Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

Werebeast

2017-07-04T10:12:52Z

Leoboiko2: loyalty cascade bug, often reported as triggered by contaminated weredorfs

{{Quality|Exceptional|20:58, 16 February 2017 (UTC)}}
{{av}}{{buggy}}
'''Werebeasts''' {{Tile|Ñ|6:0}} are [[night creature|night creatures]] that are procedurally created during worldgen. [[Deity|Deities]] may curse sentient creatures (including any animal man) to transform into an animal form on the night of a full moon. Sentient creatures bitten by werebeasts are cursed to become werebeasts themselves.{{cite forum|126618}}

Werebeasts may take the form of mammals or reptiles, ranging from the classic [[Wolf|werewolf]] to more exotic things like [[Giraffe|weregiraffes]], [[Lizard|werelizards]] or [[Gila monster|weregila monsters]].

The behaviour of vanilla werebeasts in worldgen (i.e. fleeing town upon being cursed and conducting raids from their new lair) appears to be caused by the cursed individual's beast form having the [NIGHT_CREATURE_HUNTER] tag; removal of this tag from a generated werebeast extracted from a world.dat file and jimmied into the standard raws caused those cursed to behave no differently from any other unnaturally-immortal individual.

==Werebeasts in fortresses==
In some regions, the full moon will herald the attack of werebeasts upon your fortress (triggering a message similar to the one that is shown when a Megabeast attacks), or instead the unwilling transformation of your own citizens into their bestial forms. The cursed will attack anyone they can find for the duration of the full moon, spreading their affliction even further.
Werebeasts of the same species will cooperate with each other and not normally fight, but those of different species will treat each other no differently from enemies.

==Defending your fort against werebeasts==

If you have not established an early-detection defensive perimeter (see [[defense guide]] and note, werebeasts are [[trapavoid]]), it is quite likely that if a werebeast attacks, a dwarf will be attacked and bitten. The best defense against this is to keep civilians off the surface (unless they are inside high walls), and rely on warning systems to tell you when to trigger a [[Burrow#Civilian_Alerts|civilian alert]] and close your [[bridge|drawbridges]]. A werebeast retains its infectious form for only a few days, during the full moon. After that, it reverts to an ordinary humanoid form, and will typically flee.

Warning systems may include [[pasture]]d or [[restraint|restrained]] animals, or outdoor [[statue]]s. If you get notices of toppled statues with no visible cause, it's probable there is a werebeast nearby.

===Infection===
Werebeasts are dangerous opponents, perfectly capable of killing an unarmed dwarf with impunity, but as notification-worthy invaders go they aren't especially terrifying; a few dwarves with modest military training and gear should be able to handle them with few casualties, as will a single elite dwarf in quality steel gear. The real threat they pose, however, is in their bite. If a humanoid is bitten by a werebeast, and the bite tears fat, skin, or muscle, there is a risk that the said humanoid becomes infected. If infected, the humanoid will become a werebeast at the next full moon (see below for schedule). Scratches, bites that merely bruise or dent, and subsequent shaking attacks after a bite will not transmit the curse, and thus are merely as dangerous as any other such assault. Also, animals cannot become werebeasts.

There is no cure. To protect your other dwarves you should either keep the infected dwarf in an inaccessible pit so he does not infect your whole fortress, or if you do not want to take care of him, just kill him.

Infected dwarves will not die of old age{{Verify}} and do not need food and drink. Note that werebeasts can still drink, and the only reason they won't die from dehydration is because they change before they can die, healing wounds and removing thirst. They may go mad, however, so if you want to make him work (or use him for a [[stupid dwarf trick]]) you should try to keep him happy. This can be difficult because werebeasts will not sleep or eat, though they will drink if alcohol is available.

Or maybe you want something exceedingly more [[Fun]] instead? Try the following.

==Infecting your entire fort==

Yes, it is possible. Having only infected dwarves does not end your game.

'''Pros:'''
* Super-effective hospital service, your dwarves are fully healed once per month. No need for crutches or something.
* No need for food or drink, though you can keep alcohol around for happy thoughts and to avoid alcohol withdrawal
* No need for beds or bedrooms other than those for nobles
* When transformed, civilian dwarves are less vulnerable
* Dwarves will happily discard their old tattered clothing and pick up fresh clothes every month.
* Unhappy thoughts are less severe as the process of being bitten and biting others tends to make your dwarves very resilient to tragedy.
* Go for were-elephants or were-badgers for extra dwarven points
* Fun
'''Cons:'''
* Exceedingly difficult to set up, quite long as well
* May kill your most important dwarves
* When transformed, fortress activity grinds to a halt, and for a few days afterwards as civilians run around finding new clothing
* Werebeasts are building destroyers, so you'll constantly need to remake workshops and most furniture
* Trading is especially difficult
* <s>May</s> WILL cause issues with military when transformed : dwarf armor is too small for werebeasts, though they will hold onto their weapons and shields, and even quivers/bolts during transformation.
* May be exceedingly fun for [[Thought|dwarven]] [[Tantrum|sanity]]... but then again you ''were'' looking for fun in the first place

There are several ways to attempt to infect your whole fort, some with higher success rates than others. The trick is to have your uncursed dwarves be bitten but not die, and also to have your cursed dwarves survive any retribution.

One method is to equip a squad of dwarves with training weapons and send them to an isolated area with one or two of your werebeasts. Ideally the dwarves who get injured will back away while the others hold back the werebeast. In reality it can be hard to balance the battle, which leads to either the werebeast killing off the injured dwarves or being pummeled into submission without spreading his curse. The main problem is when an attack by either the werebeast or a dwarf happens at the moment of transformation, it is considered a dwarf on dwarf attack, which leads to a minor [[loyalty cascade]].

Another method is to simply lock a werebeast in a room with a civilian(s) and hope that the civilian survives long enough for the werebeast to turn back. This reduces (but does not eliminate) the chance of a loyalty cascade, because only the werebeast is attacking. The main problem is that werebeasts become legendary fighters/wrestlers very quickly and are more than capable of killing/fatally wounding half a dozen dwarves in a single transformation.

The most successful method discovered is to lock a werebeast in a room with civilians, but be sure the room is completely covered in cage traps. Many injuries inflicted by werebeasts can knock a dwarf unconscious due to pain or strangulation, and an unconscious dwarf will be trapped by a cage trap. In the cage, dwarves are free to recover from their wounds, safe from any further attacks. In addition, a dwarf who is released from a cage gets an enormous happiness boost that will help him cope with the loss of family and friends who were not so lucky. Further improvements to this technique, such as assigning the uncursed to squads with no uniform (or just a helmet) that replaces clothing in order to allow every bite to break the skin, have pushed successful conversion rates to near 50%. It is also recommended to release dwarves from their cages immediately (via constructing the cages and attaching them to a lever) to prevent insanity due to unhappiness.

==Werebeast military==

A somewhat less drastic (though potentially even more [[fun]]) option is to start a Werebeast super-soldier breeding program. Some Werebeasts can hold and use weapons in Wereform, and whatever combat skills they have as dwarves also apply while transformed. Being infected gives dwarves a large increase to their physical attributes (which can still be increased further, unlike vampires), and they need not worry about being wounded in combat as long as they survive until their next transformation. Add to this the Wereform's large size of 80000 and inability to feel pain, which partially makes up for its lack of armor, and you end up with a potentially devastating military force, if you can manage to keep them from murdering each other and the rest of your fortress.

Were-soldiers are mostly useful when their Wereform is of the variety that can use weapons and preferably also shields, which obviously requires hands of some sort. Weregophers for example can use either a shield or a one-handed weapon, but not both, and may even equip crossbows as well as quivers and bolts. It is unknown if dwarves in Wereform can wield weapons that are normally too large for them, such as pikes. If they cannot use weapons they may still be useful as soldiers if their Wereform is of the dangerous sort, for example in the case of werelions <s>and tigers and bears</s>.

Transformed military dwarves respect their stations, alerts and uniforms (when applicable) and ignore the civilian alert, but will still attack anything they regard as an enemy, such as their fellow dwarves or any destroyable buildings. They must therefore be kept away from the rest of the fortress with walls and bridges, as they will destroy any non-artifact doors. Note that as of 40.24 there is a nasty bug which lets sparring dwarves teleport through 1-tile walls, so make sure the walls to their prison are at least 2 tiles thick, and install two 1-tile bridges connected to one lever as a door. Bonus points if you also install a dump chute in the room to give them new weapons and booze. Designate a stockpile under the chute, set it to take from links only, disable bins and set it to allow booze, empty barrels, weapons, shields and possibly ammo. Supplying the were-soldiers with booze both keeps them happy and prevents them from wandering into your fortress to look for it. Be aware that they can and will jump out of a hole directly above them, so either make the chute at least 2 z-levels high and smooth the walls, or keep it firmly locked with a hatch cover.

Once their containment room has been built, add a piece of furniture, designate a large barracks from it and set them to train there. The were-soldiers will destroy the barracks while transformed unless it is an artifact, so wall it in after the room has been defined. Remember to use 2-tile thick walls because of the sparring bug above.

An important thing to remember is the following: If two or more transformed dwarves have any sort of active military order (either from an alert or direct orders), and can see each other at the moment they change ''back'' from Wereform, then they will instantly begin fighting to the death, causing a loyalty cascade. To avoid this, either train your were-soldiers alone in separate rooms (slower due to lack of sparring), or make sure to set their alert to Inactive and cancel all their orders before they change back to dwarves. Once they've changed back, they can be set to train or given orders again. If they do start fighting each other, canceling all their orders and setting them to Inactive will make them stop.

The soldiers will not train while transformed, but if they were sparring during the transformation they will continue to spar in wereform, which can be entertaining to watch. The combat log for sparring dwarves in wereform will be gray instead of the normal cyan.

==Transformation dates==

There are exactly thirteen full moons in a Dwarven year, so werebeasts transform on exactly the same dates every year:

*25th granite (XX-01-25)
*23rd slate (XX-02-23)
*21st felsite (XX-03-21)
*19th hematite (XX-04-19)
*17th malachite (XX-05-17)
*15th galena (XX-06-15)
*13th limestone (XX-07-13)
*11th sandstone (XX-08-11)
*8th timber (XX-09-08)
*6th moonstone (XX-10-06)
*4th opal (XX-11-04)
*2nd obsidian (XX-12-02)
*28th obsidian (XX-12-28)

==Werebeasts in Adventure mode==
In adventurer mode, werebeasts are usually found living in small lairs on the edges of civilization. Young adventurers will often be called upon to slay them, with instructions along the line of 'he assumes a bestial form' along with a description of what type of metal they are vulnerable to. However, as long as they are not visited on the night of their transformation, they are just common peasants, and can be dispatched easily. It would behoove these individuals to hide themselves among townsfolk, but what can ya do?

===Becoming a werebeast===
To become a werebeast, you must either happen upon a werebeast in its beastly form or seek one out on the night of their transformation. It is recommended to wear no armor except for your head as only bites that break the skin will infect you with the were-virus. Once bitten, you will not transform immediately.

{{new in v0.42}}
'''As of v42''' : it is now additionally possible to become a werebeast by toppling statues in a temple or sanctuary. Walk up to the statue and topple it with {{K|u}} then {{K|a}}. Toppling a statue in this way will lead you to being cursed: the curse will be either Werebeast or [[DF2014:Vampire|Vampirism]]. Which curse you get appears to be randomly decided at the time you topple the statue (reloading the game and toppling it again has been confirmed to give the alternate curse.)

===Implications of being an adventuring werebeast===
'''Pros:'''
*Every full moon all injuries are instantly healed.
*Big strength and agility boost.

'''Cons:'''
*Attacked if you visit any towns during your transformation.
*Having to re-equip yourself every transformation unless transformed size is similar enough to your race's size.
*If enemies are wielding weapons of a material your new form is weak against, damage taken can be devastating.

==Werebeast characteristics==
All werebeasts are described as having glowing eyes of some random color, and are "crazed for blood and flesh" meaning they attack everything that is not their own race, including undead.

The transformation to a Werebeast seems to only affect physical attributes, mental attributes are not changed though the descriptions will be relative to the Wereform's average. A Werebeast never gets hungry, thirsty or drowsy, and will not drown when in Wereform. Werebeasts in Wereform are type 2 Building Destroyers, so doors and vertical bars will not contain them, however bridges or walls will.

When transforming to Wereform, all health regenerates, including missing limbs, and thirsty dwarves will have their thirst <s>replaced with bloodthirst</s> removed. The same happens when transforming back. Effects induced by insanity are not reversed, so berserking soldiers that transform will still not follow orders.

Infected dwarves are removed from any burrows when they transform, and cannot be burrowed while in Wereform. They will however still remember the civilian alert burrow, so issuing a civilian alert while a dwarf is transformed will send that dwarf straight to your <s>slaughterhouse</s> emergency room if they can path their way there.

If the Werebeast cannot use weapons in Wereform (i.e. no hands), only the natural abilities of the creature are available for combat. These abilities differ from creature to creature (Claws/Hooves/venomous Bite etc.), but only their bites cause the Werebeast curse to be transmitted. Werebeasts have been confirmed to have the ability to arrive at your fortress both armed and stealthed. Some werebeasts possess venom as well, applying "night sickness" to those who are bitten along with the werebeast curse.

Dwarves that die in Wereform will not be available for burial and will not come back as ghosts, but you can engrave slabs for them. However, this seems to be fixed as of 0.43 and possibly before.

If you become a werebeast and transform in adventure mode, you can pick up your weapon and shield that were dropped in the transformation, but, seeing as almost all werebeasts seem to have minimum body size of about 80000, armor will become too [[Clothing#Size|small]] for you to fit in. Hauled items will also be dropped on Fast Travel.

Werebeasts also tend to change back into humanoid form at the worst moment, like when they are charging a group of axedwarves. Sometimes a werebeast's humanoid form is more dangerous than the werebeast form, most obviously for [[Serpent man|snake man]] werebeasts.

Even if the werebeast is dispatched while in animal form, werebeast kills are listed as being of the original race.

Baby werecreatures are neutral, and while you can order your military to kill them the order will not be followed.

==Bugs==

* Ordering your military to kill an infected dwarf may trigger a [[loyalty cascade]], potentially making every single dwarf of the fortress hostile to all others {{Bug|0003259}}. To prevent this, it's safer to dispose of the infected by [[Unfortunate accident|other means]], like quarantining them via forbidden doors on hospitals fitted with… [[Drowning chamber|hygienic measures]].

{{D for Dwarf}}
Sometimes a werebeast arrives in humanoid form, and the game then announces the arrival of a normal, intelligent creature as if it was some terrible beast. The naked, confused creature usually runs away, probably scared by your dwarves' laughter.

{{Translation| dwarven = senelfer | elvish = riviìle | goblin = bemkåbu | human = hixursuku}}
{{clear}}
{{Military}}
{{Creatures}}

Well

2017-07-03T17:19:49Z

Leoboiko2: typo

{{Quality|Masterwork|02:43, 10 May 2012 (UTC)}}{{Building|name=Well|key=l
|construction=
* [[Block]]s
* [[Bucket]] (lye/milk-free)
* [[Chain]] or [[Rope]]
* [[Mechanism]]
|construction_job=
* [[Architecture]]
1 of
* [[Masonry]]
* [[Carpentry]]
* [[Metalcrafting]]
|purpose=
* Provide clean [[water]]
}}{{av}}

{{For/see|a more advanced look at wells|[[Well guide]]}}
:''It is recommended to read the entirety of this article first.''

'''Wells''' are [[building|structures]] that provide access to a [[water]] source for your dwarves. A well can be an important feature of a fortress, providing a clean and usually safe water supply compared to rivers, pools and cavern lakes.

Wells provide an emergency drinking source in case the [[alcohol]] runs out (don't let that happen!). A well is a water source that (if constructed correctly) will not freeze in the coldest weather, and should last in hot. Enemies that can swim can and will path into your fort through a well. [[Grate]]s can block underwater threats, but be warned: they can not stop [[building destroyer]]s which approach from below.

A well constructed above-ground, even indoors, will not prevent the water tile beneath it from freezing. When this happens, the "empty space" requirement for the well is no longer met as the space is occupied by the ice, and the well will be dismantled into its original components (Prevent this by placing it one Z-level above the water source if it freezes). Furthermore, if the well is built in a layer with a [[temperature]] below the freezing point – that is, an ice layer in a glacier – the water will freeze ''within'' the well-bucket, and the well itself will become unusable, showing a "bucket full" message. To prevent this, build the well and the hospital in the earth layers below the ice. Dump the ice inside the bucket to recover it.

Using the well (10 times) will take a small amount of water from the water tile below ([[water depth|1/7]] from that one tile), so it will eventually dry up if not replenished. A well can be defined as a [[Meeting_hall|meeting hall]] with the {{K|q}} key. Un-defining the meeting area will break up any groups that are currently formed around a well, and it can immediately be re-defined if you wish.

Using a well provides that dwarf with a happy [[thought]], especially if you make the well with high-value [[chain]]/[[rope]], [[bucket]], [[block]] and [[mechanism]], and/or the [[building designer]] produces a high quality result. Drinking [[Water#Stagnant_water|stagnant water]] from a well will still lead to a bad thought, and will lead to [[Health care#Infection|infection]] if used to clean a [[wound]]. If the floor of your water source is covered by a pile of [[mud]] (like the floor of underground pools in [[cavern]]s) then the water drawn out will be 'water laced with mud' unless there are two [[z-level]]s of water in it. Badly [[wound]]ed dwarves will drink only water while recuperating, never booze, so you better have a well or water zone ready for when anyone gets injured, and certainly before the first goblins show up. Ensure you have enough buckets as well, as injured dwarves will not go to the well themselves even if it is next to their hospital bed, but require someone to bring them water in a bucket. If a well is full enough and the water is only one z-level down, the tile can also be used for fishing.

Dwarves will also use the well to wash themselves. This means that a well (and [[soap]]) are vital for removing [[contaminant]]s such as blood, [[syndrome|poison]], etc. from your dwarves.

==Building a well==
When constructing a well, it is important to consider placement, safety, the source of the water, and any water [[pressure]] to avoid flooding your fortress by accident. For a wider discussion of adding a well to your fortress, see the (recommended) [[well guide]].

Wells must have a clear vertical pathway straight down to their water source. That source can be an artificial channel, an [[aquifer]], a [[river]], a [[lake]], or an artificial [[reservoir]], so long as it has water in it that's at least [[water depth|3/7 deep]]. [[Brook]]s can be used, but you must first [[channel]] off the [[floor|surface]] of the brook to allow the bucket to dip into the water. The water can be any distance directly below the well, but it will take a while for the bucket to go down and back up on long distances. If there is 7/7 deep water somewhere directly below the well, then the depth of the top tile of this water does not matter. [[Image:Well illustration.png|right|thumb|154px|Wells must be built over the water, though they can be many levels higher than the water.]]

The more common well will be created underground and draw water from a source even lower, but above-ground sources can also be used; you just have to build constructions first (typically up-stairs, walls and floors) that provide support at least one z-level ''above'' the water's level where you can then place the well.

To build a well you will need the following components:
:* 1 [[block]]
:* 1 [[bucket]]
:* 1 [[chain]] or 1 [[rope]]
:* 1 [[mechanism]]
:* an 'open space' or 'downward slope' tile (usually channeled by you) to place the well on

To place a well, press the {{k|b}}, {{k|l}} keys. That will take you through the various components, and you can choose specifically from among the parts you have available in each category. A well needs to be placed over an open space with adjacent floor tiles; there does not need to be water underneath a well for it to be built, only for it to be active.

It requires a dwarf with the [[architecture]] [[labor]] designated to design, and then a [[mason]]/[[carpenter]]/[[metalsmith]] to finish the construction. Because it's designed, high-value materials can be multiplied by a high-quality effort on the part of either or both the steps involved, and can result in an extremely valuable piece of architecture for your fortress. The dwarves will describe a very nice well as "truly sublime".

High-value mechanisms can be created at a [[forge]] from weapon-grade metals, the most valuable being [[steel]], [[iron]] and [[silver]]. Alternatively, you can make rock mechanisms with some [[native gold|gold]] or [[native platinum|platinum nuggets]] using the {{k|d}}etail function at a mechanic's workshop.

If a well is working properly, meaning it has direct access to water, it will display "active" when examined with {{k|q}}. If there is something obstructing the well, or there is not enough water, it will display "dry".

While in use by a dwarf, you can see the well's rope and bucket travel across z-levels. Although interesting, if your water source is very deep it may take a while for a single dwarf to obtain water. This becomes especially annoying if you do not have a steady booze supply, as thirsty dwarves will swarm the well awaiting their turn.

It is possible to build wells directly above one another, and they will still function if there is water below. They will not obstruct one another, as they are not impassible structures. [[Hatch]]es, floor [[bars]] and floor [[grate]]s will block well functionality, if they are between it and the water, but grates and bars will not stop water from flooding out. Grates, bars and hatches will allow functionality again if opened with a [[lever]]. It is perfectly reasonable to have multiple well openings drawing from a single water source, as a well only cares about the tile in a straight line below it. '''Wells cannot function through a stairwell'''. It is possible to have obstacles beneath a well, with the well continuing to function, if the surface of the water is above the obstacles.

A well is essentially a hole in the floor, so dwarves can fall through it under the right circumstances. Using a well is safe, while fighting or flooding near a well may not be. Any dwarves who fall through may escape drowning if the water source includes an escape route.

==Removal==
When removing a well, the components will generally be scattered around the channeled tile, not fall down into the well. One exception is when the bucket is stuck somewhere on the way down which probably happens when a water hauling job is interrupted by a hostile creature. In this case the bucket will drop down into the water source, but the rope, block and mechanism are saved.

In an area where ice forms, a well placed directly over water that freezes will be automatically deconstructed to its original parts. When the ice melts the parts may be lost. One solution is to leave at least one tile of empty space between your well and any outdoor water sources.

{{buildings}}

Well

2017-07-03T17:19:09Z

Leoboiko2: note about frozen buckets

{{Quality|Masterwork|02:43, 10 May 2012 (UTC)}}{{Building|name=Well|key=l
|construction=
* [[Block]]s
* [[Bucket]] (lye/milk-free)
* [[Chain]] or [[Rope]]
* [[Mechanism]]
|construction_job=
* [[Architecture]]
1 of
* [[Masonry]]
* [[Carpentry]]
* [[Metalcrafting]]
|purpose=
* Provide clean [[water]]
}}{{av}}

{{For/see|a more advanced look at wells|[[Well guide]]}}
:''It is recommended to read the entirety of this article first.''

'''Wells''' are [[building|structures]] that provide access to a [[water]] source for your dwarves. A well can be an important feature of a fortress, providing a clean and usually safe water supply compared to rivers, pools and cavern lakes.

Wells provide an emergency drinking source in case the [[alcohol]] runs out (don't let that happen!). A well is a water source that (if constructed correctly) will not freeze in the coldest weather, and should last in hot. Enemies that can swim can and will path into your fort through a well. [[Grate]]s can block underwater threats, but be warned: they can not stop [[building destroyer]]s which approach from below.

A well constructed above-ground, even indoors, will not prevent the water tile beneath it from freezing. When this happens, the "empty space" requirement for the well is no longer met as the space is occupied by the ice, and the well will be dismantled into its original components (Prevent this by placing it one Z-level above the water source if it freezes). Furthermore, if the well is built in a layer with a [[temperature]] below the freezing point – that is, an ice layer in a glacier – the water will freeze *within* the well-bucket, and the well itself will become unusable, showing a "bucket full" message. To prevent this, build the well and the hospital in the earth layers below the ice. Dump the ice inside the bucket to recover it.

Using the well (10 times) will take a small amount of water from the water tile below ([[water depth|1/7]] from that one tile), so it will eventually dry up if not replenished. A well can be defined as a [[Meeting_hall|meeting hall]] with the {{K|q}} key. Un-defining the meeting area will break up any groups that are currently formed around a well, and it can immediately be re-defined if you wish.

Using a well provides that dwarf with a happy [[thought]], especially if you make the well with high-value [[chain]]/[[rope]], [[bucket]], [[block]] and [[mechanism]], and/or the [[building designer]] produces a high quality result. Drinking [[Water#Stagnant_water|stagnant water]] from a well will still lead to a bad thought, and will lead to [[Health care#Infection|infection]] if used to clean a [[wound]]. If the floor of your water source is covered by a pile of [[mud]] (like the floor of underground pools in [[cavern]]s) then the water drawn out will be 'water laced with mud' unless there are two [[z-level]]s of water in it. Badly [[wound]]ed dwarves will drink only water while recuperating, never booze, so you better have a well or water zone ready for when anyone gets injured, and certainly before the first goblins show up. Ensure you have enough buckets as well, as injured dwarves will not go to the well themselves even if it is next to their hospital bed, but require someone to bring them water in a bucket. If a well is full enough and the water is only one z-level down, the tile can also be used for fishing.

Dwarves will also use the well to wash themselves. This means that a well (and [[soap]]) are vital for removing [[contaminant]]s such as blood, [[syndrome|poison]], etc. from your dwarves.

==Building a well==
When constructing a well, it is important to consider placement, safety, the source of the water, and any water [[pressure]] to avoid flooding your fortress by accident. For a wider discussion of adding a well to your fortress, see the (recommended) [[well guide]].

Wells must have a clear vertical pathway straight down to their water source. That source can be an artificial channel, an [[aquifer]], a [[river]], a [[lake]], or an artificial [[reservoir]], so long as it has water in it that's at least [[water depth|3/7 deep]]. [[Brook]]s can be used, but you must first [[channel]] off the [[floor|surface]] of the brook to allow the bucket to dip into the water. The water can be any distance directly below the well, but it will take a while for the bucket to go down and back up on long distances. If there is 7/7 deep water somewhere directly below the well, then the depth of the top tile of this water does not matter. [[Image:Well illustration.png|right|thumb|154px|Wells must be built over the water, though they can be many levels higher than the water.]]

The more common well will be created underground and draw water from a source even lower, but above-ground sources can also be used; you just have to build constructions first (typically up-stairs, walls and floors) that provide support at least one z-level ''above'' the water's level where you can then place the well.

To build a well you will need the following components:
:* 1 [[block]]
:* 1 [[bucket]]
:* 1 [[chain]] or 1 [[rope]]
:* 1 [[mechanism]]
:* an 'open space' or 'downward slope' tile (usually channeled by you) to place the well on

To place a well, press the {{k|b}}, {{k|l}} keys. That will take you through the various components, and you can choose specifically from among the parts you have available in each category. A well needs to be placed over an open space with adjacent floor tiles; there does not need to be water underneath a well for it to be built, only for it to be active.

It requires a dwarf with the [[architecture]] [[labor]] designated to design, and then a [[mason]]/[[carpenter]]/[[metalsmith]] to finish the construction. Because it's designed, high-value materials can be multiplied by a high-quality effort on the part of either or both the steps involved, and can result in an extremely valuable piece of architecture for your fortress. The dwarves will describe a very nice well as "truly sublime".

High-value mechanisms can be created at a [[forge]] from weapon-grade metals, the most valuable being [[steel]], [[iron]] and [[silver]]. Alternatively, you can make rock mechanisms with some [[native gold|gold]] or [[native platinum|platinum nuggets]] using the {{k|d}}etail function at a mechanic's workshop.

If a well is working properly, meaning it has direct access to water, it will display "active" when examined with {{k|q}}. If there is something obstructing the well, or there is not enough water, it will display "dry".

While in use by a dwarf, you can see the well's rope and bucket travel across z-levels. Although interesting, if your water source is very deep it may take a while for a single dwarf to obtain water. This becomes especially annoying if you do not have a steady booze supply, as thirsty dwarves will swarm the well awaiting their turn.

It is possible to build wells directly above one another, and they will still function if there is water below. They will not obstruct one another, as they are not impassible structures. [[Hatch]]es, floor [[bars]] and floor [[grate]]s will block well functionality, if they are between it and the water, but grates and bars will not stop water from flooding out. Grates, bars and hatches will allow functionality again if opened with a [[lever]]. It is perfectly reasonable to have multiple well openings drawing from a single water source, as a well only cares about the tile in a straight line below it. '''Wells cannot function through a stairwell'''. It is possible to have obstacles beneath a well, with the well continuing to function, if the surface of the water is above the obstacles.

A well is essentially a hole in the floor, so dwarves can fall through it under the right circumstances. Using a well is safe, while fighting or flooding near a well may not be. Any dwarves who fall through may escape drowning if the water source includes an escape route.

==Removal==
When removing a well, the components will generally be scattered around the channeled tile, not fall down into the well. One exception is when the bucket is stuck somewhere on the way down which probably happens when a water hauling job is interrupted by a hostile creature. In this case the bucket will drop down into the water source, but the rope, block and mechanism are saved.

In an area where ice forms, a well placed directly over water that freezes will be automatically deconstructed to its original parts. When the ice melts the parts may be lost. One solution is to leave at least one tile of empty space between your well and any outdoor water sources.

{{buildings}}

Glacier

2017-07-03T17:14:19Z

Leoboiko2: note about frozen buckets

{{Quality|Exceptional|15:49, 12 May 2013 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

'''Glaciers''' are extremely cold [[biome]]s, usually found in the northern or southern extremes on larger world maps. The first few layers of any glacier are solid [[ice]].

There are few resources on an ice tile; no [[tree]]s, [[plant]]s, [[water]], [[animal]]s, [[stone]], or [[ore]]s are typically included. In addition, the [[ice]] can be several z-layers thick, which can make getting to any stone underneath even more challenging.

The lack of soil layers on a glacier combined with freezing temperatures means that above ground farming can not be practiced on them. This also means that by embarking on a glacier, you will be totally unable to grow ''any'' of the aboveground [[crops]]. Your selection of growable produce must all be grown underground, and will be limited to [[sweet_pod|sweet pods]], [[pig_tail|pig tails]], [[dimple_cup|dimple cups]], [[cave wheat]], [[quarry_bush|quarry bushes]] and, of course, [[plump_helmet|plump helmets]].

These factors make a glacier a very difficult biome to build a successful [[fortress]] in, although many players try it as a challenge.

Also, because glaciers are often very isolated, it is entirely possible that you won't see a caravan from the Mountainhomes for anywhere up to 3 years. Migrants may be even more rare. On the plus side however, no hostile nations should bother you for a while.

== Starting on a glacier ==

Take a lot of wood, food and drink. Consider bringing extra [[domestic animal]]s ([[dog|dogs]] are recommended, as are [[turkey|turkeys]] for their plentiful [[egg_production|egg yield]]) as an emergency food source, and/or to jump-start a long-term [[breeding]] program.

Depending on your level of trade dependency, wood cutters can have little use on a glacier. You may want to sacrifice your wood cutter and axe in favour of another miner and pick. However, be aware that most glacial biomes have plenty of wood - if you brave the caverns. Alternatively, if you're <s>a total wuss</s> looking for an easier experience, you can embark on a locale where a glacier overlaps a forested taiga to bolster your log supply.

[[Ice]] is everywhere, so read up on it before you make any major plans. One peculiarity that you may want to know before you head out is that due to the guaranteed "freezing" temperatures, workshops built from ice will not melt in glacial biomes when above ground or inside the glacier's ice levels. The disadvantage, however, is that it is more difficult to use the ice as a potential water source. Note that mined out chunks of ice, when melted by being brought underground, will '''not''' produce usable water. {{Bug|360}}

=== Digging down to the rock layers ===

Due to a bug, down-[[stair]]s and up-down-stairs can't be carved out of ice if the layer immediately below the ice is stone. {{Bug|358}} This makes it impossible to get from the surface down to the stone layers by digging a straight staircase. The easiest way to circumvent this is to [[construction|construct]] an up-down staircase from some of the ice you will probably have mined out in the space where you intended to dig one. Since such a staircase is a construction, it will never melt, even if you pour [[magma]] on it.

=== Farming and getting water ===
Since glaciers contain no [[soil]] layers you will either have to [[irrigation|irrigate]] or farm in caverns. Water is required for the former approach, and is also needed at [[hospital]]s for cleaning and to give the wounded something to drink. There are two ways to get water on a glacier.

==== Underground pools ====
All regions of the world have vast underground [[caverns]] (unless the world was [[world generation|generated]] without them), and caverns almost always have large pools of water. Further, if the pool abuts the edge of your embark area, new water will fill in from the edge, giving you an infinite source of water. On the down side, it can take a while to find the caverns, since digging straight down isn't guaranteed to breach them, and there's a small chance of aquatic monsters escaping from the cavern. Even worse, the caverns you find may be completely dry.

The "quick-and-dirty" approach that springs to mind for the use of cavern water is to simply dig one z-level above the water and build a well, but beware that aquatic beasts can and will climb into your fortress through your well, and worse, unless the pool is at least 2-z deep, the water will be laced with mud. The approach below allows for a safe, clean, sealed off reservoir.

To safely (without having to wander around inside the cavern) tap into an underground pool, consider the following diagram:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
WWWWWWWWW
▓▓▓▓X▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓B▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓.▓▓▓▓
▓▓▓▓.▓▓▓▓
▓S......▓
▓.......▓
▓.......▓
▓.......▓
▓.......▓
▓F▓▓▓▓▓▓▓
}}

* W = water
* ▓ = stone wall
* X = last wall to dig out
* B = floor with [[floodgate]] or [[bridge|drawbridge]]
* F = wall or optional floor with floodgate (for [[irrigation]])
* . = floor with optional paved [[road]]
* S = up stairs or ramp

Then do the following steps:

# Dig down to the same level as the pool (not to the surface of the pool) and dig out the reservoir (rectangular region) with stairs (or ramp) leading out.
# If you're going to use the reservoir for [[irrigation]] then dig an outlet from the reservoir at the F, install a floodgate at its mouth, and hook it up to a [[lever]].
# Dig a tunnel to the pool, leaving one tile's worth of stone between the tunnel and the water (the X in the diagram).
# Install a [[floodgate]] or a south-raising [[bridge|drawbridge]] at the end of the tunnel and hook it up to a lever.
# Have a dwarf dig out the X.

The dwarf who dug the X should be able to get back to the stairs/ramp in time to not [[swimming|drown]]. To make extra sure of not drowning, ensure at least one dwarf is idling and have him/her pull the lever to the floodgate/drawbridge as soon as the wall is breached, then lower it again to let the reservoir fill. To make extra, ''extra'' sure, embark with a dwarf with a single point in the [[swimming]] skill, and have him/her carve the fortification.

Use a drawbridge instead of a floodgate at the end of the tunnel to prevent [[building destroyer]] aquatic/amphibious monsters from swimming into the reservoir and enter the rest of your fortress. A floodgate wouldn't stop a building destroyer, and monsters can swim through fully submerged [[fortification]]s. {{Bug|3327}} If you're going to use this reservoir for a [[well]] then closing off it off with a drawbridge is very important, since some building destroyers can swim ''and'' fly. If you're only going to use it for irrigation then you can use a floodgate and then simply [[wall]] off the reservoir once you're done with it, since building destroyers can't affect walls.

If you're going to use the reservoir for a well you should cover its floor with a paved [[road]] to prevent [[tree]]s from growing, because in some circumstances trees can grow underwater. {{Bug|1139}} Don't build your well or hospital within the ice layers, as the water within the [[bucket]]s will freeze, rendering it unusable.

==== Dwarven ice cutting ====

This may not work, beware.

One quirk of [[dwarven physics]] is that a [[cave-in]] will transform an ice [[wall]] into liquid water. This can be used to generate water in the following fashion:

To begin, it is best to clear out a large section of the rock underneath all the ice. Then cut out a 6x6 section of ice (it is easiest to cut out two squares around the part you want to drop so that you won't have any fatalities while channeling out the section of ice). Channel out the entire piece of ice and it will fall into that cleared out section, immediately defrosting and flooding the area. Now you can farm!

Before you run out of starting booze, do the same again, but this time do it further away and open 3-4 levels of rock (channel everything away) so that you create a well. Make sure you make it deep enough or you will create an ice zone that will kill any dwarf that tries to dig it out.

Continue to cut out chunks of ice, dropping them a few stories, and reaping the benefits as you continue in the fortress. Be careful channeling as the dwarves are all idiots and like to strand themselves while channeling, and they like to drop their buddies down the hole (which pollutes the future water and creates a huge mess).

Diagram of Ice cutting:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
OOOOOOOOOO
OCCCCCCCCO
OCIIIIIICO
OCIIIIIICO
OCIIIIIICO
OCIIIIIICO
OCIIIIIICO
OCIIIIIICO
OCCCCCCCCO
OOOOOOOOOO
}}

O = Open area, no channeling, just an area for dwarves to walk

C = Channel area, first dig it out, then channel once every layer is ready.

I = Future water source, now ice.

Once you have dug deep enough to see rock, channel out the entire level (make sure you have an escape route for the miner). Also, when channeling a large room, do it layer by layer. Start at the one end and do the entire left side, then the next. If you just select the entire thing dwarves will die.

Don't drop water anywhere near other tunnels; the ice will break through, and it will be messy. You can cut off entire sections of fortress to flooding or caved-in sections by doing this, and it wastes a lot of work and ice.

==== Other approaches ====
[[Aquifer]]s are sometimes present on glaciers, and magma can be used to melt ice (although the only [[magma_sea|reliable source]] of that is very deep underground). Seaside glaciers can allow you to bring some water in underground, but [[Water#Salt_water|desalinating]] the water will be necessary before it is drinkable by dwarves (or even before it can be designated as a [[Activity_zone#Water_Source|water zone]] for filling ponds).

Beware that flowing sources of [[water]], such as [[river]]s or [[brook]]s, don't ever seem to be present in glacier [[biome]]s.

== Trade ==
Trade on glaciers is an issue of contention for some glacial Dwarf Fortress players.

Some players argue that trade is basically essential on a glacial biome. Anyone playing on a glacier will inevitably end up with a lot of rock, so a commonly suggested source of income is rock [[crafts]]. However, beware that ice ''cannot'' be used to make crafts, even if the craftdwarf's workshop is on a z-level with freezing temperatures that would keep the ice from melting. The majority of your imports will be wood, used for making beds and other necessities, as well as fuel for making metal objects.

However, also be aware that independence from trade on a glacial biome '''is''' entirely possible. It does require extra effort and careful rationing of certain materials, but it can be done.

=== Glacial independence ===
Gaining independence from trade on a glacier is a difficult prospect, primarily because of the lack of wood to be found on glacial biomes. However, even though wood is commonly used in the creation of various constructions and tools, it is almost entirely replaceable with either stone or metal crafting. However, there are two wood-based needs in Dwarf Fortress that are trickier to circumvent: beds and fuel.

==== Beds ====
The need for wood in the construction of beds is unavoidable: no other material in the game can be used to make them. However, that is not to say that trade is the only thing that can supply wood. The answer here lies in [[caverns]]. Caverns grow trees on their soil constantly, and if correctly managed, can be turned into [[tree_farm|tree farms]]. However, the trade-off is that to supply wood for beds early, aggressive expansion into the caverns will be required, which can be extremely [[fun]]. In light of this, it is recommended to bring at least seven logs with you on embark to build beds for your first seven dwarves, and to read up on [[caverns]] and their [[Giant_olm|dastardly]], [[Troll|dangerous]] [[Crundle|darting]] [[Cave_crocodile|denizens]].

==== Fuel ====
[[Fuel]] is a different matter; wood does not have to play a part in its production. If you are very lucky, you may find [[bituminous coal]] or [[lignite]], the two stones which can be turned into fuel for metalwork, but the odds are that you will have to do without. For this, your best option is to get down to the [[magma sea]] as soon as you can to build magma-based [[smelter|smelters]], [[forge|forges]] and the like, or at least as soon as you need to start using metal. This has the added advantage of quite possibly leading you to discover additional caverns (and thus sources of wood and water) along the way.

Needless to say, read up on [[magma]] before attempting this. Magma's usage can lead to an awful lot of unexpected [[fun]] in inexperienced hands. Also take a look at the [[magma_crab|various]] [[fire_imp|other]] [[magma_man|hazards]] that can confront anyone working with the magma sea, and consider channelling some of the sea into a reservoir or using a [[screw_pump|pump]] to isolate your working dwarves from them. Once you have got the hang of it, magma really is a blessing because of its lack of limitations; the magma sea is not about to "run out" of magma, and it also makes for good <s>[[elf|hippie]]</s> [[refuse|garbage]] disposal. Also, if you are very lucky indeed, you may well stumble across [[adamantine|something special]].

== Wildlife ==

'''On neutral glaciers appear:'''

* [[Polar bear]]
* [[Yeti]]

'''On evil glaciers appear:'''

* [[Blizzard man]]
* [[Ice wolf]]

== Notes ==
Ice that is underground melts, but creates only useless puddles of water (marked as a cyan double tilde) identical to water dumped from a [[bucket]]. These puddles can only be cleaned. They cannot form usable water (blue tilde with depth attribute). Dumping block after block of mined ice blocks indoors will simply result in a huge stack of useless "water".

Glaciers are very unlikely to have a source of [[shell]]s. Thus, you may want to mod the game so that some other material can be used in place of shells for the occasional [[strange mood]]s which call for them; see [[Shell]] for details.

Some glacier biomes have such low temperatures that your dwarves and animals may die if exposed aboveground for too long.

Water in [[bucket]]s does not immediately freeze above ground so you can designate an area as a pool, tell dwarfs to fill it, then smooth and engrave your new ice fort.

== Volcanoes and glaciers ==
If you embark on a Glacier Biome with a Volcano you might think it would be a good idea to erupt the volcano (dig a hole into its side) onto the glacier ice. This will indeed cause some interesting effects like multiplying the amount of ice, casting obsidian and spamming you with cavern" collapsed" messages. The ice will expand due to the fact that one molten wall of ice will become 7 units of water, potentially flowing apart in all directions and freezing into new walls of ice immediately, which can then melt into 7 ''more'' units of water. If the water flows to the same square as the magma it will turn to obsidian. Both the ice and the obsidian walls may not be connected to another solid wall so a lot of cave-ins will occour.

{{D for Dwarf}}
What do you call cold, barren and inhospitable?
A dwarven noble.

{{Translation
| dwarven = usir
| elvish = vaci
| goblin = tûbeb
| human = shace
}}

{{World|Biomes}}

Bucket

2017-07-03T17:10:52Z

Leoboiko2: typo

{{Quality|Exceptional|09:32, 17 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
{{item|name=Bucket
|tile=û|col=6:0:0
|wood=y
|metal=y
|glass=N
|used for=
* [[Well]]
* [[Soap maker's workshop]]
* [[Ashery]]
* [[Dyer's shop]]
* Carrying liquids
}}
[[File:Gal_czerpaki.jpg|thumb|A range of old buckets.]]
'''Buckets''' are made of [[wood]] at a [[carpenter's workshop]] or [[metal]] at a [[metalsmith's forge]] or [[magma forge]]. They are used by dwarves to carry [[water]], when making [[lye]], milking [[animals]] and for cleaning wounded dwarves. Milk and lye can also be ''stored'' in buckets, but dwarves will prefer to empty the buckets into suitable [[barrel]]s. A bucket is also needed for the construction of a [[well]], a [[soap maker's workshop]], an [[ashery]] or a [[dyer's shop]]. To make a bucket, push {{k|q}} and highlight the carpenter's workshop. Then push {{k|a}} to add a new task, and push {{k|e}} to make a wooden bucket. A suitable dwarf will fulfill your request when he has time.

They are stored on the furniture [[stockpile]].

[[Metal]] buckets are one of the few objects made with [[blacksmith]]ing that uses 1 [[bar]], with [[block]]s being the other. This makes them useful for training blacksmiths, as the buckets can be melted down for a single bar, and training can occur even when metals are scarce.

In [[temperature]]s below freezing point, such as within [[glacier]] layers, water will freeze inside buckets, rendering them unusable (and ruining wells, which will show a "bucket full" message). To avoid that, build wells and [[hospital]]s (the main destination of water) down below the glacier, in earthen layers. To recover a frozen bucket, [[dump]] the ice within it.

==Trivia==
Sometimes, rather than acquiring menacing spikes, hanging rings, bands, encrustation or an image, a bucket will instead gain a material for its handle when decorated.

{{buildings}}

Bucket

2017-07-03T17:10:14Z

Leoboiko2: note about frozen buckets

{{Quality|Exceptional|09:32, 17 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
{{item|name=Bucket
|tile=û|col=6:0:0
|wood=y
|metal=y
|glass=N
|used for=
* [[Well]]
* [[Soap maker's workshop]]
* [[Ashery]]
* [[Dyer's shop]]
* Carrying liquids
}}
[[File:Gal_czerpaki.jpg|thumb|A range of old buckets.]]
'''Buckets''' are made of [[wood]] at a [[carpenter's workshop]] or [[metal]] at a [[metalsmith's forge]] or [[magma forge]]. They are used by dwarves to carry [[water]], when making [[lye]], milking [[animals]] and for cleaning wounded dwarves. Milk and lye can also be ''stored'' in buckets, but dwarves will prefer to empty the buckets into suitable [[barrel]]s. A bucket is also needed for the construction of a [[well]], a [[soap maker's workshop]], an [[ashery]] or a [[dyer's shop]]. To make a bucket, push {{k|q}} and highlight the carpenter's workshop. Then push {{k|a}} to add a new task, and push {{k|e}} to make a wooden bucket. A suitable dwarf will fulfill your request when he has time.

They are stored on the furniture [[stockpile]].

[[Metal]] buckets are one of the few objects made with [[blacksmith]]ing that uses 1 [[bar]], with [[block]]s being the other. This makes them useful for training blacksmiths, as the buckets can be melted down for a single bar, and training can occur even when metals are scarce.

In [[temperature]]s below freezing point, such as within [[glacier]] layers, water will freeze inside buckets, rendering it unusable (and ruining wells, which will show a "bucket full" message). To avoid that, build wells and [[hospital]]s (the main destination of water) down below the glacier, in earthen layers. To recover a frozen bucket, [[dump]] the ice within it.

==Trivia==
Sometimes, rather than acquiring menacing spikes, hanging rings, bands, encrustation or an image, a bucket will instead gain a material for its handle when decorated.

{{buildings}}