Editing Hatch cover

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[[File:hatch_cover_preview.png|right]]A '''hatch cover''' (also called a '''floor hatch''' or just '''hatch''') is, in effect, a [[door]], but controlling the passage between Z-levels instead of along the same Z-level. They can be placed over [[stairs]] or [[ramp]]s, or open space as long as they are supported by an adjacent floor tile.

Like doors, they can be linked with mechanisms, locked, or kept tightly closed to keep out water, pets and foes alike.  They can be set as internal, but as [[room]]s cannot occupy multiple Z-levels, this has no effect.

When closed, hatches appear as {{Raw Tile|¢|0:7:1}}; they are not visible when open. A hatch cover's color is determined by the [[material]] it is made from.

As [[building destroyer]]s can only destroy buildings on other z-levels under [[Building destroyer#Destroying from underneath|certain conditions]], hatch covers can be quite effective at keeping out enemies if used properly.

They can be constructed from a [[Stoneworker's workshop]], [[Metalsmith's forge]], [[Carpenter's workshop]], or [[Glass furnace]] from [[stone]], [[metal]], [[wood]], or [[glass]] respectively. Once built, they may be placed with {{k|b}}-{{k|p}}-{{k|h}}.

A dwarf falling down stairs will be stopped by a closed floor hatch. A dwarf standing on a floor hatch over stairs will not start falling if the hatch is opened. A dwarf standing on a floor hatch above a ramp or open space will start falling if the hatch is opened. While the falling dwarf may be able to climb to escape injury, he will drop any items he was hauling, possibly injuring dwarves below.

Using a hatch cover, a garbage dump can be designed to drop items on the same Z level as the dwarf doing the dumping, thus removing risk of falling items causing injuries. This is done by channeling one square, and then constructing the hatch over the hole.  Designate a dump zone over the hatch, and haulers will neglect to open the hatch, leaving the hauled items on the hatch instead.

== Forging and Melting ==

* Metal hatch covers cost '''three''' [[metal]] bars to [[forge]], or '''nine''' [[adamantine]] wafers.
* When a non-adamantine metal hatch cover is [[melt|melted down]], it will return '''1''' metal bar, for an '''efficiency of 33%'''.
* When an adamantine hatch cover is melted down, it will produce '''1''' wafer, for an '''efficiency of 11%'''.

== Adventurer mode ==

Hatch covers are common building elements in generated [[dungeon]]s, [[lair]]s, and other structures.  When placed above stairs, adventurers can use the ordinary stair-climbing commands {{k|<}} and {{k|>}} to traverse them.  On the other hand, when placed above ramps—as is typical of lairs and towers in [[keep]]s and [[dark pit]]s—the player must instead use {{k|Alt}}-direction while standing adjacent to or directly under a hatch cover in order to pass through it.  (Alternately, {{k|Ctrl}}-direction and {{k|Shift}}-direction may be used when above or below a hatch cover, respectively, as well.)

[[File:iron_hatch_cover.jpg|thumb|230px|center|An outside iron hatch cover.]]

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