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40d:Swimmer

From Dwarf Fortress Wiki
Revision as of 05:06, 9 February 2008 by Pigbuster (talk | contribs) (Added and changed a whole lot of information. Added skill box.)
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Skill: Swimmer
Association  
Profession None
Job Title Swimmer
Labor None
Tasks
  • Getting in and out of water
  • Staying calm underwater
Workshop
None

Swimmers can swim in water without drowning.

By moving carefully (alt+Move) into open space above water and selecting the option to move below (such as West/Below), then you can swim about without drowning. To get out, move carefully against a shoreline and select the option to move above. Swimmers can also dive and rise through the z-axis by pressing > and < respectively. Note that air-breathers will be unable to breathe two levels beneath the surface.

It is trained by:

  • Swimming.
  • Drowning.
  • Walking on an ocean wave.

Notable ways that it is not gained include:

To train swimming skill, find a pool of shallow water (preferably depth 4, which is safe) or a body of water with slopes (such as a lake). The speed of training seems to vary depending on the strength of the current; higher levels of water usually mean more current, and more pushing of your character around. Brooks count as ground tiles, you can't swim in them.


If an untrained or dabbling swimmer jumps into water, four things happen; they start drowning, they are stunned from the impact, they are forced into a prone position, and their movement speed is greatly reduced. The only way to get out of water is to use a ramp or stairway, and if neither are accessible, they're done for.

A novice swimmer is able to safely get in and out of water, but they will panic in certain situations

Normal swimmers do not panic like novices do, so training to this level is highly recommended.

Drowning

If a creature is surrounded by a blue status icon, they are drowning. If they cannot reach air soon, they will die. Swimmers with a normal or above rank will simply be able to swim toward the nearest air supply. Swimmers of novice or below, however, will panic when they begin to drown, and will have to get out via ramp or stairway.

The following situations will make a novice swimmer panic:

  • Falling into water from a height.
  • Diving two Z-Levels beneath the surface.

Swimming in Fortress Mode

The specifics are unknown at this point. It is assumed that dwarves with a normal rank or better will be able to swim up and to the surface.

A movie of fortress mode dwarves swimming up and out of a water chamber: Movie

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