Smell

v50.14 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

Smell is a characteristic of a creature. Each creature has a distinct smell defined by their odor string and an odor level, which defines the strength of their smell. Each creature with at least one body part having the SMELL token also has a smell trigger which simulates their sense of smell by comparing it to the odor level of other creatures: creatures can detect the smell of all creatures with an odor level higher than their own smell trigger.

Smell is mainly relevant in adventurer mode. As an adventurer, you can smell your surroundings with o and the game will display the strongest smell around that's perceptible to you.

Smell triggers and odor levels range from zero to 10000. Creatures with an odor level of 10000 can be smelled by literally everyone else, while creatures at zero are completely odorless. Likewise, a creature with a smell trigger of zero can detect literally everyone else's smell (yuck), while creatures at 10000 have no sense of smell whatsoever.

The default smell trigger is 50; notably, humans are at 90 as a way to show their lower-than-average sense of smell.

Notable odor strings

Smell strings that describe a specific smell are usually just the name of the creature itself, but there are some exceptions:

• Undead smell like death.
• Night trolls smell like bug innards or death.
• Fire imps smell like smoke.
• Mud men smell like mud.