Editing 40d:How do I get my dwarves to do stuff

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To get a [[dwarf]] to do something useful, you need 4 things:

# A task which needs doing
#*For instance, you could designate an area to be mined, or a wooden building to be destroyed.
# A dwarf with the appropriate labor enabled.
#*For the above examples you would have to enable '[[Mining]]' and '[[Carpentry]]', respectively.
#A dwarf with the appropriate tool(s), if any, or access to them.
#*For the above examples you would need a '[[Pick]]' and 'Nothing', respectively.
#*Note that if another dwarf is using/holding the item, it's not available. (esp [[Pick]]s and [[Axe]]s, but also any item that may be (temporarily) tasked by another dwarf at the time.)
#A valid path to all of the above.
#*Common errors include having a [[door]] that is sealed, carving out one half (upper or lower) of a [[staircase]], [[channel]]ing out a critical part of a route, or a [[workshop]] seal a path with an inaccessible tile.
#*Note also that many [[construction]] tasks require a dwarf to access the target tile from a cardinal direction - up, down, left or right, ''not diagonally''.  This includes installation of all [[door]]s, [[hatch]]es & etc.

If you have those four things it is just a matter of time until a dwarf decides to complete the task (they might be busy doing other things first).

{{Starting FAQ}}