40d:The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock

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Wondering what that new kind of rock your dwarves just struck is good for? Possibly nothing, but when you're just getting started it can be tough to tell the trash from the treasure. The following table summarizes the types of stone and ore found in Dwarf Fortress (note that it does not include Template:Ls).

The Uses column lists any special uses or properties of this particular stone type; if no uses are listed, you can always use the stone for general construction and crafting. Note that many "low value" materials are still very useful in a Dwarf Fortress. "Colors" are useful for color coding or creative aesthetic uses.

For more detailed and expanded information, see the Template:L, Template:L, Template:L, Template:L, and Template:L pages, or the article on any particular stone, metal or ore.

Table of Rocks

(Some materials are worth an additional comment; these are numbered, with notes below table.)

Name	Type	Uses	Appearance*
Template:L	THE highest value "ore"1	Becomes Template:L1, by far the most valuable substance	£ *
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	^ •
Template:L	a high-value Template:L	Smelt into Template:L, a highest-value Template:L	^ *
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	` •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	∞ •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	v •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	# •
Template:L	stone	The only Template:L Template:L2; only source of some high-value gems	+ •
Template:L	rare/obscure ore	Ingredient of Template:L	% *
Template:L	stone	Smelt into Template:L, flammable	☼ ☼
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	` •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	% •
Template:L	stone	Template:L, mid-value stone	" •
Template:L	uncommon ore	Smelt into Template:L, a low-value metal; ingredient of Template:Ls	£ *
Template:L	Template:L stone	Template:L, mid-value stone	░ •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	= •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	= •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	£ *
Template:L	layer stone	Low value stone	, •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	£ *
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	∞ •
Template:L	common low-value ore	Smelt into Template:L, a low-value metal	£ *
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	- •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	░ •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Template:L, mid-value stone	` •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	. •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	▓ •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone; only source of some Template:Ls & Template:Ls	▒ •
Template:L	ore	Smelt into Template:L, a low-value metal, w/ a 50% chance3 for Template:L	£ *
Template:L	uncommon ore	Smelt into Template:L, a low-value Template:L metal	£ *
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	= •
Template:L	ore	Smelt into Template:L, a high-value Template:L	£ *
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone; only source of some ores; relatively rich in content	▓ •
Template:L	stone	Flammable	o •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	# •
Template:L	ore	Smelt into Template:L, a mid-value metal; ingredient for Template:L	£ *
Template:L	ore	Smelt into Template:L, a mid-value metal	£ *
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	" •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	. •
Template:L4	stone/water4	Frozen Water	. •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	░ •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	= •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone; only source of Template:Ls	% •
Template:L	stone	Smelt into Template:L, flammable	* •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Template:L, mid-value stone	▓ •
Template:L	high-value ore	Smelt into Template:L, a mid-value metal; ingredient for Template:L	£ *
Template:L	high-value ore	Smelt into Template:L, a mid-value metal; ingredient for Template:L	~ *
Template:L	low-value ore	Smelt into Template:L, a low-value metal	£ *
Template:L	Template:L stone	Template:L, mid-value stone	▓ •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	% •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	v •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	% •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	≈ •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Highest value stone; used to create stone Template:Ls; signifies nearby Template:L if not a layer	▒ •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone; may contain Template:L	% •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	- •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	% •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	, •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	% •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	- •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	* •
Template:L	highest-value ore	Smelt into Template:L, a highest-value Template:L	£ *
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	Θ •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	% •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	- •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	% •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	, •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	# •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	` •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	x •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	# •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	- •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	` •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	; •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	≈ •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	. •
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	% •
Template:L	ore	Smelt into Template:L, a mid-value metal	£ *
Template:L	Template:L stone	Low value stone	% •
Template:L	uncommon ore	Smelt into Template:L, a low-value metal; ingredient for Template:L	£ *
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	% •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	= •
Template:L	stone	Low value stone	| •
Template:L	low-value ore	Smelt into Template:L, a low-value metal, w/ a 20% additional chance3 of Template:L; smelt into Template:L	£ *

(* Each stone is one of 16 Template:L in the game. Different un-mined stone of the same color have a different symbol to distinguish between them. Once mined, the individual stones themselves can sometimes look identical if the color is the same. Use k to look at items or the terrain for specific information.)

Notes:

1. Adamantine is not exactly like other metals, although it works almost the same. It has a value multiplier of x300 (yes, three hundred). It is also superior to steel for all combat purposes, and steel is clearly the best material otherwise available. See Template:L for a full discussion of this unusual and ultimate material.
2. Bauxite: Magma will melt most stone, and while there are some magma-safe metals, Template:Ls can only be made from stone (or unprocessed adamantine ore), not metal. Aside from raw adamantine, bauxite is the only stone that will not melt in magma (see Template:L), and so is uniquely suited for that purpose.
3. % chance for additional metals - when Galena and Tetrahedrite are smelted, they produce (respectively) 1 lead or 1 copper bar, 100% of the time. They occasionally produce a second, additional bar of the second metal, with the % chance as listed above.
4. Ice has some very unusual properties in Dwarf Fortress, and can be disastrous if misused. See article on Template:L for a more complete discussion.

The Value of rocks & metals

You won't find the terms "low-value" or "highest-value" used in the game, but they're handy here for rough comparison. "Template:Ls" are all relative to each other, on a common scale. The "material value" number multiplies any final product that is created with that material by that number. An average generic statue (base value 25) is worth much more than an average generic throne (base value 10), but a throne carved from raw Template:L (10 x 30 = 300) will be worth far more than a common-stone statue (25 x 1 = 25). (Note - "Template:L" also factors in to total value of a final product, as do some other considerations, but those are outside the scope of this intro article). Bottom line - when in doubt, go for the more valuable stuff.

Common stones (the vast majority) have a value multiplier of x1, mid-value (all Template:L stones) are x2, and high-value (Template:L only) is x3. This affects things like stone tables and doors, statues or stonecrafts - anything made from stone. Metal Template:Ls have varying values, from 2-40, and can either be treated as stone or smelted into bars of metal.

For metals, low-value (like copper or nickel) is x2. Mid-value (silver or iron) is around x10, high-value (gold, steel) is x30, and highest-value (platinum, aluminum) is x40. Note that the raw mined ore and the smelted pure metal often have different value multipliers, but not always. Template:Ls like brass or bronze are often more valuable than the sum of their pure metal ingredients, and have a true spectrum of values between 3-23. (Alloy values are not listed in this article.) Metal can be crafted into weapons, armour or tools, decorations, furniture or even buildings.

(To be complete and for comparison, all Template:L has a value of x1, equal to common stone.)

How to find a rock

Basically, you look under other rocks. The trick is to have a good guess which other rocks to look under to find the one type that you're looking for.

In the main article for every rock (many generic/low-value ones share another table on the Template:L page), there is information about where these stones can be found. Usually that's in a type of Template:L, or sometimes within another specific or general type of Template:L. Sometimes the rock is a Template:L stone. If it's found in Template:L, Template:L, Template:L, Template:L or Template:L, those are broad classifications that cover many different types of layer stone. A layer stone means it creates the dominant layer of that entire area, as defined by the "area block" (see next). By figuring out where the type of rock/ore you are looking for is found, you can dig in areas that have a better chance of having it.

Example:

Let's say you hope to find some Template:L, because you want to make some Template:Ls and use its bright red color. So we look up Template:L, and find that that stone is listed on the "generic" stone page. In that chart we see that cinnabar is found as Template:Ls in "All Template:L (layers), Template:L, (and) Template:L". If you have some stones that are igneous extrusive layer (you'd have to look that up, too), or some shale or quartzite, then you know where to start your Template:L. If not, then you'll have to look for another red stone, and hope you get lucky with that.

Area Blocks

Okay, this is the "advanced basic" part of the lesson - then we're done.

When you first start a new game, and you're looking at the embark map, there is the World map on the right, the Region map in the middle, and the Local map on the left. The icons on the local map relate 1:1 to what are called "area blocks" on the game map, the map where your dwarves will move around. Each area block is 48x48 tiles square. The game is smart enough to make the borders a little fuzzy, but each area block defines the plant and animal life, the temperature and rainfall, and the layers of stones that can be found in that 48x48 area. These are clumped together in like types - using the F1, F2, F3 & etc. keys you can view them all.

If you pay attention to the pre-embark map (and make notes?), you can see what layers lie below each area block, in order as they go deeper. This will help you find stone/ore you might be looking for. You can also see where any Template:L or Template:L or Template:L might be hiding - but that's another article.

See also:

• Template:L