Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

Main Page/Quote

2008-08-24T14:42:01Z

DuckofDoom: Conjunctions fixed (less emphatic and 'que' for both corresponds with unstated 'and' in english version better)

{{Choose|c={{#if: {{{1|}}}|{{rand|44}}|{{#expr: ({{rand2|10}}+34)}} }}
|I think I'll stick to drowning dwarves and cooking puppies.
|Toady has created a masterpiece!
|I can't put my finger on it. Something about this [[Fire|‼]]Cat tallow roast[[Fire|‼]] tastes funny.
|Toady withdraws from society. Toady has begun a [[Strange_mood|mysterious]] construction!
|Let us never forget the last words of Inod the Stoker, [http://archive.dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Fortress_Paintrag#1056 "Aaah! Gorillas!"]
|[[Children|Newborn]] Zuglar Baldnessgranite prefers to consume Gorilla. A sure sign of his unparalleled strength!
|[http://www.somethingawful.com/d/video-game-article/duke-nukem-image.php In an unrelated article] - I had no idea elephants could bounce that high!
|[[Toady]] looses a roaring laughter, [[Fey|fell]] and terrible! Toady has butchered a spammer!
|[[Elephant]]s are like huge, wrinkly [[ambusher|ninjas]].
|The critical question is this''':''' do elf bones yield more crossbow bolts than the average number of bolts necessary to kill an elf?
|“Dwarf Fortress" ... "Like chess, only with short people that can catch on [[fire]] like [[clothing|rags]] soaked in tar, and lots of [[booze]]." ... "Like chess.”
|Dwarf Fortress has taught me that all the world's problems would be substantially reduced had our parent civilizations never minted more than four stacks of [[coins]].
|"Tosid Idenarzes likes tentacle demons for their corrupt intentions." There! Now we've covered all of the seven deadly sins.
|Booze does all the work in forts. Dwarves are just booze exoskeletons.
|My unconscious and bleeding [[mayor]] just mandated the construction of some goods.
|I can just imagine a wagon throwing a tantrum and tossing all its contents at people.
|Döbesh Udosdeb has been ecstatic lately. He was forced to eat a friend to survive. He enjoyed a truly decadent meal.
|Iron [[screw pump]] exercise equipment. Pump iron and get superdwarvenly strong!
|Only you can prevent fortress fires.
|The violence, aggression, pain, madness, sadness of the ASCII characters never ceases to amaze me...
|Mill their bones to make some bread.
|Wait, you're MAKING animals? —''Torak'' At this moment, yes, I am smelting cows. —''Spiders Everywhere''
|"Didn't you read the manual? He he he he... the manual... ..." --[[Toady One]]
|(Compared to real-world years) Dwarven years are shorter. --Sowelu Very fitting to dwarves, I must add. --Sean Mirrsen
|[[Magma]] is not a [[water]] source. Dwarves can't drink it or supply it to their wounded. --[[User:AlienChickenPie|AlienChickenPie]]
|"<nowiki>[B]</nowiki>oats are the enemy of tiles. And tiles are the enemy of boats." --[[Toady One]]
|"I went through and fixed a few places where forbidden/on fire weren't being respected for next time. Burning milkable creatures were still a problem for example." --[[Toady One]]
|"You have been processed! Go forth, now, and edit!" --[[User:Savok|Savok]]
|"What happened in 1048?" "Jreengus occurred."
|Making rock instruments isn't nearly as awesome as it sounds --Shandrunn
|So this pit has had 5/7 water in it for over a month now. How freaking deep do I need to make it to drown that damn kitten?
|Maybe Babies are like Pokemon for [[goblin|Goblins]]... You gotta snatch em all --Neonivek
|The cyclops I was quested to kill had a thousand year history of badassery, and all of that without the leg it lost in the Year 3 (a dwarf bit it off... I should probably deal with that). --[[Toady One]]
|[FIREIMMUNE] makes them think that [[magma]] is safe but doesn't actually make them fireproof. This can lead to some rather interesting results.
|I can't say what happened at Site 76. Ask the government. --[[Toady One]]
|Endok Cerolneth has begun a mysterious construction!
Endok Cerolneth, Planter has given birth to a girl.
|"Incendia sunt socia vestra, armaque vestra, fortesque Montis Domi." "Magma is your ally, your weapon, the strength of the Mountain-Home." --Eita
|"stopped people from giving quests to kill themselves." --[[Toady One]]
|"After I finished the last quest he had for me, he told me 'When you wake up in the morning, go with Bengel Trustbite the Feral Armors.' So now I'm carrying around the body as a backup throwing weapon." - [[Demonic Gophers]]
|"...And I simply doubt we have a need for 7 fishery workers. On top of that, a second soap maker. The hell IS soap?!" --Zero
|"This is a terrible pun. All craftsdwarfship is of the poorest quality." - [http://tinyurl.com/6yruly Soup_alex]
|"The default mental state of a dwarf is madness. Sanity is a temporary condition - a PRIVILEGE you have to EARN!" --[[User:Fedor|Fedor]]
|"Why get normal cats? I buy lolcats in the embark screen. Much more fun to engrave about them." --Yanlin
|"DF taught me it was okay to mke a suit out of my neighbers skin, as long as I gave it a name." --[[User:Sketchy|Sketchy]]
}}

Main Page/Quote

2008-08-24T14:16:56Z

DuckofDoom: Incendia is plural neutral, therefore sunt (3pl) not est (3sing); vestra (n pl), not vestri (masc pl). Added technically optional conjunctions to make sentence more proper

{{Choose|c={{#if: {{{1|}}}|{{rand|44}}|{{#expr: ({{rand2|10}}+34)}} }}
|I think I'll stick to drowning dwarves and cooking puppies.
|Toady has created a masterpiece!
|I can't put my finger on it. Something about this [[Fire|‼]]Cat tallow roast[[Fire|‼]] tastes funny.
|Toady withdraws from society. Toady has begun a [[Strange_mood|mysterious]] construction!
|Let us never forget the last words of Inod the Stoker, [http://archive.dwarffortresswiki.net/index.php/Fortress_Paintrag#1056 "Aaah! Gorillas!"]
|[[Children|Newborn]] Zuglar Baldnessgranite prefers to consume Gorilla. A sure sign of his unparalleled strength!
|[http://www.somethingawful.com/d/video-game-article/duke-nukem-image.php In an unrelated article] - I had no idea elephants could bounce that high!
|[[Toady]] looses a roaring laughter, [[Fey|fell]] and terrible! Toady has butchered a spammer!
|[[Elephant]]s are like huge, wrinkly [[ambusher|ninjas]].
|The critical question is this''':''' do elf bones yield more crossbow bolts than the average number of bolts necessary to kill an elf?
|“Dwarf Fortress" ... "Like chess, only with short people that can catch on [[fire]] like [[clothing|rags]] soaked in tar, and lots of [[booze]]." ... "Like chess.”
|Dwarf Fortress has taught me that all the world's problems would be substantially reduced had our parent civilizations never minted more than four stacks of [[coins]].
|"Tosid Idenarzes likes tentacle demons for their corrupt intentions." There! Now we've covered all of the seven deadly sins.
|Booze does all the work in forts. Dwarves are just booze exoskeletons.
|My unconscious and bleeding [[mayor]] just mandated the construction of some goods.
|I can just imagine a wagon throwing a tantrum and tossing all its contents at people.
|Döbesh Udosdeb has been ecstatic lately. He was forced to eat a friend to survive. He enjoyed a truly decadent meal.
|Iron [[screw pump]] exercise equipment. Pump iron and get superdwarvenly strong!
|Only you can prevent fortress fires.
|The violence, aggression, pain, madness, sadness of the ASCII characters never ceases to amaze me...
|Mill their bones to make some bread.
|Wait, you're MAKING animals? —''Torak'' At this moment, yes, I am smelting cows. —''Spiders Everywhere''
|"Didn't you read the manual? He he he he... the manual... ..." --[[Toady One]]
|(Compared to real-world years) Dwarven years are shorter. --Sowelu Very fitting to dwarves, I must add. --Sean Mirrsen
|[[Magma]] is not a [[water]] source. Dwarves can't drink it or supply it to their wounded. --[[User:AlienChickenPie|AlienChickenPie]]
|"<nowiki>[B]</nowiki>oats are the enemy of tiles. And tiles are the enemy of boats." --[[Toady One]]
|"I went through and fixed a few places where forbidden/on fire weren't being respected for next time. Burning milkable creatures were still a problem for example." --[[Toady One]]
|"You have been processed! Go forth, now, and edit!" --[[User:Savok|Savok]]
|"What happened in 1048?" "Jreengus occurred."
|Making rock instruments isn't nearly as awesome as it sounds --Shandrunn
|So this pit has had 5/7 water in it for over a month now. How freaking deep do I need to make it to drown that damn kitten?
|Maybe Babies are like Pokemon for [[goblin|Goblins]]... You gotta snatch em all --Neonivek
|The cyclops I was quested to kill had a thousand year history of badassery, and all of that without the leg it lost in the Year 3 (a dwarf bit it off... I should probably deal with that). --[[Toady One]]
|[FIREIMMUNE] makes them think that [[magma]] is safe but doesn't actually make them fireproof. This can lead to some rather interesting results.
|I can't say what happened at Site 76. Ask the government. --[[Toady One]]
|Endok Cerolneth has begun a mysterious construction!
Endok Cerolneth, Planter has given birth to a girl.
|"Incendia sunt socia vestra, arma vestraque, et fortes Montis Domi." "Magma is your ally, your weapon, the strength of the Mountain-Home." --Eita
|"stopped people from giving quests to kill themselves." --[[Toady One]]
|"After I finished the last quest he had for me, he told me 'When you wake up in the morning, go with Bengel Trustbite the Feral Armors.' So now I'm carrying around the body as a backup throwing weapon." - [[Demonic Gophers]]
|"...And I simply doubt we have a need for 7 fishery workers. On top of that, a second soap maker. The hell IS soap?!" --Zero
|"This is a terrible pun. All craftsdwarfship is of the poorest quality." - [http://tinyurl.com/6yruly Soup_alex]
|"The default mental state of a dwarf is madness. Sanity is a temporary condition - a PRIVILEGE you have to EARN!" --[[User:Fedor|Fedor]]
|"Why get normal cats? I buy lolcats in the embark screen. Much more fun to engrave about them." --Yanlin
|"DF taught me it was okay to mke a suit out of my neighbers skin, as long as I gave it a name." --[[User:Sketchy|Sketchy]]
}}

40d:Adventurer mode

2008-03-18T22:24:24Z

DuckofDoom:

In '''adventurer mode''', you pick a race ([[elf]], [[dwarf]] or [[human]]) and start out in either a [[Site|town]] of your race or in a previous [[fortress]] you played on. You can receive [[quest]]s, venture into the wilderness to find [[caves]], abandoned towers and other [[Site|villages]]. You can even visit your old [[Fortress|fortresses]] and find whatever riches were left to be guarded by the [[creatures]] that fated your [[fortress]].

The user interface differs somewhat from fortress mode; you may want to refer to the [[Adventure Mode quick reference|quick reference]] guide, or examine the detailed [[controls]] page. [[Site map]] may also prove useful.

== Your first adventure ==

=== Picking a race ===
When it comes to picking a race, there is difference in [[skills]]. [[Dwarves]] cannot wear [[human]] sized [[armor]], and are somewhat limited in the [[weapons]] they can wield due to their size. [[Elves]] have a slightly different set of [[skills]]. [[Humans]] are generally fairly well-balanced, and are the easiest to acquire quests from. Each race fares differently in combat; you may wish to look at the races' pages for the finer details.

=== Choosing skills ===
Basically, if you want to start with a [[weapon]], you need to avoid having the most points spent in unarmored/[[wrestling]]. If you, for example, choose to start out with most points in [[swordsman]], you will start out with a [[sword]]. When you have chosen your preferred set of [[skills]], you can press {{key|Enter}} to embark. The higher the [[skills]] in [[weapons]]/[[armor]] determine the quality of the equipment you start out with.

If you start out with a high [[weapon]] [[skill]] (except bows and crossbows) and also an above novice [[armor]] and/or [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|shield]] [[skill]], you'll start out with [[armor]] and/or [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|shield]] as well.

=== Setting out ===
If you chose human, you will start out inside the Mayor's house. You will see the Mayor (purple) and probably several [[drunks]]. Press {{key|k}} and talk to the Mayor. Press 'services' for a [[quest]]. You can talk to the drunks and recruit them to your party for some additional combat aid. Be sure to read the [[Adventure Mode quick reference]] or use the help files for more information on the commands in Adventure mode.

=== Trading ===
In towns you can find merchants inside some buildings. Talk to them to trade with them. After buying an item, you must pick it up manually from somewhere in the shop. {{K|l}}ook around for an item without $ signs around it. Don't pick up items with $ signs; that's theft, which is punishable by death.

=== Equipping your adventurer ===
After acquiring [[armor]] from one source or another, you'll most likely want to equip it. To do this, first make sure it is in your possession--not on the ground. You can then {{key|w}}ear it, granted you don't already have too much on that equipment slot already. You can {{key|r}}emove or {{key|d}}rop inferior equipment as necessary.

[[Weapons]] and [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|shields]] are handled differently. There is no explicit equipment command. Instead, they are automatically equipped when you either {{k|g}}et them from the ground or {{k|r}}emove them from your [[backpack]] - provided the hand that would wield them is free. So, in order to change [[weapons]], you would {{k|d}}rop your current [[weapon]] and then either {{k|g}}et the new [[weapon]] or {{k|r}}emove the new [[weapon]] from the [[backpack]]. Once you have equipped the new [[weapon]], {{k|g}}et your old [[weapon]] and it will be tucked away safely in your [[backpack]]. [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|Shields]] work the same way.

Note that the world of DF seems to have a lot of left handers, so do not be surprised if your character holds the weapon with the left hand and the [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|shield]] with the right hand.

== Traveling the world ==

=== How-to ===
You can walk around the whole world tile by tile if you wish, but given the size of the world, you might want to consider using another method. Pressing {{key|T}} will let see a very zoomed out map of the surrounding area. Moving about on this map is much faster, as well as it heals your adventurer, keeps him from starving, dehydrating, or getting tired. To exit this screen and explore the area you've reached, press {{k|>}}.

If there is more than one feature such as a [[Site|town]] or group of [[creatures]] on that map tile you will get to choose which one you want to arrive near.

Also while traveling on the world map, there is a chance that your adventurer can get randomly ambushed by enemies. When that happens, you must survive by either fighting them off or hide from them.

Jumping off [[Cliff|cliffs]] is not normally advisable; however, it is possible to do so by holding {{key|Alt}} while pressing the appropriate movement key. Jumping off [[Cliff|cliffs]], depending on how high you jumped, will most of the time cover your eyes in blood, which lessens visuals.

=== Finding quest locations ===
After receiving a [[quest]], you will be able to track its location using the {{key|Q}}uest log. Initially it will just give you the location on the {{key|T}}ravel map, though a lesser-known feature is its use in finding the cave entry (or other such target) once you're already in the [[Site map|local map]]. Bring up the quest log again, highlight the quest objective you're after, and {{key|z}}oom to it. It should then provide you with a local map of your current area, complete with a 3x3 box of flashing squares. This box indicates the general location of the cave's mouth. You'll still have to do some searching, but at least it's narrowed down for you. You can bring up this map at any time that you're in the local area of a quest objective.

=== Visiting abandoned fortresses ===
If you start an adventure in a world with one or more abandoned [[Fortress|fortresses]], you can take your adventurer to see the sites of your previous endeavors. When you find one of your old [[Fortress|fortresses]], you will find that everything is a mess. Items are scattered about, things are smashed up and there are probably new hostile inhabitants that you will need to fend off. Visiting your old [[Fortress|fortresses]] might prove to be rewarding, since you can find [[armor]] and [[weapons]] you made (if you made any). The best thing to be found in your [[fortress]] would probably be any left behind [[Legendary artifact|artifact]] [[weapon]] or [[armor]]. This is also probably the best (and only?) way to get [[Legendary artifact|artifact-quality]] [[weapons]] and [[armor]].

Also remember to check out any [[Engraving#Engravings|engravings]] you made while in [[fortress mode]]. When checking out [[Engraving#Engravings|engravings]] in adventure mode, they reveal a lot more specific information about the event that is engraved.

== Combat ==
Fighting is extremely detailed in adventure mode! This adds a lot of fun in the battle, since there are so many ways to injure your opponents/victims.

=== Ranged ===
If you have a [[weapon | bow]] or [[weapon | crossbow]], you can shoot arrows or bolts at enemies. You can also throw anything you can carry at enemies. Ranged attacks are highly efficient when you hit.
To fire your bow or crossbow, press {{key|f}}, and move the marker to the enemy you wish to fire upon, and press {{key|Enter}}. Same with throwing stuff, only press {{key|t}} and choose which item to throw, then choose the victim.
''Note: Throwing is slightly bugged, but in a good and fun way. You can throw captured flies, socks and even [[vomit]] if you want, with lethal effects. (Water piercing lungs, flies piercing hearts etc..)''

=== Close combat ===
To fight a [[creature]] by hitting it, you just need to walk towards the [[creature]]. Alternatively, you can press {{key|A}} and choose your target. After you've pressed {{key|A}} and are given the list of targets to attack, you can use {{key|Enter}} to choose between a normal attack and [[wrestling]] before selecting which opponent you wish to target.
A normal attack will make the adventurer hit the target with whatever [[weapon]] he holds. If he is holding no [[weapon]], he will bash with his [[Armor# Shields and Bucklers|shield]]. If he has neither a weapon nor a [[Armor# Shields and Bucklers|shield]], he will either punch his target or grab a random appendage.
In [[wrestling]], you must spend a few rounds locking the target's limbs to be able to break and splinter them (good times). Alternately, you could try gouging, pinching, or strangling them instead.

=== Wounds ===
Your adventurer will get wounded by enemies or falling (jumping) off cliffs. The best (and only?) way to heal, is to press {{key|T}}, and travel at least 1 tile in any direction. Your adventurer will be fully healed then, unless your character has wounds to the neck or head. Read more about wounds [[Wound|HERE]].

== Tips for survival ==
Dying is easy in adventurer mode, especially if you've just started out. Following these simple tips will increase your chance to survive, and reach those nice stats and legendary [[skills]]! These tips are for the faint of heart only. If you like the challenges of the game, feel free to do the opposite of what these tips say.

=== Basic Needs ===
Your adventurer gets hungry, thirsty, and drowsy, make sure your [[waterskin]] is always filled(fresh [[water]] at the [[Temple|temples]]), you carry 1-2 stacks[5] of food, and get some sleep sooner or later.

Fresh [[water]] can be found sometimes at [[Temple|temples]] and always in [[River|rivers]]. [[Water]] from [[Murky pool|pools]] is not considered fresh [[water]].

In order to obtain [[water]], you need a [[waterskin]]. Unless you are an [[elf]], you will start with a full one at the beginning of the game, but you can also buy additional ones in the [[Site|towns]].

Move right next to the [[water]] source and press {{k|I}} (capital 'i', that is) to interact in a complex manner with an item. You will be shown your [[inventory]]. Select your [[waterskin]] by pressing the letter shown to its left. If the [[inventory]] is so long that the [[waterskin]] is not shown, you may need to press {{k|/}} or {{k|*}} on the number pad to move through the pages. If you have done everything correctly, the game should offer you one or more options from which specific tile you wish to draw the [[water]]. Simply select one choice by pressing the letter to its left and the remaining free space in the [[waterskin]] will be filled with [[water]].

Note that you can not refill [[Waterskin|waterskins]] that are inside of [[Backpack|backpacks]]. You need to {{k|r}}emove it from the [[backpack]] first. Also note that you can't put [[Waterskin|waterskins]] you are holding directly into the [[backpack]] (it is not accepted as a container for that purpose). First, {{k|d}}rop the [[waterskin]] and then {{k|g}}et it again. It should be put inside the [[backpack]] automatically.

Solid food will eventually rot away. However, if you move on the travel map, you will not consume any food or water. Only if you stay on a [[Site map]] for a longer time will you first feel thirst and later hunger. A normal random [[encounter]] usually never last long enough to even generate thirst. Searching a [[quest]] [[cave]] can take longer (they are quite winding), but usually, you will not go beyond thirst if you only want to find the [[quest]] monster and kill it. Thus, carrying large stocks of food is not recommended, unless you plan something that will take a lot of time.

(''Warning:'' NEVER, EVER sleep in a hostile place, next thing you know you will be cloven asunder by your own sword, or some nasty critters will be feasting upon you)

=== <s>Living Shields</s> Companions ===

If you recruit some members to your party, you will not only gain extra damage output. You will also have someone else to take the damage instead of YOU!
When you first start out, the easiest <s>human shields</s> friends to recruit are the drunks! They are found in human towns inside the tavern with the Mayor (The building you start in if you play a human). They will gladly come with you and block some blows for you. Drunks will usually attempt low-skill wrestling and (mostly) damage-less punches. Don't expect them to last long when you meet that Giant you are supposed to kill.

To recruit someone into your party, press talk{{k|k}}, move the cursor over them, and press {{k|enter}}. Then in the conversation that follows, simply pick 'Join' from the list of options to ask them to accompany you. Children, peasants, the Mayor and Guards don't want any part of this silly adventuring malarkey.

More detailed searches of towns of various races can yield other adventurers with some actual skills. The generally have a single weapon skill ([[Maceman]], [[Swordsman]], [[Spearman]] and so on) and some armor appropriate to the wealth of the town they were occupying. You will also find Guards around towns, and while they are combat-capable they will not shirk their duty in order to accompany you on your adventures.

=== Avoid the impossible ===
Some things are harder than others. Decide for yourself is this is due to unbalancing of the game, realism or simply to add to the variety of challenges.

==== [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelob Shelob]'s in-laws, aka Giant Cave Spiders ====
Unless you are a legendary or better (ok its not possible to go beyond legendary..) bow-/crossbowman, you should at all costs AVOID giant cave spiders!! They shoot a web at you, making you immobilized while they rip your limbs off one by one. Then when you finally break free from the web, and can attack again, you've probably lost your arms while lying on the floor and the spider is about to throw you by your head up into the roof. Cave Spiders bleed to death eventually, but they know no fear nor pain, meaning they will not black out even if you manage to inflict serious damage including severed limbs. They are also capable of surviving red-level wounds to the body and legs and multiple severed limbs for long enough to eviscerate an adventurer. Leave these for the living shields to deal with while you slip out the other way, ideally from the cave entirely, never to return.

Even if you are a legendary projectile weapon user, reconsider attacking a giant cave spider because in the tight quarters of a cave you might be shooting it from stealth when a giant rat or something similarly stupid walks next to you and triggers your loss of cover. The spider would then punish your arrogance immensely.

''Note'': If absolutely required they ARE killable, but you need luck, and lots of it. Adept swordsman + Proficient shield user + Skilled ambusher manages to sneak up on it and then counterstrike + block does the job. In a suicide swordsman test run I had dethoraxation(decapitation for spiders) = instakill on the first counterstrike, second GCS got a mortal wound before it webbed me and bled to death while trying to chew through me, only broke sword wielding hand and leg. Third spider broke my shield hand and had me mortally wounded in no time after that, although i eventually killed it after unwebbing myself. That makes it ~2.5/3 chances to win, not bad for a rookie. And i was healed after each successful spider kill.

''To conclude'': Basically, as long as your shield wielding hand is intact(and shield skill is high of course) you have pretty good chances of survival in 1 on 1, otherwise you're dead. Any extra armor(in my case exceptional full plate + normal armor skill) also helps in glancing off their bites.

Another interesting thing is that before fighting one of them i threw a spear at it and it lodged in the wound, and it seems that the spider has a priority to break my grip as it repeatedly successfully broke my grip every time(that happened ~5-6 times in a row) i grabbed the lodged spear. That points to a possible distraction for a GCS in case of soloing it.

==== Arrows ====
Don't take on quests where you need to kill elite bow-/crossbowmen! Generally, avoid flying arrows! Why? Because bow/crossbowmen have the tendency to see farther than you can. They are therefore able to fire at you from beyond your sight, making it hard to see where the arrow(s) are coming from. You may therefor end up chasing the shooter in the wrong direction, giving the shooter even MORE time to turn you into a pin-cushion. Of course, this is only the case if you manage to survive the first 3-4 arrows, because arrows are BAD for anyone but the shooter's health. Piercing hits like arrows are much more likely to damage internal organs, and while you might shrug off a moderate blunt hit to the chest a similar piercing hit could directly damage one or both lungs or your heart and instantly kill you.

If you do accept a quest against an elite bowman or crossbowman and manage to reach melee range, immediately grapple its weapon, ideally by dropping yours and pulling the weapon out of its grasp entirely before throwing it away.

=== Training yourself ===
Gaining stats ([[Attributes|strength, agility, toughness]]) helps a lot when fighting. How to best train yourself?

==== Throwing ====
To find rocks simply hit "l" and look at any rock coulored tiles some of these will be simply called by the rock name (e.g. limestone) and cannot be picked up but some will be called pebbles. Rocks are practically free ammo. When you find a tile with pebbles, pick up a lot of them (there are infinite rocks), and start throwing them. You can simply throw them at the tile you are standing at. Every throw will gain you 30 points toward the skill "Throwing", and will after a while increase your stats (Strength, agility, toughness). You will need to throw 600 rocks to reach legendary Thrower (starting with no skill).

For best efficiency, drop all of your gear (including held but not worn items) and empty out your backpack near your throwing location. This is done in order to keep your inventory simple for the rock-throwing portion. Then pick up a ton of rocks by pressing {{k|g}}-{{k|a}} over and over- ideally one would pick up 600 rocks at a single time, but you will probably get bored before then. Then, mash {{k|t}}-{{k|a}}-{{k|enter}} over and over until all of your rocks are thrown back at the floor. If you are not a legendary Thrower after this, repeat. Afterwards, remember to pick up your gear and re-fill your backpack.

Thrown objects are also a cheap way to injure enemies before they reach you if you are a melee fighter.

You can also throw other stuff you find, like flies, beetles, worms, and even vomit or sand. If you have a tendency to chop off enemy limbs, you can even throw these limbs. Killing zombies with their companion's severed heads and feet is always good for a laugh. Iron men are fun, because they leave behind a nice statue for the taking which can be thrown. Arrows and weapons seem to be particularly deadly when thrown because they deal the same damage as they would in melee, including piercing or slashing damage type, but even the most innocuous or silly items can come up with a kill.

Most thrown objects deal blunt type damage, so they will break and bruise limbs, but arrows and weapons can deal their normal damage types. This is particularly useful to consider when trying for a desperate one-shot kill on a [[Giant Cave Spider]] that's about to web you and shred you into little chunks, as piercing attacks like thrown arrows and spears damage internal organs (making them more likely to get a one-hit kill, as an enemy can live through having the outside of their head moderately damaged but not from having the same amount of damage done to their brain) and thrown axes or swords can sever body parts and leave deep gashes (leading to massive bleeding or slit throats).

==== Bow/Crossbow-skill ====
This skill trains in the same fashion as throwing. You gain skill per shot, not per hit. This is a more expensive skill to train than throwing because you need to buy (or find) arrows/bolts, but is also a much more deadly skill. Fired projectiles do much more damage than thrown ones, and are also piercing type weapons which can do crippling damage to internal organs. The majority of thrown weapons are blunt and will do much more superficial bruising and bone-breaking damage- at best, a lucky hit will break someone's spine or damage internal organs to a small degree. Shooting arrows at enemies is fun, because it is very efficient and will destroy enemies quite easily.

Sadly, this also goes for enemy bow/crossbowmen. You will often be shot in the leg and crippled by an enemy you can't even see, who will then proceed to shoot you in the face until you die - which won't be very long afterwards unless you manage to find something to hide behind. This is somewhat avoidable- train in sneaking to avoid being seen by enemies that could otherwise perforate your skin, and get a good shield and armor to better keep arrows. (See below for both skills).

Make sure to take extra <s>meat shields</s> companions along with you if you're planning on using ranged weapons, it'll take time before you level the appropriate skill to bash things with your weapon in melee so it's imperative you stay out of the fighting till then. Drunks are particularly useful here, as they love to dive on things and collapse into a massive wrestling pile which you can take pot-shots at. Don't worry, you can't hit your guys. Not that you'd care.

==== Wrestling ====
Since melee weapon skills are hard train because not every hit gives points towards the skill, why not train your [[wrestling]]? When you are alone with a unconscious enemy, why not break some limbs before finishing it off? Monsters often try to break your arms and legs, so having a bit of skill in wrestling will help break those locks a lot. Also, training wrestling is a quicker way to better stats (strength, agility, toughness) because gain points per move instead of per "hit". Wrestling also handles dodging skill which is very handy to have.

A good way to train wrestling is to find an undead region on the map- preferrably Sinister if you remember the map layout from Fortress Mode. Obtain a pack of zombie herbavores therein, preferably of small size- do not attempt this with zombie [[elephants]]. Slaughter every zombie in the vicinity of this pack of herbavores but the one that you think is the most crippled, making sure to pick one with a throat to leave alike.

Press {{k|C}} and change your combat preferences from Strike to Close Combat. This means that your default attack when you press towards an enemy to making a random wrestling move, or the continuation (joint lock, break) or (strangle) if you have a break/strangle-able area held.

Then, walk over, and grab the zombie's neck (yes, with your weapon or shield- it is quite optional to drop what you're holding) and begin strangulation by holding the direction the zombie is strangling in. You will make several strangles per second and gain approximately 15 XP (tentative measure) per strangulation. Zombies cannot die from this, so you will earn enough XP to become legendary within a few minutes.

When your character becomes tired, break off from strangling and walk it off- you become less tired by ambling about aimlessly. If you become too hungry or thirsty to continue, just run away or destroy the zombie, {{k|T}}ravel, and then repeat after moving a square and back.

This can also be done at ruins, but you run the risk of weapon-carrying enemies and especially weaponmaster quest-zombies. In an undead ruin, there are also far, far more monsters in the area compared to hunting down a pack of undead animals.

==== Swimming ====
Having no swimming skill in Adventure Mode is not a particularly good thing if you intend to go near water. Anyone with no swimming skill who falls or is pulled/pushed into water will begin to drown immediately if it is over 4/7 deep, and will also be unable to climb out of water this deep - usually resulting in instant death.

To voluntarily jump into a pond or river you have to {{k|Alt}}-move off the edge of the land. This will present you with a choice of walking out into the open space above the water (immediately and unsurprisingly followed by a one-story fall) or moving directly into the water. To get back out, {{k|Alt}}-move into the riverbank/pond edge.

As long as you have at least some Swimming skill, you will be able to move around in deeper water and will gain Swimming skill for every tile you move. Without Swimming, you will have to find depth 4 water to voluntarily paddle about in with your water wings on for your first skill points. Any deeper and you'll start to drown, any shallower and you can't swim in it. Hit {{k|m}} to set your swimming options.

All in all this makes Novice Swimming an excellent starting skill, as you can (eventually) get Legendary skill simply by swimming back and forth in two squares of water and get lots of stat points in the process. However, this is mind-numbingly dull so good luck with that. One should also keep in mind that water in cooler areas may suddenly freeze when the sun starts to go down, and thus instantly kill any creatures within. As such, it's a good idea to do your training laps somewhere warm.

It also seems that you are not able to move out of water of less than (7/7) onto the river bank. In addition, while you are swimming, you can not move to the travel map! You must first leave the water.

You can crosstrain Ambushing while Swimming to save time- if you start with no Ambushing and Novice Swimming, you will be an Accomplished or Expert Ambusher, give or take, by the time you are a Legendary Swimmer. For more on Ambushing, see below.

==== Ambushing ====
The Ambusher skill is the parent to the {{k|S}}neak ability, which makes you character move more slowly and stealthily to avoid being noticed. Sneak cannot be activated if an enemy can currently see you, but you can use it immediately if you break line of sight somehow. Sneaking around will increase your Ambusher skill even if nobody is around to see you.

Unfortunately, the best way to train Ambushing is to start sneaking and just hold a direction to run, until you've run 18,000 squares (assuming you started with no skill). This takes a long time, so you may wish to train sneaking just by sneaking whenever possible while playing the game normally in order to avoid boredom.

Sneaking is particularly useful for avoiding ranged attacks, as even Novice skill allows you to get within four or five squares of an enemy before they spot you reliably. It is relatively easy at normal levels of skill to stand anywhere but right next to an enemy and not be spotted for a long time, if ever. However, standing next to sombody without them spotting you is difficult even with legendary skill. However, even if they spot you moving next to them they will only get one shot at you which is a lot better than the hundreds they would have had if you'd been blundering around in the dark too far away to even see them when they opened fire.

If you are far faster than the enemy you can sometimes swoop in, attack, and back off to 1-square distance where you are less visible. Sometimes they will spot you, but other times you can literally slice off the opponent's leg and retreat to a safe distance. This may occur because enemies can only make checks to see if you are sneaking during their own turns, and a very fast (2000+ speed) player can run in, stab them, and retreat to a safe distance before their turn comes up.

The skill also has a valuable part to play in the noble art of running away. As long as you can get out of sight of all the enemies after you at once - such as around a corner indoors, or ducking behind a tree outside - you can start sneaking and head off in another direction. If your skill is too low however the enemies might be close enough to see you as soon as you try to sneak off.

The most useful part of sneaking is undoubtedly the 'stealth throw'. While firing a missile weapon or attacking in melee will get you noticed immediately, throwing things at people will not. Stock up on dead enemies' weapons, clothing and severed body parts and you can pretend you're some gruesome comedy version of Sam Fisher. You know you want to.

==== Armor and Shield Use ====

Armor User lets you wear heavy armor without slowing down, and might control the passive block rate of armor- a very useful skill, if true, because it controls how often your shiny full plate suit will actually work.

Shield User helps the block roll you make when you are attacked. A Legendary Shield User is far, far more capable of taking on enemies, especially projectile-based weaponmasters whose bolts and arrows are blockable with a shield to a far greater degree than with one's torso, so it is worthwhile to train these two skills.

Normally, you gain 10 Shield User XP per time you block an attack with a shield, and 2 Armor User XP per time you are attacked while wearing armor. This means that to gain the 18,000 XP necessary for legendary, you must block 1800 strikes, and be attacked at least 9000 times. Naturally, this could take some time- time in which a low-skill adventurer may die from attacks by worthy opponents.

However, a useful shortcut exists- if you find a small zombie herbavore to strangle in the above wrestling training method, you can also (if it is a small and non-dangerous animal such as a zombie [[groundhog]]) {{k|s}}it down next to it (to minimize your own speed and thus get attacked more often) and hold {{k|5}} to sit down next to the animal and block its attacks over and over. This is still slow, but leagues faster than waiting to train while fighting- it also means that you are probably not in any danger assuming you picked a sufficiently pathetic type of animal.

Warnings- Make sure that you have your {{k|c}}ombat preference set to Close Combat, otherwise you may counterstrike and kill the zombie. This way, you will wrestle it during a counterstrike instead of doing something that may actually hurt it such as counterstriking with your weapon.

It is probably also preferable to start with a modicum of skill in Armor and Shield using to make sure you don't accidentally get instakilled or crippled and are good at blocking with your shield to gain XP fast. You'll also want to have non-crappy armor and a good shield or two (dual wielding shields may increase your ability to block) to maximize your ability to block and to make sure you are taking as little as possible damage, if any at all, during training.

=== Summary ===
*Recruit some living spearcatchers
*Avoid flying arrows
*Throw rocks/statues/socks/bugs at enemies that still haven't reached you
*Train your stats before taking on your first quest-monster

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Adventurer mode]]

40d:Adventurer mode

2008-03-18T22:22:31Z

DuckofDoom:

In '''adventurer mode''', you pick a race ([[elf]], [[dwarf]] or [[human]]) and start out in either a [[Site|town]] of your race or in a previous [[fortress]] you played on. You can receive [[quest]]s, venture into the wilderness to find [[caves]], abandoned towers and other [[Site|villages]]. You can even visit your old [[Fortress|fortresses]] and find whatever riches were left to be guarded by the [[creatures]] that fated your [[fortress]].

The user interface differs somewhat from fortress mode; you may want to refer to the [[Adventure Mode quick reference|quick reference]] guide, or examine the detailed [[controls]] page. [[Site map]] may also prove useful.

== Your first adventure ==

=== Picking a race ===
When it comes to picking a race, there is difference in [[skills]]. [[Dwarves]] cannot wear [[human]] sized [[armor]], and are somewhat limited in the [[weapons]] they can wield due to their size. [[Elves]] have a slightly different set of [[skills]]. [[Humans]] are generally fairly well-balanced, and are the easiest to acquire quests from. Each race fares differently in combat; you may wish to look at the races' pages for the finer details.

=== Choosing skills ===
Basically, if you want to start with a [[weapon]], you need to avoid having the most points spent in unarmored/[[wrestling]]. If you, for example, choose to start out with most points in [[swordsman]], you will start out with a [[sword]]. When you have chosen your preferred set of [[skills]], you can press {{key|Enter}} to embark. The higher the [[skills]] in [[weapons]]/[[armor]] determine the quality of the equipment you start out with.

If you start out with a high [[weapon]] [[skill]] (except bows and crossbows) and also an above novice [[armor]] and/or [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|shield]] [[skill]], you'll start out with [[armor]] and/or [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|shield]] as well.

=== Setting out ===
If you chose human, you will start out inside the Mayor's house. You will see the Mayor (purple) and probably several [[drunks]]. Press {{key|k}} and talk to the Mayor. Press 'services' for a [[quest]]. You can talk to the drunks and recruit them to your party for some additional combat aid. Be sure to read the [[Adventure Mode quick reference]] or use the help files for more information on the commands in Adventure mode.

=== Trading ===
In towns you can find merchants inside some buildings. Talk to them to trade with them. After buying an item, you must pick it up manually from somewhere in the shop. {{K|l}}ook around for an item without $ signs around it. Don't pick up items with $ signs; that's theft, which is punishable by death.

=== Equipping your adventurer ===
After acquiring [[armor]] from one source or another, you'll most likely want to equip it. To do this, first make sure it is in your possession--not on the ground. You can then {{key|w}}ear it, granted you don't already have too much on that equipment slot already. You can {{key|r}}emove or {{key|d}}rop inferior equipment as necessary.

[[Weapons]] and [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|shields]] are handled differently. There is no explicit equipment command. Instead, they are automatically equipped when you either {{k|g}}et them from the ground or {{k|r}}emove them from your [[backpack]] - provided the hand that would wield them is free. So, in order to change [[weapons]], you would {{k|d}}rop your current [[weapon]] and then either {{k|g}}et the new [[weapon]] or {{k|r}}emove the new [[weapon]] from the [[backpack]]. Once you have equipped the new [[weapon]], {{k|g}}et your old [[weapon]] and it will be tucked away safely in your [[backpack]]. [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|Shields]] work the same way.

Note that the world of DF seems to have a lot of left handers, so do not be surprised if your character holds the weapon with the left hand and the [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|shield]] with the right hand.

== Traveling the world ==

=== How-to ===
You can walk around the whole world tile by tile if you wish, but given the size of the world, you might want to consider using another method. Pressing {{key|T}} will let see a very zoomed out map of the surrounding area. Moving about on this map is much faster, as well as it heals your adventurer, keeps him from starving, dehydrating, or getting tired. To exit this screen and explore the area you've reached, press {{k|>}}.

If there is more than one feature such as a [[Site|town]] or group of [[creatures]] on that map tile you will get to choose which one you want to arrive near.

Also while traveling on the world map, there is a chance that your adventurer can get randomly ambushed by enemies. When that happens, you must survive by either fighting them off or hide from them.

Jumping off [[Cliff|cliffs]] is not normally advisable; however, it is possible to do so by holding {{key|Alt}} while pressing the appropriate movement key. Jumping off [[Cliff|cliffs]], depending on how high you jumped, will most of the time cover your eyes in blood, which lessens visuals.

=== Finding quest locations ===
After receiving a [[quest]], you will be able to track its location using the {{key|Q}}uest log. Initially it will just give you the location on the {{key|T}}ravel map, though a lesser-known feature is its use in finding the cave entry (or other such target) once you're already in the [[Site map|local map]]. Bring up the quest log again, highlight the quest objective you're after, and {{key|z}}oom to it. It should then provide you with a local map of your current area, complete with a 3x3 box of flashing squares. This box indicates the general location of the cave's mouth. You'll still have to do some searching, but at least it's narrowed down for you. You can bring up this map at any time that you're in the local area of a quest objective.

=== Visiting abandoned fortresses ===
If you start an adventure in a world with one or more abandoned [[Fortress|fortresses]], you can take your adventurer to see the sites of your previous endeavors. When you find one of your old [[Fortress|fortresses]], you will find that everything is a mess. Items are scattered about, things are smashed up and there are probably new hostile inhabitants that you will need to fend off. Visiting your old [[Fortress|fortresses]] might prove to be rewarding, since you can find [[armor]] and [[weapons]] you made (if you made any). The best thing to be found in your [[fortress]] would probably be any left behind [[Legendary artifact|artifact]] [[weapon]] or [[armor]]. This is also probably the best (and only?) way to get [[Legendary artifact|artifact-quality]] [[weapons]] and [[armor]].

Also remember to check out any [[Engraving#Engravings|engravings]] you made while in [[fortress mode]]. When checking out [[Engraving#Engravings|engravings]] in adventure mode, they reveal a lot more specific information about the event that is engraved.

== Combat ==
Fighting is extremely detailed in adventure mode! This adds a lot of fun in the battle, since there are so many ways to injure your opponents/victims.

=== Ranged ===
If you have a [[weapon | bow]] or [[weapon | crossbow]], you can shoot arrows or bolts at enemies. You can also throw anything you can carry at enemies. Ranged attacks are highly efficient when you hit.
To fire your bow or crossbow, press {{key|f}}, and move the marker to the enemy you wish to fire upon, and press {{key|Enter}}. Same with throwing stuff, only press {{key|t}} and choose which item to throw, then choose the victim.
''Note: Throwing is slightly bugged, but in a good and fun way. You can throw captured flies, socks and even [[vomit]] if you want, with lethal effects. (Water piercing lungs, flies piercing hearts etc..)''

=== Close combat ===
To fight a [[creature]] by hitting it, you just need to walk towards the [[creature]]. Alternatively, you can press {{key|A}} and choose your target. After you've pressed {{key|A}} and are given the list of targets to attack, you can use {{key|Enter}} to choose between a normal attack and [[wrestling]] before selecting which opponent you wish to target.
A normal attack will make the adventurer hit the target with whatever [[weapon]] he holds. If he is holding no [[weapon]], he will bash with his [[Armor# Shields and Bucklers|shield]]. If he has neither a weapon nor a [[Armor# Shields and Bucklers|shield]], he will either punch his target or grab a random appendage.
In [[wrestling]], you must spend a few rounds locking the target's limbs to be able to break and splinter them (good times). Alternately, you could try gouging, pinching, or strangling them instead.

=== Wounds ===
Your adventurer will get wounded by enemies or falling (jumping) off cliffs. The best (and only?) way to heal, is to press {{key|T}}, and travel at least 1 tile in any direction. Your adventurer will be fully healed then, unless your character has wounds to the neck or head. Read more about wounds [[Wound|HERE]].

== Tips for survival ==
Dying is easy in adventurer mode, especially if you've just started out. Following these simple tips will increase your chance to survive, and reach those nice stats and legendary [[skills]]! These tips are for the faint of heart only. If you like the challenges of the game, feel free to do the opposite of what these tips say.

=== Basic Needs ===
Your adventurer gets hungry, thirsty, and drowsy, make sure your [[waterskin]] is always filled(fresh [[water]] at the [[Temple|temples]]), you carry 1-2 stacks[5] of food, and get some sleep sooner or later.

Fresh [[water]] can be found sometimes at [[Temple|temples]] and always in [[River|rivers]]. [[Water]] from [[Murky pool|pools]] is not considered fresh [[water]].

In order to obtain [[water]], you need a [[waterskin]]. Unless you are an [[elf]], you will start with a full one at the beginning of the game, but you can also buy additional ones in the [[Site|towns]].

Move right next to the [[water]] source and press {{k|I}} (capital 'i', that is) to interact in a complex manner with an item. You will be shown your [[inventory]]. Select your [[waterskin]] by pressing the letter shown to its left. If the [[inventory]] is so long that the [[waterskin]] is not shown, you may need to press {{k|/}} or {{k|*}} on the number pad to move through the pages. If you have done everything correctly, the game should offer you one or more options from which specific tile you wish to draw the [[water]]. Simply select one choice by pressing the letter to its left and the remaining free space in the [[waterskin]] will be filled with [[water]].

Note that you can not refill [[Waterskin|waterskins]] that are inside of [[Backpack|backpacks]]. You need to {{k|r}}emove it from the [[backpack]] first. Also note that you can't put [[Waterskin|waterskins]] you are holding directly into the [[backpack]] (it is not accepted as a container for that purpose). First, {{k|d}}rop the [[waterskin]] and then {{k|g}}et it again. It should be put inside the [[backpack]] automatically.

Solid food will eventually rot away. However, if you move on the travel map, you will not consume any food or water. Only if you stay on a [[Site map]] for a longer time will you first feel thirst and later hunger. A normal random [[encounter]] usually never last long enough to even generate thirst. Searching a [[quest]] [[cave]] can take longer (they are quite winding), but usually, you will not go beyond thirst if you only want to find the [[quest]] monster and kill it. Thus, carrying large stocks of food is not recommended, unless you plan something that will take a lot of time.

(''Warning:'' NEVER, EVER sleep in a hostile place, next thing you know you will be cloven asunder by your own sword, or some nasty critters will be feasting upon you)

=== <s>Living Shields</s> Companions ===

If you recruit some members to your party, you will not only gain extra damage output. You will also have someone else to take the damage instead of YOU!
When you first start out, the easiest <s>human shields</s> friends to recruit are the drunks! They are found in human towns inside the tavern with the Mayor (The building you start in if you play a human). They will gladly come with you and block some blows for you. Drunks will usually attempt low-skill wrestling and (mostly) damage-less punches. Don't expect them to last long when you meet that Giant you are supposed to kill.

To recruit someone into your party, press talk{{k|k}}, move the cursor over them, and press {{k|enter}}. Then in the conversation that follows, simply pick 'Join' from the list of options to ask them to accompany you. Children, peasants, the Mayor and Guards don't want any part of this silly adventuring malarkey.

More detailed searches of towns of various races can yield other adventurers with some actual skills. The generally have a single weapon skill ([[Maceman]], [[Swordsman]], [[Spearman]] and so on) and some armor appropriate to the wealth of the town they were occupying. You will also find Guards around towns, and while they are combat-capable they will not shirk their duty in order to accompany you on your adventures.

=== Avoid the impossible ===
Some things are harder than others. Decide for yourself is this is due to unbalancing of the game, realism or simply to add to the variety of challenges.

==== [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelob Shelob]'s in-laws, aka Giant Cave Spiders ====
Unless you are a legendary or better (ok its not possible to go beyond legendary..) bow-/crossbowman, you should at all costs AVOID giant cave spiders!! They shoot a web at you, making you immobilized while they rip your limbs off one by one. Then when you finally break free from the web, and can attack again, you've probably lost your arms while lying on the floor and the spider is about to throw you by your head up into the roof. Cave Spiders bleed to death eventually, but they know no fear nor pain, meaning they will not black out even if you manage to inflict serious damage including severed limbs. They are also capable of surviving red-level wounds to the body and legs and multiple severed limbs for long enough to eviscerate an adventurer. Leave these for the living shields to deal with while you slip out the other way, ideally from the cave entirely, never to return.

Even if you are a legendary projectile weapon user, reconsider attacking a giant cave spider because in the tight quarters of a cave you might be shooting it from stealth when a giant rat or something similarly stupid walks next to you and triggers your loss of cover. The spider would then punish your arrogance immensely.

''Note'': If absolutely required they ARE killable, but you need luck, and lots of it. Adept swordsman + Proficient shield user + Skilled ambusher manages to sneak up on it and then counterstrike + block does the job. In a suicide swordsman test run I had dethoraxation(decapitation for spiders) = instakill on the first counterstrike, second GCS got a mortal wound before it webbed me and bled to death while trying to chew through me, only broke sword wielding hand and leg. Third spider broke my shield hand and had me mortally wounded in no time after that, although i eventually killed it after unwebbing myself. That makes it ~2.5/3 chances to win, not bad for a rookie. And i was healed after each successful spider kill.

''To conclude'': Basically, as long as your shield wielding hand is intact(and shield skill is high of course) you have pretty good chances of survival in 1 on 1, otherwise you're dead. Any extra armor(in my case exceptional full plate + normal armor skill) also helps in glancing off their bites.

Another interesting thing is that before fighting one of them i threw a spear at it and it lodged in the wound, and it seems that the spider has a priority to break my grip as it repeatedly successfully broke my grip every time(that happened ~5-6 times in a row) i grabbed the lodged spear. That points to a possible distraction for a GCS in case of soloing it.

==== Arrows ====
Don't take on quests where you need to kill elite bow-/crossbowmen! Generally, avoid flying arrows! Why? Because bow/crossbowmen have the tendency to see farther than you can. They are therefore able to fire at you from beyond your sight, making it hard to see where the arrow(s) are coming from. You may therefor end up chasing the shooter in the wrong direction, giving the shooter even MORE time to turn you into a pin-cushion. Of course, this is only the case if you manage to survive the first 3-4 arrows, because arrows are BAD for anyone but the shooter's health. Piercing hits like arrows are much more likely to damage internal organs, and while you might shrug off a moderate blunt hit to the chest a similar piercing hit could directly damage one or both lungs or your heart and instantly kill you.

If you do accept a quest against an elite bowman or crossbowman and manage to reach melee range, immediately grapple its weapon, ideally by dropping yours and pulling the weapon out of its grasp entirely before throwing it away.

=== Training yourself ===
Gaining stats ([[Attributes|strength, agility, toughness]]) helps a lot when fighting. How to best train yourself?

==== Throwing ====
To find rocks simply hit "l" and look at any rock coulored tiles some of these will be simply called by the rock name (e.g. limestone) and cannot be picked up but some will be called pebbles. Rocks are practically free ammo. When you find a tile with pebbles, pick up a lot of them (there are infinite rocks), and start throwing them. You can simply throw them at the tile you are standing at. Every throw will gain you 30 points toward the skill "Throwing", and will after a while increase your stats (Strength, agility, toughness). You will need to throw 600 rocks to reach legendary Thrower (starting with no skill).

For best efficiency, drop all of your gear (including held but not worn items) and empty out your backpack near your throwing location. This is done in order to keep your inventory simple for the rock-throwing portion. Then pick up a ton of rocks by pressing {{k|g}}-{{k|a}} over and over- ideally one would pick up 600 rocks at a single time, but you will probably get bored before then. Then, mash {{k|t}}-{{k|a}}-{{k|enter}} over and over until all of your rocks are thrown back at the floor. If you are not a legendary Thrower after this, repeat. Afterwards, remember to pick up your gear and re-fill your backpack.

Thrown objects are also a cheap way to injure enemies before they reach you if you are a melee fighter.

You can also throw other stuff you find, like flies, beetles, worms, and even vomit or sand. If you have a tendency to chop off enemy limbs, you can even throw these limbs. Killing zombies with their companion's severed heads and feet is always good for a laugh. Iron men are fun, because they leave behind a nice statue for the taking which can be thrown. Arrows and weapons seem to be particularly deadly when thrown because they deal the same damage as they would in melee, including piercing or slashing damage type, but even the most innocuous or silly items can come up with a kill.

Most thrown objects deal blunt type damage, so they will break and bruise limbs, but arrows and weapons can deal their normal damage types. This is particularly useful to consider when trying for a desperate one-shot kill on a [[Giant Cave Spider]] that's about to web you and shred you into little chunks, as piercing attacks like thrown arrows and spears damage internal organs (making them more likely to get a one-hit kill, as an enemy can live through having the outside of their head moderately damaged but not from having the same amount of damage done to their brain) and thrown axes or swords can sever body parts and leave deep gashes (leading to massive bleeding or slit throats).

==== Bow/Crossbow-skill ====
This skill trains in the same fashion as throwing. You gain skill per shot, not per hit. This is a more expensive skill to train than throwing because you need to buy (or find) arrows/bolts, but is also a much more deadly skill. Fired projectiles do much more damage than thrown ones, and are also piercing type weapons which can do crippling damage to internal organs. The majority of thrown weapons are blunt and will do much more superficial bruising and bone-breaking damage- at best, a lucky hit will break someone's spine or damage internal organs to a small degree. Shooting arrows at enemies is fun, because it is very efficient and will destroy enemies quite easily.

Sadly, this also goes for enemy bow/crossbowmen. You will often be shot in the leg and crippled by an enemy you can't even see, who will then proceed to shoot you in the face until you die - which won't be very long afterwards unless you manage to find something to hide behind. This is somewhat avoidable- train in sneaking to avoid being seen by enemies that could otherwise perforate your skin, and get a good shield and armor to better keep arrows. (See below for both skills).

Make sure to take extra <s>meat shields</s> companions along with you if you're planning on using ranged weapons, it'll take time before you level the appropriate skill to bash things with your weapon in melee so it's imperative you stay out of the fighting till then. Drunks are particularly useful here, as they love to dive on things and collapse into a massive wrestling pile which you can take pot-shots at. Don't worry, you can't hit your guys. Not that you'd care.

==== Wrestling ====
Since melee weapon skills are hard train because not every hit gives points towards the skill, why not train your [[wrestling]]? When you are alone with a unconscious enemy, why not break some limbs before finishing it off? Monsters often try to break your arms and legs, so having a bit of skill in wrestling will help break those locks a lot. Also, training wrestling is a quicker way to better stats (strength, agility, toughness) because gain points per move instead of per "hit". Wrestling also handles dodging skill which is very handy to have.

A good way to train wrestling is to find an undead region on the map- preferrably Sinister if you remember the map layout from Fortress Mode. Obtain a pack of zombie herbavores therein, preferably of small size- do not attempt this with zombie [[elephants]]. Slaughter every zombie in the vicinity of this pack of herbavores but the one that you think is the most crippled, making sure to pick one with a throat to leave alike.

Press {{k|C}} and change your combat preferences from Strike to Close Combat. This means that your default attack when you press towards an enemy to making a random wrestling move, or the continuation (joint lock, break) or (strangle) if you have a break/strangle-able area held.

Then, walk over, and grab the zombie's neck (yes, with your weapon or shield- it is quite optional to drop what you're holding) and begin strangulation by holding the direction the zombie is strangling in. You will make several strangles per second and gain approximately 15 XP (tentative measure) per strangulation. Zombies cannot die from this, so you will earn enough XP to become legendary within a few minutes.

When your character becomes tired, break off from strangling and walk it off- you become less tired by ambling about aimlessly. If you become too hungry or thirsty to continue, just run away or destroy the zombie, {{k|T}}ravel, and then repeat after moving a square and back.

This can also be done at ruins, but you run the risk of weapon-carrying enemies and especially weaponmaster quest-zombies. In an undead ruin, there are also far, far more monsters in the area compared to hunting down a pack of undead animals.

==== Swimming ====
Having no swimming skill in Adventure Mode is not a particularly good thing if you intend to go near water. Anyone with no swimming skill who falls or is pulled/pushed into water will begin to drown immediately if it is over 4/7 deep, and will also be unable to climb out of water this deep - usually resulting in instant death.

To voluntarily jump into a pond or river you have to {{k|Alt}}-move off the edge of the land. This will present you with a choice of walking out into the open space above the water (immediately and unsurprisingly followed by a one-story fall) or moving directly into the water. To get back out, {{k|Alt}}-move into the riverbank/pond edge.

As long as you have at least some Swimming skill, you will be able to move around in deeper water and will gain Swimming skill for every tile you move. Without Swimming, you will have to find depth 4 water to voluntarily paddle about in with your water wings on for your first skill points. Any deeper and you'll start to drown, any shallower and you can't swim in it. Hit {{k|m}} to set your swimming options.

All in all this makes Novice Swimming an excellent starting skill, as you can (eventually) get Legendary skill simply by swimming back and forth in two squares of water and get lots of stat points in the process. However, this is mind-numbingly dull so good luck with that. One should also keep in mind that water in cooler areas may suddenly freeze when the sun starts to go down, and thus instantly kill any creatures within. As such, it's a good idea to do your training laps somewhere warm.

It also seems that you are not able to move out of water of less than (7/7) onto the river bank. In addition, while you are swimming, you can not move to the travel map! You must first leave the water.

You can crosstrain Ambushing while Swimming to save time- if you start with no Ambushing and Novice Swimming, you will be an Accomplished or Expert Ambusher, give or take, by the time you are a Legendary Swimmer. For more on Ambushing, see below.

==== Ambushing ====
The Ambusher skill is the parent to the {{k|S}}neak ability, which makes you character move more slowly and stealthily to avoid being noticed. Sneak cannot be activated if an enemy can currently see you, but you can use it immediately if you break line of sight somehow. Sneaking around will increase your Ambusher skill even if nobody is around to see you.

Unfortunately, the best way to train Ambushing is to start sneaking and just hold a direction to run, until you've run 18,000 squares (assuming you started with no skill). This takes a long time, so you may wish to train sneaking just by sneaking whenever possible while playing the game normally in order to avoid boredom.

Sneaking is particularly useful for avoiding ranged attacks, as even Novice skill allows you to get within four or five squares of an enemy before they spot you reliably. It is relatively easy at normal levels of skill to stand anywhere but right next to an enemy and not be spotted for a long time, if ever. However, standing next to sombody without them spotting you is difficult even with legendary skill. However, even if they spot you moving next to them they will only get one shot at you which is a lot better than the hundreds they would have had if you'd been blundering around in the dark too far away to even see them when they opened fire.

If you are far faster than the enemy you can sometimes swoop in, attack, and back off to 1-square distance where you are less visible. Sometimes they will spot you, but other times you can literally slice off the opponent's leg and retreat to a safe distance. This may occur because enemies can only make checks to see if you are sneaking during their own turns, and a very fast (2000+ speed) player can run in, stab them, and retreat to a safe distance before their turn comes up.

The skill also has a valuable part to play in the noble art of running away. As long as you can get out of sight of all the enemies after you at once - such as around a corner indoors, or ducking behind a tree outside - you can start sneaking and head off in another direction. If your skill is too low however the enemies might be close enough to see you as soon as you try to sneak off.

The most useful part of sneaking is undoubtedly the 'stealth throw'. While firing a missile weapon or attacking in melee will get you noticed immediately, throwing things at people will not. Stock up on dead enemies' weapons, clothing and severed body parts and you can pretend you're some gruesome comedy version of Sam Fisher. You know you want to.

==== Armor and Shield Use ====

Armor User lets you wear heavy armor without slowing down, and might control the passive block rate of armor- a very useful skill, if true, because it controls how often your shiny full plate suit will actually work.

Shield User helps the block roll you make when you are attacked. A Legendary Shield User is far, far more capable of taking on enemies, especially projectile-based weaponmasters whose bolts and arrows are blockable with a shield to a far greater degree than with one's torso, so it is worthwhile to train these two skills.

Normally, you gain 10 Shield User XP per time you block an attack with a shield, and 2 Armor User XP per time you are attacked while wearing armor. This means that to gain the 18,000 XP necessary for legendary, you must block 1800 strikes, and be attacked at least 9000 times. Naturally, this could take some time- time in which a low-skill adventurer may die from attacks by worthy opponents.

However, a useful shortcut exists- if you find a small zombie herbavore to strangle in the above wrestling training method, you can also (if it is a small and non-dangerous animal such as a zombie [[groundhog]]) {{k|s}}it down next to it (to minimize your own speed and thus get attacked more often}} and hold {{k|5}} to sit down next to the animal and block its attacks over and over. This is still slow, but leagues faster than waiting to train while fighting- it also means that you are probably not in any danger assuming you picked a sufficiently pathetic type of animal.

Warnings- Make sure that you have your {{k|c}}ombat preference set to Close Combat, otherwise you may counterstrike and kill the zombie. Grab the zombie's throat, and then begin holding 5- this way, you will strangle it during a counterstrike instead of doing something that may actually hurt it such as punching or counterstriking with your weapon.

It is probably also preferable to start with a modicum of skill in Armor and Shield using to make sure you don't accidentally get instakilled or crippled and are good at blocking with your shield to gain XP fast. You'll also want to have non-crappy armor and a good shield or two (dual wielding shields may increase your ability to block) to maximize your ability to block and to make sure you are taking as little as possible damage, if any at all, during training.

=== Summary ===
*Recruit some living spearcatchers
*Avoid flying arrows
*Throw rocks/statues/socks/bugs at enemies that still haven't reached you
*Train your stats before taking on your first quest-monster

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Adventurer mode]]

40d:Adventurer mode

2008-03-18T22:21:05Z

DuckofDoom: Armor; Shield Use, and Wrestling Training using Undead, Stabbing People Without Them Noticing You, Some minor

In '''adventurer mode''', you pick a race ([[elf]], [[dwarf]] or [[human]]) and start out in either a [[Site|town]] of your race or in a previous [[fortress]] you played on. You can receive [[quest]]s, venture into the wilderness to find [[caves]], abandoned towers and other [[Site|villages]]. You can even visit your old [[Fortress|fortresses]] and find whatever riches were left to be guarded by the [[creatures]] that fated your [[fortress]].

The user interface differs somewhat from fortress mode; you may want to refer to the [[Adventure Mode quick reference|quick reference]] guide, or examine the detailed [[controls]] page. [[Site map]] may also prove useful.

== Your first adventure ==

=== Picking a race ===
When it comes to picking a race, there is difference in [[skills]]. [[Dwarves]] cannot wear [[human]] sized [[armor]], and are somewhat limited in the [[weapons]] they can wield due to their size. [[Elves]] have a slightly different set of [[skills]]. [[Humans]] are generally fairly well-balanced, and are the easiest to acquire quests from. Each race fares differently in combat; you may wish to look at the races' pages for the finer details.

=== Choosing skills ===
Basically, if you want to start with a [[weapon]], you need to avoid having the most points spent in unarmored/[[wrestling]]. If you, for example, choose to start out with most points in [[swordsman]], you will start out with a [[sword]]. When you have chosen your preferred set of [[skills]], you can press {{key|Enter}} to embark. The higher the [[skills]] in [[weapons]]/[[armor]] determine the quality of the equipment you start out with.

If you start out with a high [[weapon]] [[skill]] (except bows and crossbows) and also an above novice [[armor]] and/or [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|shield]] [[skill]], you'll start out with [[armor]] and/or [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|shield]] as well.

=== Setting out ===
If you chose human, you will start out inside the Mayor's house. You will see the Mayor (purple) and probably several [[drunks]]. Press {{key|k}} and talk to the Mayor. Press 'services' for a [[quest]]. You can talk to the drunks and recruit them to your party for some additional combat aid. Be sure to read the [[Adventure Mode quick reference]] or use the help files for more information on the commands in Adventure mode.

=== Trading ===
In towns you can find merchants inside some buildings. Talk to them to trade with them. After buying an item, you must pick it up manually from somewhere in the shop. {{K|l}}ook around for an item without $ signs around it. Don't pick up items with $ signs; that's theft, which is punishable by death.

=== Equipping your adventurer ===
After acquiring [[armor]] from one source or another, you'll most likely want to equip it. To do this, first make sure it is in your possession--not on the ground. You can then {{key|w}}ear it, granted you don't already have too much on that equipment slot already. You can {{key|r}}emove or {{key|d}}rop inferior equipment as necessary.

[[Weapons]] and [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|shields]] are handled differently. There is no explicit equipment command. Instead, they are automatically equipped when you either {{k|g}}et them from the ground or {{k|r}}emove them from your [[backpack]] - provided the hand that would wield them is free. So, in order to change [[weapons]], you would {{k|d}}rop your current [[weapon]] and then either {{k|g}}et the new [[weapon]] or {{k|r}}emove the new [[weapon]] from the [[backpack]]. Once you have equipped the new [[weapon]], {{k|g}}et your old [[weapon]] and it will be tucked away safely in your [[backpack]]. [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|Shields]] work the same way.

Note that the world of DF seems to have a lot of left handers, so do not be surprised if your character holds the weapon with the left hand and the [[Armor#Shields and Bucklers|shield]] with the right hand.

== Traveling the world ==

=== How-to ===
You can walk around the whole world tile by tile if you wish, but given the size of the world, you might want to consider using another method. Pressing {{key|T}} will let see a very zoomed out map of the surrounding area. Moving about on this map is much faster, as well as it heals your adventurer, keeps him from starving, dehydrating, or getting tired. To exit this screen and explore the area you've reached, press {{k|>}}.

If there is more than one feature such as a [[Site|town]] or group of [[creatures]] on that map tile you will get to choose which one you want to arrive near.

Also while traveling on the world map, there is a chance that your adventurer can get randomly ambushed by enemies. When that happens, you must survive by either fighting them off or hide from them.

Jumping off [[Cliff|cliffs]] is not normally advisable; however, it is possible to do so by holding {{key|Alt}} while pressing the appropriate movement key. Jumping off [[Cliff|cliffs]], depending on how high you jumped, will most of the time cover your eyes in blood, which lessens visuals.

=== Finding quest locations ===
After receiving a [[quest]], you will be able to track its location using the {{key|Q}}uest log. Initially it will just give you the location on the {{key|T}}ravel map, though a lesser-known feature is its use in finding the cave entry (or other such target) once you're already in the [[Site map|local map]]. Bring up the quest log again, highlight the quest objective you're after, and {{key|z}}oom to it. It should then provide you with a local map of your current area, complete with a 3x3 box of flashing squares. This box indicates the general location of the cave's mouth. You'll still have to do some searching, but at least it's narrowed down for you. You can bring up this map at any time that you're in the local area of a quest objective.

=== Visiting abandoned fortresses ===
If you start an adventure in a world with one or more abandoned [[Fortress|fortresses]], you can take your adventurer to see the sites of your previous endeavors. When you find one of your old [[Fortress|fortresses]], you will find that everything is a mess. Items are scattered about, things are smashed up and there are probably new hostile inhabitants that you will need to fend off. Visiting your old [[Fortress|fortresses]] might prove to be rewarding, since you can find [[armor]] and [[weapons]] you made (if you made any). The best thing to be found in your [[fortress]] would probably be any left behind [[Legendary artifact|artifact]] [[weapon]] or [[armor]]. This is also probably the best (and only?) way to get [[Legendary artifact|artifact-quality]] [[weapons]] and [[armor]].

Also remember to check out any [[Engraving#Engravings|engravings]] you made while in [[fortress mode]]. When checking out [[Engraving#Engravings|engravings]] in adventure mode, they reveal a lot more specific information about the event that is engraved.

== Combat ==
Fighting is extremely detailed in adventure mode! This adds a lot of fun in the battle, since there are so many ways to injure your opponents/victims.

=== Ranged ===
If you have a [[weapon | bow]] or [[weapon | crossbow]], you can shoot arrows or bolts at enemies. You can also throw anything you can carry at enemies. Ranged attacks are highly efficient when you hit.
To fire your bow or crossbow, press {{key|f}}, and move the marker to the enemy you wish to fire upon, and press {{key|Enter}}. Same with throwing stuff, only press {{key|t}} and choose which item to throw, then choose the victim.
''Note: Throwing is slightly bugged, but in a good and fun way. You can throw captured flies, socks and even [[vomit]] if you want, with lethal effects. (Water piercing lungs, flies piercing hearts etc..)''

=== Close combat ===
To fight a [[creature]] by hitting it, you just need to walk towards the [[creature]]. Alternatively, you can press {{key|A}} and choose your target. After you've pressed {{key|A}} and are given the list of targets to attack, you can use {{key|Enter}} to choose between a normal attack and [[wrestling]] before selecting which opponent you wish to target.
A normal attack will make the adventurer hit the target with whatever [[weapon]] he holds. If he is holding no [[weapon]], he will bash with his [[Armor# Shields and Bucklers|shield]]. If he has neither a weapon nor a [[Armor# Shields and Bucklers|shield]], he will either punch his target or grab a random appendage.
In [[wrestling]], you must spend a few rounds locking the target's limbs to be able to break and splinter them (good times). Alternately, you could try gouging, pinching, or strangling them instead.

=== Wounds ===
Your adventurer will get wounded by enemies or falling (jumping) off cliffs. The best (and only?) way to heal, is to press {{key|T}}, and travel at least 1 tile in any direction. Your adventurer will be fully healed then, unless your character has wounds to the neck or head. Read more about wounds [[Wound|HERE]].

== Tips for survival ==
Dying is easy in adventurer mode, especially if you've just started out. Following these simple tips will increase your chance to survive, and reach those nice stats and legendary [[skills]]! These tips are for the faint of heart only. If you like the challenges of the game, feel free to do the opposite of what these tips say.

=== Basic Needs ===
Your adventurer gets hungry, thirsty, and drowsy, make sure your [[waterskin]] is always filled(fresh [[water]] at the [[Temple|temples]]), you carry 1-2 stacks[5] of food, and get some sleep sooner or later.

Fresh [[water]] can be found sometimes at [[Temple|temples]] and always in [[River|rivers]]. [[Water]] from [[Murky pool|pools]] is not considered fresh [[water]].

In order to obtain [[water]], you need a [[waterskin]]. Unless you are an [[elf]], you will start with a full one at the beginning of the game, but you can also buy additional ones in the [[Site|towns]].

Move right next to the [[water]] source and press {{k|I}} (capital 'i', that is) to interact in a complex manner with an item. You will be shown your [[inventory]]. Select your [[waterskin]] by pressing the letter shown to its left. If the [[inventory]] is so long that the [[waterskin]] is not shown, you may need to press {{k|/}} or {{k|*}} on the number pad to move through the pages. If you have done everything correctly, the game should offer you one or more options from which specific tile you wish to draw the [[water]]. Simply select one choice by pressing the letter to its left and the remaining free space in the [[waterskin]] will be filled with [[water]].

Note that you can not refill [[Waterskin|waterskins]] that are inside of [[Backpack|backpacks]]. You need to {{k|r}}emove it from the [[backpack]] first. Also note that you can't put [[Waterskin|waterskins]] you are holding directly into the [[backpack]] (it is not accepted as a container for that purpose). First, {{k|d}}rop the [[waterskin]] and then {{k|g}}et it again. It should be put inside the [[backpack]] automatically.

Solid food will eventually rot away. However, if you move on the travel map, you will not consume any food or water. Only if you stay on a [[Site map]] for a longer time will you first feel thirst and later hunger. A normal random [[encounter]] usually never last long enough to even generate thirst. Searching a [[quest]] [[cave]] can take longer (they are quite winding), but usually, you will not go beyond thirst if you only want to find the [[quest]] monster and kill it. Thus, carrying large stocks of food is not recommended, unless you plan something that will take a lot of time.

(''Warning:'' NEVER, EVER sleep in a hostile place, next thing you know you will be cloven asunder by your own sword, or some nasty critters will be feasting upon you)

=== <s>Living Shields</s> Companions ===

If you recruit some members to your party, you will not only gain extra damage output. You will also have someone else to take the damage instead of YOU!
When you first start out, the easiest <s>human shields</s> friends to recruit are the drunks! They are found in human towns inside the tavern with the Mayor (The building you start in if you play a human). They will gladly come with you and block some blows for you. Drunks will usually attempt low-skill wrestling and (mostly) damage-less punches. Don't expect them to last long when you meet that Giant you are supposed to kill.

To recruit someone into your party, press talk{{k|k}}, move the cursor over them, and press {{k|enter}}. Then in the conversation that follows, simply pick 'Join' from the list of options to ask them to accompany you. Children, peasants, the Mayor and Guards don't want any part of this silly adventuring malarkey.

More detailed searches of towns of various races can yield other adventurers with some actual skills. The generally have a single weapon skill ([[Maceman]], [[Swordsman]], [[Spearman]] and so on) and some armor appropriate to the wealth of the town they were occupying. You will also find Guards around towns, and while they are combat-capable they will not shirk their duty in order to accompany you on your adventures.

=== Avoid the impossible ===
Some things are harder than others. Decide for yourself is this is due to unbalancing of the game, realism or simply to add to the variety of challenges.

==== [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelob Shelob]'s in-laws, aka Giant Cave Spiders ====
Unless you are a legendary or better (ok its not possible to go beyond legendary..) bow-/crossbowman, you should at all costs AVOID giant cave spiders!! They shoot a web at you, making you immobilized while they rip your limbs off one by one. Then when you finally break free from the web, and can attack again, you've probably lost your arms while lying on the floor and the spider is about to throw you by your head up into the roof. Cave Spiders bleed to death eventually, but they know no fear nor pain, meaning they will not black out even if you manage to inflict serious damage including severed limbs. They are also capable of surviving red-level wounds to the body and legs and multiple severed limbs for long enough to eviscerate an adventurer. Leave these for the living shields to deal with while you slip out the other way, ideally from the cave entirely, never to return.

Even if you are a legendary projectile weapon user, reconsider attacking a giant cave spider because in the tight quarters of a cave you might be shooting it from stealth when a giant rat or something similarly stupid walks next to you and triggers your loss of cover. The spider would then punish your arrogance immensely.

''Note'': If absolutely required they ARE killable, but you need luck, and lots of it. Adept swordsman + Proficient shield user + Skilled ambusher manages to sneak up on it and then counterstrike + block does the job. In a suicide swordsman test run I had dethoraxation(decapitation for spiders) = instakill on the first counterstrike, second GCS got a mortal wound before it webbed me and bled to death while trying to chew through me, only broke sword wielding hand and leg. Third spider broke my shield hand and had me mortally wounded in no time after that, although i eventually killed it after unwebbing myself. That makes it ~2.5/3 chances to win, not bad for a rookie. And i was healed after each successful spider kill.

''To conclude'': Basically, as long as your shield wielding hand is intact(and shield skill is high of course) you have pretty good chances of survival in 1 on 1, otherwise you're dead. Any extra armor(in my case exceptional full plate + normal armor skill) also helps in glancing off their bites.

Another interesting thing is that before fighting one of them i threw a spear at it and it lodged in the wound, and it seems that the spider has a priority to break my grip as it repeatedly successfully broke my grip every time(that happened ~5-6 times in a row) i grabbed the lodged spear. That points to a possible distraction for a GCS in case of soloing it.

==== Arrows ====
Don't take on quests where you need to kill elite bow-/crossbowmen! Generally, avoid flying arrows! Why? Because bow/crossbowmen have the tendency to see farther than you can. They are therefore able to fire at you from beyond your sight, making it hard to see where the arrow(s) are coming from. You may therefor end up chasing the shooter in the wrong direction, giving the shooter even MORE time to turn you into a pin-cushion. Of course, this is only the case if you manage to survive the first 3-4 arrows, because arrows are BAD for anyone but the shooter's health. Piercing hits like arrows are much more likely to damage internal organs, and while you might shrug off a moderate blunt hit to the chest a similar piercing hit could directly damage one or both lungs or your heart and instantly kill you.

If you do accept a quest against an elite bowman or crossbowman and manage to reach melee range, immediately grapple its weapon, ideally by dropping yours and pulling the weapon out of its grasp entirely before throwing it away.

=== Training yourself ===
Gaining stats ([[Attributes|strength, agility, toughness]]) helps a lot when fighting. How to best train yourself?

==== Throwing ====
To find rocks simply hit "l" and look at any rock coulored tiles some of these will be simply called by the rock name (e.g. limestone) and cannot be picked up but some will be called pebbles. Rocks are practically free ammo. When you find a tile with pebbles, pick up a lot of them (there are infinite rocks), and start throwing them. You can simply throw them at the tile you are standing at. Every throw will gain you 30 points toward the skill "Throwing", and will after a while increase your stats (Strength, agility, toughness). You will need to throw 600 rocks to reach legendary Thrower (starting with no skill).

For best efficiency, drop all of your gear (including held but not worn items) and empty out your backpack near your throwing location. This is done in order to keep your inventory simple for the rock-throwing portion. Then pick up a ton of rocks by pressing {{k|g}}-{{k|a}} over and over- ideally one would pick up 600 rocks at a single time, but you will probably get bored before then. Then, mash {{k|t}}-{{k|a}}-{{k|enter}} over and over until all of your rocks are thrown back at the floor. If you are not a legendary Thrower after this, repeat. Afterwards, remember to pick up your gear and re-fill your backpack.

Thrown objects are also a cheap way to injure enemies before they reach you if you are a melee fighter.

You can also throw other stuff you find, like flies, beetles, worms, and even vomit or sand. If you have a tendency to chop off enemy limbs, you can even throw these limbs. Killing zombies with their companion's severed heads and feet is always good for a laugh. Iron men are fun, because they leave behind a nice statue for the taking which can be thrown. Arrows and weapons seem to be particularly deadly when thrown because they deal the same damage as they would in melee, including piercing or slashing damage type, but even the most innocuous or silly items can come up with a kill.

Most thrown objects deal blunt type damage, so they will break and bruise limbs, but arrows and weapons can deal their normal damage types. This is particularly useful to consider when trying for a desperate one-shot kill on a [[Giant Cave Spider]] that's about to web you and shred you into little chunks, as piercing attacks like thrown arrows and spears damage internal organs (making them more likely to get a one-hit kill, as an enemy can live through having the outside of their head moderately damaged but not from having the same amount of damage done to their brain) and thrown axes or swords can sever body parts and leave deep gashes (leading to massive bleeding or slit throats).

==== Bow/Crossbow-skill ====
This skill trains in the same fashion as throwing. You gain skill per shot, not per hit. This is a more expensive skill to train than throwing because you need to buy (or find) arrows/bolts, but is also a much more deadly skill. Fired projectiles do much more damage than thrown ones, and are also piercing type weapons which can do crippling damage to internal organs. The majority of thrown weapons are blunt and will do much more superficial bruising and bone-breaking damage- at best, a lucky hit will break someone's spine or damage internal organs to a small degree. Shooting arrows at enemies is fun, because it is very efficient and will destroy enemies quite easily.

Sadly, this also goes for enemy bow/crossbowmen. You will often be shot in the leg and crippled by an enemy you can't even see, who will then proceed to shoot you in the face until you die - which won't be very long afterwards unless you manage to find something to hide behind. This is somewhat avoidable- train in sneaking to avoid being seen by enemies that could otherwise perforate your skin, and get a good shield and armor to better keep arrows. (See below for both skills).

Make sure to take extra <s>meat shields</s> companions along with you if you're planning on using ranged weapons, it'll take time before you level the appropriate skill to bash things with your weapon in melee so it's imperative you stay out of the fighting till then. Drunks are particularly useful here, as they love to dive on things and collapse into a massive wrestling pile which you can take pot-shots at. Don't worry, you can't hit your guys. Not that you'd care.

==== Wrestling ====
Since melee weapon skills are hard train because not every hit gives points towards the skill, why not train your [[wrestling]]? When you are alone with a unconscious enemy, why not break some limbs before finishing it off? Monsters often try to break your arms and legs, so having a bit of skill in wrestling will help break those locks a lot. Also, training wrestling is a quicker way to better stats (strength, agility, toughness) because gain points per move instead of per "hit". Wrestling also handles dodging skill which is very handy to have.

A good way to train wrestling is to find an undead region on the map- preferrably Sinister if you remember the map layout from Fortress Mode. Obtain a pack of zombie herbavores therein, preferably of small size- do not attempt this with zombie [[elephants]]. Slaughter every zombie in the vicinity of this pack of herbavores but the one that you think is the most crippled, making sure to pick one with a throat to leave alike.

Press {{k|C}} and change your combat preferences from Strike to Close Combat. This means that your default attack when you press towards an enemy to making a random wrestling move, or the continuation (joint lock, break) or (strangle) if you have a break/strangle-able area held.

Then, walk over, and grab the zombie's neck (yes, with your weapon or shield- it is quite optional to drop what you're holding) and begin strangulation by holding the direction the zombie is strangling in. You will make several strangles per second and gain approximately 15 XP (tentative measure) per strangulation. Zombies cannot die from this, so you will earn enough XP to become legendary within a few minutes.

When your character becomes tired, break off from strangling and walk it off- you become less tired by ambling about aimlessly. If you become too hungry or thirsty to continue, just run away or destroy the zombie, {{k|T}}ravel, and then repeat after moving a square and back.

This can also be done at ruins, but you run the risk of weapon-carrying enemies and especially weaponmaster quest-zombies. In an undead ruin, there are also far, far more monsters in the area compared to hunting down a pack of undead animals.

==== Swimming ====
Having no swimming skill in Adventure Mode is not a particularly good thing if you intend to go near water. Anyone with no swimming skill who falls or is pulled/pushed into water will begin to drown immediately if it is over 4/7 deep, and will also be unable to climb out of water this deep - usually resulting in instant death.

To voluntarily jump into a pond or river you have to {{k|Alt}}-move off the edge of the land. This will present you with a choice of walking out into the open space above the water (immediately and unsurprisingly followed by a one-story fall) or moving directly into the water. To get back out, {{k|Alt}}-move into the riverbank/pond edge.

As long as you have at least some Swimming skill, you will be able to move around in deeper water and will gain Swimming skill for every tile you move. Without Swimming, you will have to find depth 4 water to voluntarily paddle about in with your water wings on for your first skill points. Any deeper and you'll start to drown, any shallower and you can't swim in it. Hit {{k|m}} to set your swimming options.

All in all this makes Novice Swimming an excellent starting skill, as you can (eventually) get Legendary skill simply by swimming back and forth in two squares of water and get lots of stat points in the process. However, this is mind-numbingly dull so good luck with that. One should also keep in mind that water in cooler areas may suddenly freeze when the sun starts to go down, and thus instantly kill any creatures within. As such, it's a good idea to do your training laps somewhere warm.

It also seems that you are not able to move out of water of less than (7/7) onto the river bank. In addition, while you are swimming, you can not move to the travel map! You must first leave the water.

You can crosstrain Ambushing while Swimming to save time- if you start with no Ambushing and Novice Swimming, you will be an Accomplished or Expert Ambusher, give or take, by the time you are a Legendary Swimmer. For more on Ambushing, see below.

==== Ambushing ====
The Ambusher skill is the parent to the {{k|S}}neak ability, which makes you character move more slowly and stealthily to avoid being noticed. Sneak cannot be activated if an enemy can currently see you, but you can use it immediately if you break line of sight somehow. Sneaking around will increase your Ambusher skill even if nobody is around to see you.

Unfortunately, the best way to train Ambushing is to start sneaking and just hold a direction to run, until you've run 18,000 squares (assuming you started with no skill). This takes a long time, so you may wish to train sneaking just by sneaking whenever possible while playing the game normally in order to avoid boredom.

Sneaking is particularly useful for avoiding ranged attacks, as even Novice skill allows you to get within four or five squares of an enemy before they spot you reliably. It is relatively easy at normal levels of skill to stand anywhere but right next to an enemy and not be spotted for a long time, if ever. However, standing next to sombody without them spotting you is difficult even with legendary skill. However, even if they spot you moving next to them they will only get one shot at you which is a lot better than the hundreds they would have had if you'd been blundering around in the dark too far away to even see them when they opened fire.

If you are far faster than the enemy you can sometimes swoop in, attack, and back off to 1-square distance where you are less visible. Sometimes they will spot you, but other times you can literally slice off the opponent's leg and retreat to a safe distance. This may occur because enemies can only make checks to see if you are sneaking during their own turns, and a very fast (2000+ speed) player can run in, stab them, and retreat to a safe distance before their turn comes up.

The skill also has a valuable part to play in the noble art of running away. As long as you can get out of sight of all the enemies after you at once - such as around a corner indoors, or ducking behind a tree outside - you can start sneaking and head off in another direction. If your skill is too low however the enemies might be close enough to see you as soon as you try to sneak off.

The most useful part of sneaking is undoubtedly the 'stealth throw'. While firing a missile weapon or attacking in melee will get you noticed immediately, throwing things at people will not. Stock up on dead enemies' weapons, clothing and severed body parts and you can pretend you're some gruesome comedy version of Sam Fisher. You know you want to.

==== Armor and Shield Use ====

Armor User lets you wear heavy armor without slowing down, and might control the passive block rate of armor- a very useful skill, if true, because it controls how often your shiny full plate suit will actually work.

Shield User helps the block roll you make when you are attacked. A Legendary Shield User is far, far more capable of taking on enemies, especially projectile-based weaponmasters whose bolts and arrows are blockable with a shield to a far greater degree than with one's torso, so it is worthwhile to train these two skills.

Normally, you gain 10 Shield User XP per time you block an attack with a shield, and 2 Armor User XP per time you are attacked while wearing armor. This means that to gain the 18,000 XP necessary for legendary, you must block 1800 strikes, and be attacked at least 9000 times. Naturally, this could take some time- time in which a low-skill adventurer may die from attacks by worthy opponents.

However, a useful shortcut exists- if you find a small zombie herbavore to strangle in the above wrestling training method, you can also (if it is a small and non-dangerous animal such as a zombie [[groundhog]]) lay down next to it and hold {{k|5}} to sit down next to the animal and block its attacks over and over. This is still slow, but leagues faster than waiting to train while fighting- it also means that you are probably not in any danger assuming you picked a sufficiently pathetic type of animal.

Warnings- Make sure that you have your {{k|c}}ombat preference set to Close Combat, otherwise you may counterstrike and kill the zombie. Grab the zombie's throat, and then begin holding 5- this way, you will strangle it during a counterstrike instead of doing something that may actually hurt it such as punching or counterstriking with your weapon.

It is probably also preferable to start with a modicum of skill in Armor and Shield using to make sure you don't accidentally get instakilled or crippled and are good at blocking with your shield to gain XP fast. You'll also want to have non-crappy armor and a good shield or two (dual wielding shields may increase your ability to block) to maximize your ability to block and to make sure you are taking as little as possible damage, if any at all, during training.

=== Summary ===
*Recruit some living spearcatchers
*Avoid flying arrows
*Throw rocks/statues/socks/bugs at enemies that still haven't reached you
*Train your stats before taking on your first quest-monster

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Adventurer mode]]

Native aluminium

2007-12-04T23:31:17Z

DuckofDoom: More proper englishitude ^-^

#REDIRECT [[Native_Aluminum]]

40d Talk:Adventurer mode

2007-12-03T01:19:36Z

DuckofDoom:

How -do- you capture flies, anyway? --[[User:Alfador|Alfador]] 19:13, 5 November 2007 (EST)

How do I jump off cliffs in adventure mode? --[[User:Keizo|Keizo]]

The [http://www.bay12games.com/cgi-local/ultimatebb.cgi forums] would probably be a better place to ask questions like these, though the movement thing would probably go well in this article. To 'catch' flies, simply be on the same tile as a swarm of them, and {{key|g}}et one as if it were an item on the ground. To jump off cliffs or other such features, hold Alt while moving, and it'll give you a choice of where you want to go in that direction. --[[User:Hesitris|Hesitris]] 06:54, 16 November 2007 (EST)

The best way to get live animals is to "L"ook/search in the square, which will dig up a multitude of small bugs. Store them in your backpack and go to town with "Spinning Live Cockroach Hits The Cougar In The Head! Its Brain Is Broken!"-ness. --[[User:DuckofDoom|DuckofDoom]] 20:19, 2 December 2007 (EST)

40d:Aluminum

2007-12-03T01:06:06Z

DuckofDoom: Explanation of why Aluminium is considered so valuable, may not be obvious to some players

{{Metal|name=Aluminum|color=#FFF|bgcolor=#CCC
|uses=
* [[Metalsmith's forge|Metal crafting]]
|ore=
* [[Native aluminum]]
|properties=
* [[Material value]] 40
}}
'''Aluminum''' is a [[metal]] found as an [[ore]] in small clusters of [[native aluminum]]. Most modern aluminum production is artificial and requires electricity, so the rarity of this metal in the Dwarf Fortress universe makes it extremely valuable- It has the same [[material value]] as [[Platinum]], making it useful to put in [[noble|nobles']] rooms to increase [[room|room quality]]. It is not usable for [[weapon|weaponry]] or [[armor]].
[[Category:Metals]]

40d:Aluminum

2007-12-03T01:03:49Z

DuckofDoom:

{{Metal|name=Aluminum|color=#FFF|bgcolor=#CCC
|uses=
* [[Metalsmith's forge|Metal crafting]]
|ore=
* [[Native aluminum]]
|properties=
* [[Material value]] 40
}}
'''Aluminum''' is an extremely valuable [[metal]] found as an [[ore]] in small clusters of [[native aluminum]]. It has the same [[material value]] as [[Platinum]], making it useful to put in [[noble|nobles']] rooms to increase [[room|room quality]]. It is not usable for [[weapon|weaponry]] or [[armor]].
[[Category:Metals]]

40d:Aluminum

2007-12-03T01:03:14Z

DuckofDoom: Added info on Aluminium

{{Metal|name=Aluminum|color=#FFF|bgcolor=#CCC
|uses=
* [[Metalsmith's forge|Metal crafting]]
|ore=
* [[Native aluminum]]
|properties=
* [[Material value]] 40
}}
'''Aluminum''' is an extremely valuable [[metal]] found as an [[ore]] in small clusters of [[native aluminum]]. It has the same [[material value]] as [[Platinum]], making it useful to put in [[noble|nobles']] rooms to increase [[room quality]]. It is not usable for [[weaponry]] or [[armor]].
[[Category:Metals]]

40d:Carp

2007-11-26T02:33:58Z

DuckofDoom:

'' "I think I made fish too hardcore" ''--[[Toady One]]

These little monsters are challenging [[elephant]]s for the post of King of Beasts. Not only because they can drag a fully grown dwarf into the water and nibble him to death, but also because they can stare at your fisherdwarf and send them staggering back into a cliff. To make things worse, [[Ambusher|hunters]] will unload their whole quivers on them, oblivious of nearby animals walking on land. Carps will however die after the first winter if you are lucky enough to have a map which freezes. Alternatively, try draining all the rivers and lakes to air drown them (but be wary not to water drown your dwarves in the process).

==Explanation==

The carp's status as a cold-blooded dwarf killer is no doubt due to the fact that [[Toady One]] simply used a default bite attack for the carp (as with most of the new beings in v0.27.169.33a). The carp, half the size of a dwarf, has a bite attack which inflicts 1-6 damage points. Compared to the strength of a dwarven punch (1-2 damage points), it is easy to see that it is simply an oversight and will be fixed some time in the future.

The carp's propensity to attack creatures outside of its element and its ability to scare away dwarves it could never really reach is better classifiable as a bug. The same could be said about the hunters ability to target and attack them.

Carp also used to gain attributes from skill increases. Previously, innate swimmers gained attributes as they gained swim skill. This has been changed, and innate swimmers no longer gain swimming skill (or stat increases) as of 0.27.169.33b.

{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Animals]]

40d:Carp

2007-11-26T02:33:27Z

DuckofDoom: Quote on carp

''I think I made fish too hardcore''--[[Toady One]]

These little monsters are challenging [[elephant]]s for the post of King of Beasts. Not only because they can drag a fully grown dwarf into the water and nibble him to death, but also because they can stare at your fisherdwarf and send them staggering back into a cliff. To make things worse, [[Ambusher|hunters]] will unload their whole quivers on them, oblivious of nearby animals walking on land. Carps will however die after the first winter if you are lucky enough to have a map which freezes. Alternatively, try draining all the rivers and lakes to air drown them (but be wary not to water drown your dwarves in the process).

==Explanation==

The carp's status as a cold-blooded dwarf killer is no doubt due to the fact that [[Toady One]] simply used a default bite attack for the carp (as with most of the new beings in v0.27.169.33a). The carp, half the size of a dwarf, has a bite attack which inflicts 1-6 damage points. Compared to the strength of a dwarven punch (1-2 damage points), it is easy to see that it is simply an oversight and will be fixed some time in the future.

The carp's propensity to attack creatures outside of its element and its ability to scare away dwarves it could never really reach is better classifiable as a bug. The same could be said about the hunters ability to target and attack them.

Carp also used to gain attributes from skill increases. Previously, innate swimmers gained attributes as they gained swim skill. This has been changed, and innate swimmers no longer gain swimming skill (or stat increases) as of 0.27.169.33b.

{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Animals]]

40d:Losing

2007-11-26T02:27:10Z

DuckofDoom: Sieges don't work in current version

Losing is fun!

Most new players will lose their first few forts; if you lose a fortress, don't feel like you don't understand the game. Dwarf Fortress has a steep learning curve, and part of the appeal is discovering things for yourself. However, this Wiki serves as an excellent place to speed up the learning process.

== Autopsy ==

Various things can cause you to lose a fortress.

=== Losing your miners ===

If your [[miner]]s are killed in a collapse and their equipment destroyed, chances are good that you will no longer be able to continue your efforts. Consider abandoning your fortress. Alternatively, you can try to keep your fortress running long enough to request additional picks from your Outpost Liaison, who will arrive with the next dwarven trade [[caravan]]. It will take another year before they will return. 
Also consider the tedious but fun option of making buildings outside! If your woodcutter(s) with axe(s) are still available, then you can build structures of wood. This is not recommended for very new players though, as it is intensly resource-demanding and takes alot of managing to get right. (Also not recommended if you don't understand the z-axis system yet.)

=== Starvation ===

A serious danger, generally in the more inhospitable climates, is the loss of your dwarves due to starvation; if you are in the heart of a mountain with no soil to build on, it is possible you will not be able to establish farms. As dwarves begin to starve, they will become Hungry, then Starving. This will cause them to become very angry. When they die, their friends will become upset and will become even angrier, potentially causing the remainder of your fortress to break out in a terminal brawl.

Don't forget your alternative sources of [[food]]. Try [[butchering]] your animals, [[plant gathering|gathering plants]], or resorting to [[hunting]] of local wildlife.

===Dehydration===

One of the biggest problems with a fortress that has no [[brook]], [[stream]], [[river]], or other source of fresh [[water]]. Water must be rapidly gathered from stagnant pools and stored into an indoor basin or water tower, with sufficient depth before it [[evaporate]]s. If this fails, all of the water on the map will evaporate and your dwarves will be left without any water.

[[Brewing]] can alleviate these problems, but in the future brewing will also require water.

===Flooding accidents===

The opposite side of the dehydration spectrum is having too ''much'' water. Remember that water can [[flow]] in (probably) all 26 directions. It is also worth remembering that, unlike water, magma will not warn you if you dig a hole in a wall diagonally to a the source, although it (probably) also does not flow up like water in the current version. This is expected to change later when Magma is programmed to follow the same type of flow physics as Water.

If your fortress is beginning to flood from [[sourced water]], abandon all of the levels the water can reach immediately—drafting dwarves into the [[military]] and stationing them onto the surface if need be. You will never be able to recover those areas unless you can manage to pump out the water faster than it floods in, which can take over a year or two of game time to establish a functioning automated pump system. Generally, a flooding accident spells doom for your fortress.

===Invasion===

The [[goblin]]s first come with about a dozen soldiers to [[siege]] your fort. Then they come again with about two dozen. Then three. Soon enough your [[trap]]s are all sprung, your [[door]]s beaten down, and your dwarves are dead. Without some simple [[Fortress defense|defense]]s, such as a [[moat]], a horde of goblins on your doorstep can be deadly. Sieges by goblins and presumably other civilizations are currently bugged {{version|v0.27.169.33c}}, so this thread is not as much of a threat as it was in earlier versions or will be in later ones.

===Volcanic Death===

Toady has stated that in the future volcanoes will be much less stable and much more deadly.

40d:Losing

2007-11-26T01:28:28Z

DuckofDoom: flooding- Magma doesn't flow up regardless of pressure

Losing is fun!

Most new players will lose their first few forts; if you lose a fortress, don't feel like you don't understand the game. Dwarf Fortress has a steep learning curve, and part of the appeal is discovering things for yourself. However, this Wiki serves as an excellent place to speed up the learning process.

== Autopsy ==

Various things can cause you to lose a fortress.

=== Losing your miners ===

If your [[miner]]s are killed in a collapse and their equipment destroyed, chances are good that you will no longer be able to continue your efforts. Consider abandoning your fortress. Alternatively, you can try to keep your fortress running long enough to request additional picks from your Outpost Liaison, who will arrive with the next dwarven trade [[caravan]]. It will take another year before they will return.

=== Starvation ===

A serious danger, generally in the more inhospitable climates, is the loss of your dwarves due to starvation; if you are in the heart of a mountain with no soil to build on, it is possible you will not be able to establish farms. As dwarves begin to starve, they will become Hungry, then Starving. This will cause them to become very angry. When they die, their friends will become upset and will become even angrier, potentially causing the remainder of your fortress to break out in a terminal brawl.

Don't forget your alternative sources of [[food]]. Try [[butchering]] your animals, [[plant gathering|gathering plants]], or resorting to [[hunting]] of local wildlife.

===Dehydration===

One of the biggest problems with a fortress that has no [[brook]], [[stream]], [[river]], or other source of fresh [[water]]. Water must be rapidly gathered from stagnant pools and stored into an indoor basin or water tower, with sufficient depth before it [[evaporate]]s. If this fails, all of the water on the map will evaporate and your dwarves will be left without any water.

[[Brewing]] can alleviate these problems, but in the future brewing will also require water.

===Flooding accidents===

The opposite side of the dehydration spectrum is having too ''much'' water. Remember that water can [[flow]] in (probably) all 26 directions. It is also worth remembering that, unlike water, magma will not warn you if you dig a hole in a wall diagonally to a the source, although it (probably) also does not flow up like water in the current version. This is expected to change later when Magma is programmed to follow the same type of flow physics as Water.

If your fortress is beginning to flood from [[sourced water]], abandon all of the levels the water can reach immediately—drafting dwarves into the [[military]] and stationing them onto the surface if need be. You will never be able to recover those areas unless you can manage to pump out the water faster than it floods in, which can take over a year or two of game time to establish a functioning automated pump system. Generally, a flooding accident spells doom for your fortress.

===Invasion===

The [[goblin]]s first come with about a dozen soldiers to [[siege]] your fort. Then they come again with about two dozen. Then three. Soon enough your [[trap]]s are all sprung, your [[door]]s beaten down, and your dwarves are dead. Without some simple [[Fortress defense|defense]]s, such as a [[moat]], a horde of goblins on your doorstep can be deadly.

===Volcanic Death===

Toady has stated that in the future volcano's will be much less stable and much more deadly.

40d:Philosopher

2007-11-26T01:22:03Z

DuckofDoom: Noble box

{{Noble
| noble= Philosopher
| arrival=
* Unknown
| function=
* None?
}}
The philosopher is a [[noble]] who arrives via immigration. It is not currently known what the trigger for his arrival is.

The philosopher has no worldly needs and makes no mandates, but also appears to perform no useful function.

40d:Philosopher

2007-11-26T01:19:51Z

DuckofDoom: New page: The philosopher is a noble who arrives via immigration. It is not currently known what the trigger for his arrival is. The philosopher has no worldly needs and makes no mandates, but ...

The philosopher is a [[noble]] who arrives via immigration. It is not currently known what the trigger for his arrival is.

The philosopher has no worldly needs and makes no mandates, but also appears to perform no useful function.

40d:Consoler

2007-11-26T01:18:07Z

DuckofDoom:

Consoler is a social [[skill]]. It appears to be useful for comforting dwarves after they lose something (a family member, a masterpiece, etc.) and would otherwise begin tantruming. It has been observed that a tantrumming dwarf has stopped and calmed down after talking with someone with Novice Consoler or Novice [[Pacifier]]. This is indicated within both dwarves' thoughts/mood screen.

Skilled consolers probably calm dwarves down more easily. Sometimes an attempt to console someone will fail. The chance of this is likely also decreased by skill in consoling.

40d:Pacifier

2007-11-26T01:17:03Z

DuckofDoom:

Pacifier is a social [[skill]]. It appears to be useful for calming down tantruming dwarves. It has been observed that an angry dwarf has stopped and calmed down after talking with someone with Novice [[Consoler]] or Novice Pacifier. This is indicated within its thoughts/mood screen.

Skilled pacifiers probably calm dwarves down more easily. Sometimes an attempt to pacify someone will fail. The chance of this is likely also decreased by skill in pacification.

40d:Pacifier

2007-11-26T01:15:44Z

DuckofDoom: New page: Pacifier is a social skill. It appears to be useful for calming down tantruming dwarves. It has been observed that an angry dwarf has stopped and calmed down after talking with someone...

Pacifier is a social [[skill]]. It appears to be useful for calming down tantruming dwarves. It has been observed that an angry dwarf has stopped and calmed down after talking with someone with Novice Consoler or Novice [[Pacifier]]. This is indicated within its thoughts/mood screen.

Skilled pacifiers probably calm dwarves down more easily.

40d:Consoler

2007-11-26T01:14:46Z

DuckofDoom: New page: Consoler is a social skill. It appears to be useful for comforting dwarves after they lose something and would otherwise begin tantruming. It has been observed that a tantrumming dwarf...

Consoler is a social [[skill]]. It appears to be useful for comforting dwarves after they lose something and would otherwise begin tantruming. It has been observed that a tantrumming dwarf has stopped and calmed down after talking with someone with Novice Consoler or Novice [[Pacifier]].

Skilled consolers probably calm dwarves down more easily.

40d:Adventurer mode

2007-11-25T22:20:40Z

DuckofDoom: missed commas, grammar, rephrasings

In '''adventurer mode''', you pick a race ([[elf]], [[dwarf]] or [[human]]) and start out in either a town of your race or in a previous fortress you played on. You can receive [[quest]]s, venture into the wilderness to find caves, abandoned towers and other villages. You can even visit your old fortresses and find whatever riches were left to be guarded by the creatures that fated your fortress.

== Your first adventure ==

=== Picking a race ===
When it comes to picking a race, there is difference in skills. [[Dwarves]] cannot wear human sized [[armor]], and are somewhat limited in the [[weapons]] they can wield due to their size. [[Elves]] have a slightly different set of skills. [[Humans]] are generally fairly well-balanced, and are the easiest to acquire quests from. Each race fares differently in combat; you may wish to look at the races' pages for the finer details.

=== Choosing skills ===
Basically, if you want to start with a weapon, you need to avoid having the most points spent in unarmored/[[wrestling]]. If you, for example, choose to start out with most points in [[swordsman]], you will start out with a [[sword]]. When you have chosen your preferred set of skills, you can press {{key|Enter}} to embark.

=== Setting out ===
If you chose human, you will start out inside the Mayor's house. You will see the Mayor (purple) and probably several [[drunks]]. Press {{key|k}} and talk to the Mayor. Press 'services' for a [[quest]]. You can talk to the drunks and recruit them to your party for some additional combat aid. Be sure to read the [[Adventure Mode quick reference]] or use the help files for more information on the commands in Adventure mode.

=== Trading ===
In towns you can find merchants inside some buildings. Talk to them to trade with them. After buying an item, you must pick it up manually from somewhere in the shop.

=== Equipping your adventurer ===
After acquiring armor from one source or another, you'll most likely want to equip it. To do this, first make sure it is in your possession--not on the ground. You can then {{key|p}}ut it on, granted you don't already have too much on that equipment slot already. You can {{key|r}}emove or {{key|d}}rop inferior equipment as necessary.

== Travelling the world ==

=== How-to ===
You can walk around the whole world tile by tile if you wish, but given the size of the world, you might want to consider using another method. Pressing {{key|T}} will let see a very zoomed out map of the surrounding area. Moving about on this map is much faster, as well as it heals your adventurer, keeps him from starving, dehydrating, or getting tired. To exit this screen and explore the area you've reached, press {{k|>}}.

=== Finding quest locations ===
After receiving a quest, you will be able to track its location using the {{key|Q}}uest log. Initially it will just give you the location on the {{key|T}}ravel map, though a lesser-known feature is its use in finding the cave entry (or other such target) once you're already in the local map. Bring up the quest log again, highlight the quest objective you're after, and {{key|z}}oom to it. It should then provide you with a local map of your current area, complete with a 3x3 box of flashing squares. This box indicates the general location of the cave's mouth. You'll still have to do some searching, but at least it's narrowed down for you. You can bring up this map at any time that you're in the local area of a quest objective.

=== Visiting abandoned fortresses ===
If you start an adventure in a world with one or more abandoned fortresses, you can take your adventurer to see the sites of your previous endeavors. When you find one of your old fortresses, you will find that everything is a mess. Items are scattered about, things are smashed up and there are probably new hostile inhabitants that you will need to fend off. Visiting your old fortresses might prove to be rewarding, since you can find armor and weapons you made (if you made any). The best thing to be found in your fortress would probably be any left behind artifact weapon or armor. This is also probably the best (and only?) way to get artifact-quality weapons and armor.

Also remember to check out any engravings you made while in fortress mode. When checking out engravings in adventure mode, they reveal a lot more specific information about the event that is engraved.

== Combat ==
Fighting is extremely detailed in adventure mode! This adds alot of fun in the battle, since there are so many ways to injure your opponents/victims.

=== Ranged ===
If you have a [[weapon | bow]] or [[weapon | crossbow]], you can shoot arrows or bolts at enemies. You can also throw anything you can carry at enemies. Ranged attacks are highly efficient when you hit.
To fire your bow or crossbow, press {{key|f}}, and move the marker to the enemy you wish to fire upon, and press {{key|Enter}}. Same with throwing stuff, only press {{key|t}} and choose wich item to throw, then choose the victim.
''Note: Throwing is slightly bugged, but in a good and fun way. You can throw captured flies, socks and even vomit if you want, with lethal effects. (Water piercing lungs, flies piercing hearts etc..)''

=== Close combat ===
To fight a creature by hitting it, you just need to walk towards the creature. Alternatively, you can press {{key|A}} and choose your target. After you've pressed {{key|A}} and are given the list of targets to attack, you can use {{key|Enter}} to choose between a normal attack and [[wrestling]] before selecting which opponent you wish to target.
A normal attack will make the adventurer hit the target with whatever weapon he holds. If he is holding no weapon, he will bash with his shield. If he has neither a weapon nor a shield, he will either punch his target or grab a random appendage.
In [[wrestling]], you must spend a few rounds locking the target's limbs to be able to break and splinter them (good times). Alternately, you could try gouging, pinching, or strangling them instead.

=== Wounds ===
Your adventurer will get wounded by enemies or falling (jumping) off cliffs. The best (and only?) way to heal, is to press {{key|T}}, and travel at least 1 tile in any direction. Your adventurer will be fully healed then. Read more about wounds [[Wound|HERE]].

== Tips for survival ==
Dying is easy in adventurer mode, especially if you've just started out. Following these simple tips will increase your chance to survive, and reach those nice stats and legendary skills! These tips are for the faint of heart only. If you like the challenges of the game, feel free to do the opposite of what these tips say.

=== <s>Living Shields</s> Companions ===

If you recruit some members to your party, you will not only gain extra damage output. You will also have someone else to take the damage instead of YOU!
When you first start out, the easiest <s>human shields</s> friends to recruit are the drunks! They are found in human towns inside the tavern with the Mayor (The building you start in if you play a human). They will gladly come with you and block some blows for you. Drunks will usually attempt low-skill wrestling and (mostly) damage-less punches. Don't expect them to last long when you meet that Giant you are supposed to kill.

To recruit someone into your party, press talk{{k|k}}, move the cursor over them, and press {{k|enter}}. Then in the conversation that follows, simply pick 'Join' from the list of options to ask them to accompany you. Children, peasants, the Mayor and Guards don't want any part of this silly adventuring malarkey.

More detailed searches of towns of various races can yield other adventurers with some actual skills. The generally have a single weapon skill ([[Maceman]], [[Swordsman]], [[Spearman]] and so on) and some armor appropriate to the wealth of the town they were occupying. You will also find Guards around towns, and while they are combat-capable they will not shirk their duty in order to accompany you on your adventures.

=== Avoid the impossible ===
Some things are harder than others. Decide for yourself is this is due to unbalancing of the game, realism or simply to add to the variety of challenges.

==== Giant Cave Spiders ====
Unless you are a legendary or better (ok its not possible to go beyond legendary..) bow-/crossbowman, you should at all costs AVOID giant cave spiders!! They shoot a web at you, making you immobilized while they rip your limbs off one by one. Then when you finally break free from the web, and can attack again, you've probably lost your arms while lying on the floor and the spider is about to throw you by your head up into the roof. Cave Spiders bleed to death eventually, but they know no fear nor pain, meaning they will not black out even if you manage to inflict serious damage including severed limbs. They are also capable of surviving red-level wounds to the body and legs and multiple severed limbs for long enough to eviscerate an adventurer. Leave these for the living shields to deal with while you slip out the other way, ideally from the cave entirely, never to return.

Even if you are a legendary projectile weapon user, reconsider attacking a giant cave spider because in the tight quarters of a cave you might be shooting it from stealth when a giant rat or something similarly stupid walks next to you and triggers your loss of cover. The spider would then punish your arrogance immensely.

==== Arrows ====
Don't take on quests where you need to kill elite bow-/crossbowmen! Generally, avoid flying arrows! Why? Because bow/crossbowmen have the tendency to see farther than you can. They are therefore able to fire at you from beyond your sight, making it hard to see where the arrow(s) are coming from. You may therefor end up chasing the shooter in the wrong direction, giving the shooter even MORE time to turn you into a pin-cushion. Of course, this is only the case if you manage to survive the first 3-4 arrows, because arrows are BAD for anyone but the shooter's health. Piercing hits like arrows are much more likely to damage internal organs, and while you might shrug off a moderate blunt hit to the chest a similar piercing hit could directly damage one or both lungs or your heart and instantly kill you.

If you do accept a quest against an elite bowman or crossbowman and manage to reach melee range, immediately grapple its weapon, ideally by dropping yours and pulling the weapon out of its grasp entirely before throwing it away.

=== Training yourself ===
Gaining stats (strength, agility, toughness) helps alot when fighting. How to best train yourself?

==== Throwing ====
While walking around on a creature-less place, you should occasionally press {{key|g}} to check for rocks. Rocks are practically free ammo. When you find a tile with rocks, pick up a lot of them (there are infinite rocks), and start throwing them. You can simply throw them at the tile you are standing at. Every throw will gain you 30 points toward the skill "Throwing", and will after a while increase your stats (Strength, agility, toughness). You will need to throw 600 rocks to reach legendary Thrower (starting with no skill).

Thrown objects are also a cheap way to injure enemies before they reach you if you are a melee fighter.

You can also throw other stuff you find, like flies, beetles, worms, and even vomit. If you have a tendency to chop off enemy limbs, you can even throw these limbs. Killing zombies with their companion's severed heads and feet is always good for a laugh. Iron men are fun, because they leave behind a nice statue for the taking which can be thrown. Arrows and weapons seem to be particularly deadly when thrown, but even the most innocuous or silly items can come up with a kill.

Most thrown objects deal blunt type damage, so they will break and bruise limbs, but arrows and weapons can deal their normal damage types. This is particularly useful to consider when trying for a desperate one-shot kill on a [[Giant Cave Spider]] that's about to web you and shred you into little chunks, as piercing attacks like thrown arrows and spears damage internal organs (making them more likely to get a one-hit kill, as an enemy can live through having the outside of their head moderately damaged but not from having the same amount of damage done to their brain) and thrown axes or swords can sever body parts and leave deep gashes (leading to massive bleeding or slit throats).

==== Bow/Crossbow-skill ====
This skill trains in the same fashion as throwing. You gain skill per shot, not per hit. This is a more expensive skill to train than throwing because you need to buy (or find) arrows/bolts, but is also a much more deadly skill. Fired projectiles do much more damage than thrown ones, and are also piercing type weapons which can do crippling damage to internal organs. The majority of thrown weapons are blunt and will do much more superficial bruising and bone-breaking damage. Shooting arrows at enemies is fun, because it is very efficient. Sadly, that also goes for enemy bow/crossbowmen. You will often be shot in the leg and crippled by an enemy you can't even see, who will then proceed to shoot you in the face until you die - which won't be very long afterwards unless you manage to find something to hide behind.

Make sure to take extra <s>meat shields</s> companions along with you if you're planning on using ranged weapons, it'll take time before you level the appropriate skill to bash things with your weapon in melee so it's imperative you stay out of the fighting till then. Drunks are particularly useful here, as they love to dive on things and collapse into a massive wrestling pile which you can take pot-shots at. Don't worry, you can't hit your guys. Not that you'd care.

==== Wrestling ====
Since melee weapon skills are hard train because not every hit gives points towards the skill, why not train your wrestling? When you are alone with a unconscious creep, why not break some limbs before finishing it off? Creeps are always going to try to break your arms and legs, so having a bit of skill in wrestling will help break those locks a lot. Also, training wrestling is a quicker way to better stats (strength, agility, toughness) because gain points per move instead of per "hit". Wrestling also handles dodging skill which is very handy to have.

==== Swimming ====
Having no swimming skill in Adventure Mode is not a particularly good thing if you intend to go near water. Anyone with no swimming skill who falls or is pulled/pushed into water will begin to drown immediately if it is over 4/7 deep, and will also be unable to climb out of water this deep - usually resulting in instant death.

To voluntarily jump into a pond or river you have to {{k|Alt}}-move off the edge of the land. This will present you with a choice of walking out into the open space above the water (immediately and unsurprisingly followed by a one-story fall) or moving directly into the water. To get back out, {{k|Alt}}-move into the riverbank/pond edge.

As long as you have at least some Swimming skill, you will be able to move around in deeper water and will gain Swimming skill for every tile you move. Without Swimming, you will have to find depth 4 water to voluntarily paddle about in with your water wings on for your first skill points. Any deeper and you'll start to drown, any shallower and you can't swim in it. Hit {{k|m}} to set your swimming options.

All in all this makes Novice Swimming an excellent starting skill, as you can (eventually) get Legendary skill simply by swimming back and forth in two squares of water and get lots of stat points in the process. However, this is mind-numbingly dull so good luck with that.

==== Ambushing ====
The Ambusher skill is the parent to the {{k|S}}neak ability, which makes you character move more slowly and stealthily to avoid being noticed. Sneak cannot be activated if an enemy can currently see you, but you can use it immediately if you break line of sight somehow. Sneaking around will increase your Ambusher skill even if nobody is around to see you.

Sneaking is particularly useful for avoiding ranged attacks, as even Novice skill allows you to get within four or five squares of an enemy before they spot you reliably. Standing next to sombody without them spotting you is difficult even with legendary skill. However, even if they spot you moving next to them they will only get one shot at you which is a lot better than the hundreds they would have had if you'd been blundering around in the dark too far away to even see them when they opened fire.

The skill also has a valuable part to play in the noble art of running away. As long as you can get out of sight of all the enemies after you at once - such as around a corner indoors, or ducking behind a tree outside - you can start sneaking and head off in another direction. If your skill is too low however the enemies might be close enough to see you as soon as you try to sneak off.

The most useful part of sneaking is undoubtedly the 'stealth throw'. While firing a missile weapon or attacking in melee will get you noticed immediately, throwing things at people will not. Stock up on dead enemies' weapons, clothing and severed body parts and you can pretend you're some gruesome comedy version of Sam Fisher. You know you want to.

=== Summary ===
-Recruit some living spearcatchers 
-Avoid flying arrows 
-Throw rocks/statues/socks/bugs at enemies that still haven't reached you 
-Train your stats before taking on your first quest-monster 

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Adventurer mode]]

40d:Adventurer mode

2007-11-25T22:17:37Z

DuckofDoom: Toughness of spiders, why not to fight from stealth, spelling corrections, tip on fighting elite projectile users

In '''adventurer mode''', you pick a race ([[elf]], [[dwarf]] or [[human]]) and start out in either a town of your race or in a previous fortress you played on. You can receive [[quest]]s, venture into the wilderness to find caves, abandoned towers and other villages. You can even visit your old fortresses and find whatever riches were left to be guarded by the creatures that fated your fortress.

== Your first adventure ==

=== Picking a race ===
When it comes to picking a race, there is difference in skills. [[Dwarves]] cannot wear human sized [[armor]], and are somewhat limited in the [[weapons]] they can wield due to their size. [[Elves]] have a slightly different set of skills. [[Humans]] are generally fairly well-balanced, and are the easiest to acquire quests from. Each race fares differently in combat; you may wish to look at the races' pages for the finer details.

=== Choosing skills ===
Basically, if you want to start with a weapon, you need to avoid having the most points spent in unarmored/[[wrestling]]. If you, for example, choose to start out with most points in [[swordsman]], you will start out with a [[sword]]. When you have chosen your preferred set of skills, you can press {{key|Enter}} to embark.

=== Setting out ===
If you chose human, you will start out inside the Mayor's house. You will see the Mayor (purple) and probably several [[drunks]]. Press {{key|k}} and talk to the Mayor. Press 'services' for a [[quest]]. You can talk to the drunks and recruit them to your party for some additional combat aid. Be sure to read the [[Adventure Mode quick reference]] or use the help files for more information on the commands in Adventure mode.

=== Trading ===
In towns you can find merchants inside some buildings. Talk to them to trade with them. After buying an item, you must pick it up manually from somewhere in the shop.

=== Equipping your adventurer ===
After acquiring armor from one source or another, you'll most likely want to equip it. To do this, first make sure it is in your possession--not on the ground. You can then {{key|p}}ut it on, granted you don't already have too much on that equipment slot already. You can {{key|r}}emove or {{key|d}}rop inferior equipment as necessary.

== Travelling the world ==

=== How-to ===
You can walk around the whole world tile by tile if you wish, but given the size of the world, you might want to consider using another method. Pressing {{key|T}} will let see a very zoomed out map of the surrounding area. Moving about on this map is much faster, as well as it heals your adventurer, keeps him from starving, dehydrating, or getting tired. To exit this screen and explore the area you've reached, press {{k|>}}.

=== Finding quest locations ===
After receiving a quest, you will be able to track its location using the {{key|Q}}uest log. Initially it will just give you the location on the {{key|T}}ravel map, though a lesser-known feature is its use in finding the cave entry (or other such target) once you're already in the local map. Bring up the quest log again, highlight the quest objective you're after, and {{key|z}}oom to it. It should then provide you with a local map of your current area, complete with a 3x3 box of flashing squares. This box indicates the general location of the cave's mouth. You'll still have to do some searching, but at least it's narrowed down for you. You can bring up this map at any time that you're in the local area of a quest objective.

=== Visiting abandoned fortresses ===
If you start an adventure in a world with one or more abandoned fortresses, you can take your adventurer to see the sites of your previous endeavors. When you find one of your old fortresses, you will find that everything is a mess. Items are scattered about, things are smashed up and there are probably new hostile inhabitants that you will need to fend off. Visiting your old fortresses might prove to be rewarding, since you can find armor and weapons you made (if you made any). The best thing to be found in your fortress would probably be any left behind artifact weapon or armor. This is also probably the best (and only?) way to get artifact-quality weapons and armor.

Also remember to check out any engravings you made while in fortress mode. When checking out engravings in adventure mode, they reveal a lot more specific information about the event that is engraved.

== Combat ==
Fighting is extremely detailed in adventure mode! This adds alot of fun in the battle, since there are so many ways to injure your opponents/victims.

=== Ranged ===
If you have a [[weapon | bow]] or [[weapon | crossbow]], you can shoot arrows or bolts at enemies. You can also throw anything you can carry at enemies. Ranged attacks are highly efficient when you hit.
To fire your bow or crossbow, press {{key|f}}, and move the marker to the enemy you wish to fire upon, and press {{key|Enter}}. Same with throwing stuff, only press {{key|t}} and choose wich item to throw, then choose the victim.
''Note: Throwing is slightly bugged, but in a good and fun way. You can throw captured flies, socks and even vomit if you want, with lethal effects. (Water piercing lungs, flies piercing hearts etc..)''

=== Close combat ===
To fight a creature by hitting it, you just need to walk towards the creature. Alternatively, you can press {{key|A}} and choose your target. After you've pressed {{key|A}} and are given the list of targets to attack, you can use {{key|Enter}} to choose between a normal attack and [[wrestling]] before selecting which opponent you wish to target.
A normal attack will make the adventurer hit the target with whatever weapon he holds. If he is holding no weapon, he will bash with his shield. If he has neither a weapon nor a shield, he will either punch his target or grab a random appendage.
In [[wrestling]], you must spend a few rounds locking the target's limbs to be able to break and splinter them (good times). Alternately, you could try gouging, pinching, or strangling them instead.

=== Wounds ===
Your adventurer will get wounded by enemies or falling (jumping) off cliffs. The best (and only?) way to heal, is to press {{key|T}}, and travel at least 1 tile in any direction. Your adventurer will be fully healed then. Read more about wounds [[Wound|HERE]].

== Tips for survival ==
Dying is easy in adventurer mode, especially if you've just started out. Following these simple tips will increase your chance to survive, and reach those nice stats and legendary skills! These tips are for the faint of heart only. If you like the challenges of the game, feel free to do the opposite of what these tips say.

=== <s>Living Shields</s> Companions ===

If you recruit some members to your party, you will not only gain extra damage output. You will also have someone else to take the damage instead of YOU!
When you first start out, the easiest <s>human shields</s> friends to recruit are the drunks! They are found in human towns inside the tavern with the Mayor (The building you start in if you play a human). They will gladly come with you and block some blows for you. Drunks will usually attempt low-skill wrestling and (mostly) damage-less punches. Don't expect them to last long when you meet that Giant you are supposed to kill.

To recruit someone into your party, press talk{{k|k}}, move the cursor over them, and press {{k|enter}}. Then in the conversation that follows, simply pick 'Join' from the list of options to ask them to accompany you. Children, peasants, the Mayor and Guards don't want any part of this silly adventuring malarkey.

More detailed searches of towns of various races can yield other adventurers with some actual skills. The generally have a single weapon skill ([[Maceman]], [[Swordsman]], [[Spearman]] and so on) and some armor appropriate to the wealth of the town they were occupying. You will also find Guards around towns, and while they are combat-capable they will not shirk their duty in order to accompany you on your adventures.

=== Avoid the impossible ===
Some things are harder than others. Decide for yourself is this is due to unbalancing of the game, realism or simply to add to the variety of challenges.

==== Giant Cave Spiders ====
Unless you are a legendary or better (ok its not possible to go beyond legendary..) bow-/crossbowman, you should at all costs AVOID giant cave spiders!! They shoot a web at you, making you immobilized while they rip your limbs off one by one. Then when you finally break free from the web, and can attack again, you've probably lost your arms while lying on the floor and the spider is about to throw you by your head up into the roof. Cave Spiders are also fearless and while they bleed they do not have any pain, meaning they will not black out even if you manage to inflict serious damage including severed limbs. They are also capable of surviving red-level wounds to the body and legs and multiple severed limbs for long enough to eviscerate an adventurer. Leave these for the living shields to deal with while you slip out the other way, ideally from the cave entirely never to return.

Even if you are a legendary projectile weapon user, reconsider attacking a giant cave spider because in the tight quarters of a cave you might be shooting it from stealth when a giant rat or something similarly stupid walks next to you and triggers your loss of cover. The spider would then punish your arrogance immensely.

==== Arrows ====
Don't take on quests where you need to kill elite bow-/crossbowmen! Generally, avoid flying arrows! Why? Because bow/crossbowmen have the tendency to see farther than you can. They are therefore able to fire at you from beyond your sight, making it hard to see where the arrow(s) are coming from. You may therefor end up chasing the shooter in the wrong direction, giving the shooter even MORE time to turn you into a pin-cushion. Of course, this is only the case if you manage to survive the first 3-4 arrows, because arrows are BAD for anyone but the shooter's health. Piercing hits like arrows are much more likely to damage internal organs, and while you might shrug off a moderate blunt hit to the chest a similar piercing hit could directly damage one or both lungs or your heart and instantly kill you.

If you do accept a quest against an elite bowman or crossbowman and manage to reach melee range, immediately grapple its weapon, ideally by dropping yours and pulling the weapon out of its grasp entirely before throwing it away.

=== Training yourself ===
Gaining stats (strength, agility, toughness) helps alot when fighting. How to best train yourself?

==== Throwing ====
While walking around on a creature-less place, you should occasionally press {{key|g}} to check for rocks. Rocks are practically free ammo. When you find a tile with rocks, pick up a lot of them (there are infinite rocks), and start throwing them. You can simply throw them at the tile you are standing at. Every throw will gain you 30 points toward the skill "Throwing", and will after a while increase your stats (Strength, agility, toughness). You will need to throw 600 rocks to reach legendary Thrower (starting with no skill).

Thrown objects are also a cheap way to injure enemies before they reach you if you are a melee fighter.

You can also throw other stuff you find, like flies, beetles, worms, and even vomit. If you have a tendency to chop off enemy limbs, you can even throw these limbs. Killing zombies with their companion's severed heads and feet is always good for a laugh. Iron men are fun, because they leave behind a nice statue for the taking which can be thrown. Arrows and weapons seem to be particularly deadly when thrown, but even the most innocuous or silly items can come up with a kill.

Most thrown objects deal blunt type damage, so they will break and bruise limbs, but arrows and weapons can deal their normal damage types. This is particularly useful to consider when trying for a desperate one-shot kill on a [[Giant Cave Spider]] that's about to web you and shred you into little chunks, as piercing attacks like thrown arrows and spears damage internal organs (making them more likely to get a one-hit kill, as an enemy can live through having the outside of their head moderately damaged but not from having the same amount of damage done to their brain) and thrown axes or swords can sever body parts and leave deep gashes (leading to massive bleeding or slit throats).

==== Bow/Crossbow-skill ====
This skill trains in the same fashion as throwing. You gain skill per shot, not per hit. This is a more expensive skill to train than throwing because you need to buy (or find) arrows/bolts, but is also a much more deadly skill. Fired projectiles do much more damage than thrown ones, and are also piercing type weapons which can do crippling damage to internal organs. The majority of thrown weapons are blunt and will do much more superficial bruising and bone-breaking damage. Shooting arrows at enemies is fun, because it is very efficient. Sadly, that also goes for enemy bow/crossbowmen. You will often be shot in the leg and crippled by an enemy you can't even see, who will then proceed to shoot you in the face until you die - which won't be very long afterwards unless you manage to find something to hide behind.

Make sure to take extra <s>meat shields</s> companions along with you if you're planning on using ranged weapons, it'll take time before you level the appropriate skill to bash things with your weapon in melee so it's imperative you stay out of the fighting till then. Drunks are particularly useful here, as they love to dive on things and collapse into a massive wrestling pile which you can take pot-shots at. Don't worry, you can't hit your guys. Not that you'd care.

==== Wrestling ====
Since melee weapon skills are hard train because not every hit gives points towards the skill, why not train your wrestling? When you are alone with a unconscious creep, why not break some limbs before finishing it off? Creeps are always going to try to break your arms and legs, so having a bit of skill in wrestling will help break those locks a lot. Also, training wrestling is a quicker way to better stats (strength, agility, toughness) because gain points per move instead of per "hit". Wrestling also handles dodging skill which is very handy to have.

==== Swimming ====
Having no swimming skill in Adventure Mode is not a particularly good thing if you intend to go near water. Anyone with no swimming skill who falls or is pulled/pushed into water will begin to drown immediately if it is over 4/7 deep, and will also be unable to climb out of water this deep - usually resulting in instant death.

To voluntarily jump into a pond or river you have to {{k|Alt}}-move off the edge of the land. This will present you with a choice of walking out into the open space above the water (immediately and unsurprisingly followed by a one-story fall) or moving directly into the water. To get back out, {{k|Alt}}-move into the riverbank/pond edge.

As long as you have at least some Swimming skill, you will be able to move around in deeper water and will gain Swimming skill for every tile you move. Without Swimming, you will have to find depth 4 water to voluntarily paddle about in with your water wings on for your first skill points. Any deeper and you'll start to drown, any shallower and you can't swim in it. Hit {{k|m}} to set your swimming options.

All in all this makes Novice Swimming an excellent starting skill, as you can (eventually) get Legendary skill simply by swimming back and forth in two squares of water and get lots of stat points in the process. However, this is mind-numbingly dull so good luck with that.

==== Ambushing ====
The Ambusher skill is the parent to the {{k|S}}neak ability, which makes you character move more slowly and stealthily to avoid being noticed. Sneak cannot be activated if an enemy can currently see you, but you can use it immediately if you break line of sight somehow. Sneaking around will increase your Ambusher skill even if nobody is around to see you.

Sneaking is particularly useful for avoiding ranged attacks, as even Novice skill allows you to get within four or five squares of an enemy before they spot you reliably. Standing next to sombody without them spotting you is difficult even with legendary skill. However, even if they spot you moving next to them they will only get one shot at you which is a lot better than the hundreds they would have had if you'd been blundering around in the dark too far away to even see them when they opened fire.

The skill also has a valuable part to play in the noble art of running away. As long as you can get out of sight of all the enemies after you at once - such as around a corner indoors, or ducking behind a tree outside - you can start sneaking and head off in another direction. If your skill is too low however the enemies might be close enough to see you as soon as you try to sneak off.

The most useful part of sneaking is undoubtedly the 'stealth throw'. While firing a missile weapon or attacking in melee will get you noticed immediately, throwing things at people will not. Stock up on dead enemies' weapons, clothing and severed body parts and you can pretend you're some gruesome comedy version of Sam Fisher. You know you want to.

=== Summary ===
-Recruit some living spearcatchers 
-Avoid flying arrows 
-Throw rocks/statues/socks/bugs at enemies that still haven't reached you 
-Train your stats before taking on your first quest-monster 

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Adventurer mode]]

40d:Floodgate

2007-11-24T23:01:54Z

DuckofDoom: Bauxite and Raw Adamantine mechanisms don't melt, according to wiki, Steel isn't the only magma-safe floodgate (same source)

Floodgates are objects that regulate the flow of fluids. A [[wood]], [[stone]] or [[metal]] floodgate will suffice for [[water]] flow, but only materials with a high melting point such as [[steel]] will hold back magma. Floodgates can be linked up to [[lever]]s or [[pressure plate]]s to create [[farm]]s, a water source or as a defense against invaders. An open floodgate can be walked through, a closed one can not.

Steel floodgates are essentially "one-use only" because the magma will melt the stone mechanism, thus breaking the open/close trigger. This does not appear to take place if you use [[Magma-safe_materials|bauxite or raw adamantine]] mechanisms.

If there is no roof above your floodgate and there is a water source from a higher elevation, the water might spill over it.

In the new version, floodgates are almost like [[door]]s with the 'Forbidden' option set at all times.

{{Furniture}}
[[Category:Constructions]]

40d:Soap

2007-11-24T09:46:30Z

DuckofDoom: Soap uses: None

Soap is manufactured at the [[Alchemist's laboratory]]. It appears to have no current use except as a trade item.

[[Category:Items]]

40d:Ambusher

2007-11-22T19:45:08Z

DuckofDoom: sneaking mechanics in adventure mode

Dwarves assigned to hunt automatically use the '''ambusher''' skill while hunting outside of the fortress, allowing them to sneak silently upon their prey. Dwarves using the ambush skill move [[Speed|slower]], but cannot be seen by enemies.

As an ambusher gets closer to his prey, there is a greater and greater chance he will be spotted and stop ambushing. The ambusher's chances improve as her skill improves.

[[Immigration|Immigrating]] hunter dwarves start with this skill. They come equipped with a set of [[armor|mixed chain and leather armor]], a full stack of [[Bolts|iron bolts]], and a [[Crossbow|crossbow]]. Starting dwarves with this skill get free leather armor.

In [[Adventure Mode|adventure mode]], ambusher is skilled up by {{key|S}}neaking and walking about. This will greatly reduce your [[speed]] just as it does in dwarf mode, but will cause hostile creatures not to attack you. Until you un{{key|S}}neak or someone spots you, you will gain a small amount of experience in ambushing with every step. Presently, smashing a creature's skull in with your bare hands does not count as being spotted, so the best way to tell if you're still sneaking is to check your speed in the bottom right of the screen. A peculiarity of {{key|S}}neaking is that you are (almost ?) always spotted whenever you are standing next to a creature, even if that creature is unconcious or has both eyes ripped out, and never spotted in any other case.

[[Category:Jobs]]

40d:Muskox

2007-11-22T02:53:35Z

DuckofDoom:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Muskox|symbol=M|color=rgb(192, 192, 192)|bones=9|chunks=9|meat=9|fat=6|skulls=1|skin=Yes}}

'''Muskoxen''' are available as domestic haulers and may accompany your dwarves to your fortress. They provide a sizable amount of meat, but also a large amount of clutter. Muskoxen can mate with horses to produce muskoxen calves.

They may occasionally be found in the wild in Adventure Mode, where they are mildly belligerent and rather dangerous, capable of shattering bones in a single hit.

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:MUSKOX]
[NAME:muskox:muskoxen:muskox]
[TILE:'M'][COLOR:7:0:0]
[MODVALUE:2]
[LARGE_ROAMING]
[POPULATION_NUMBER:15:30]
[CLUSTER_NUMBER:3:7]
[GENPOWER:2]
[BENIGN][MEANDERER][NATURAL][PET]
[PETVALUE:300]
[PREFSTRING:strength]
[BODY:QUADRUPED:TAIL:2EYES:2EARS:NOSE:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:MOUTH]
[BODYGLOSS:HOOF]
[SIZE:9]
[MAXAGE:10:20]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:STANCE:kick:kicks:1:2:BLUDGEON][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[CHILD:1][CHILDNAME:muskox calf:muskox calves]
[FAT:6]
[DIURNAL]
[BIOME_TUNDRA]
[BIOME_GRASSLAND_TEMPERATE]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10067]
[LAYERING:200]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
[WAGON_PULLER][PACK_ANIMAL]
[TRADE_CAPACITY:2000]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Animals]]

40d:King

2007-11-22T01:25:11Z

DuckofDoom: Adamantine King

Once your [[fortress]] becomes the capital of a [[duchy]], 'The Incoming King' will appear on your nobles screen. You will need to reach a certain architectural value, road value, and offerings required (presumably to the dwarven civ's traders) for the King to arrive. The values needed for each vary from fort to fort, but can be viewed by examining 'The Incoming King' on the nobles screen.

This is the dwarf named as ruler of the dwarf civilization in the [[Civilizations]] screen. When the King arrives, your fortress will be promoted to Mountainhome and capital of that civilization.

If you find adamantine, this noble will make a surprise arrival, dressed as a peasant. It is unknown whether he follows the same demands as the previous versions' Adamantine Kings.

Requires:

* Royal [[Bedroom]]
* Royal [[Office]]
* Royal [[dining room|Dining Room]]
* Royal [[Tomb|Mausoleum]]
* 10 [[Chest|Chests]]
* 5 [[Cabinet|Cabinets]]
* 5 [[Weapon rack|Weapon Racks]]
* 5 [[Armor stand|Armor Stands]]

[[Category:Nobles]]

40d:Noble

2007-11-22T01:24:00Z

DuckofDoom: Duke Consort can be female too, presumably

Nobles are dwarves that have special duties in addition to or instead of the duties of normal dwarves. Some nobles also have various privileges that normal dwarves do not, and will demand certain accommodations, like a [[Room#Room_grades|better office]].

Settings specific to each noble can be set on the [[Nobles_Screen|Nobles & Administrators Screen]], accessible via the {{key|n}} key.

== Appointments ==

These are nobles you can appoint through the Nobles & Administrators Screen.

* [[Expedition leader]]: Listens to the complaints of other dwarves to make them happier. Uses [[social skills]]. Is the noble who meets with outpost liaisons. It does not seem possible to reassign this post – at least while the original holder of the title remains alive. Your initial expedition leader is chosen based on managerial skills. You will find that your broker is often 'volunteered' for this job by the other dwarves. Note that if there is no obvious candidate for Expedition Leader, it is chosen randomly. Additionally, if your Expedition Leader is slain and you do not choose a new one, a random dwarf will be volunteered for the job after about half a season.
** [[Mayor]]: Promoted from expedition leader at 50 dwarves. Unlike the expedition leader, he requires decent housing and will make [[mandate]]s. Is replaced every couple of years.

* [[Outpost broker]]: Utilizes the [[appraiser]] skill and [[social skills]]. Is usually the person you send to the depot to do your trading. Lets you see the imported/exported wealth of your fortress.
** Changes name according to the status of your [[fortress]].

* [[Outpost manager]]: Utilizes the [[organizer]] skill. Allows the use of item build queues through the {{K|j}}obs -> {{K|m}}anager screen. Will need an office to do this (validating work orders) once your fortress has twenty dwarves.
** Changes name according to the status of your [[fortress]].

* [[Bookkeeper]]: Utilizes the [[record keeper]] skill. Lets you see the stocks of your fortress. Needs to do occasional jobs in an office of their own if you want precise stock keeping: otherwise, stock numbers will only be precise to one significant figure (e.g., 7163 -> 7000, 7823 -> 8000).
** Upgrades to [[treasurer]] at 100,000 fortress wealth.
** Further upgrades to [[grand treasurer]] at 200,000 fortress wealth.
** Further upgrades to [[hoardmaster]] at 300,000 fortress wealth.

* [[Sheriff]]: You may choose a dwarf to become the Sheriff after your fortress reaches a population of 20.
** [[Captain of the guard]]: Promoted from the sheriff once you reach 50 dwarves, along with the [[mayor]]. Activates [[fortress guard]].

There is substantial overlap between the expedition leader and the outpost broker's skills, so you may wish to assign them as the same person if you have time for one dwarf to both meet with traders and meet with the outpost liaison.

== Immigrant Nobles ==

These nobles appear in immigration waves and cannot be appointed by the player.

* [[Dungeon master]]: Trains and cares for animals and performs miscellaneous metalsmithing tasks.
* [[Philosopher]]: Has no labor options turned on, but has no requirements and makes no mandates.
* [[Baron|Baron(ess)]]: Activates [[dwarven economy]]. {{verify}}
** Upgrades to [[Count|Count(ess)]] at 125. {{verify}}
** Upgrade to [[Duke/Duchess]] at 140. {{verify}}
* [[Baron Consort|Baron(ess) Consort]]: Arrives with the [[Baron|Baron(ess)]].
** Upgrades to [[Count(ess) Consort]] at 125. {{verify}}
** Upgrade to [[Duke/Duchess Consort]] at 140. {{verify}}
* [[King]]: Little is known about the king at this point.
* [[Hammerer]]: He will enforce the law with his mighty hammer.
* [[Tax collector]]

[[Category:Nobles]]

40d:Weapon

2007-11-22T01:21:32Z

DuckofDoom: Pike link glossed to Pike (Weapon), currently leads to the fish instead of blank page

Weapons are items that increase the damage dealt by creatures in combat. In fortress mode, after accessing the military screen with {{K|m}}, pressing {{K|w}} gives a list of which weapons you desire your dwarves to use. Regardless of your choice here, civilians will not wield weapons until drafted.

Weapons have different properties that affect the way they deal damage. Blunt weapons like hammers and maces tend to deal large amounts of damage to external body parts, and never get stuck in targets. Slashing or cutting weapons such as axes or swords have a tendency to sever limbs on good hits, but sometimes get stuck in their victims. Piercing weapons such as spears or crossbow bolts have a high chance to deal damage to internal organs, possibly resulting in instant kills, but have the highest chance to get stuck in victims. Weapons that get stuck in their victims cannot be reused until pulled free, which can leave the attacker vulnerable. While stuck, the weapon can be twisted in the wound, possibly causing the victim to pass out from pain.

Not all weapons can be wielded by dwarves. Larger weapons like bows cannot be wielded by the stubby dwarves, they use the smaller crossbows instead. Merchant caravans will happily sell you weapons too big for you to wield, so if you are purchasing weapons for your fortress, be sure they are usable by dwarves.

Dwarves can also create weapons themselves. Wooden and bone crossbow bolts can be created at the [[craftsdwarf's workshop]]. Higher quality bolts and melee weapons can be created at a [[metalsmith's forge]]. Dwarves can only create weapons they themselves can wield, with the occasional exception of [[legendary artifact|artifact]]s.

Most weapons can be made of iron, silver, copper, bronze, steel, bismuth bronze, or adamantine. A handful of weapons can be made of other materials such as wood or obsidian. The material of crossbows does not affect the damage of fired bolts, although it does affect the damage of the crossbow when it is used as a bludgeon (i.e., when all bolts have been expended).

There are a few enormous weapons that no race can wield, these are only usable when mounted into weapon [[trap]]s. These are the menacing [[spike]], the [[large, serrated disc]], the [[spiked ball]], [[enormous corkscrew]], and the [[giant axe blade]].

In most cases, dwarves will go to pick up an assigned weapon upon being drafted. However, there are a few special cases. A woodcutter uses a battle axe even as a civilian, so if a woodcutter is assigned to use an axe as a weapon he or she will not need to prepare (except to wear any assigned armor). A hunter usually carries a crossbow, bolts and even light armor, all of which can carry over to the military if the settings are appropriate. And miners carry their picks at all times; picks make mediocre weapons, but they use the civilian "mining" skill in combat, so miners don't have to train as soldiers to be effective fighters.

Picks will only be used as weapons by miners who are not instructed to wield any other weapon (in other words, the dwarves must be set to "unarmed" and drafted while carrying a pick).

Weapons have varying amounts of damage and type, according to raw/objects/weapons.txt.{{version|0.27.169.33a}}

High "Crit. Boost" is a better chance of causing internal injuries, rather than just decreasing HP. This is useful against big, hard-to-damage enemies -- things like spears will tend to damage their organs, which is usually a faster way to take them out.

==Weapon Stats==
These have been taken from /raw/objects/item_weapon.txt:
{|cellpadding="2" border="1"
! Name !! Damage !! Damage Type !! Skill Used !! Crit. Boost
|-
| [[Battle axe]] || 110 || Slash || Axe || None
|-
| [[Blowgun]]&dagger; (melee) || 20 || Bludgeon || Sword || None
|-
| [[Bow]]&dagger; (melee) || 40 || Bludgeon || Sword || None
|-
| [[Crossbow]]&dagger; (melee) || 70 || Bludgeon || Hammer || None
|-
| [[Dagger]] || 70 || Slash || Dagger || 1
|-
| [[Flail]] || 130 || Bludgeon || Mace || None
|-
| [[Great axe]]&Dagger; || 150 || Slash || Axe || None
|-
| [[Halberd]]&Dagger; || 140 || Slash || Axe || None
|-
| [[Long sword]]&dagger; || 120 || Slash || Sword || 1
|-
| [[Mace]] || 120 || Bludgeon || Mace || None
|-
| [[Maul]]&Dagger; || 160 || Bludgeon || Hammer || None
|-
| [[Morningstar]] || 120 || Bludgeon || Mace || None
|-
| [[Pick]] || 70 || Pierce || Mining || 2
|-
| [[Pike (Weapon)|Pike]]&Dagger; || 120 || Pierce || Pike || 2
|-
| [[Scimitar]] || 100 || Slash || Sword || 1
|-
| [[Scourge]] || 30 || Gore || Whip || None
|-
| [[Short Sword]] || 100 || Slash || Sword || 1
|-
| [[Spear]] || 100 || Pierce || Spear || 2
|-
| [[Two handed sword]]&Dagger; || 140 || Slash || Sword || 1
|-
| [[War hammer]] || 120 || Bludgeon || Hammer || None
|-
| [[Whip]] || 20 || Gore || Whip || None
|-
| colspan=5 | &dagger; ''Dwarves wield weapon two-handed'' &Dagger; ''Dwarves cannot wield weapon (too large)''
|-
|}

==Ammunition Stats==
These have been taken from /raw/objects/item_ammo.txt:
{|cellpadding="2" border="1"
! Name !! Damage !! Damage Type
|-
| [[Arrow]] || 100 || Pierce
|-
| [[Blowdart]] || 10 || Pierce
|-
| [[Bolt]] || 100 || Pierce
|}

==Trap weapon statistics==
These have been taken from raw/objects/item_trapcomp.txt:
{|cellpadding="2" border="1"
! Name !! Damage !! Damage type !! Number of hits !! Critical boost !! Wood?
|-
| [[Giant axe blade]] || 220 || Slash || 1 || None || No
|-
| [[Enormous corkscrew]]&dagger; || 150 || Pierce || 1 || 2 || Yes
|-
| [[Spiked ball]] || 100 || Pierce || 3 || 1 || Yes
|-
| [[Large, serrated disc]] || 120 || Slash || 3 || None || No
|-
| [[Menacing spike]]&Dagger; || 150 || Pierce || 1 || 2 || Yes
|-
| colspan=6 | &dagger; ''This trap component is a screw and can also be used in [[screw pump]]s.'' &Dagger; ''This trap component is a spike and can also be used in upright spike traps.''
|-
|}

All trap component weapons can be made out of [[metal]], as well as [[glass]], oddly enough. Some can also be made out of [[wood]], as noted in the table. This can be useful in getting some heavy weapons traps set up before you have a steady [[smelter|smelting]] operation going. Remember though that weapons made of wood suffer a penalty to damage.

==Material Damage Effects==
Actual weapon damage depends partially on the material from which the weapon was forged. An iron battle axe does 110 damage for example, while a steel axe does 146 damage etc.

{|cellpadding="2" border="1"
! Material !! Damage %
|-
| [[Adamantine]] || 500
|-
| [[Steel]] and &dagger;[[Obsidian]] || 133
|-
| [[Iron]] || 100
|-
| [[Bronze]] and [[Bismuth bronze]] || 75
|-
| [[Copper]] || 66
|-
| &dagger;All other materials ([[wood]], [[silver]], etc.) || 50
|-
| colspan=2 | &dagger; ''This value could not be verified from the raws. It is believed to still be accurate but use at your own risk.''
|-
|}

== Item quality ==

{{old|0.27.130.23a}}
[[Toady]] has [http://www.bay12games.com/cgi-local/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=12&t=000013 stated] that [[quality]] increases its protection (or damage, in the case of weapons), namely, "Quality has a huge effect on damage and damage reduction... Exceptional is almost double damage/damage block."

* Item Name : Basic crafted weapon - x1.0 damage
* -Item Name- : Well-Crafted weapon - x1.2 damage
* +Item Name+ : Finely Crafted weapon - x1.4 damage
* *Item Name* : Superior Quality weapon - x1.6 damage
* ≡Item Name≡ : Exceptional weapon - x1.8 damage
* ☼Item Name☼ : Masterful weapon - x2.0 damage

[[Category:Fortress Defense]]
[[Category:Items]]
[[Category:Military]]
[[Category:Traps]]
[[Category:Weapons]]

40d:Wound

2007-11-22T01:17:19Z

DuckofDoom: New Version- grey injury to eyes hampers vision?

{{old|DF 0.23.130.23a}}

Creatures with severe '''wounds''' will flash with a yellow or red + icon; see [[status icons]] for a full list of status and injury indicators. A creature's injuries can be seen by pressing {{key|w}} while {{key|v}}iewing creature info in [[Fortress Mode]], or by {{key|l}}ooking at a creature and selecting their letter in [[Adventure Mode]]. Wounds are listed by body part and described by color, as displayed in the following table.

{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}

== Wounding ==

This section is incomplete; much about the [[Combat| combat system]] is unknown.

If an attack connects, the target will be wounded in some part of the body. The severity of the wound depends on 1) the strength of the attack, 2) the protective value of any armor or other protection available for that body part, and 3) a (large) random factor. Wounds are cumulative: when an already wounded body part is hit the wound will worsen, even if in adventure mode it produces the same message about the condition of the body part more than once.

The mathematics are at present pure guesswork. However, we do know that armor value does not simply subtract from damage; you can be wounded (usually lightly) by an attack substantially weaker than the protective value of your armor. Armor is vital to survivability, but it can't make you immune. Creature size is also vital; larger creatures hit harder and can endure more base damage. Attacks, especially piercing attacks with critical boosts (e.g. arrows), can damage vital internal organs located in the area of that body part.

== Effects of wounds ==

When a wound is inflicted, no matter how lightly, it will usually bleed (even if only for one turn). In [[Fortress Mode]], wounded dwarves receive various unhappy [[thoughts]], but also some positive thoughts from the rescue and recovery process (see next section).

A wounded limb or organ becomes less effective. A severe wound to an arm or hand causes held items (weapons, shields) to be dropped from that hand. Wounds to either leg often cause the target to topple over, greatly slowing it down. Pierced lungs make it easier to become Winded. Damaged internal organs often cause the victim to periodically become stunned or unconscious until they heal (which in some cases never happens).

Death from [[Blood|blood]] loss will happen quickly whenever wounds to major internal organs occur, like the heart being pierced or "entrails shooting out through the wound". In [[Adventure Mode]], a "Mortal Wound" status indicator will appear when this happens to your adventurer. There is no way to avoid this. A pierced lung doesn't always result in bleeding to death, but it may eventually cause suffocation. [[Attributes#Toughness|Toughness]] may be a factor in helping to prevent this.

Other effects of wounding (for most creatures) include pain, which can cause temporary paralyzation due to fainting ("giving in to pain"), [[vomit]]ing, and stunning (slowing), especially if the creature is not very Tough.

=== On organs ===

When a creature is attacked with a piercing weapon or projectile, organs might take damage. This table shows most major organs, their functions, and what happens when they are damaged.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: grey; color: black;"
! Organ !! Function !! Lightly/moderately wounded effects !! Broken/mangled effects !! Lopped off effects
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Heart || Circulatory Organ || Not possible || Fatal Heavy Bleeding when pierced || Not possible
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Brain || Movement || Bleeding, possibly becoming Winded. Usually not fatal || Paralysis. Weapons get dropped, limbs become useless, inability to stand. The only attack possible is 'Push' || Decapitation, naturally, causes instant death.
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Throat || Breathing || Bleeding, possibly becoming Winded || Heavy Bleeding and becoming Winded. Lethality depends on Toughness || Fatal Heavy Bleeding and/or suffocation
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Lung(s) || Respiratory Organ(s) || Not possible || Heavy Bleeding and becoming Winded. Possible suffocation depending on toughness and number of lungs pierced || Not possible
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Eye(s) || Throwing/Shooting (no effect on [l]ook?) || Bleeding || Not possible || Heavy Bleeding. Possible extreme pain depending on Toughness and number of eyes removed. Destroys accuracy
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Guts || Not known || Not possible || Fatal Heavy Bleeding as entrails spill out || Not possible
|}

== Wounds in Fortress Mode ==

Dwarves with yellow or red wounds will attempt to get to a bed to [[rest]], if possible. Civilian dwarves with the [[health care]] labor will drag severely wounded dwarves to a bed and bring them [[food]] and [[bucket]]s of [[water]] as they recover. A severely injured dwarf will stay in bed, and occasionally cancel tasks to rest their injury. Dwarves with light or moderate (medium grey to brown) wounds do not need to rest.

Generally, light or moderate wounds will heal in about a week. Broken body parts will likely take some months of bed rest to recover, and a mangled part takes an indeterminate amount of time to heal. Severed limbs will not grow back.

Yellow or red wounds have a chance to heal on [[season]] changes. The likelihood of yellow or red wounds making a recovery is quite variable, and the process appears to be somewhat buggy (although it has improved in recent versions). Limbs are more likely to eventually heal than internal organs. It may take several seasons to recover - in some cases, a badly wounded dwarf will not recover at all.

Wounds to the nervous system, meaning the neck, brain, or spine, will never heal. If these wounds are not too severe the dwarf will be able to continue his daily routine without any problems. Military dwarves with nervous wounds will never spar, however. If a dwarf has yellow or red nervous damage, he will be a permanent invalid, and you may wish to arrange for his demise so as to prevent him from forever requiring your other dwarves to bring him food and water.

Dwarves have various [[thoughts]] from injury, unconciousness, and the healing process. Injuries cause unhappy thoughts, but these are offset by happy thoughts from getting rescued, being able to rest and recuperate (i.e. stay in bed), and being given water and food. Check for unhappy patients, as wounded dwarves have been known to go berserk when unhappy thoughts accumulate (see below). If you cannot insure their happiness, you may have to station armed guards nearby as a precaution, or even lock the wounded dwarf in his bedroom and write him off.

Most emotional breakdowns in injured dwarves are caused by the breaking of the "Rest" task (which prevents an injured dwarf from entering the exhaustion states, e.g. Tired and counts as sleeping preventing Drowsy state) by falling unconscious due to pain. Once an injured dwarf regains consciousness he will not automatically begin resting again; he will therefore quickly become exhausted or very drowsy, and eventually fall into a [[Strange mood|melancholy mood]], since he cannot sleep normally while injured. You can work around this by either drafting the dwarf, since [[military]] dwarves are sometimes able to reinitialize the Rest task on their own, or by forbidding the bed the dwarf is on. He'll be re-rescued off of the "floor" and can reinstate his Rest task. This behavior is likely a bug.

Since losing consciousness due to pain can be resisted by dwarves with high Toughness, very Tough dwarves tend to survive injuries more easily. Limbs that are severed, however, can make even the toughest creatures give in to pain.

== Wounds in Adventure Mode ==

Healing is much simpler in [[Adventure Mode]]; walking one space on the overland map will heal everything but severed limbs, including hunger and thirst. Your <strike>friends</strike> spear-catchers will also be healed, as long as they were reasonably close to you when you left the map. If you leave them bleeding and crawling in the cave below, however, they won't come with you.

In the current version, it is observed that beginning to freeze to death during a cold night will produce blood spatters on every surface of your body and inflict minor wounds to every organ and surface possible. This includes your eyes, limiting your vision to a single square around you. This is almost certainly because of wounds in the eyes, as if you [T]ravel away you will retain the blood in your eyes but regain normal vision.

== Descriptions ==

In Adventure Mode, wounds will generate messages when they are inflicted. The following table lists the various messages you'll see when a wound is received. Messages corresponding to immediately fatal blows to the three major body parts (head, upper body, and lower body) are also provided. Most of these messages are displayed for organic beings only, not for skeletal, mechanical, etc. creatures.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: grey; color: black;"
! Damage type !! Lightly wounded !! Moderately wounded !! Broken !! Mangled !! Instantly fatal (head) !! Instantly fatal (upper body) !! Instantly fatal (lower body)
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Pierce || "It is pierced!" || "It is badly pierced!" || "It is broken!" || "It is mangled!" || "It is pierced through entirely!" || "It is pierced through completely!" || "It is run through!"
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Bludgeon || "It is bruised!" || "It is battered!" || "It is broken!" || "It is mangled!" || "It is smashed into the body, an unrecognizable mass!" || "It collapses into a lump of gore!" || "It explodes in gore!"
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Slash || "It is cut!" || "It is badly gashed!" || "It is broken!" || "It is mangled!" || "It is split in half from the crown to the chin!" || "It is cloven asunder!" || "It is mostly cut away from the rest of the torso!"
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Gore || "It is torn!" || "It is badly ripped!" || "It is broken!" || "It is mangled!" || "It is torn apart!" || "It is torn into pieces!" || "It is ripped into loose shreds!"
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Burn || "It is singed!" || "It is burned!" || "It is cracked by the heat!" || "It is partially incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!"
|}

If the major body part was "lopped off", which is different than just having an instantly fatal wound, the message would say "The *Body part* flies off in a bloody arc!"

A creature inflicted with a fatal blow will be announced as "struck down" or, if a ranged weapon was used "shot and killed". Other death messages include "starved to death", "drowned", "fallen into a deep chasm", "burned to death", etc.

[[Category:Dwarves]]
[[Category:Military]]