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40d:Stone

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Revision as of 13:19, 27 January 2008 by ShunterAlhena (talk | contribs)
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Stone or rock is a naturally occuring solid aggregate of minerals. It sometimes leaves behind material after being mined or collapsing. Other types of minable tiles include soil and sand.

Stone is divided into a few key categories:

Having created loose stone, many times you'll want to get rid of it or at least move it someplace else. See stone management for advice.

Main layer types

There are four types of stone layers. The type of layer is the primary indicator of what kind of ore you will find on the map, as well as a sign of volcanic activity. The types are sedimentary layers, igneous intrusive layers, igneous extrusive layers, and metamorphic layers. You will also find layers of soil, but these rarely contain much ore.

The primary types of rocks only occur in their own layers. For example, you won't find limestone in a marble layer.

Stone forming entire layers

These types of stone occur as entire layers, containing some veins and pockets of other minerals (see below). If one of the following types of stone is present on your map, it will be listed in one of the biomes on the embark screen.


Sedimentary Igneous intrusive Igneous extrusive Metamorphic

Stone occurring within layers

Stone found on this table will occur as pockets and veins inside their respective stone layers (see above). When your miners encounter one of them, the game will pause and you will receive an announcement; even for the ones that have no use other than to build constructions of unusual colors.

Non-layer stone occurs in these forms:

  • Large cluster - An oval that occupies nearly half of a 48x48 block, area-wise. Only one appears per block
  • Vein - A sinuous line of the material crosses the block
  • Small cluster - A sprinkle of 5 to 10 adjacent tiles. Multiple small clusters of different materials may be in the same block
Stone name Found in Found how Icons
Alabaster Gypsum Small clusters ^
Alunite All Igneous extrusive, Kaolinite Large clusters `
Anhydrite Gypsum, Satinspar, Alabaster, Selenite Single v
Bauxite All Sedimentary Large clusters +
Bituminous coal All Sedimentary Veins
Borax Gypsum, Rock_Salt Small clusters `
Brimstone All Igneous extrusive, Gypsum Small clusters %
Calcite Limestone, Marble Small clusters "
Chromite Olivine Veins =
Cinnabar All Igneous extrusive, Shale, Quartzite Veins £
Cobaltite All Igneous All Metamorphic Veins £
Cryolite Granite Small clusters -
Graphite Gneiss, Quartzite, Marble, Schist Small clusters o
Gypsum All Sedimentary Large clusters #
Hornblende All Igneous, All Metamorphic Small clusters "
Ilmenite Gabbro Small clusters .
Jet All Sedimentary Large clusters
Kaolinite All Sedimentary Large clusters =
Kimberlite Gabbro Veins %
Lignite All Sedimentary Veins *
Marcasite Kaolinite Small clusters %
Mica All Metamorphic, Granite Large clusters v
Microcline All Stone Large clusters %
Olivine Gabbro Large clusters %
Orpiment All Igneous extrusive Small clusters -
Orthoclase All Igneous intrusive, All Metamorphic Large clusters %
Periclase Marble Small clusters ,
Petrified wood All Sedimentary Small clusters %
Pitchblende Granite Small clusters *
Puddingstone Conglomerate Large clusters Θ
Pyrolusite All Igneous Small clusters %
Realgar All Igneous extrusive Small clusters %
Rutile All Metamorphic, Granite Small clusters `
Saltpeter All Sedimentary Small clusters x
Satinspar Gypsum Small clusters -
Selenite Gypsum Small clusters ;
Serpentine Olivine Small clusters
Stibnite All Igneous extrusive Small clusters %
Sylvite Rock salt Large clusters =
Talc Dolomite Large clusters |

Stone in real life

The geology and stones of Dwarf Fortress are based on real-world geology and mineralogy. To understand the terms used here, you may want to crack open a geology textbook (a high school one should will suffice). If you don't happen to have one close by, the Wikipedia articles for geology, mineralogy, or the terms in question might help.