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v0.31:Magic
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 | This page includes mods. The content is not part of normal DF as released. Changing game files can sometimes cause unexpected results, and should always be done with care and caution. |
Magic does not exist in Dwarf Fortress. Magic is the stuff of legends, and is associated with fanciful creatures such as chimeras, centaurs, and griffons. These creatures are included in the game's raw object data and so they may appear on engravings, but the actual creatures will not appear in Dwarf Fortress. Two in-game Megabeasts, the Dragon and Bronze colossus are referred to as magical in their descriptions in-game.
As far as magic goes, underneath, it's all the same -- like a debugging option with some in-play queue that lets you change things for no reason. You don't need to worry so much about the implementation -- as much as we have one now, I don't really want a stock universe. The things we have now, like Blizzard Men, are mostly there to make sure that special properties are implemented. Then the random generation can begin. We don't want another cheap fantasy universe, we want a cheap fantasy universe generator. A lot of fiction sounds computer generated anyway. Toady, August 12, 2006
Toady One has shared a few of his thoughts concerning how magic can or might be implemented in the game, particularly with regard to artifacts, which in a previous (possibly unreleased) version of Dwarf Fortress were actually magical and could have a selection of powers. Primary concerns appear to be for game balance on one hand and preserving the special nature and rarity of magic on the other, to avoid a sort of "industrial magic" mentality where special items lose their glamor.
- See Also: Alchemy
Systems of Magic
It is rumored that one day a full system of magic will eventually be included in Dwarf Fortress. Until that time, some fans have fun taking the bare bones or hint of magic and attempt to create their own mods.