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v0.31:Magic

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This article is about an older version of DF.

Magic does not exist in Dwarf Fortress. Magic is the stuff of legends, and is associated with fanciful creatures such as Template:Ls, Template:Ls, and Template:Ls. These creatures are included in the game's Template:L and so they may appear on engravings, but the actual creatures will not appear in Dwarf Fortress.

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.

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 Template:L taking the bare bones or hint of magic and attempt to create their own mods. The following mods include magic for DF2010:

Valkun's Dwarf Fortress Magic Add-On V0.1.1

This mod is a preliminary attempt at producing a magic framework for Dwarf Fortress using reactions. Obviously it has nothing to do with the eventual system that Toady will create when he gets around to it. The spheres of magic were designed to allow all players to obtain materials that may not be available on a map or are only available in limited quantities and to use materials in new ways. However, the quality and quantity should be less than just gathering the resources normally and require more work in general. Magic has been divided into various spheres which each deal with their own industries and themes.