength generally comes from pure numbers, as they're usually weaker than a dwarf one on one (a notable exception is their weapon lords and masters, who can be VERY talented in warfare.)

If a goblin siege attacks you with mounts and with a flashing goblin "General", it will be the last time they come on mounts. Since the general is the one who trains all the mounts, as soon as he dies in your fort (or disappears off the map{{bug|2892}}) there will be no more mounts.{{bug|3442}} (As of v34.11 this appears to have been partially fixed. The general will disappear from the goblin civilization leader list even if they were not killed. However, that goblin civilization will continue to use mounts afterwards.)

{{D for Dwarf}}
Despite their bloodthirsty, selfish, unsympathetic and cruel nature, goblins are also recognized as a benevolent and merciful race in some aspects. Goblin Baby-Snatchers claim moral superiority by "supposedly" rescuing innocent lives from the slavery of making [[finished goods|rock trumpets]] until they are eaten by a [[giant cave spider]]. Atrocities such as the so-called [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91093.0 "dwarven day care"] institution also spur snatchers to rescue the children from constant abuse. Goblin [[Siege]]s are considered to be a form of mass mercy killings, as a fort can die in the most horrific of ways, such as [[tantrum spiral|social disagreement]]s, an infestation of [[Noble|parasitic organisms masquerading as dwarve]]s, or worst of all: a visit from the [[Demon|circus]].
{{gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}
{{Category|Races}}
{{Category|Humanoids}}

v0.34:Goblin

2012-08-15T23:39:13Z

Bronzebeard:

{{quality|Masterwork|16:15, 13 April 2012 (UTC)}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|contrib=no
|death=nobutcher
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

Goblins are intelligent, evil, aggressive humanoid creatures that live in mountains, and are the main opponent in [[fortress mode]]. They often establish settlements in Dark Fortresses (currently these do not exist) within regions touched by evil, though it may be hard for some to imagine that goblins are capable of building those obsidian monoliths. They are also playable as adventurers. They quickly become a threat to the great majority of fortresses - except some island or mountain forts.

Goblins will start harassing a fortress early in its life, first with babysnatchers and ambushes, and later with [[siege]]s. Goblin babysnatchers carry a bag for their purpose. Their soldiers are commonly armed with [[copper]] and [[iron]] [[armor]], as well copper, iron and silver [[weapon]]s, generally with no quality levels unless on weaponmasters. These items can be a valuable source of metals for fortresses that embarked on metal-scarce areas (leading some players to refer to the plunders of a defeated goblin attack as [[Goblinite]]). Defeating a majority of an attacking force usually sends the rest of them running.

Goblins show the least concern for [[ethics]] out of any race in the game, with the sole exception being that treason is punishable by death. It appears that goblins do not enforce punishment, but instead simply ignore crimes and leave any punishment to be determined by the parties involved. It is because of their acceptance of controversial acts that goblins become enemies with nearly every other race. For example, goblins find the torture of animals, the butchering and consuming of sapient beings, oath breaking, and general malice acceptable or consider it a personal matter. Invading goblins are even willing to attack other goblins lounging around at your fortress.

In [[Adventurer mode]], "goblin" settlements will sometimes be completely goblin-free, having been displaced by the descendants of children that were captured in ages past. In this respect, whilst they're a goblin ''faction'', they're populated purely by prisoners and brainwashed humanoids.

While aggressive, Goblins are notably cowardly. Although they're brutal and sadistic, they will not hold the line against a superior force and are more than willing to sacrifice their wounded comrades in a badly organised retreat. Their strength generally comes from pure numbers, as they're usually weaker than a dwarf one on one (a notable exception is their weapon lords and masters, who can be VERY talented in warfare.)

If a Goblin siege attacks you with mounts and with a flashing Goblin "General", it will be the last time they come on mounts. Since the general is the one who trains all the mounts, as soon as he dies in your fort (or disappears off the map{{bug|2892}}) there will be no more mounts.{{bug|3442}} (As of v34.11 this appears to have been partially fixed. The general will disappear from the goblin civilization leader list even if they were not killed. However, that goblin civilization will continue to use mounts afterwards.)

{{D for Dwarf}}
Despite their bloodthirsty, selfish, unsympathetic and cruel nature, goblins are also recognized as a benevolent and merciful race in some aspects. Goblin Baby-Snatchers claim moral superiority by "supposedly" rescuing innocent lives from the slavery of making [[finished goods|rock trumpets]] until they are eaten by a [[giant cave spider]]. Atrocities such as the so-called [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91093.0 "dwarven day care"] institution also spur snatchers to rescue the children from constant abuse. Goblin [[Siege]]s are considered to be a form of mass mercy killings, as a fort can die in the most horrific of ways, such as [[tantrum spiral|social disagreement]]s, an infestation of [[Noble|parasitic organisms masquerading as dwarve]]s, or worst of all: a visit from the [[Demon|circus]].
{{gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}
{{Category|Races}}
{{Category|Humanoids}}

v0.34:Goblin

2012-08-15T23:38:12Z

Bronzebeard:

{{quality|Masterwork|16:15, 13 April 2012 (UTC)}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|contrib=no
|death=nobutcher
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

Goblins are intelligent, evil, aggressive humanoid creatures that live in mountains, and are the main opponent in [[fortress mode]]. They often establish settlements in Dark Fortresses (currently these do not exist) within regions touched by evil, though it may be hard for some to imagine that goblins are capable of building those obsidian monoliths. They are also playable as adventurers. They quickly become a threat to the great majority of fortresses - except some island or mountain forts.

Goblins will start harassing a fortress early in its life, first with babysnatchers and ambushes, and later with [[siege]]s. Goblin babysnatchers carry a bag for their purpose. Their soldiers are commonly armed with [[copper]] and [[iron]] [[armor]], as well copper, iron and silver [[weapon]]s, generally with no quality levels unless on weaponmasters. These items can be a valuable source of metals for fortresses that embarked on metal-scarce areas (leading some players to refer to the plunders of a defeated goblin attack as [[Goblinite]]). Defeating a majority of an attacking force usually sends the rest of them running.

Goblins show the least concern for [[ethics]] out of any race in the game, with the sole exception being that treason is punishable by death. It appears that goblins do not enforce punishment, but instead simply ignore crimes and leave any punishment to be determined by the parties involved. It is because of their acceptance of controversial acts that goblins become enemies with nearly every other race. For example, goblins find the torture of animals, the butchering and consuming of sapient beings, oath breaking, and general malice acceptable or consider it a personal matter. Invading goblins are even willing to attack other goblins lounging around at your fortress.

In [[Adventurer mode]], "goblin" settlements will sometimes be completely goblin free, having been displaced by the descendants of children that were captured in ages past. In this respect, whilst they're a goblin ''faction'', they're populated purely by prisoners and mindwashed humanoids.

While aggressive, Goblins are notably cowardly. Although they're brutal and sadistic, they will not hold the line against a superior force and are more than willing to sacrifice their wounded comrades in a badly organised retreat. Their strength generally comes from pure numbers, as they're usually weaker than a dwarf one on one (a notable exception is their weapon lords and masters, who can be VERY talented in warfare.)

If a Goblin siege attacks you with mounts and with a flashing Goblin "General", it will be the last time they come on mounts. Since the general is the one who trains all the mounts, as soon as he dies in your fort (or disappears off the map{{bug|2892}}) there will be no more mounts.{{bug|3442}} (As of v34.11 this appears to have been partially fixed. The general will disappear from the goblin civilization leader list even if they were not killed. However, that goblin civilization will continue to use mounts afterwards.)

{{D for Dwarf}}
Despite their bloodthirsty, selfish, unsympathetic and cruel nature, goblins are also recognized as a benevolent and merciful race in some aspects. Goblin Baby-Snatchers claim moral superiority by "supposedly" rescuing innocent lives from the slavery of making [[finished goods|rock trumpets]] until they are eaten by a [[giant cave spider]]. Atrocities such as the so-called [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91093.0 "dwarven day care"] institution also spur snatchers to rescue the children from constant abuse. Goblin [[Siege]]s are considered to be a form of mass mercy killings, as a fort can die in the most horrific of ways, such as [[tantrum spiral|social disagreement]]s, an infestation of [[Noble|parasitic organisms masquerading as dwarve]]s, or worst of all: a visit from the [[Demon|circus]].
{{gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}
{{Category|Races}}
{{Category|Humanoids}}

v0.34:Goblin

2012-08-15T23:34:13Z

Bronzebeard:

{{quality|Masterwork|16:15, 13 April 2012 (UTC)}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|contrib=no
|death=nobutcher
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

Goblins are intelligent, evil, aggressive humanoid creatures that live in mountains, and are the main opponent in [[fortress mode]]. They often establish settlements in Dark Fortresses (currently these do not exist) within regions touched by evil, though it may be hard for some to imagine that goblins are capable of building those obsidian monoliths. They are also playable as adventurers. They quickly become a threat to the great majority of fortresses - except some island or mountain forts.

Goblins will start harassing a fortress early in its life, first with babysnatchers and ambushes, and later with [[siege]]s. Goblin babysnatchers carry a bag for their purpose. Their soldiers are commonly armed with [[copper]] and [[iron]] [[armor]], as well copper, iron and silver [[weapon]]s, generally with no quality levels unless on weaponmasters. These items can be a valuable source of metals for fortresses that embarked on metal-scarce areas (leading some players to refer to the plunders of a defeated goblin attack as [[Goblinite]]). Defeating a majority of an attacking force usually sends the rest of them running.

Goblins show the least concern for [[ethics]] out of any race in the game, with the sole exception being that treason is punishable by death. It appears that goblins do not enforce punishment, but instead simply ignore crimes and leave any punishment to be determined by the parties involved. It is because of their acceptance of controversial acts that goblins become enemies with nearly every other race. For example, goblins find the torture of animals, the butchering and consuming of sapient beings, oath breaking and torturing for fun acceptable or consider it a personal matter. Invading goblins are always willing to attack other goblins lounging around at your fortress.

In [[Adventurer mode]], "goblin" settlements will sometimes be completely goblin free, having been displaced by the descendants of children that were captured in ages past. In this respect, whilst they're a goblin ''faction'', they're populated purely by prisoners and mindwashed humanoids.

While aggressive, Goblins are notably cowardly. Although they're brutal and sadistic, they will not hold the line against a superior force and are more than willing to sacrifice their wounded comrades in a badly organised retreat. Their strength generally comes from pure numbers, as they're usually weaker than a dwarf one on one (a notable exception is their weapon lords and masters, who can be VERY talented in warfare.)

If a Goblin siege attacks you with mounts and with a flashing Goblin "General", it will be the last time they come on mounts. Since the general is the one who trains all the mounts, as soon as he dies in your fort (or disappears off the map{{bug|2892}}) there will be no more mounts.{{bug|3442}} (As of v34.11 this appears to have been partially fixed. The general will disappear from the goblin civilization leader list even if they were not killed. However, that goblin civilization will continue to use mounts afterwards.)

{{D for Dwarf}}
Despite their bloodthirsty, selfish, unsympathetic and cruel nature, goblins are also recognized as a benevolent and merciful race in some aspects. Goblin Baby-Snatchers claim moral superiority by "supposedly" rescuing innocent lives from the slavery of making [[finished goods|rock trumpets]] until they are eaten by a [[giant cave spider]]. Atrocities such as the so-called [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91093.0 "dwarven day care"] institution also spur snatchers to rescue the children from constant abuse. Goblin [[Siege]]s are considered to be a form of mass mercy killings, as a fort can die in the most horrific of ways, such as [[tantrum spiral|social disagreement]]s, an infestation of [[Noble|parasitic organisms masquerading as dwarve]]s, or worst of all: a visit from the [[Demon|circus]].
{{gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}
{{Category|Races}}
{{Category|Humanoids}}

v0.34:World History file

2012-08-15T23:25:14Z

Bronzebeard: /* Unintelligent Civs */

{{av}}
{{Quality|Fine|03:08, 23 February 2012 (UTC)}}

In [[Legends]] Mode, pressing the {{k|p}} (Export Map/Gen information) will create three files in the root directory of DF, one of those files is the '''World History file''' named (save name)-world_history.txt.

== File Breakdown ==

Below the history file will be explained in detail, using portions from an example file to show all of the possibilities.

=== World Name ===
At the top of the file is the World name, and nickname.

<pre>
Mareecamo EwŠ
The Soul-Universe of Enchanting
</pre>

=== Unintelligent Civs ===

Following the world name is a series of names of different unintelligent civs which exist in the world; no further information can be gathered from these files about these civs.

<pre>
Mareecamo EwŠ
The Soul-Universe of Enchanting

Cave fish men
Serpent men
Reptile men
Bat men
Antmen
Cave swallow men
Olm men
... (Multiple more lines)
</pre>

=== Civilizations ===
The majority of the useful information in the history file exists within the civilizations, which follow immediately after the unintelligent civs. A short example civ is shown below, but the components will be viewed in detail afterwards.

<pre>
Bat men
Amphibian men
Cave swallow men
The Hammer of Seers, Dwarves
Worship List
Engig the Bright Pearls, deity: metals, jewels, wealth
Onget the Fiery Oil, deity: mountains, volcanos
Laltur, deity: fortresses
Ral Minedirons, deity: minerals
Mirstal, deity: music, festivals, song
Kogan Coastalpaddled, deity: rivers
king List
[*] Logem Anvilentrance (b.??? d. 36, Reign Began: 1), *** Original Line, Married (d. 8)
4 Children (out-lived 1 of them) -- Ages at death: 32 31 29 (d. 14)
Worshipped Onget the Fiery Oil (61%)
[*] Bomrek Championboulder (b.7 d. 51, Reign Began: 37), Inherited from mother, Never Married
No Children
Worshipped Onget the Fiery Oil (94%)
[*] Cog Cloisteredrazors (b.???, Reign Began: 52), *** New Line, Married
14 Children -- Ages: 62 61 60 59 54 51 36 31 24 18 16 15 12 4
Worships Mirstal (32%)
</pre>

==== Civ Name and Race ====
The Civ name is at the top of the section for each civ, along with the race of the civ.

<pre>
The Hammer of Seers, Dwarves
</pre>

==== Worship List ====
If the civ has any Deities or Forces they have ever worshipped then this section will exist, beginning with the text:

<pre> Worship List</pre>

Each individual line refers to a different force or deity. First the deity name, then whether they are a "deity" or "force", and finally a list of the [[sphere]]s they belong to, or control.

<pre> Istrath the Gravel of Oiling, deity: earth, wealth</pre>

==== Leader List ====
If the civ has had any leaders, they will be listed according to what type of leader they are (king/queen/law-giver/ect.):

<pre> king List</pre>

Each individual leader begins with the text <code>[*]</code>, and has two or three lines. Those are:
<pre>
[*] Logem Anvilentrance (b.??? d. 36, Reign Began: 1), *** Original Line, Married (d. 8)
4 Children (out-lived 1 of them) -- Ages at death: 32 31 29 (d. 14)
Worshipped Onget the Fiery Oil (61%)
</pre>
*'''Leader Name and Life''': <code> Logem Anvilentrance (b.??? d. 36, Reign Began: 1), *** Original Line, Married (d. 8) </code>
*'''Leader Children''': <code> 4 Children (out-lived 1 of them) -- Ages at death: 32 31 29 (d. 14) </code>
*'''Leader Worship''': <code> Worshipped Onget the Fiery Oil (61%) </code>

'''Leader Name and Life''' is made up of several pieces of information.
:*The leaders name: <code>Logem Anvilentrance</code>
:*The leaders birth year: <code> (b.???</code>
:**This is represented as ??? if the leader was born before history (before year 1).
:**If there is a year, there is no space between the "b." and the year. ex: <code> (b.66</code>
:*The leaders death year: <code> d. 36</code>
:**If the leader hasn't died, this won't be listed.
:**There '''is''' a space between the "d." and the year.
:*The year the leader's reign began: <code>, Reign Began: 1),</code>
:*How the Leader acquired power, either by being the original leader (<code> *** Original Line,</code>), starting a new line (<code> *** New Line,</code>), or by inheriting the position (<code> Inherited from </code>)
:*If the position was inherited, it will list who they received it from. The possibilities:
:**Father - <code> Inherited from father,</code>
:**Mother - <code> Inherited from mother,</code>
:**Paternal Grandfather - <code> Inherited from paternal grandfather,</code>
:**Paternal Grandmother - <code> Inherited from paternal grandmother,</code>
:**Maternal Grandfather - <code> Inherited from maternal grandfather,</code>
:**Maternal Grandmother - <code> Inherited from maternal grandmother,</code>
:**Unknown - <code> Inherited from,</code>
:*The marriage of this leader. Either: <code> Never Married</code> or <code> Married</code>
:*If the leader has married, and the spouse died, it'll list the year they died <code> Married (d. 8)</code>

'''Leader Children''' is made up of several pieces of information about a leader's children (if any)
:*Number of children: <code>No Children</code>, <code>1 Child</code> or <code>x Children</code>, where "x" is the number of children >1
:*Number of outlived children, which is some number less than or equal to the number of children: <code> (out-lived 9 of them) </code>. If the leader outlived none, then this part won't be given.
:*Ages (at death) of children. Listed with <code>-- Ages at death: </code> if the leader has died, otherwise with <code>-- Ages</code>
:**It will list as "Ages" even if there was only one child.
:*The ages at death will be listed as numbers separated by spaces: (<code>37 31 27 9</code>), or if the child was outlived, with the year they died: (<code>(d. 32) (d. 29) (d. 8)</code>)
:**There aren't always the right number of items in this list, at times some children ages might not be listed.{{verify}}

*'''Leader Worship''' gives information about the leader's deity/force of worship, if they did not worship, this line won't exist.
:*Worship object name: <code>Worshipped Onget the Fiery Oil</code>
:*Degree of worship: <code>(61%)</code>
:**Between 1% and 100% inclusive.

== See Also ==

* [[Legends|Legends Mode]]
* [[World Sites file]]
* [[XML dump]]

v0.34:XML dump

2012-08-15T23:16:55Z

Bronzebeard:

{{av}}
{{Quality|Tattered|02:39, 23 February 2012 (UTC)}}

An '''XML dump''' of a [[region|world's]] history can be generated from [[Legends]] mode by pressing {{k|x}}, and will be placed in Dwarf Fortress' root folder. The dump consists of many internals Dwarf Fortress tracks about the world in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML XML format].

== See Also ==

* [[Legends|Legends Mode]]
* [[World History file]]
* [[World Sites file]]

v0.34:Necromancer

2012-08-15T23:10:38Z

Bronzebeard: /* Adventure Mode */

{{av}}
{{quality|Masterwork|01:18, 11 June 2012 (UTC)}}
'''Necromancers''' {{Tile|Ñ|5:1}} hold the secrets of life and death. They are immortal magic users who raise legions of zombies and seclude themselves in [[tower]]s during [[world generation|world gen]].

Necromancers initially learn the arcane arts from engraved tablets received from the [[deity|gods]] - they often write numerous [[book]]s, occasionally describing the secrets therein. Necromancers may also take apprentices and teach them the secrets of life and death. Necromancers can use their zombie slaves to build a tower. This requires 50 zombies under the necromancer's control; if the necromancer does not have enough zombies, he may take over a town or a camp instead.

==Description==
Necromancers are [[:Category:Humanoids|humanoid]]s and historical figures that learn their arcane arts from engraved [[slab]]s received from their [[deity|gods]], a sort of opposite, and parallel, to [[night creature]]s that are cursed by their gods. They often write numerous [[book]]s, sometimes describing the secrets of their arts; the amount of necromancers in a particular world can be approximated quickly by examining the [[artifact]]s list in [[legends]] mode, which will list all slabs and books present after world generation. Necromancers who have a sufficient following may use their [[zombie]] slaves to build dark [[tower]]s, a task that requires at least 50 followers; younger necromancers may take over towns or camps instead. Experienced necromancers may also take on apprentices, who will gain the skills of their masters.

Like other night creatures, necromancers do not need to [[food|eat]], [[thirst|drink]], or [[sleep]]; nor do they [[age]]. They have the power, within their line on sight (about 15 tiles), to raise [[corpse]]s and any body parts and [[remains]] that are attached to, or were formerly attached to, muscles: mutilated corpses, partial skeletons, limbs, legs, even oyster [[shell]]s, regardless of previous allegiances. They do so by gesturing; raising of the dead is reported as combat action in the [[reports|combat log]]. Isolated they are harmless and carry no weapons, but the [[zombie]] servitors that protect them and that they raise are hostile to all life, and will be brought back again and again until the necromancer himself is killed, stunned, or knocked unconscious. Direct attacks on zombies in direct view of a necromancer is nigh suicidal; indirect combat is required.

Hostile necromancers caught outside with nothing to do will loiter in place and start campfires. They do not specifically path to corpses, but will move as any hostile unit will, towards the nearest friendly creature or nearest entryway. Therefore, it is possible to leach off their armies without them noticing or reviving their lost servants.

==Fortress mode==
===Sieges===
''The dead walk. Hide while you still can!''
{{main|Siege#Necromancer sieges}}
Necromancers can lay [[siege]] to your fortress at any stage, including before the first [[immigration|migrant wave]]. They can do so if their tower or town is within 20 tiles of your fortress; as such, picking a location within such a distance of a tower is regarded as a sure way to have an extra helping of [[fun]], and can be checked with {{k|tab}} during world gen. The sieges are structured much like normal sieges, except that the numbers tend to be much larger and much more disorganized, consisting not of individual squads but of masses of zombies coming from every side. The necromancer (or necromancers, if he has an apprentice) himself may or may not arrive with their siege; if they do, and are captured or killed, you can expect to see no more activity from that particular tower. Undead are hostile to everything that breaths as well as to enemy necromancer hordes, meaning that other sieges or [[ambush]]es (or, indeed, caravans) that happen to arrive when a necromancer siege is milling about will always result in a battle.

The easiest way to deal with a zombie siege is through the application of [[dwarven atom smasher|particle physics]] to grind them into nothingness. Anything that obliterates any trace of the zombie will prevent raising; a drop into [[magma]] or [[semi-molten rock]] or encasing in [[obsidian]] are more creative alternatives. The verdict is not yet out on whether slashing weapons are better or worse against necromancer sieges; although they tend to separate zombies into many parts, these parts can all be raised, leaving the question of whether the whole zombie or an arm here and a leg there are more dangerous. The undead that they will bring will be sapient creatures, but if you killed some [[elephant]]s in a combat exercise and and they happen upon them, the danger is magnified.

If you have a [[vampire]] and haven't walled him in yet, you can draft him and take a leisurely walk through town, as undead will ignore him (unless attacked), and the necromancer is easy, valid game for a clobbering, if you can find him.

===Ambushes===
Necromancers can arrive under cover, alone, in [[ambush]]es, and raise the dead without being seen. This is much more difficult, as you cannot see the necromancers in question, only their products. Potential necromancer ambushes can be dealt with by internalizing all corpse/remains stockpiles behind heavily trafficked areas, and posting sentries if possible.

===Applications===
Necromancers can be made useful by applying them in [[training]] schemes. Necromancers trapped in a room with line of sight to, say, the contents of corpse stockpile can be used to generate an infinite amount of hostile creatures to fight; when you get tired of the sport (or your dwarves start getting beat up), simply block their line of sight with a bridge and put down the remaining enemies, and your military can walk out of training with more experience.

Capturing necromancers is simple: built a tunnel near them, link floodgates or bridges within so that it can be sealed off, and then poke a hole into the surface. Assuming the necromancer was the nearest creature to where you opened the tunnel, he'll be the first one in, and you can then seal off the tunnel and trap him inside. It's difficult to get them in there alone, without a few zombies following them, but it shouldn't matter. [[Cage trap]]s will work too; caged necromancers can revive stuff, but you have to be very careful to make sure that there are no corpses anywhere near between where their cage is stored and where you are moving them.

They can also be weaponized. Replace the militia training room with a room full of goblins, and fun will result. Upright spike [[trap]]s can "kill" the corpses after each use so that the resulting [[goblinite]] can be gathered and the trap reused. Given enough time and enough bodies, such a trap can even best the [[HFS|circus]].

Much like [[vampire]]s, necromancers may seize control of a [[civilization]] and become its [[emperor|king/queen]]. In that case, the dwarf in question must be isolated from any corpses, as they may be friendly, but the zombies they tend to create will be of the dwarven-arm-ripping variety. They should be either isolated from the dead with a [[burrow]], or applied to training/killing. Either way, they are very [[fun]].

Necromancers may occasionally arrive with their slab in hand. These cannot be used to make your dwarves into necromancers, as creative water management can do for vampires, but it is nonetheless a good idea to stick it in a bin someplace safe, for use by a future adventurer once the fortress falls.

==Adventure Mode==
In Adventure Mode, necromancers are most commonly found in towers ({{Tile|I|5:0}}). The towers generally have a few necromancers and a lot of zombies. Becoming a necromancer yourself merely requires you to read about the secrets of life and death, which are either found on a [[slab]] or in a [[book]]. If you decide to attack the tower, it's suggested that you become a [[night creature]] by drinking a [[vampire]]'s blood or being bitten by a [[werebeast]], as zombies and other undead will not bother you if you are a night creature. Once you learn the secrets of necromancy, all remaining undead in the tower will no longer be hostile toward you, so simply making a mad dash for the slab may also be a viable tactic.

===Tips and tricks===
When attacking a tower without being undead, killing the necromancers before taking on the zombies is a good idea. Your best bet is to hit them with a ranged attack. If the necromancers turn out to be peaceful, simply lure the zombies outside (and out of visual range of the front door) one by one (or in groups) and eliminate them until you can successfully reach the slab or an appropriate book.

Another strategy, which may not always be available but can work well, is that you may sometimes find Vampires in the form of Warriors due to being given a quest to kill them. Instead of proceeding to kill them you can get these Warriors to join you instead. The Undead won't bother with them since they are Vampires and they won't bother with the Undead, but if there is a hostile necromancer in their view they will attempt to dispatch them like any other enemy, making it very safe for you.

You can reanimate corpses as many times as you want, making them useful training tools for weapons and wrestling.

If you attack one of your own reanimated corpses, '''all''' of your reanimated companions will become neutral and will no longer follow you. This can be useful if you want to interact with civilized society - while a necromancer can still be friendly to mortals, its minions will attack everything in sight.

{{category|humanoids}}

[[ru:Necromacer]]

v0.34:Necromancer

2012-08-15T23:09:36Z

Bronzebeard: /* Sieges */

{{av}}
{{quality|Masterwork|01:18, 11 June 2012 (UTC)}}
'''Necromancers''' {{Tile|Ñ|5:1}} hold the secrets of life and death. They are immortal magic users who raise legions of zombies and seclude themselves in [[tower]]s during [[world generation|world gen]].

Necromancers initially learn the arcane arts from engraved tablets received from the [[deity|gods]] - they often write numerous [[book]]s, occasionally describing the secrets therein. Necromancers may also take apprentices and teach them the secrets of life and death. Necromancers can use their zombie slaves to build a tower. This requires 50 zombies under the necromancer's control; if the necromancer does not have enough zombies, he may take over a town or a camp instead.

==Description==
Necromancers are [[:Category:Humanoids|humanoid]]s and historical figures that learn their arcane arts from engraved [[slab]]s received from their [[deity|gods]], a sort of opposite, and parallel, to [[night creature]]s that are cursed by their gods. They often write numerous [[book]]s, sometimes describing the secrets of their arts; the amount of necromancers in a particular world can be approximated quickly by examining the [[artifact]]s list in [[legends]] mode, which will list all slabs and books present after world generation. Necromancers who have a sufficient following may use their [[zombie]] slaves to build dark [[tower]]s, a task that requires at least 50 followers; younger necromancers may take over towns or camps instead. Experienced necromancers may also take on apprentices, who will gain the skills of their masters.

Like other night creatures, necromancers do not need to [[food|eat]], [[thirst|drink]], or [[sleep]]; nor do they [[age]]. They have the power, within their line on sight (about 15 tiles), to raise [[corpse]]s and any body parts and [[remains]] that are attached to, or were formerly attached to, muscles: mutilated corpses, partial skeletons, limbs, legs, even oyster [[shell]]s, regardless of previous allegiances. They do so by gesturing; raising of the dead is reported as combat action in the [[reports|combat log]]. Isolated they are harmless and carry no weapons, but the [[zombie]] servitors that protect them and that they raise are hostile to all life, and will be brought back again and again until the necromancer himself is killed, stunned, or knocked unconscious. Direct attacks on zombies in direct view of a necromancer is nigh suicidal; indirect combat is required.

Hostile necromancers caught outside with nothing to do will loiter in place and start campfires. They do not specifically path to corpses, but will move as any hostile unit will, towards the nearest friendly creature or nearest entryway. Therefore, it is possible to leach off their armies without them noticing or reviving their lost servants.

==Fortress mode==
===Sieges===
''The dead walk. Hide while you still can!''
{{main|Siege#Necromancer sieges}}
Necromancers can lay [[siege]] to your fortress at any stage, including before the first [[immigration|migrant wave]]. They can do so if their tower or town is within 20 tiles of your fortress; as such, picking a location within such a distance of a tower is regarded as a sure way to have an extra helping of [[fun]], and can be checked with {{k|tab}} during world gen. The sieges are structured much like normal sieges, except that the numbers tend to be much larger and much more disorganized, consisting not of individual squads but of masses of zombies coming from every side. The necromancer (or necromancers, if he has an apprentice) himself may or may not arrive with their siege; if they do, and are captured or killed, you can expect to see no more activity from that particular tower. Undead are hostile to everything that breaths as well as to enemy necromancer hordes, meaning that other sieges or [[ambush]]es (or, indeed, caravans) that happen to arrive when a necromancer siege is milling about will always result in a battle.

The easiest way to deal with a zombie siege is through the application of [[dwarven atom smasher|particle physics]] to grind them into nothingness. Anything that obliterates any trace of the zombie will prevent raising; a drop into [[magma]] or [[semi-molten rock]] or encasing in [[obsidian]] are more creative alternatives. The verdict is not yet out on whether slashing weapons are better or worse against necromancer sieges; although they tend to separate zombies into many parts, these parts can all be raised, leaving the question of whether the whole zombie or an arm here and a leg there are more dangerous. The undead that they will bring will be sapient creatures, but if you killed some [[elephant]]s in a combat exercise and and they happen upon them, the danger is magnified.

If you have a [[vampire]] and haven't walled him in yet, you can draft him and take a leisurely walk through town, as undead will ignore him (unless attacked), and the necromancer is easy, valid game for a clobbering, if you can find him.

===Ambushes===
Necromancers can arrive under cover, alone, in [[ambush]]es, and raise the dead without being seen. This is much more difficult, as you cannot see the necromancers in question, only their products. Potential necromancer ambushes can be dealt with by internalizing all corpse/remains stockpiles behind heavily trafficked areas, and posting sentries if possible.

===Applications===
Necromancers can be made useful by applying them in [[training]] schemes. Necromancers trapped in a room with line of sight to, say, the contents of corpse stockpile can be used to generate an infinite amount of hostile creatures to fight; when you get tired of the sport (or your dwarves start getting beat up), simply block their line of sight with a bridge and put down the remaining enemies, and your military can walk out of training with more experience.

Capturing necromancers is simple: built a tunnel near them, link floodgates or bridges within so that it can be sealed off, and then poke a hole into the surface. Assuming the necromancer was the nearest creature to where you opened the tunnel, he'll be the first one in, and you can then seal off the tunnel and trap him inside. It's difficult to get them in there alone, without a few zombies following them, but it shouldn't matter. [[Cage trap]]s will work too; caged necromancers can revive stuff, but you have to be very careful to make sure that there are no corpses anywhere near between where their cage is stored and where you are moving them.

They can also be weaponized. Replace the militia training room with a room full of goblins, and fun will result. Upright spike [[trap]]s can "kill" the corpses after each use so that the resulting [[goblinite]] can be gathered and the trap reused. Given enough time and enough bodies, such a trap can even best the [[HFS|circus]].

Much like [[vampire]]s, necromancers may seize control of a [[civilization]] and become its [[emperor|king/queen]]. In that case, the dwarf in question must be isolated from any corpses, as they may be friendly, but the zombies they tend to create will be of the dwarven-arm-ripping variety. They should be either isolated from the dead with a [[burrow]], or applied to training/killing. Either way, they are very [[fun]].

Necromancers may occasionally arrive with their slab in hand. These cannot be used to make your dwarves into necromancers, as creative water management can do for vampires, but it is nonetheless a good idea to stick it in a bin someplace safe, for use by a future adventurer once the fortress falls.

==Adventure Mode==
In Adventure Mode, Necromancers are most commonly found in towers ({{Tile|I|5:0}}). The towers generally have a few Necromancers and a lot of zombies. Becoming a Necromancer yourself merely requires you to read about the secrets of life and death, which are either found on a [[slab]] or in a [[book]]. If you decide to attack the tower, it's suggested that you become a [[night creature]] by drinking a [[vampire]]'s blood or being bitten by a [[werebeast]], as zombies and other undead will not bother you if you are a night creature. Once you learn the secrets of necromancy, all remaining undead in the tower will no longer be hostile toward you, so simply making a mad dash for the slab may also be a viable tactic.

===Tips and tricks===
When attacking a tower without being undead, killing the Necromancers before taking on the zombies is a good idea. Your best bet is to hit them with a ranged attack. If the Necromancers turn out to be peaceful, simply lure the zombies outside (and out of visual range of the front door) one by one (or in groups) and eliminate them until you can successfully reach the slab or an appropriate book.

Another strategy, which may not always be available but can work well, is that you may sometimes find Vampires in the form of Warriors due to being given a quest to kill them. Instead of proceeding to kill them you can get these Warriors to join you instead. The Undead won't bother with them since they are Vampires and they won't bother with the Undead, but if there is a hostile Necromancer in their view they will attempt to dispatch them like any other enemy, making it very safe for you.

You can reanimate corpses as many times as you want, making them useful training tools for weapons and wrestling.

If you attack one of your own reanimated corpses, '''all''' of your reanimated companions will become neutral and will no longer follow you. This can be useful if you want to interact with civilized society - while a Necromancer can still be friendly to mortals, its minions will attack everything in sight.

{{category|humanoids}}

[[ru:Necromacer]]

v0.34:Shad

2012-08-15T23:07:08Z

Bronzebeard:

{{Quality|Exceptional|23:34, 9 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{verminlookup/0}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

[[File:Vermin-Shad.JPG|thumb|left|Admired for their silvery bodies.]]

'''Shad''' are a type of [[vermin]] [[fish]]. They are found in nearly all [[temperate]] [[river|rivers]] and [[ocean|oceans]] year-round. They are also found in [[biome|arctic]] [[ocean|oceans]]. They are a ready source of [[food]] when [[fish cleaning|cleaned]] at a [[fishery]].

{{gamedata}}
{{Vermin}}

v0.34:Sole

2012-08-15T23:06:37Z

Bronzebeard:

{{quality|Exceptional|23:48, 9 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{verminlookup/0|wiki=Sole_(fish)}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

[[File:Vermin-Sole.JPG|thumb|left|Admired for their flat bodies.]]

'''Sole''' are a type of [[vermin]] [[fish]]. They are found in [[temperate]] and [[biome|arctic]] [[ocean|oceans]] year-round, and are a ready source of [[food]] when [[fish cleaning|cleaned]] at a [[fishery]].

{{gamedata}}
{{Vermin}}

v0.34:Starting build

2012-08-08T12:07:00Z

Bronzebeard: /* Shelter */

{{quality|Exceptional|10:09, 24 April 2011 (UTC)}}{{av}}

:''This is not a tutorial, a FAQ, or a new players guide. This is a mildly advanced theoretical treatment for someone ready to take the plunge and make all the decisions about their own fortress. The following are intended for beginners:''
::*[[Quickstart guide]]
::*[[Main:From Caravan to Happy Dwarves|Beginner Flowchart]]
::*[[User:Calite/Gloss_Guide|Beginner Checklist]]
:''For an explanation of the interface for starting out, see [[Embark]].''

A '''starting build''' is a personal strategy for choosing the initial supplies, equipment, and [[skill]]s of your initial seven dwarves when starting a new game in [[fortress mode]]. (See [[Sample Starting Builds]]). These skills and items which you assign to your dwarves will have a large impact on life in your new fortress, especially in its first year.

This page attempts to provide a discussion about how and why you make the choices on what you bring with you. This page is not an explanation of the mechanics of doing so, see the [[embark]] page for an explanation of the interface itself. This page assumes you have already made certain decisions, such as where you plan on settling, and that you are looking at the [[Embark#Prepare_Carefully|Prepare Carefully]] screen.

One thing should be made clear - there is no "best" build, no "perfect" or "clearly superior" final mix of skills and items, if only because there isn't any one goal of play. The goals you have for a fortress will dictate which sets of items and skills are best suited to achieving that goal - in your opinion. And then there is the environment, where your dwarves will arrive, the creatures, the resources available, and so forth. Finally, some people do things solely because it is hard, and that makes it more [[fun]] for them.

__TOC__

== Components of a Starting Build ==
There are two main components of a starting build: skills and items.

Skills for your initial dwarves determine how quickly they will work early on, what industries you are guaranteed to be able to start with skilled workers, how well you can defend your dwarves early on, and what the quality of various goods they produce will be, and possibly many other considerations. This page considers in detail how you might go about choosing skills for your starting dwarves, and examines the multiple competing perspectives from which you can make that decision.

The items that your dwarves bring with you can be tailored a number of ways. There are trade-offs to cheaper and more expensive alternatives, and reasons why you might choose either. This section explores the nature of these trade-offs and the reasons for making a decision. It also looks at optimizing goods brought in more general contexts.

Starting builds can and should vary based upon a number of other variables. [[location|Where you choose to settle]] will give you a fortress that supplies different raw materials and thus require different skill sets to utilize, not to mention different threats from native wildlife based on [[biome]], [[surroundings|savagery]], and [[surroundings|alignment]]. Which dwarven civilization you come from will restrict the materials with which you can start. Making choices about these variables is not part of a starting build. What you choose for skills and items because of these choices is part of your starting build, and so some general guidelines about different environments is given last.

This page does not cover the interface for accomplishing these tasks. Please see the [[embark]] page.

== Skill Optimization ==
With only 7 dwarves, you can't take every [[skill]], so you have to balance what you do take. At this starting phase, each dwarf can only be assigned a maximum total of 10 skill levels, with no single skill starting higher than "5". Maximum skill distribution is thus constrained to 1 level in each of 10 skills, or 5 levels in each of two skills, or something in between. Because dwarves can [[experience|learn]] any and all skills once your fortress starts, these initial choices do not dictate what the dwarves can do, opening up incredible latitude to choose skills for reasons other than survival.

:''(* Note that an unskilled dwarf starts with all Skills at Level '''0'''. Adding +5 Levels is then Level '''5'''. This is true regardless of how many "points" a level costs when first buying skills at embark.)''

A brief list of considerations governing skill choice:
:* Maximizing starting skill ranks vs. generalizing and having more skills covered at lower levels.
:* Balancing multiple skills for a single dwarf, so they aren't constantly needed for two different tasks at critical periods
:* Military vs economic needs
:* Your goals vs "basic survival needs" to keep your fortress healthy and happy.
:* Speed that a skill can be trained in game
:* Demand for a skill during a game
:* Whether quality or speed are significant considerations for tasks/final product
:* Balancing the desire to create [[wealth]] ''(with high-value products)'' with the need to maintain [[thought|morale]] ''(with low-value but commonly used products, like [[bed]]s, which normally are made from [[wood]])''.
:* most importantly - ''your playstyle'' - what '''you''' think is "[[fun]]"!

==== Breadth vs. Depth ====

A dwarf with only 2 starting skills at 5 ranks each is pretty good at 2 tasks, but untrained at anything else. A dwarf with nothing higher than level 1 is passable at many tasks, but not good at anything. Each dwarf in your party is going to be somewhere along this continuum, and you'll need to choose where.

Level in a skill dictates how fast a dwarf completes a task (most of the time), and how well he completes it (if applicable). On one extreme, [[butchery]] has no time variance for slaughtering a tame animal, and has no quality associated with the outcome. On the other extreme, [[Metal industry|metalworking]] tasks can take a long time for an untrained worker to complete and their high material value means the quality multiplier has a large impact on the end value.

Dwarves who complete tasks faster can do more total [[job]]s within a given timeframe. The rate at which speed increases with level varies with skill, so some skills will benefit more than others.

Dwarves who make items of higher quality will contribute more to fortress wealth and may have a large impact on fortress happiness if their work is readily available to be seen by other dwarves. Items which typically contribute to happiness are low value but common public items, like beds and tables. Items which contribute the most to fortress wealth often cannot be displayed, but make useful trade goods or equipment for your military.

A dwarf highly skilled in few areas will work faster at those tasks and produce higher quality work than his more generalized counterpart. However, he will do worse at any other task he is set to.

Aside from the obvious trade off, there is another reason to prefer depth - dwarves can obviously only complete so many total jobs within a given timespan. If a dwarf is busy doing one thing, he can't simultaneously be doing something else. So a dwarf who is highly skilled in a few skills may not actually experience any disadvantage thereby if he is kept doing those things in which he specializes. The generalist dwarf, on the other hand, may be able to do many more different tasks adequately, but he can still only do one type of task at a time. A dwarf with one highly used skill (such as Mechanics or Mining) can feasibly spend all his time using only his primary skill and thus has no need to generalize. In effect, the generalist is wasting more skill points whenever he does jobs than the specialist, so long as the specialist tends to do jobs he has levels in. Specializing your initial skill investment is therefore superior if you specialize the division of labor in your fortress.

Of course, you can still only bring 7 dwarves with 10 total levels of skills each, so covering everything you want to do in 14 skills may be hard, if not impossible. A generalist or two can cover more bases that have little quality need or are otherwise fast even without a high level. The generalists real problem arises from the fact that any dwarf can do any task, and having 1 level isn't much better than having no levels. Which isn't to say there isn't a situation where a 1/1/1/1/1/5 dwarf is the right solution (indeed, the typical recommended leader/broker takes 1/1/1/1/1 in appraiser/judge of intent/negotiator/+2 social skills because none of these skills have a time or quality component), but most less-specialized dwarves are more likely to fall in the 5/3/2 or 4/3/3 end of the spectrum solely because there is a minimum investment necessary to be noticeably better than not having any levels at all.

==== Design Constraints: Which skills do I need, really? ====

The only thing that you absolutely must do in the first year is get your food supplies into a food stockpile, preferably inside, or your food will rot on the ground and your dwarves will starve. Anything else you want to do can be accommodated by sufficient investment in initial supplies and/or skills. This means the options for possible starting builds are vast because virtually any set of starting skills for your dwarves is viable (and that's before you even think about equipment, which adds more variables). So the short answer is: none.

That said, there are some skills which will be '''used''', to one extent or another, by virtually every fortress - but that doesn't mean you '''need''' or even want to invest points in them to start. You could even manipulate the fortress (see [[challenge]]) to completely avoid one or more of the following, but these are the skills you will find it exceptionally hard to avoid creating jobs for:

*[[Mining]] - to dig your fortress, and gain stone for projects. Only possible to avoid using if you're secretly an elf.
** Inexperienced [[miner]]s work very slowly. Mining can be leveled up quite quickly by mining [[soil#soil|soil]], but taking two dwarves with at least some points in mining is recommended in most cases.
*[[Carpentry]], [[wood cutter|Wood cutting]] - [[bed]]s can only be produced from [[wood]] (rare [[mood]]s aside). This skill can also be used to make [[bin]]s without having to have an [[anvil]], use any metal [[bar]]s, or use any [[fuel]].
** It's best not to have your carpenter and your wood cutter be the same dwarf. Doing that would create a bottleneck, as your carpeter would have to stop working to go cut down some trees.
*[[Masonry]] - to build walls and stairs, and fashion dwarven furniture from stone. Possible to work around, but incredibly hard and annoying to do.
*[[Grower|Growing]] - your farmers' work echoes throughout so many other tasks, it's stunning.
** Skilled planters produce larger stacks of crops, which means more food, more booze, more cloth, more dye, ....
** While it's possible to feed your fortress on nothing but caravan goods, you'll never come by enough alcohol that way, so you'll eventually need to grow or gather plants for brewing. Dwarves will literally go crazy if forced to drink nothing but water for long periods. Thus you'll want to plan for farming eventually - not that you need to bring a highly skilled [[Grower]], but it'll certainly be ''very'' helpful.
*[[Brewer|Brewing]], [[Cook|Cooking]] - A skilled brewer produces [[alcohol]] more quickly. Likewise, a skilled [[cook]] prepares [[prepared meal|meals]] more quickly (and more appealingly). However, most food can be eaten raw, and so long as they are not starving there is life.
*[[Mechanics]] - If you want traps, and most people will. Also needed for most machinery. Mechanisms sell for a high price as a bonus.
*[[Architecture|Building Designer]] - Mandatory for some buildings and constructions, but skill only improves speed a tad and increases structure [[value]]
*[[Appraiser]] - you will use this whenever you trade with a caravan. Without it, you won't know how much anything is worth, making trading difficult. It's highly recommended to start with a dwarf with Novice (1 pt) Appraiser skill.

The very fact that you ''will'' use these skills can make many of them desirable to choose as starting skills for your dwarves. Of the above, Mining, Masonry, Growing, Cooking, and Mechanics are generally worth considering as "highly desirable". However, '''any skill can be used untrained, and/or get trained on the job''' - it just means a slower process and/or average lower quality product than if done by a dwarf with a higher [[experience|skill level]]. Some skills (e.g. Record Keeper) are rarely worth investing initial points in even though you will almost always use them; you can simply let the dwarf learn on the job. Others (e.g. Mining, Carpentry) may be worth investing points in depending on your goals or the tempo with which you want to achieve them. (Mining is easy to train so you could forgo initial investment and just train on the job, but this could force you to spend longer on the surface, increasing your exposure to dangers. A skilled carpenter can contribute a lot to fortress mood, but won't produce much value; see the discussion of Quality below.)

Many other skills are optional as to whether they'll get used or not. You need to deliberately want to use them. The skills above are essential to basic aspects of the game, and avoiding one requires a deliberate choice ''not'' to use it (and likely a lot of effort spent to avoid doing so). A fortress could make its wealth by smithing fine weapons, weaving quality cloth, encrusting precious stones onto furniture, or crafting quality trinkets. Or all of those. But it doesn't have a compelling reason to do any one in particular. A fortress that never designates a tile for mining, however, requires exceptional effort to achieve.

This means there is no universal design constraint on which skills to start with. Ultimately the answer to "What skills do I need?" is "Whichever ''you'' want". Choosing a mixture of these commonly used skills and your desired specialized skills will make starting up your fortress easier and more efficient, but you don't need to start with any of them. Choosing to avoid some skills may force you to use some others, but nothing compels you to invest in any skill in particular.

A common skill list (Just as a general quick start):
*2 Miners
*1 Woodcutter
*1 Grower/Cook
*1 Grower/Brewer
*1 Carpenter
*1 Mason

This is not the be all end all, of course; it all depends upon your location, your goals, and what you consider fun.

==== Balancing military and economic needs ====

Not all embarks will require a military presence in the first year, but anyone planning an expedition to a sinister, haunted, or terrifying biome would be foolish not to be prepared for nasty dwarf-killing creatures. The solution doesn't strictly need to be military skills; quick delving and a skilled mechanic may be sufficient; but starting with a military dwarf will give you the earliest possible protection and a lot more versatility in where that protection can be applied. Whatever you choose to do, understand the risk and be prepared for it.

==== Training considerations ====

Some skills are harder to gain experience in than others - requiring valuable resources or taking an extended period of time, and thus inconvenient to train from the ground up. Investing in some of these extensively in your initial dwarves can make those industries much less painful to start. For example, metal-related skills generally eat metal bars, and thus the less time you spend training metal workers up to a decent level, the faster they'll be churning out high-quality items for you, and the fewer bars they'll waste becoming skilled. On the other hand, despite its importance, skills like mining train relatively quickly and barring extenuating circumstances (expected need to accomplish particular digging projects in the first month or you'll get mauled by a Giant for example) there's little need to actually invest your starting skills in it - they can learn on the job.

==== Quality, value, and happiness ====

[[Quality]] is an important part of Dwarf Fortress. Higher quality items produce better and more frequent happy thoughts and are worth more money. Valuable commodities will trade for more goods from caravans that visit. When choosing skills that produce objects of quality, the desire to produce valuable goods for trade will often conflict with the desire to produce objects that will make your dwarves happy. Built items that are frequently encountered tend to be things like furniture, especially beds, which tend to have low material values and thus low total value no matter how high the quality of the work. Further, these things tend to be inconvenient to trade. It is often best to strike a balance between dwarves who produce valuable trade goods and dwarves who produce quality items that will make your population happy - and thus be able to achieve both goals simultaneously.

It's worth noting that built furniture and worn clothing counts its value twice -- once under the appropriate category and once for displayed value. If you're trying to maximize your created wealth total, a good metalsmith producing furniture from high-value metals is optimal. A mason or stonecrafter can also build furniture from ore such as gold nuggets, if these are enabled in the stocks screen. Presently there is no disadvantage in doing so, as the furniture is just as valuable as if it had been made by a metalsmith from metal bars, and masonry is much easier to train.

==== Moodable skills ====

[[Strange mood]]s can give a dwarf Legendary skill in his/her highest-level "moodable" skill, and moods take hold of dwarves with different professions at different rates. Some skills are "moodable" where others are not. You might choose to take a certain skill solely because it opens up moods for that skill with that dwarf. Some moodable skills are more valuable than others - a legendary weaponsmith is both valuable and useful. A legendary tanner is generally a waste of a mood since tanned hides have no quality.

Because a dwarf can only have a strange mood in one skill, pairing a moodable skill with a non-moodable skill can ensure that if the dwarf has a mood it will be in the skill you desire. See the section on combining skills below for more details on ways to pair skills.

Dwarves with no moodable skill can be allowed to do one task using a moodable skill to give them a moodable skill with no starting build investment, so moodable skill considerations should not be considered a primary reason to choose particular skills - you should also want to make use of them for other reasons.

==== Combining Skills ====
Every dwarf is going to have 2 or more [[skills]]. This means that even once you know which skills you want, you're going to need to pair them up before assigning them. Not all skill combinations are equally functional.

Some skills are highly time-consuming, either because the skill is in frequent demand (eg, [[mining]]) or because it takes a long time to do an individual job (eg, [[strand extraction]]). If a dwarf is spending most of their time using that skill, they aren't making much use of their other skill. Pairing two time-consuming skills together therefore tends to be a bad idea, as one or both jobs are not going to get the attention they need or deserve. Similarly, pairing a skill with time-critical jobs with a time-consuming skill also tends to be a bad idea. If your [[grower]] is also mining, he may not stop to plant crops one season. Or he might neglect to harvest your crops in a timely fashion and they could rot on the ground (if you only let your growers harvest). Arranging your skill combinations to avoid these situations is generally beneficial. For example, Masons, miners, growers, and any craft that your fortress will base their economy off of (glass, stonecrafts, armour, etc) will take a lot of time, so plan accordingly.

Instead, pairing relatively time-intensive tasks with less time-intensive tasks will let your dwarf accomplish all such tasks adequately. Once you get a metal industry rolling, an armorer/weaponsmith will need to make a lot fewer weapons to outfit your soldiers than he will armor components. Thus he can usefully do both jobs without hurting your productivity overly much. Similarly, a mason might also be your architect, since building designer is a very infrequently used skill.

Working at different jobs levels up specific [[attribute]]s. One could level up a miner until he becomes mighty and ultra-tough - and then turn him into a soldier, or retire him to haul stone. If you plan on doing so, it may not be a good idea to give this guy a second critical job that will demand a lot of time away from their focus.

Since tasks will take place in specific areas, another approach is to combine tasks into dwarves who will take care of a specific industry, or spend all their time in one generally narrow part of the fortress - the forges, or the kitchens, or outdoors, for instance. So combining Farming with cooking, rather than mining, for example, and turn on only Haul Food, not Haul Stone. Metalworkers spending their time in the forge can easily handle more than one type of metalworking skill, and are also well-situated to be furnace operators.

Similarly, you can also make the craftsmen of your finished products also responsible for the production of intermediate products from raw ingredients. This way when they run out of materials to make into finished goods they can immediately switch over to working raw products into intermediate products so they'll have more to work with later. This works better in some industries than in others. A single butcher/tanner/cook trying to process multiple animals simultaneously will likely result in rotten food, carcases, or skins. But a weaponsmith who doubles as a furnace operator can usefully ensure he has material to work with when you want him to. Later on, however, a highly skilled craftsdwarf is often better suited at sitting in their [[workshop]] and having others deliver raw materials to them than going out and obtaining their own raw materials themselves, but in the early game dwarf-time is limited, and a single dwarf who can work an entire production chain can do so relatively efficiently and let your other dwarves be used elsewhere.

There is no requirement that a dwarves job combination needs to look 'right' or logical. A weaponsmith will most probably not spend nearly 100% of their time creating weapons - what they do with the other part of their time may have nothing at all to do with forges or smithing. Jobs which require little time in general, or little time early even if time-intensive later, may well be paired with any time-intensive task solely to provide the dwarf with something to usefully and skillfully do with most of their time, and freed from that duty as needed for the other tasks.

Another constraint you can impose on your skill combinations is to try to limit dwarves to [[moodable]] skill and one non-moodable skill (or a moodable and a less desired moodable skill at lower level), so any mood will improve the desired one. For example, pairing craft skills with farming skills gives you dwarves that will perform useful food production or raw good processing services while also getting their mood in a valuable finished goods skill. Example: Clothier/Grower.

==== Which dwarf should have which skill? ====
Dwarves who craft goods they prefer, or work materials they prefer, gain a bonus to the quality of the finished work. This can inform your choice of which skills you choose, for example by choosing a weaver because you notice a preference for sheep wool yarn, or you might choose the skills you want and then try to find a suitable dwarf to use that skill. In the latter case, since all dwarves have one metal preference you might assign an armorsmithing skill to a dwarf with a preference for iron, steel, or adamantine.

The dwarf with the most social skills will end up being the [[Expedition leader]], who will then become the [[mayor]] and start making [[mandate]]s. Thus you should avoid giving the most social skills to dwarves who have [[preferences]] for things like [[adamantine]].

Dwarves have physical and mental attributes that affect the performance of certain skills. You may wish to give a socially adept and patient dwarf the leadership/broker skills, or a dwarf who doesn't tire easily a skill which will be in frequent use like mining. You can also try to match skills to [[personality]], some of which have obvious implications for their willingness to work long hours or how frequently they might take breaks.

Of course, all combined these represent a lot of possible constraints on where you assign particular skills, and it would be impossible to apply them in total to your entire desired skill load. Use these as a guide, but don't be upset if all your dwarves are anti-social psychopaths - someone still needs to be the leader, after all.

==== Other considerations ====
Migrants can and will arrive with a wide selection of decently trained skills. While it is a gamble, chances are pretty decent that migrants will arrive with a highly trained skill that is also highly desirable and would usurp the job of one of the seven starting ones. The first few migration waves are likely to give you a much better talent pool than what you can assign at embark. On the other hand, you may never get the skill you really want if you don't start with it.

Skills atrophy if not used (they are marked "rusty" and later "very rusty"), and they can eventually decrease in level. Consider that skills which you will use years after embark are going to be rusty or even deleveled. Embark to the first caravan is long enough for a skill to start rusting, so you might want to make sure you'll use every skill you embark with before the first year ends to avoid catastrophic rusting.

Remember that you need to survive in order to accomplish any goals. Have a plan for lasting to at least the first caravan, if not one for longterm sustainability.

== Items ==

The items you choose to bring with you will need to satisfy a number of needs. Most importantly, you need to keep yourself alive - at least until the caravan arrives in the fall to resupply yourself. You probably also want to plan on some way of making a shelter, whether that be the traditional delved hall, a majestic castle, a log cabin, or something even more exotic. You may want to plan for mishaps by bringing essential medical supplies, especially those which may be hard to acquire on site. And you might bring items which will assist in creating items for trade to that first caravan, should you need anything for the skills you're planning on.

For the purposes of this article, livestock are considered items.

All embarks get the following items without paying for them: 2 animals (who pulled the wagon), and the 3 wood that make up the wagon.

=== Motivations ===

==== Survival ====

A single dwarf eats about 2x/season, and drinks about 4x/season. With 7 dwarves that's ~approximately~ 14 meals per season and 28 alcohol per season, or ~42 meals and ~84 alcohol until the end of Fall. The dwarf caravan tends to arrive in the third month of fall, so you will probably need to plan on a full 3 seasons. You are also likely to get at least one if not two small waves of migrants before the caravan arrives.

It is possible to bring enough food and drink to make it to the caravan - indeed, bringing enough food isn't especially hard (especially once you factor in slaughtering the animals who hauled your wagon. Bringing sufficient alcohol is harder, although bringing plump helmets to brew can significantly cut the cost.

The likely best way to keep your dwarves in drink is also the most labor intensive - setting up farming in the first season or two is perfectly plausible, allowing to grow your own [[plants]] from seeds and brew the products. (Keep in mind not all plants can be brewed - don't plant dimple cups and expect to make alcohol). In addition to the necessary seeds, starting your own farming operation is going to require either some [[soil]] or [[irrigation|some way to get the ground muddy]]. While sometimes simple digging can accomplish this, many times you're going to need a screw pump. Basic construction requirements are discussed under shelter.

It is possible to make all your alcohol by harvesting aboveground plants, if highly inefficient. It also only works in biomes with collectable plant life. Notably evil biomes and glaciers are unlikely to provide.

==== Shelter ====
Barring a convenient cave, you're going to have to do something for shelter. Shelter is your first defense against roving creatures, keeping them away from where your dwarves are working so they don't spam job cancellations and strew items all over the place. (As you might guess, most 'convenient caves' aren't actually that convenient, as they tend to have residents). Basic walls that allow you egress won't stop a dedicated invader, but you don't expect to see those until year 3, so you have time to develop more elaborate defenses.

Food outside will also spoil a lot faster than food inside, so making a cellar of some sort to store your food in will increase the longevity of your food supplies. The rate at which food spoils depends on ambient temperature, so the urgency of making a cellar will depend on where you settled. It might be possible to go without a cellar in a freezing biome.{{verify}} The only way you can avoid thinking about food storage in the first year is if you collect food and make alcohol as needed - ie, by using an herbalist to collect local plants - which can avoid needing to mine at all.

Delving a shelter requires mining, which means having picks to dig with. One can always bring one or more picks at embark, but its also possible to bring the supplies necessary to make them. See [[Starting build#Finished product or do it yourself|finished product or do it yourself]].

An aboveground shelter can be made with stone or wood or possibly more exotic materials. Stone of course requires mining, and thus picks. Wood can be had with an axe assuming trees are present, and axes, like picks, can similarly be brought at embark or made on site. It is of course possible to bring sufficient raw materials to build walls with, but this is far less efficient than just bringing a pick or an axe, although it could make a fun challenge. Building your initial fort out of soap, while possible, is not recommended, although possibly hilariously entertaining.

==== Industry ====
Most industries require little more than materials you can collect at the site and a workshop. So long as you can get stone, you won't need to bring anything for these. However, if you want to get an industry going immediately, it does help to bring a few building materials along (or be willing to use the wood from the wagon, if only temporarily).

Some industries require fire-safe materials to build with. Nearly all stone qualifies, as does metal. Wood can be converted to a fire safe material by burning it to ashes in a wood burners workshop, but of course that workshop requires a fire-safe material. If you're mining, this condition is easy to satisfy, but if you intend to run any of these industries right away you will need to plan on bringing appropriate materials.

Some industries require plant or animal matter to work with. Clothiers ultimately need cloth, which comes from certain plants or animals. Leatherworkers need tanned skins. (And while you can get 2 off your pack animals, this isn't sufficient to run an industry). If you plan on running these types of industries you will need to have a plan for providing suitable raw materials. Hunting can cover leatherworking needs (although this requires a hunter and hunting implements), and foraging can find rope reed plants, but its usually better to bring enough appropriate animals or plant seeds to have a good shot at getting started in a predictable and sustainable way. Similarly, milking and cheese making require milkable animals, and bonecarving requires a dependable source of bones.

Metal industries require metal and an anvil. You cannot make an anvil on site without already having an anvil, so if you plan on doing any forging before the first caravan you will need to bring one with you. Metal can be brought as bars or as ores to be smelted in a smelter into bars, or can be mined yourself. You will need to provide fuel or magma to run these workshops, so bringing some coal can make the operation run smoother.

Soap requires a lot of wood consumption and a source of tallow to be done in a sustainable way. Lye can be bought at embark to skip the first steps and make soap more directly. You will still need to bring or make buckets and have an empty barrel to actually produce soap though, but fortunately this is just a matter of having sufficient wood.

Jewelers require gems. Cut gems can be brought at embark, but are too expensive to bring in quantity. Generally a jeweler requires mining to find sufficient gems or a glassworker to produce raw glass to work with.

Glassmaking and Pottery requires sand or clay and fuel - pay attention to your site report before embarking. Its hard to run a viable industry solely off imports in these cases. Like metal workshops, coal can be brought to substitute for fuel fairly efficiently.

As is probably obvious, certain industries depend on similar inputs. Planning on a set of industries which require similar complementary inputs can let you more efficiently spend your starting points at embark or more efficiently plan your digging during the first year. If you plan on a lot of fuel-dependent industries, it may be worthwhile to prioritize finding a source of magma.

=== Optimization ===

==== Container mechanics and free items ====

Many items come in containers such as barrels and bags, including food, liquids, seeds, and powders. The cost to embark with these items can be cheaper than the cost of the container itself. Each different type of item for each category will come in its own container. Furthermore, you'll get a new container after every 10th instance for food, most liquids, and seeds, and after every item of powders.{{verify}} Alcohol gets a new barrel after every 5th unit. (Food actually groups by animal type, so if you get horse tripe and horse meat they'll combine them, but they won't combine horse meat and donkey meat). Thus diversifying your initial food supply with 1 of each low-cost food item will net you a large number of barrels. Similarly, it is worth taking 1 of each seed you weren't planning on taking more of solely for the bags. Taking some sand or gypsum powder is also a cheap way to get bags. Lye (for soap) and milks can be brought for more barrels - and milk can be made into cheese for a low-cost embark option that becomes food.

As stockpiling and some jobs are container limited, getting as many free containers as you can will free up labor (and possibly valuable materials) that would otherwise be used making containers.

==== Finished product or do it yourself ====
Bringing raw materials and making the finished product yourself is often easier on your embark points than bringing the finished product. On the other hand, making it yourself takes time during which you aren't making use of the finished product.

The most common scenario involves [[Make your own weapons|forging your own metal tools and weapons]]. While not usually too much of a hardship, it can be dangerous to make your own weapons or picks if you expect possible hostile creatures. Furthermore, you will lose time - possibly 1/4 to 1/2 the first month - if you forge your own picks.

Of special note regarding weapons is that a training battle axe is perfectly capable of chopping trees, and is made with nothing more than a carpentry workshop and a log. While the delay in acquiring one is minimal, a wood battle axe is not a good weapon, and so it loses utility for doing anything other than acquiring more wood.

You can also easily plan on making all or most of one's own booze, as plump helmets can be bought at embark and brewed at a still.

Any finished good can of course be made from raw materials that you bring, but most of them are not essential like the above, and thus you can generally wait until you find suitable resources on site or buy them from caravans.

==== Biome considerations: Dude, where's my wood? ====
Some environments have a shortage of trees. While you can direct production of a lot of item types to other materials, beds need to be made out of wood. In addition, it is difficult to make barrels and bins out of non-wood materials early in the game, especially without ready magma (since otherwise you'll probably need to burn wood to make metal equivalents). If you have an aquifer it can be even worse - stone may be difficult or impossible to access easily. While you can ultimately ask for wood from your liaison and buy whatever the humans and elves happen to bring, and eventually you can create a tree farm underground, tight wood will limit storage and sleeping arrangements for at least the first year if not longer. You may wish to plan accordingly if embarking in a site with sparse or no trees.

==== Items for moods ====
When a dwarf is taken by a [[strange mood]], he often needs obscure material or he will go insane and die, possibly with severe consequences to an entire fortress. Bringing along some of the harder-to-find ores ([[cassiterite]], [[sphalerite]], [[bismuthinite]], [[garnierite]]), and putting those aside, forbidding their use "just in case", is spending a few points on an insurance policy. Many players also choose to bring a few items like pig tail cloth and cave spider silk just in case.

Alternately, if you're otherwise being minimalistic on gear you're bringing you can choose to bring a few valuable components to try to maximize the value of mood items. That artifact animal trap will be worth a lot more if your woodcarver grabs a blue diamond instead of moss agate.

==== Free Equipment ====

Unfortunately, no free equipment is available when embarking in Dwarf Fortress mode. This is in contrast to [[Adventure mode]], in which the only equipment available on starting is free equipment.

==Site considerations==
Each fortress [[location]] offers particular challenges and opportunities, and can make different demands on your starting build. Your starting build may need to be adjusted depending on the [[region]] your fort occupies, the specific vision you have of your fortress, and what it will take to [[losing|stay alive]] where you're going!

The differences include what [[biome]]s, [[region]]s and likely [[metal]]s are present in your chosen embark site.

=== General Surroundings ===
Simply put, if your [[surroundings]] are [[evil]] or [[savage]], your dwarves have a higher risk of suddenly facing personal combat before they are safely behind their defenses. Consider bringing extra weaponry, in the form of axes, picks or crossbows (see [[Starting_builds#Free_Equipment|free equipment]]). Hand in hand with those, consider skill mixes that include [[axedwarf]], [[mining]] (the skill used to wield a pick), [[marksdwarf]], or [[wrestling]] (a solid unarmed-combat skill).

The same is true if you are embarking near an exposed magma vent or an open chasm - these features can be seen on the embark map, but it's impossible to tell if they are "open" to the surface or not, until you are there in person.

Be sure to include some source of [[water]] on the map, preferably running [[water]]. Water is (almost) essential for any fortress. In Cold and Freezing climates streams and [[lake]]s will often be frozen year-round and your dwarves may quickly die of exposure, in Hot climates [[murky pool]]s will dry up, and in Dry ones rain will only rarely re-fill them, if ever. Choose Temperate or tropical zones for an easier game.

===Aquifers===
If an [[aquifer]] is present in the first soil or stone layers (visible on the pre-embark menu), it may bar all access to [[stone]] and [[ore]] until you find a way through the water barrier. Consider bringing some stone for building, and ore for your first basic needs. This may be critical to getting your fortress running smoothly.

=== Mountains ===
Mountains often have abundant [[ore]]s, but at the loss of trees and plants. In previous versions lacking [[cavern]]s, this was a serious drawback. Brave pioneers can dig down into the caverns to find essentials like water, mud, and plants. However, players should be aware that above-ground crops will not grow in mountain biomes, no matter how muddy you may make the surface.

Depending on the exact layers, it's common to find exposed [[vein]]s of useful [[ore]]s that can be immediately mined for [[Make your own weapons|DIY]] weapons and tools.

=== Wooded/Plains ===
Flatlands with at least some trees and gatherable plants can also make for highly successful fortresses. Advantages over mountain zones include abundant trees and plants and (unless frozen) more abundant water. There are even (rare) magma vents. More water also means a high likelihood of an [[aquifer]] being present. Make sure to check on embark.

The greatest disadvantage is the potential lack of exposed [[stone]] to mine. The first level(s) below the surface is often [[soil]] of some type, which offers no building materials. However, soil is mined much more quickly than stone (x3-x4 faster), and expansive accommodations (rooms) can be achieved quickly even by untrained miners. You will find stone, you just have to go down a bit for it - but that's what dwarves do, isn't it?

[[Experience|Training]] a [[Miner]] from No Skill to Proficient takes less than a month (~20 days with hauling disabled) in soil, and to Legendary in just under a season after. From embark, this means you should have legendary miners in early summer if you dig only in soil. Times increase slightly for each additional miner used.

=== Oceanside ===
With many features in common with some of the above locations, [[beach]]es are often a mix of ease intermingled with bouts of extreme difficulty. Minerals and trees are often abundant, as well as farmland and sand, but there is often no drinking water unless the biome has a flowing [[water]] of some sort.

By definition, the settlement will fall between (at least) two [[biome]]s (one land, one water), potentially hazardous if the player expects a peaceful oceanside meadow, without realizing the [[terrifying]] ocean is full of amphibious zombie [[whale]]s.

=== Desert, Glaciers, and Barren ===
Treeless (or near-treeless) [[biome]]s are challenging sites for a fortress: you get most of the disadvantages of a flatland site without having access to nearly as many trees and plants. However, near-lifeless zones such as [[glacier]]s are wonderful for players with slower computers, as there's little to burden the CPU but your dwarves and livestock. [[Desert]]s and barren areas often have sand; with a sufficient source of energy (preferably magma), you can build almost anything out of unlimited glass.

Hunters should be replaced with fisherdwarves and a fish cleaner (although the latter can be easily trained). Depending how much water vs. land, more starting wood and ores might be helpful. Swimming is rarely useful in Fortress mode, even at the beach, and can be trained.

==Sample starting builds==
See [[Sample Starting Builds]]

{{Starting FAQ}}
{{Category|Guides}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}

User:Calite/Gloss Guide

2012-08-08T12:01:27Z

Bronzebeard: /* Drinks */

This guide hopefully helps one get into dwarf fortress and get a fort going without imposing any particular way to play. The notes below don't tell you how to carry out actions within the game, instead they give you an overview of DF's cruicial elements.

==Prior Consideration==
Before playing, realize you will need these for success:
*Time and patience
**You will fail (repeatedly) at first, and a good fortress takes a long time to build
*Planning and long-term thinking
**You will want to decide the layout of your fortress before digging/building randomly
*Open-Mindedness
**Whether it's because dwarf fortress often does impossible and absurd things, or because there's a better way to accomplish your goals, you need to be willing to learn new rules and new ways of thinking.

This may seem like work, but a game that requires a lot of thinking is very rewarding in the long run.

==Warm-Ups==
*Play some [[adventurer mode]].
**It's very different from Dwarf Fortress, but at least gets you used to the default tileset and the complexity of the game.
*Don't be afraid of the wiki
**Read about anything in the game you don't understand or are confused about.
**This guide is designed to be modular, that is, you are expected to read the wiki pages it links to as you please

==Fortress Survival==
No matter your location and your goals, there are a few things that must be taken care of

*Food
*Drinks
*Safety
*Happiness

===Food===
[[Food]] is necessary to keep dwarves alive.

There are several ways to obtain food, I'll outline each here.

*[[Fishing]]
**Very simple, requires only one dwarf assigned to fish, a [[fishery]], and one dwarf assigned to fish cleaning.
**The stability of this source of food depends on how much [[water]] you have, how many dwarves you need to feed, and luck (sometimes it seems like none of your water sources have fish, sometimes it seems like they never end)
**Fishing requires no oversight or extra resources after you have the fishery, it may not be the best choice for a main food source but it is a great source of extra food, and some things that can be caught (such as turtles) drop shells or bones, which are useful.

*[[Hunting]]
**Perhaps the most complicated source of food, requiring a hunter with a quiver, arrows, and a bow, and a [[butcher's workshop]] and a [[kitchen]].
**This food source's stability depends on the amount of animals on the map and the [[skill]] of your hunter(a bad hunter will just waste arrows for a few seasons before killing something)
**A great plus of hunting is that almost everything your hunter brings back will drop bones and other things besides meat.
***Since bones can be made into arrows, hunting can become self-sufficient.

*[[Farming]]
**Somewhere between fishing and hunting in complexity, it requires a farm plot, seeds and a dwarf assigned to farming.
**Stability is variable depending on what plant(s) you are growing.
***Some plants grow outside, while others grow inside
****Indoor farms require mud on stone floors. Soil, clay and sandy floors are immediately viable for farming.
***Indoor plants have different growing seasons and growing rates whilst all outdoor crops can be grown all year around.
***Some plants produce food immediately, some must be cooked or processed, and others don't produce any food. See [[crops]]
**Farming has several additional benefits.
***[[Seeds]] come from the usage of the product of the plant. This means that eating, processing or brewing a plant product will provide the seeds needed to grow more. ''(WARNING: Cooking does not leave seeds!)''
***Many plants can be brewed into alcohol. More on the importance of this in the drinks section.

*[[Plant Gathering]]
**A very simple way to get food, it requires a dwarf with Plant Gathering assigned and an area designated for plant gathering.
**Plants grow slowly naturally, and an unskilled dwarf won't even get anything from most of the plants it picks (but still destroys the plant).
**Gathering provides food from ''outdoor'' plants. When brewed or eaten, this food will provide seeds that you can use to start outdoor farms.

*[[Trading]]
**Trading requires a trade depot, things you want to trade to the traders, and a dwarf assigned to trade (a broker, usually).
**The stability of trading for food depends entirely on the caravans.
***A caravan from each civilization that can reach your location (and is not at war with you) will come in a specific season (at most one civilization per season).
***Additionally, the caravans may bring a lot of food or a little. This can be influenced by requesting that they bring food next time (when you meet with their representative), but you cannot influence this for the first time you trade with them.
**Traders often bring plants and seeds you cannot obtain from your environment through plant gathering.

*Cooking
**Preparing Meals requires someone assigned to cook and a kitchen, as well as 2 or more pieces of food.
**'''Cooking uses more food than it provides, making it completely counter-productive to providing more food'''
**'''Prepared meals have a much higher value than the food used to make them, especially if the cook is highly skilled'''
***Eating a prepared meal gives a dwarf a happy thought, making them great for morale ''(Only if the meal contains a food the dwarf likes)''
***This also makes it great for trading to caravans for other things.

===Drinks===
Dwarves drink two (and only two) types of substances - [[alcohol]] and [[water]]. Remember these drink-related rules:

*Dwarves are '''alcohol-dependent'''
**Lack of alcohol will make a dwarf work and move slower; on a large scale, this can bring a fortress to a virtual halt
*A dwarf will not drink the same type of alcohol forever
**They will deprive themselves of alcohol if there is only one choice (bringing us back to the first bullet).
*'''An injured dwarf cannot drink alcohol'''
**They must have water, or they will die.
*Dwarves always prioritize alcohol over water
**If all other rules are met, then a dwarf will not go out of his way to obtain water (unless he is bringing it to an injured dwarf)

There aren't nearly as many ways to obtain alcohol as food:

*Brewing
**Alcohol can be brewed from plant products, which can be obtained via plant gathering or farming
***Brewing produces seeds

*Trading
**The rules for this are exactly the same as the rules for trading for food.

===Safety===
There are way too many facets of safety, so I'll just gloss over it:

*Dangers
**Cave-Ins
***If an area of rock is no longer connected to the rock below it, it will fall, killing or hurting anyone nearby.
**Fire
***Dwarves don't understand the dangers of fire, so things can go downhill awfully fast.
**Flooding
***Water quickly becomes your worst enemy when it fills your dwellings. Do all water related projects carefully
**Magma
***Destroys most things, and catches stuff on fire.
**Snatchers and Thieves
***Barely more than minor nuisances, but nonetheless problematic
**Wild Animals
***Some will steal anything they can get to (''despite its weight!''), some will attack and even kill dwarves, many more will simply cause job cancellations.
**Ambushes
***Very dangerous and problematic, though rarely life threatening
**Sieges
***Very possibly capable of completely destroying your fortress
**Ghosts
***Can pull levers and bother dwarves
**Vampires
***Difficult to catch, can do a lot of damage overtime, and can take out an entire fortress if they berserk
**[[Hidden Fun Stuff]]
***There are things worse than other civilizations

*Passive Defense
**Traps are your best friends
***Some creatures are sneaky and avoid traps very well.

*Active Defense
**Army
***A well trained, well equipped, well managed army will take care of almost all potential assailants before they cause problems
**Animals
***Some domestic animals attack enemies, and all can see them and alert others of them

===Happiness===
Happiness, or more accurately a lack of sadness, is important to keeping a fortress stable and preventing [[Tantrum]]s.

====Things That Upset Dwarves====
*Death
**Somewhat mitigated by [[coffins]] and [[slabs]]
*Lack of Alcohol
**This also makes them slower!
*Lack of Food
*Fighting
**Usually caused by other dwarves being upset
*Melancholy, Insane, or Berserk Dwarves
**Caused by failed moods or being upset
*[[Vermin]]
**Common in areas that are not sealed off well
*Dwarves they dislike
*Lack of food/alcohol variety
*Rain
*The sun, if they have [[Cave Adaptation]]

====Things That Cheer-Up Dwarves====
*High [[Quality]] [[Furniture]]
*Dwarves They Like
*[[Parties]]
*[[Waterfall]]s
*High Quality Alcohol and Food
*Owning High Quality Items

==Resources==
After covering your basic survival, you will want resources to accomplish various tasks.

===Core===
These two will normally be most of your backbone early on
*[[Wood]]
**Wood is important for most forts because barrels, buckets, and bins can only be made from wood or metal(which weighs much more). It's also useful in construction
*[[Stone]]
**Often the most abundant and most used resource, stone is useful for construction and crafts.

===Additional===
*[[Clay]]
**About as useful as wood or stone, but a bit more involved to produce
*[[Glass]]
**Not very important, but not without use and value
*[[Shell]]
**Mostly for crafts and decoration, sometimes abundant with fishing
*[[Bone]]
**Useful for high-volume, low quality arrows
**Otherwise similar to shells
*[[Cloth]] and [[Thread]]
**Needed for hospitals and basic clothes
*[[Leather]]
**Often abundant with hunting, useful for basic armor, quivers, and decoration
*[[Gems]]
**Valuable when cut and good at adding value when encrusted
**Common byproduct of mining
**Vary from cheap gems to the extremely rare and valuable

===Valuable===
A stable, older fortress often has these.
*[[Metal]]
**This will be your most important resource later in
*[[Obsidian]]
**Similar to Glass
*[[Adamantium]]
**The most valuable substance known to dwarfkind.

==Mining & Construction==
A large part of dwarf fortress is reshaping your environment to fit your needs.

===Mining===
The majority of forts are built in a mountainside or underground. This is because mining is much easier than construction, in most cases.

*provides stone, metal, and gems
*uses no resources besides having a miner with a pickaxe
*provides space built exactly as you intended (excluding [[fun]] surprises)

===Construction===
Construction is anything as simple as putting walls, doors, and floodgates in a dug-out fort to anything as complex as building a castle from nothing.

====Problems====
*Requires resources
**Wood or stone mostly, though metal and glass can be used too.
*Requires more planning than digging
*Constructed walls cannot be engraved like natural stone walls

====Benefits====
*Extremely complicated things are often easier to construct than to dig out.
*Constructed areas are easier to rearrange than dug-out areas.

==Industry==
Most forts have one or more industries going. These provide anything from food to tools to weapons to crafts.

===Crafting===
At a craftdwarves' workshop, one can turn various resources into crafts, or improve existing items with raw resources.

Most products of crafting are only useful for trading, but improving existing and useful items can improve dwarves' mood.

===Metalsmithing===
Metalsmithing is a more complicated but very rewarding and practical industry. Metal can be used for construction, weaponry, statues, buckets/bins/barrels, and crafts.

==Ambition==
After getting a stable fortress, one can feel free to enjoy themselves in many ways.

The following articles are about different ways players entertain themselves.
*[[Megaprojects]] - Massive projects done by [[Mega_construction | mega construction]]
*[[Stupid_dwarf_trick | Stupid Dwarf Tricks]] - Silly and neat things
*[[Style_project | Style Projects]] - Projects to add more realism or detail to a fort
*[[Computing]] - The more technical-minded players have found ways to create both simple and complex machines

From Caravan to Happy Dwarves

2012-08-08T11:56:35Z

Bronzebeard: /* Using the flowchart */

<div id="norate"></div>
== Using the flowchart ==
This flowchart is meant to cover the rough steps to go from caravan to a fortress that works well enough to begin focusing on other projects. Begin at the "Start" node, then consider doing the necessary step to head to the next orange milestone. The order is not absolute, and the flowchart doesn't claim to be the best way to do things, but it can be helpful as a non-linear checklist toward your first fortress.

To learn how to do the things in this diagram, use the wiki, trial and error, or the forum.

[[File:flowchartDF.png]]

{{Category|Guides}}

v0.34:Dwarf

2012-08-08T08:51:36Z

Bronzebeard: /* Adventure mode */

{{Quality|Masterwork|01:46, 15 June 2012 (UTC)}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|death=nobutcher
|contrib=no
|wiki=Dwarf (Germanic mythology)
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

[[Image:Dwarf.jpg|206px|thumb|A [[graphite]] engraving of a dwarf.]]

'''Dwarves''' are [[Stupid dwarf trick|"intelligent"]] [[alcohol|alcohol-dependent]] {{Catlink|Humanoids|humanoid}} [[creature]]s that are the featured [[civilization|race]] of [[fortress mode]], as well as being playable in [[adventure mode]]. They are well known for their stout physique and prominent [[beard]]s, which begin to grow from birth; dwarves are stronger, shorter, stockier, and hairier then the average [[human]], and have a heightened sense of their surroundings. Dwarves live in elaborate underground [[fortress]]es carved from the [[mountain|mountainside]], are naturally gifted [[miner|miners]], [[metalsmith]]s, and [[stone crafter]]s, and value the acquisition of [[wealth]] and [[value|rare]] [[metal]]s above all else.

Dwarven civilizations typically form peaceful, trade-based relationships with [[human]]s and <s>hippies</s> [[elves]], but are bitter enemies with [[goblin]]s. Dwarven babies become [[children]] one and a half years after birth, grow up to become adults at their twelfth birthday, and live to be around 150-170 years of age.

Well-trained dwarves are a menace in combat; they are the only race that can enter a [[martial trance]] when beset by multiple foes, granting them a major combat bonus, and their emphasis on mining and metalworking ensures access to the best [[weapon|arms]] and [[armor]]. They are incapable, however, of riding [[mount]]s, and will always fight on foot.

== Fortress mode ==
Dwarves are the default race in fortress mode, as in, the only one that can be played without [[modding]]. As a [[trading]] race, Dwarves will send a [[caravan]] every year in [[Calendar|Autumn]]. These merchants will bring back tales of a fortress's [[wealth]] and goods, which will attract [[immigrant]]s.

Dwarves may occasionally be struck by divine inspiration and desire to create a [[legendary artifact]], an item of masterful crafting and great value. A dwarf who is successful in this quest will likely become a [[skill|legendary]] worker in that profession; however, if the appropriate materials are not available, the dwarf will instead go [[insane]].

Dwarves react to stress violently. When pushed to unhappiness by unfortunate events, dwarves are more likely to [[tantrum]] than to talk things out. It is not uncommon to find them overturning furniture, injuring others, and generally being rowdy . Paradoxically, they also have a strong sense of [[justice]], and those who damage property or other dwarves may find themselves incarcerated, or -- in extreme cases -- on the receiving end of the [[Hammerer]]'s corporal punishment.

== Adventure mode ==
Dwarven fortresses (and their inhabitants) currently do not exist in Adventurer mode, although player-made fortresses that have been abandoned can attract dwarven NPCs that will settle down in them. Unfortunately, [[human]]-made armor is too large for them to wear, and humans are the only race with [[shop]]s, so all armor upgrades will have to come from looting elves, goblins, and other dwarves. Most human weapons must be wielded two-handed by dwarves, due to their size.

== Ethics ==
Morally speaking, dwarven [[ethics]] most closely resemble human and elven ethics, agree somewhat with [[kobold]] and animal-people ethics, and disagree strongly with goblin ethics. Unlike elves, dwarves find the devouring of dead enemies unthinkable, and will not butcher or consume intelligent beings (goblins see this as a personal matter). They are entirely opposed to torture of any sort for any reason, unlike elves, humans, kobolds and animal-people (who find certain forms of torture acceptable) and especially goblins, who find all torture acceptable. Dwarves tolerate animal trophies but shun those who keep trophies of sapient beings, and find those who keep trophies of other dwarves appalling. Dwarves find the killing of animals, enemies and plants completely acceptable, unlike elves, kobolds and animal-people. An exception to this is the killing of neutral beings, which is sanctioned as long as the killing had been officially ordered. A dwarf found to have participated in assault, theft, trespassing or vandalism will be seriously punished; some crimes such as killing other dwarves, breaking oaths, slavery and treason are punishable by death. On the other hand, lying is considered a personal matter.

== Mythology ==
In real-life mythology, dwarves are much like humans, but generally prefer to live underground and/or in mountainous areas. In their fortresses they have accumulated treasures of [[gold]], [[silver]], and [[gem|precious stones]], and pass their time fabricating costly weapons and armor. They are famed [[miner]]s and [[Metalsmith|smiths]], although, like humans, they can specialise in any number of trades. Generally shorter than humans, they are on average stockier and hairier, and usually sport full beards. Though slow runners and poor riders, dwarves are excellent warriors and defenders of their strongholds. Dwarves have the ability to forge magical items, which shows off their culture's and species natural craftsmanship. For instance, dwarvish smiths created some of the greatest and most powerful items of mythology, which inspired the in-game [[strange mood]]s and [[Legendary artifact]]s.

== Community outlook ==
Dwarves have accumulated a reputation among players for being slow-witted, although to be fair, this is more a function of the game itself (and certain consequences thereof) than it is the fault of the dwarves. The instances of dwarven stupidity are numerous; examples include [[dodging]] into thin air (off of cliffs and into [[river]]s), never accounting for [[water]] [[flow]] (and being swept off of [[waterfall]]s to a watery grave several [[z-level]]s below), always taking the easy [[path]]s (even through a pond [[syndrome|poisoned]] with toxic [[forgotten beast]] blood), building [[construction]]s from the wrong side (trapping themselves within), [[channel]]ing the floor one <s>is</s> was standing on, wandering off to do dangerous things ([[web|collecting webs]] when a [[giant cave spider]] is visibly lurking), and generally disregarding dangerous circumstances (carrying back friendly [[corpse]]s even when the goblins that have rendered them horizontal are a mere two feet away).

The problem is further compounded by dwarven touchiness; they easily become depressed, throwing [[tantrum]]s that spiral out of control for what seem like minor reasons (e.g. a temporary lack of [[wear|unworn]] [[clothing#The_great_sock_obsession|socks]]). This inevitably leads to players' emphasis of the "dworfy": failsafe design, machinery in place of dwarfpower, fun with [[magma]], seizing control of the environment, killing all the cute fuzzy animals, strip mining the whole place hollow, etc. It is a great insult to be called an [[elf]], implying that the player is apt to sit around and gaze at trees, living in the world rather then bending it to their will.

In accounts of exploits or [[fun]], the generic name [[main:Urist|Urist]] is often used in place of any specific dwarf name, often because the default dwarf names are complex, random, and hard to remember. Several other nicknames for dwarves also exist; some are less polite than others.

{{gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}

{{Category|Races}}
{{Category|Humanoids}}
{{Category|Creatures}}

v0.34:Dwarf

2012-08-08T08:50:06Z

Bronzebeard:

{{Quality|Masterwork|01:46, 15 June 2012 (UTC)}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|death=nobutcher
|contrib=no
|wiki=Dwarf (Germanic mythology)
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

[[Image:Dwarf.jpg|206px|thumb|A [[graphite]] engraving of a dwarf.]]

'''Dwarves''' are [[Stupid dwarf trick|"intelligent"]] [[alcohol|alcohol-dependent]] {{Catlink|Humanoids|humanoid}} [[creature]]s that are the featured [[civilization|race]] of [[fortress mode]], as well as being playable in [[adventure mode]]. They are well known for their stout physique and prominent [[beard]]s, which begin to grow from birth; dwarves are stronger, shorter, stockier, and hairier then the average [[human]], and have a heightened sense of their surroundings. Dwarves live in elaborate underground [[fortress]]es carved from the [[mountain|mountainside]], are naturally gifted [[miner|miners]], [[metalsmith]]s, and [[stone crafter]]s, and value the acquisition of [[wealth]] and [[value|rare]] [[metal]]s above all else.

Dwarven civilizations typically form peaceful, trade-based relationships with [[human]]s and <s>hippies</s> [[elves]], but are bitter enemies with [[goblin]]s. Dwarven babies become [[children]] one and a half years after birth, grow up to become adults at their twelfth birthday, and live to be around 150-170 years of age.

Well-trained dwarves are a menace in combat; they are the only race that can enter a [[martial trance]] when beset by multiple foes, granting them a major combat bonus, and their emphasis on mining and metalworking ensures access to the best [[weapon|arms]] and [[armor]]. They are incapable, however, of riding [[mount]]s, and will always fight on foot.

== Fortress mode ==
Dwarves are the default race in fortress mode, as in, the only one that can be played without [[modding]]. As a [[trading]] race, Dwarves will send a [[caravan]] every year in [[Calendar|Autumn]]. These merchants will bring back tales of a fortress's [[wealth]] and goods, which will attract [[immigrant]]s.

Dwarves may occasionally be struck by divine inspiration and desire to create a [[legendary artifact]], an item of masterful crafting and great value. A dwarf who is successful in this quest will likely become a [[skill|legendary]] worker in that profession; however, if the appropriate materials are not available, the dwarf will instead go [[insane]].

Dwarves react to stress violently. When pushed to unhappiness by unfortunate events, dwarves are more likely to [[tantrum]] than to talk things out. It is not uncommon to find them overturning furniture, injuring others, and generally being rowdy . Paradoxically, they also have a strong sense of [[justice]], and those who damage property or other dwarves may find themselves incarcerated, or -- in extreme cases -- on the receiving end of the [[Hammerer]]'s corporal punishment.

== Adventure mode ==
Dwarven fortresses (and their inhabitants) currently do not exist in Adventurer mode, although player-made fortresses that have been abandoned can attract Dwarf NPCs that will settle down in it. Unfortunately, [[human]]-made armor is too large for them to wear, and humans are the only race with [[shop]]s, so all armor upgrades will have to come from looting elves, goblins, and other dwarves. Most human weapons must be wielded two-handed by dwarves, due to their size.

== Ethics ==
Morally speaking, dwarven [[ethics]] most closely resemble human and elven ethics, agree somewhat with [[kobold]] and animal-people ethics, and disagree strongly with goblin ethics. Unlike elves, dwarves find the devouring of dead enemies unthinkable, and will not butcher or consume intelligent beings (goblins see this as a personal matter). They are entirely opposed to torture of any sort for any reason, unlike elves, humans, kobolds and animal-people (who find certain forms of torture acceptable) and especially goblins, who find all torture acceptable. Dwarves tolerate animal trophies but shun those who keep trophies of sapient beings, and find those who keep trophies of other dwarves appalling. Dwarves find the killing of animals, enemies and plants completely acceptable, unlike elves, kobolds and animal-people. An exception to this is the killing of neutral beings, which is sanctioned as long as the killing had been officially ordered. A dwarf found to have participated in assault, theft, trespassing or vandalism will be seriously punished; some crimes such as killing other dwarves, breaking oaths, slavery and treason are punishable by death. On the other hand, lying is considered a personal matter.

== Mythology ==
In real-life mythology, dwarves are much like humans, but generally prefer to live underground and/or in mountainous areas. In their fortresses they have accumulated treasures of [[gold]], [[silver]], and [[gem|precious stones]], and pass their time fabricating costly weapons and armor. They are famed [[miner]]s and [[Metalsmith|smiths]], although, like humans, they can specialise in any number of trades. Generally shorter than humans, they are on average stockier and hairier, and usually sport full beards. Though slow runners and poor riders, dwarves are excellent warriors and defenders of their strongholds. Dwarves have the ability to forge magical items, which shows off their culture's and species natural craftsmanship. For instance, dwarvish smiths created some of the greatest and most powerful items of mythology, which inspired the in-game [[strange mood]]s and [[Legendary artifact]]s.

== Community outlook ==
Dwarves have accumulated a reputation among players for being slow-witted, although to be fair, this is more a function of the game itself (and certain consequences thereof) than it is the fault of the dwarves. The instances of dwarven stupidity are numerous; examples include [[dodging]] into thin air (off of cliffs and into [[river]]s), never accounting for [[water]] [[flow]] (and being swept off of [[waterfall]]s to a watery grave several [[z-level]]s below), always taking the easy [[path]]s (even through a pond [[syndrome|poisoned]] with toxic [[forgotten beast]] blood), building [[construction]]s from the wrong side (trapping themselves within), [[channel]]ing the floor one <s>is</s> was standing on, wandering off to do dangerous things ([[web|collecting webs]] when a [[giant cave spider]] is visibly lurking), and generally disregarding dangerous circumstances (carrying back friendly [[corpse]]s even when the goblins that have rendered them horizontal are a mere two feet away).

The problem is further compounded by dwarven touchiness; they easily become depressed, throwing [[tantrum]]s that spiral out of control for what seem like minor reasons (e.g. a temporary lack of [[wear|unworn]] [[clothing#The_great_sock_obsession|socks]]). This inevitably leads to players' emphasis of the "dworfy": failsafe design, machinery in place of dwarfpower, fun with [[magma]], seizing control of the environment, killing all the cute fuzzy animals, strip mining the whole place hollow, etc. It is a great insult to be called an [[elf]], implying that the player is apt to sit around and gaze at trees, living in the world rather then bending it to their will.

In accounts of exploits or [[fun]], the generic name [[main:Urist|Urist]] is often used in place of any specific dwarf name, often because the default dwarf names are complex, random, and hard to remember. Several other nicknames for dwarves also exist; some are less polite than others.

{{gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}

{{Category|Races}}
{{Category|Humanoids}}
{{Category|Creatures}}

v0.34:War

2012-08-08T08:33:37Z

Bronzebeard:

{{quality|Fine|22:39, 8 October 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}

War is a state of conflict between two [[civilization]]s. During Dwarf Fortress mode, it's a bottomless pit of [[fun]].

==World Gen==
War is common during world gen; civilizations will attack each other's settlements, occasionally destroying a site and occasionally taking it over.

==Dwarf Fortress Mode==
In dwarf fortress mode, war will cause [[siege]]s to arrive and bring you [[fun]] and [[Goblinite|presents]].
The hostile nation may attack very occasionally or every year, so be well prepared. Civilizations whom you are at war with may occasionally send a diplomat to try and end the war; you will have the option to agree to the peace treaty, or dismiss the diplomat and continue the war.
You can see if you are at war with a civilization on the {{k|c}}ivilization screen.

===At Embark===
When embarking, one can check to see which races their civ is at war with. Different civs may be at war with different races. Goblins are considered to be in a constant minor conflict with dwarves, instead of a real war.

===Causing War===
The following events will make a civilization unhappy, eventually leading to war:
*The death of a trader (regardless of the cause of death) while visiting your fortress.
*Failing to keep to the harvesting limit the [[elves]] set, if any.
*Seizing caravans.
*Annoying traders (such as offering the <s>hippies</s> [[elves]] wood products repeatedly).

{{Category|World}}

v0.34:Siege

2012-08-08T07:16:23Z

Bronzebeard: /* Necromancer sieges */

{{quality|Masterwork|14:21, 27 July 2012 (UTC)}}{{av}}

:''For catapults and ballistae, see [[Siege engine]].''

'''Sieges''' are large scale assaults on your fortress by other [[civilization]]s, normally [[goblin]]s and [[necromancer]]s. They are usually announced with the message screen "''A vile force of darkness has arrived!''" (the message screen differs depending on the attacking race : the previous one is for goblins), and the main screen shows "SIEGE" tag along the top for the duration.

Caravans will not arrive at a besieged fortress. It is unknown if they will arrive if a siege is quickly broken, however, but it is possible to miss out entirely on a civilization's caravan for the year this way. Even if they do have arrive before the siege, the attackers may kill them or chase them off if they can reach them. Consider this when deciding how you set up your [[trade depot]] and how heavily to lean your economy on imported goods.

A civilization will be unable to lay siege if it can't reach your fortress site, meaning you'll never get sieges if you embark on an island or in a valley which is completely surrounded by mountains. If you want to make sure that a certain civilization will be capable of laying siege to you, then look at the "neighbors" view of the [[Embark]] site finder when selecting your fortress site.

=== Structure of a siege ===

Siege forces usually consist of several 'squads'. Using the [[goblin]]s as an example, each squad consists of several goblins of one military class (swordsman, lasher, etc.), and often one 'squad leader' (typically an Elite or better, which need not be the same class as the squad it leads).

Occasionally, a squad will be mounted - this means each of its members will be riding a suitable [[creature]], though the creatures typically vary between members. The squad leader can be mounted, even if his squad is not. These mounts can change the combat dynamics, since some can fly, are [[building destroyer]]s, or have substantially different combat traits than a goblin (for example a [[Jabberer]] tends to grab [[body parts]] and tear them off).

After being sufficiently "successful" at defending against the siege (killing sufficient attackers, waiting them out, or some combination thereof), the attackers will retreat. All of the remaining squads and groups will head for the map edges and leave, typically favoring the edge they entered from. Once all of the remaining attackers have decided to retreat, the "SIEGE" tag will go away.

It is possible to have multiple sieges at the same time. If the attacking civilizations are at war with each other, they will start to fight with each other as well.

Different races will favor different styles of attack during sieges. The following attack styles were observed in .40d; it remains to be seen if these traits are still present in current releases.

You can also turn off sieges and [[Forgotten beast]]s altogether by editing the [[d_init.txt]] file to change [INVADERS:YES] to [INVADERS:NO].

=== [[Goblin]] sieges ===

Goblins will start laying siege to your fortress when you reach a population of around 80 dwarves.

Sometimes goblins will charge in an open march toward your fortress and attempt to kill your [[dwarves]].

Goblins sieges often include groups of [[Troll]]s, [[Ogre]]s, or [[Cave dragon]]s that can [[Building destroyer|break buildings]]. Unlike the squads, however, these 'groups' usually enter the map in single file, somewhat akin to arriving [[migrants]], usually possess random civilian classes, and show little of the organized behavior of the squads.

Goblins may bring elite human or even dwarven fighters as leaders of their squads, previously kidnapped by [[snatcher]]s.

They may also ride exotic mounts; aquatic mounts can breathe under water, which means they are able to swim through your moat, often resulting in the death of the goblin riding said animal. Goblins can also ride flying mounts which can avoid your fortress [[wall]]s. Some squads may enter the screen underground, making the underground workings of your fortress vulnerable to attack if you are not patrolling underground caverns. Mounts will no longer appear if you kill the Goblin leader. {{verify}} You can see if the Goblin leader is still alive by checking the Civilization menu ({{k|c}}).

Potential mounts include:
*[[Cave crocodile]]
*[[Giant olm]]
*[[Rutherer]]
*[[Blind cave bear]]
*[[Giant bat]]
*[[Giant cave swallow]]
*[[Voracious cave crawler]]
*[[Giant toad]]
*[[Elk Bird]]

=== [[Elf|Elven]] sieges ===

It is possible to have elven attacks as well, but that usually requires some effort on part of the player, or for your starting civilization to have a pre-existing conflict with a nearby elven one. You can check this when you embark while looking at nearby civilizations, where it will read WAR next to the elf civilization, though it seems to be entirely dependent on how world gen plays out and embarking at a time when a war is happening. Another, possibly simpler (and more amusing) way to elven siege is to blatantly provoke them. If you don't want to be attacked by elves you should not offer them wooden goods or goods stored in wooden barrels or bins. You might also avoid clearing too much woodland, as elves will be offended if you do so.

Elven sieges are announced with the message, "''The elves have brought the full forces of their lands against you.''". Elves use stealth squads, a la goblin ambushes, to hide their numbers and locations. {{verify}} It should be noted, however, that unlike goblin ambushes which cap at four squads, elves can come in vast numbers, atop mighty (and tasty) unicorns or other exotic beasts. Fortunately, unlike goblins and humans, who wear heavy armor and wield metal weapons that can cause considerable damage, elves fight with flimsy wooden swords, and march into battle wearing wooden armor, or nothing but cloth robes and trousers. That isn't to say the attack should be taken lightly, because their melee forces aren't what you should be worrying about, as their bowmen are still deadly and can perforate your dwarves with hails of arrows in very short order.

=== [[Human]] sieges ===

Humans may also siege you should you let their [[diplomat]] die while visiting your fortress, if too many of their trade wagons get destroyed or if you trade with an elven nation the humans are at war with. Human sieges are announced with the message "''The enemy have come and are laying siege to the fortress.''".

Humans would sometimes set up a camp near the map edge they arrived on, harassing wandering dwarves and waiting for you to come to them instead of blindly charging toward your fortress.

Humans often ride animals like horses, camels or war grizzly bears, and may bring along further war animals like trained cheetahs.

Be warned that human siegers know of all traps that their diplomats have seen before, even their war animals are immune to those traps. If you had a human diplomat in your fort, best assume that your traps are useless against the invaders unless they were built after his last visit. A removed and rebuilt trap counts as "new", even if it's the same type of trap in the same tile.

=== [[Necromancer]] sieges ===
Necromancers will occasionally besiege your fortress by sending undead to your fort or even coming themselves. Either way, undead sieges are hectic messes. The undead units will arrive from all sides of the map in huge numbers. It is recommended that you have many traps set in advance, and when they arrive, lock everything down. Have your refuse areas locked up tight, your crypts or tombs sealed off, and your butcher shops under lock and key. Also, be careful with fishery workshops, as reports of mussel shells rising from the dead are fairly common. Necromancers will raise any corpse or corpse part that they see, and simple proximity to undead can cause things like skin and hair to rise and attack the unfortunate butcher. Undead sieges may arrive with as few as one zombie to as many as one hundred or more. It doesn't really matter much how many arrive; if you are not prepared, you will probably get slaughtered, as one zombie can easily become two zombies, then four, then eight and so on. If the zombies cannot get at your dwarves, they will simply mill about on the surface until something living (wild animals included) comes too close or until they are all destroyed.

=== Bugs ===
* Enemy squads will never abandon their caged or dead leader. {{Bug|1598}}
* Amphibian invader mounts drown their riders. {{Bug|926}}

{{Military}}

v0.34:Saltpeter

2012-08-06T11:17:20Z

Bronzebeard:

{{quality|Exceptional|14:17, 11 November 2010 (UTC)}}{{stonelookup/0}}{{av}}

'''Saltpeter''' is a non-economic and low-value yellow [[stone]] found within sedimentary layers. With a melting point of {{ct|10601}} and a boiling point of only {{ct|10720}}, it is one of the few stones which will ''boil'' in [[magma]].

In real life, it is used in conjunction with [[charcoal]] and [[brimstone|sulfur]] in order to make gunpowder. This process does not exist (yet; it seems Toady has plans to include gunpowder later, but only for simple uses) in Dwarf Fortress, and therefore gunpowder is also non-existent.

{{D for Dwarf}}

It is rumored that if a dwarf ever discovers saltpeter's capabilities, dwarven "civilization" would come to an explosive, but [[Fun]] end.

{{gamedata}}
{{stones}}

User:Khearn/CivilianAlertBurrow

2012-08-06T03:33:07Z

Bronzebeard: /* Congratulations, your civilians are now confined to your burrow. */

Learning to set up a civilian burrow is an essential skill.

==== Create the burrow ====
* Hit 'w' to go to the burrow menu and 'a' to add a new burrow.
* Then hit enter to define it.
* Hit 'n' to name it, I'd call it "Inside".
* Then hit enter to start a rectangle and enter again to finish it, just like designating areas to dig. Except that you can start on one level and end on another and it includes that rectangle on all of the levels, inclusive. Handy. Make as many rectangles as you need. Note that the burrow symbol will only show in areas that you've dug out, but the burrow will actually extend into the unrevealed rocks, so you can still dig in those areas.
* Then hit ESC a couple of times to get out of the burrow menus.
==== Create the alert ====
* Hit 'm' to bring up the military menus, and 'a' for alerts.
* Now 'c' to add an alert and 'N' to name it. I typically used DEFCON1, but you might like something different.
* Now move the cursor to the far right column, which should have the burrow you just created, and hit enter to associate that burrow with your new alert. You'll see a green A next to the burrow when you have that alert selected.
* Then hit ESC a couple of times to get out of the military menus.

==== Activate the alert when invaders arrive. ====
* Hit 'm' to bring up the military menus, and 'a' for alerts.
* Now move the cursor back to your new alert and hit enter, and you should see a green [CIV] move next to it.
==== Congratulations, your civilians are now confined to your burrow. ====
* Watch any civilians who were outside drop what they were doing and come running back inside. Yay.
* When the fight is over, come back and select "Inactive" and hit enter to cancel the alert and let your civilians back out of the burrow.

That's all there is to it.

v0.34:Burrow

2012-08-06T03:32:50Z

Bronzebeard: /* Help! Goblins are chasing me in circles! */

{{quality|Exceptional|22:23, 10 November 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}

Burrows are part of the new organization of fortresses, user-defined areas in your fort where selected dwarves live and work. You can assign these areas like zones and assign one or more dwarves to them. You may assign the same dwarf to multiple burrows, if desired. Dwarves will only use workshops, dig walls, use rooms, etc. in burrows they are assigned to, though dwarves not assigned to any burrow will still use workshops etc. even if they are located in a burrow assigned to some other dwarves.

Military dwarves that are on duty will ignore burrows. Off duty military dwarves will respect their burrows in the same ways as civilian dwarves. If a military dwarf's training area is outside of his burrow, that dwarf will not train when off duty.

Burrows do not restrict a dwarf's movements; they only restrict the locations where dwarves may perform jobs, and acquire the materials for those jobs. An idle dwarf can still go anywhere, regardless of burrows.

== Defining a new burrow ==

To enter the "define burrow" mode, press {{k|w}}.

You'll be presented with a list of all of your existing burrows. Change which burrow is selected with your secondary selection keys.

To add a new burrow to the list, press {{k|a}}. The new burrow created this way starts with no tiles and a default name.

To configure a burrow, select it and press enter. This is where you'll be able to set the burrow's name, define what tiles it encompasses, and add or remove individual dwarves. Defining the burrow's tiles can be done using rectangles much like other mass-selection or mass-designation situations elsewhere in the game, or you can paint with the mouse. Unlike other zone selections (but like designations,) burrow selections can take place over multiple z-levels, meaning that you can select cubes, rather than rectangles; also like zone selections, they may overlap. '''Press {{k|r}} to set whether you're adding or subtracting tiles from the burrow.''' You can also set the colors and symbols used for different burrows to help tell them apart. A burrow may span multiple Z levels, so long as a means of getting from one Z level to another is within the Burrow zone.

Unlike [[activity zone]]s, burrows can also be extended through not-yet revealed tiles. You can only see the parts of the burrow that have been revealed, but the burrow actually extends exactly as far as you defined it.

After defining the area of the burrow, you can add citizens, who will then attempt to move directly to the area and not leave it unless they are starving or dehydrated and there is no food and water in the burrow. Note, however, that citizens may walk from one point of the burrow to another point even if the path they walk on is not part of the burrow. If you define a burrow which is split into two areas, the citizens may walk between those two areas, outside of the burrow you defined.

== Deleting Burrows ==

Deleting a burrow is easy, just enter "define burrow" mode by pressing {{k|w}}, select the burrow to delete, then press {{k|d}}, and confirm with {{k|y}}.

== Uses for Burrows ==
=== Defending an Area ===
''Full article: [[Scheduling]]

Burrows are one of the ways you can give passive orders to [[squads]] and civilians during [[Scheduling#Alert levels|alerts]]. Under the squad schedule menu (Press {{k|m}} {{k|s}}) you can add an order to any particular month for the chosen alert with {{k|o}} or edit their existing orders with {{k|e}}. On the Give Orders menu, use {{k|o}} to cycle through the orders given to squads. The order "Defend Burrows" '''cannot''' be given without first creating burrows to assign defenders to. Under a "Defend Burrows" order, dwarves in the squad are stationed in the specific area and will defend it proactively.

=== Civilian Alerts ===

Normally, you need to add citizens to a burrow manually when defining it to have them respect the boundaries. But there is another way: burrows can be added to alerts in the military alerts screen. When you set the civilian alert level to an alert including a defined burrow, all non military dwarves will be restricted to that burrow for as long as the alert is in place.

See [[User:Khearn/CivilianAlertBurrow|these beginner-friendly instructions]] on how to create and use a civilian alert burrow.

=== Trader to the Depot, STAT ===

You can define your trade depot as a burrow, then when the traders appear, add your broker to that burrow. He will stop what he is doing, go to the trade depot, and wait for the traders. If you include trade stockpiles in the burrow, he can even help move goods until they get there

=== I'm sorry, the Mayor is busy ===
This is an easy fix for the current bug that prevents elevation of your nobles while traders are present on the map. Create a burrow around your leader's rooms. Stockpile some food and drink inside. When the liaison shows up, add the leader to the burrow and he will scurry off to his rooms. Lock the door. Wait until the merchants have left the map entirely. Unlock the door. If he is also the bookkeeper or manager, so much the better. Set accuracy to 'highest' or queue up a lot of tiny jobs, and the leader will have something to do while locked in his rooms.

===Help! Goblins are chasing me in circles!===
One problem with outdoor work is the lack of safe areas, the presence of ambushers, and civilian dwarfs who will, by default, run in the dumbest direction possible. You can create small bolt-holes in the wilderness outside your fort and give them a floor hatch as a door. When ambushers appear, add your outdoor workers to the nearest bolt-hole burrow. After they run inside, lock the door. You don't even need to (and probably shouldn't) hook these bolt holes up to your main fort, they are for short term emergencies. But you could stock them with a little food and booze, just in case.

===Alternate to Hot Keys===
You can define small burrows to areas you would like to zoom to. Then by pressing "w", select the burrow, "z" to 'center on burrow' your view will be moved to that spot like a hot key. This is useful when you run out of hotkey slots.

== Bugs ==

Currently there are several bugs in the burrow implementation, the most notable being the burrow alternative to the [[Main:Planepacked|Planepacked]] glitch: If you put a material-gathering moody dwarf into a burrow that does not contain the claimed workshop, the dwarf will "forget" that he already brought this type of item to his workshop and repeat this until there are no more items of this type in the burrow, or you let him out of the burrow. When the dwarf starts working on his artifact, he will use ''everything'' he brought to the burrow to make an artifact of arbitrarily high value.<br />On the other hand, the most common bug is the "[[Dwarf cancels Store Item: Item inaccessible]]" message spam that results from idle dwarves being in a burrow that contains a stockpile but not the item the stockpile wants to have.

v0.34:Burrow

2012-08-06T02:52:03Z

Bronzebeard: /* Civilian Alerts */

{{quality|Exceptional|22:23, 10 November 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}

Burrows are part of the new organization of fortresses, user-defined areas in your fort where selected dwarves live and work. You can assign these areas like zones and assign one or more dwarves to them. You may assign the same dwarf to multiple burrows, if desired. Dwarves will only use workshops, dig walls, use rooms, etc. in burrows they are assigned to, though dwarves not assigned to any burrow will still use workshops etc. even if they are located in a burrow assigned to some other dwarves.

Military dwarves that are on duty will ignore burrows. Off duty military dwarves will respect their burrows in the same ways as civilian dwarves. If a military dwarf's training area is outside of his burrow, that dwarf will not train when off duty.

Burrows do not restrict a dwarf's movements; they only restrict the locations where dwarves may perform jobs, and acquire the materials for those jobs. An idle dwarf can still go anywhere, regardless of burrows.

== Defining a new burrow ==

To enter the "define burrow" mode, press {{k|w}}.

You'll be presented with a list of all of your existing burrows. Change which burrow is selected with your secondary selection keys.

To add a new burrow to the list, press {{k|a}}. The new burrow created this way starts with no tiles and a default name.

To configure a burrow, select it and press enter. This is where you'll be able to set the burrow's name, define what tiles it encompasses, and add or remove individual dwarves. Defining the burrow's tiles can be done using rectangles much like other mass-selection or mass-designation situations elsewhere in the game, or you can paint with the mouse. Unlike other zone selections (but like designations,) burrow selections can take place over multiple z-levels, meaning that you can select cubes, rather than rectangles; also like zone selections, they may overlap. '''Press {{k|r}} to set whether you're adding or subtracting tiles from the burrow.''' You can also set the colors and symbols used for different burrows to help tell them apart. A burrow may span multiple Z levels, so long as a means of getting from one Z level to another is within the Burrow zone.

Unlike [[activity zone]]s, burrows can also be extended through not-yet revealed tiles. You can only see the parts of the burrow that have been revealed, but the burrow actually extends exactly as far as you defined it.

After defining the area of the burrow, you can add citizens, who will then attempt to move directly to the area and not leave it unless they are starving or dehydrated and there is no food and water in the burrow. Note, however, that citizens may walk from one point of the burrow to another point even if the path they walk on is not part of the burrow. If you define a burrow which is split into two areas, the citizens may walk between those two areas, outside of the burrow you defined.

== Deleting Burrows ==

Deleting a burrow is easy, just enter "define burrow" mode by pressing {{k|w}}, select the burrow to delete, then press {{k|d}}, and confirm with {{k|y}}.

== Uses for Burrows ==
=== Defending an Area ===
''Full article: [[Scheduling]]

Burrows are one of the ways you can give passive orders to [[squads]] and civilians during [[Scheduling#Alert levels|alerts]]. Under the squad schedule menu (Press {{k|m}} {{k|s}}) you can add an order to any particular month for the chosen alert with {{k|o}} or edit their existing orders with {{k|e}}. On the Give Orders menu, use {{k|o}} to cycle through the orders given to squads. The order "Defend Burrows" '''cannot''' be given without first creating burrows to assign defenders to. Under a "Defend Burrows" order, dwarves in the squad are stationed in the specific area and will defend it proactively.

=== Civilian Alerts ===

Normally, you need to add citizens to a burrow manually when defining it to have them respect the boundaries. But there is another way: burrows can be added to alerts in the military alerts screen. When you set the civilian alert level to an alert including a defined burrow, all non military dwarves will be restricted to that burrow for as long as the alert is in place.

See [[User:Khearn/CivilianAlertBurrow|these beginner-friendly instructions]] on how to create and use a civilian alert burrow.

=== Trader to the Depot, STAT ===

You can define your trade depot as a burrow, then when the traders appear, add your broker to that burrow. He will stop what he is doing, go to the trade depot, and wait for the traders. If you include trade stockpiles in the burrow, he can even help move goods until they get there

=== I'm sorry, the Mayor is busy ===
This is an easy fix for the current bug that prevents elevation of your nobles while traders are present on the map. Create a burrow around your leader's rooms. Stockpile some food and drink inside. When the liaison shows up, add the leader to the burrow and he will scurry off to his rooms. Lock the door. Wait until the merchants have left the map entirely. Unlock the door. If he is also the bookkeeper or manager, so much the better. Set accuracy to 'highest' or queue up a lot of tiny jobs, and the leader will have something to do while locked in his rooms.

===Help! Goblins are chasing me in circles!===
One problem with outdoor work is the lack of safe areas, the presence of ambushers, and civilian dwarfs who will, by default, run in the dumbest direction possible. You can create small bolt-holes in the wilderness outside your fort and give them a floor hatch as a door.. When ambushers appear, add your outdoor workers to the nearest bolt-hole burrow. After they run inside, lock the door. You don't even need to (and probably shouldn't) hook these bolt holes up to your main fort, they are for short term emergencies. But you could stock them with a little food and booze, just in case.

===Alternate to Hot Keys===
You can define small burrows to areas you would like to zoom to. Then by pressing "w", select the burrow, "z" to 'center on burrow' your view will be moved to that spot like a hot key. This is useful when you run out of hotkey slots.

== Bugs ==

Currently there are several bugs in the burrow implementation, the most notable being the burrow alternative to the [[Main:Planepacked|Planepacked]] glitch: If you put a material-gathering moody dwarf into a burrow that does not contain the claimed workshop, the dwarf will "forget" that he already brought this type of item to his workshop and repeat this until there are no more items of this type in the burrow, or you let him out of the burrow. When the dwarf starts working on his artifact, he will use ''everything'' he brought to the burrow to make an artifact of arbitrarily high value.<br />On the other hand, the most common bug is the "[[Dwarf cancels Store Item: Item inaccessible]]" message spam that results from idle dwarves being in a burrow that contains a stockpile but not the item the stockpile wants to have.

v0.34:Vampire

2012-08-03T21:40:48Z

Bronzebeard: /* Uses */

{{quality|Masterwork|03:44, 22 June 2012 (UTC)}}{{av}}
{{buggy}}

'''Vampires''' are [[night creature]]s that feed on blood, cursed during [[world generation]] by profaning against their [[Deity|gods]]. In [[fortress mode]], they occasionally appear in migrant waves and hide themselves amongst your dwarves. Vampirism can be further spread by [[thirst|drinking]] either vampire [[blood]] or [[water]] contaminated by said vampire blood.

==Description==
Vampires, like other [[night creature]]s, are created during [[world generation]]. Every once in a while a deity will curse a worshiper who smites their temple or otherwise offending them, cursing them to become either a vampire or [[werebeast]]. Only the major races can have gods, and thus only they can become vampires. The amount of vampires created during world generation is closely related with world size, population, and history.

Vampires are much more powerful than normal humanoids, possessing enhanced speed, strength, stamina, and pain resistance in combat, are [[food|inediate]], do not need to breathe (and thus cannot drown), and never get [[sleep|drowsy]]. They do, however, get thirsty, albeit not in the normal way; vampires thirst for warm fresh [[blood]], and will suck [[unconscious]] [[creature]]s (usually others of their own kind) dry given the chance, usually killing them. In the rare case that the victims survive and recover, they will not remember what happened to them, and may very well fall victim once more.

Vampires do not [[age]], and their great physical capacity means that most vampires live for hundreds or even thousands of years. Thus all but the newest vampires are vastly more [[skill]]ed and more experienced than their peers, spurred on by the countless lives detailed on their [[kill list]]s. They usually live amongst their peers, and are very good at protecting their identities from discovery. These two facts combined mean that vampires are naturally good candidates for leadership, and thus vampiric [[monarch]]s are a not uncommon sight atop [[civilization]]s, which tend not to wonder as to how their king has been alive for so many centuries.

Younger vampires stalk the streets of towns and cities, indistinguishable from the average mortal, and drink the blood of unsuspecting innocents. Elder vampires, those with power and ambition, mislead the gullible and power-hungry into forming vampire cults dedicated to worshipping and feeding their master. Should a vampire rise to a position of power in mortal society, it may deign to expose itself and impose a rule of tyranny upon the subjects who so unknowingly elevated it to power.

== Habits ==
Vampires are secretive, subtle, and, for better or for worse, a fairly common occurrence. Many fortresses can expect to see a vampire resident by the time they hit their population limit, and some may see two or more. Vampires arrive in disguise, masquerading as another dwarf and hiding their true names and kill lists until they are discovered. Vamps act as do any other dwarves, except for subtle differences too small to notice easily in any sizable population. A vampire will act like any other citizen of your fortress, performing jobs which are assigned to them and generally acting as expected of them. They can be [[military|drafted]], assigned to [[burrow]]s, be given or claim [[room]]s, and possess items.

The exception is that their [[On break|breaks]] tend to be for sinister purposes, often seeing them help themselves to the blood of the unwary to sustain their unnatural existence. Vampires will from time to time drink the blood of dwarves that they catch sleeping, whomever they can get their <strike>hands upon</strike> fangs into. If any tame animals somehow fall asleep (for instance, via a syndrome), vampires will drink their blood as willingly as they will a dwarf's.

If vampires are caught in the act of draining a victim, their crime will be reported in the [[justice]] [[menu|screen]] as murder (they will not, however, stop drinking when caught). If only the corpse is discovered, the crime will be labeled as a murder sans suspects, and the player can accuse dwarves of the act. Even in the case that someone is accused, be aware that the deceitful vampire is capable of framing others for its crimes to send suspicion away for a time. Vampires routinely lie about their past so as to avoid identification by others, going so far as to adopt a false name when entering a new fortress.

If a vampire is killed, the corpse will bear the original name of the creature rather than that of the dwarf who was seen to die, which might lead to some confusion among managers of such things. A [[coffin]] will be designated for burial of the vampire's cover identity, with the corpse bearing the original name entombed in it. Memorial slabs will be dedicated to the vampire's original name.

== Indicators ==
None of your seven starting dwarves will ever be vampires, nor will [[child]]ren or babies, [[caravan]]s, [[siege]]s, [[ambush]]es, [[outpost liaison]]s, or [[thief|thieves]]{{verify}}, but any of the rest of your dwarves can be. It might be smart to scan the [[thoughts and preferences]] screens of incoming migrants before welcoming them to their new home, as a safety measure; it really sucks when you don't discover you have a vampire until ''after'' they've drained your only legendary [[armorsmith]] of blood.

A dwarf who is suddenly pale or faint for no explained reason is a good but rare indicator. They were probably fed upon by a vampire, but survived. Dwarven [[corpse]]s being discovered "drained of blood" are more common; a vampire fed upon them and killed them, and their body was discovered. These dwarves should be buried well, lest an axe-crazy [[ghost]] arise from their death. Dwarves inexplicably going missing for more than a week are the last indicator, although this might be the result of dwarven stupidity (ae. falling down a [[well]], walking off a [[waterfall]], etc.) as well.

== Identification ==
Once you discover you have a vampire, finding them becomes necessary, a practice complicated by their penchant for secrecy. Nonetheless, there are a number of good indicators of a vampire; and the more points they hit, the more likely they are, indeed, a vampire. The difficult vampires to identify are young ones, as they have not had time to build up the indicators that are obvious on older bloodsuckers.

Firstly, there are the consequences of their age. Vampires tend to be high in [[social skill|social]] and [[military]] [[skill]]s, and Great or better in at least one domestic skill. They are almost always more skilled, in total, than any of your other migrants. They also tend to have very long lists of [[Thoughts and preferences#Civilization membership|group associations]], on the order of dozens, far more than your normal dwarves. They have abnormally long lists of [[relationships|relations]] and often many, many children, but none of them are present in the fortress (in stark contrast to the parents, siblings or cousins whom most dwarves will share their home with). If they are married to a dwarf that is not present in the fortress, this should be treated as especially strong evidence. Note, however, that lacking relatives within the fortress is not an automatic indicator of being a vampire.

Their [[Personality trait|personality]] can also be scrutinized for abnormalities. Their biographies may indicate that they "have the appearance of somebody who is (x) years old," a very good indicator of a vampire in cases where they have too many children or too many civilization associations to be that young. As vampires do not eat, sleep, or drink, they will never have recent thoughts about meals, drinks, beds, dining rooms, or chairs, leaving their thoughts especially bare and suspicious. In the case of older vampires, a comment may be added to the effect that "s/he could really use a drink," "s/he has not had a drink in far, far too long," or "can't even remember the last time s/he had some," indicating that they have been sober of alcohol for a time.

There are two "normal" ways to be absolutely sure a dwarf is a vampire. The first is to catch them in the act; the dwarf will be clearly marked for the duration of the attack (ae. Urist McBastard, Vampire Mayor on the [[unit list]]). The second is to have a dwarf witness the event happening. This will permanently uncover their identities, but almost always results in a dead dwarf first. More arcane are indicators based on their physical abilities; vampires with injured guts do not [[vomit]], vampires with injured lungs have no problem "breathing", and submerged vampires will not [[drown]] (evoking the concept of an olden witch test for finding vampirism). Technically being undead, animated corpses will not evoke cancellation spam when a vampire sees them. An easy (albeit, cheap) way of screening migrants is to send them through a hallway with a zombie on the other side of fortifications/windows in clear sight. Normal dwarves will run away from the horrible sight of a harmless zombie but vampire dwarves will walk right through.

Then there are the (in Dwarf Fortress, inevitable) bugged ways. As mentioned in the [[#Bugs|bugs]] section, vampires can be discovered and identified in [[statue]]s and [[engraving]], through their refusal to claim [[bed]]rooms, through [[pet|adoption events]], and through [[weapon]] [[kill list]]s.

There are a few "cheap" ways as well. If you use [[DF2012:Utilities#Dwarf Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]], dwarves will be listed by their true name, and if you find a dwarf on your unit screen not in your labor listing, you know you've got a vampire. [[DF2012:Utilities#DFHack|DFHack]] has a special command, "cursecheck," which returns the count of cursed creatures on a tile, and will report vampires. Checking out a drained dwarf in [[Legends]] mode will tell you that "In the year Z X was drained by of all blood by Y." To see if a vampire was cursed by a deity that it worships, look under the <s>vampire's</s> dwarf's relationships and view the deities that are listed. Give the dwarf a nickname and, when viewing the deity relationship, it will say: "In the [season description] of [year], [deity] cursed the dwarf vampire [nickname you chose] [dwarf's original name] to prowl the night in search of blood in [original location]". Since the nickname applies retroactively, this is a sure way to identify a vampire, and happens to worship the deity that cursed it. This method is very tedious when looking at many suspects, and may apply to only a small fraction of vampires, so you should probably use it after trying the more obvious signs (like many former associations, or tags after "needs alcohol to get through the working day").

== Defense ==
Vampires attack and drink from dwarves who are sleeping, so one defense is to force all dwarves to sleep and meet in the same room, increasing the likelihood of eyewitnesses catching the monster in the act. Curiously, even if convicted of a vampiric murder, a vampire will not necessarily be killed, but given a normal justice penalty such as temporary imprisonment. In this case, it is advisable to take [[justice]] into one's own hands and introduce the leech to a pit of lava, bottomless pit, arena fight, dropping tower, or other elimination method of your choice. This can be facilitated through the use of burrows. However, one must take care that the vampire is properly memorialized because even the ghosts of vampires will seek out your sleeping citizens and kill them.

== Uses ==
If you can correctly identify a vampire and isolate it from the rest of your population, you can make use of them without fear of blood feedings. A lone vampire in a sealed room will never die of hunger or thirst, doesn't need to sleep, and will never age. The only way a vampire can die (without your vengeful intervention) is in combat, through syndromes, or through insanity. Sealing it somewhere prevents the first two, and early detection will prevent the vampire from making friends whom he will obviously outlive. Since a vampire wants for so little it is difficult for him to fall into insanity without [[relationships]].

Once you have your sealed emotionally detached vampire, your fortress becomes effectively eternal, since the vampire will always be alive even if horrible [[Losing|FUN]] claims your entire population. Be wary of [[ghost]]s, though, as they are the only being capable of reaching your vampire's eternal prison. Simply wait for the fun to pass and new immigrants to repopulate your otherwise abandoned fort.

Consider placing a chair and table in your vampire's sealed room and making them an undead accountant. As they have nothing to do but sit around for eternity, once they get their skills up, they may make exceedingly effective [[manager]]s/[[record keeper]]s. Work orders and stockpile updates currently seem to be psychically transmitted from the desk of the dwarf assigned to those labors, so entombing them in their office isn't an issue. However, vampire dwarves are still alcoholics, yet cannot drink anything but blood; the resulting job performance penalty from the "can't even remember the last time he/she had some" level of [[Drink|alcohol withdrawal]] significantly reduces the usefulness of vampires in this sort of role.

A cloistered vampire can also be used as a sleepless, un-eating and drinking dwarf who is always ready for some [[pull lever|lever pulling]], even if the rest of your dwarves die. With all that said, having an eternally cloistered vampire is not without drawbacks. As vampires do not drink, yet are still alcohol-dependent, they will eventually suffer performance penalties and take longer breaks. This can have fatal consequences if you need the lever to keep the goblin siege outside pulled ''now''. Since dwarves get unhappy [[thought]]s from having their clothes rot away, a vampire that's been naked for years is quite prone to [[tantrum]]ing or going [[insanity|insane]], which can lead to [[Fun|even worse outcomes]] should he be assigned to the lever room. Of course, you could drop him some clothes from a chute, but what fun is that when there are [[cave-in|other]] [[dwarven atom smasher|things]] to drop from above? Another way to mitigate cloistered vampire unhappiness is to convict them of one or more of their murders after they've been sealed in; they will eventually derive happiness from having their punishment "delayed".

Vampires do increase their stats like other dwarves, so that a weak vampire may be easily upgraded into a mighty one by using him as a miner or easily trained into a legendary swimmer. A vampire craftsdwarf may be burrow-limited to his workshop plus a stockpile or a miner restricted to specific mining levels, avoiding any other miners. It will be safe, if all of the miners have separate, assigned bedrooms.

So, in general, when under control, vampires tend to be much more useful and valuable than most of your non-bloodsucking dwarves. Without access to any sleeping places or hospitals, they tend to be totally harmless to other dwarves.

=== Vampire fortress ===
It is possible to turn one vampire into many vampires by forcing your dwarves to drink water contaminated by vampire blood. This effect can be achieved by building an upright spear trap, filling the tile with water, having the vampire walk over the tile (or else dropping the vampire inside), then pulling the lever a few times to get them to bleed into the water. Once the water is bloodied, the booze supply can be cut off or [[forbid]]den, and your dwarves will have no choice but to drink the contaminated water and become vampires.

This has a few disadvantages, however. First of all, eating fine food, drinking good drink, and dining in a fine setting are some of the biggest [[thought|happiness]] modifiers in the game, and their absence will have a severe negative effect on your fortress's contentedness. Secondly, some of your residents probably won't make the change, as they will choose to sleep before drinking and will be drunk by some of your newly cursed lieges. Finally, the process must be repeated for all [[migrant|migrant waves]], with the same issue of probable death. These factors combined make a vampiric fortress very hard to keep happy for very long.

== Unfortunate accidents ==
Although keeping a single vampire in eternal solitary confinement can be a bonus for any fortress, it is always important to be capable of killing them whenever necessary (especially if the peasants unwittingly elect one as their leader and an [[unfortunate accident]] becomes necessary). However, vampires have certain abilities which will make it more difficult to properly take care of them - they cannot drown, and their physical strengths could make them tougher to kill with regular weapons. Fortunately, they are not resistant to [[Dwarven atom smasher|high-tech particle physics experimentation]].

==Playing as a vampire==
By drinking the blood of a vampire in adventure mode, you immediately become a vampire. You will be able to feed on other creatures by using {{k|e}} and choosing the "Feed" option on an unconscious target. On becoming a vampire, Strength, Agility and Toughness receive a 200 point bonus, then physical attributes will no longer gain or rust.

*Note: The game does not give you any confirmation that you have become a vampire. {{version|0.34.11}} The only way to make sure that you have transformed is to wait for twenty-four hours (enough time for any regular mortal to hunger for food.) until you get thirsty, which should show up eventually. To get rid of the thirsty tag, you MUST drink directly from another living knocked out, unconscious or sleeping creature. This could lead to hazardous mishaps if you're discovered/if the victim awakes, unless you beat your victim senseless first. Once you have fed on an unsuspecting victim, you will have a red icon denoting you are a vampire next to your name.

Due to such conditions, it is relatively impossible to quench your thirst (on any member of a civilization) without antagonizing any of your companions, and even if you don't have any, there's still that chance that your victim might wake up in the middle of your feast and effectively set a whole civilization against you. One way to counter this is to raid goblin/bandit camps, concentrating on one lone weak unit far from any of his comrades, beat him till he gives in to pain (but not to death) and then feed on him directly. You can do the same with wildlife, although some of them may be more aggressive and most might die too quickly.You can also try to strangle your foes, he have no chance to die and instantly pass out.For this, free one of your hand, wrestle, catch your target's throat with your free hand, then wrestle again, place a choke-hold, then strangle him/her/it.

After becoming a vampire, you become invincible to zombies, since you're now a night creature. It is usually preferred to raid a necromancer tower alone, because bringing companions will only get them killed, and your agility when you become a vampire will rise drastically anyway, causing you to outrun them. This increased agility will also give you better odds against bogeymen and night trolls, since you'll be quicker than both.

Playing as a vampire is a strong advantage, assuming you can manage your bloodthirst. The most convenient method of drinking blood is to wield a blunt weapon such as a mace: as long as you don't strike the head, enemies rarely bleed out or suffocate from blunt damage and it's easy to force them to give into the pain. Interestingly, your allies don't seem to care if you drink blood from enemies, and blood can be drunk in a single turn in combat (occasionally killing the creature, depending on its size and your thirst). Vampire bloodthirst shows up less often than normal thirst, and can usually be sated in a single feeding from a human-sized opponent. Feeding from smaller animals, such as dingos, is possible but multiple feedings may be necessary.

Vampires, as noted before, do not need to eat, nor drink (normal fluids), nor sleep. As an adventurer, this is a huge advantage, as you don't need to stop, or worry about carrying consumables. As long as there's living, pain-feeling enemies, you can feed. Vampires also do not need to breathe and do not tire. They can swim as long as necessary and cannot drown, even to the extent of being able to swim oceans. A sufficiently skilled and armed vampire is essentially immortal for all intents and purposes.

== Bugs ==
* Although vampires don't drink anything except blood in the Fortress mode, they still suffer from [[Alcohol#Consequences of a Sober Fortress|alcohol withdrawal]], which slows them down. {{bug|5189}}
* Statues and engravings may identify dwarves as vampires before it is common knowledge, and may even depict them sucking blood.{{bug|5209}}
* Likewise, [[pet]]s adopted by vampires will identify them as vampires in the adoption [[announcement]].{{bug|5942}}
* Vampires do not bother claiming bedrooms, which doesn't help their disguise.{{bug|5642}}
* Weapon kill lists identify vampires.{{bug|5635}}
* Soldiers will not attack vampires caught red-handed, and can be fooled by their counter-accusations.{{bug|5087}}

{{category|humanoids}}

On the origins of dwarves

2012-08-03T08:38:21Z

Bronzebeard: /* The Book of Job(s) */

{{D for Dwarf}}

Piecewise's <s>article</s> <s>masterstroke</s> work of art on the forums needs to go here, so all can admire it.

== "On the Origin of Dwarves" ==

Long before our times, during the times of yore when great beasts stalked the darkness and tore civilization’s forebears asunder, there came to this world a strange new race: the dwarves. The ancestry of the dwarves is muddled and confused, often times contradictory, impossible, incestuous or all three. This can mainly be contributed to the dwarven tendency to keep their history through the use of engravings, rather than books or even oral tradition. Dwarves, being a subterranean people, rarely create paper and lack the memories to pass down stories of their ancestors in any reasonable fashion; this inability is mostly blamed on their near constant state of inebriation. Also unfortunate to would be historians is the dwarven tendency to place these historical engravings 60 feet underground and surrounded by all manner of deadly traps, questionable architecture and various slavering beasts. If one didn’t know better it would seem as though they are deliberately hiding their past.

Through what can be recovered the origin of dwarven kind (according to their creation myths) is as follows:

Once, long ago, a particularly ugly and foul tempered mountain goat raped a particularly hairy and insane Mandrill atop a pile of stones and vomit. From this coupling was born the first of dwarven kind, the Mountain King. He was born with a battle axe and bottomless tankard clutched in his tiny hands and his body was covered in such copious amounts of hair that he might easily have been mistaken for a bearded bear cub. The Mountain King was raised by a Granite Boulder and grew strong upon a diet of booze, cave mushrooms and the blood of his enemies. At age 4 he killed a bear in a staring contest and at age 7 he domesticated the first wagon. Upon his ascendancy into manhood he destroyed the boulder which had raised him and reshaped it into the first anvil, proclaiming:

“Reg limar, abod ber, avuz thol, or mabdug, nokor buket!”

These words would echo forever through dwarvenkind, though it is said that another phrase was within this motto. The lost phrase is said to have been:

“Gatiz emar agak.”

Though what this phrase means has been lost to us and inquiries to dwarven historians often end in violence. What little can be gathered is that it seems to relate to animal husbandry.

His childhood behind him, the Mountain King set about founding the first Mountain Home, digging out most of the mountain by himself using only his bare hands and frighteningly calloused manhood. His lavish home now complete and balanced entirely upon a single pillar he set out to make his name known and to find a wife worthy of bearing his fuzzy offspring. The first civilization he came upon were the elves, a race of naked and eternally beautiful feyfolk who abhorred the use of trees or animals for any means. It was said that when they met the Mountain King, he was in the process of beating a mountain lion to death with a wolf. The elves, in their kindness, attempted to persuade the Mountain King to follow their naturalistic ways. In response the Mountain King tore off the head druid’s face and promptly began using it as his undergarments. Before the shocked elven masses he announced:

“Etar linem etes gubel lor."

Which, roughly translated, means:

“Your king blows my bulbous tool.”

Since this epochal meeting the relations between the elves and dwarves have continued to be tense, often times ending in massive forest fires, rampant cannibalism, horrifying dismemberment or, worst of all, crossbreeding. His duty done, the Mountain King continued his journey through the primal world. He next came upon the goblins and was delighted to find that their skinny limbs and necks broke with even the gentlest of hammer blows. After a brief campaign of recreational genocide the Mountain King grew bored of his new playthings and continued on, leaving the goblins broken and scattered, connected only by their intense hatred of small, bearded people. This hatred continues to this day, resulting in nearly constant goblin raids against dwarven settlements. Unfortunately, goblins' limbs and neck still snap with the ease of twigs, making these valiant efforts more or less meaningless.

The last race which the Mountain King discovered was that of Humans, still in their fragile and frightened infancy. Taking rare pity upon the gangly and awkward race, the Mountain King gifted them with weapons, armor and booze, ensuring a stable business and war partner as well as drinking buddy for generations to come. It was after finding this last race that the Mountain King realized he was still without a wife and was beginning to feel the effects of his decades of celibacy. After a tour of countless brothels and leaving a swath of broken pelvises and dislocated jaws behind him The Mountain king finally returned to his home. Determined to have his bride, the Mountain King built a tower to the heavens themselves and petitioned Armok, God of Blood, to grant him a wife. Armok agreed, on the condition that all their descendants from first to last be cursed with a tendency to die horribly. The Mountain King gladly agreed.

The wife which he was given, The Queen of All Stone, was truly a rightful receiver of his seed and wore a beard that could match his own. It was from these two that all dwarven kind sprang (or walked, being that dwarves don't really spring, hop, jump, skip or do anything that means removing more than one foot from the ground).

From this common ancestor onward the genealogy is scattered and unsure, engraved upon bars of soap and metal beds across the world. Many believe that the first child of the Mountain King was a girl by the name of Urist. Records become scarce beyond this but what little can be found indicate that she was notorious trickster and prone to paranoid mania, preferring to remain isolated. From this point on we can only guess.

== Urist's Anatomy ==

Dwarves are, by weight, 40% Body hair, 30% alcohol, 6% calluses, 12% anger, 7% muscle, 1% skin and 4% miscellaneous. Their blood does not have different “types”; rather it has a variety of “proofs”. Their bone structure is not unlike that of a man, though much stouter and more dense. The exceptions to this comparison come mostly from two places: the legs and the head. Dwarves, for whatever reason, lack knees and are therefore incapable of things like hopping, skipping, running in a dignified manner or bending down without falling prone. Dwarves, however, seem to prefer it this way and regard anything requiring knees as being the actions of “elvish silly nannys”. Several of the other strange anatomical designs are centered in the head and the curious structure of the dwarvish skull. A dwarf’s beard is actually connected directly to the bones of his jaw and palate and is comprised of a thick mane of hair like cartilage growths. These growths are actually quite sensitive to certain stimuli and allow a dwarf to detect things like an abandoned pigtail sock, even from miles away.

The dwarven skull is composed of only two very thick bones, one being the mandible and the other consisting of the entire rest of the cranium. This strange configuration seems to be an adaptation to generations of cave-ins and the popular dwarven drinking game “Smash rock with face”. Unfortunately the thick and solid skull compresses the dwarven brain and induces a species wide mental syndrome not unlike severe bipolar disorder. This means that dwarves are highly susceptible to sudden and often violent mood swings, shifting between murderous rage and enthralled stupor with only a particularly nice sock or table as the cause. Another interesting anomaly, or lack of anomaly, is that of the dwarven liver. Dwarves, as a race, are dependent on alcohol from birth; it has been proven that it is not simply conditioning but that the dwarven body is actually dependent on alcohol to perform at its best. While the exact process that makes them dependent and why it is so necessary is still unknown, it does appear as though the dwarven body is paradoxically not equipped to deal with the massive amounts of alcohol it must imbibe. The dwarven liver is by no means more effective or efficient when it comes to filtering the massive amounts of booze that a dwarf drinks, leading to liver failure to be the leading cause of death among dwarven kind (followed closely by “bludgeoned to death by enraged soap maker”).

Beyond these obvious abnormalities are the less known and harder to distinguish differences in dwarven anatomy. Dwarves are a methodical and stubborn race to the point that every aspect of their life is directly influenced. Dwarves work, party, drink and sleep in marathon-like stints, often times continuing a single party or drinking binge for months on end and their inherent stubbornness makes it nearly impossible to change tasks quickly even if their lives depend on it. It is far from unknown to hear of a dwarven fortress falling to invading hordes simply because the fortress guard were in the middle of a 6 month nap or drinking themselves comatose. This tendency has lead to the adage “oblivious as a dwarf on break”.

Beyond their stubbornness dwarves also exhibit a variety of odd behaviors, some of which seem to be related to their physiology while others are more idiosyncratic. A dwarf’s chosen profession seems to influence his thought patterns in radical ways, often leading to specific phobias and reckless behavior. Non-military dwarves, for example, seem to universally develop a crippling fear of all animals, even the most harmless. It’s not uncommon to see panicking works-dwarves running in abject terror from things like mountain goats and perturbed llamas. Military dwarfs, on the other hand, seem to completely lose their sense of self preservation and run heedlessly into battle, ignoring tactics in favor of fanatic yelling. So removed from their sense of fear are the warrior women that they often carry their children into battle, a tactic which often ends in tragedy; It should be noted, however, that there are few sights more frightening then a dwarven woman, bare from the waist up, holding a suckling newborn in one hand and a battleaxe in the other, charging toward you.

The debate on the subject of dwarven depression and anger is a complex one at best and is hard to study without significant risk to life and limb. It’s a well known fact that dwarves are particularly mentally unstable and subject a great many psychoses. One, as yet unproven, theory asserts that this tendency toward madness is actually a inborn limiting mechanism to control the number of dwarves occupying a certain area. It is a documented fact that, as a dwarven civilization grows in population the risk of insanity and depression also increases. Indeed it is impossible to walk into a thriving dwarven civilization and not see at least a handful of raving mad-dwarves screaming at the walls. The Theory asserts, however, that these harmless, though insane, individuals are not the purpose of the madness, merely a unforeseen failing. The true purpose of the madness is to limit population numbers through murder, suicide and random dwarfslaughter. Indeed it does seem that large dwarven civilizations are often brought down by internal subterfuge, mass suicide and ritual murder (or by poor architectural planning).

This inherent tendency toward insanity, whatever its cause, seems to have given dwarves an odd sense of art as well as particular building talents. Dwarves are known world over for their proficiency in metal working and weapon crafting as well as mechanical skill, however it is their decorative arts that are perhaps the most interesting. Take for instance a random piece of dwarven armor, a copper gauntlet in this case. Its construction is of the highest order and it is menacing with iron spikes, however perhaps the most frightening thing is its decoration. Recreated in painstaking detail is an image of a horse. The horse is screaming. Often times things such as dining room walls and children’s toys are adorned with images of violent slaughter, terrible holocausts and the occasional giant mushroom. Its not known exactly why dwarves would decorate their homes in such manner, but the scenes of violence actually seem to stave off fits of madness and violence, perhaps acting in some sort of primitive cathartic manner. Or perhaps Dwarves just genuinely enjoy images of bloody dismemberment and triangles.

== "War, Peace and Fell Moods" ==

The dwarven society is a complex and puzzling one, when compared to our relatively simple human society. Where as we seem to be guided mostly by instinct and desire, dwarves are driven by an entirely different kind of morals and ambitions. For instance, it is still completely unknown, even by the dwarves themselves, where their orders come from. Despite the existence of nobles within their society dwarves seem to act independently yet, paradoxically, also as a whole. For the non-informed imagine it like this. One dwarf may decide to mine out some stone, while another may decided to cut stone blocks and yet another may decide to assemble these blocks into a wall. These dwarves do these actions without the knowledge of what their fellow dwarves are doing and they seem only to do this on a whim. Theories of hivemindism abound, but perhaps the most interesting theory is that, in line with dwarven creation myth, the dwarves are being influenced and semi-puppeted by Armok, the dwarven god of blood, or His helpers. However, these speculations remain simply blind guesses.

A brief glance at dwarven society reveals it to be something like Feudalism, with many settlements under the ultimate control of a Monarchy. However, in depth study reveals that the tiny fraction of nobles actually seem to have very little to do with anything outside of trade relations. The prevailing opinion of the dwarven working class is that nobles are slightly touched in the head and their orders border on delusional. Its common for nobles to attempt to restrict the trade of items that do not exist and often can not exist in a specific settlement; they're also known for their strange obsessions over seemingly random objects and will demand their manufacture, much to the annoyance of the general masses. Some believe that nobles are simply dwarves which have some how escaped whatever force binds and orders the rest of the workers, leading them to be unreliable and mentally unsound without the external control. In this situation the Aristocracy is seen more as an aggravating and demanding elephant graveyard, a position that the worthless and potentially dangerous of dwarven society are “promoted” to, in order to keep them away from weapons or heavy machinery.

The possible exceptions of this rule lie within the dwarven justice system, specifically with the sheriff and the Hammerer. Dwarven law is seemingly draconian in many ways, but is also rather progressive. Dwarves put a great emphasis on the lives of living creatures (so much so that they consider the killing of a tame, non-food animal equivalent to murder) and as such have no capital punishment. What they have instead though, could be said to be even worse. Dwarves have three forms of punishment: Imprisonment, beating and Hammering. The first two are relatively minor, with even the harshest of beatings generally resulting in only minor injuries, it is the final punishment which is the most feared. The Hammering is doled out by the Hammerer, the dwarven equivalent of an executioner who wields a war hammer rather then an ax or sword. Hammering is simply that, the condemned receives repeated blows with the war hammer until either the sentence is carried out or the criminal is dead. While death is not the express purpose of the hammering it is often a side effect, with the other outcome usually being serious, crippling injury. Unfortunately one of the crimes which can possibly net this debilitating consequence is that of failure to comply with work orders, meaning that innocent dwarves may have their heads caved in for their inability to make glass in the middle of a frozen tundra. Its not surprising that nobles tend to meet their ends under suspicious circumstances and are often found under mysterious cave ins or floating face down in the moat.

Despite their warrior mentalities and fierce personalities dwarves have shown themselves to be passive aggressive at best (and aggressively passive at worst). While they are known for their fighting ability and boastful nature they rarely conduct war as an invading force, preferring instead to let the foolhardy enemies break themselves upon the fortresses' walls. A common dwarvish saying that of “The best place to insult your enemies is behind forty feet of stone.” Its not to say that the most famous dwarven conflicts were those between dwarves and other sentient beings, far from it in fact. Perhaps the greatest example of the, ahem, quirkiness of dwarven culture is that the grand fortress of Boatmurdered. Boatmurdered endured the normal hardships of a dwarven settlement, namely constant raids from goblins and an inherently unstable society, but there was one main difference: elephants. It is, to this day, not known as to why the settlement was founded so close to the forest of “Tuskydeath”, but the outcome was nothing less then horrifying on all sides. For years the dwarves and elephants traded blows, usually resulting in the brutal impalement or trampling of dwarves or the imprisonment or death of the elephants. This conflict culminated in the creation of a “doomsday device” which was used to halt aggressive flooding as well as to flash boil most of the wildlife. Since the final fiery end of Boatmurdered a fragile truce seems to have been enacted between the elephants and the dwarves, if only to prevent such slaughter from ever occurring again.

Unfortunately one creature continues to be a continuous hazard to dwarven kind is that of carp. The official myth of the dwarves is that Armok created the carp out of river rocks and instructed them to mutilate random passersby. Regardless of their origin carp are considerably dangerous to dwarves, fisher dwarves in particular. Its not uncommon for fisher dwarves to be dragged into the river by swarms of these blood thirsty beasts. Some dwarves die as they are snatched off bridges or while gathering water and are never seen again, at least in one piece. Worse then river carp are the popularly named “death pool carp” or carp that have become trapped in murky pools. These pools are death traps and can be fatal to anything which wanders too close. Perhaps the most terrifying is the idea of what dwarves refer to (in hushed tones) as skeletal carp. These creatures are the remains of carp, animated through dark means, and are reported to be “faster then a beak dog and stronger then an ogre” as well as nearly immune to any sort of conventional weapons. There are reports of hordes of these strangely animate corpses galloping across the bleak and blasted wastes, tearing apart anything which gets in their way. Exactly how a fish, undead or not, can gallop is something beyond this writer's comprehension.

== The Book of Job(s) ==

Dwarven culture is one dominated by toil and greed, leading most dwarves to be little more then glorified workhorses for the vast majority of their lives. It was once remarked of a dwarven miner that “there has never been a life as cruel or mercifully short as his”. In general dwarven labor is separated into two categories, crafting and hauling things about. For instance, a carpenter is considered a craftdwarf, as he creates useful objects from a raw material; a woodcutter is considered a hauler because his job consists mainly of chopping trees and lugging them around till he inevitably dies during some sort of animal attack. Almost all known dwarven professions have been complied and documented here for the sake of…well, record keeping.

[[Mining]]:
The noble, humble and very crushable miner is a job of both great importance and great ineptitude. On one hand the lives and livelihoods of all other dwarves depend on their ability to carve away the mountain and protect their comrades from the harshness of outdoor living. On the other hand their only discernible skill is the ability to swing a pick and (usually) not get crushed by falling rocks (maybe). It should be noted that, though both the job and the worker are relatively simple, the work does tend to produce sculpted, muscular dwarves ripe for military usage. Let us not forget the tales of dwarven work camps being defended by Herculean miners, their massive arms bulging as they embed pickaxes into elven hearts and minds.

[[Wood cutting]]:
The wood cutter is much like his miner counterpart: essential to many facets of the modern fortress and yet requiring the rough mental equivalency of a wagon wheel. However the wood cutter faces many more dangers in his line of work, from braving the horror of the wide open sky to battling the various forest creatures (sometimes including elven assassins). Unfortunately the woodcutter gains even less recognition than the miner, probably because the material he harvests only has a small set of uses within a well established fortress.

[[Carpentry]]:
Carpenters make various things out of wood, a practice that was deemed “Dangerously elf-like” many generations ago. Because of this carpenters are viewed either as outcasts (if they enjoy their job) or as unfortunate souls doing a terrible duty out of necessity (if they don’t like their job). While it is grudgingly acknowledged that some wooden things are necessary, at least early on, this does not mean that dwarves have to like this fact. In the grand scheme of things dwarves view carpentry as somewhere between manure shoveler and rapist on the scale of social agreeability.

Generally Carpenters and Wood cutters are tolerated as essential for the sheer fact that they make elves cry.

[[Masonry]]:
A mason has a strange place within dwarven society. They're generally seen as respectable by most, their job being one of the more useful and in demand; however they are also sometimes seen as heretical and dangerous. This belief stems from a common dwarven idea that the mountain and natural stone are all around better than anything that they or any of the other races could throw together; as such it’s seen as rather impertinent that a mason would try to “improve” on the natural rock by making unnatural things out of it. However the groups that truly think this tend to be small fringe groups, many of which also believe that the masons are a world spanning cabal intent on taking over the world and then carving all the mountains into giant cheese statues.

[[Stone detailing]]/[[Engraving]]:
Engravers are an odd bunch, perhaps the most innately subversive group in any dwarven fortress. During times of relative calm they enjoy carving things like triangles and mushrooms, perhaps in an attempt to create some sort of weaponized boredom. However, in troubled times they delight in covering every flat surface in an endless array of disturbing images; it's not uncommon for dwarven bedrooms to be adorned with mosaics of the inhabitant’s loved ones being gored by elephants or trampled by goats. Engravers are often described by their peers as “arseholes”.

[[Animal training]]:
Despite the job title this dwarf seems to have the perplexing task of randomly releasing various terrifying animals from their cages and promptly getting mauled. It seems that occasionally they may accidentally domesticate one of these snarling beasts but this can probably be chalked up to chance. Very rarely they also teach dogs to bite goblins where it hurts.

[[Animal care]]:
See Butcher

[[Health care]]:
See Burial

[[Fish cleaning]], [[small animal dissection]], [[fish dissection]];
Dwarves with any of these jobs seem rather unbalanced and are prone to fire starting and bed wetting. It’s advised that one should keep at least ten feet from them, for a variety of very good reasons, not the least of which being that they are coated in the internal fluids of untold house pets.

[[Butchery]]:
The butcher serves essentially the same purpose a human butcher does, though dwarven butchers seem to prefer battle axes to meat cleavers and enjoy their job a great deal more. While dwarves can live quite healthily on a diet of Plump Helmets they are renown for their delight in all manners of carnivorousness and as such the Butcher is seen as a welcome friend, a bloody and wide eyed bartender. The difference here is that the drinks are undercooked and made from cats.

[[Leatherworking]]:
Dwarves have a code of morals surrounding animals that is strangely familiar. They abhor the torture or mistreatment of their furry companions but seem to have no problem slaughtering, skinning, and eating them wholesale as long as it’s done in a specific manner. This means that there is often a vast amount of usable leather from various beasts and house pets just laying around the fortress, making leatherworking a stable job in deed. Dwarves seem to possess a strange affinity for elf leather products, perhaps a hold over from the leather thong of their great forefather the Mountain King.

[[Tanning]]:
This is the middle man between pet and sock, the great equalizer of life and upholstery. The tanner has the glorious job of taking the semi-rotten skin of various animals (and occasionally people) and transforming it into fine leather to be used as a raw material. It’s unknown how dwarves go about this process, as the human method of tanning requires large tracts of time, various foul chemicals and generally produces an odor that is noticeable for miles. The dwarven Tanneries are, by comparison, tiny workshops often located next to living quarters or even within kitchens. When questioned about this perplexity dwarven tanners whistle and attempt to look uninterested

[[Farming]]:
Dwarven farming takes two paths, the normal above-ground farming which we are familiar with and more exotic underground growing. Dwarves seem to prefer the act of farming underground, even if they occasionally delight in the exotic brews made possible by above ground plants. Beyond the dwarven nutritional staple of booze the farms serve a lesser purpose of producing food and raw materials. Dwarves seem unconcerned about what they eat in most cases and can easily live out their lives subsisting on a diet of Dwarven wine, plump helmet and the occasional side of cat meat; This leads to an overwhelming majority of plump helmet farms which in turn leads a dwarven farm to resemble a scene from Alice in wonderland, albeit a dark, dank, vomit reeking wonderland populated by manic-depressive midgets.

[[Fishing]]:
Depending on the area the job of a fisherdwarf can either be a luxury or a death sentence. In most areas the work of a fisherdwarf is dangerous only because of its need to be outside, amongst wild animals and horrible sky. However if carp are involved this normally menial job becomes a game of roulette, with every moment being just another chance to die. From the few historical carvings we have we know that the dwarves once had a 4th punishment, in addition to their current triad of prison, pummeling, and pounding; this fourth punishment entailed forcing the condemned to fish in a carp infested river till he was finally set upon by the beasts. This punishment was eventually banned, partially because it was deemed too cruel and partially because it tended to have a mortality rate of 4 or 5 rather then the intended 1 as guards and spectators were also dragged to their fishy end.

[[Soap making]]:
Strange does not begin to describe this particular labor, The strangeness of it stems from the fact that dwarves are seemingly incapable of using soap for its intended washing purposes, choosing instead to stacking it about or simply trade it away. The soap maker himself seems perplexed by his creation yet continues to make it. Various men have tried to instruct the dwarves in the use of their creation however they remain seemingly mentally blocked from comprehending its purpose. However, men have also tried to teach the dwarves the meaning of being on fire and were equally unsuccessful, so perhaps there is simply some sort of cognitive dissonance involved.

[[Furnace operating]]:
There is a saying which goes “When a dwarf and fire are wed, the former will inevitably end up dead.” This, above all else, accurately describes the dwarven relationship with things hotter then body temperature. As such it’s surprising that furnace operation is such a safe job, indeed there are no reports of fatalities directly relating to the furnace operator’s job (unless being caught in a cave in counts). How this record is maintained appears to be a complete mystery to all involved, including the Operators themselves. However, since it seems to take the average Operator something like a week to do even the simplest of tasks one could surmise that the record is the result of extreme safety measures or simple cowardice.

[[Wood burning]]:
Wood burners lead a charmed life, revered as heroes for their use of fire to destroy the scourge that is above-ground nature, yet constantly hunted by elven assassins for the same reason. Wood burners are often local celebrities and are the pride of a fortress but the position is rarely volunteered for. The elves, in their endless attempts to destroy dwarven values, have singled wood burners out for death. The term of a Wood burner is usually ended when he his found face down with an oak arrow embedded in his spine.

[[Lye making]]/[[Potash making]]:
This labor includes letting ash float in water and then letting that water dry out (maybe). It also includes setting one’s hair on fire in a desperate attempt to liven up one’s bleak, ashy existence.

[[Weaponsmithing]]:
The act of making a hammer with another hammer, creating the paradox of “where did the first hammer come from?” Weaponsmiths are often hulking brutes of considerable strength, perhaps second only to dwarven accountants in sheer muscle mass. Their job mainly consists of lifting something heavy and smacking it against something hot till something sharp is made. They are considered the backbone of the army, both for their skill in weapon creation and for their general propensity to cave in goblin skulls with their hammers.

[[Armoring]]:
The rival of weaponsmithing, it’s not uncommon for inter-fortress arms races to pop up as weaponsmiths and armorers compete to one up each other. (in this case however I’m referring to the ancient dwarven tradition of “arms races” in which the participants drag themselves around the fortress using only one arm.) The armorers say they are more valuable because you only need one weapon, but many items of armor.

[[Blacksmithing]] and [[Metalcrafting]]:
The work that doesn’t fall into either armoring or weaponsmithing is relegated to the humble blacksmith. The Metalsmith makes the much more mundane objects needed by the fortress, including cups which no one uses and coins that generally have no value.

[[Gem cutting]] and [[Gem setting]]
Gem cutters are the jewelers of the dwarven world and are known for their flamboyant nature and sequin cloaks. They are often found, prancing about the tunnels with small hammers, gathering the raw material for their labor before returning to the shop to gently chisel away. While not a particularly proud part of the fortress gem cutters are tolerated for the vast wealth they bring in. Curiously they’re all named Shirley. Gem setters are a fair bit more dignified, even if their casual attire is a jewel encrusted codpiece.

[[Bonecarving]]:
A habit most pick up in jail is actually a time honored tradition within dwarven society. It’s well known that dwarves prefer to use just about every part of an animal (not because of any sort of ethical ideal, but because it increases profit) and that they have a vicious sense of ironic humor; as such the act of turning elephant bones into arrows with which to shoot more elephants is seen not only as cost effective but as a genocidal good time.

[[Stonecrafting]]:
One thing that dwarven society is never short of is spare rocks and it is the stoneworker’s job to turn all this useless debris into equally useless trade goods. Some of the strangest things a stonecrafter can make are stone musical instruments. How exactly one is expected to play a stone harp is lost on this author.

[[Woodcrafting]]:
Like carpenters, woodcrafters are often the object of ridicule and anger. They do, however, have one talent which brings them some social standing: the ability to make wood bolts for crossbows. As mentioned before dwarves have a love of poetic justice and as such greatly enjoy killing elves with wooden arrows. A famous dwarven general once said of a particular conflict with the elves: “They demanded to know what we had done with all their precious trees. So our archers showed them.”

[[Glassmaking]]:
Dwarves have a perilous relationship with glass. On one hand it’s fragile, a quality dwarves detest. On the other it’s shiny and involves fire in its creation, both qualities which they love. Regardless of their opinions on the substance glass tends to have few if any practical uses within a fortress, being that windows aren’t exactly a necessity a mile beneath the earth. Much like the stonecrafter the glass maker seems to focus his efforts on building things like Goblets which dwarves never use and toys which will invariably shatter into some child’s hands and eyes. However, unlike the stonecrafter, the glassmaker’s raw material is time and resource consuming to create. This leads to the common impression that dwarven glassmakers are insane.

[[Siege engineering]] and [[Siege operating]]:
Merchants of death on a grand scale, Siege engineers create the dwarven weapons of mass destruction: the ballista and the catapult. Regarded as talented though a bit off, as they tend to test their wares on migrants and unsuspecting wildlife, much to their own delight.

[[Mechanics]]:
The dwarven mechanic is usually considered one of the most intelligent of dwarven society, capable of constructing everything from power generators to deadly traps. Oddly enough they require only one type of mechanism to do this, though the number of these mechanisms varies from machine to machine. Humans have for years tried to discover the method by which such complex apparatuses can be constructed with only 2-3 parts and have in-so-far been unsuccessful. Another mystery is the way in which mechanics can mechanically connect two objects, even across massive distances, with only two of these mechanisms. When we questioned a dwarven mechanic by the name of Hertz about this seemingly impossible phenomenon he merely shrugged and replied “Ich habe keine Idee, aber es ist recht interessant.”

[[Weaving]]:
While the task of weaving is usually relegated to the women of other races dwarves hold no such sexist policies. Instead they have much more dangerous policies, like capturing enormous spiders and feeding them a constant diet of crippled goblins in order to harvest the spider’s web for high value silk production. It should be noted that the dwarves also do not discriminate who to feed to said spider based on sex, race or age; in other words it’s equal opportunity murder all around.

[[Dyeing]]:
A favorite activity of dwarves, especially those near volcanoes or cliffs.

[[Clothes making]]:
Dwarves are a simple race when it comes to clothing, many wear and in fact prefer to wear simple clothing. Of course this simple clothing invariably degenerates into rags prompting the creation of new clothing. After all, spending is better then mending. Counter intuitively though the post as clothier is rarely filled, meaning that the demand for new clothing often goes unanswered. When asked why so few are willing to become a clothier most dwarves will simply scream and run, while the few braver souls will recount stories of horrible carnage and destruction. It is believed, after careful study, that the loom is actually a distant cousin of the Wagon; however, unlike the wagon, the loom is capable of moving of its own accord. Loss of life and limb is rife.

[[Milling]]:
Dwarves tend to do this when they should otherwise be working.

[[Hunting]]:
In theory this is the practice of bludgeoning, stabbing or shooting various wildlife to death in order to use their carcass as food or raw materials. In reality it’s the practice of wandering into the forest, getting trampled or gored and then dragging one’s crippled self back to the fortress where one then occupies a bed for the rest of one’s natural life.

[[Brewing]]:
Brewers are loved above all others in their community and in the cases of exceptional brewers almost worshiped. A master brewer will often have a harem of comely young women (or nubile young boys) along with substantial treasure and fame. However a brewer who disgraces the practice by brewing sub-par drinks will be ridiculed and despised, or in some extreme cases publicly lynched. It should be noted that many of the aforementioned actions and decisions happen while the participants are extremely inebriated on said brewers beer. This has lead to the adage “Madder then a Dwarf on Sewer Brew”

[[Plant gathering]]:
The act of tearing various plants out of the ground for various purposes, the favorite of which is “just to annoy the blasted elves”. The brewers do thank the gatherers - sometimes.

[[Milking]]:
Dwarves are quite odd in their choice of which animal to milk. While all manner of mammals are available to dwarves, including the cow, camel, ox and goat, dwarves instead choose a insect as their only source of milk. Beyond this they chose a maggot that many dwarves find detestable and that can only be milked one a season. When asked why they would do something so counter-intuitive most dwarves look embarrassed and attempt to change the subject.

[[Cheese making]]:
Because milk is a rather rare commodity in dwarven society, for aforementioned reasons, the prospect of cheese is rather dubious. Because of this dwarven cheese is actually extremely valuable, equal to dragon meat. This author wonders if the choice of “dwarven” cheese rather then “purring maggot” cheese has something to do with this, though dwarven cheese implies rather disturbing things in and of itself.

[[Cooking]]:
Dwarven cooks are only grudgingly accepted into society, mainly because they are seen as an unnecessary step between the raw meat of the butcher and a potential meal. The dwarves are not particularly unreasonable in this either as it is a well documented fact that dwarven cooks do not, in fact, cook anything. Raw meat, plant products and Minced wine are simply mixed together to create “roasts” and “biscuits”. While these names may sound appetizing the reality of the matter is that they are gelatinous masses of grayish moist unhappiness. While many outsiders think that the miasma found around kitchens is the result of rotting food, it is actually a byproduct of successful cooking.

[[Trapping]]:
Imagine, if you will, a great and grizzled mountain man with a long flowing beard and eyes shining like two great lumps of coal. Imagine this man holding a bear trap. Imagine this man chasing a mouse with this bear trap. This is the basic scenario of dwarven Trapping.

[[Architecture]]:
The dwarven architect is often uneducated and inexperienced, sometimes picked simply because he is the closest to the current construction job. Thus thrust into his new position the unfortunate victim usually fails terribly, often ending in the deaths of several masons and the stranding of many more. In order to avoid embarrassment the project foreman has the architect jailed and supposedly executed. However, rather then actually executing him the foreman simply gives the victim a false beard to wear over his real one and then reintroduces him into society. By the end of his life time the average dwarf is reported to be wearing no fewer then 3 false beards over his real one.

v0.34:Hive

2012-08-03T01:57:46Z

Bronzebeard:

{{Quality|Fine}}{{av}}
{{Building|name=Hive|key=Alt + H|job=[[beekeeper|Beekeeping]]
|construction=
* Hive
* Honey bee colony
|construction_job=
* [[beekeeper|Beekeeping]]
|use=
* [[Hive]]
|purpose=
* Producing [[royal jelly]] and [[honeycomb]] for further processing
}}

A hive is a building used to house [[honey bee]]s. A [[tool|hive]] must first be created in a workshop before it can be {{k|b}}uilt. Hives can be created at a craftsdwarf's workshop, kiln, glass furnace or metalsmith's forge using stone, wood, ceramics, glass or metal. Once a hive is created, it is {{k|b}}uilt using the {{k|alt}}+{{k|H}} hotkey. Hives are categorized as [[tool|Tools]] in [[Finished goods]] [[stockpile|stockpiles]].

In order to house bees, a hive must be constructed on or adjacent to a tile that is [[Tile attributes|above ground]]. A dwarf with the [[beekeeper|beekeeping]] labor enabled will place bees in any hive toggled to "install colony when ready," so long as he or she has access to a preexisting colony of wild bees, or another hive that is ready to be split.

You can find out if a hive has bees, and whether or not it has a honeycomb ready to collect by using the View I{{k|t}}ems in Buildings menu.

Once a hive contains bees, it will eventually become "ready to be split," which will allow a beekeeper to populate an empty hive using bees from the original. In order to do that, you only have to place an empty hive and your beekeeper will do it automatically if the original hive is set as "Install colony when ready". Doing this leaves the original hive populated, however it will be some time before it again becomes ready for splitting. Bees cannot be brought with on embark, so starting the beekeeping industry requires at least one wild colony. Dwarven hives appear to magically transform [[bumblebee]]s into honey bees, so a wild bumblebee colony will work if no honey bee colony exists on the map.

Populated hives will produce a honeycomb and a royal jelly at some point in time after they become ready to be split. If the hive is toggled to "gather any products," a beekeeper will harvest the [[honeycomb]] and [[royal jelly]], assuming he has access to a suitable [[jug]] in which to put the royal jelly. Deconstructing the hive manually ({{k|q}} {{k|x}}) will release the honeycomb for collection but waste the royal jelly which will spill out on the ground. Both these processes kill the bees. Royal jelly can be eaten or cooked, and the honeycomb is processed at a [[screw press]] workshop to yield [[wax]] and [[honey]].

It may be possible to move a hive, but the easiest way to move it is to simply split one into the new location, turn off the original one, and harvest it.

Honeybees in their artificial hive can and will sting your dwarves. Worker bees occasionally appear within a few tiles of a hive and are presumed to be responsible for stinging dwarves. It is likely that an inexperienced beekeeper will receive a bee sting when gathering the products of a hive. Additionally, it has been observed that placing a [[Activity zone#Meeting Area|Meeting zone]] next to hives puts idle dwarves at serious risk of being stung.

Bee stings currently seem to be inconsequential. Bee stings do not appear to be recorded as wounds, but the [[Health screen]] will show "Slight pain" for the stung dwarf, which can trigger a "recover wounded" task. This can trigger good thoughts about being rescued and resting, even though the hospital stay was instantaneous. Being stung does not seem to produce a bad thought. But don't be surprised if your refuse pile fills up with bees that die after stinging your dwarves.

There appears to be an upper limit of 60 active colonies in built hives. Once you hit that limit, additional hives will have the message "Too many hives *No output" when examined (though this limit can be exceeded by installing wild colonies into artificial hives). There's also a "soft" limit of 40 active colonies, past which hives will have the message "Too many hives *Restricted output"; presumably this means that these colonies grow more slowly. {{Verify}}

[[Category:Buildings]]

v0.34:Vermin

2012-08-02T22:54:34Z

Bronzebeard:

{{av}}{{Quality|Exceptional|22:00, 9 June 2010 (UTC)}}

'''Vermin''' are small [[creature]]s such as [[rat]]s, [[bat]]s, and [[lizard]]s which are difficult to see, and also the type of [[fish]] which are caught by [[fisherdwarf|fisherdwarves]]. They are below 2 kg (4 lb) in size, much smaller than cats. The presence of vermin can be noted if you are particularly observant, as they will occasionally blink into and out of view on the screen. The main distinctions between vermin and [[creature]]s are that vermin:
# Do not attack and cannot be engaged in [[combat]] or trigger [[trap]]s
# Do not provide [[meat]], [[bone]]s and other by-products of butchery
# Do not breed, but "spawn", spontaneously appearing in their natural environment or [[biome]]{{verify}}
# Some vermin are "hateable", meaning dwarves can have an anti-[[preference]] which gives them a negative [[thought]] when they see the hated vermin

Vermin can be problematic as many types feed on [[stockpile]]s, thus making it more difficult to keep enough [[food]] and [[alcohol|drink]] to survive. Vermin can be hunted by [[cat]]s and [[peregrine falcon]]s to reduce this problem, though the [[remains]] will still need to be [[Activity zone#Garbage Dump|removed]].

Vermin can, however be captured in [[animal trap]]s, and can be tamed as [[pet]]s.

Dwarves will eat vermin if no [[food]] source is available, resulting in an unhappy [[thought]].

See {{Catlink|Vermin|the vermin category page}} for a list of vermin.

==Hateable vermin==
* [[Bark scorpion]]s
* [[Bat]]s
* [[Blood gnat]]s
* [[Brown recluse spider]]s
* [[Cave spider]]s
* [[Fire snake]]s
* [[Fly|Flies]]
* [[Hamster]]s
* [[Jumping spider]]s
* [[Leech]]es
* [[Lizard]]s
* [[Moon snail]]s
* [[Mosquito]]s
* [[Mussel]]s
* [[Oyster]]s
* [[Purring maggot]]s
* [[Rat]]s
* [[Large roach|Roaches]]
* [[Slug]]s
* [[Snail]]s
* [[Toad]]s
* [[Worm]]s

{{Category|Vermin| }}

[[ru:DF2012:Vermin]]
{{Vermin}}

v0.34:Undead

2012-08-01T03:15:09Z

Bronzebeard:

{{quality|Masterwork|14:39, 28 July 2012 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
The animated dead are the bodies of formerly living creatures animated through fel magic. Undead can be created intentionally by a [[necromancer]] to serve him, or arise naturally from the dark energies of [[surroundings|evil regions]].

==What is an undead?==
An undead may be formed of either the rotting husk or the bones and shell of a being. The former is considered a zombie, and the latter a skeleton. Although [[vampire]]s are no longer performing the bodily functions of a living being, they are not considered the "animated dead", this term being reserved for a corpse which has begun to move and act on its own or by the will of another, the distinction generally being held as one of cognitive capacity. Where zombies and skeletons cannot think or behave in any sophisticated manner, vampires are willful beings capable of great deception. [[Ghost]]s are called Undead in-game, but they are also not considered animated dead.

As long as the remains of a creature contain a body part capable of grasping, be it a hand or head or the entire upper half, those remains can be animated. This can lead to animated hands and heads, which seems comical until you consider the implications of a swarm of such monstrosities and the havoc that they might wreak. Currently, even some parts of creatures which should be incapable of autonomous movement can be raised, such as the hair or skin. They are, however, predictably nonlethal, mostly serving as a B-movie terror monster to scare your dwarves into running around.. A body part can be resurrected as a zombie even if it has already done so and been de-animated again. It is important to realize that an endless horde of the undead may '''really''' be endless unless the root of the problem is destroyed, or in the case of evil regions, avoided entirely.

==Traits==
Undead retain the wounds that killed them in life, as well as any they have sustained since or from a temporary de-animation. Undead vary in levels of strength depending on their form. Certain types of animal are likely the most dangerous that it is common to encounter, and can have dangerous strength, speed, aggression, and piercing attacks. The undead of butcherable creatures can still be butchered once de-animated, as long as they have not rotted; doing so will prevent them from re-animating again.

Larger undead with the BUILDINGDESTROYER tag can still destroy buildings, though undead with special attacks like webbing will not be able to use them. Undead thieves can still pick locks, but will not path to a locked door unless in pursuit of the living. If found underground, undead will usually path into a fort if they can.

==Thralls, Husks, and Zombies==
Certain kinds of evil [[weather]] can instantly turn any [[syndrome]]-vulnerable creature into a bloodthirsty undead killer, opposed to all life. These creatures are referred to be the sort of weather that transformed them, an identifier as a thrall, husk, or zombie, and their original creature name-- for example, a ''stray guineahen unholy gloom husk''. The specific syndromes that generate these creatures are created at the time the world is generated, but vary only slightly from one another. Some traits these creatures are likely to possess include:
*Increased [[attribute|strength, toughness,]] and/or reduced [[speed]].
*Opposition to life, lack of emotion
*Undead status (NOT_LIVING), sterility, no attribute rust or gain
*An almost complete invulnerability to the effects of damage

Because of the plethora of [[Creature token|tags]] added to these creatures, they are vulnerable only to beheading or bisection. Because the interaction can happen without first killing the target, thrall-like creatures retain any armor or weapons they were carrying. And, perhaps worst of all, they may still be contaminated with the material leading to the transformation, infecting those with whom they wrestle.

==Destruction==
Different strategies are required to beat animated corpses and thralls, respectively. Animated corpses are not difficult to destroy, but require unconventional tactics. These undead have a hit point based damage system, and as such tend to collapse after a few hits. Blunt weapons, being less likely to sever off parts, are the preferred weapons to use. Axes and swords can cut apart the physical form of the undead; this, however, may be dangerous if the source of the undead is still active and present, as the more body parts are about, the more fodder for animation is present. In this case, it is wiser to either butcher the corpses (if they can be butchered), throw them into [[magma]], or [[dwarven atom smasher|pulverise them with a drawbridge]], which will destroy the bodies so thoroughly that they cannot be reanimated again. It should be noted that magma will not currently kill a zombie itself, however.

[[Evil weather]] thralls are much more difficult to destroy. You would not wish to attempt to kill them with puncture wounds, as their organs no longer serve them in any useful regard. Likewise, choking is ineffective against their lack of breath, and unlike corpses, blunt weapons will have next to no effect. The '''only''' way to kill thralls in combat is decapitation and bisection, therefore axes and swords should be used. If possible, and if no risk of infection is at hand, they should ideally be outnumbered by a ratio of ''at least'' two soldiers to one, as even a small wolf husk can easily bring down one armoured dwarf.

The problem of confronting thralls directly is complicated by many factors: among them are their retainment of skills and equipment, and greatly increased strength and durability as compared to animated corpses. If the responsible thralling cloud is in dust form, there is in addition a great risk of infection, creating more thralls from soldier dwarves. Any thrall carrying a melee weapon or armour can dispatch a full squad in short order even with average combat skills, making direct confrontation an unwise choice. Furthermore, due to a bug, it is not unheard of for dwarves to fight very small thralls for so long that they ''starve to death''. In these and other dire cases, it is often better to not combat them at all, instead resorting to traps, [[dwarven atom smasher|atom smashers]] and other indirect ways to neutralise them. [[Magma]] doesn't kill thralls, so caged ones might require a creative way of destroying them, especially if they can destroy buildings.

Reports have been made of zombies animated by the ambient evil of a region deanimating on their own when wandering away from such a vile place.

==Undead Fun Facts==

* Undead can animate from hauled corpses
* Undead will not attack vampires
* Undead risen from starved animals in cages are not caged
* Undead attack Megabeasts as well as invaders, except necromancers
* Creatures capable of evading traps or bypassing locked doors retain that ability as undead.
* Enthralled dwarves from your fortress are not affected by traps.
* Dwarves who like an animal will also enjoy that undead animal

==Bugs==
Dwarves will not report someone missing as dead even if the corpse is gnawing on their ear.

{{category|Creatures}}

v0.34:Meat industry

2012-07-30T16:27:07Z

Bronzebeard: /* Internal pastures */

{{quality|Exceptional|02:40, 25 October 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}

This article is a quick guide to running a '''meat and related goods industry'''. If you decide to base your economy on such then keep in mind that the amount available depends on the breeding rate of your tame animals (how long the offspring takes to be born and mature), the spawning of wild animals, and/or the amount of meat and leather that traders bring.

Note that the meat industry involves many materials which can [[rot]] and so requires slightly more micromanagement than other [[industry|industries]].

'''Summary''': Obtain some animals; kill and [[butcher]] them to obtain [[bone]]s, (organ-)[[meat]], [[fat]], [[skull]]/[[horn]]s and [[skin|raw hide]]s; the meat can be used immediately but the hide needs to be [[tanner|tanned]] into [[leather]] and the fat needs to be processed into [[tallow]]; finally [[cook]] the tallow into a meal (or make [[soap]] with it), and craft the bones, skull, horns and leather into an end product.

== Acquisition ==
The basic units of the meat industry are its [[Animals|animals]], and there are a number of methods to acquire said animals (note that the related [[fishing industry]] is its own matter).

===Embark===
You can buy animals on [[embark]], and doing so even allows you to chose from male and female animals. Since you need only one male to [[#Breeding|breed]], an example way to kick-start your meat industry is to embark you could embark with one bull and 3 cows. Note, though, that with the exception of cats, dogs and poultry, buying animals on embark is extremely expensive. You also get two random [[Domestic animal|draft animal]]s on embark for each wagon (usually one wagon with two draft animals). These can be butchered when needed, or be kept in the hopes that [[Trade#Liaisons|traders]] or [[Immigration|immigrants]] will supply matching animals for breeding. This doesn't necessarily mean that you need to buy one: If you happen to have a female, chances are that sooner rather than later it will meet a companion among the traders' many pack animals; see [[#Breeding|breeding]], below.

=== Trading ===
As with most industry goods, you can purchase both animals and processed [[meat]] and [[leather]] from [[caravan]]s, allowing you to vary your dwarves' diet without having to establish a meat industry proper. Note however that trading will never give you [[hair]], [[horn]]s, [[skull]]s, or [[bone]]s in general. If you want to keep your [[leatherworker]]s constantly occupied, buying up caravans' (often vast) collections of leather is cheap way to get your fort [[clothing|clothed]] quickly.

It might be necessary that you request every type of leather at low priority in order to ensure the merchant comes back with a large quantity next year (they usually bring excessive amounts even if you don't). You can only buy leather from [[human]] and [[dwarf|dwarven]] caravans. [[Elf|Elven]] caravans are interesting in that they often bring a small number of tame caged animals with them, which may be useful as [[pet]]s (such as [[silvery gibbon]]s) or for defense purposes (such as [[grizzly bear]]s).

=== Hunting ===
In all but the most inhospitable of places, there will be some <s>running food</s> wildlife frolicking in the biome. An [[ambusher]] armed with a [[crossbow]] and a [[quiver]] full of [[bolts]] can and will attack these animals, cautiously approaching them ("ambushing", their speed and chances of not being noticed being dependent on their skill) before opening fire at their quarry with crossbow bolts. Hunting is a very outdoorsy activity, and will take your hunters well past where you can establish reasonable defenses; in addition hunters will occasionally do stupid things that will get them maimed, such as hunting [[lion]]s, or worse still, killed in grisly ways, such as attacking [[elephant]] families.

Upon a successful kill the dwarf will return the kill, carrying the [[corpse]] back to the nearest [[butcher's shop]] to be torn apart, or the nearest refuse stockpile if no shop has been built yet. Hunters are rather single-minded; when hunting, they will ignore other animals besides their quarry, even if others are more easily attacked or less dangerous to do so against. Although multiple kills happen, hunters generally only return their quarry, or quit when they run out of bolts. To avoid wasting perfectly edible corpses, you need to change your [[standing orders]] ({{k|o}}) to Gather refuse from outside, although this will enable much more then ambusher kill returning.

Hunting makes an erratic but, when done by a skilled ambusher, very worthy meat source. It takes the bother of pasturing animals away, but comes at the trade off of defensibility. Many players on mature fortresses are simply too concerned with enemy sieges and the like to send dwarves out too far, and will thus disable hunting jobs on their dwarves.

=== Military ===
You can order your soldiers out to kill wild animals by selecting their squads or the soldiers individually (for a basic outline of such actions, see [[attack]]). This takes some management, but is particularly useful if a large herd appears and you want to get them all before they emigrate to less blood-soaked pastures; be prepared to process them all, however, as you do not want your potential foodstuffs to rot away if your butcheries are overloaded. Soldiers will not kill or butcher [[Domestic animal|domestic]] or [[tame]] animals. Take note that soldiers will attack animals regardless of the target you've given them, as they will attack the nearest non-friendly creature in sight when told to move somewhere or kill a target.

Your soldiers must generally be very [[Attribute#Agility|agile]] to catch up with a running animal before it leaves the edge of the map, and attacking with melee always carries the risk of getting your soldiers maimed or killed, so as you might expect military hunting is mainly for the crossbow dwarves.

=== Trapping ===
It is also possible to catch animals through judicious use of [[cage trap]]s. Building cage traps where animals will walk will ensure that some of them will be caught; [[trapper]]s can then haul the occupied [[cage]]s away and reset them with fresh cages. You can increase your chances of catching something by baiting the trap.

Cage traps should be built where animals will walk, not where they are when you decide to trap them. Any dwarves sent out to create and arm traps in the animals' midst will scare them away or (worse) trigger their aggression. As such most of the animals that you will end up caging will be small [[vermin]], which cannot be turned into meat and, besides low-value pets, cannot be turned into anything particularly useful, except for the few that can be processed into extracts - see below.

To successfully trap large animals you need to build choke points into your map. The destruction of ramps to create sheer cliffs is the easiest way to force them to go down a particular route; with the construction of walls, ponds, channels, and so forth, you can force them to walk right through your cage traps. This is additionally interesting for defense, which is probably your primary goal: anything that will funnel animals will funnel invaders too, and caged goblins make good target practice once [[mass pitting|pitted]].

Leave a small gap one or two tiles wide (depending on how many of the critters you want to trap) and build your cage traps there. If the animals haven't moved off or been scared off by the time you're done, and they're docile enough to not attack once they see your dwarves, use military orders to send a dwarf (or several) around behind the animals and herd them toward the choke point.

Note that when using channels and ponds together to create a choke point, connecting the channel all the way up to the pond's edge will end up draining the pond. If this is undesirable for your fort's water supply plans, be sure to leave a tile between the edge of the pond and the edge of the channel, and build a cage trap or wall instead.

Note also that cage traps cannot be built within a certain number of tiles of the map edge, so when planning your funnels and choke points, be sure to leave four or five tiles as a buffer zone.

=== Breeding ===
When a male and a female of the same species are present on the map, sooner or later the male will impregnate the female. Animal reproduction requires absolutely no contact between them, and in fact will occur regardless of distance, physical obstacles such as walls or locked doors, number of each gender, and even ownership. This has been jokingly refereed to by players as spore-based breeding; even a male in a herd of wild animals outside the fortress walls can impregnate a female locked deep in the lowest level, and females can get pregnant again immediately after giving birth (much like dwarves). The only thing that has been reported to prevent pregnancy is caging, but females that are already pregnant can give birth while caged (also much like dwarves).

Some [[immigrant]]s will bring [[pet]]s or stray animals with them, often to the effect of forming or completing breeding pairs. Remember that you only ever need one male: the only non-butchering product male animals produce, besides reproduction, is [[wool]], and only a few of them. For this reason having one male bull and ten female cows is a good idea.

Using [[cage trap|cage traps]] judiciously (or taking advantage of the animals [[elf|elves]] trade) can sometimes snag you a breeding pair of wild animals. These can be used to establish crazy schemes, like [[alligator]] farms and [[giant eagle]] [[egg production|hatcheries]]. Tame something unusual and start something crazy if you get lucky enough! All tamable creatures can be tamed, but it can take a long time for exotic animals and they will slowly revert to wild state if left unattended; a skilled [[animal trainer]] is a real blessing in this regard.

There is currently a per type population cap, currently observed to be around 50, past which animals will not get pregnant; existing pregnancies will mature to term, and once some adults are slaughtered, the population can begin moving up again.

== Management ==
=== Pastures ===
Tame animals with the [GRAZER:<value>] token (most herbivores) need to constantly munch on grass to survive, and as such require a [[pasture]] containing [[grass]], [[cave moss]], or [[floor fungus]] to graze upon, or they will starve to death. [[Elephant]]s and [[rhinoceros]]es in particular are bugged at the moment; they cannot eat fast enough to keep up with their grazing needs, and as such will slowly starve to death if tamed.

Pastures are simple enough to build (unless you've embarked someplace where it [[evil weather|rains]] [[fun]]). Designate a grassy area as a pasture [[activity zone]] ({{k|i}}-{{k|n}}), set ({{k|N}}) the animals to be released onto the pasture, and your dwarves will haul the designated animals to it - this does not require any specific labor, and much like harvesting food, will be performed by all dwarves, even those with all hauling jobs disabled. Once in the pasture, the animals will munch on all the grass they need, as long as there is enough of it.

Pastures can be easily depleted if the herd of animals on it is large enough; in addition, having too many animals on a pasture at once will lead to fights, which can seriously maim and injure your livestock. Since an above-ground pasture requires a significant plot of land, it is a major security concern - having enough grazing land for your animals while also keeping them protected from invading goblins is an important concern. A solution is to use the fact that livestock can graze on [[floor fungus]] and the like as easily as on regular old grass, and wall off a pasture inside of a [[cavern]] layer or set them loose in your underground [[tree farm]].

Animals that don't require a constant stream of plant matter, like poultry, can be put in any pasture and do fine in them. The basis of [[egg production]] is a pasture with [[nest box]]es in it.

=== Pens ===
A strategy to improve your framerate is to [[restraint|restrain]] most of your livestock near your [[butcher's shop]], as a large number of free-roaming animals will reduce your game speed. Additionally it reduces the amount of time it takes butchers to track down and retrieve animals they are to slaughter.

Animals on [[restraint|restraints]] still can [[path]] (1 tile in any direction from the chain/rope), and that can hurt your [[Maximizing framerate|framerate]]. By making a series of 1x1 rooms with doors set to "non-pet-passable", and restraining the animals there, the animals have nowhere to go and so [[path|pathing]] is not a problem. The door keeps them from wandering; the restraint is necessary to get them into the room in the first place (see [[restraint]] for proper removal technique). [[Activity zone#Pit/Pond|Pits]] can also be adapted for this purpose, without the restraint and with multiple animals.

The pens idea would be a good idea if pets actually understood non-pet-passable during calculation of paths. Instead they believe they can get through during mental calculations. Cold, hard, reality stops them at the door, but they continue to path as if they could get through, so they just stand there (until a dwarf comes by and opens the door, at which point they gleefully run past). Pets in cages helps framerate the most, followed closely by restraints, since the search space bottoms out after only 2 moves (corner to corner). Pits, with no access besides (raised) bridges and (closed) floodgates, are also very effective, as pathing will stop as soon as the space of the pit is exhausted, so it's like a restraint with a slightly longer leash. Pens using floodgates would work, although loading the pets in would be nigh impossible without dropping them in from above, as anything in the way of a closing floodgate stops it from closing. It would be quite extreme, but such a collection of 1x1 pits could be an effective way of stopping pathfinding while retaining breeding. One could even use bars instead of floodgates, and have a really proper zoo/cage.

A common strategy is to cage all your young until matured because they do not give the same amount of bones, meat, and fat as adults. Some tamed wild species take more than 1 year to mature, unlike most domestic animals; this makes it excusable to butcher, for instance, elephant calves right away, as they take ten years to mature.

Furthermore:
* Cages can hold an unlimited number of animals, so you only need one.
* Caged animals do not path, and therefore, do not consume a lot of processor speed.
* Distinguishing between breeding animals and butcherable livestock is easier when clearly separated.
* Caged cats cannot adopt owners (thus decreasing the chances of a [[catsplosion]]).
* You can define a [[zoo]] from a cage, increasing overall fortress wealth, dwarven happiness, and so on.

=== Internal pastures ===
The livestock of a large meat industry requires a lot of pasture space that might not be safe on the surface. Creating an underground pasture is more secure and relatively simple after discovering the [[cavern]]s. [[Floor fungus]] and other such underground "grass" will begin to grow anywhere there is [[soil]] or [[mud]]. You can take advantage of this by digging out a large room in a soil layer and waiting for floor fungus to grow. You can also create pastures in stone layers, but it will need to be cleared of all excess stone and irrigated to create mud. Drain the water and wait for the floor fungus to grow. Keep your dwarves away from that level to prevent plant trampling, and then wait a bit for it to grow dense enough to support your livestock. Forbidden doors and hatches or a restricted area [[traffic]] designation can be helpful for this. Once ready, make a new pasture and move the livestock underground.

You can further [[irrigation|irrigate]] the level to boost growth by emptying a body of water into it such that it spreads over it before evaporating. The easiest way to do this, and the easiest way to create an internal pasture is to dig out the topmost layer of [[soil]] (if your map has any) or rock and then either redirect some river flow or drain some small lakes to provide the necessary water.

== Processing ==
=== Slaughtering and butchering ===
Animals can be marked for slaughter in the [[Status#Animal Status Screen|animal status screen]]. Animals marked for slaughter will queue a "Slaughter animal" task at a [[butcher's shop]], be dragged to there by an idle dwarf and put down; this is instant and doesn't require a butcher.

Once an animal has been killed (be it by slaughtering or hunting) you only have a limited amount of time to butcher the corpse before it rots. If your butcher is distracted by other tasks it is quite possible to lose the foodstuffs, so make sure to keep a number of [[butcher]]s ready. An animal corpse or body part is available if it is taken to the butcher's shop or in a refuse stockpile within a certain distance of the shop; it is not available if it is merely lying around, so a corpse stockpile near your butcher's shop may be necessary. The skill of the butcher only affects the time taken for the butcher animal task, not the amount produced, nor the quality.

To keep your animal population growing you should preferably butcher the males except for one of each species you are breeding, because one male is enough to impregnate all the females. The number of males does not affect how frequently the females give birth as long as you have at least one (which can also be a pet).

Once butchered the animal will yield one skull (though [[hydra|hydras]] produce more than one), one raw hide and depending on the animal type a number of (prepared)(organ-)meat pieces, bones, and potentially [[horn|horns]], [[hoof|hoofs]], [[fat]] and [[cartilage]]. Meat and fat goes to your food stockpile. Bones, horns, hoofs, hair, cartilage and raw hides go to the refuse stockpile. Cartilage has no use and should be disposed of, but you would be well put to create custom stockpiles for hides next to your tanner's shop (see [[#Tanning|''Tanning'' below]]), for bones/horns/hoofs next to your craftsdwarves workshop (see [[#Bone carving|''Bone carving'' below]]), and changing the settings on your main refuse pile to not accept bones, horns/hoofs and hides. Hair can be weaved into low-value thread, but not into cloth, so it is useless outside hospital (note that it doesn't rot, so it has to be dumped manually).

If it takes too long for the butchered parts to be hauled into the stockpile, the food will rot and miasma spread. To prevent this, it is advisable to build the butcher's workshop outside of the fortress, near refuse piles (you may want it inside the walls though). The fresh air prevents miasma spreading. Miasma doesn't spread through diagonal openings, so a clever architect might isolate the smell in a 3x3 room with the shop.

If the animal is butchered just before it rots, the products of the animal MAY not rot. It is unknown whether the time of rotting for butchering products is based on the time of death of the animal or the time of production of the butchering returns.{{verify}}

==== Overdrive ====
In some instances - most notably, after [[rhesus macaque]] or [[mandrill]] invasions, or killing some other large herd with your soldiers - you may find yourself with more bodies and [[severed body part|severed body parts]] than you can process. In this case it is a good idea to set up some temporary extra butcher and tanners' shops (and butcher and tanner workers) to process them all before they rot. Butchers are more important because these workshops have a tendency to get [[clutter|cluttered]] quickly. Setting up a new workshop takes but a moment, so one might even construct a whole chamber of them and suspend the butchering job in all the cluttered shops.

== Animal products ==
The [[value]] of an animal product is multiplied by the species' [[multiply value]]; items from common domestic animals like [[cow]]s and [[horse]]s have a multiplier of 1x, which pales in comparison with those made from more exotic wild animals (usually between 2x and 4x, although some, like [[elephant]]s, hit 5x); the distinction for the highest value multiplier goes to the [[dragon]] and the [[roc]], whose meat is worth 15 times that of an ordinary cow's. An animal's value multiplier can be found in the creature raw files.

===Meat===
The primary output of the meat industry is the titular [[meat]]. Mean comes in two flavors: meat proper, that is the muscle tissue removed from the animal, and [[prepared organs]] like prepared brain, tripe, sweetbread, and so on. Both can be either eaten raw or [[cooking|cooked]] into a meal.

===Fat===
Butchering an animal also produces some number of units of [[fat]], which can be cooked into a proper meal, or processed into [[tallow]] at the butcher's shop, a very valuable input in the making of [[soap]]. Soap plays an important role in staving off [[infection]]s when performing operations and cleaning wounds in your [[Healthcare|hospital]], as well as increasing happiness from dwarves being able to clean themselves; it's recommended to stock your hospitals and baths with at least some bars of them. See [[soap]] on the exact details of processing.

Tallow can also be cooked, however, tallow is a small unit of food and as such will reduce the size of the resultant stacks, and is more useful as a soap input anyway. For this reason you're usually better off turning cooking off in the kitchen [[status]] screen.

===Bones===
Butchering an animal produces a number of [[bone]]s. Craftsdwarves with [[bone carving]] enabled can turn these into bone [[craft]]s or bone [[bolt]]s at a [[craftsdwarf's workshop]], or a bone [[crossbow]] at a [[bowyer's workshop]]. These in turn can be traded, used to equip your [[marksdwarf|marksdwarves]], and used for practice, respectively (bone bolts are better than wooden ones, but inferior to metal bolts, and thus should not be used extensively militarily).

===Skull===
[[Skull]]s are special in that unlike bones, they can only be used to make [[totem]]s at a craftdwarf's workshop, for [[trading]]. Virtually all animals produce a single skull when they die; the only exception is the [[hydra]], which produces seven. Totems do not fall under any category in the "Move trade goods to depot" screen, so you need to {{k|s}}earch for them. Usually however they will be in a [[finished goods]] [[bin]], so just transport the bins to the depot.

===Hooves and horns===
Animals with hooves and/or horns will produce generic "[[horn]]" once butchered. These can be used to either create horn trade goods or decorated finished goods with horn at a craftsdwarf's workshop.

===Raw hides===
Butching produces a [[skin|raw hide]], or scales or chitin (currently unusable), depending on the animal. Raw hides can be [[tanner|tanned]] at a [[tanner's shop]] and made into usable [[leather]], an input into the leather industry. It's quite difficult to have a meat industry large enough to keep a leather industry fully occupied, and caravans arrive with tons of it for cheap anyway, so your meat industry will be at best a supplement in that regard. As with the butcher's shop, the tanner's shop will queue a "tan raw hide" job automatically; the tanner's skill has no effect on quantity nor quality of the leather produced, and the task is time-sensitive because of rot.

It is quite sensible to have a single dwarf as both the butcher and tanner, as you will never need to begin tanning until you finish butchering. You could also make this same dwarf your leatherworker. However, there is no outstanding reason to do this. It may be advisable (or not) to simply ensure that there are ''no'' stockpiles that will accept Fresh Raw Hides and to have the tanner's shops in the immediate area of the butcher's shop - if fresh raw hides can be stored in any refuse stockpile, they will instantly be designated for hauling and cannot be tanned until they have been stored. Ensuring that raw hides will not be stockpiled means that they will be available for tanning fresh off the former owner.

===Hair===
Some animals drop [[hair]] when butchered, which can be [[weaving|woven]] into [[thread]] at a [[farmer's workshop]]. However, animals hair cannot be used to make cloth, which means that the only use of hair thread is for [[suturing]] in [[hospital]]s and stitching decorative images on clothing. Hair thread can be [[dye]]d.

===Cartilage and nervous tissue===
[[Cartilage]] and [[nervous tissue]] are both butchering byproducts with no current uses, and should be dumped as garbage once stripped of their former owner.

===Ivory===
[[Ivory]] is used to decorate things at a craftsdwarf's workshop. Besides the obvious elephant tusks and so forth, teeth are actually also considered ivory for the purpose of decoration.

==Secondary products==
You don't necessarily have to slaughter your animals to get something useful out of them, as specific creatures can also produce some products while alive.

===Eggs===
Tame female egg-laying animals will produce [[egg]]s at intervals, which in turn can be used to feed your fortress on a more interim basis then butchering. [[Egg production]] is a viable way to keep a fortress fed, and in areas where setting up a farm will be difficult, starting out with some poultry can be essential to survival. Animals that can lay eggs are [[poultry]] (easily acquired), reptiles like [[alligator]]s (only if you're particularly [[elf]]ish), and some more exotic animals like [[dragon]]s and [[giant eagle]]s (only if you're very lucky). Female egg-laying animals will claim a nest box, and lay a clutch of [[egg]]s. These can be allowed to hatch into young animals (to replace the ones sent to the butcher), or collected into [[food]] stockpiles and [[cook]]ed into [[prepared meal|meals]] at a [[kitchen]].

=== Milk ===
You can also [[milking|milk]] tame female mammals such as horses, cows, and so forth at the [[farmers workshop]] with an empty [[bucket]] and a dwarf with the milking labor enabled. The resulting [[milk]] can be used as a cooking ingredient or turned into high-value edible [[cheese]] at the farmers workshop by a dwarf with cheesemaking enabled (it cannot, however, be eaten raw).

===Wool===
[[Wool]] can be produced by [[shearing]] one of three animals: [[llama]]s, [[alpaca]]s, and [[sheep]] (also [[troll]]s, but only goblins can do so). It can be woven into wool [[thread]] and then wool [[cloth]]; for a full discussion on the uses of wool, see the [[textile industry]].

== Summary ==
''Worker type / Labor''

*[[Ambusher]] / [[Hunting]]
** A [[crossbow]] or other [[weapon]]
** [[Bolt|Bolts]], [[quiver]]
** Leather [[armor]]
** [[Cross-training|Stats buffing]]
** [[Archery target|Archery practice]]

*[[Soldier|Soldiers]]/[[Military]]
**[[Soldier|Soldiers]]
**Some form of [[armor]]
**Any [[weapon]]

*[[Cage trap]]ping
** [[Mechanic]]
** [[Mechanic's workshop]]
** [[Mechanisms]]
** [[Cage|Cages]]

*Breeding
** [[Animals]]
** [[Cage|Cages]]
** [[Restraint|Restraints]]

*Processing
** [[Butcher]] / Butchery
*** [[Butcher's shop]]
** [[Tanner]] / Tanning
*** [[Tanner's shop]]
** [[Leatherworker]] / Leatherworking
*** [[Leather works]]
** [[Bone carver]] / Bone carving
*** [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]]
** [[Cook]] / Cooking
*** [[Kitchen]]
*** [[Barrel]]s

==See also==
*[[Leather]]
*[[Industry]]

{{Workshops FAQ}}
{{Category|Guides}}
{{Category|Industry}}
{{Industry}}
[[ru:DF2012:Meat industry]]

v0.34:Goose

2012-07-30T14:40:30Z

Bronzebeard:

{{quality|Fine|10:51, 7 April 2011 (UTC)}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|meat=8-9
|fat=8
|intestine=1
|bone=6
|skull=1
|skin=hide
|contrib=no}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

'''Geese''' are [[domestic animal|domestic]] waterfowl that can also be found in wild populations. A male goose is called a ''gander'', and young geese are called ''goslings''. Of the common domestic [[egg]]-laying animals, the goose is the second largest; only the [[turkey]] is larger.
Because of their good size, the fact they reach adulthood and full size in only one year, and low [[embark]] cost, geese are useful for both [[egg production]] and the [[meat industry]].

Note that geese can fly, even while assigned to pastures. If they get up on a roof you will experience a large amount of spam as Dwarves attempt to reach them. It is recommended that you keep them away from elevated surfaces that your dwarves cannot access.

== See also ==

* [[Domestic_animal#Comparison_of_domestic_poultry|Comparison of domestic poultry]]

{{Gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}
{{Category|Animals}}

v0.34:Farming

2012-07-30T00:21:11Z

Bronzebeard:

{{quality|Exceptional|14:06, 26 July 2012 (UTC)}}{{av}}
[[Image:Df-crops-diagram.png|thumb|200px|General farming flowchart.]]

'''Farming''' is the act of growing [[crop|crops]] for [[food]], [[alcohol]] production and [[cloth]] manufacturing. While small forts can easily be sustained by plant gathering, [[hunting]] and trading, farming is vital to large settlements.

Farming is done at a '''farm plot''' building ({{k|b}}-{{k|p}}, resize with {{k|u}}{{k|m}}{{k|k}}{{k|h}}). Building uses no resources, and can only be done on soil or muddied rock. Mud-free stone will not allow the building of a farm plot on top. The "Farming (Fields)" [[labor]] must be enabled. Farm plots only display the kind of crops that they are able to grow when selected with the {{k|q}}uery key.

Depending on where the farm plot is constructed, different crops may be planted. Farm plots built [[above ground]] are not suitable for the crops grown on [[subterranean]] farm plots and vice versa. Note that the attributes {{DFtext|Inside|6:0:0}}, {{DFtext|Outside|3:0:1}} are of no relevance. You can grow surface plants indoors by channelling out the roof above the desired plot and then constructing a floor ({{k|b}}-{{k|C}}-{{k|f}}) over the open space. Doing this changes the tile from {{DFtext|Dark|0:0:1}} to {{DFtext|Light|6:0:1}}, despite there being a roof (you do '''not''' need to make the roof out of [[glass]] for this to work).

Note that although you can construct a farm plot anywhere there is either a soil floor or a mud covering, this does not always mean seeds can be planted there. Certain biomes will not allow planting certain seeds, and some biomes will prevent the planting of '''all''' above-ground crops.

The yellow warning message, {{DFtext|No mud/soil for farm, Mud is left by water|6:0:1}}, is displayed on all above-ground tiles, regardless of whether the farm will function.{{version|0.34.11}} This warning may be ignored. Tiles that actually lack mud or soil are excluded from the construction entirely with a red warning message (either {{DFtext|Blocked|4:0:1}} or {{DFtext|Needs soil or mud|4:0:1}}).

See the article on [[crop]]s for details on the conditions needed to grow the available plants.

== Introduction to Farming ==

First, build a farm plot "building" ({{k|b}}-{{k|p}}, resize with {{k|u}}{{k|m}}{{k|k}}{{k|h}}) on [[soil]] or [[irrigation|muddy]] rock. Keep your farms ''small'' -- 2x2 up to 4x4 or so. Farms are surprisingly productive. You can always make more farms later if you run low on plants, and having several small farms lets you diversify your crops. (Each farm plot can only grow one kind of plant per season.)

Once the farm plot has been built, you must select which crops to grow. Press {{k|q}} and move the cursor over the farm. You will see a list of crops you can select to grow in the current season. You can change which season is displayed by pressing {{k|a}},{{k|b}},{{k|c}}, or {{k|d}}. Move the blue selector up and down with {{k|-}} and {{k|+}}, and press {{k|Enter}} to choose a crop to plant during that season (highlighted in white).

You must have the appropriate [[seed]]s to plant a crop on a plot. To easily see how many of each seed you have, you can go to the Kitchen menu ({{k|z}} {{k|right}} {{k|Enter}}).

Since your dwarves require food, booze and clothing, you should set up a combination of plants that will supply all of these. [[Plump helmet]]s are a good beginning crop for a first cave farm, and [[wild strawberries]] are a good choice for outdoor fields -- both can be eaten raw, or brewed. [[Pig tail]]s produce cloth, which will become important once your clothing starts to [[wear]]. Check the [[crop]]s page for details on different seeds.

Cooking plants destroys their seeds, so you should disable the cooking of plants in the Kitchen menu. Eating them, brewing them, or processing them through a farmer's workshop, quern or millstone will produce seeds.

Instructing a plot to remain fallow ({{k|z}}) during a particular season will tell dwarves not to plant in that plot during that season. Note that, unlike in real life, crop rotation is not necessary; soil productivity is only affected by fertilizing, and the same crop may be grown indefinitely without a decrease in performance, even without fertilizer.

=== Fertilization ===
{| border="1" align="right"
! Farm Size !! Potash !! Per Square
|-
| 1 || 1 || 1.000
|-
| 2 || 1 || 0.500
|-
| 3 || 1 || 0.333
|-
| 4 || 2 || 0.500
|-
| 5 || 2 || 0.400
|-
| 6 || 2 || 0.333
|-
| 7 || 2 || 0.286
|-
| 8 || 3 || 0.375
|-
| 11 || 3 || 0.272
|-
| 15 || 4 || 0.266
|-
| 19 || 5 || 0.263
|-
| 23 || 6 || 0.260
|-
| 27 || 7 || 0.259
|}

Fertilizing a farm plot increases the yield (the number of plants that grow in each planted tile). The exact improvement is not known. To fertilize a farm plot, one needs [[potash]], which is produced by processing [[ash]]. The plot must be re-fertilized each season, requiring ''floor(plot_size / 4) + 1'' potash. The table on the right illustrates the efficiency of potash as a function of plot size. Generally, larger farms use less, approaching a limit of 1/4 bar per square. The worst sizes are multiples of 4; if one plans to fertilize, it's most efficient to have plots of size ''4n - 1''.

Fertilizer may be applied to a plot by pressing {{k|f}} while viewing the plot. Only dwarves with the Farming (Fields) labor will apply fertilizer; this grants 30 XP of farming experience for each unit of potash used. Pressing {{k|s}} toggles seasonal fertilization. This does nothing until the next [[season]], at which time the plot will be automatically fertilized. Note that if you do not have a potash stockpile near your farm plots, your legendary farmers may spend all of their time hauling single bars of potash from all the way on the other side of your fortress, rather than growing food.

=== Subterranean Farming ===

To grow the six "dwarven" plants, you will need an underground farm plot. The seeds and spawn available to your dwarves at embark will only grow underground. Underground farm plots must be placed on soil or [[mud]]dy stone.

Muddying a stone floor requires temporarily covering it with water; common methods include a [[Flood|bucket brigade]] or '''controlled''' flooding (see: [[Irrigation]]) by temporarily diverting a river or pool, using a floodgate or door to stop the flow. You may also find a muddied area in a [[cavern]], but note that each tile underneath the farm plot must be muddied. Most caverns have entire open areas which will be permanently covered in mud, but if you dig into the walls of a cavern or chisel away a pillar, the freshly cut floor area will not be muddied until you get it wet. Underground caverns are dirty, and frequently contain [[Mud|piles of mud]] that are perfect for quickly setting up farms. However, given the wide variety of creatures found in caverns, you may want to take precautions. Consider keeping a [[squad]] close at hand to guard the farm, or walling off a muddied area for your dwarves' exclusive use.

Underground farming is not restricted to soil layers and caverns; underground floor of any material -- rough stone, smoothed stone, ore, gem -- can support subterranean farm plots once there is a layer of mud covering it. See [[irrigation]] for tips on getting the right amount of water to the farm plots.

=== Above Ground Farming ===
*Above ground crops farming is impossible on tiles that are part of [[Mountain]] [[biome]]s (or any other "freezing" biome such as [[Glacier]] or [[Tundra]]), regardless of how much mud or soil is present.

Above ground farming is basically the same as underground farming, with the simplifying distinction that above ground plots typically do not require preparatory work. However, there are some complications.

The first complication is that seeds cannot be chosen at embark, as dwarven civilizations do not have access to those sort of plants. They can be bought from [[Elves|elven]] and [[human]] caravans; above-ground plants can be gathered using the [[Plant gathering]] designation, and then [[brewer|brewed]], [[miller|milled]], [[thresher|threshed]] or [[food|eaten]] directly (depending on the plant) to produce seeds.

The second complication is that the farming must be done on [[soil]] or muddied rock, which is [[above ground]]. Typically, it is done on the surface, which is dangerous (due to aggressive animals, ambushes and sieges). However, any land which has ever been exposed to sunlight becomes permanently marked as "above ground". So, if you have multiple Z-layers of soil, you can channel some above-ground land, remove the resulting ramps, then construct a floor above, where the surface once was. The (now inside and protected) lower soil will still be suitable for farming outdoor plants like [[wild strawberry|wild strawberries]], [[longland grass]], [[rope reed]], and anything else you may find. If your soil is not thick enough, you may still get a secure above ground farm by doing the same with any stone and muddying it. Alternatively, you may build a greenhouse by [[wall]]ing around some soil.

Some crops require a particular temperature range to grow; so although it may be possible to plant them in any season, to obtain optimal usage of farm plots it may be necessary to coordinate planting with seasonal temperature variations.{{verify}}

== Farm plots in action ==

Once a farm plot has been built and crops have been selected for the current season, dwarves with the [[growing]] labor enabled will begin planting the selected seeds. One seed is used per tile. The higher a Dwarf's grower skill in planting, the more plants will be harvested from each seed planted. The farming labor is fairly low in priority, so if you want a full time farmer, it is best to disable all other labors.

Plants take time to grow, depending on their type. Once a plant is fully grown, a dwarf will harvest it. By default, any dwarf will do this. Harvesting plants is not affected by any skill, although it provides a small amount of grower experience. So it's a good idea to set only your planters to harvest, not anyone. To do that, set option "Only Farmers Harvest" {{k|o}}{{k|h}}. This is useful only to train your planter faster; once they're skilled enough, everyone can be allowed to harvest again so the haulers can take care of half the farming work.

Plants that remain in the field for too long will wither. These plants will eventually [[rot]] away. There's no use for withered plants. Farmers plant up to the last day of the growing season; if, when the seasons change, the previous crop can not grow anymore, all immature plants will be destroyed yielding neither seed nor plant. Therefore, it's recommended not to grow crops on the last season they're able to (for example, pig tails in autumn), to prevent losing seeds.

Depending on the number of growers and their experience and the rate at which the plant grows, not all squares of large plots may be used.

Any farm plot that has both Above Ground and Subterranean tile attributes within the plot will only be partially planted, if at all. Verify using {{k|k}} over each square of the plot and remake as needed to follow the proper attributes.

== Management ==

Create a custom [[stockpile]] near your [[farm]] which will only accept [[seed]]s. This will consolidate your seeds into one place, instead of having them littered all through the [[dining room]]. As a single barrel can hold up to 10 seed [[bag]]s (each of which can hold 100 seeds of a specific type), and there is a maximum of 200 seeds of each type in the whole fortress, this stockpile can be only three or four tiles. Alternately, you can make a more traditional sized custom stockpile, which only accepts seeds and bars of [[potash]] for fertilizing. It may also be a good idea to set aside a few seeds from each type of crop and [[forbid]] them, as a seed bank in case of [[fun|catastrophe]].

You can also create a custom stockpile that will only accept [[plant]]s, to avoid having it all mixed up with your [[meat]] and [[drink]]s. It would be a good idea to have this stockpile near your [[still]], [[farmer's workshop]], [[kitchen]], etc. If you suffer from plump helmet overflow, create a plump-helmet-only stockpile, forbid plump helmets from all other food stockpiles, and let the crops in the field die if they can't be picked. It is worth noting that withering crops in the field do not produce miasma.

Use the [[stocks]] menu, and go to the Kitchen tab. From here you can see how many of each kind of food you have. If you're running out of a certain kind of seed, toggle the corresponding plant "Cook" setting to red. [[Cooking]] plants doesn't leave a seed. If you have too many of a certain kind of seed, toggle the seed "Cook" setting to blue. Just make sure you check on the stocks and toggle it back before you run out, or use the seed bank idea above.

{{Farming FAQ}}

== See also ==
* [[Irrigation]]
* [[Tile attributes]]
* [[Crops]]

{{Category|Buildings}}
{{Industry}}

User talk:Bronzebeard

2012-07-26T22:11:33Z

Bronzebeard:

Welcome to this wiki! Dwarf Fortress rapidly becomes more complicated, and we're always glad to have new writers.<br>
Since you should try to follow wiki standards, and you probably don't know ours yet, we've made a list of basic guidelines. Note that this is a template, not a customized message for you.
* To tell us who you are when you talk, please sign your posts on discussion pages by typing <code><nowiki>--~~~~</nowiki></code> after your posts. This can also be inserted with the [[Image:Button sig756222.png]] button if JavaScript is enabled.
* Don't put a question mark in the title of a page. Question marks mess things up, and your page will be moved to a different name.
* When making comments on a talk page, use one more colon before each line in your comment than was used in the comment you reply to. In general, put exactly one empty line between comments by different users but do not use blank lines inside of a comment.
* Avoid making many small edits to a page. Instead, try to make one large edit. This makes the history of the page a lot easier to read.
* Don't edit the user page of another user. If you want to tell them something, add the comment to their talk page.
* If you put a comment at the bottom of a talk page with section headers, you've probably put it in a section. Putting things in the wrong sections is confusing. You can create a section!
* Generally, [[Dwarf_Fortress_Wiki:Community_Portal#We_are_doing_this.21_Let_us_do_it_right.|read and follow the rules.]] They're like a little constitution, except not boring! Really, read them.
<div align=center><div style="width: 28em; padding: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em; border: 1px solid #ccc; background: #eee; text-align: center">''"You have been processed! Go forth, now, and edit!" --[[User:Savok|Savok]]''</div></div>

== Creative writing ==

:'''''Satyrs''' (or "''goatmen''" -- half man, half goat) are traditionally regarded as [[evil]], cunning [[humanoid]]s. With menacing (although rather human) faces, goat-like ears, sporting two back-bent horns on their heads and being half-covered in thick, dark fur (particularly on their arms and legs), they make for understandingly unwelcome guests. They revel in being thieves or tricksters, and, by extension, mischief in general (though they've not actually been reported to steal from [[fortress]]es).''

Hi. This is nice writing, and the page certainly needed ''something''. Unfortunately, about 80% of this is based off mythology and not Dwarf Fortress, and so is, to use the technical term, "wrong", with the important in-game information lacking entirely. Not evil (in fact, clearly marked "good"), not a thief (so why mention it?), and benign. Not mentioned (but visible at a glance in the file, on that same page) are that they are found in good biomes, they are not aggressive and can be extremely dangerous opponents if engaged.

You're clearly a solid writer, you just need to pull from the game rather than pure creativity. The vast majority of the wiki articles are, whenever possible, based on the game files, and if not then on independently verified and repeatable observation. Not myth, not creativity - there's certainly some room for "color", but not if/when it is counter-productive to informing newbs. You'll get the feel for it. Readya later, --[[User:Albedo|Albedo]] 05:17, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

:Duly noted. You've my thanks, as well as my apologies ''(I realize I took my liberties with it but felt urged to add, as you put,'' something ''there)''. --[[User:Bronzebeard|Bronzebeard]] 20:07, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

::NP, all good - I made similar mistakes w/ my first editing efforts, so I'm hardly in a position to stress (at least, not without being a complete hypocrite, ahem). In some (role playing) games, a "Winter Wolf" is ''quite'' unnatural - a glance at the game files shows it's just a wolf in cold weather climes, unlike, say, [[fire imp]]s, [[iron man|iron men]] or [[grimeling]]s, which have more than one "unnatural" trick up their sleeve. Skim over [[creature token]]s for a bit more info on those tags and what they mean. --[[User:Albedo|Albedo]] 20:18, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

== Gametext? ==

Since you've formatted your userpage akin to DF's thoughts and preferences, might I direct you to [[Template:Gametext]]? I spent some time fooling around with this last night to get my userpage looking just so. --[[User:Rowenlemmings|Rowenlemmings]] 20:46, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

:Why, thank you! After fiddling around with the code for a bit, I think I got it ([[User:Bronzebeard]]). However, it's proven a little trickier than what I've cracked up; it won't let me begin any further header, below (maybe I'm missing some end statement to it, or something >.>). --[[User:Bronzebeard|Bronzebeard]] 21:42, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

::Fixed. That <nowiki></nowiki> markup is a comment, so you'd left an open begin-comment markup at the end of the template. I deleted the last <nowiki><!--</nowiki> and it shows the rest of the page now. --[[User:Rowenlemmings|Rowenlemmings]] 21:46, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

:::Hah. I've to thank you a second time! I'm, with all due honesty, a noob at wiki editing (starting... just yesterday). By the way, thank you<sup>(2)</sup>. --[[User:Bronzebeard|Bronzebeard]] 21:58, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

User:Bronzebeard

2012-02-22T10:26:40Z

Bronzebeard:

{{version|0.31.03}}
=Thoughts and Preferences=

{{Gametext|Bronzebeard has been ecstatic lately. He's watched his inner-mountain city, Stormhammer, prosper lately. He's had his armies scour the surroundings for Shluthoder [[kobold]]s recently (and particularly their leader, "Jrukralmis"). He's had his trusty [[hammerdwarf|hammerdwarven]] guards repel some Nebutes [[goblin]]s lately. He's had doubts whether more skulls could fit in his trophy room recently...}}{{Gametext|He is a faithful worshiper of [http://www.wowwiki.com/Aggramar Aggramar, the Avenger].|#6495ED}}{{Gametext|He is the mighty and '''undisputed''' ruler of the Hammers of Bravery. He is a citizen of the Walls of Praise. He is a citizen of the Hammers of Bravery (as redundant as it may be).|#00008B}}{{Gametext|He likes adamantite, platinum, and the crackle of goblin skulls when hit by his mighty war hammer. When possible, he prefers to consume dwarven beer, dwarven wine, dwarven ale, whip wine, river spirits, fisher berry wine, longland beer, strawberry wine, tuber beer, prickle berry wine, sewer brew, gutter cruor, swamp whiskey and generally whatever other bit of booze laying around.|#9ACD32}}{{Gametext|He is quick to anger. He can handle stress. He is assertive and aggressive. He loves a good thrill. He rarely likes compromising with others. He is not easily moved to pity. He likes scribbling away at his desk in the wee hours. He needs ungodly amounts of alcohol to get through the working day (and is starting to work slow due to its scarcity).|#696969}}

User:Bronzebeard

2012-02-22T10:26:33Z

Bronzebeard:

v0.31 Talk:Archery target

2010-07-22T18:52:23Z

Bronzebeard:

Anyone got dwarves to actually use these? --[[User:Birthright|Birthright]] 16:30, 14 April 2010 (UTC)
:I haven't. I had a few designated as training barracks. Now I'm trying it as just an archery range with no squads set to train, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. - [[User:Nocash|Nocash]] 13:46, 23 April 2010 (UTC)
:I second that; the archery ranges see no action. I can't even get my military dwarves to use ammunition at all, despite having designated it in the military menu and procured a vast store of quivers (although a hunter got a few bolts and went out to kill some deer once, which made me squeal with giddiness -- never since then, however). --[[User:Bronzebeard|Bronzebeard]] 05:57, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I have evidence to the contrary. [http://mkv25.net/dfma/movie-2147-archerytargetin3103] --[[User:Bouchart|Bouchart]] 22:18, 28 April 2010 (UTC)

What method did you use, Bouchart? A workaround would be good, the slightly buggy training is one thing, but my military keeps bumping into goblins with an uncanny knack of shooting my dwarves in the face. --[[User:Shabang50|Shabang50]] 16:22, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

:I think it may be worth noting that the dwarf that is using the archery target does not appear to be active duty at the time he is shooting. It certainly doesn't show an archer dwarf on his unit list. --[[User:Railick|Railick]] 17:19, 21 May 2010 (UTC)Railick Stonemane

<s>The archery targets are supposedly fixed now. I just have one question: how do you make any?! Pulling up the job manager, I get nothing when I type either "archery" or "target". This is doubly puzzling because I've made them before and--yes--I have the latest version. I should note that I'm on DFG, Mayday's DF (wherein, again, I've made targets before). Is it just the fact that I just woke up, or did they get nerfed in DFG?</s>
:Definitely the fact that I just woke up; they're built on-site with raw resources such as walls and floors, via {{Key|b}}>{{Key|A}}. --[[User:Bronzebeard|Bronzebeard]] 18:48, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

v0.31 Talk:Archery target

2010-07-22T18:48:58Z

Bronzebeard:

Anyone got dwarves to actually use these? --[[User:Birthright|Birthright]] 16:30, 14 April 2010 (UTC)
:I haven't. I had a few designated as training barracks. Now I'm trying it as just an archery range with no squads set to train, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. - [[User:Nocash|Nocash]] 13:46, 23 April 2010 (UTC)
:I second that; the archery ranges see no action. I can't even get my military dwarves to use ammunition at all, despite having designated it in the military menu and procured a vast store of quivers (although a hunter got a few bolts and went out to kill some deer once, which made me squeal with giddiness -- never since then, however). --[[User:Bronzebeard|Bronzebeard]] 05:57, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

I have evidence to the contrary. [http://mkv25.net/dfma/movie-2147-archerytargetin3103] --[[User:Bouchart|Bouchart]] 22:18, 28 April 2010 (UTC)

What method did you use, Bouchart? A workaround would be good, the slightly buggy training is one thing, but my military keeps bumping into goblins with an uncanny knack of shooting my dwarves in the face. --[[User:Shabang50|Shabang50]] 16:22, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

:I think it may be worth noting that the dwarf that is using the archery target does not appear to be active duty at the time he is shooting. It certainly doesn't show an archer dwarf on his unit list. --[[User:Railick|Railick]] 17:19, 21 May 2010 (UTC)Railick Stonemane

The archery targets are supposedly fixed now. I just have one question: how do you make any?! Pulling up the job manager, I get nothing when I type either "archery" or "target". This is doubly puzzling because I've made them before and--yes--I have the latest version. I should note that I'm on DFG, Mayday's DF (wherein, again, I've made targets before). Is it just the fact that I just woke up, or did they get nerfed in DFG? --[[User:Bronzebeard|Bronzebeard]] 18:48, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

v0.31 Talk:Losing

2010-05-20T16:05:28Z

Bronzebeard:

I moved some data from the 40d page, please update and move any data once the required linked pages are made. --[[user:Tarran|Tarran]]

Altered the "flooding" section to account for the lack of stationing and the new "burrow" system. [[User:Crash2455|Crash2455]] 00:16, 5 April 2010 (UTC)

Are carps still deadly? I've heard they were nerfed. [[Special:Contributions/201.19.99.84|201.19.99.84]] 03:29, 27 April 2010 (UTC)

v0.31 Talk:Troll

2010-05-13T01:51:27Z

Bronzebeard:

err.. a "troll architect" just showed up in a seige. closely followed by troll weaver and miner. I assume this is part of trolls now being civilisation-able. I am kind of worried if the miner is gonna dig me out though [[User:Cpad|Cpad]] 01:04, 1 May 2010 (UTC)

Every troll that came with the goblins had professions, the funny thing is that none of them were warrios. Beware though - the woodcutters, miners and hunters bring weapons! - [[Special:Contributions/187.20.115.116|187.20.115.116]] 01:24, 1 May 2010 (UTC)

I suspect that while the trolls are intelligent enough to pick up professions, forming their own military is a thing that surpasses them, so they simply tag along with the goblins (for the time being, at least). --[[User:Bronzebeard|Bronzebeard]] 01:51, 13 May 2010 (UTC)

v0.31:Liaison

2010-05-10T09:49:46Z

Bronzebeard:

Unlike in old versions, if your liaison is killed somehow, he or she will be replaced next year.{{verify}} At least once, anyway.

{{av}}
{{Quality|Fine}}

v0.31:Liaison

2010-05-10T09:49:30Z

Bronzebeard:

Unlike in old versions, if your liaison is killed somehow, he or she will be replaced next year. At least once, anyway.{{verify}}

{{av}}
{{Quality|Fine}}

v0.31 Talk:Diplomat

2010-05-10T09:49:15Z

Bronzebeard:

[[File:Tortisediplomat.PNG|200px|thumb|left|Tortise Diplomat]]

This just happened to me today, not sure what is going on. It arrived, chased some groundhogs, "left unhappy", destroyed my trade depot, and just started sitting in a hallway. --[[User:Kuroneko|Kuroneko]]
:Your nearby Human civilization's Diplomat was a forgotten beast. They seem to be a bit buggy. --[[User:Quietust|Quietust]] 15:43, 14 April 2010 (UTC)
::That sentence is so going into my signature *laugh* --[[User:Birthright|Birthright]] 19:49, 14 April 2010 (UTC)
:I just got a "midnight blue fiend diplomat" from the Human civ. We'll see if he's any more competent than Kuroneko's tortoise. --[[User:Krenn|Krenn]] 06:24, 24 April 2010 (UTC)
:Maybe the civ has been taken by a demon, and appointed henchmen to all the nobles positions. Would be a great feature. --Rikaishi

==Incorrect==
My liaison got killed during his first visit and six years have passed with no replacement, drawing question to the validity of the information on the article. I've also heard from people who have not had replacements for their liaisons over four or more years. --[[User:Bronzebeard|Bronzebeard]] 09:49, 10 May 2010 (UTC)

v0.31 Talk:Losing

2010-05-10T07:43:59Z

Bronzebeard:

v0.31 Talk:Losing

2010-05-10T07:43:51Z

Bronzebeard:

v0.31 Talk:Voracious cave crawler

2010-05-08T00:41:33Z

Bronzebeard:

Should this page be spoilered? Really where do we draw the lines on spoilers in DF2010?
--[[User:StrongAxe|StrongAxe]] 18:01, 2 April 2010 (UTC)

:This guy showed up on the highest level of the underground, along with a giant cave spider and troglodytes. The people searching for this probably have already seen one. I don't think it's too spoilery. -- [[Special:Contributions/208.36.201.71|208.36.201.71]] 00:59, 3 April 2010 (UTC)

To be honest, it isn't showing in the Arena, at least. And it looks to be bugged - it never moved or attack when I found one.

:When I found one it just scared my dwarves and got trampled to death. -- [[User:Xtank5|Xtank5]] 02:46, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Does it start out hostile? -- [[User:Xtank5|Xtank5]] 02:46, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

:The fact that it's used by goblin siegers precludes it from being a spoiler to begin with. No?

v0.31 Talk:Elk bird

2010-05-08T00:37:58Z

Bronzebeard:

They die easily to a moderately equipped and trained squad of dorfs.
Removed this from main page, for vagueness beyond usefulness. If something more specific were available, that would be of value.--[[User:Albedo|Albedo]] 21:32, 7 April 2010 (UTC)

Anyone aware of whether they trigger traps? They walk on two legs, but they *are* birds, and logic has no place in dwarfort. [[User:Rodya mirov|Rodya mirov]]

elk birds lack the [TRAPAVOID] tag and should be affected by traps [[User:Cpad|Cpad]] 06:46, 16 April 2010 (UTC)

I had a bit of fun today when I received a bunch of cancellation orders from my dwarves. I paused immediately and looked for the Elk Bird on the map, because I had never heard of it before, only to find that my minerdwarf had somehow crossed the river and climbed to the top of the cave peak on the opposite end of the map in the few seconds it took me to pause after seeing the cancellations, right into the hungry maw of an elk bird. It was the only Elk Bird on my map, and my miner was designated no-where near that part of the map. I'm assuming here that Elk Birds can pick up dwarves and take them back to their nest because of it. [[User:ReducedToRubble|ReducedToRubble]] 18:05 April 17 2010

Butchering results: 16 meat, 1 brain, 2 lungs, 1 sweetbread, 23 bones, 1 skull, '''2 horns''', 1 nervous tissue, 10 fat, 1 skin, 1 kidney, 1 liver, 1 spleen, 1 tripe, 1 intestines, 1 heart, 1 feather. Can someone edit these into the Elk Bird butchering results, and fix it so that the items that are missing are added? It looks as if it isn't possible to add the butchering results from the normal edit page. [[User:ReducedToRubble|ReducedToRubble]] 8:57 April 18, 2010

Guys, there is no [FLIER] tag in the Elk Bird raw. Is the flier tag still required to get flying creatures? Cause if it is, then the Elk bird is a flightless creature, which is still pretty awesome considering its bigger than a dwarf. -Coaldiamond

A flightless bird that can swoop out of the air? --[[Special:Contributions/81.20.178.133|81.20.178.133]] 16:35, 23 April 2010 (UTC)

Maybe that was simply the Chuck Norris of the elk birds. --[[User:Bronzebeard|Bronzebeard]] 00:37, 8 May 2010 (UTC)

v0.31 Talk:Mountain gnome

2010-05-06T07:18:08Z

Bronzebeard:

==Stuff from 40d that needs to be confirmed in 2010==
*How easy are gnomes to kill now, what with the whole combat revamp? Preliminary test in the arena suggest awfully weak, but then so are untrained dwarves.
*Do they still try and steal booze? It's still in the raws, but who knows if that functionality is intact.
--[[User:Mikaka|Mikaka]] 21:00, 3 April 2010 (UTC)

A guy on the forums said that dark gnomes chugged 80 barrels of his booze, so if dark gnomes have it I don't see why mountain ones wouldn't, but I want to see leprechauns, we have gnomes, why not leprechauns. [[Special:Contributions/24.255.86.193|24.255.86.193]]

:Because leprechauns are considered more of a comical, Irish cultural mascot rather than a proper creature of fantasy and are explicitly native only to a part of the real world. Ever played a medieval game with leprechauns? --[[User:Bronzebeard|Bronzebeard]] 07:17, 6 May 2010 (UTC)