Editing Monster slayer

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{{dftext|This visitor has come to slay beasts.|7:1}}

[[File:monster_slayer_preview.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Down in the caverns, the legend tell.<br>Where terrible beasts dwell.<br>A lonely warrior treads.<br>Although he wears no threads.<br>The beasts fear nothing but.<br>The thunderous claps of his Nut!<br><small>''Art by AetherealVanguard. Lyrics by MariusVibius.''</small>]]'''Monster slayers''' are [[visitor]]s that will visit and [[petition]] to stay in order to slay [[creature]]s in your [[cavern]]s. They begin arriving to your fortress after you have first breached into any cavern layer, regardless of whether the fort has any [[locations]].

Their above-ground counterparts are the [[beast hunter]]s.

==Behaviour==

Monster slayers arrive with their own [[weapon]]s and [[armor]], as well as some degree of basic [[combat skill]]. If you accept their service, they will live among your dwarves like regular citizens, although they will spend all of their time either loitering around [[meeting hall]]s or prowling any breached caverns on your map they have access to, searching for cavern creatures to fight. Monster slayers cannot be assigned any labors, will not haul anything, and cannot be given orders or controlled by burrows or other means.

Monster slayers are less helpful than they might initially seem. Allowing these visitors to regularly rampage through your caverns will occasionally produce free [[meat]], [[bone]], and [[hide]]s, but they are sloppy in their work - because you can't direct them to kill particular units, they'll often wipe out half a pack of [[troglodyte]]s, while ignoring the other half entirely, or rush headlong into battle with that [[giant cave spider]] you'd been hoping to cage and farm. They are also often poorly suited to life in combat; some may arrive who hate all things military and panic at the first sign of violence, while others have ineffectual skills - which will inevitably end with them being killed by the monsters they're supposed to be hunting. Consider exiling monster slayers who seem like they're destined for tantrums, or arrange "accidents" for them if they happen to be carrying interesting equipment. [[Steel]] is steel, after all.

== How to have monster hunter citizens ==

1) Accept long-term residency petition from monster hunter

2) Send monster hunter to another [[holding]]

3) Eventually monster hunter returns, under a different profession

4) Monster hunter will now apply for citizenship two years after return

==Considerations==
=== Effectiveness === 
In case of using them for monster slaying note that they will produce plenty of litter (by killing harmless creatures) and by leaving pieces of themselves on encountering actual monsters<!--http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=176059.msg8118046#msg8118046-->. They are good for filing your tavern/inn with customers, which doesn't have much tangible benefit to you but makes it look busy if you don't regularly get other kinds of visitors.

=== Sealing caverns ===
Leaving caverns open is always an invitation to trouble, and monster slayers only reduce this risk slightly. Be sure to keep whatever access routes they use well-guarded with [[trap]]s, [[door]]s, and dwarven guards in order to intercept the [[jabberer]] or [[cave dragon]] that will inevitably slip on in. Or with an all-powerful [[drawbridge]]. Alternatively, you may have the opening to the caverns disconnected from your fortress, so that cavern creatures have to path through the surface to reach you, and slayers don't need to step foot into your fortress to reach them. Also, be aware that closing off that cavern without sealing in some wandering monster slayers will take some effort on your part; barricading them in their bedrooms while they sleep until they've all safely left the cavern is pretty much the only way (unless you don't mind leaving them to fight to the death down below). 

=== Healthcare ===
Finally, don't even think about playing with monster slayers until you have a functional [[hospital]] up and running. Both the slayers and the civilians that play around down there are at risk of injury at any time. Strongly consider keeping the caverns walled off until you have a proper medical facility in place. Worst case scenario, you leave your poor slayers wandering bored around your [[tavern]] for a few years. There are far worse things in life.

=== Removing their Monster Slayer Labor Location ===
It is possible to remove a joined Monster Slayer's Labor Location of "Monster Slayer," effectively turning them into a non-military citizen of your fortress. Simply navigate to the unit, and in their Labor -> Locations tab click the red "X" next to the "Monster Slayer" entry to remove their designation as a Monster Slayer. Upon unpausing, the unit will get a different role based on their highest non-combat skill. They become available for labor and hauling jobs, but are not assignable to a military. It has been observed that they petition for full citizenship at a faster rate after the Monster Slayer role is removed.

After they petition for full citizenship, you may then assign them to a squad in a normal military role.

{{D for Dwarf}}
It is rumored that, in faraway lands, monster hunters would traditionally wear leather armor and use weapons made from monster parts. Why such hunters choose to use inferior material for their weapon and armor is anyone's guess.

==See also==
*[[Beast hunter]]

{{Category|Occupation}}
{{Category|Non-player characters}}
[[ru:Monster slayer]]