Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

Book

2019-04-06T23:34:46Z

DF Ludicer: /* Secrets */

{{Quality|Exceptional|17:01, 17 July 2017 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

A '''book''' is an item that can be written on and store historical events, [[knowledge]], and art. Books use [[sheet]]s made from [[plant fiber]] (paper), [[parchment]], or papyrus. Books are created by historical figures in [[world generation]], by the [[adventurer mode|adventurer]], and by [[scholar]]s and visitors in [[fortress mode]]. They can also be copied by [[scribe]]s. Travelers and [[trading|traders]] carry books to different sites and [[library|libraries]], spreading information as a result. There are two forms of books: '''codices''' {{Tile|◘|7:1}} (sing. ''codex'') and '''scrolls''' {{Tile|∞|7:1}}. Both forms have different methods of creation, but they are identical in function. Codices are known as '''quires''' {{Tile|≡|7:1}} prior to being bound. Written books are treated as [[artifact]]s, with the exception of copies. Original written works are recorded in the [[legends]] and appear in the {{k|L}} Artifacts screen in fortress mode. Books are titled based on their subject matter, with copies identified by "(copy)" at the end of their title.

Quires and scrolls are found under "tools" in the {{k|z}} Stocks screen, and codices can be found under "codices". Written and unwritten books are stored in [[stockpile]]s with Finished Goods enabled. Original written works can be separated from copied and unwritten books in stockpiles by toggling the stockpile's settings to accept only artifact-level [[core quality|core or total quality]] items. If a library with available space is present, written and unwritten books will be stored in [[bookcase]]s and [[container]]s instead, respectively.

== Forms ==

=== Scroll ===

Scrolls are made from sheets and [[scroll rollers]]. Scrolls can be written on and stored right after being made.

=== Quire and codex ===

Unlike scrolls, codices require a two-step process to be made. The initial form of a codex is known as a quire. Quires can be written on, be read, and be used as a copy, similar to scrolls. Once something is written on, quires can be combined with a [[book binding]] and a [[thread]] to create a codex.

Codices, being made of more materials, should have their [[wealth]] increased. However, this transformation currently discards some of the quire's properties (text length, material value, etc.), so it is recommended to leave your scholars' works in quire form.{{bug|9409}} The final product of binding a codex tends to actually be worth much less than the combined value of its constituent parts, making codices a terrible way to generate wealth.

== Production ==

:''See also: [[Paper industry]]''

Quires are made from [[sheet]]s at a [[craftsdwarf's workshop]] by a dwarf with the [[bookbinding]] labor. Only a single sheet is needed per quire. Codices are then created from one thread, one book binding, and a written-on quire at a craftsdwarf's workshop by a bookbinder.

A scroll is made from a single sheet and a scroll roller at a craftsdwarf's workshop by a bookbinder. Both book bindings and scroll rollers can be made out of wood, stone, metal, or glass. Components made of wood and stone are produced at a craftsdwarf's workshop, metal at a [[metalsmith's forge]], and glass at a [[glass furnace]].

[[Decoration]]s such as gems and ivory can be added in unwritten scrolls. Codices cannot be normally decorated, with the exception of untitled codices. Book bindings or scroll rollers cannot be decorated.

== Usage ==

=== Reading ===

Written books can be read. Readers will gain information of the subject they read about in a book. Contents in a book cannot impact specific [[ethics]], although one [[Necromancy| particular subject]] can have profound ''physical'' effects on the reader. Reading a book will satisfy the reader's [[need]] to self-examine and think abstractly.

Adventurers can read books in their possession by pressing {{k|I}} then selecting them from their inventory. Characters must possess a [[reader]] skill of at least novice level in order to read a book. This skill can only be leveled up in-game by reading books, which is impossible to do without any reader skill to begin with. Raising the reader skill in advance during character creation (or simply adding some amount of NATURAL_SKILL to one's chosen race in the raws) is therefore crucial.

Fortress citizens and visitors will read available books in a library at their leisure. [[Bookkeeper]]s do not require a book to update stockpile records, oddly enough.

=== Writing ===

Unwritten quires and scrolls stocked in a library as writing material will be used periodically by scholars and scribes to write original works and copy existing works, respectively.

Adventurers can write their own books. First, have an unwritten scroll or quire wielded in hand or on the tile where you stand. Press {{k|x}} then select {{k|w}}rite, and choose the object you want to write on. You will be given a list of memorized content and prose to write about, which includes guides, essays, manuals, chronicles, letters, short stories, novels, plays, poems, choreographs, and musical compositions. For prose options, a random known subject will be used. Writing a book will take up several hours in-game. If you are interrupted by enemies, writing will stop and the writing material will be unused.

=== Combat ===

Although hardly ideal for the purpose, creatures carrying books have been known to use them in combat with varying results. The combat effectiveness of the written word is determined in large part by the materials used in the book's construction. Books are blunt weapons, so heavy metal books will be infinitely more effective than light wooden ones. Fighting with a book trains the [[Macedwarf]] skill.

== Subjects ==

=== Art ===

Art books describe poems, choreographs, and musical compositions. Art books are titled after their art piece's name. In [[adventure mode]], reading a book about an art form is one of the few ways to learn it. Presumably dwarves reading art books will be able to perform what they've read at a [[tavern]] as well.

=== Knowledge ===

[[Knowledge]] books include [[topic]]s on mathematics, philosophy, history, geography, medical science, natural science, astronomy, engineering, and chemistry. They are referred to as ''manuals''.

Civilizations practice different forms of scholarship. Dwarves practice all forms of scholarship (while still preferring craftsdwarfship to books), elves do elfy stuff, and for humans it is randomized for each instance of their civilization (scholar types are based on the civilization's values and jobs).

=== Secrets ===

Books containing "secrets of life and death" are occasionally written during world generation by [[necromancer]]s and various [[demon]]ic rulers. Any mortal creature who reads one will immediately learn the secrets to [[immortality]] and the ability to raise the [[undead|dead]]. Necromancy books can be found in a necromancer's [[tower (necromancy)|tower]] among other types of books, including the original [[slab]] of which the secrets originated from.

Necromancers [[siege|invading]] the fortress may bring their books along, which could be necromancy books. Looting a necromancy book and storing it in a library will cause all of the fortress population to gradually become immortal masters of death every time one of them reads the book, and this process can be accelerated by creating copies of the book. Adventurers who have learned the secrets of life and death can also write their own necromancy books (by random chance) and share them with the world by placing them in a library for people to read.

=== Other ===

Books may be autobiographies, or about other historical characters or locations the author has had contact with. Presumably the relevant "Form" topics must have been discovered by an individual's civilization for biographies, autobiographies, etc. to be written. [[Topic#History|Autobiographical adventure]], for example, presumably unlocks autobiographies. Most forms are part of the [[Topic#history|history]] branch, but creation of [[Topic#Geography|atlases]], [[Topic#Philosophy|dictionaries]] and [[Topic#Astronomy|star charts]] require other disciplines. Books may also be commentaries on other books.

== Bugs ==

* The description of manufactured scrolls mentions two roller materials, with the first described as a random stone.{{bug|9249}}
* Quires targeted by any active jobs (e.g. being read) are unavailable for binding.{{bug|9269}}
* Binding a quire into a codex destroys the material definition and value.{{bug|9409}} This loss of information also results in the book being a single page long. Written works can be left in their quire form to retain their properties.
* In adventure mode, placing and removing books from a bookcase can duplicate them, resulting in "phantom" books.{{bug|10245}}
* Codices will sometimes appear without a title. These codices are not considered as artifacts; they do not appear in the Artifacts list menu and are not stored in artifact-specified stockpiles. Since all codices must be derived from a written-on quire, all codices (except copies) should in theory be an artifact and possess a title.

{{Gamedata|{{raw|DF2014:item_tool.txt|ITEM_TOOL|ITEM_TOOL_QUIRE}}}}
{{Gamedata|{{raw|DF2014:item_tool.txt|ITEM_TOOL|ITEM_TOOL_SCROLL}}}}

{{Translation
| dwarven = thîkut
| elvish = soya
| goblin = zosto
| human = thothil
}}

{{Category|Items}}
[[Ru:Book]]

Siege

2019-04-06T23:01:48Z

DF Ludicer: /* Necromancer sieges */

{{Quality|Exceptional|16:56, 10 June 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
{{Translation
| dwarven = zokun
| elvish = thima
| goblin = etosp
| human = rislu
}}
:''For catapults and ballistae, see [[Siege engine]].''

'''Sieges''' are large-scale assaults on your fortress by other [[civilization]]s, and a step beyond [[ambush]]es. Sieges are drawn from moving units advancing towards the fortress, whether from an army, a bandit group, or a necromancer's [[Tower (necromancy)|tower]]. They are announced with a full-screen message that differs depending on the attacking race, and the main screen showing the {{DFtext|SIEGE|6:4:1}} tag at the top for the duration of the siege. A siege's objective is to exterminate every [[dwarf]] in your fortress, or die trying. It is possible to be sieged by all civilized races, with the exception of [[kobold]]s (who never go beyond ambushes) and subterranean [[animal people]] (who just don't attack at all).

[[Caravan]]s will not arrive at a besieged fortress. They will arrive, though, if a siege is broken quickly enough, but it is possible to miss out entirely on a civilization's caravan for the year this way. Even if they do arrive before the siege, the attackers may kill them or chase them off if they can reach them. Consider this when deciding how you set up your [[trade depot]] and how heavily reliant your economy is on imported goods.

A civilization will be unable to lay siege if it can't ''reach'' your fortress site. Armies need to physically move to the location of your fortress; they are normally allowed a 30-tile radius of interaction (towers have 10 tiles), beyond which sieges are impossible. You will never get sieges if you embark on an [[island]] or in a valley which is completely surrounded by [[mountain]]s. If you want to make sure that a certain civilization will be capable of laying siege to you, then look at the "neighbors" view of the [[Embark]] site finder when selecting your fortress site.

== Structure of a siege ==

*Siege forces usually consist of several 'squads'. Using the [[goblin]]s as an example, each squad consists of several goblins of one military class (swordsman, lasher, etc.), and often one 'squad leader' (typically an Elite or better, which need not be the same class as the squad being led).
*Occasionally, a squad will be mounted - this means each of its members will be riding a suitable [[creature]], though the creatures typically vary between members. The squad leader can be mounted, even if their squad is not. These mounts can change the combat dynamics, since some can fly, are [[building destroyer]]s, or have substantially different combat traits than their riders. For more info on mounted units, and the [[fun]] they can unleash upon an ill-prepared defender, see: [[Mount]].
*Invaders can climb [[wall]]s and pits. This can be quite [[fun]], if your fort defense relies on the same kind of walls and pits as previous versions.
*In the pause menu, your retiring option will change from "retire your fortress" to "succumb to the invasion". Choosing this option will lead to the siege succeeding and the dwarves being killed.
*After being sufficiently "successful" at defending against the siege (killing sufficient attackers, waiting them out, or some combination thereof), the attackers will retreat. All of the remaining squads and groups will head for the map edges and leave, typically favoring the edge they entered from. Once all of the remaining attackers have decided to retreat, the {{DFtext|SIEGE|6:4:1}} tag will go away.
*It is possible to have multiple sieges at the same time. If the attacking civilizations are at war with each other, they will start to fight with each other as well.
*Different races will favor different styles of attack during sieges. The following attack styles were observed in .40d; it remains to be seen if these traits are still present in current releases.
*You can turn off sieges and [[forgotten beast]]s altogether by editing the [[d_init.txt]] file to change [INVADERS:YES] to [INVADERS:NO].

== [[Goblin]] sieges ==

{{dftext|A vile force of darkness has arrived!|5:1}}

Usually the tactics used by the goblins are no more sophisticated than charging in an open march toward your fortress and attempting to kill your dwarves. Goblin sieges often include groups of [[troll]]s and [[beak dog]]s, but may also include things like [[ogre]]s or [[cave dragon]]s that can [[Building destroyer|break buildings]] and smash workshops. Unlike the squads, however, these 'groups' usually enter the map in a single tile, somewhat akin to arriving [[migrants]]. These war creatures usually possess random civilian classes, and show little of the organized behavior of the squads. Goblins may also bring fighters belonging to other races, previously kidnapped by [[snatcher]]s, and if you're really lucky, they may be commanded by something particularly [[Demon|fun]]. Goblin sieges usually involve [[mount]]ed squads, some of which can fly over whatever defenses you might have set up to stop them.

Interestingly, the goblin civilization lacks the {{token|SIEGER|e}} token, while large-scale attacks by them nevertheless activate the {{DFtext|SIEGE|6:4:1}} state. This suggests that the token doesn't regulate the overall ability to send out sieging forces, but merely enables large attacking forces to set up camp and try to wait out a fort instead of charging blindly - the behaviour described in the paragraph on human sieges.

== [[Elf|Elven]] sieges ==

{{dftext|The elves have brought the full forces of their lands against you.|5:1}}

It is possible to have elven attacks as well, but that usually requires some effort on the part of the player, or for your starting civilization to have a pre-existing conflict with a nearby elven one. You can check this when you embark while looking at nearby civilizations, where it will read {{DFtext|WAR|4:1}} next to the elf civilization, though it seems to be entirely dependent on how world gen plays out and embarking at a time when a war is happening. Another, possibly simpler (and more amusing) way to elven siege is to blatantly provoke them. If you don't want to be attacked by elves you should not offer them wooden goods or goods stored in wooden barrels or bins. You might also avoid clearing too much woodland, as elves will be offended if you do so. Unless you want to be attacked by them, don't send squads to [[Mission|raid]] their sites in the civilization screen.

Elves use stealth squads, ''a la'' goblin ambushes, to hide their numbers and locations. It should be noted, however, that unlike goblin ambushes which cap at four squads, elves can come in '''massive''' numbers, atop mighty (and [[Butcher|tasty]]) [[unicorn]]s or other [[elephant|exotic beasts]]. Fortunately, unlike goblins and humans, who wear heavy armor and wield [[metal]] weapons that can cause considerable damage, the elves are very weak in battle. Their weapons and arrows are made of [[wood]], which will simply bounce off any standard metal armor, and they march into battle wearing easily breakable wooden armor, or even nothing but [[cloth]] robes and trousers.

== [[Human]] sieges ==

{{dftext|The enemy have come and are laying siege to the fortress.|5:1}}

Humans may also siege you if you let their [[diplomat]] die while visiting your fortress, if too many of their trade wagons get destroyed, if you trade with an elven nation the humans are at war with or if you raid their sites. Humans sometimes set up a camp near the map edge they arrived on, harassing wandering dwarves and waiting for you to come to them instead of blindly charging toward your fortress.

Humans often ride rather mundane animals, such as [[horse]]s, [[camel]]s (of both varieties), or war [[grizzly bear]]s, and may bring along further war animals like trained [[cheetah]]s. Be aware that human siegers know of all [[trap]]s that their diplomats have seen before, even their war animals are immune to those traps. If you had a human diplomat in your fort, best assume that your traps are useless against the invaders unless they were built after his last visit. A removed and rebuilt trap counts as "new", even if it's the same type of trap in the same tile.

== [[Necromancer]] sieges ==

{{dftext|The dead walk. Hide while you still can!|5:1}}

Necromancers will only be able to siege you if you embark in an area near a tower. If no tower is present in the neighbors list, no necromancers will ever besiege your fortress unless you attack them first.

Necromancers will besiege your fortress by sending [[undead]] to your fort or even coming themselves. Either way, undead sieges are a guaranteed source of [[Fun]]. The undead units will arrive from all sides of the map, slowly meandering towards your fortress. Undead sieges may arrive with as few as one zombie to as many as fifty or more—and if a necromancer is present with them, every dwarf that dies in battle is likely to be revived as a new zombie, complete with all the skills, attributes, and equipment it had in life. The undead in general are serious enemies that one cannot treat like goblin garbage. A legendary squad can take down unarmed zombies in equal numbers, but the large numbers that necromancers can bring are unmatchable. To make things worse, "elite" zombie fighters may carry ''weapons and armour'', a truly terrifying thought were there ever one.

While normally human, goblin and elven invaders usually do not have access to [[steel]] (with elves not using metal weapons/armour at all), if the original necromancer of the group (the one who was given the slab during worldgen) was a dwarf, it is not uncommon for the undead invaders to use steel. Yes, that means being invaded by steel clad elven zombies with steel swords, for example.

It is recommended that you have <s>many traps</s> every single trap with the best available materials you could possibly build set in advance, and when the undead legions arrive, '''shut down everything'''. Be sure to shut down all of your [[butcher's shop]]s, crypts, and [[refuse]] [[stockpile]]s, as necromancers can reanimate armies of body parts to destroy your fortress from the inside. Be also careful with [[fishery]] workshops, as reports of [[mussel]] [[shell]]s rising from the dead are fairly common. Necromancers will raise any [[corpse]] or corpse part that they see, and simple proximity to undead can cause things like [[skin]] and [[hair]] to rise and attack the unfortunate butcher. It doesn't really matter how many zombies arrive; if you are not prepared, you will probably get slaughtered, as one zombie can easily become two zombies, then four, then eight and so on. If the zombies cannot attack your dwarves immediately, they will simply mill about on the surface until something living (wild animals included) comes too close or until they are all destroyed. Like other sieges, it is also possible to wait out necromancer sieges, though this can take a year or more. When fighting zombies that used to be your own dwarves, be sure not to let anyone who knew that dwarf fight them—it generates a strong negative [[thought]] on top of the reduction to sanity caused by fighting the living dead. Use [[Attack type|blunt]] weapons whenever possible—a mangled corpse is one that will stay dead, and with no functioning organs to damage, the only other way to stop them is through decapitation or bisection.

Undead sieges can attack your fortress at any time, including before the second spring's elven caravan arrives, or even before the first dwarven caravan arrives in the fall of your first year (thus preventing its arrival). The number of undead sent will depend on your wealth and population, and early sieges tend to have as few as 3 undead—but can cause very much cheesy [[fun]] if a lone necromancer accompanies them (which isn't uncommon).

== [[Dwarf|Dwarven]] sieges ==
{{New in|0.44.01}}
{{dftext|The enemy have come and are laying siege to the fortress.|5:1}}

Dwarves of a different entity from yours will normally not interact with your fortress. However, should the player [[Mission|raid]] the sites of another dwarven civilization, or refuse to give a petitioned [[legendary artifact]] if requested, the other dwarves may declare war on yours, leading to dwarven sieges. It isn't possible to be attacked by dwarves of your own entity.

Dwarves employ tactics similar to those of humans during sieges, and employ war beasts and cavalry equivalent to their own or to those used by goblins, as they have access both to above-ground and subterranean resources. Enemy dwarves can be particularly [[fun]] to face due to them possessing access to everything the player has, including the likes of steel equipment, and due to being able to enter [[martial trance]]s much like your own dwarves.

== [[Bandit]] sieges ==

Roving bandit groups nearby your fortress may also besiege your fortress. This can happen as early as ''the first year'', making them an excellent source of surprise [[Fun]].

Bandit groups are drawn from any entity with the {{token|BANDITRY|e}} and {{token|LOCAL_BANDITRY|e}} tokens. In unmodded games, these are [[goblin]]s, [[human]]s and [[kobold]]s, though other races (even [[dwarves]]) have been reported. Their announcement messages are the same as the messages for regular sieges of their race. Bandit sieges are generally smaller than a later-game full-blown siege, more similar to goblin [[ambush]]es in size, as there are fewer units from which to draw combatants. Bandits tend to be poorly equipped and skilled, some being recruits with no weapons or armour.

== Bugs ==
* Amphibian invader mounts drown their riders. {{Bug|926}}

{{Military}}
[[ru:Siege]]

Depression

2019-04-06T22:54:35Z

DF Ludicer:

{{Quality|Fine|07:12, 17 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}{{stub}}

:{{gametext|<dwarf> has slipped into depression...|6:0}}
::''Sunk into depression...''

'''Depression''' is a temporary emotional breakdown experienced mainly by dwarves with high [[personality trait|propensity to depression]].

Depressed dwarves will cancel any job they may be doing at the moment and mope around until they regain their composure. Unless [[stress]] levels are reduced, bouts of depression will repeat until the dwarf is eventually [[insanity|stricken by melancholy]]. A [[Tantrum|tantrum]] may also result.

{{Translation| dwarven = ozon | elvish = eyuca | goblin = ostest | human = bowu}}

{{Category|Fortress mode}}
[[ru:Depression]]

Attack types

2019-02-18T04:42:38Z

DF Ludicer: /* Blunt weapons */

{{Quality|Exceptional|22:59, 6 July 2013 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
All physical [[weapon]]s have one of two '''attack types''': blunt weapons, which deal damage through crushing blows that break bones and penetrate [[armor]], and edged ones, which deal damage by cutting into and slicing through foes. Edged weapons can be further broken down based on the shape of the blade, into "slashing" weapons that aim to slice into your foe, and "piercing" ones that penetrate vital organs. Some weapons have more than one attack type: for instance, the multipurpose [[short sword]] has a slashing cut, a piercing stab, and a blunt pommel strike. For a greater discussion on the properties of the weapons themselves, see [[weapon]].
==Weapon types==
===Blunt weapons===
Blunt weapons distribute strong blows along a wide surface area; examples include [[war hammer]]s, [[mace]]s, melee attacks with [[crossbow]]s, and even [[whip]]s; punches and kicks are also considered blunt attacks. For these types of weapons a high [[weight|mass]] and [[density]] are the most important [[material science|material properties]] (for this reason the best blunt weapons tend to be both heavier and slower than their edged counterparts). Blunt attacks do little contact damage but have an extremely high degree of armor penetration; in fact, blunt weapons completely ignore armour weaker than iron, are somewhat blocked by steel armour, and usually (but not always) blocked by adamantine armour.

Blunt weapons are unlikely to produce fatal wounds in the heat of combat, but broken bones cause extreme pain, which causes creatures that feel it to quickly "give in" and fall unconscious. AI attacks against helpless targets are always perfectly accurate, perfectly square strikes to the head, which should nearly always cause fatal brain trauma (barring exceptional head armour, which dwarves will never attempt to remove). Blunt weapons are most effective against heavy and heavily armored foes that can be incapacitated with internal injuries and pain. They are also invaluable against the [[undead]], as a corpse which has been mangled through significant blunt damage cannot be reanimated again and the lower chance of severing parts makes it less likely that you will be overwhelmed by a swarm of reanimated zombie limbs.

Blunt weapons have some difficulty damaging very small creatures such as [[rabbit]]s.

===Slashing weapons===
Slashing weapons have a long, sharp blade that is designed for cutting and severing limbs. Examples of slashing weapons include [[short sword]]s, [[battle axe]]s, and [[scourge]]s. Of the three weapon classes they do the most damage, hacking through tissues and severing limbs and heads, especially those of smaller and weaker creatures, especially unarmoured or weakly armoured foes. Slashing weapons are at their best cutting through small organic creatures, but fare extremely poorly against armor of equal or better material parity, which converts most of the blow into weak blunt damage. Thus high material quality is paramount for effective slashing weapons.

===Piercing weapons===
Piercing weapons focus large forces on a single sharpened point, allowing deep penetration on even the largest of creatures. The weapons often get stuck within their targets, allowing your dwarves to leverage them into tearing apart your foes internally. This gives piercing weapons such as [[spear]]s, [[dagger]]s, [[bolt]]s, [[arrow]]s, and [[Pike (weapon)|pikes]] combat properties between those of the blunt and slashing weapons, not quite as good at piercing armor as blunt weapons, not quite as good at cutting off things as slashing ones. These properties are correlated to the contact area of the weapon; as the weapon's point of contact becomes smaller, it becomes better at penetrating armour, but worse at cutting things off.

Piercing weapons are the most effective weapon class at killing large, unarmored creatures due to their ability to penetrate vital organs: although hits to the limbs will be largely ineffective, it doesn't take much for a spear strike to puncture a lung or a kidney, so it's possible (although unlikely) to kill even a [[dragon]] with one decisive hit from a spear or pike. Piercing weapons remain viable against equivalent and better [[armor]]s, although they do not maintain blunt weapons' levels of penetration.

==Adventure mode==
If you're fighting in adventure mode, try to tailor the attack type you're using to the creature you're attacking (see above). It's also a good idea to keep several different kinds of weapons in your hands, in addition to a shield, at all times, since holding on to multiple weapons at once doesn't seem to have any effect in current versions.

===Blunt weapons===
If at all possible, go for headshots when using a blunt weapon or an unarmed attack, as the head is the only place where you have a chance of killing with one hit. If you don't think that you'll be able to execute a headshot, switch to some other kind of weapon if you have a choice.

===Slashing weapons===
When using a slashing weapon, an effective tactic is to attack the arms and legs to disable your opponent, then to finish off by attacking the neck or throat. '''Do not''' use a slashing weapon against armour of an equal or stronger material than your weapon's. For example, if you have an iron [[great axe]] and your opponent has an iron chainmail shirt, don't bother attacking the body as it will not get you anywhere. Aim for some other target.

===Piercing weapons===
If you're faced with a megabeast, this is the only kind of weapon that'll do; it can penetrate internal organs, causing massive pain and bleeding. A piercing weapon is also somewhat better at going through armour than slashing weapon (though not as good as a blunt weapon), so if you don't have blunt weapon to attack an armoured foe, that [[spear]] or [[pike]] might just come in handy.

===Unarmed combat===
Sometimes, the best way to fight isn't with weapons; it's with your bare hands. See [[Wrestling]] for more details.

{{Weapons}}

Attack types

2019-02-18T04:41:54Z

DF Ludicer: /* Blunt weapons */ AI has known how to use killing strokes for a while now

{{Quality|Exceptional|22:59, 6 July 2013 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
All physical [[weapon]]s have one of two '''attack types''': blunt weapons, which deal damage through crushing blows that break bones and penetrate [[armor]], and edged ones, which deal damage by cutting into and slicing through foes. Edged weapons can be further broken down based on the shape of the blade, into "slashing" weapons that aim to slice into your foe, and "piercing" ones that penetrate vital organs. Some weapons have more than one attack type: for instance, the multipurpose [[short sword]] has a slashing cut, a piercing stab, and a blunt pommel strike. For a greater discussion on the properties of the weapons themselves, see [[weapon]].
==Weapon types==
===Blunt weapons===
Blunt weapons distribute strong blows along a wide surface area; examples include [[war hammer]]s, [[mace]]s, melee attacks with [[crossbow]]s, and even [[whip]]s; punches and kicks are also considered blunt attacks. For these types of weapons a high [[weight|mass]] and [[density]] are the most important [[material science|material properties]] (for this reason the best blunt weapons tend to be both heavier and slower than their edged counterparts). Blunt attacks do little contact damage but have an extremely high degree of armor penetration; in fact, blunt weapons completely ignore armour weaker than iron, are somewhat blocked by steel armour, and usually (but not always) blocked by adamantine armour.

Blunt weapons are unlikely to produce fatal wounds in the heat of combat, but broken bones cause extreme pain, which causes creatures that feel it to "give in" and fall unconscious. AI attacks against helpless targets are always perfectly accurate, perfectly square strikes to the head, which should nearly always cause fatal brain trauma. Blunt weapons are most effective against heavy and heavily armored foes that can be incapacitated with internal injuries and pain. They are also invaluable against the [[undead]], as a corpse which has been mangled through significant blunt damage cannot be reanimated again and the lower chance of severing parts makes it less likely that you will be overwhelmed by a swarm of reanimated zombie limbs.

Blunt weapons have some difficulty damaging very small creatures such as [[rabbit]]s.

===Slashing weapons===
Slashing weapons have a long, sharp blade that is designed for cutting and severing limbs. Examples of slashing weapons include [[short sword]]s, [[battle axe]]s, and [[scourge]]s. Of the three weapon classes they do the most damage, hacking through tissues and severing limbs and heads, especially those of smaller and weaker creatures, especially unarmoured or weakly armoured foes. Slashing weapons are at their best cutting through small organic creatures, but fare extremely poorly against armor of equal or better material parity, which converts most of the blow into weak blunt damage. Thus high material quality is paramount for effective slashing weapons.

===Piercing weapons===
Piercing weapons focus large forces on a single sharpened point, allowing deep penetration on even the largest of creatures. The weapons often get stuck within their targets, allowing your dwarves to leverage them into tearing apart your foes internally. This gives piercing weapons such as [[spear]]s, [[dagger]]s, [[bolt]]s, [[arrow]]s, and [[Pike (weapon)|pikes]] combat properties between those of the blunt and slashing weapons, not quite as good at piercing armor as blunt weapons, not quite as good at cutting off things as slashing ones. These properties are correlated to the contact area of the weapon; as the weapon's point of contact becomes smaller, it becomes better at penetrating armour, but worse at cutting things off.

Piercing weapons are the most effective weapon class at killing large, unarmored creatures due to their ability to penetrate vital organs: although hits to the limbs will be largely ineffective, it doesn't take much for a spear strike to puncture a lung or a kidney, so it's possible (although unlikely) to kill even a [[dragon]] with one decisive hit from a spear or pike. Piercing weapons remain viable against equivalent and better [[armor]]s, although they do not maintain blunt weapons' levels of penetration.

==Adventure mode==
If you're fighting in adventure mode, try to tailor the attack type you're using to the creature you're attacking (see above). It's also a good idea to keep several different kinds of weapons in your hands, in addition to a shield, at all times, since holding on to multiple weapons at once doesn't seem to have any effect in current versions.

===Blunt weapons===
If at all possible, go for headshots when using a blunt weapon or an unarmed attack, as the head is the only place where you have a chance of killing with one hit. If you don't think that you'll be able to execute a headshot, switch to some other kind of weapon if you have a choice.

===Slashing weapons===
When using a slashing weapon, an effective tactic is to attack the arms and legs to disable your opponent, then to finish off by attacking the neck or throat. '''Do not''' use a slashing weapon against armour of an equal or stronger material than your weapon's. For example, if you have an iron [[great axe]] and your opponent has an iron chainmail shirt, don't bother attacking the body as it will not get you anywhere. Aim for some other target.

===Piercing weapons===
If you're faced with a megabeast, this is the only kind of weapon that'll do; it can penetrate internal organs, causing massive pain and bleeding. A piercing weapon is also somewhat better at going through armour than slashing weapon (though not as good as a blunt weapon), so if you don't have blunt weapon to attack an armoured foe, that [[spear]] or [[pike]] might just come in handy.

===Unarmed combat===
Sometimes, the best way to fight isn't with weapons; it's with your bare hands. See [[Wrestling]] for more details.

{{Weapons}}

Weapon

2019-02-18T04:36:43Z

DF Ludicer: /* Secondary weapons */ no need for a comma

{{Quality|Masterwork|16:52, 10 June 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
:''This page deals entirely with manufactured weapons. For natural weapons, see [[Natural weapon]].''

A '''weapon''' in the sense described on this page is any object specifically designed to be wielded in the pursuit of bodily harm to others. In [[fortress mode]], weapons can be made at a [[metalsmith's forge]] (all metal weapons) using a single bar of metal, despite the fact that most weapons in the game (with the exception of swords and maces) would have wooden handles in real life, a [[bowyer's workshop]] (wooden and bone crossbows), or a [[craftsdwarf's workshop]] ([[obsidian]] short swords).

== Basics ==

=== Native vs. foreign ===
In fortress mode, weapons can be split in two categories: those that you can produce, and those that you can't. [[Weaponsmith]]s can produce seven types of native weapons at a [[metalsmith's forge]], but there are also fourteen foreign weapons that can be found in the hands of enemy combatants, or bought from trading caravans (note, however, that due to bugs, several foreign weapons currently are effectively unusable by dwarves). These may use skills your dwarves are unfamiliar with. It is impossible to buy them in bulk, and they are of variable quality and material. Like all weapons they tend to be expensive as trade goods. They may be worth using if you can secure a high-quality specimen (see [[#Quality and strange moods|Quality]] below). Since they are common for other nations, it is important to understand their properties when you have to fight enemies wielding them.

=== Types of weapons ===
{{main|Attack types}}
From another point of view there are four categories: slashing, piercing, crushing, and ranged.

Slashing weapons, like [[short sword]]s and [[battle axe]]s, work by concentrating their force along a sharp edge, allowing them to cut gashes in or to completely sever body parts. Severing is most likely when the body part's thickness is smaller than the weapon's contact edge. They make the quickest work of unarmored opponents who are not tremendously large. They are far less effective against armored targets, however, as armor may prevent the cutting, converting strikes into weaker blunt damage.

Piercing weapons, like [[spear]]s and [[pick]]s, work by concentrating their force at a point, allowing them to punch through armor and damage internal organs. They often get stuck in the opponent, giving their wielder further leverage on the target.

Crushing weapons, like [[war hammer]]s and [[mace]]s, work by concentrating their force behind a large, blunt mass, putting dents in armor and breaking bones beneath their blows. As broken bones cause extreme pain, living creatures that can feel it will often "give in" to it and fall unconscious very quickly. Attacks against such helpless targets will take the form of perfectly accurate and perfectly square strikes to the head, which will usually cause fatal brain injury. Nevertheless, blunt weapons are still slower to kill unarmored enemies than slashing weapons are.

Ranged weapons—[[crossbow]]s, [[bow]]s, and [[blowgun]]s—are effectively piercing weapons which work at a distance. When used in melee combat as bludgeons, crossbows produce blunt weapon damage. Bows used in melee are treated like extremely weak swords.

There exists one more kind of weapon: the so-called training weapon. Training weapons are all wooden, and are all made at the [[carpenter's workshop]]. Training axes, spears, and short swords can be constructed in fortress mode. They do little blunt impact damage, due to the poor [[material science|material properties]] of wood. While every weapon is actually safe to use in sparring, the primary purpose of training weapons in fortress mode is to allow your dwarves to train before you have a working metal industry. They can also be used during live combat exercises (beating upon a disarmed goblin, etc.) to extend the training session's length. Finally, they may be issued to the guards to reduce the lethality of a [[justice|criminal beating]].

=== Types of targets ===
One can divide the types of foes you will meet into three categories. The first is organic and unarmored (or poorly armored) enemies, like [[thief|thieves]], non-sentient [[creature]]s (be it local wildlife or siege mounts), [[semi-megabeast]]s and [[megabeast]]s besides the [[bronze colossus]]. Weapons that deal slashing damage work best and quickest against these types of enemies, severing whole body parts and leaving them severely incapacitated.

The second is organic and armored enemies, like [[ambush]]ers and [[siege]]rs. The way [[armor]] works, slashing blows that are countered by a piece of armor are converted into generally less effective blunt damage; the best damage against these kinds of enemies are piercing weapons, which punch through armor and damage their internal organs, incapacitating them and allowing the wielder to finish them off. Crushing weapons work as well, although they are slower.

The third and most dangerous types of enemies are inorganic enemies (or ones that [[Giant cave spider|don't feel pain]]), which are [[titan]]s, [[forgotten beast]]s, [[bronze colossus]]es, and [[HFS|hidden fun stuff]]. These enemies ''have'' no internal organs, and depending on the material they are made of, may be very difficult to slash at (although a forgotten beast made of, for instance, mud is laughably easy to kill). Against these enemies, crushing weapons are the best, because they can chip at their foes until they collapse from cumulative damage.

=== Weapon skill ===
{{main|Combat skill#Weapon skill}}
Every type of weapon has its own associated [[military]] [[skill]]. The higher a dwarf is in his skill with a weapon, the better he will be able to use it in combat, connecting hammer blows to more advantageous sweet spots and sending spears right through enemy hearts and lungs with greater accuracy. The higher the weapon skill, the better at fighting the dwarf will be.

Once a dwarf has reached "Great" skill in a certain weapon, they become weapon lords for that specific weapon. They are listed as such on the [[status]] screen, will love fighting, and will no longer complain about long patrol duties. Weapon skill is trained in fighting enemies in combat, demonstrations, and combat drills, but if you leave your dwarves shield-less, a [[danger room]] will train their skill very, very quickly. Note that this does not quite work for marksdwarves - danger rooming ranged weapons increases their melee skill, increasing their hammerdwarf skill, although [[Cross-training|this may be the point]].

=== Attachment ===
A dwarf that has used a particular weapon for a long time will grow attached to it, equipping it whenever their uniform allows them to. This is fine if they are wielding a ☼steel mace☼, but a major problem if they are wielding what is meant to be a training weapon (be it a wooden axe or a copper spear). You can avoid this pitfall by not using training weapons and not forging weapons until you have real weaponsmithing underway. These events generate [[announcement]]s. If a dwarf does become attached, you can easily force him to relinquish the weapon by assigning a 'specific weapon' instead in his equipment view.

In addition, dwarves that reach a certain number or level of kills, or train long enough with a weapon, will name it. This prompts a major announcement. The weapon in question may have no kills associated with it, legendary dwarves occasionally name their weapons while training with them. Once named, the weapon will appear in the artifact list, albeit in blue. It is unknown if named weapons perform better than unnamed weapons.

Dwarves may also become attached to shields and name them in the same way.

=== Quality and strange moods ===
The [[quality]] of a weapon has a significant (and currently poorly understood) impact on its combat performance, as well as its [[value]].

{{DF2014:Item quality/Table}}

Weaponsmithing is a [[moodable]] profession, which means that you can get [[artifact]] weapons. Artifact weapons have a 3x combat bonus and can be made out of a wide range of materials; ordinarily a [[hippo]] [[bone]] spear is impossible, but a moody dwarf can create one with a stack of hippo bone. Artifact weapons made of totally inappropriate materials are inferior to regular ones made of weapons-grade metal, although the exact balance is still under discussion. As with other moodable skills, a dwarf who creates an artifact using the weaponsmith skill stands a [[DF2014:Strange_mood#Skills_and_workshops|high chance]] of becoming a legendary weaponsmith.

=== Weapons as tools ===
[[Hunter]]s use crossbows, [[wood cutter]]s use [[battle axe]]s (wooden training axes worked prior to version 0.43.01), and [[miner]]s use [[pick]]s. They must be in possession of these items to do their jobs, and it's as simple as that.

Hunters gain [[marksdwarf]] skill from hunting, but wood cutters do not gain [[axedwarf]] weapon skill from cutting trees. Miners gain [[mining]] skill, which is not considered a military skill, but is used as a weapon skill when fighting with a pick. A dwarf using a weapon as a tool will not use the same tool as a military weapon, instead dropping their tool to pick up another for military use.{{bug|1451}} Dwarves may carry only one weapon as a tool at a time; for example, woodcutters/hunters will drop their axes then go and pick up crossbows every time they begin hunting.

=== Ammunition ===
:''Main article: [[Ammunition]]''

[[Crossbow]]s and other ranged weapons require [[ammunition]] (in the case of the crossbow, [[bolt]]s). This ammunition is carried in a [[quiver]] in packs of about 25, and when they run out they will switch to using their ranged weapons as crude hammers. It's often a good idea to try to get them to retreat once they run out of ammo — crossbows are meant for shooting, not bashing.

=== Secondary weapons ===
Although it sounds like a cool idea, equipping a marksdwarf with a backup short sword just in case doesn't often work, as dwarves are just as quick to run up to their foes and start bashing them with a crossbow as they are to draw their swords and do it properly.

== Weapons ==
=== Native weapons ===
{| class="wikitable" border="border"
! Type
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
! Hands Used
! [[Weaponsmith|Metal]]
! [[Bowyer|Wood]]
! [[Bowyer|Bone]]
! [[Stone crafter|Obsidian]]
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[battle axe|Battle Axe]]
|rowspan="3"| 800
| Hack || Edge || 40000 || 6000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| Singlegrasp
|rowspan="3"| Yes
|rowspan="3"| No
|rowspan="3"| No
|rowspan="3"| No
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 40000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|-
| [[Crossbow]] (Melee)
| 400
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25x
| Hammer
| Singlegrasp?
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| No
|-
| [[Mace]]
| 800
| Bash || Blunt || 20 || (200) || 2.0x
| Mace
| Singlegrasp
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|-
| [[Pick]] (foreign)
| 500
| Strike || Edge || 100 || 4000 || 2.0x
| Mining
| Singlegrasp
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[short sword|Short Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 4000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| [[Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| Singlegrasp
|rowspan="4"| Yes
|rowspan="4"| No
|rowspan="4"| No
|rowspan="4"| Yes
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[Spear]]
|rowspan="2"| 400
| Stab || Edge || 20 || 10000 || 1.0x
|rowspan="2"| Spear
|rowspan="2"| Singlegrasp
|rowspan="2"| Yes
|rowspan="2"| No
|rowspan="2"| No
|rowspan="2"| No
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|-
| [[war hammer|War Hammer]]
| 400
| Bash || Blunt || 10 || (200) || 2.0x
| Hammer
| Singlegrasp
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|}

Note that although the [[pick]] is a foreign weapon, it can be produced by dwarves and is therefore considered native.{{bug|680}}

=== Details ===
*If you find your dwarves wearing more than one weapon -- or any unwanted [[armor]], for that matter -- one way to get rid of them is to dump the weapon from their {{k|v}}-{{k|i}} inventory screen. This does not always work, as they might re-equip the item. Another option is to remove any weapons and/or shields listed on their military equip screen. This too does not always work. At least "left-handedness" seems to not pose a problem. If you cancel the work by {{k|v}}-{{k|p}} and selecting a job that needs a tool they will sometimes put it back in the pile. Example: Miners use picks, cancel their mining job and they will put the pick away AFTER you ordered it to be dumped.
* Using weapons is much more effective than unarmed combat -- an untrained swordsdwarf with an [[iron]] weapon can defeat a grand master [[wrestler]], provided neither is wearing armor.
** Larger weapons with more heft tend to do more damage. How damage is calculated is currently not fully understood, and this area begs for more !SCIENCE!.
* The size for a weapon is its volume in cm3.
* Attacks of type EDGE will either slice or pierce their target, depending on the contact area and penetration depth, while BLUNT attacks tend to damage internal organs without necessarily causing significant damage to outer layers.
* The contact area represents the area of contact of the weapon, and the penetration determines how deep the attack goes (and is apparently ignored entirely for BLUNT attacks -- indicated by numbers in parentheses). Large contact areas combined with low penetration represent slashing attacks, while small contact areas with high penetration behave as piercing attacks.
* The velocity seems to adjust the amount of actual force used during the attack (otherwise based on the size of the weapon, the material from which the weapon is made, and the strength of the wielder) - for example, war hammers have a 2x velocity multiplier, presumably to model the fact that the hammer's mass is concentrated at the tip which, when combined with a long handle, permits swinging it harder than a weapon whose mass is evenly distributed (such as a sword).
* Crossbows can be made of metal, wood, and bone. Metal crossbows are made by a [[weaponsmith]] at a [[forge]], while wood and bone crossbows are made by a [[bowyer]] at a bowyer's workshop. The material of a crossbow does not affect its firing ability, only its melee damage. A dwarf's marksmanship skill is only affected by the core [[item quality|quality]] of the bow. This may be a consideration when deciding which dwarf you want outfitting your marksdwarves: a [[experience|legendary]] bowyer is a better choice than a proficient weaponsmith.
* Dwarves will never select a pick for a weapon if allowed "individual choice." You must specify picks as part of their uniform or on the individual equip screen if you wish to utilize them as weapons.

=== Training weapons ===
All [[training weapon]]s must be made of [[wood]] at the [[carpenter's workshop]].

{| class="wikitable" border="border"
|-
! Type
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Training Axe
|rowspan="3"| 800
| Hack || Blunt || 30000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 30000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| Training Sword
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|-
| Stab || Blunt || 50 || (2000) || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| Training Spear
|rowspan="2"| 400
| Stab || Blunt || 200 || (10000) || 1.0x
|rowspan="2"| Spear
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|}

=== Foreign weapons ===
Using any multi-grasp weapon in a single hand (i.e. with a shield in the other hand) gives you a disability to hit. Do not equip two-handed swords with a shield, for instance.

In Adventurer Mode, however, it is possible to wield a two-handed sword, or any multi-grasp weapon in one hand, without penalty (allowing for the simultaneous use of a shield) if your character passes the one-handed check for single-handing a multi-grasp weapon. For example, if you create a Human character, and manage to spawn into a world with a "broad body" or a "tall body" in the character description, you will be able to single-hand any multi-grasp weapon (and will be forced to, much like you are forced to single-hand any single-grasp weapon), which allows for the simultaneous, disability-free use of a shield, thus making your damage and defensive capabilities much higher than they would be with a single-grasp weapon and shield. Note that upping Strength to Superior (and eventually Superhuman) will make all attacks more likely to deal extra damage, making cutting off the limbs of your enemies much easier.

{| class="wikitable" border="border"
|-
! Type
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
! Used by
! Hands Used
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[two-handed sword|2H Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| 900
| Slash || Edge || 100000 || 8000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="4"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 4000 || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 100000 || (8000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
| [[Blowgun]] (Melee)
| 150
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25x
| Sword
| Subterranean animal peoples
| Single-grasp?
|- valign="top"
| [[Bow]] (Melee)
| 300
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25x
| Sword
| [[Elf]], Goblin, Human, [[Kobold]]
| Single-grasp?
|- valign="top"
| [[Flail]]
| 500
| Bash || Blunt || 200 || (4000) || 2.5x
| Mace
| Goblin, Human
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[great axe|Great Axe]]
|rowspan="3"| 1300
| Hack || Edge || 60000 || 8000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="3"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 60000 || (8000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[Halberd]]
|rowspan="3"| 1200
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 8000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="3"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0x
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 20000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[Dagger]] (Large)
|rowspan="3"| 200
| Slash || Edge || 1000 || 800 || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Dagger
|rowspan="3"| Goblin, Kobold
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 5 || 1000 || 1.0x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 20 || (600) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[long sword|Long Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| 700
| Slash || Edge || 60000 || 6000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| Elf, Goblin, Human
|rowspan="4"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 3000 || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 60000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
| [[Maul]]
| 1300
| Bash || Blunt || 100 || (6000) || 2.0x
| Hammer
| Goblin, Human
| Multi-grasp
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[Morningstar]]
|rowspan="2"| 500
| Bash || Edge || 10 || 500 || 2.0x
|rowspan="2"| Mace
|rowspan="2"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="2"| Single-grasp
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 50 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[pike (weapon)|Pike]]
|rowspan="2"| 800
| Stab || Edge || 20 || 12000 || 1.0x
|rowspan="2"| Pike
|rowspan="2"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="2"| Multigrasp
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[Scimitar]]
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 4000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="4"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 50 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
| [[Scourge]]
| 300
| Lash || Edge || 10 || 50 || 2.0x
| Whip
| Goblin
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
| [[Whip]]
| 100
| Lash || Blunt || 1 || (10) || 5.0x
| Whip
| Goblin, Human
| Single-grasp
|}

===Special variations===
Some rare entities have their own [[divine equipment|procedurally generated variations]] of weapons. Currently, these weapons are produced by copying the default properties of the "base" weapon, and adding an adjective ("bulky", "large-headed", "branching", etc.) or renaming the weapon altogether ("blade", "curved sword"). Dwarves in [[strange mood]]s which select from all weapons with a certain tag may produce one of these procedurally generated weapons. Since they retain the properties of their base items, these weapons should be as usable as a standard weapon of the base type.

== Size==

Weapons have a minimum size to use at all, and a minimum size to use one-handed. Adult dwarves vary in size between 33750 and 93750 (average 60000) based on their height and broadness.

Unfortunately this is currently bugged in Fortress mode.{{Bug|0005812}} 'One-handed' vs. 'two-handed' checks are performed correctly, but 'can wield' vs. 'can't wield' ignores height and broadness modifiers. So Dwarves in Fortress mode will never equip two-handed swords, great axes, halberds, mauls, or pikes. Other weapons have a minimum wielding size of less than 60000, and are wielded one-handed if the individual dwarf is large enough. See [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=119068.msg3790913#msg3790913 this] forum post.

The following table shows approximately how many dwarves ''should be'' able to use each weapon one or two handed (see [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=101379.msg3029579#msg3029579 this forum post] for details), with all fractional numbers being approximate. While there are seven categories each for height and broadness, the number used is chosen randomly from within each category.

Where the size checking bug affects weapon wielding for dwarves, correct approximate figures are given in brackets.
{| class="wikitable" border="border"
|-
! Type
! Min Size
(Two-Handed)
! Min Size
(One-Handed)
! Dwarves
Can't Wield
! Dwarves Wield
Two-Handed
! Dwarves Wield
One-Handed
|- valign="top"
| [[battle axe|Battle Axe]]
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Crossbow]] (Melee)
| 15000
| 0
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Mace]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Pick]]
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[short sword|Short Sword]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Spear]]
| 5000
| 47500
| -
| 11/49
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[war hammer|War Hammer]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| Training Axe
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| Training Sword
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| Training Spear
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[two-handed sword|2H Sword]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Blowgun]] (Melee)
| 15000
| 0
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Bow]] (Melee)
| 15000
| 0
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Flail]]
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[great axe|Great Axe]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Halberd]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Dagger]] (Large)
| 5000
| 27500
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[long sword|Long Sword]]
| 52500
| 57500
| 11/49 (0)
| 7/49 (18/49)
| 31/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Maul]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Morningstar]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[pike (weapon)|Pike]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Scimitar]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Scourge]]
| 22500
| 27500
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Whip]]
| 22500
| 27500
| -
| -
| 49/49
|}

==Material==

Weapons and armor (with a few exceptions) can only be forged from weapon grade metal (Adamantine, Steel, Iron, Silver, Bronze, Bismuth bronze, Copper, and divine metal), wood, or bone. The exceptions include Obsidian short-swords and items created during a strange mood.

{{v0.31 material metal table head}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Adamantine|color={{Tile|/|3:1}}3:3:1|source=[[Raw adamantine]]|notes= |soliddensity=0.200|mp=25000|val=300|valinc=+50|impactyield=5000|impactfracture=5000|impactelasticity=0|shearyield=5000|shearfracture=5000|shearelasticity=0
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Divine metal|notes= |soliddensity=1.0|val=300|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=2000|impactelasticity=0|shearyield=1000|shearfracture=2000|shearelasticity=0
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Steel|color={{Tile|/|0:1}}0:7:1|source=[[Iron]] + [[Pig iron]] + [[flux]] stone + [[fuel]] '''!'''|notes= |soliddensity=7.85|val=30|valinc=+20|mp=12718|impactyield=1505|impactfracture=2520|impactelasticity=940|shearyield=430|shearfracture=720|shearelasticity=215
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Bismuth bronze|color={{Tile|/|6:1}}6:6:1|source=2 [[Copper]] + 1 [[Tin]] + 1 [[Bismuth]] '''!'''|notes= |soliddensity=8.25|val=6|valinc=+4|mp=11868|impactyield=602|impactfracture=843|impactelasticity=547|shearyield=172|shearfracture=241|shearelasticity=156
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Bronze|color={{Tile|/|6:0}}6:4:0|source=[[Tin]] + [[Copper]]|notes= |soliddensity=8.25|val=5|valinc=+3|mp=11868|impactyield=602|impactfracture=843|impactelasticity=547|shearyield=172|shearfracture=241|shearelasticity=156
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Iron|color={{Tile|/|0:1}}0:7:1|source=[[Hematite]], [[Limonite]], [[Magnetite]]|notes= |soliddensity=7.85|mp=12768|val=10|valinc=+2|impactyield=542|impactfracture=1080|impactelasticity=319|shearyield=155|shearfracture=310|shearelasticity=189
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Copper|color={{Tile|/|6:0}}6:4:0|source=[[Native copper]], [[Malachite]], [[Tetrahedrite]]|notes= |soliddensity=8.93|mp=11952|val=2|valinc=+0, +0, -1*|impactyield=245|impactfracture=770|impactelasticity=175|shearyield=70|shearfracture=220|shearelasticity=145
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Silver|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=[[Native silver]], [[Horn silver]], [[Galena]] (50%), [[Tetrahedrite]] (20%) |notes= |soliddensity=10.49|mp=11731|val=10|valinc=+0, +0, +5*, +7*|impactyield=350|impactfracture=595|impactelasticity=350|shearyield=100|shearfracture=170|shearelasticity=333
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Platinum|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=[[Native platinum]]|notes= Only available as Artifact Weapons.|soliddensity=21.4|mp=13182|val=40|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=350|impactfracture=700|impactelasticity=152|shearyield=100|shearfracture=200|shearelasticity=164
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Bone|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=Creatures|notes= |soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=200|impactfracture=200|impactelasticity=100|shearyield=115|shearfracture=130|shearelasticity=100
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Wood|color={{Tile|/|6:0}}7:7:1|source=Trees|notes= |soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=10|impactfracture=10|impactelasticity=1000|shearyield=40|shearfracture=40|shearelasticity=1000
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Shell|color={{Tile|/|2:0}}7:7:1|source=Creatures|notes= Only available as Artifact Weapons.|soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=200|impactfracture=200|impactelasticity=100|shearyield=115|shearfracture=130|shearelasticity=100
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Leather|color={{Tile|/|2:0}}7:7:1|source=Creatures|notes= Material data added for comparison.|soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=10|impactfracture=10|impactelasticity=50000|shearyield=25|shearfracture=25|shearelasticity=50000
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Obsidian|color={{Tile|/|0:1}}7:7:1|source=Lava|notes= Only available for Short Swords.|soliddensity=2.67|mp=13600|val=3|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=35|shearfracture=35|shearelasticity=114
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Crystal glass|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=Sand|notes= Only available as Trap Components.|soliddensity=2.6|mp=13600|val=10|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=33|shearfracture=33|shearelasticity=113
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Clear glass|color={{Tile|/|3:0}}7:7:1|source=Sand|notes= Only available as Trap Components.|soliddensity=2.6|mp=13600|val=5|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=33|shearfracture=33|shearelasticity=113
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Green glass|color={{Tile|/|2:0}}7:7:1|source=Sand|notes= Only available as Trap Components.|soliddensity=2.6|mp=13600|val=2|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=33|shearfracture=33|shearelasticity=113
}}

|}

*''Combat information'' is used internally by the game to determine the combat properties of weapons and armor made from this metal:
**'''Density''': Used in conjunction with other factors - heavier weapons (higher numbers) hit with more force, light weapons tend to have less penetration. Value shown here is g/cm3, which is the raw value divided by 103
**'''Impact yield''': Used for blunt-force combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Impact fracture''': Used for blunt-force combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Impact elasticity''' (or '''strain at yield'''): Used for blunt-force combat; ''lower'' is better. This is the raw value.
**'''Shear yield''': Used for cutting calculations in combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Shear fracture''': Used for cutting calculations in combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Shear elasticity''' (or '''strain at yield'''): Used for cutting calculations in combat; ''lower'' is better. This is the raw value.

*General Term Explanations (From Wikipedia)
**'''Yield Strength''' - The stress at which material strain changes from elastic deformation to plastic deformation, causing it to deform permanently.
**'''Fracture Strength''' - The stress coordinate on the stress-strain curve at the point of rupture.
**'''Stress''' - Force per area = F/A
**'''Strain''' - Deformation of a solid due to stress = Stress/Young's Modulus

=== Explanation ===
* '''Yield Strength''' is the amount of stress required to permanently deform (bend) a material (plastic deformation).
* '''Fracture Strength''' is the amount of stress required to permanently break (rupture) a material.
* '''Elasticity''' or '''Strain at yield''' is the amount of deformation (bending) that occurs at the yield point.

=== Implications ===
Yield strength combined with strain at yield can tell what a material will do under stress (be it from a hammer, axe, or arrow); higher yield means that it takes more stress to deform, while lower strain at yield means that it will deform less when stress is applied.

== Combat formulae ==

Penetration is poorly understood, but most of the rest of combat is fairly well understood.

First, you need to calculate your weapon's momentum.

Melee Weapon Momentum: M = Skill * Size * Str * Vel / (106 * (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size) )
* Dwarf Melee Momentum: M = 0.06 * Str * Vel / (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size) )
* Quick attacks halve melee momentum, wild and heavy attacks multiply it by 1.5
* Attacking a prone opponent in melee doubles momentum.

Ranged Weapon Momentum: M = (w_density*w_size)/105 * min(105*(SHOOT_FORCE/20)/(w_density*w_size), SHOOT_MAXVEL/10)
* Bow and Crossbow Momentum: M = (w_density*150)/105 * min(105/(w_density*3), 20)
** If 20 is smaller because the ammunition is density 1666 or less, M = w_density*3/100 = w_density*0.03
** If 20 is larger because the ammunition is density 1667 or larger, M = 50
* Blowgun Momentum: M = (w_density*20)/105 * min(105/(w_density*4), 100)
** If 100 is smaller because the ammunition is density 250 or less, M = w_density/50 = w_density*0.02
** If 100 is larger because the ammunition is density 251 or more, M = 5

where:
* '''M''' is the momentum.
* '''Skill''' is a gradual multiplier based on skill level, from 1x base up to 2x at Grand Master.
* '''Str''' is the creature's strength (e.g. 1250 for the average dwarf)
* '''Vel''' is the weapon's velocity modifier if present (e.g. 1.25x, 2x)
* '''Size''' is the average creature size (e.g. 60000 for dwarves)
* '''i_Size''' is the specific creature's size
** Dwarves range from a minimum size of 33750 to a maximum size of 93750, with an average size of 60000.
* '''F''' is "fatness modifier" (also includes muscle) = i_Size/Size; dwarf with size of 66150 will have F=66150/60000=1.1025
* '''w_density''' is the weapon's material's density for melee weapons, or the ammunition's density for ranged weapons
* '''w_size''' is the weapon's size for melee weapons, or the ammunition's size for ranged weapons
* '''SHOOT_FORCE''' is the ranged weapon's SHOOT_FORCE constant, which is used to determine its maximum momentum.
* '''SHOOT_MAXVEL''' is the ranged weapon's SHOOT_MAXVEL constant, which is used to determine its maximum velocity, where ammo momentum = ammo mass * ammo velocity.

An edged weapon undergoes the following comparison:

M >= (aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF) * (10 + 2*a_quality) / (Sha * w_quality),

where:
* '''aSY''' is the armor's SHEAR_YIELD, which is based on its material
* '''wSY''' is the weapon's SHEAR_YIELD, which is based on its material
* '''aSF''' is the armor's SHEAR_FRACTURE, which is based on its material
* '''wSF''' is the weapon's SHEAR_FRACTURE, which is based on its material
* '''A''' is attack [[DF2014:Material_science#Contact_Area|contact area]], typically between
* '''Sha''' is weapon material [[edge|sharpness]] multiplier (1x for most metals, 1.2x for [[divine metal]], 1.5x for [[glass]], 2x for [[obsidian]], 10x for [[adamantine]] and 0.1x for all other materials)
* '''w_quality''' is weapon [[quality]] multiplier (1x for normal quality, 1.4x for fine, 2x for masterwork, etc.)
* '''a_quality''' is armor [[quality]] multiplier

Expressed in the above terms,

* 0.06 * Str * Vel / (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size)) >= (aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF) * (10 + 2*Qa) / (Sha * w_quality)
* 0.06 * Sha * w_quality * Str * Vel / (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size)) >= (aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF) * (10 + 2*a_quality)
* 0.06 * Sha * w_quality * Str * Vel / ((1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size)) * (10 + 2*a_quality)) >= aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF

Because Shear Yield and Shear Fracture are always within a power of 10 of each other for actually available materials, but the smallest possible A value is 20 (a blowgun dart, which is smaller than the smallest item of clothing/armor a dwarf can wear), this means that in practice, Shear Fracture is significantly more important than Shear Yield, and you can reliably compare weapons and armor without paying attention to Shear Yield. In both cases, higher is better on both weapons and armor, as is quality. Sharpness only matters to the weapon, and smaller contact area is better for the attacker.

If the test is passed, attack momentum is decreased by some 5% and the layer is considered punctured/severed, and the process continues to the next layer, including working through layers of the defender's body. If the test is failed, the attack becomes blunt for this layer.

If the attack is blunt, either due to starting off blunt or due to failing the above test, it is then subjected to this test:

2 * w_size * wIY > A * a_density

where:
* '''a_density''' is the armor material's density
* '''wIY''' is the weapon's impact yield in MPa (i.e. raw value divided by 106).

Failure means the attack bounces off, meaning denser, larger armor resists blunt attacks better, but larger blunt weapons with larger contact areas and higher impact yields get through armor better. This also means adamantine armor is some of the worst in the game at outright deflecting attacks, due to its poor density, but this is not typically relevant, as impact yields are typically at least 10 times larger than density values for the actual metals available, so this step is routinely passed by most weapons regardless of relative materials.

On success, the following test is applied:

M >= (2*aIF - aIY) * (2 + 0.4*a_quality) * A,

where:
* '''aIF''' is the armor's impact fracture in MPa (i.e. raw value divided by 106)
* '''aIY''' is the armor's impact yield in MPa (i.e. raw value divided by 106).

Note that the armor wants as high impact yield as possible to make this test fail. The armor also wants low impact fracture, although the weapon's impact fracture does not matter, and high quality and high contact area.

On a success, attack momentum is decreased by some 5% and the layer is considered punctured/severed, and the process continues to the next layer, including working through layers of the defender's body. If the attack was edged, it becomes edged again. On a failure, the momentum is multiplied by SHEAR_STRAIN_AT_YIELD/50000 for edged attacks or IMPACT_STRAIN_AT_YIELD/50000 for blunt attacks, then it becomes *permanently* blunt, and is passed on to the next layer. This means most rigid metal armor will reduce blocked attacks by 98%-99%, but elastic armor, such as a mail shirt, has both strain at yield values raised to 50000, so it multiplies by 1 at this step (i.e. does nothing to the momentum, but does still convert it to blunt) regardless of material.

== Combat testing ==
In regards to edged weaponry: [[Adamantine]] and [[steel]] take first and second place respectively, with [[iron]] the third best material in the game, matched by the [[bronze]]s. Beyond that is [[copper]], the second worst material, and [[silver]] is the worst weapon material available (and due to the existence of training weapons, not even useful in that regard).

Additionally, with regards to blunt weapons almost all of the non-adamantine materials perform equally well, with a very slight edge towards steel and silver. Here is the thread with the details: [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=53571.0].

Keep in mind with how unbelievably complicated this system is nothing should be taken as word of law yet.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#999999"
!
! Best
! Better
! Good
! Fair
! Poor
! Terrible
! Notes
|-
| Armor
| Adamantine
| Steel
| Iron
| Bronze, Bismuth Bronze
| Copper
|
|
|-
| Edged Weapons
| Adamantine
| Steel
| Iron
| Bronze, Bismuth Bronze
| Copper
| Silver
| For piercing iron armor, copper is better than bronze. For piercing copper or bronze armor, bronze is better than copper.
|-
| Ammunition
| Steel, Iron, Bronze, Bismuth Bronze, Copper, Silver
|
| Adamantine
|
|
|
| Adamantine bolts deflect off of adamantine armor, but otherwise their performance is on par with bolts made out of other metals.
|-
| Blunt Weapons
| Platinum
| Steel, Silver
| Copper, Bismuth Bronze, Bronze, Iron
|
|
| Adamantine
| All six standard weapon metals perform nearly identically. Steel has a slightly higher rate of critical wounds, while silver is slightly more likely to penetrate armor. Platinum (only available as [[artifact]] weapons) has twice the density of silver and several other improved properties, making it the best metal for impact weapons, though very limited in production. Adamantine's light weight makes it a terrible choice for blunt weapons, roughly the same as making a weapon out of [[featherwood]] or cork.
|}

Cross referencing this table with the table at the top of this section seems to indicate that low densities, high impact fractures, and high shear fractures contribute to the killing power of edged weapons.

===Analysis===

Testing of weapons (15 dwarves vs. 15 dwarves combats) in the [[object testing arena]] shows that the best dwarven-made weapon against unarmored humanoids is the battle axe, while the war hammer performs the best against armored targets. {{version|0.31.12}}.

Even in 15×(steel armor+silver war hammer) versus 15×(adamantine armor+adamantine battle axe) matches, hammerdwarves won with less than 50% casualties (mostly one-strike kills). However, when the dwarves in question were without armor or only wearing leather/cloth, the result was inverted — axedwarves won with less than 50% casualties. In battles against megabeasts, 6 silver hammerdwarves were barely able to scratch a [[bronze colossus]] (attacks were glancing away) due to bronze being a better "weapon" material.

This is because silver has the highest solid density of all materials that can regularly be made into weapons by dwarves. Tests show that indeed [[gold]] and [[platinum]] (increasingly dense) do increasing amounts of damage, and that war hammers remain the tool of choice, however they can only be produced by a moody dwarf (and a very lucky one at that).

For more on ranged ammunition see the forum thread [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=116151.0 Dwarven Research: A Comparison Study on the Effectiveness of Bolts vs Armors].

More arena tests are available in the [[Main:Military testing|Military testing]] article.

There is a bug with melee weapon momentum that causes certain weapons to swing faster than they should do, giving them greater performance. This bug is based on the weight of the weapon, with weapons weighing just under a whole number getting the greatest benefit. Two major beneficiaries of this weight bug are copper whips and iron or steel picks.

==Bugs==
*Equipping weapons/armor on military is erratic{{Bug|535}}
*'One-handed' vs. 'two-handed' checks are performed correctly, but 'can wield' vs. 'can't wield' ignores height and broadness modifiers, so dwarves in Fortress mode cannot equip two-handed swords, great axes, halberds, mauls, or pikes.{{bug|5812}}

==See also==
* [[User:Shinziril#Weapons_and_Armor|Outstanding research]] on weapons and armor by Shinziril

{{Weapons}}
{{Industry}}
{{Category|Weapons}}

Weapon

2019-02-18T04:35:14Z

DF Ludicer: /* Types of weapons */

{{Quality|Masterwork|16:52, 10 June 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
:''This page deals entirely with manufactured weapons. For natural weapons, see [[Natural weapon]].''

A '''weapon''' in the sense described on this page is any object specifically designed to be wielded in the pursuit of bodily harm to others. In [[fortress mode]], weapons can be made at a [[metalsmith's forge]] (all metal weapons) using a single bar of metal, despite the fact that most weapons in the game (with the exception of swords and maces) would have wooden handles in real life, a [[bowyer's workshop]] (wooden and bone crossbows), or a [[craftsdwarf's workshop]] ([[obsidian]] short swords).

== Basics ==

=== Native vs. foreign ===
In fortress mode, weapons can be split in two categories: those that you can produce, and those that you can't. [[Weaponsmith]]s can produce seven types of native weapons at a [[metalsmith's forge]], but there are also fourteen foreign weapons that can be found in the hands of enemy combatants, or bought from trading caravans (note, however, that due to bugs, several foreign weapons currently are effectively unusable by dwarves). These may use skills your dwarves are unfamiliar with. It is impossible to buy them in bulk, and they are of variable quality and material. Like all weapons they tend to be expensive as trade goods. They may be worth using if you can secure a high-quality specimen (see [[#Quality and strange moods|Quality]] below). Since they are common for other nations, it is important to understand their properties when you have to fight enemies wielding them.

=== Types of weapons ===
{{main|Attack types}}
From another point of view there are four categories: slashing, piercing, crushing, and ranged.

Slashing weapons, like [[short sword]]s and [[battle axe]]s, work by concentrating their force along a sharp edge, allowing them to cut gashes in or to completely sever body parts. Severing is most likely when the body part's thickness is smaller than the weapon's contact edge. They make the quickest work of unarmored opponents who are not tremendously large. They are far less effective against armored targets, however, as armor may prevent the cutting, converting strikes into weaker blunt damage.

Piercing weapons, like [[spear]]s and [[pick]]s, work by concentrating their force at a point, allowing them to punch through armor and damage internal organs. They often get stuck in the opponent, giving their wielder further leverage on the target.

Crushing weapons, like [[war hammer]]s and [[mace]]s, work by concentrating their force behind a large, blunt mass, putting dents in armor and breaking bones beneath their blows. As broken bones cause extreme pain, living creatures that can feel it will often "give in" to it and fall unconscious very quickly. Attacks against such helpless targets will take the form of perfectly accurate and perfectly square strikes to the head, which will usually cause fatal brain injury. Nevertheless, blunt weapons are still slower to kill unarmored enemies than slashing weapons are.

Ranged weapons—[[crossbow]]s, [[bow]]s, and [[blowgun]]s—are effectively piercing weapons which work at a distance. When used in melee combat as bludgeons, crossbows produce blunt weapon damage. Bows used in melee are treated like extremely weak swords.

There exists one more kind of weapon: the so-called training weapon. Training weapons are all wooden, and are all made at the [[carpenter's workshop]]. Training axes, spears, and short swords can be constructed in fortress mode. They do little blunt impact damage, due to the poor [[material science|material properties]] of wood. While every weapon is actually safe to use in sparring, the primary purpose of training weapons in fortress mode is to allow your dwarves to train before you have a working metal industry. They can also be used during live combat exercises (beating upon a disarmed goblin, etc.) to extend the training session's length. Finally, they may be issued to the guards to reduce the lethality of a [[justice|criminal beating]].

=== Types of targets ===
One can divide the types of foes you will meet into three categories. The first is organic and unarmored (or poorly armored) enemies, like [[thief|thieves]], non-sentient [[creature]]s (be it local wildlife or siege mounts), [[semi-megabeast]]s and [[megabeast]]s besides the [[bronze colossus]]. Weapons that deal slashing damage work best and quickest against these types of enemies, severing whole body parts and leaving them severely incapacitated.

The second is organic and armored enemies, like [[ambush]]ers and [[siege]]rs. The way [[armor]] works, slashing blows that are countered by a piece of armor are converted into generally less effective blunt damage; the best damage against these kinds of enemies are piercing weapons, which punch through armor and damage their internal organs, incapacitating them and allowing the wielder to finish them off. Crushing weapons work as well, although they are slower.

The third and most dangerous types of enemies are inorganic enemies (or ones that [[Giant cave spider|don't feel pain]]), which are [[titan]]s, [[forgotten beast]]s, [[bronze colossus]]es, and [[HFS|hidden fun stuff]]. These enemies ''have'' no internal organs, and depending on the material they are made of, may be very difficult to slash at (although a forgotten beast made of, for instance, mud is laughably easy to kill). Against these enemies, crushing weapons are the best, because they can chip at their foes until they collapse from cumulative damage.

=== Weapon skill ===
{{main|Combat skill#Weapon skill}}
Every type of weapon has its own associated [[military]] [[skill]]. The higher a dwarf is in his skill with a weapon, the better he will be able to use it in combat, connecting hammer blows to more advantageous sweet spots and sending spears right through enemy hearts and lungs with greater accuracy. The higher the weapon skill, the better at fighting the dwarf will be.

Once a dwarf has reached "Great" skill in a certain weapon, they become weapon lords for that specific weapon. They are listed as such on the [[status]] screen, will love fighting, and will no longer complain about long patrol duties. Weapon skill is trained in fighting enemies in combat, demonstrations, and combat drills, but if you leave your dwarves shield-less, a [[danger room]] will train their skill very, very quickly. Note that this does not quite work for marksdwarves - danger rooming ranged weapons increases their melee skill, increasing their hammerdwarf skill, although [[Cross-training|this may be the point]].

=== Attachment ===
A dwarf that has used a particular weapon for a long time will grow attached to it, equipping it whenever their uniform allows them to. This is fine if they are wielding a ☼steel mace☼, but a major problem if they are wielding what is meant to be a training weapon (be it a wooden axe or a copper spear). You can avoid this pitfall by not using training weapons and not forging weapons until you have real weaponsmithing underway. These events generate [[announcement]]s. If a dwarf does become attached, you can easily force him to relinquish the weapon by assigning a 'specific weapon' instead in his equipment view.

In addition, dwarves that reach a certain number or level of kills, or train long enough with a weapon, will name it. This prompts a major announcement. The weapon in question may have no kills associated with it, legendary dwarves occasionally name their weapons while training with them. Once named, the weapon will appear in the artifact list, albeit in blue. It is unknown if named weapons perform better than unnamed weapons.

Dwarves may also become attached to shields and name them in the same way.

=== Quality and strange moods ===
The [[quality]] of a weapon has a significant (and currently poorly understood) impact on its combat performance, as well as its [[value]].

{{DF2014:Item quality/Table}}

Weaponsmithing is a [[moodable]] profession, which means that you can get [[artifact]] weapons. Artifact weapons have a 3x combat bonus and can be made out of a wide range of materials; ordinarily a [[hippo]] [[bone]] spear is impossible, but a moody dwarf can create one with a stack of hippo bone. Artifact weapons made of totally inappropriate materials are inferior to regular ones made of weapons-grade metal, although the exact balance is still under discussion. As with other moodable skills, a dwarf who creates an artifact using the weaponsmith skill stands a [[DF2014:Strange_mood#Skills_and_workshops|high chance]] of becoming a legendary weaponsmith.

=== Weapons as tools ===
[[Hunter]]s use crossbows, [[wood cutter]]s use [[battle axe]]s (wooden training axes worked prior to version 0.43.01), and [[miner]]s use [[pick]]s. They must be in possession of these items to do their jobs, and it's as simple as that.

Hunters gain [[marksdwarf]] skill from hunting, but wood cutters do not gain [[axedwarf]] weapon skill from cutting trees. Miners gain [[mining]] skill, which is not considered a military skill, but is used as a weapon skill when fighting with a pick. A dwarf using a weapon as a tool will not use the same tool as a military weapon, instead dropping their tool to pick up another for military use.{{bug|1451}} Dwarves may carry only one weapon as a tool at a time; for example, woodcutters/hunters will drop their axes then go and pick up crossbows every time they begin hunting.

=== Ammunition ===
:''Main article: [[Ammunition]]''

[[Crossbow]]s and other ranged weapons require [[ammunition]] (in the case of the crossbow, [[bolt]]s). This ammunition is carried in a [[quiver]] in packs of about 25, and when they run out they will switch to using their ranged weapons as crude hammers. It's often a good idea to try to get them to retreat once they run out of ammo — crossbows are meant for shooting, not bashing.

=== Secondary weapons ===
Although it sounds like a cool idea, equipping a marksdwarf with a backup short sword just in case doesn't often work, as dwarves are just as quick to run up to their foes and start bashing them with a crossbow, as they are to draw their swords and do it properly.

== Weapons ==
=== Native weapons ===
{| class="wikitable" border="border"
! Type
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
! Hands Used
! [[Weaponsmith|Metal]]
! [[Bowyer|Wood]]
! [[Bowyer|Bone]]
! [[Stone crafter|Obsidian]]
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[battle axe|Battle Axe]]
|rowspan="3"| 800
| Hack || Edge || 40000 || 6000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| Singlegrasp
|rowspan="3"| Yes
|rowspan="3"| No
|rowspan="3"| No
|rowspan="3"| No
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 40000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|-
| [[Crossbow]] (Melee)
| 400
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25x
| Hammer
| Singlegrasp?
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| No
|-
| [[Mace]]
| 800
| Bash || Blunt || 20 || (200) || 2.0x
| Mace
| Singlegrasp
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|-
| [[Pick]] (foreign)
| 500
| Strike || Edge || 100 || 4000 || 2.0x
| Mining
| Singlegrasp
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[short sword|Short Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 4000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| [[Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| Singlegrasp
|rowspan="4"| Yes
|rowspan="4"| No
|rowspan="4"| No
|rowspan="4"| Yes
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[Spear]]
|rowspan="2"| 400
| Stab || Edge || 20 || 10000 || 1.0x
|rowspan="2"| Spear
|rowspan="2"| Singlegrasp
|rowspan="2"| Yes
|rowspan="2"| No
|rowspan="2"| No
|rowspan="2"| No
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|-
| [[war hammer|War Hammer]]
| 400
| Bash || Blunt || 10 || (200) || 2.0x
| Hammer
| Singlegrasp
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|}

Note that although the [[pick]] is a foreign weapon, it can be produced by dwarves and is therefore considered native.{{bug|680}}

=== Details ===
*If you find your dwarves wearing more than one weapon -- or any unwanted [[armor]], for that matter -- one way to get rid of them is to dump the weapon from their {{k|v}}-{{k|i}} inventory screen. This does not always work, as they might re-equip the item. Another option is to remove any weapons and/or shields listed on their military equip screen. This too does not always work. At least "left-handedness" seems to not pose a problem. If you cancel the work by {{k|v}}-{{k|p}} and selecting a job that needs a tool they will sometimes put it back in the pile. Example: Miners use picks, cancel their mining job and they will put the pick away AFTER you ordered it to be dumped.
* Using weapons is much more effective than unarmed combat -- an untrained swordsdwarf with an [[iron]] weapon can defeat a grand master [[wrestler]], provided neither is wearing armor.
** Larger weapons with more heft tend to do more damage. How damage is calculated is currently not fully understood, and this area begs for more !SCIENCE!.
* The size for a weapon is its volume in cm3.
* Attacks of type EDGE will either slice or pierce their target, depending on the contact area and penetration depth, while BLUNT attacks tend to damage internal organs without necessarily causing significant damage to outer layers.
* The contact area represents the area of contact of the weapon, and the penetration determines how deep the attack goes (and is apparently ignored entirely for BLUNT attacks -- indicated by numbers in parentheses). Large contact areas combined with low penetration represent slashing attacks, while small contact areas with high penetration behave as piercing attacks.
* The velocity seems to adjust the amount of actual force used during the attack (otherwise based on the size of the weapon, the material from which the weapon is made, and the strength of the wielder) - for example, war hammers have a 2x velocity multiplier, presumably to model the fact that the hammer's mass is concentrated at the tip which, when combined with a long handle, permits swinging it harder than a weapon whose mass is evenly distributed (such as a sword).
* Crossbows can be made of metal, wood, and bone. Metal crossbows are made by a [[weaponsmith]] at a [[forge]], while wood and bone crossbows are made by a [[bowyer]] at a bowyer's workshop. The material of a crossbow does not affect its firing ability, only its melee damage. A dwarf's marksmanship skill is only affected by the core [[item quality|quality]] of the bow. This may be a consideration when deciding which dwarf you want outfitting your marksdwarves: a [[experience|legendary]] bowyer is a better choice than a proficient weaponsmith.
* Dwarves will never select a pick for a weapon if allowed "individual choice." You must specify picks as part of their uniform or on the individual equip screen if you wish to utilize them as weapons.

=== Training weapons ===
All [[training weapon]]s must be made of [[wood]] at the [[carpenter's workshop]].

{| class="wikitable" border="border"
|-
! Type
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Training Axe
|rowspan="3"| 800
| Hack || Blunt || 30000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 30000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| Training Sword
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|-
| Stab || Blunt || 50 || (2000) || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| Training Spear
|rowspan="2"| 400
| Stab || Blunt || 200 || (10000) || 1.0x
|rowspan="2"| Spear
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|}

=== Foreign weapons ===
Using any multi-grasp weapon in a single hand (i.e. with a shield in the other hand) gives you a disability to hit. Do not equip two-handed swords with a shield, for instance.

In Adventurer Mode, however, it is possible to wield a two-handed sword, or any multi-grasp weapon in one hand, without penalty (allowing for the simultaneous use of a shield) if your character passes the one-handed check for single-handing a multi-grasp weapon. For example, if you create a Human character, and manage to spawn into a world with a "broad body" or a "tall body" in the character description, you will be able to single-hand any multi-grasp weapon (and will be forced to, much like you are forced to single-hand any single-grasp weapon), which allows for the simultaneous, disability-free use of a shield, thus making your damage and defensive capabilities much higher than they would be with a single-grasp weapon and shield. Note that upping Strength to Superior (and eventually Superhuman) will make all attacks more likely to deal extra damage, making cutting off the limbs of your enemies much easier.

{| class="wikitable" border="border"
|-
! Type
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
! Used by
! Hands Used
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[two-handed sword|2H Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| 900
| Slash || Edge || 100000 || 8000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="4"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 4000 || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 100000 || (8000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
| [[Blowgun]] (Melee)
| 150
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25x
| Sword
| Subterranean animal peoples
| Single-grasp?
|- valign="top"
| [[Bow]] (Melee)
| 300
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25x
| Sword
| [[Elf]], Goblin, Human, [[Kobold]]
| Single-grasp?
|- valign="top"
| [[Flail]]
| 500
| Bash || Blunt || 200 || (4000) || 2.5x
| Mace
| Goblin, Human
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[great axe|Great Axe]]
|rowspan="3"| 1300
| Hack || Edge || 60000 || 8000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="3"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 60000 || (8000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[Halberd]]
|rowspan="3"| 1200
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 8000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="3"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0x
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 20000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[Dagger]] (Large)
|rowspan="3"| 200
| Slash || Edge || 1000 || 800 || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Dagger
|rowspan="3"| Goblin, Kobold
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 5 || 1000 || 1.0x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 20 || (600) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[long sword|Long Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| 700
| Slash || Edge || 60000 || 6000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| Elf, Goblin, Human
|rowspan="4"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 3000 || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 60000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
| [[Maul]]
| 1300
| Bash || Blunt || 100 || (6000) || 2.0x
| Hammer
| Goblin, Human
| Multi-grasp
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[Morningstar]]
|rowspan="2"| 500
| Bash || Edge || 10 || 500 || 2.0x
|rowspan="2"| Mace
|rowspan="2"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="2"| Single-grasp
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 50 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[pike (weapon)|Pike]]
|rowspan="2"| 800
| Stab || Edge || 20 || 12000 || 1.0x
|rowspan="2"| Pike
|rowspan="2"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="2"| Multigrasp
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[Scimitar]]
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 4000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="4"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 50 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
| [[Scourge]]
| 300
| Lash || Edge || 10 || 50 || 2.0x
| Whip
| Goblin
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
| [[Whip]]
| 100
| Lash || Blunt || 1 || (10) || 5.0x
| Whip
| Goblin, Human
| Single-grasp
|}

===Special variations===
Some rare entities have their own [[divine equipment|procedurally generated variations]] of weapons. Currently, these weapons are produced by copying the default properties of the "base" weapon, and adding an adjective ("bulky", "large-headed", "branching", etc.) or renaming the weapon altogether ("blade", "curved sword"). Dwarves in [[strange mood]]s which select from all weapons with a certain tag may produce one of these procedurally generated weapons. Since they retain the properties of their base items, these weapons should be as usable as a standard weapon of the base type.

== Size==

Weapons have a minimum size to use at all, and a minimum size to use one-handed. Adult dwarves vary in size between 33750 and 93750 (average 60000) based on their height and broadness.

Unfortunately this is currently bugged in Fortress mode.{{Bug|0005812}} 'One-handed' vs. 'two-handed' checks are performed correctly, but 'can wield' vs. 'can't wield' ignores height and broadness modifiers. So Dwarves in Fortress mode will never equip two-handed swords, great axes, halberds, mauls, or pikes. Other weapons have a minimum wielding size of less than 60000, and are wielded one-handed if the individual dwarf is large enough. See [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=119068.msg3790913#msg3790913 this] forum post.

The following table shows approximately how many dwarves ''should be'' able to use each weapon one or two handed (see [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=101379.msg3029579#msg3029579 this forum post] for details), with all fractional numbers being approximate. While there are seven categories each for height and broadness, the number used is chosen randomly from within each category.

Where the size checking bug affects weapon wielding for dwarves, correct approximate figures are given in brackets.
{| class="wikitable" border="border"
|-
! Type
! Min Size
(Two-Handed)
! Min Size
(One-Handed)
! Dwarves
Can't Wield
! Dwarves Wield
Two-Handed
! Dwarves Wield
One-Handed
|- valign="top"
| [[battle axe|Battle Axe]]
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Crossbow]] (Melee)
| 15000
| 0
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Mace]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Pick]]
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[short sword|Short Sword]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Spear]]
| 5000
| 47500
| -
| 11/49
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[war hammer|War Hammer]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| Training Axe
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| Training Sword
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| Training Spear
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[two-handed sword|2H Sword]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Blowgun]] (Melee)
| 15000
| 0
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Bow]] (Melee)
| 15000
| 0
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Flail]]
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[great axe|Great Axe]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Halberd]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Dagger]] (Large)
| 5000
| 27500
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[long sword|Long Sword]]
| 52500
| 57500
| 11/49 (0)
| 7/49 (18/49)
| 31/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Maul]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Morningstar]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[pike (weapon)|Pike]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Scimitar]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Scourge]]
| 22500
| 27500
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Whip]]
| 22500
| 27500
| -
| -
| 49/49
|}

==Material==

Weapons and armor (with a few exceptions) can only be forged from weapon grade metal (Adamantine, Steel, Iron, Silver, Bronze, Bismuth bronze, Copper, and divine metal), wood, or bone. The exceptions include Obsidian short-swords and items created during a strange mood.

{{v0.31 material metal table head}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Adamantine|color={{Tile|/|3:1}}3:3:1|source=[[Raw adamantine]]|notes= |soliddensity=0.200|mp=25000|val=300|valinc=+50|impactyield=5000|impactfracture=5000|impactelasticity=0|shearyield=5000|shearfracture=5000|shearelasticity=0
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Divine metal|notes= |soliddensity=1.0|val=300|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=2000|impactelasticity=0|shearyield=1000|shearfracture=2000|shearelasticity=0
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Steel|color={{Tile|/|0:1}}0:7:1|source=[[Iron]] + [[Pig iron]] + [[flux]] stone + [[fuel]] '''!'''|notes= |soliddensity=7.85|val=30|valinc=+20|mp=12718|impactyield=1505|impactfracture=2520|impactelasticity=940|shearyield=430|shearfracture=720|shearelasticity=215
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Bismuth bronze|color={{Tile|/|6:1}}6:6:1|source=2 [[Copper]] + 1 [[Tin]] + 1 [[Bismuth]] '''!'''|notes= |soliddensity=8.25|val=6|valinc=+4|mp=11868|impactyield=602|impactfracture=843|impactelasticity=547|shearyield=172|shearfracture=241|shearelasticity=156
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Bronze|color={{Tile|/|6:0}}6:4:0|source=[[Tin]] + [[Copper]]|notes= |soliddensity=8.25|val=5|valinc=+3|mp=11868|impactyield=602|impactfracture=843|impactelasticity=547|shearyield=172|shearfracture=241|shearelasticity=156
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Iron|color={{Tile|/|0:1}}0:7:1|source=[[Hematite]], [[Limonite]], [[Magnetite]]|notes= |soliddensity=7.85|mp=12768|val=10|valinc=+2|impactyield=542|impactfracture=1080|impactelasticity=319|shearyield=155|shearfracture=310|shearelasticity=189
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Copper|color={{Tile|/|6:0}}6:4:0|source=[[Native copper]], [[Malachite]], [[Tetrahedrite]]|notes= |soliddensity=8.93|mp=11952|val=2|valinc=+0, +0, -1*|impactyield=245|impactfracture=770|impactelasticity=175|shearyield=70|shearfracture=220|shearelasticity=145
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Silver|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=[[Native silver]], [[Horn silver]], [[Galena]] (50%), [[Tetrahedrite]] (20%) |notes= |soliddensity=10.49|mp=11731|val=10|valinc=+0, +0, +5*, +7*|impactyield=350|impactfracture=595|impactelasticity=350|shearyield=100|shearfracture=170|shearelasticity=333
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Platinum|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=[[Native platinum]]|notes= Only available as Artifact Weapons.|soliddensity=21.4|mp=13182|val=40|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=350|impactfracture=700|impactelasticity=152|shearyield=100|shearfracture=200|shearelasticity=164
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Bone|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=Creatures|notes= |soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=200|impactfracture=200|impactelasticity=100|shearyield=115|shearfracture=130|shearelasticity=100
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Wood|color={{Tile|/|6:0}}7:7:1|source=Trees|notes= |soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=10|impactfracture=10|impactelasticity=1000|shearyield=40|shearfracture=40|shearelasticity=1000
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Shell|color={{Tile|/|2:0}}7:7:1|source=Creatures|notes= Only available as Artifact Weapons.|soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=200|impactfracture=200|impactelasticity=100|shearyield=115|shearfracture=130|shearelasticity=100
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Leather|color={{Tile|/|2:0}}7:7:1|source=Creatures|notes= Material data added for comparison.|soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=10|impactfracture=10|impactelasticity=50000|shearyield=25|shearfracture=25|shearelasticity=50000
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Obsidian|color={{Tile|/|0:1}}7:7:1|source=Lava|notes= Only available for Short Swords.|soliddensity=2.67|mp=13600|val=3|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=35|shearfracture=35|shearelasticity=114
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Crystal glass|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=Sand|notes= Only available as Trap Components.|soliddensity=2.6|mp=13600|val=10|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=33|shearfracture=33|shearelasticity=113
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Clear glass|color={{Tile|/|3:0}}7:7:1|source=Sand|notes= Only available as Trap Components.|soliddensity=2.6|mp=13600|val=5|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=33|shearfracture=33|shearelasticity=113
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Green glass|color={{Tile|/|2:0}}7:7:1|source=Sand|notes= Only available as Trap Components.|soliddensity=2.6|mp=13600|val=2|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=33|shearfracture=33|shearelasticity=113
}}

|}

*''Combat information'' is used internally by the game to determine the combat properties of weapons and armor made from this metal:
**'''Density''': Used in conjunction with other factors - heavier weapons (higher numbers) hit with more force, light weapons tend to have less penetration. Value shown here is g/cm3, which is the raw value divided by 103
**'''Impact yield''': Used for blunt-force combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Impact fracture''': Used for blunt-force combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Impact elasticity''' (or '''strain at yield'''): Used for blunt-force combat; ''lower'' is better. This is the raw value.
**'''Shear yield''': Used for cutting calculations in combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Shear fracture''': Used for cutting calculations in combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Shear elasticity''' (or '''strain at yield'''): Used for cutting calculations in combat; ''lower'' is better. This is the raw value.

*General Term Explanations (From Wikipedia)
**'''Yield Strength''' - The stress at which material strain changes from elastic deformation to plastic deformation, causing it to deform permanently.
**'''Fracture Strength''' - The stress coordinate on the stress-strain curve at the point of rupture.
**'''Stress''' - Force per area = F/A
**'''Strain''' - Deformation of a solid due to stress = Stress/Young's Modulus

=== Explanation ===
* '''Yield Strength''' is the amount of stress required to permanently deform (bend) a material (plastic deformation).
* '''Fracture Strength''' is the amount of stress required to permanently break (rupture) a material.
* '''Elasticity''' or '''Strain at yield''' is the amount of deformation (bending) that occurs at the yield point.

=== Implications ===
Yield strength combined with strain at yield can tell what a material will do under stress (be it from a hammer, axe, or arrow); higher yield means that it takes more stress to deform, while lower strain at yield means that it will deform less when stress is applied.

== Combat formulae ==

Penetration is poorly understood, but most of the rest of combat is fairly well understood.

First, you need to calculate your weapon's momentum.

Melee Weapon Momentum: M = Skill * Size * Str * Vel / (106 * (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size) )
* Dwarf Melee Momentum: M = 0.06 * Str * Vel / (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size) )
* Quick attacks halve melee momentum, wild and heavy attacks multiply it by 1.5
* Attacking a prone opponent in melee doubles momentum.

Ranged Weapon Momentum: M = (w_density*w_size)/105 * min(105*(SHOOT_FORCE/20)/(w_density*w_size), SHOOT_MAXVEL/10)
* Bow and Crossbow Momentum: M = (w_density*150)/105 * min(105/(w_density*3), 20)
** If 20 is smaller because the ammunition is density 1666 or less, M = w_density*3/100 = w_density*0.03
** If 20 is larger because the ammunition is density 1667 or larger, M = 50
* Blowgun Momentum: M = (w_density*20)/105 * min(105/(w_density*4), 100)
** If 100 is smaller because the ammunition is density 250 or less, M = w_density/50 = w_density*0.02
** If 100 is larger because the ammunition is density 251 or more, M = 5

where:
* '''M''' is the momentum.
* '''Skill''' is a gradual multiplier based on skill level, from 1x base up to 2x at Grand Master.
* '''Str''' is the creature's strength (e.g. 1250 for the average dwarf)
* '''Vel''' is the weapon's velocity modifier if present (e.g. 1.25x, 2x)
* '''Size''' is the average creature size (e.g. 60000 for dwarves)
* '''i_Size''' is the specific creature's size
** Dwarves range from a minimum size of 33750 to a maximum size of 93750, with an average size of 60000.
* '''F''' is "fatness modifier" (also includes muscle) = i_Size/Size; dwarf with size of 66150 will have F=66150/60000=1.1025
* '''w_density''' is the weapon's material's density for melee weapons, or the ammunition's density for ranged weapons
* '''w_size''' is the weapon's size for melee weapons, or the ammunition's size for ranged weapons
* '''SHOOT_FORCE''' is the ranged weapon's SHOOT_FORCE constant, which is used to determine its maximum momentum.
* '''SHOOT_MAXVEL''' is the ranged weapon's SHOOT_MAXVEL constant, which is used to determine its maximum velocity, where ammo momentum = ammo mass * ammo velocity.

An edged weapon undergoes the following comparison:

M >= (aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF) * (10 + 2*a_quality) / (Sha * w_quality),

where:
* '''aSY''' is the armor's SHEAR_YIELD, which is based on its material
* '''wSY''' is the weapon's SHEAR_YIELD, which is based on its material
* '''aSF''' is the armor's SHEAR_FRACTURE, which is based on its material
* '''wSF''' is the weapon's SHEAR_FRACTURE, which is based on its material
* '''A''' is attack [[DF2014:Material_science#Contact_Area|contact area]], typically between
* '''Sha''' is weapon material [[edge|sharpness]] multiplier (1x for most metals, 1.2x for [[divine metal]], 1.5x for [[glass]], 2x for [[obsidian]], 10x for [[adamantine]] and 0.1x for all other materials)
* '''w_quality''' is weapon [[quality]] multiplier (1x for normal quality, 1.4x for fine, 2x for masterwork, etc.)
* '''a_quality''' is armor [[quality]] multiplier

Expressed in the above terms,

* 0.06 * Str * Vel / (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size)) >= (aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF) * (10 + 2*Qa) / (Sha * w_quality)
* 0.06 * Sha * w_quality * Str * Vel / (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size)) >= (aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF) * (10 + 2*a_quality)
* 0.06 * Sha * w_quality * Str * Vel / ((1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size)) * (10 + 2*a_quality)) >= aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF

Because Shear Yield and Shear Fracture are always within a power of 10 of each other for actually available materials, but the smallest possible A value is 20 (a blowgun dart, which is smaller than the smallest item of clothing/armor a dwarf can wear), this means that in practice, Shear Fracture is significantly more important than Shear Yield, and you can reliably compare weapons and armor without paying attention to Shear Yield. In both cases, higher is better on both weapons and armor, as is quality. Sharpness only matters to the weapon, and smaller contact area is better for the attacker.

If the test is passed, attack momentum is decreased by some 5% and the layer is considered punctured/severed, and the process continues to the next layer, including working through layers of the defender's body. If the test is failed, the attack becomes blunt for this layer.

If the attack is blunt, either due to starting off blunt or due to failing the above test, it is then subjected to this test:

2 * w_size * wIY > A * a_density

where:
* '''a_density''' is the armor material's density
* '''wIY''' is the weapon's impact yield in MPa (i.e. raw value divided by 106).

Failure means the attack bounces off, meaning denser, larger armor resists blunt attacks better, but larger blunt weapons with larger contact areas and higher impact yields get through armor better. This also means adamantine armor is some of the worst in the game at outright deflecting attacks, due to its poor density, but this is not typically relevant, as impact yields are typically at least 10 times larger than density values for the actual metals available, so this step is routinely passed by most weapons regardless of relative materials.

On success, the following test is applied:

M >= (2*aIF - aIY) * (2 + 0.4*a_quality) * A,

where:
* '''aIF''' is the armor's impact fracture in MPa (i.e. raw value divided by 106)
* '''aIY''' is the armor's impact yield in MPa (i.e. raw value divided by 106).

Note that the armor wants as high impact yield as possible to make this test fail. The armor also wants low impact fracture, although the weapon's impact fracture does not matter, and high quality and high contact area.

On a success, attack momentum is decreased by some 5% and the layer is considered punctured/severed, and the process continues to the next layer, including working through layers of the defender's body. If the attack was edged, it becomes edged again. On a failure, the momentum is multiplied by SHEAR_STRAIN_AT_YIELD/50000 for edged attacks or IMPACT_STRAIN_AT_YIELD/50000 for blunt attacks, then it becomes *permanently* blunt, and is passed on to the next layer. This means most rigid metal armor will reduce blocked attacks by 98%-99%, but elastic armor, such as a mail shirt, has both strain at yield values raised to 50000, so it multiplies by 1 at this step (i.e. does nothing to the momentum, but does still convert it to blunt) regardless of material.

== Combat testing ==
In regards to edged weaponry: [[Adamantine]] and [[steel]] take first and second place respectively, with [[iron]] the third best material in the game, matched by the [[bronze]]s. Beyond that is [[copper]], the second worst material, and [[silver]] is the worst weapon material available (and due to the existence of training weapons, not even useful in that regard).

Additionally, with regards to blunt weapons almost all of the non-adamantine materials perform equally well, with a very slight edge towards steel and silver. Here is the thread with the details: [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=53571.0].

Keep in mind with how unbelievably complicated this system is nothing should be taken as word of law yet.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#999999"
!
! Best
! Better
! Good
! Fair
! Poor
! Terrible
! Notes
|-
| Armor
| Adamantine
| Steel
| Iron
| Bronze, Bismuth Bronze
| Copper
|
|
|-
| Edged Weapons
| Adamantine
| Steel
| Iron
| Bronze, Bismuth Bronze
| Copper
| Silver
| For piercing iron armor, copper is better than bronze. For piercing copper or bronze armor, bronze is better than copper.
|-
| Ammunition
| Steel, Iron, Bronze, Bismuth Bronze, Copper, Silver
|
| Adamantine
|
|
|
| Adamantine bolts deflect off of adamantine armor, but otherwise their performance is on par with bolts made out of other metals.
|-
| Blunt Weapons
| Platinum
| Steel, Silver
| Copper, Bismuth Bronze, Bronze, Iron
|
|
| Adamantine
| All six standard weapon metals perform nearly identically. Steel has a slightly higher rate of critical wounds, while silver is slightly more likely to penetrate armor. Platinum (only available as [[artifact]] weapons) has twice the density of silver and several other improved properties, making it the best metal for impact weapons, though very limited in production. Adamantine's light weight makes it a terrible choice for blunt weapons, roughly the same as making a weapon out of [[featherwood]] or cork.
|}

Cross referencing this table with the table at the top of this section seems to indicate that low densities, high impact fractures, and high shear fractures contribute to the killing power of edged weapons.

===Analysis===

Testing of weapons (15 dwarves vs. 15 dwarves combats) in the [[object testing arena]] shows that the best dwarven-made weapon against unarmored humanoids is the battle axe, while the war hammer performs the best against armored targets. {{version|0.31.12}}.

Even in 15×(steel armor+silver war hammer) versus 15×(adamantine armor+adamantine battle axe) matches, hammerdwarves won with less than 50% casualties (mostly one-strike kills). However, when the dwarves in question were without armor or only wearing leather/cloth, the result was inverted — axedwarves won with less than 50% casualties. In battles against megabeasts, 6 silver hammerdwarves were barely able to scratch a [[bronze colossus]] (attacks were glancing away) due to bronze being a better "weapon" material.

This is because silver has the highest solid density of all materials that can regularly be made into weapons by dwarves. Tests show that indeed [[gold]] and [[platinum]] (increasingly dense) do increasing amounts of damage, and that war hammers remain the tool of choice, however they can only be produced by a moody dwarf (and a very lucky one at that).

For more on ranged ammunition see the forum thread [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=116151.0 Dwarven Research: A Comparison Study on the Effectiveness of Bolts vs Armors].

More arena tests are available in the [[Main:Military testing|Military testing]] article.

There is a bug with melee weapon momentum that causes certain weapons to swing faster than they should do, giving them greater performance. This bug is based on the weight of the weapon, with weapons weighing just under a whole number getting the greatest benefit. Two major beneficiaries of this weight bug are copper whips and iron or steel picks.

==Bugs==
*Equipping weapons/armor on military is erratic{{Bug|535}}
*'One-handed' vs. 'two-handed' checks are performed correctly, but 'can wield' vs. 'can't wield' ignores height and broadness modifiers, so dwarves in Fortress mode cannot equip two-handed swords, great axes, halberds, mauls, or pikes.{{bug|5812}}

==See also==
* [[User:Shinziril#Weapons_and_Armor|Outstanding research]] on weapons and armor by Shinziril

{{Weapons}}
{{Industry}}
{{Category|Weapons}}

Weapon

2019-02-18T04:34:33Z

DF Ludicer: AI prioritizes perfect head strikes against helpless targets, which should be instant kills with metallic blunt weapons

{{Quality|Masterwork|16:52, 10 June 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
:''This page deals entirely with manufactured weapons. For natural weapons, see [[Natural weapon]].''

A '''weapon''' in the sense described on this page is any object specifically designed to be wielded in the pursuit of bodily harm to others. In [[fortress mode]], weapons can be made at a [[metalsmith's forge]] (all metal weapons) using a single bar of metal, despite the fact that most weapons in the game (with the exception of swords and maces) would have wooden handles in real life, a [[bowyer's workshop]] (wooden and bone crossbows), or a [[craftsdwarf's workshop]] ([[obsidian]] short swords).

== Basics ==

=== Native vs. foreign ===
In fortress mode, weapons can be split in two categories: those that you can produce, and those that you can't. [[Weaponsmith]]s can produce seven types of native weapons at a [[metalsmith's forge]], but there are also fourteen foreign weapons that can be found in the hands of enemy combatants, or bought from trading caravans (note, however, that due to bugs, several foreign weapons currently are effectively unusable by dwarves). These may use skills your dwarves are unfamiliar with. It is impossible to buy them in bulk, and they are of variable quality and material. Like all weapons they tend to be expensive as trade goods. They may be worth using if you can secure a high-quality specimen (see [[#Quality and strange moods|Quality]] below). Since they are common for other nations, it is important to understand their properties when you have to fight enemies wielding them.

=== Types of weapons ===
{{main|Attack types}}
From another point of view there are four categories: slashing, piercing, crushing, and ranged.

Slashing weapons, like [[short sword]]s and [[battle axe]]s, work by concentrating their force along a sharp edge, allowing them to cut gashes in or to completely sever body parts. Severing is most likely when the body part's thickness is smaller than the weapon's contact edge. They make the quickest work of unarmored opponents who are not tremendously large. They are far less effective against armored targets, however, as armor may prevent the cutting, converting strikes into weaker blunt damage.

Piercing weapons, like [[spear]]s and [[pick]]s, work by concentrating their force at a point, allowing them to punch through armor and damage internal organs. They often get stuck in the opponent, giving their wielder further leverage on the target.

Crushing weapons, like [[war hammer]]s and [[mace]]s, work by concentrating their force behind a large, blunt mass, putting dents in armor and breaking bones beneath their blows. As broken bones cause extreme pain, living creatures that can feel it will often "give in" to it and fall unconscious very quickly. Attacks against such helpless targets will take the form of perfectly accurate and perfectly square strikes, which will usually cause fatal brain injury. Nevertheless, blunt weapons are still slower to kill unarmored enemies than slashing weapons are.

Ranged weapons—[[crossbow]]s, [[bow]]s, and [[blowgun]]s—are effectively piercing weapons which work at a distance. When used in melee combat as bludgeons, crossbows produce blunt weapon damage. Bows used in melee are treated like extremely weak swords.

There exists one more kind of weapon: the so-called training weapon. Training weapons are all wooden, and are all made at the [[carpenter's workshop]]. Training axes, spears, and short swords can be constructed in fortress mode. They do little blunt impact damage, due to the poor [[material science|material properties]] of wood. While every weapon is actually safe to use in sparring, the primary purpose of training weapons in fortress mode is to allow your dwarves to train before you have a working metal industry. They can also be used during live combat exercises (beating upon a disarmed goblin, etc.) to extend the training session's length. Finally, they may be issued to the guards to reduce the lethality of a [[justice|criminal beating]].

=== Types of targets ===
One can divide the types of foes you will meet into three categories. The first is organic and unarmored (or poorly armored) enemies, like [[thief|thieves]], non-sentient [[creature]]s (be it local wildlife or siege mounts), [[semi-megabeast]]s and [[megabeast]]s besides the [[bronze colossus]]. Weapons that deal slashing damage work best and quickest against these types of enemies, severing whole body parts and leaving them severely incapacitated.

The second is organic and armored enemies, like [[ambush]]ers and [[siege]]rs. The way [[armor]] works, slashing blows that are countered by a piece of armor are converted into generally less effective blunt damage; the best damage against these kinds of enemies are piercing weapons, which punch through armor and damage their internal organs, incapacitating them and allowing the wielder to finish them off. Crushing weapons work as well, although they are slower.

The third and most dangerous types of enemies are inorganic enemies (or ones that [[Giant cave spider|don't feel pain]]), which are [[titan]]s, [[forgotten beast]]s, [[bronze colossus]]es, and [[HFS|hidden fun stuff]]. These enemies ''have'' no internal organs, and depending on the material they are made of, may be very difficult to slash at (although a forgotten beast made of, for instance, mud is laughably easy to kill). Against these enemies, crushing weapons are the best, because they can chip at their foes until they collapse from cumulative damage.

=== Weapon skill ===
{{main|Combat skill#Weapon skill}}
Every type of weapon has its own associated [[military]] [[skill]]. The higher a dwarf is in his skill with a weapon, the better he will be able to use it in combat, connecting hammer blows to more advantageous sweet spots and sending spears right through enemy hearts and lungs with greater accuracy. The higher the weapon skill, the better at fighting the dwarf will be.

Once a dwarf has reached "Great" skill in a certain weapon, they become weapon lords for that specific weapon. They are listed as such on the [[status]] screen, will love fighting, and will no longer complain about long patrol duties. Weapon skill is trained in fighting enemies in combat, demonstrations, and combat drills, but if you leave your dwarves shield-less, a [[danger room]] will train their skill very, very quickly. Note that this does not quite work for marksdwarves - danger rooming ranged weapons increases their melee skill, increasing their hammerdwarf skill, although [[Cross-training|this may be the point]].

=== Attachment ===
A dwarf that has used a particular weapon for a long time will grow attached to it, equipping it whenever their uniform allows them to. This is fine if they are wielding a ☼steel mace☼, but a major problem if they are wielding what is meant to be a training weapon (be it a wooden axe or a copper spear). You can avoid this pitfall by not using training weapons and not forging weapons until you have real weaponsmithing underway. These events generate [[announcement]]s. If a dwarf does become attached, you can easily force him to relinquish the weapon by assigning a 'specific weapon' instead in his equipment view.

In addition, dwarves that reach a certain number or level of kills, or train long enough with a weapon, will name it. This prompts a major announcement. The weapon in question may have no kills associated with it, legendary dwarves occasionally name their weapons while training with them. Once named, the weapon will appear in the artifact list, albeit in blue. It is unknown if named weapons perform better than unnamed weapons.

Dwarves may also become attached to shields and name them in the same way.

=== Quality and strange moods ===
The [[quality]] of a weapon has a significant (and currently poorly understood) impact on its combat performance, as well as its [[value]].

{{DF2014:Item quality/Table}}

Weaponsmithing is a [[moodable]] profession, which means that you can get [[artifact]] weapons. Artifact weapons have a 3x combat bonus and can be made out of a wide range of materials; ordinarily a [[hippo]] [[bone]] spear is impossible, but a moody dwarf can create one with a stack of hippo bone. Artifact weapons made of totally inappropriate materials are inferior to regular ones made of weapons-grade metal, although the exact balance is still under discussion. As with other moodable skills, a dwarf who creates an artifact using the weaponsmith skill stands a [[DF2014:Strange_mood#Skills_and_workshops|high chance]] of becoming a legendary weaponsmith.

=== Weapons as tools ===
[[Hunter]]s use crossbows, [[wood cutter]]s use [[battle axe]]s (wooden training axes worked prior to version 0.43.01), and [[miner]]s use [[pick]]s. They must be in possession of these items to do their jobs, and it's as simple as that.

Hunters gain [[marksdwarf]] skill from hunting, but wood cutters do not gain [[axedwarf]] weapon skill from cutting trees. Miners gain [[mining]] skill, which is not considered a military skill, but is used as a weapon skill when fighting with a pick. A dwarf using a weapon as a tool will not use the same tool as a military weapon, instead dropping their tool to pick up another for military use.{{bug|1451}} Dwarves may carry only one weapon as a tool at a time; for example, woodcutters/hunters will drop their axes then go and pick up crossbows every time they begin hunting.

=== Ammunition ===
:''Main article: [[Ammunition]]''

[[Crossbow]]s and other ranged weapons require [[ammunition]] (in the case of the crossbow, [[bolt]]s). This ammunition is carried in a [[quiver]] in packs of about 25, and when they run out they will switch to using their ranged weapons as crude hammers. It's often a good idea to try to get them to retreat once they run out of ammo — crossbows are meant for shooting, not bashing.

=== Secondary weapons ===
Although it sounds like a cool idea, equipping a marksdwarf with a backup short sword just in case doesn't often work, as dwarves are just as quick to run up to their foes and start bashing them with a crossbow, as they are to draw their swords and do it properly.

== Weapons ==
=== Native weapons ===
{| class="wikitable" border="border"
! Type
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
! Hands Used
! [[Weaponsmith|Metal]]
! [[Bowyer|Wood]]
! [[Bowyer|Bone]]
! [[Stone crafter|Obsidian]]
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[battle axe|Battle Axe]]
|rowspan="3"| 800
| Hack || Edge || 40000 || 6000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| Singlegrasp
|rowspan="3"| Yes
|rowspan="3"| No
|rowspan="3"| No
|rowspan="3"| No
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 40000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|-
| [[Crossbow]] (Melee)
| 400
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25x
| Hammer
| Singlegrasp?
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| No
|-
| [[Mace]]
| 800
| Bash || Blunt || 20 || (200) || 2.0x
| Mace
| Singlegrasp
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|-
| [[Pick]] (foreign)
| 500
| Strike || Edge || 100 || 4000 || 2.0x
| Mining
| Singlegrasp
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[short sword|Short Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 4000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| [[Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| Singlegrasp
|rowspan="4"| Yes
|rowspan="4"| No
|rowspan="4"| No
|rowspan="4"| Yes
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[Spear]]
|rowspan="2"| 400
| Stab || Edge || 20 || 10000 || 1.0x
|rowspan="2"| Spear
|rowspan="2"| Singlegrasp
|rowspan="2"| Yes
|rowspan="2"| No
|rowspan="2"| No
|rowspan="2"| No
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|-
| [[war hammer|War Hammer]]
| 400
| Bash || Blunt || 10 || (200) || 2.0x
| Hammer
| Singlegrasp
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|}

Note that although the [[pick]] is a foreign weapon, it can be produced by dwarves and is therefore considered native.{{bug|680}}

=== Details ===
*If you find your dwarves wearing more than one weapon -- or any unwanted [[armor]], for that matter -- one way to get rid of them is to dump the weapon from their {{k|v}}-{{k|i}} inventory screen. This does not always work, as they might re-equip the item. Another option is to remove any weapons and/or shields listed on their military equip screen. This too does not always work. At least "left-handedness" seems to not pose a problem. If you cancel the work by {{k|v}}-{{k|p}} and selecting a job that needs a tool they will sometimes put it back in the pile. Example: Miners use picks, cancel their mining job and they will put the pick away AFTER you ordered it to be dumped.
* Using weapons is much more effective than unarmed combat -- an untrained swordsdwarf with an [[iron]] weapon can defeat a grand master [[wrestler]], provided neither is wearing armor.
** Larger weapons with more heft tend to do more damage. How damage is calculated is currently not fully understood, and this area begs for more !SCIENCE!.
* The size for a weapon is its volume in cm3.
* Attacks of type EDGE will either slice or pierce their target, depending on the contact area and penetration depth, while BLUNT attacks tend to damage internal organs without necessarily causing significant damage to outer layers.
* The contact area represents the area of contact of the weapon, and the penetration determines how deep the attack goes (and is apparently ignored entirely for BLUNT attacks -- indicated by numbers in parentheses). Large contact areas combined with low penetration represent slashing attacks, while small contact areas with high penetration behave as piercing attacks.
* The velocity seems to adjust the amount of actual force used during the attack (otherwise based on the size of the weapon, the material from which the weapon is made, and the strength of the wielder) - for example, war hammers have a 2x velocity multiplier, presumably to model the fact that the hammer's mass is concentrated at the tip which, when combined with a long handle, permits swinging it harder than a weapon whose mass is evenly distributed (such as a sword).
* Crossbows can be made of metal, wood, and bone. Metal crossbows are made by a [[weaponsmith]] at a [[forge]], while wood and bone crossbows are made by a [[bowyer]] at a bowyer's workshop. The material of a crossbow does not affect its firing ability, only its melee damage. A dwarf's marksmanship skill is only affected by the core [[item quality|quality]] of the bow. This may be a consideration when deciding which dwarf you want outfitting your marksdwarves: a [[experience|legendary]] bowyer is a better choice than a proficient weaponsmith.
* Dwarves will never select a pick for a weapon if allowed "individual choice." You must specify picks as part of their uniform or on the individual equip screen if you wish to utilize them as weapons.

=== Training weapons ===
All [[training weapon]]s must be made of [[wood]] at the [[carpenter's workshop]].

{| class="wikitable" border="border"
|-
! Type
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Training Axe
|rowspan="3"| 800
| Hack || Blunt || 30000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 30000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| Training Sword
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|-
| Stab || Blunt || 50 || (2000) || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| Training Spear
|rowspan="2"| 400
| Stab || Blunt || 200 || (10000) || 1.0x
|rowspan="2"| Spear
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|}

=== Foreign weapons ===
Using any multi-grasp weapon in a single hand (i.e. with a shield in the other hand) gives you a disability to hit. Do not equip two-handed swords with a shield, for instance.

In Adventurer Mode, however, it is possible to wield a two-handed sword, or any multi-grasp weapon in one hand, without penalty (allowing for the simultaneous use of a shield) if your character passes the one-handed check for single-handing a multi-grasp weapon. For example, if you create a Human character, and manage to spawn into a world with a "broad body" or a "tall body" in the character description, you will be able to single-hand any multi-grasp weapon (and will be forced to, much like you are forced to single-hand any single-grasp weapon), which allows for the simultaneous, disability-free use of a shield, thus making your damage and defensive capabilities much higher than they would be with a single-grasp weapon and shield. Note that upping Strength to Superior (and eventually Superhuman) will make all attacks more likely to deal extra damage, making cutting off the limbs of your enemies much easier.

{| class="wikitable" border="border"
|-
! Type
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
! Used by
! Hands Used
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[two-handed sword|2H Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| 900
| Slash || Edge || 100000 || 8000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="4"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 4000 || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 100000 || (8000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
| [[Blowgun]] (Melee)
| 150
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25x
| Sword
| Subterranean animal peoples
| Single-grasp?
|- valign="top"
| [[Bow]] (Melee)
| 300
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25x
| Sword
| [[Elf]], Goblin, Human, [[Kobold]]
| Single-grasp?
|- valign="top"
| [[Flail]]
| 500
| Bash || Blunt || 200 || (4000) || 2.5x
| Mace
| Goblin, Human
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[great axe|Great Axe]]
|rowspan="3"| 1300
| Hack || Edge || 60000 || 8000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="3"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 60000 || (8000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[Halberd]]
|rowspan="3"| 1200
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 8000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="3"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0x
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 20000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[Dagger]] (Large)
|rowspan="3"| 200
| Slash || Edge || 1000 || 800 || 1.25x
|rowspan="3"| Dagger
|rowspan="3"| Goblin, Kobold
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 5 || 1000 || 1.0x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 20 || (600) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[long sword|Long Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| 700
| Slash || Edge || 60000 || 6000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| Elf, Goblin, Human
|rowspan="4"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 3000 || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 60000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
| [[Maul]]
| 1300
| Bash || Blunt || 100 || (6000) || 2.0x
| Hammer
| Goblin, Human
| Multi-grasp
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[Morningstar]]
|rowspan="2"| 500
| Bash || Edge || 10 || 500 || 2.0x
|rowspan="2"| Mace
|rowspan="2"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="2"| Single-grasp
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 50 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[pike (weapon)|Pike]]
|rowspan="2"| 800
| Stab || Edge || 20 || 12000 || 1.0x
|rowspan="2"| Pike
|rowspan="2"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="2"| Multigrasp
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25x
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[Scimitar]]
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 4000 || 1.25x
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| Goblin, Human
|rowspan="4"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0x
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25x
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 50 || (1000) || 1.0x
|- valign="top"
| [[Scourge]]
| 300
| Lash || Edge || 10 || 50 || 2.0x
| Whip
| Goblin
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
| [[Whip]]
| 100
| Lash || Blunt || 1 || (10) || 5.0x
| Whip
| Goblin, Human
| Single-grasp
|}

===Special variations===
Some rare entities have their own [[divine equipment|procedurally generated variations]] of weapons. Currently, these weapons are produced by copying the default properties of the "base" weapon, and adding an adjective ("bulky", "large-headed", "branching", etc.) or renaming the weapon altogether ("blade", "curved sword"). Dwarves in [[strange mood]]s which select from all weapons with a certain tag may produce one of these procedurally generated weapons. Since they retain the properties of their base items, these weapons should be as usable as a standard weapon of the base type.

== Size==

Weapons have a minimum size to use at all, and a minimum size to use one-handed. Adult dwarves vary in size between 33750 and 93750 (average 60000) based on their height and broadness.

Unfortunately this is currently bugged in Fortress mode.{{Bug|0005812}} 'One-handed' vs. 'two-handed' checks are performed correctly, but 'can wield' vs. 'can't wield' ignores height and broadness modifiers. So Dwarves in Fortress mode will never equip two-handed swords, great axes, halberds, mauls, or pikes. Other weapons have a minimum wielding size of less than 60000, and are wielded one-handed if the individual dwarf is large enough. See [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=119068.msg3790913#msg3790913 this] forum post.

The following table shows approximately how many dwarves ''should be'' able to use each weapon one or two handed (see [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=101379.msg3029579#msg3029579 this forum post] for details), with all fractional numbers being approximate. While there are seven categories each for height and broadness, the number used is chosen randomly from within each category.

Where the size checking bug affects weapon wielding for dwarves, correct approximate figures are given in brackets.
{| class="wikitable" border="border"
|-
! Type
! Min Size
(Two-Handed)
! Min Size
(One-Handed)
! Dwarves
Can't Wield
! Dwarves Wield
Two-Handed
! Dwarves Wield
One-Handed
|- valign="top"
| [[battle axe|Battle Axe]]
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Crossbow]] (Melee)
| 15000
| 0
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Mace]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Pick]]
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[short sword|Short Sword]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Spear]]
| 5000
| 47500
| -
| 11/49
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[war hammer|War Hammer]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| Training Axe
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| Training Sword
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| Training Spear
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[two-handed sword|2H Sword]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Blowgun]] (Melee)
| 15000
| 0
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Bow]] (Melee)
| 15000
| 0
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Flail]]
| 42500
| 47500
| 1/49 (0)
| 10/49 (11/49)
| 38/49
|- valign="top"
| [[great axe|Great Axe]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Halberd]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Dagger]] (Large)
| 5000
| 27500
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[long sword|Long Sword]]
| 52500
| 57500
| 11/49 (0)
| 7/49 (18/49)
| 31/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Maul]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Morningstar]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[pike (weapon)|Pike]]
| 62500
| 77500
| 32/49 (ALL)
| 14/49 (0)
| 3/49 (0)
|- valign="top"
| [[Scimitar]]
| 32500
| 37500
| -
| 1/49
| 48/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Scourge]]
| 22500
| 27500
| -
| -
| 49/49
|- valign="top"
| [[Whip]]
| 22500
| 27500
| -
| -
| 49/49
|}

==Material==

Weapons and armor (with a few exceptions) can only be forged from weapon grade metal (Adamantine, Steel, Iron, Silver, Bronze, Bismuth bronze, Copper, and divine metal), wood, or bone. The exceptions include Obsidian short-swords and items created during a strange mood.

{{v0.31 material metal table head}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Adamantine|color={{Tile|/|3:1}}3:3:1|source=[[Raw adamantine]]|notes= |soliddensity=0.200|mp=25000|val=300|valinc=+50|impactyield=5000|impactfracture=5000|impactelasticity=0|shearyield=5000|shearfracture=5000|shearelasticity=0
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Divine metal|notes= |soliddensity=1.0|val=300|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=2000|impactelasticity=0|shearyield=1000|shearfracture=2000|shearelasticity=0
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Steel|color={{Tile|/|0:1}}0:7:1|source=[[Iron]] + [[Pig iron]] + [[flux]] stone + [[fuel]] '''!'''|notes= |soliddensity=7.85|val=30|valinc=+20|mp=12718|impactyield=1505|impactfracture=2520|impactelasticity=940|shearyield=430|shearfracture=720|shearelasticity=215
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Bismuth bronze|color={{Tile|/|6:1}}6:6:1|source=2 [[Copper]] + 1 [[Tin]] + 1 [[Bismuth]] '''!'''|notes= |soliddensity=8.25|val=6|valinc=+4|mp=11868|impactyield=602|impactfracture=843|impactelasticity=547|shearyield=172|shearfracture=241|shearelasticity=156
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Bronze|color={{Tile|/|6:0}}6:4:0|source=[[Tin]] + [[Copper]]|notes= |soliddensity=8.25|val=5|valinc=+3|mp=11868|impactyield=602|impactfracture=843|impactelasticity=547|shearyield=172|shearfracture=241|shearelasticity=156
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Iron|color={{Tile|/|0:1}}0:7:1|source=[[Hematite]], [[Limonite]], [[Magnetite]]|notes= |soliddensity=7.85|mp=12768|val=10|valinc=+2|impactyield=542|impactfracture=1080|impactelasticity=319|shearyield=155|shearfracture=310|shearelasticity=189
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Copper|color={{Tile|/|6:0}}6:4:0|source=[[Native copper]], [[Malachite]], [[Tetrahedrite]]|notes= |soliddensity=8.93|mp=11952|val=2|valinc=+0, +0, -1*|impactyield=245|impactfracture=770|impactelasticity=175|shearyield=70|shearfracture=220|shearelasticity=145
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Silver|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=[[Native silver]], [[Horn silver]], [[Galena]] (50%), [[Tetrahedrite]] (20%) |notes= |soliddensity=10.49|mp=11731|val=10|valinc=+0, +0, +5*, +7*|impactyield=350|impactfracture=595|impactelasticity=350|shearyield=100|shearfracture=170|shearelasticity=333
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Platinum|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=[[Native platinum]]|notes= Only available as Artifact Weapons.|soliddensity=21.4|mp=13182|val=40|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=350|impactfracture=700|impactelasticity=152|shearyield=100|shearfracture=200|shearelasticity=164
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Bone|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=Creatures|notes= |soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=200|impactfracture=200|impactelasticity=100|shearyield=115|shearfracture=130|shearelasticity=100
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Wood|color={{Tile|/|6:0}}7:7:1|source=Trees|notes= |soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=10|impactfracture=10|impactelasticity=1000|shearyield=40|shearfracture=40|shearelasticity=1000
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Shell|color={{Tile|/|2:0}}7:7:1|source=Creatures|notes= Only available as Artifact Weapons.|soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=200|impactfracture=200|impactelasticity=100|shearyield=115|shearfracture=130|shearelasticity=100
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Leather|color={{Tile|/|2:0}}7:7:1|source=Creatures|notes= Material data added for comparison.|soliddensity=0.50|mp=NONE(burn at 10250)|val=1|valinc=+?, +?, +?, +?|impactyield=10|impactfracture=10|impactelasticity=50000|shearyield=25|shearfracture=25|shearelasticity=50000
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Obsidian|color={{Tile|/|0:1}}7:7:1|source=Lava|notes= Only available for Short Swords.|soliddensity=2.67|mp=13600|val=3|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=35|shearfracture=35|shearelasticity=114
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Crystal glass|color={{Tile|/|7:1}}7:7:1|source=Sand|notes= Only available as Trap Components.|soliddensity=2.6|mp=13600|val=10|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=33|shearfracture=33|shearelasticity=113
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Clear glass|color={{Tile|/|3:0}}7:7:1|source=Sand|notes= Only available as Trap Components.|soliddensity=2.6|mp=13600|val=5|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=33|shearfracture=33|shearelasticity=113
}}

{{v0.31 material metal table row|name=Green glass|color={{Tile|/|2:0}}7:7:1|source=Sand|notes= Only available as Trap Components.|soliddensity=2.6|mp=13600|val=2|valinc=+0|impactyield=1000|impactfracture=1000|impactelasticity=2222|shearyield=33|shearfracture=33|shearelasticity=113
}}

|}

*''Combat information'' is used internally by the game to determine the combat properties of weapons and armor made from this metal:
**'''Density''': Used in conjunction with other factors - heavier weapons (higher numbers) hit with more force, light weapons tend to have less penetration. Value shown here is g/cm3, which is the raw value divided by 103
**'''Impact yield''': Used for blunt-force combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Impact fracture''': Used for blunt-force combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Impact elasticity''' (or '''strain at yield'''): Used for blunt-force combat; ''lower'' is better. This is the raw value.
**'''Shear yield''': Used for cutting calculations in combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Shear fracture''': Used for cutting calculations in combat; ''higher'' is better. This is the raw value divided by 103 (i.e., kPa).
**'''Shear elasticity''' (or '''strain at yield'''): Used for cutting calculations in combat; ''lower'' is better. This is the raw value.

*General Term Explanations (From Wikipedia)
**'''Yield Strength''' - The stress at which material strain changes from elastic deformation to plastic deformation, causing it to deform permanently.
**'''Fracture Strength''' - The stress coordinate on the stress-strain curve at the point of rupture.
**'''Stress''' - Force per area = F/A
**'''Strain''' - Deformation of a solid due to stress = Stress/Young's Modulus

=== Explanation ===
* '''Yield Strength''' is the amount of stress required to permanently deform (bend) a material (plastic deformation).
* '''Fracture Strength''' is the amount of stress required to permanently break (rupture) a material.
* '''Elasticity''' or '''Strain at yield''' is the amount of deformation (bending) that occurs at the yield point.

=== Implications ===
Yield strength combined with strain at yield can tell what a material will do under stress (be it from a hammer, axe, or arrow); higher yield means that it takes more stress to deform, while lower strain at yield means that it will deform less when stress is applied.

== Combat formulae ==

Penetration is poorly understood, but most of the rest of combat is fairly well understood.

First, you need to calculate your weapon's momentum.

Melee Weapon Momentum: M = Skill * Size * Str * Vel / (106 * (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size) )
* Dwarf Melee Momentum: M = 0.06 * Str * Vel / (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size) )
* Quick attacks halve melee momentum, wild and heavy attacks multiply it by 1.5
* Attacking a prone opponent in melee doubles momentum.

Ranged Weapon Momentum: M = (w_density*w_size)/105 * min(105*(SHOOT_FORCE/20)/(w_density*w_size), SHOOT_MAXVEL/10)
* Bow and Crossbow Momentum: M = (w_density*150)/105 * min(105/(w_density*3), 20)
** If 20 is smaller because the ammunition is density 1666 or less, M = w_density*3/100 = w_density*0.03
** If 20 is larger because the ammunition is density 1667 or larger, M = 50
* Blowgun Momentum: M = (w_density*20)/105 * min(105/(w_density*4), 100)
** If 100 is smaller because the ammunition is density 250 or less, M = w_density/50 = w_density*0.02
** If 100 is larger because the ammunition is density 251 or more, M = 5

where:
* '''M''' is the momentum.
* '''Skill''' is a gradual multiplier based on skill level, from 1x base up to 2x at Grand Master.
* '''Str''' is the creature's strength (e.g. 1250 for the average dwarf)
* '''Vel''' is the weapon's velocity modifier if present (e.g. 1.25x, 2x)
* '''Size''' is the average creature size (e.g. 60000 for dwarves)
* '''i_Size''' is the specific creature's size
** Dwarves range from a minimum size of 33750 to a maximum size of 93750, with an average size of 60000.
* '''F''' is "fatness modifier" (also includes muscle) = i_Size/Size; dwarf with size of 66150 will have F=66150/60000=1.1025
* '''w_density''' is the weapon's material's density for melee weapons, or the ammunition's density for ranged weapons
* '''w_size''' is the weapon's size for melee weapons, or the ammunition's size for ranged weapons
* '''SHOOT_FORCE''' is the ranged weapon's SHOOT_FORCE constant, which is used to determine its maximum momentum.
* '''SHOOT_MAXVEL''' is the ranged weapon's SHOOT_MAXVEL constant, which is used to determine its maximum velocity, where ammo momentum = ammo mass * ammo velocity.

An edged weapon undergoes the following comparison:

M >= (aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF) * (10 + 2*a_quality) / (Sha * w_quality),

where:
* '''aSY''' is the armor's SHEAR_YIELD, which is based on its material
* '''wSY''' is the weapon's SHEAR_YIELD, which is based on its material
* '''aSF''' is the armor's SHEAR_FRACTURE, which is based on its material
* '''wSF''' is the weapon's SHEAR_FRACTURE, which is based on its material
* '''A''' is attack [[DF2014:Material_science#Contact_Area|contact area]], typically between
* '''Sha''' is weapon material [[edge|sharpness]] multiplier (1x for most metals, 1.2x for [[divine metal]], 1.5x for [[glass]], 2x for [[obsidian]], 10x for [[adamantine]] and 0.1x for all other materials)
* '''w_quality''' is weapon [[quality]] multiplier (1x for normal quality, 1.4x for fine, 2x for masterwork, etc.)
* '''a_quality''' is armor [[quality]] multiplier

Expressed in the above terms,

* 0.06 * Str * Vel / (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size)) >= (aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF) * (10 + 2*Qa) / (Sha * w_quality)
* 0.06 * Sha * w_quality * Str * Vel / (1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size)) >= (aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF) * (10 + 2*a_quality)
* 0.06 * Sha * w_quality * Str * Vel / ((1 + i_Size/(w_density*w_size)) * (10 + 2*a_quality)) >= aSY/wSY + (A+1)*aSF/wSF

Because Shear Yield and Shear Fracture are always within a power of 10 of each other for actually available materials, but the smallest possible A value is 20 (a blowgun dart, which is smaller than the smallest item of clothing/armor a dwarf can wear), this means that in practice, Shear Fracture is significantly more important than Shear Yield, and you can reliably compare weapons and armor without paying attention to Shear Yield. In both cases, higher is better on both weapons and armor, as is quality. Sharpness only matters to the weapon, and smaller contact area is better for the attacker.

If the test is passed, attack momentum is decreased by some 5% and the layer is considered punctured/severed, and the process continues to the next layer, including working through layers of the defender's body. If the test is failed, the attack becomes blunt for this layer.

If the attack is blunt, either due to starting off blunt or due to failing the above test, it is then subjected to this test:

2 * w_size * wIY > A * a_density

where:
* '''a_density''' is the armor material's density
* '''wIY''' is the weapon's impact yield in MPa (i.e. raw value divided by 106).

Failure means the attack bounces off, meaning denser, larger armor resists blunt attacks better, but larger blunt weapons with larger contact areas and higher impact yields get through armor better. This also means adamantine armor is some of the worst in the game at outright deflecting attacks, due to its poor density, but this is not typically relevant, as impact yields are typically at least 10 times larger than density values for the actual metals available, so this step is routinely passed by most weapons regardless of relative materials.

On success, the following test is applied:

M >= (2*aIF - aIY) * (2 + 0.4*a_quality) * A,

where:
* '''aIF''' is the armor's impact fracture in MPa (i.e. raw value divided by 106)
* '''aIY''' is the armor's impact yield in MPa (i.e. raw value divided by 106).

Note that the armor wants as high impact yield as possible to make this test fail. The armor also wants low impact fracture, although the weapon's impact fracture does not matter, and high quality and high contact area.

On a success, attack momentum is decreased by some 5% and the layer is considered punctured/severed, and the process continues to the next layer, including working through layers of the defender's body. If the attack was edged, it becomes edged again. On a failure, the momentum is multiplied by SHEAR_STRAIN_AT_YIELD/50000 for edged attacks or IMPACT_STRAIN_AT_YIELD/50000 for blunt attacks, then it becomes *permanently* blunt, and is passed on to the next layer. This means most rigid metal armor will reduce blocked attacks by 98%-99%, but elastic armor, such as a mail shirt, has both strain at yield values raised to 50000, so it multiplies by 1 at this step (i.e. does nothing to the momentum, but does still convert it to blunt) regardless of material.

== Combat testing ==
In regards to edged weaponry: [[Adamantine]] and [[steel]] take first and second place respectively, with [[iron]] the third best material in the game, matched by the [[bronze]]s. Beyond that is [[copper]], the second worst material, and [[silver]] is the worst weapon material available (and due to the existence of training weapons, not even useful in that regard).

Additionally, with regards to blunt weapons almost all of the non-adamantine materials perform equally well, with a very slight edge towards steel and silver. Here is the thread with the details: [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=53571.0].

Keep in mind with how unbelievably complicated this system is nothing should be taken as word of law yet.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#999999"
!
! Best
! Better
! Good
! Fair
! Poor
! Terrible
! Notes
|-
| Armor
| Adamantine
| Steel
| Iron
| Bronze, Bismuth Bronze
| Copper
|
|
|-
| Edged Weapons
| Adamantine
| Steel
| Iron
| Bronze, Bismuth Bronze
| Copper
| Silver
| For piercing iron armor, copper is better than bronze. For piercing copper or bronze armor, bronze is better than copper.
|-
| Ammunition
| Steel, Iron, Bronze, Bismuth Bronze, Copper, Silver
|
| Adamantine
|
|
|
| Adamantine bolts deflect off of adamantine armor, but otherwise their performance is on par with bolts made out of other metals.
|-
| Blunt Weapons
| Platinum
| Steel, Silver
| Copper, Bismuth Bronze, Bronze, Iron
|
|
| Adamantine
| All six standard weapon metals perform nearly identically. Steel has a slightly higher rate of critical wounds, while silver is slightly more likely to penetrate armor. Platinum (only available as [[artifact]] weapons) has twice the density of silver and several other improved properties, making it the best metal for impact weapons, though very limited in production. Adamantine's light weight makes it a terrible choice for blunt weapons, roughly the same as making a weapon out of [[featherwood]] or cork.
|}

Cross referencing this table with the table at the top of this section seems to indicate that low densities, high impact fractures, and high shear fractures contribute to the killing power of edged weapons.

===Analysis===

Testing of weapons (15 dwarves vs. 15 dwarves combats) in the [[object testing arena]] shows that the best dwarven-made weapon against unarmored humanoids is the battle axe, while the war hammer performs the best against armored targets. {{version|0.31.12}}.

Even in 15×(steel armor+silver war hammer) versus 15×(adamantine armor+adamantine battle axe) matches, hammerdwarves won with less than 50% casualties (mostly one-strike kills). However, when the dwarves in question were without armor or only wearing leather/cloth, the result was inverted — axedwarves won with less than 50% casualties. In battles against megabeasts, 6 silver hammerdwarves were barely able to scratch a [[bronze colossus]] (attacks were glancing away) due to bronze being a better "weapon" material.

This is because silver has the highest solid density of all materials that can regularly be made into weapons by dwarves. Tests show that indeed [[gold]] and [[platinum]] (increasingly dense) do increasing amounts of damage, and that war hammers remain the tool of choice, however they can only be produced by a moody dwarf (and a very lucky one at that).

For more on ranged ammunition see the forum thread [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=116151.0 Dwarven Research: A Comparison Study on the Effectiveness of Bolts vs Armors].

More arena tests are available in the [[Main:Military testing|Military testing]] article.

There is a bug with melee weapon momentum that causes certain weapons to swing faster than they should do, giving them greater performance. This bug is based on the weight of the weapon, with weapons weighing just under a whole number getting the greatest benefit. Two major beneficiaries of this weight bug are copper whips and iron or steel picks.

==Bugs==
*Equipping weapons/armor on military is erratic{{Bug|535}}
*'One-handed' vs. 'two-handed' checks are performed correctly, but 'can wield' vs. 'can't wield' ignores height and broadness modifiers, so dwarves in Fortress mode cannot equip two-handed swords, great axes, halberds, mauls, or pikes.{{bug|5812}}

==See also==
* [[User:Shinziril#Weapons_and_Armor|Outstanding research]] on weapons and armor by Shinziril

{{Weapons}}
{{Industry}}
{{Category|Weapons}}

Legendary artifact

2019-02-18T04:25:09Z

DF Ludicer: /* Finished Goods */ "new" will always be relative; it seems better to simply describe the most recent version's features (as long as it belongs in the most current version namespace) without relative terms.

{{av}}
{{Quality|Exceptional|18:18, 13 March 2012 (UTC)}}
{{old}}
[[File:Announce.png|thumb|right|500px|Example of an [[announcement]]...announcing...the creation of a legendary artifact: in this case, a glorified [[millstone]].]]
Dwarves in [[strange mood]]s will create '''legendary artifacts''': unique, "named" [[item]]s which are of unsurpassable [[Item quality|quality]] (and often [[value]] as well). An artifact is the ultimate expression of a [[dwarf]]'s desires, fears, memories and hopes in art-form, and each dwarf will produce at most one in their lives (or [[insanity|die]] trying). Dwarves that create an artifact immediately gain enough [[experience]] to boost them to [[legendary]] level in the affected [[Strange mood#Skills and workshops|skill]], unless they were [[Strange mood#Possessed|possessed]].

Dwarves drop artifacts in the [[workshop]] as soon as they are made. They can be traded, just like any item of their type. Artifacts can also be stolen, sold or warred over, and may transfer between civilizations in those ways. A list of all artifacts in the fortress can be seen by pressing {{k|L}} ({{k|l}} in version 0.40).

== Uses ==
Artifacts are normally of extremely high [[value]] and [[quality]], and can be used just like normal items of their type; they're therefore extremely useful in any situation where value or quality are important. Note that material and weight calculations still apply, so an artifact sword made of dingo bone or an artifact breast plate made of gold are not going to be overwhelmingly powerful.

=== Furniture ===
Artifact [[door]]s and [[hatch]]es provide indestructible, instantly-lockable gates.

Artifact [[furniture]] of high value can be placed in [[room]]s to greatly increase the room's value (and hence quality), which can be useful to meet the room quality requirements of [[noble]]s. They can also be placed in high traffic areas of the fort, so that dwarves that pass by (or over) them will get happy [[thought]]s from admiring them. Artifact [[mechanism]]s can be turned into [[lever]]s and [[trap]]s, which count as furniture.

Certain artifact types (barrels, buckets, mechanisms, etc.) can be used as components in some buildings; doing so will multiply the artifact's effect on fortress value. They can also potentially be displayed on a [[pedestal]] or in a [[display case]].

=== Weapons/Armor ===
Artifact equipment get a large ×3 quality bonus to their weapon accuracy and armor deflection values (compared to ×2 to masterwork); this is not enough to make totally inappropriate materials competitive with [[steel]] masterwork equipment. Also note that while they will be half again more accurate, artifact blades do not have a sharper edge than masterwork items of their material; in other words, their material type modifiers remain unchanged, and they will do no more damage than a regular item of their type (though they will never dull.)

Artifact [[weapon]]s (if not being used in the military) can be put into a [[trap#Weapon Trap|weapon trap]], which will make it count as valuable [[furniture]].

=== Finished Goods ===
[[File:Artifact Storage.png|thumb|right|300px|Finished goods are not particularly useful, only adding to your [[wealth]] (and all of the things that entails). This bin is clutter for the fortress, valuable only for trading, but any and every thief's dream score, an object of worship for three different [[kobold]] [[civilization]]s.]]
An artifact [[gem]] is called a perfect gem and functions the same as a large gem, having all the same uses, i.e., none, other than boosting fortress value and trading. [[Display case]]s and [[pedestal]]s can also be used to show off otherwise useless artifact crafts.

=== Cages ===

Artifact cages and animal traps are unique in that they are capable of containing '''any''' type of vermin creature without them ever escaping - by comparison, certain types of vermin can gnaw, fly, or immolate their way out of ordinary cages depending on their materials.

== Non-player artifacts ==

{{New in|0.44.01}}

Artifacts can be created in [[World generation|world generation]] and [[World activities|afterwards]]:

*Non-player dwarves can also be taken by '''strange moods''' and create artifacts of their own.
*All original '''[[Book|books]]''', regardless of form or content, are considered artifacts. Copies are not, however.
*Some heroic events in world generation will trigger the naming of an object. For instance, a warrior may [[name]] a piece of equipment that they were carrying when they slew a [[megabeast]]. This can be any kind of gear, from the weapon they used to kill it to a low boot they were wearing (that presumably proved critical in combat). Once named, these '''heroic objects''' are also considered artifacts, though their quality and properties remain unchanged. Assuming the person who named it didn't die, they will still be in possession of it.
*Some artifacts qualify as '''holy relics'''. They are generated from a body part or clothing item that belonged to a [[religion]]'s dead high priest. These are usually stored in a [[temple]], separately from the remainder of the corpse.

Once created, artifacts are subject to various [[claim]]s that depend on the circumstances surrounding their creation: if it's a single person (as opposed to an entity), the creator can '''keep''' it for himself, '''gift''' it to their parent entity, or claim it as a '''family heirloom'''. This can be shown in Fortress mode, where the artifact creation announcement will also include the nature of the claim: "He/She offers it to <entity>", "He/she claims it as a family heirloom"/"He/she claims it as a family heirloom in the name of the family ancestor <figure>" or "He/she claims it as a personal treasure". On the other hand, if an entity was responsible for the creation, the entity will keep its claim on it (e.g. a [[religion]] and its priests over a holy relic, or a [[library]] and its [[scholar]]s over a book).

[[File:ArtifactHeirloomExample.png|thumb|right|300px|Example of a dwarf claiming an artifact as an heirloom.]]

Regardless of their nature or classification, artifacts will then be subjected to the turmoil of the world:

*Their bearer can be killed in combat. Often, the slayer will claim the artifact for themselves and keep it, or [[claim]] it as a family heirloom themselves.
*Artifacts claimed as family heirlooms are passed down to descendants if the bearer dies of old age. The descendant is chosen according to "importance", or otherwise at random.
*If stored at a [[site]], the artifact can be stolen by creatures prone to thieving, like [[kobold]]s. If the site becomes invaded, the artifact can likewise be robbed by an invader.
*If a family or entity becomes deprived of an artifact they had laid a claim on, they may send representatives to claim it back: these come in the form of [[Quester|questers]] or [[Agent|agents]] roaming the world to gather information in more or less covert ways. Depending on the nature of the entities involved, they may approach the matter in different ways: a civilization may go to [[war]] if they find out the artifact resides in another civilization's site, or they may send mercenaries to kill a beast that stole it.
*Sometimes, artifacts can be "lost in the wilds". The circumstances surrounding such events are unclear, but this means they're effectively lost, for all intents and purposes: foreign questers will wander the world fruitlessly in search of it (unless they happen to stumble upon the artifact's exact spot in the entire world, which is extraordinarily unlikely), and squads you [[mission|send to retrieve]] it will never return due to a bug.

As a player, you may interact with these artifacts in (currently two) different ways:

=== Fortress mode ===

You may send [[Squad|squads]] of dwarves on a [[mission]] to "retrieve" an artifact from a site. (If the artifact wasn't created by your fortress, it's not so much "retrieval" as "theft".) This includes sites residing outside civilizations, such as [[Necromancer|necromancer]] [[Tower|towers]] containing books of interest. If the artifact's location is not known, you may send your squads off to gather information on its whereabouts.

Note that the site's entity will keep its claim on the artifact you've stolen:
*If you're caught, expect a retaliatory invasion. If you've raided a site from a civilization you were at peace with, what you made was a declaration of [[war]].
*If you're not caught, you may still receive visits from [[Agent|agents]] and [[Quester|questers]] inquiring about the artifact's location. Once they know it's in your fortress, they may demand you bring it back, or sneak back with the intent to come back with an army to make their demands more convincing.

=== Adventure mode ===

As an adventurer, you may receive quests to retrieve artifacts. The nature of the quest will be as diverse as the nature of artifacts and claimants thereof. Therefore, the difficulty can range from 'piece of cake' to 'nigh-impossible' (if the artifact was claimed, say, by a [[demon]] lord of a goblin civilization). Once you're in possession of an artifact, you may encounter other parties who have laid a [[claim]] on it. It is up to you (and the circumstances, e.g. if a third party happens to be well-armed and greater in numbers than yours) to decide which party to satisfy. Alternatively, if the artifact happens to be very useful, such as a strange mood-generated steel sword, you may simply decide to keep it for yourself and leave all troubles behind. Note that completing quests for artifacts will increase your [[Reputation|reputation]], and flaunting your artifacts visibly in front of onlookers will trigger [[rumor|rumors]].

=== Legends mode ===

Where artifacts are stored, and the history of their creation, is recorded during world generation, and can be discovered in legends mode.

== Other notes ==
Sometimes dwarves will grow particularly attached to [[weapon]]s and [[armor]], and if they become attached enough, they will name their armor/weapons. The armor/weapon will then be listed as an artifact, although its value and effectiveness will remain the same.

What causes dwarves to name their weapons is unknown - time alone will suffice (though it may take a very long time), but slaying an important historical figure such as a [[forgotten beast]] will often be enough. A weapon having a long kill list will also contribute to its naming. A weapon or piece of armor (even a shield) may be named if it only had a single kill.

After the weapon has been named, it will become fixed{{verify}} to the dwarf that named it. It then becomes impossible to melt. If the dwarf dies, the weapon will be forbidden for use, until all dwarves that slew something with that particular weapon (according to its kill list) at any given moment (before and after its naming) are properly buried in a coffin. If any of the slayers' bodies have been destroyed, the weapon cannot be used again.

Artifacts cannot be damaged by temperature extremes, building destroyers, or fire, although they will ignite and burn as is normal for their material type. They can be lost in pits, carried off the map by flows, stolen by thieves, atom-smashed by bridges, or melted by extreme heat. The loss of an artifact does not appear to affect the happiness of its creator.

In [[Main:Dwarf Fortress Talk|Dwarf Fortress Talk]] [http://www.bay12games.com/media/df_talk_7_transcript.html #7], Toady stated that even when atom smashed, or melted by extreme heat (or destroyed in any other manner) the artifacts will not be deleted but instead receive a "Hidden" flag, which causes the item to respawn in a random location on the site in which it was destroyed, perfectly unharmed, after reclaiming a fort or visiting it in adventure mode.

After creation, an artifact cannot be further decorated (by encrusting it with gems, studding it with metal, or sewing images into it). Your pitiful gabbro scepter, for instance, cannot be made more valuable.

Artifacts disappear from the artifact list upon abandoning a fortress.

Artifact creation has a wider selection of possible item types for several skills, occasionally resulting in artifact items that could not be made normally, like bone shields or metal beds.

Artifacts and their mechanics were the topic of [[Main:Dwarf Fortress Talk|Dwarf Fortress Talk]] [http://www.bay12games.com/media/df_talk_7_transcript.html #7]. The future of artifacts was discussed in a [http://www.bay12games.com/media/df_talk_7_transcript_2.html separate portion] of that cast.

Artifacts can be disabled in [[d_init.txt]]

Artifacts created by happy dwarves (i.e. not fell or macabre moods) have a 1% chance to be named after the dwarf who created them.

== Bugs ==
* In adventure mode, named items and artifacts disappear from inventory after leaving site. {{bug|1179}}

{{Translation| dwarven = gomath zan | elvish = liceva ethóca | goblin = olzul anust | human = en ricdil}}

{{Category|Items}}
{{Category|Lore}}
[[ru:Legendary artifact]]

Undead

2019-02-08T23:52:21Z

DF Ludicer: /* Thralls, Husks, and Zombies */

{{Quality|Superior|18:33, 23 August 2014 (UTC)}}

{{av}}
The '''animated dead''' (or '''undead''') {{Tile|Ñ|3:0}} are the [[corpse|bodies]] of formerly living creatures animated through fell magic. These [[night creature|night creatures]] can be created intentionally by a [[necromancer]], or arise naturally from the dark energies of [[surroundings|evil regions]].

==What is an undead?==
An undead may be formed of either the rotting husk or the bones and shell of a being. The former is considered a zombie, and the latter a skeleton. Although [[vampire]]s are no longer performing the bodily functions of a living being, they are not considered the "animated dead", this term being reserved for a corpse which has begun to move and act on its own or by the will of another, but lacking any form of intelligence beyond a primitive urge to hunt and kill any living thing it can find. Where zombies and skeletons cannot think or behave in any sophisticated manner beyond "kill everything", vampires are willful beings, generally indistinguishable from living persons (and capable of great deception to ensure that nobody learns about their condition). [[Ghost]]s are called undead in-game, but they are also not considered animated dead (as they lack a corporeal form).

As long as the remains of a creature contain a body part capable of grasping, be it a hand or head or the entire upper half, those remains can be animated. This can lead to animated hands and heads, which seems comical until you consider the implications of a swarm of such monstrosities and the havoc that they might wreak. Even some parts of creatures which should be incapable of autonomous movement can be raised, such as the hair or skin or even ''[[mussel]] shells''. They are, however, predictably nonlethal, mostly serving as a B-movie terror monster to scare your dwarves into running around. A body part can be resurrected as a zombie even if it has already done so and been de-animated again. However, pulping damage (that is, "exploding into gore", "cloven asunder", "torn into shreds" and so on) to the head, neck, lower body, or upper body will turn the corpse into a "mangled corpse", ensuring that the zombie cannot rise up again. Likewise, destroying the structural integrity of an animate bodypart will stop its reanimation.

==Traits==
Upon animation, an undead gains a [[syndrome]] that fundamentally changes its physical characteristics and behaviour. Some of the traits they generally possess are:
*Severely increased [[attribute|strength and toughness]] and reduced [[speed]];
*Opposition to life, will be hostile to any non-undead and non-inorganic creatures in their vicinity;
*Lack of emotion, pain, thought, or need for sustenance or breath;
*Undead status ({{token|NOT_LIVING}}), sterility, and inability to attribute rust or gain.

Undead retain the wounds that killed them in life, as well as any they have sustained since or from a temporary de-animation. Undead vary in levels of strength depending on their form. Certain types of animal are likely the most dangerous that it is common to encounter, and can have dangerous strength, speed, aggression, and piercing attacks. The undead of butcherable creatures can still be butchered once de-animated, as long as they have not rotted; doing so will prevent them from re-animating again, though their untanned skins and hair can potentially become undead. These husks can be difficult to kill, but surrounding a butcher's shop with cage traps will help alleviate the problem. In addition, undead husks appear to retain the trading value of the original animal.

Larger undead who were [[building destroyer]]s in life can still destroy buildings, though undead with special attacks like webbing will not be able to use them (zombie [[dragon]]s, however, still use their breath). Undead thieves can still pick locks, but will not path to a locked door unless in pursuit of the living. If found underground, undead will usually path into a fort if they can.

Undead from [[necromancer]] [[Tower (necromancy)|tower]]s are reported to carry ''[[armor]] and [[weapon]]s'', giving the terror of the announcement ''"The dead walk! Hide while you can!"'' far more weight than before.

===Thralls, Husks, and Zombies===
Certain kinds of evil [[weather]] can instantly turn any [[syndrome]]-vulnerable creature into a bloodthirsty undead killer, opposed to all life. These creatures are referred to by the sort of weather that transformed them, an identifier as a thrall, husk, or zombie, and their original creature name—for example, a ''stray guineahen unholy gloom husk''. The specific procedurally generated syndromes of thralling evil clouds are functionally identical to that of animate dead, with the same extreme gains in physical stats, lack of pain or breath, etc.

Because the interaction can happen without first killing the target, thrall-like creatures retain any armor or weapons they were carrying. Perhaps worst of all, they may still be contaminated with the material leading to the transformation, "infecting" those with whom they wrestle in a chain reaction that can rapidly destroy a fortress if they are not stopped immediately.

==Destruction==
The undead should, in general, be considered a serious threat, far beyond the average ''[[goblin]]'' garbage. They are far greater in strength and durability than the living, are tireless, feel no pain, have no useful articulations to damage, ignore injuries to their now-useless organs, do not fall unconscious, and are impervious to the effects of morale. All of these traits make the undead highly dangerous; one can compare the effect to fighting a smaller and somewhat more fragile [[bronze colossus]], albeit one that is not guaranteed to stay dead when slain.

You would not wish to attempt to kill them with puncture wounds for this reason, and likewise, choking is ineffective against their lack of breath. Pulping or severing ("flies/sails off in an arc!" etc.) an important structural body-part (head, neck, upper body, lower body) is guaranteed to kill an undead. [[Attack types#Blunt weapons|Blunt]] weapons are effective weapons to use for animated corpses for they are not only less likely to sever off parts for further reanimation, but are likely to inflict pulping damage, mangling the zombies so badly that they cannot rise up again. Of those available to dwarves, [[Mace|maces]] are more efficient at pulping than [[War hammer|warhammers]]. [[Flail|Flails]] are better still if one can acquire them. Beheading appears to sometimes work less reliably - this is possibly related to the neck being cut off rather than the head itself, which the game does not register as decapitation{{Verify}}. [[Crossbow]] bolts can kill the undead if one of the previously mentioned important body-parts is destroyed by the shot, but as shots cannot aim at specific organs, this method often relies on chance. Cutting apart the physical form of undead can be dangerous if the source of reanimation is still active and present. The more body parts are about, the more fodder for animation is present. In this case, it is wisest to either butcher the corpses (if they can be butchered), throw them into [[magma]], or [[dwarven atom smasher|pulverize them with a drawbridge]], which will destroy the bodies so thoroughly that they cannot be reanimated again. A thrall may be "safely" fought with cutting weapons however, as long as there is no risk of infection at hand. Undead animals can be disposed of by cage-trapping them and trading them away to passing merchants.

Undead from necromancer sieges should be treated with far more caution, as they can carry equipment. These are exceedingly dangerous, for their already heightened strength and toughness are further augmented by weapons-grade metal. You may want to eschew direct combat altogether in this situation, especially as necromancer sieges already tend to summon the walking dead in pages of a hundred, and one is enough to rout an entire squad.

[[Evil weather]] thralls may also require utmost caution. Any thrall carrying a melee weapon or armour (let alone any combat skills of its own, which it will retain the use of) can dispatch a full squad in short order even with average combat skills, making direct confrontation an unwise choice- Armok help you if the thrall in question used to be one of your best soldiers. A particularly dire possibility is that, if the responsible evil cloud is in dust form, the thrall is still contaminated with whatever substance transformed it. If this is the case, any dwarves sent to fight the thrall will become thralls themselves if the thrall tries to wrestle them. From there, the new thralls might spread the contaminant further still, which can easily lead to a [[Fun|full-fledged zombie apocalypse]].

In these and other dire cases, it is often better to not fight them directly at all, instead resorting to traps, [[dwarven atom smasher|atom smashers]] and other indirect ways to neutralise them. It is not advised to directly fight a zombie horde that outnumbers your military, even a highly trained one. A legendary squad can take down zombies in roughly equal numbers, but a continuous onslaught of undead [[Fun|will quickly show a major disadvantage of living soldiers in over-exertion]]. [[Magma]], that classic solution to all dwarven problems, is another effective weapon, as is fire in general. The sheer heat of magma will eventually destroy the corpse, rendering it unable to rise again. Magma kills zombies fairly slowly though.

[[Discipline]] is a big obstacle to directly confronting a zombie horde. Without enough discipline, a troop sent to fight them may instead decide to flee in terror from such abominations of nature. As you may imagine, this can lead to endless amounts of [[Fun]], for unlike your dwarves, the undead cannot feel fear or any other emotion, and any dead dwarves may in turn rise up and add to the horde's numbers. It is important that any undead-fighting squad consists of severely hardened and disciplined soldiers. Any soldiers you bring to embark on an evil biome should have ''at least'' two points in [[discipline]], as morale is currently buggy and leads to ordinary dwarves fleeing even from living wildlife{{bug|7161}}. This may also be worked around with a little [[modding]], by adding at least {{token|NATURAL_SKILL:DISCIPLINE:1|c}} to all civilised races and trainable pets. Additionally, the very act of fighting undead makes dwarves more vulnerable to insanity (particularly if the undead was acquainted with the dwarf fighting it in its former life), which must be countered with as many sources of good thoughts as possible.

Reports have been made of zombies animated by the ambient evil of a region deanimating on their own when wandering away from such a vile place. However, there are also reports of undead wildlife being encountered in areas bordering such places.

==Uses==
Undead caught in [[cage trap]]s can be used for fortress defense and executions if you are able to recapture them afterwards. They are hostile to every living creature, including [[siege|siegers]], [[megabeast]]s, [[forgotten beast]]s, [[elf|hippies]], [[snatcher]]s, [[noble|annoying residents]], and [[cavern]] inhabitants. Build a cunning trap involving caged undead [[elephant]]s, and release them upon an unsuspecting victim! Zombie elephant insurance not included.

==Undead Fun Facts==

* Undead can animate from hauled corpses.
* Undead will not attack vampires.
* Undead will not attack inorganic enemies like the [[bronze colossus]].
* Undead risen from starved animals in cages are not caged.
* Undead attack all organic megabeasts as well as invaders, except necromancers (as their sorcery allows them to control undead easily).
* Creatures capable of evading traps or bypassing locked doors retain that ability as undead.
* Enthralled dwarves from your fortress are not affected by traps that were known to them in life.
* Undead animals, even their animated body parts, retain their original animal value and can be traded to merchants for extra profit.
* Dwarves who like an animal will also enjoy that undead animal.
* Enthralled dwarves in a fortress which is retired or abandoned can appear as part of a migrant wave, causing lots of [[Fun]].
* '''With the addition of jumping, they can jump over 2 thick moats'''.

==Bugs==
* Dwarves will not report someone missing as dead, even if the corpse is gnawing on their ear.
* Animated creatures can somehow become stuck in mid-air, and will not move at all, even if killed. Spatters of blood from the animated party also float in this manner. This has been known to occur in cases ranging from a deer's animated head to a goblin's partial skeleton.

{{Translation| dwarven = nasnökor | elvish = senoanaÿa | goblin = rotûstru | human = obmuthro}}

{{Creatures}}
{{category|Creatures}}
[[ru:Undead]]

Night creature

2019-02-08T23:51:31Z

DF Ludicer:

{{Quality|Superior|23:49, 12 May 2013 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

:''Now you will know why you fear the night.''

A '''night creature''' is a member of a class of hostile creatures. Many of them are generated procedurally, whether as a full creature, through an [[interaction token|interaction]] changing a normal creature, or a mixture of both. [[Night troll]]s, which are themselves only a type of night creature, are sometimes also referred to as night creatures.

Each type of night creature is depicted in the game as either a '''ñ''' or '''Ñ''' of a different color. Some night creatures flash between the Ñ and a basic creature tile, especially undead. The currently existing night creatures are the following:

* {{Tile|Ñ|2:0}} [[Night troll]]s, which abduct certain civilized creatures of the opposite gender, transform them into a spouse, and mate with them.
* {{Tile|ñ|0:1}} [[Bogeyman|Bogeymen]], which ambush lone travelers at night, chasing them relentlessly until the victim can retreat indoors or manages to survive until daylight. Unlike other night creatures, bogeymen do not have individual histories—rather, they are generated when needed in adventure mode.
* {{Tile|Ñ|7:1}} [[Ghost]]s, the restless spirits of the dead that weren't properly memorialized. Depending on circumstances, they can interact with the living in various ways.
* {{Tile|Ñ|3:0}} [[Undead|Animated dead]] are the walking corpses and corpse parts that arise in evil regions or under the thrall of a necromancer or mummy. Particularly evil regions may also transform living creatures into thralls or husks via their unusual weather. They flash between their night creature tile and their basic creature tile.
* {{Tile|Ñ|5:1}} [[Necromancer]]s are historical figures that have found the secrets of life and death, becoming immortal and gaining the ability to animate the dead.
* {{Tile|Ñ|6:1}} [[Mummy|Disturbed dead]] are the dead rulers of civilizations, interred in [[tomb]]s. They will arise if disturbed and lay curses on the trespasser.
* {{Tile|Ñ|6:0}} [[Werebeast]]s are people cursed by the gods for profaning their temples, or those to whom they transferred that curse. At the full moon, they will transform into a ravenous monster.
* {{Tile|Ñ|4:0}} [[Vampire]]s are undead blood-drinkers (usually spawned by divine wrath, as with werebeasts) that can pass for living, moving on when suspicion of them grows too much. Occasionally they might start immortality cults instead, and might make a bid to seize power over a whole civilization.

===Planned night creatures===

In addition to the existing night creatures, and plans to expand them, [http://www.bay12games.com/media/df_talk_14_transcript.html Dwarf Fortress Talk #14] reveals future plans for other types of night creatures, which are as follows:

* {{Tile|Ñ|5:0}} Stalkers, undead that rise from brutal killings and executions, taking on aspects related to their death.
* {{Tile|Ñ|3:1}} Intelligent undead - independent, intelligent corporeal undead that do not fit into other categories.
* {{Tile|Ñ|4:1}} Constructed creatures. These are creatures like Frankenstein's monster, with mismatched limbs, sutures, and grafted weapons.
* {{Tile|Ñ|7:0}} Animated furniture, to be found in certain haunted houses, making sounds, moving about, and attacking the unwitting soul entering them. They will flash between their night creature tile and their basic item tile.
* {{Tile|Ñ|2:1}} Various sorts of evil beasts, such as evil rotten capybaras or evil animated trees.
* {{Tile|Ñ|1:0}} Monsters of the sea, including aquatic hags and trolls such as Grendel, as well as monstrous sea creatures such as evil carp.
* {{Tile|Ñ|1:1}} Cursed people of the sea, such as undead pirates or seafarers.

{{Translation| dwarven = anan mes | elvish = lithéme amu | goblin = anu los | human = kulur mos}}

{{Creatures}}

[[ru:Night creature]]

Giant sperm whale

2019-01-24T07:45:25Z

DF Ludicer:

{{Quality|Superior|10:49, 18 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|wiki=no
|contrib=no
|meat=4940-7048
|bone=1177-1690
|eye=20-28
|tooth=2
|fat=1066-1523
|heart=203-290
|lung=812-1160
|kidney=406-580
|spleen=203-290
|sweetbread=203-290
|tripe=406-580
|liver=406-580
|intestine=1219-1740
|brain=406-580
|skin=hide
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

'''Giant sperm whales''' are ''really, REALLY'' giant—they are even bigger than a real-world blue whale. They produce truly enormous stacks of animal products, which can reach over 13,000 total units worth of food; [[butcher]]ing one will feed a 100-dwarf fortress for a bit more than ten years—if the corpse doesn't rot halfway to the butcher's shop, of course. Giant sperm whales are the [[List_of_creatures_by_adult_size#end_of_list|largest creatures]] in the game by a wide margin; they are eight times the size of a [[dragon]], ten times that of a [[bronze colossus]], about 380 times the size of a fully-grown bull [[moose]], and about 3,330 times the size of a measly [[dwarf]].

[[Hunter|Hunting]] giant sperm whales is not easy due to their [[aquatic]] nature (and their sheer size). They can be captured with a [[drowning chamber|fish-catching chamber]] and then air-drowned; out of the water, a giant sperm whale will turn into a corpse relatively quickly. They will also occasionally [[beaching|beach]] themselves, leaving a corpse ready for butchering by lucky dwarves.

If you happen to embark on a [[surroundings|Terrifying]] ocean, you may run into [[undead]] versions of these. If you do, pray Armok will have mercy, because this thing will have none. Be sure to tell the forum how much [[fun]] you had as well!

Like normal sperm whales, giant sperm whales have a 1/101 chance of being born with [[wikipedia:Moby-Dick|white skin]] instead of the usual gray.

Some dwarves [[preference|admire]] giant sperm whales for their ''vengeful nature'' and their ''teeth''.

{{D for Dwarf}}

It is rumored that giant sperm whales can only be slain by throwing iron spears into their heads. Giant sperm whales also tend to rip off limbs for no reason, and thereafter the surviving dwarf may start a grudge with the whale that may spell doom for dozens of dwarves.

[[File:Giant Sperm Whale Size Comparison.png|thumb|center|alt=Size Comparison|Estimated Giant Sperm Whale Size Comparison.]]

{{gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}

Bituminous coal

2019-01-24T07:38:53Z

DF Ludicer:

{{Quality|Superior|09:13, 18 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{stonelookup/0|uses=
* Create 9 [[fuel#Coke, from bituminous coal or lignite|coke]] at [[smelter]]}}
{{av}}

:''In Dwarf Fortress, bituminous coal is not the same as "[[coal]]" - see that article if desired.''

'''Bituminous coal''' is found in [[vein]]s in [[sedimentary layer]]s and is one of the two mineral sources of [[fuel]]. When processed at a [[smelter]] or [[magma smelter]], one unit of bituminous coal produces 9 units of [[fuel#Coke, from bituminous coal or lignite|coke]]. If done at a regular [[smelter]], this processing requires one pre-existing unit of fuel (either charcoal or coke), leaving a ''net'' production of 8 fuel.

Bituminous coal is flammable—if exposed to [[fire]] or [[magma]], an item made of bituminous coal will burn for the better part of a year before [[wear]]ing away. Exposure to [[water]] (including rain) will extinguish it, unless it happens to be stored in a [[bin]].

However, since its ignition point is above the cutoff for fire-safety{{bug|9795}}, it is considered a [[fire-safe]] material and as such can be used for the construction of non-[[magma]] [[furnace]]s and [[forge]]s.

Bituminous coal is '''not''' the same as [[fuel|"refined coal" or "coal"]], though it is directly related.

Because bituminous coal only costs 3 embark points, and produces a large amount of fuel when processed, it may be wise to bring some bituminous coal with you on embark as an early source of fuel.

It otherwise behaves as an ordinary stone. If you don't need to produce coke, you can use it to produce goods with a mason or stonecrafter. By default, bituminous coal is considered an Economic Stone and it will be reserved for coke production unless changed in the Stone submenu.

==See also==
* [[Lignite]]
* [[Fuel]]

{{d for dwarf}}
Of all the fallacies of the humans probably the most laughable is "Old Eartherism". Some humans have estimated the world's age from the ludicrous 6000, to the unimaginable 4.5 billion years. As "proof" they point to the bones of giant lizards buried beneath the soil, and coal, which they claim is the byproduct of the lizard's decay. Dwarven history extends back to 1 year after the creation of earth, and coal is amply documented even then. Dwarves are also well aware of how those monstrous lizards' bones ended up underground, as well as *exactly* what they decay into. They don't bother to correct the humans because they think they're cute when they're wrong.

<gallery>
File:Coal bituminous.jpg| A piece of bituminous coal.
</gallery>
{{gamedata}}
{{stones}}
{{Category|Economic Stone}}

Fine pewter

2019-01-24T07:32:55Z

DF Ludicer:

{{Alloy|name=Fine pewter|color=7:7:1|color1=7:3:0|color2=6:4:0
|recipe=
* 3 [[Tin]] [[bar]]s
* 1 [[Copper]] [[bar]]
- or -
* 3 [[Cassiterite]]
* 1 [[Copper]] [[ore]]
|properties=
* [[Material value]] 5
{{firemagmasafe|no|no}}
* [[Melting point]] {{ct|10417}}
* [[Boiling point]] {{ct|14648}}
* [[Ignition point]] none
* [[Solid density]] 7280
* Liquid [[density]] 6990
* [[Specific heat]] 210
}}{{av}}{{Quality|Exceptional}}

'''Fine pewter''' is an [[alloy]] of [[tin]] and [[copper]].

Fine pewter can be made using one of the following recipes:
*3 [[Tin]] bars + 1 [[Copper]] bar = 4 Fine pewter bars
*3 [[Cassiterite]] + 1 [[Native copper]], [[Malachite]], or [[Tetrahedrite]] = 16 Fine pewter bars

Fine pewter has a material value of 5. This represents a significant increase over its component parts (which all have a value of 2), making fine pewter suitable for creating mid-value furniture and items. If you have an abundance of tin, this is the best form of [[pewter]] to make.

Note that [[bronze]] uses the same ingredients (though in different proportions), has the same material value, and is also useful as a mid-grade [[weapon]]s material, while [[bismuth bronze]] is more valuable. However, you can produce 16 bars of fine pewter with a single unit of [[fuel]] (when smelting from [[ore]]s), giving fine pewter a slight advantage over bronze if fuel is constrained.

[[File:State Gifts Ewer.JPG|thumb|center|300px|Fine pewter jug.]]

{{gamedata}}
{{metals}}

Divine metal

2019-01-17T02:13:29Z

DF Ludicer: /* Traits */

{{Quality|Exceptional|22:40, 20 September 2016 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
{{spoiler}}
{{Metal|name=Divine metal|color=0:0:1
|ore=
* N/A
|properties=
* [[Material value]] 300
{{firemagmasafe|yes|yes}}
* [[Melting point]] None
* [[Boiling point]] None
* [[Ignition point]] None
* [[Solid density]] 1000
* Liquid [[density]] 1000
* Molar mass 20000
* [[Specific heat]] 7500
|uses=
* [[Weapon|Melee Weapons]]
* [[Crossbow]]s
* [[Bolt]]s
* [[Pick]]s
* [[Armor]]
* [[Anvil]]s
* [[Metalsmith's forge|Metal crafting]]
|wiki=List of fictional elements, materials, isotopes and atomic particles}}
'''Divine metals''' are special, procedurally generated [[metal]]s that can be found in [[vault]]s. Divine metals are used as material for items, [[weapon]]s and [[armor]] used by [[angel]]s, who ruthlessly protect the vault's priceless treasures. (Similar [[divine fabric]]s are used by vault guardians for clothing and soft items.)

== Traits ==

Divine metals appear to have identical [[Material definition token|material properties]] and list of items craftable from them; the only difference between them are the name and [[deity]] association. All divine metals have high yield values of 1000000 and fracture values of 2000000, and perfect strain-at-yield values of 0. They are extremely light, at only a solid density of 1000, and have a superior max edge of 12000. They are granted [[sphere]]s matching the associated [[deity]] that has created the metal (and the guardians who wield it), and a descriptive name with the formula of "(adjective) metal"—examples of such are "multicoloured metal", "pale metal", and "twisting metal".

Overall, their material properties are much better than the corresponding values of [[steel]] and mostly worse to those of [[adamantine]]. They are terrifyingly potent when used for edged weapons, due to their ultra-sharpness, but despite their light weight, even blunt weapons tend to be highly effective (unlike adamantine, which is worthless for blunt weapons).

Weapons and armour made of divine metals may be tested in the [[object testing arena|Arena]].
{{Translation
| dwarven = Nabaskel
| elvish = Mecalalethi
| goblin = Ngungdubsnusm
| human = Nirnorigu
}}


== List ==
* rusted metal (blight)
* twisting metal (chaos)
* dark metal (darkness)
* glowing metal (dawn)
* bright metal (day)
* pale metal (death)
* pock-marked metal (deformity)
* blistered metal (disease)
* ruddy metal (earth)
* flickering metal (fire)
* faceted metal (jewels)
* shining metal (light)
* flashing metal (lightning)
* translucent metal (moon)
* frosty metal (mountains)
* slick metal (muck)
* singing metal (music)
* black metal (night)
* multicolored metal (rainbows)
* clear blue metal (sky)
* twinkling metal (stars)
* crashing metal (storms)
* blazing metal (sun)
* booming metal (thunder)
* searing metal (torture)
* flowing metal (volcanos)

{{Category|Metals}}{{Category|Materials}}
[[ru:Divine metal]]

Deity

2019-01-17T02:11:19Z

DF Ludicer: /* Interaction in the world */

{{Quality|Exceptional|22:33, 20 September 2016 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

[[File:Gica-sarasti.png|400px|thumb|right|''"Gica Seasonpanther" was a force which was said to permeate The Mellow Silky-Forests. Gica was associated with rivers and nature.'' ([http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=169691.msg7701761#msg7701761 post])]]

A '''deity''' {{Tile|Å|6:1}} is the object of worship chosen by a creature. Deities are randomly generated during [[World generation|worldgen]], and assigned different [[sphere]]s (the objects, creatures, concepts, etc. they are associated with).

Worship and deities differ among races: [[Dwarves]] and [[human]]s worship multiple deities, most of which are often depicted as being of their own race, though on occasion they may worship a deity that is depicted as an [[animal]] or [[vermin]]. An [[elf]] does not worship a deity, but believes in a single force that permeates the forests.

==Fortress mode==
Each dwarf and many other creatures have one or more deities listed among their [[relationship]]s. Almost all dwarves believe in at least one deity. Most believe in two, and some three. In the case of your dwarves, you can see the degree of belief they profess (''"faithful worshipper"'', ''"casual worshipper"'', etc.).

[[Fortress mode]] includes [[temples]] (but not priests) that can be dedicated to individual deities. Dwarven deities are also represented in [[statue]]s, [[engraving]]s and [[figurine]]s.

==Adventurer mode==
In [[Adventurer mode]], Human towns may include [[temple]]s of various designs inhabited by [[Priest]]s dedicated to a deity. As of v0.40.24,{{verify}} it is no longer possible to join a religion in Adventurer Mode.

==Interaction in the world==
Deities occasionally influence events during world generation. Gods of death can create stone slabs from which [[necromancer]]s learn the secrets of life and death. Furthermore, civilized creatures that profane a temple incur the wrath of its deity, turning into a [[vampire]] or a [[werebeast]] as punishment (even though being immortal is not really a punishment to some).

{{minorspoiler}}

Certain [[demon]]s which escape from the Underworld during world generation will impersonate a deity in order to take over [[Human]] civilizations, at which point they act as a [[diplomat]] and visit your fortress. They will be non-hostile and have the "deity" title. Depending on the demon, [[Fun]] may be had.

{{Spoiler}}

Deities may occasionally collaborate with a [[demon]], raising it up from the underworld with a ritual conducted by an [[artifact]] [[slab]]. This is, in fact, exactly how said demons escape [[Hell]] and gain status in the mortal world. What demon in question is summoned, as well as the reason for this, appears to be linked to the god's particular [[sphere]]. For example, gods of death may summon demons "that more may die"; war-gods conduct the ritual "that war may rage forever" or "that great fortresses be raised and tested in siege". Gods of bravery and valour, meanwhile, do the same "that great acts of heroism may be performed." (Admittedly, anyone who can navigate a demonic site and come out alive should rightfully be called more than a great hero!)

Deities are served by [[angel]]s, randomised creatures who may wield equipment made of impossibly strong [[divine metal]] created by the deity. Angels are best known for guarding the contents of [[vault]]s, the treasure-houses of allied [[demon]]s; they may be the most exceedingly powerful and dangerous creatures in Dwarf Fortress, more so than even demons. Successfully raiding a vault is a feat on par with conquering [[Hell]]—you may use the knowledge on the vault's slab all you want, but it's a tiny reward compared to vanquishing ''the forces of Heaven itself''.

Occasionally, under the pretense of [[human]] [[diplomat|diplomacy]], your fortress may be visited by a creature which claims to actually be a deity. Such a creature is, in fact, a [[demon]] impersonating said deity in order to control that particular human civilization. [[Fun|It may or may not fill your fortress with flesh-eating toxins.]]

== A world without deities ==
{{mod}}
Deities can be removed from the game through [[Entity token|modding entity raws]], by making all civilizations become areligious. In such a world, demonic leaders thrust the spire of slade by themselves, and place the slab in a vault created on their own. The vault is then left unguarded, since no [[angel]]s can exist without deities.

Removing deities makes [[vampire]]s, [[werebeast]]s, and [[necromancer]]s never spawn, as these can (currently) only be created through deity intervention.

{{Translation
| dwarven = mishar
| elvish = ricafa
| goblin = alsmust
| human = ahang
}}

{{Category|World}}
{{Category|Relationships}}
[[ru:Deity]]

Vampire

2019-01-17T01:53:40Z

DF Ludicer:

{{Quality|Exceptional|05:09, 17 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
{{buggy}}
{{minorspoiler}}
{{DFtext|Urist McVictim, Cheesemaker has been found dead, completely drained of blood!|5:1}}

'''Vampires''' {{Tile|Ñ|4:0}} are [[undead]] [[night creature]]s that feed on [[blood]], cursed during [[world generation]] by profaning against their [[Deity|gods]]. In [[fortress mode]], they occasionally appear in [[migrant]] waves and hide themselves amongst your [[dwarves]]. Vampirism can be further spread by [[thirst|drinking]] either vampire blood, or [[water]] contaminated by said vampire blood.

==Description==
Vampires, like other night creatures, are created during world generation. The amount of vampires created during world generation is closely related with world size, population, and history, and it can be directly controlled with [[advanced world generation]]—a world generating with "{{tt|Number of Vampire Curse Types}}" set to {{tt|0}} in advanced world generation will not have any vampires in it. Every once in a while, a deity will curse a worshiper who desecrates their temple or otherwise offends them, cursing them to become either a vampire or [[werebeast]]. Any creature with blood, capable of learning, and not already a werebeast or undead, can, theoretically, become a vampire, but most vampires will be [[human]] or dwarven. However, since [[civilization]]s can have members not of their foundation race, the occasional vampiric [[goblin]], [[elf]] or even [[Animal people|animal person]] will also occur.

Vampires are much more powerful than normal humanoids, possessing enhanced speed, strength, [[No Exert|stamina]], and [[No Pain|pain resistance]] in combat, don't need [[food|food]], do not need to breathe (and thus cannot drown), and never get [[sleep|drowsy]]. They do, however, get thirsty, albeit not in the normal way; vampires thirst for warm, fresh blood, and will suck [[unconscious]] [[creature]]s (usually others of their own kind) dry given the chance, usually killing them. In the rare case that the victims survive and recover, they will not remember what happened to them, and may very well fall victim once more. It appears that when a vampire feeds successfully they receive a large happiness boost.

Vampires do not [[age]], and most vampires live for hundreds or even thousands of years. Thus, all but the youngest vampires are more [[skill]]ed and more experienced than their peers, spurred on by the countless lives detailed on their [[kill list]]s and they are hiding their true identities. This makes them natural candidates for leadership, and thus vampiric [[monarch]]s are a not uncommon sight atop [[civilization]]s, which do not seem to wonder as to how their king has been alive for so many centuries. Vampires are a type of undead, therefore, animated dead creatures will be docile towards them, as will [[necromancer]]s—while they're undead, necromancers cannot control vampires, as they possess free will. Vampires are sterile, and therefore can't have [[children]].

Younger vampires stalk the streets of towns and cities, indistinguishable from the average mortal, and drink the blood of unsuspecting innocents. Elder vampires, those with power and ambition, mislead the gullible and power-hungry into forming vampire cults dedicated to worshiping and feeding their master. Should a vampire rise to a position of power in mortal society, it may deign to expose itself and impose a rule of tyranny upon the subjects who so unknowingly elevated it to power.

None of your seven starting dwarves will ever be vampires, nor will children or babies, [[caravan]]s, [[siege]]s{{verify}}, [[ambush]]es{{verify}}, or [[thief|thieves]]{{verify}}, but any of the rest of your dwarves can be. (Foreign [[diplomat]]s can be vampires, and will be labeled as such.)

== Habits ==
Vampires are secretive and, for better or for worse, a fairly common occurrence. Many fortresses can expect to see a vampire resident within the first few years, and some may see two or more. Vampires arrive with a false name and hide their true name and kill list until they are discovered. They act as do any other dwarves, performing jobs which are assigned to them and generally acting as expected, except for differences too small to notice easily in any sizable population: They do not eat, drink or sleep. They can be [[military|drafted]], assigned to [[burrow]]s, be given [[room]]s (because they do not sleep, Vampires will not claim rooms on their own{{verify}}), and own items.

The most important difference is that sometimes (when? how often?), they drink the blood of dwarves that they catch sleeping. If any tame animals somehow fall asleep (for instance, via a syndrome), vampires will drink their blood as willingly as they will a dwarf's. If a vampire is in the military and has current station orders he may ignore them and search out a victim, still displaying 'station'. If the orders are canceled they will switch to 'on break'.{{verify}}

If vampires are caught in the act of draining a victim, their crime will be reported in the [[justice]] [[menu|screen]] as murder (they will not, however, stop drinking when caught). If only the corpse is discovered, the crime will be labeled as a murder sans suspects, and the player can accuse dwarves of the act. Even in the case that someone is accused, be aware that the deceitful vampire is capable of framing others for its crimes to send suspicion away for a time.

If a vampire is killed, the corpse will bear the original name of the creature rather than that of the dwarf who was seen to die, which might lead to some confusion among managers of such things. A [[coffin]] will be designated for burial of the vampire's cover identity, with the corpse bearing the original name entombed in it. Memorial slabs will be dedicated to the vampire's original name.

== Identification ==
It might be smart to scan the [[thoughts and preferences]] screens of incoming migrants before welcoming them to their new home, as a safety measure; it really sucks when you don't discover you have a vampire until ''after'' they've drained your only legendary [[armorsmith]] of blood.

A dwarf who is suddenly pale or faint for no explained reason is a good but rare indicator that a vampire is around. He was most likely fed upon by a vampire, but survived. Dwarven [[corpse]]s being discovered "drained of blood" are more common; a vampire fed upon them and killed them, and their body was discovered. These dwarves should be buried well, lest an axe-crazy [[ghost]] arise from their death. Dwarves inexplicably going missing for more than a week are another indicator, although this might be the result of dwarven stupidity (e.g. falling down a [[well]], walking off a [[waterfall]], etc.) as well.

Once you suspect you have a vampire, you probably want to know who it is. There are a number of good indicators of a vampire and the more points a dwarf hits, the more likely he is, indeed, a vampire. The difficult vampires to identify are young ones, as they have not had time to build up the indicators that are obvious on older bloodsuckers.

Firstly, there are the consequences of their age. Vampires tend to be high in multiple (4-5+) [[social skill|social]], high in at least one [[military]] [[skill]], and "great" or better in at least one domestic skill. The biggest indicator of a vampire in this version{{verify}} is that they will almost always have more skills (10-15+ easily) at Novice or better than any of your other dwarves. If your new Great Hunter is also a Novice Milker, Shearer, Farmer, Tanner, Carpenter, Stonecrafter, Furnace Operator, Soap Maker, Fisherdwarf, Fish Cleaner, and Fish Dissector... they're almost certainly a vampire. They also tend to have very long lists of [[Thoughts and preferences#Civilization membership|group associations]], on the order of dozens, far more than your normal dwarves. They have abnormally long lists of [[relationships|relations]] and often many, many children, but none of them are present in the fortress (in stark contrast to the spouses, children and siblings whom most dwarves will share their home with). If they are married to a dwarf that is not present in the fortress, this should be treated as especially strong evidence. Note, however, that lacking relatives within the fortress is not a good indicator of being a vampire.

Their [[Personality trait|personality]] can also be scrutinized for abnormalities. Their biographies may indicate that they "have the appearance of somebody who is (x) years old," a very good indicator of a vampire in cases where they have too many children or too many civilization associations to be that young. As vampires do not eat, sleep, or drink, they will never have recent thoughts about meals, drinks, beds, dining rooms, or chairs, leaving their thoughts especially bare and suspicious. In the case of vampires who have been in the fort for a while, a comment may be added to the effect that "s/he could really use a drink," "s/he has not had a drink in far, far too long," or "can't even remember the last time s/he had some." This is an indicator that they need blood. In any case, if alcohol is available, it makes an excellent distinguishing mark. However, [[tavern]] keepers may give a vampire alcohol which they will then drink.{{verify}} In addition to the brevity of surface thoughts, if you were unfortunate enough to have a dwarf die to a vampire, the culprit will have the "took joy in slaughter lately" thought.

There are two "normal" ways to be absolutely sure a dwarf is a vampire. The first is to catch them in the act; the dwarf will be clearly marked for the duration of the attack (i.e. Urist McVampire, Vampire on the [[unit list]], in red). A vampire does not mind if the player is currently "watching" or even following it. The second is to have a dwarf witness the event happening. This will permanently uncover their identities, but almost always results in a dead dwarf first. More arcane are indicators based on their physical abilities; vampires with injured guts do not [[vomit]], vampires with injured lungs have no problem "breathing", and submerged vampires will not [[drown]] (evoking the concept of an olden witch test for finding vampirism). Technically being undead, animated corpses will not evoke cancellation spam when a vampire sees them. An easy (albeit, [[exploit|cheap]]) way of screening migrants is to send them through a hallway with a zombie on the other side of fortifications/windows in clear sight. Normal dwarves will run away from the horrible sight of a harmless zombie but vampire dwarves will walk right through.

Vampires often will wear items crafted from their kills. If a dwarf is wearing items made from the bones of dwarves, this is a pretty good indication that they are a vampire, and the same is true of vampires from other races. Sometimes these items can find their way into circulation through natural means, so it does not always mean that someone who possesses a dwarf bone or human bone item is a vampire; having multiple of these items is a stronger indication.

One good way to find vampires is to lock suspect dwarves in a room for a season. Vampires do not become hungry, only tired, so simply watching the group to see who begins to starve will identify the vampire. (Ideally, you then let them all out so they can eat before they die) This is a good alternative to the zombie process for undead-free forts.

Vampires often will accuse an innocent dwarf of their murders. This can point the savvy fort manager to the culprit as quickly as an honest witness to the crime. If an accusation from a single witness appears in the justice screen, it is likely false. Monitor the accused dwarf until you see them eat, drink, or sleep, which proves them innocent.

<strike>Feeding is treated as a job by the game, and thus appears in the Job List with the text 'On Break' in cyan. It is possible that the genuine 'On Break' (teal) and the fake 'On Break' (cyan) occupy different positions in the Job List.</strike> (Version 0.42 has no more "On Break", so we need to research this.)

Looking at the [[deity|deities]] that the dwarf believes in (in the {{k|r}}elationships screen) can be quite helpful. As long as only "cursed" vampires immigrate (and not blood drinking ones), one of the deities of a vampire should have a "cursed the dwarf [untrue alias] . . ." Lacking this clause in their deities seems to be a clear sign that you do ''not'' have a vampire. This non-bugged way of checking a vampire is linked to the "cheap" bugged way of checking of vampires, which is described in the final paragraph.

Then there are the (in Dwarf Fortress, inevitable) bugged ways. As mentioned in the [[#Bugs|bugs]] section, vampires can be discovered and identified in [[statue]]s and [[engraving]], through their refusal to claim [[bed]]rooms, through [[pet|adoption events]], and through [[weapon]] [[kill list]]s. Additionally, if you have the vampire on follow, their title will change from their usual one ("Dwarf A") to "Dwarf A Vampire" when they are doing certain activities.

There are a few "cheap" ways as well. [[Utilities#DFHack|DFHack]] has a special command, "cursecheck," which returns the count of cursed creatures on a tile, and will report vampires. Checking out a drained dwarf in [[legends]] mode will tell you that "In the year Z X was drained of all blood by Y."

To see if a vampire was cursed by a deity that it worships, look under the <s>vampire's</s> dwarf's relationships and view the deities that are listed. Give the dwarf a nickname and, when viewing the deity relationship, it will say: "In the [season description] of [year], [deity] cursed the dwarf vampire [nickname you chose] [dwarf's original name] to prowl the night in search of blood in [original location]". Since the nickname applies retroactively, this is a sure way to identify a vampire that happens to worship the deity that cursed it. This method is very tedious when looking at many suspects, and may apply to only a small fraction of vampires, so you should probably use it after trying the more obvious signs (like many former associations, or tags after "needs alcohol to get through the working day").

Finally, a suspected vampire will have an unusually large amount of kills, if you are using a utility such as [[Utilities#Dwarf Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]] and you go to the military tab and filter by kills, they will have a very high amount of kills

== Defense ==
Vampires attack and drink from dwarves who are sleeping, so one defense is to force all dwarves to sleep and meet in the same room, increasing the likelihood of eyewitnesses catching the monster in the act. Curiously, even if convicted of a vampiric murder, a vampire will not necessarily be killed, but given a normal justice penalty such as temporary imprisonment. If you want to get rid of him/her you will have to take [[justice]] into your own hands and introduce the leech to a pit of lava, bottomless pit, arena fight, dropping tower, or other elimination method of your choice. Take note that vampires do not breathe, so using drowning chambers will not work. Using melting chambers (like drowning chambers, but with magma instead of water), however, will work. This can be facilitated through the use of burrows, but you will need to be fast when using those because vampires do ''not'' respect burrow restrictions if they decide to get another [[Blood|drink]]. However, one must take care that the vampire is properly memorialized because even the ghosts of vampires will seek out your sleeping citizens and kill them.

== Uses ==
If you can correctly identify a vampire and isolate it from the rest of your population, you can make use of them without fear of blood feedings. A lone vampire in a sealed room will never die of hunger or thirst, does not need to sleep, and will never age. The only way a vampire can die (without your vengeful intervention) is in combat or through syndromes. Sealing it somewhere prevents those. The only remaining risk is that the vampire may turn mad eventually, which without access to other dwarfs to [[relationships|relate to]] should not be very likely. Even [[insanity]] is not the end for a vampire - since they remain physically needless, an insane vampire can still live forever, and non-berserk insane vampires remain citizens of your fort. They will be completely unusable for any work, but a locked-up melancholic or stark raving mad vampire is just as immortal as a sane one and cannot be elected mayor. If they get loose, they will not drain your citizens of blood, but melancholic vampires may attempt to end their own existence, given the opportunity.

Once you have your sealed vampire, your fortress becomes effectively eternal, since the vampire will always be alive even if the infamous [[Losing|fun]] claims your entire population. Be wary of [[ghost]]s, though, as they are the only being capable of reaching your vampire's eternal prison. Simply wait for the fun to pass and new immigrants to repopulate your otherwise abandoned fort.

Consider placing a chair and table in your vampire's sealed room and making them an undead accountant. As they have nothing to do but sit around for eternity, once they get their skills up, they may make exceedingly effective [[manager]]s/[[record keeper]]s. Work orders and stockpile updates currently seem to be psychically transmitted from the desk of the dwarf assigned to those labors, so entombing them in their office isn't an issue. However, vampire dwarves are still alcoholics, yet cannot drink anything but blood; the resulting job performance penalty from the "can't even remember the last time he/she had some" level of [[Drink|alcohol withdrawal]] significantly reduces the usefulness of vampires in this sort of role.

A cloistered vampire can also be used as a sleepless, un-eating and drinking dwarf who is always ready for some [[pull lever|lever pulling]], even if the rest of your dwarves die. With all that said, having an eternally cloistered vampire is not without drawbacks. As vampires do not drink, yet are still alcohol-dependent, they will eventually suffer performance penalties and take longer breaks. This can have fatal consequences if you need the lever to keep the goblin siege outside pulled ''now''. Since dwarves get unhappy [[thought]]s from having their clothes rot away, a vampire that's been naked for years is quite prone to [[tantrum]]ing or going [[insanity|insane]], which can lead to [[Fun|even worse outcomes]] should he be assigned to the lever room. Of course, you could drop him some clothes from a chute, but what fun is that when there are [[cave-in|other]] [[dwarven atom smasher|things]] [[Magma|to]] [[Goblin|drop]] [[Kobold|from]] [[Noble|above?]] Or you could assign the vampire to a squad and supply him with a set of armor, as armor doesn't wear out. Another way to mitigate cloistered vampire unhappiness is to convict them of one or more of their murders after they've been sealed in; they will eventually derive happiness from having their punishment "delayed".

Vampires do increase their stats like other dwarves, so that a weak vampire may be easily upgraded into a mighty one by using him as a miner or easily trained into a legendary swimmer. A vampire craftsdwarf may be burrow-limited to his workshop plus a stockpile or a miner restricted to specific mining levels, avoiding any other miners. It will be safe, if all of the miners have separate, assigned bedrooms.

If a vampire gets injured enough to lose teeth and control of their limbs, the vampire may be in and out of the [[hospital]] frequently for a long time, which gives your medical team lots of experience fast. This can be very useful if the [[biome]] and [[surroundings]] make it so the hospital doesn't see too many patients.

Another possibility, should you be infested by the [[undead]], is to turn as many of your dwarves into vampires as possible; due to not counting as living by the [OPPOSED_TO_LIFE] token, undead won't attack your vampire dwarves, turning them into minor annoyances. This may result in mass unhappiness from the lack of blood to drink{{verify}}, but it may be preferable to losing the fortress.

If you have no better idea you can use a vampire to explore the caverns; they are usually good fighters with military experience and will not run off to refill their waterskin. Tangentially, if you're feeling particularly adventurous, you can make the dwarf your very own Alucard as a trump card against invaders and FBs. Unleash the seals.

So, in general, when under control, vampires tend to be much more useful and valuable than most of your non-bloodsucking dwarves. Without access to any sleeping places or hospitals, they tend to be totally harmless to other dwarves.

== Unfortunate accidents ==
Although keeping a single vampire in eternal solitary confinement can be a bonus for any fortress, it is always important to be capable of killing them whenever necessary (especially if the peasants unwittingly elect one as their leader and an [[unfortunate accident]] becomes necessary). However, vampires have certain abilities which will make it more difficult to properly take care of them—they cannot drown, and their physical strengths could make them tougher to kill with regular weapons. Fortunately, they are not resistant to [[Dwarven atom smasher|high-tech particle physics experimentation]].

== Adventure Mode ==
=== Becoming a vampire ===
There are two ways to become a vampire in Adventurer Mode. The classic method is slaying a vampire and drinking their vampiric blood (or simply attacking them, causing them to bleed and then drinking their blood off the floor), which immediately turns you into a vampire. However, not all vampires have infective blood. What causes a vampire to have non-infective blood is unclear, but it appears to be related to world age.{{bug|9774}} Further research is needed.{{verify}}

Playing as a species of [[animal people]] able to suck blood out of people with a bite attack (a [[leech man]], a [[tick man]], a female [[mosquito man]], etc) allows you to become a vampire by successfully biting and sucking the blood out of a living vampire during combat. While this reverse-vampire-vampirism sounds awesome on paper, however, caution should be taken due to blood-sucking animal people generally being smaller and more fragile than other races, making it very dangerous without careful preparation.

{{new in v0.42}}
The other, safer method is by toppling statues in a temple or sanctuary. Walk up to the statue and topple it with {{K|u}} then {{K|a}}. Toppling a statue in this way will lead you to being cursed: the curse will be either vampirism or werebeast transformation. Which curse you get appears to be randomly decided at the time you topple the statue (reloading the game and toppling it again has been confirmed to give the alternate curse.)

=== Playing as a vampire ===
You will be able to feed on other creatures by using {{k|e}} and choosing the "Feed" option on an unconscious target. On becoming a vampire, Strength, Agility and Toughness are doubled. This is a multiplier effect applied to these attributes and while the affected stats are doubled, the displayed attributes in the statistics menu will not change. As a result, your adventurer can have average strength in the attributes menu but their description will show them as extremely muscular. Physical attributes such as endurance are still able to increase after becoming a vampire.

If you have become a vampire, all warm, blood-bearing bodies that you can't directly see from your position will appear as {{Raw Tile|☼|4:0:1}} tiles. Your {{DFtext|Thirsty}} indicator will also show up as red, instead of blue.

Due to such conditions, it is relatively impossible to quench your thirst (on any member of a civilization) without antagonizing any of your companions, and even if you don't have any, there's still that chance that your victim might wake up in the middle of your feast and effectively set a whole civilization against you. Considering that vampires will not tire, the easiest way to deal with this is to sprint and {{k|j}}ump over a river. Once on the other side you just need to suck the blood of the first creature you find and return to your companions. Note also that by talking to your companions, you can ask them (in the favor menu) to stay where they are, allowing you to walk out of their sight and suck the blood of the first creature you find. One way to counter this is to raid goblin/bandit camps, concentrating on one lone weak unit far from any comrades, beat them till they give in to pain (but not to death) and then feed on them directly. You can do the same with wildlife, although some of them may be more aggressive and most might die too quickly. You can also try to strangle your foes; they instantly pass out and will not die unless you keep on strangling them for a long time. For instructions on chokeholds, see the [[Wrestler#Chokehold and strangling|relevant article]]. Another solution is finding some indoor place with people inside and Sleep so you wake up while they are sleeping. Your companions go wait outside while you sleep, so you have a brief time-window to suck a sleeping person's blood.

After becoming a vampire, you become invincible to zombies, since you're now a night creature. It is usually preferred to raid a necromancer tower alone, because bringing companions will only get them killed, and your agility when you become a vampire will rise drastically anyway, causing you to outrun them. This increased agility will also give you better odds against bogeymen and night trolls, since you'll be quicker than both.

Playing as a vampire is a strong advantage, assuming you can manage your bloodthirst. The most convenient method of drinking blood is to wield a blunt weapon such as a mace: as long as you don't strike the head, enemies rarely bleed out or suffocate from blunt damage and it's easy to force them to give in to the pain. Interestingly, your allies don't seem to care if you drink blood from enemies (Actually as of 40.24 it seems companions actually do care and this can cause a loyalty cascade. It doesn't seem to matter if it's an animal or a sentient being), and blood can be drunk in a single turn in combat (occasionally killing the creature, depending on its size and your thirst). Vampire bloodthirst shows up less often than normal thirst, and can usually be slaked in a single feeding from a human-sized opponent. Feeding from smaller animals, such as dingos, is possible but multiple feedings may be necessary. You are more than able to survive several months (possibly forever){{verify}} without drinking any blood, so don't worry if your thirst includes an exclamation mark with a beautiful bright red color! However, your strength and speed decrease as you get thirstier, so try to feed off of a few bandits before you challenge that angry Bronze Colossus.

Vampires, as noted before, do not need to eat, nor drink (normal fluids), nor sleep. As an adventurer, this is a huge advantage, as you don't need to stop, or worry about carrying consumables. As long as there's living, pain-feeling enemies, you can feed. Vampires also do not need to breathe and do not tire. They can swim as long as necessary and cannot drown, even to the extent of being able to swim oceans. A sufficiently skilled and armed vampire is essentially immortal for all intents and purposes.

=== Finding vampires ===
There are several ways to find a vampire in Adventure Mode.

* Asking local citizens (not nobles, hearthpersons or travelers) about "troubles" and "beasts" will usually point out the nearest ones first.
* Begin a conversation with the aforementioned citizens asking about directions to a being, specifically on the whereabouts of a vampire, named in the format of "the dwarf vampire Urist McBloodsucker".
* Filter the Events list of the Log or the rumor list in conversation for a location nearby. Vampires will be included among 'Beast' entries in the log, in rumor topics they vaguely identify someone's presence in a location and you will have to ask the rumor to get particulars.

Note: Always check the Log Entry's text for the date, as many stale reports will remain active rumors. Ask a knowledgeable traveler to learn their most recent location. If they can't guide you within the site of their last reported location, the vampire is most likely already slain.

Vampires will always have a flashing sprite. If the vampire has been outed, they may also be hostile. If not, you may simply examine NPCs for bone jewelry. This is not fool-proof in 40.11, as veteran soldiers and mercenaries may also wear bone trophies, and more recent vampires may wear none. Accusing the suspect of being a night creature will reveal for certain. A vampire exposed either way also becomes an enemy of the site government and civilization, and therefore fair game to kill.

=== Killing vampires ===
Vampires in Adventure Mode that are in hiding always wield the basic knife all villagers wield and basic clothing. They may also wear jewellery. Their lousy weapons make them a lower threat than you might think. Old vampires with large kill lists still may not be all that effective in combat, since most of their kills are likely stealthy, non combat kills a la Fortress Mode vampires. In some cases the vampire may be accompanied by cultists who will assist the bloodsucker in combat.

Vampires don't breathe or feel pain, so don't bother trying to strangle them or trying to use blunt weapons. Instead just slice them up with something edged, so they rapidly bleed to death, try to decapitate them or use wrestling to break their weapon arm and then finish them off at your leisure.

Vampires attack anyone around them once exposed, so if you like you can allow him to begin attacking random civilians and target him while he's busy or even allow them to weaken him.

Note that even if you tell someone Urist McVampire was a vampire before you tell them you killed Urist McVampire, they may still dislike you as a killer.

== Creating Vampires ==
Key:

F: floor
W: wall
B: bridge
P: pit/pond zone
S: statue (in a temple meeting zone)

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z0 ║z-1 ║z-2
WWW ║WWW ║WWWWW
WPW ║W W ║WFBSW
WFW ║WWW ║WWWWW
}}
Using the vampire-maker©:

1: Capture a [[building destroyer]], such as a [[troll]].

2: Throw building destroyer into pit.

3: Throw down useless, weak animals or enemies down until the building destroyer gets a title from it.

4: open bridge.

5: let it destroy the statue. You now have a vampire! (or [[werebeast]].)

(for z1, just make it so it can't get up)

== Modding ==
It is possible to create your own unique vampire strain by editing the raws. These custom vampires can be outfitted with various abilities only limited by your own creativity. An example would be shapeshifting vampires, firebreathing vampires, superfast vampires, and even vampires with the ability to raise corpses are fairly easy to make by creating a custom ''interaction_customvampirenamehere'' note document.

== Bugs ==
* Dwarven vampires remain dependent on alcohol but will not drink anything except blood in fortress mode, so inevitably end up showing symptoms of [[Alcohol#Consequences of a Sober Fortress|alcohol withdrawal]]. This has not been acknowledged as a bug. {{bug|5189}}
* Statues and engravings may identify dwarves as vampires before it is common knowledge, and may even depict them sucking blood.{{bug|5209}}
* Likewise, [[pet]]s adopted by vampires will identify them as vampires in the adoption [[announcement]].{{bug|5942}}
* Vampires do not bother claiming bedrooms, which doesn't help their disguise.{{bug|5642}}
* Weapon kill lists identify vampires.{{bug|5635}}
* Soldiers will not attack vampires caught red-handed, and can be fooled by their counter-accusations.{{bug|5087}}
* Dwarves passing by a body drained of all blood will immediately drop what they are doing to report it to the captain of the guard, regardless of how many times it has already been reported.{{bug|8899}}

{{Creatures}}
{{category|humanoids}}
{{Category|No Exert}}
{{Category|No Pain}}
{{Category|No Stun}}
[[Ru:Vampire]]

Vampire

2019-01-17T01:43:38Z

DF Ludicer: /* Finding vampires */

{{Quality|Exceptional|05:09, 17 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
{{buggy}}
{{minorspoiler}}
{{DFtext|Urist McVictim, Cheesemaker has been found dead, completely drained of blood!|5:1}}

'''Vampires''' {{Tile|Ñ|4:0}} are [[undead]] [[night creature]]s that feed on [[blood]], cursed during [[world generation]] by profaning against their [[Deity|gods]]. In [[fortress mode]], they occasionally appear in [[migrant]] waves and hide themselves amongst your [[dwarves]]. Vampirism can be further spread by [[thirst|drinking]] either vampire blood, or [[water]] contaminated by said vampire blood.

==Description==
Vampires, like other night creatures, are created during world generation. The amount of vampires created during world generation is closely related with world size, population, and history, and it can be directly controlled with [[advanced world generation]] - a world generating with "{{tt|Number of Vampire Curse Types}}" set to {{tt|0}} in advanced world generation will not have any vampires in it. Every once in a while, a deity will curse a worshiper who desecrates their temple or otherwise offends them, cursing them to become either a vampire or [[werebeast]]. Any creature with blood, capable of learning, and not already a werebeast or undead, can, theoretically, become a vampire, but most vampires will be [[human]] or dwarven. However, since [[civilization]]s can have members not of their foundation race, the occasional vampiric [[goblin]], [[elf]] or even [[Animal people|animal person]] will also occur.

Vampires are much more powerful than normal humanoids, possessing enhanced speed, strength, [[No Exert|stamina]], and [[No Pain|pain resistance]] in combat, don't need [[food|food]], do not need to breathe (and thus cannot drown), and never get [[sleep|drowsy]]. They do, however, get thirsty, albeit not in the normal way; vampires thirst for warm, fresh blood, and will suck [[unconscious]] [[creature]]s (usually others of their own kind) dry given the chance, usually killing them. In the rare case that the victims survive and recover, they will not remember what happened to them, and may very well fall victim once more. It appears that when a vampire feeds successfully they receive a large happiness boost.

Vampires do not [[age]], and most vampires live for hundreds or even thousands of years. Thus, all but the youngest vampires are more [[skill]]ed and more experienced than their peers, spurred on by the countless lives detailed on their [[kill list]]s and they are hiding their true identities. This makes them natural candidates for leadership, and thus vampiric [[monarch]]s are a not uncommon sight atop [[civilization]]s, which do not seem to wonder as to how their king has been alive for so many centuries. Vampires are a type of undead, therefore, animated dead creatures will be docile towards them, as will [[necromancer]]s - while they're undead, necromancers cannot control vampires, as they possess free will. Vampires are sterile, and therefore can't have [[children]].

Younger vampires stalk the streets of towns and cities, indistinguishable from the average mortal, and drink the blood of unsuspecting innocents. Elder vampires, those with power and ambition, mislead the gullible and power-hungry into forming vampire cults dedicated to worshipping and feeding their master. Should a vampire rise to a position of power in mortal society, it may deign to expose itself and impose a rule of tyranny upon the subjects who so unknowingly elevated it to power.

None of your seven starting dwarves will ever be vampires, nor will children or babies, [[caravan]]s, [[siege]]s{{verify}}, [[ambush]]es{{verify}}, or [[thief|thieves]]{{verify}}, but any of the rest of your dwarves can be. (Foreign [[diplomat]]s can be vampires, and will be labeled as such.)

== Habits ==
Vampires are secretive and, for better or for worse, a fairly common occurrence. Many fortresses can expect to see a vampire resident within the first few years, and some may see two or more. Vampires arrive with a false name and hide their true name and kill list until they are discovered. They act as do any other dwarves, performing jobs which are assigned to them and generally acting as expected, except for differences too small to notice easily in any sizable population: They do not eat, drink or sleep. They can be [[military|drafted]], assigned to [[burrow]]s, be given [[room]]s (because they do not sleep, Vampires will not claim rooms on their own{{verify}}), and own items.

The most important difference is that sometimes (when? how often?), they drink the blood of dwarves that they catch sleeping. If any tame animals somehow fall asleep (for instance, via a syndrome), vampires will drink their blood as willingly as they will a dwarf's. If a vampire is in the military and has current station orders he may ignore them and search out a victim, still displaying 'station'. If the orders are canceled they will switch to 'on break'.{{verify}}

If vampires are caught in the act of draining a victim, their crime will be reported in the [[justice]] [[menu|screen]] as murder (they will not, however, stop drinking when caught). If only the corpse is discovered, the crime will be labeled as a murder sans suspects, and the player can accuse dwarves of the act. Even in the case that someone is accused, be aware that the deceitful vampire is capable of framing others for its crimes to send suspicion away for a time.

If a vampire is killed, the corpse will bear the original name of the creature rather than that of the dwarf who was seen to die, which might lead to some confusion among managers of such things. A [[coffin]] will be designated for burial of the vampire's cover identity, with the corpse bearing the original name entombed in it. Memorial slabs will be dedicated to the vampire's original name.

== Identification ==
It might be smart to scan the [[thoughts and preferences]] screens of incoming migrants before welcoming them to their new home, as a safety measure; it really sucks when you don't discover you have a vampire until ''after'' they've drained your only legendary [[armorsmith]] of blood.

A dwarf who is suddenly pale or faint for no explained reason is a good but rare indicator that a vampire is around. He was most likely fed upon by a vampire, but survived. Dwarven [[corpse]]s being discovered "drained of blood" are more common; a vampire fed upon them and killed them, and their body was discovered. These dwarves should be buried well, lest an axe-crazy [[ghost]] arise from their death. Dwarves inexplicably going missing for more than a week are another indicator, although this might be the result of dwarven stupidity (e.g. falling down a [[well]], walking off a [[waterfall]], etc.) as well.

Once you suspect you have a vampire, you probably want to know who it is. There are a number of good indicators of a vampire and the more points a dwarf hits, the more likely he is, indeed, a vampire. The difficult vampires to identify are young ones, as they have not had time to build up the indicators that are obvious on older bloodsuckers.

Firstly, there are the consequences of their age. Vampires tend to be high in multiple (4-5+) [[social skill|social]], high in at least one [[military]] [[skill]], and "great" or better in at least one domestic skill. The biggest indicator of a vampire in this version{{verify}} is that they will almost always have more skills (10-15+ easily) at Novice or better than any of your other dwarves. If your new Great Hunter is also a Novice Milker, Shearer, Farmer, Tanner, Carpenter, Stonecrafter, Furnace Operator, Soap Maker, Fisherdwarf, Fish Cleaner, and Fish Dissector... they're almost certainly a vampire. They also tend to have very long lists of [[Thoughts and preferences#Civilization membership|group associations]], on the order of dozens, far more than your normal dwarves. They have abnormally long lists of [[relationships|relations]] and often many, many children, but none of them are present in the fortress (in stark contrast to the spouses, children and siblings whom most dwarves will share their home with). If they are married to a dwarf that is not present in the fortress, this should be treated as especially strong evidence. Note, however, that lacking relatives within the fortress is not a good indicator of being a vampire.

Their [[Personality trait|personality]] can also be scrutinized for abnormalities. Their biographies may indicate that they "have the appearance of somebody who is (x) years old," a very good indicator of a vampire in cases where they have too many children or too many civilization associations to be that young. As vampires do not eat, sleep, or drink, they will never have recent thoughts about meals, drinks, beds, dining rooms, or chairs, leaving their thoughts especially bare and suspicious. In the case of vampires who have been in the fort for a while, a comment may be added to the effect that "s/he could really use a drink," "s/he has not had a drink in far, far too long," or "can't even remember the last time s/he had some." This is an indicator that they need blood. In any case, if alcohol is available, it makes an excellent distinguishing mark. However, [[tavern]] keepers may give a vampire alcohol which they will then drink.{{verify}} In addition to the brevity of surface thoughts, if you were unfortunate enough to have a dwarf die to a vampire, the culprit will have the "took joy in slaughter lately" thought.

There are two "normal" ways to be absolutely sure a dwarf is a vampire. The first is to catch them in the act; the dwarf will be clearly marked for the duration of the attack (i.e. Urist McVampire, Vampire on the [[unit list]], in red). A vampire does not mind if the player is currently "watching" or even following it. The second is to have a dwarf witness the event happening. This will permanently uncover their identities, but almost always results in a dead dwarf first. More arcane are indicators based on their physical abilities; vampires with injured guts do not [[vomit]], vampires with injured lungs have no problem "breathing", and submerged vampires will not [[drown]] (evoking the concept of an olden witch test for finding vampirism). Technically being undead, animated corpses will not evoke cancellation spam when a vampire sees them. An easy (albeit, [[exploit|cheap]]) way of screening migrants is to send them through a hallway with a zombie on the other side of fortifications/windows in clear sight. Normal dwarves will run away from the horrible sight of a harmless zombie but vampire dwarves will walk right through.

Vampires often will wear items crafted from their kills. If a dwarf is wearing items made from the bones of dwarves, this is a pretty good indication that they are a vampire, and the same is true of vampires from other races. Sometimes these items can find their way into circulation through natural means, so it does not always mean that someone who possesses a dwarf bone or human bone item is a vampire; having multiple of these items is a stronger indication.

One good way to find vampires is to lock suspect dwarves in a room for a season. Vampires do not become hungry, only tired, so simply watching the group to see who begins to starve will identify the vampire. (Ideally, you then let them all out so they can eat before they die) This is a good alternative to the zombie process for undead-free forts.

Vampires often will accuse an innocent dwarf of their murders. This can point the savvy fort manager to the culprit as quickly as an honest witness to the crime. If an accusation from a single witness appears in the justice screen, it is likely false. Monitor the accused dwarf until you see them eat, drink, or sleep, which proves them innocent.

<strike>Feeding is treated as a job by the game, and thus appears in the Job List with the text 'On Break' in cyan. It is possible that the genuine 'On Break' (teal) and the fake 'On Break' (cyan) occupy different positions in the Job List.</strike> (Version 0.42 has no more "On Break", so we need to research this.)

Looking at the [[deity|deities]] that the dwarf believes in (in the {{k|r}}elationships screen) can be quite helpful. As long as only "cursed" vampires immigrate (and not blood drinking ones), one of the deities of a vampire should have a "cursed the dwarf [untrue alias] . . ." Lacking this clause in their deities seems to be a clear sign that you do ''not'' have a vampire. This non-bugged way of checking a vampire is linked to the "cheap" bugged way of checking of vampires, which is described in the final paragraph.

Then there are the (in Dwarf Fortress, inevitable) bugged ways. As mentioned in the [[#Bugs|bugs]] section, vampires can be discovered and identified in [[statue]]s and [[engraving]], through their refusal to claim [[bed]]rooms, through [[pet|adoption events]], and through [[weapon]] [[kill list]]s. Additionally, if you have the vampire on follow, their title will change from their usual one ("Dwarf A") to "Dwarf A Vampire" when they are doing certain activities.

There are a few "cheap" ways as well. [[Utilities#DFHack|DFHack]] has a special command, "cursecheck," which returns the count of cursed creatures on a tile, and will report vampires. Checking out a drained dwarf in [[legends]] mode will tell you that "In the year Z X was drained of all blood by Y."

To see if a vampire was cursed by a deity that it worships, look under the <s>vampire's</s> dwarf's relationships and view the deities that are listed. Give the dwarf a nickname and, when viewing the deity relationship, it will say: "In the [season description] of [year], [deity] cursed the dwarf vampire [nickname you chose] [dwarf's original name] to prowl the night in search of blood in [original location]". Since the nickname applies retroactively, this is a sure way to identify a vampire that happens to worship the deity that cursed it. This method is very tedious when looking at many suspects, and may apply to only a small fraction of vampires, so you should probably use it after trying the more obvious signs (like many former associations, or tags after "needs alcohol to get through the working day").

Finally, a suspected vampire will have an unusually large amount of kills, if you are using a utility such as [[Utilities#Dwarf Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]] and you go to the military tab and filter by kills, they will have a very high amount of kills

== Defense ==
Vampires attack and drink from dwarves who are sleeping, so one defense is to force all dwarves to sleep and meet in the same room, increasing the likelihood of eyewitnesses catching the monster in the act. Curiously, even if convicted of a vampiric murder, a vampire will not necessarily be killed, but given a normal justice penalty such as temporary imprisonment. If you want to get rid of him/her you will have to take [[justice]] into your own hands and introduce the leech to a pit of lava, bottomless pit, arena fight, dropping tower, or other elimination method of your choice. Take note that vampires do not breathe, so using drowning chambers will not work. Using melting chambers (like drowning chambers, but with magma instead of water), however, will work. This can be facilitated through the use of burrows, but you will need to be fast when using those because vampires do ''not'' respect burrow restrictions if they decide to get another [[Blood|drink]]. However, one must take care that the vampire is properly memorialized because even the ghosts of vampires will seek out your sleeping citizens and kill them.

== Uses ==
If you can correctly identify a vampire and isolate it from the rest of your population, you can make use of them without fear of blood feedings. A lone vampire in a sealed room will never die of hunger or thirst, does not need to sleep, and will never age. The only way a vampire can die (without your vengeful intervention) is in combat or through syndromes. Sealing it somewhere prevents those. The only remaining risk is that the vampire may turn mad eventually, which without access to other dwarfs to [[relationships|relate to]] should not be very likely. Even [[insanity]] is not the end for a vampire - since they remain physically needless, an insane vampire can still live forever, and non-berserk insane vampires remain citizens of your fort. They will be completely unusable for any work, but a locked-up melancholic or stark raving mad vampire is just as immortal as a sane one and cannot be elected mayor. If they get loose, they will not drain your citizens of blood, but melancholic vampires may attempt to end their own existence, given the opportunity.

Once you have your sealed vampire, your fortress becomes effectively eternal, since the vampire will always be alive even if the infamous [[Losing|fun]] claims your entire population. Be wary of [[ghost]]s, though, as they are the only being capable of reaching your vampire's eternal prison. Simply wait for the fun to pass and new immigrants to repopulate your otherwise abandoned fort.

Consider placing a chair and table in your vampire's sealed room and making them an undead accountant. As they have nothing to do but sit around for eternity, once they get their skills up, they may make exceedingly effective [[manager]]s/[[record keeper]]s. Work orders and stockpile updates currently seem to be psychically transmitted from the desk of the dwarf assigned to those labors, so entombing them in their office isn't an issue. However, vampire dwarves are still alcoholics, yet cannot drink anything but blood; the resulting job performance penalty from the "can't even remember the last time he/she had some" level of [[Drink|alcohol withdrawal]] significantly reduces the usefulness of vampires in this sort of role.

A cloistered vampire can also be used as a sleepless, un-eating and drinking dwarf who is always ready for some [[pull lever|lever pulling]], even if the rest of your dwarves die. With all that said, having an eternally cloistered vampire is not without drawbacks. As vampires do not drink, yet are still alcohol-dependent, they will eventually suffer performance penalties and take longer breaks. This can have fatal consequences if you need the lever to keep the goblin siege outside pulled ''now''. Since dwarves get unhappy [[thought]]s from having their clothes rot away, a vampire that's been naked for years is quite prone to [[tantrum]]ing or going [[insanity|insane]], which can lead to [[Fun|even worse outcomes]] should he be assigned to the lever room. Of course, you could drop him some clothes from a chute, but what fun is that when there are [[cave-in|other]] [[dwarven atom smasher|things]] [[Magma|to]] [[Goblin|drop]] [[Kobold|from]] [[Noble|above?]] Or you could assign the vampire to a squad and supply him with a set of armor, as armor doesn't wear out. Another way to mitigate cloistered vampire unhappiness is to convict them of one or more of their murders after they've been sealed in; they will eventually derive happiness from having their punishment "delayed".

Vampires do increase their stats like other dwarves, so that a weak vampire may be easily upgraded into a mighty one by using him as a miner or easily trained into a legendary swimmer. A vampire craftsdwarf may be burrow-limited to his workshop plus a stockpile or a miner restricted to specific mining levels, avoiding any other miners. It will be safe, if all of the miners have separate, assigned bedrooms.

If a vampire gets injured enough to lose teeth and control of their limbs, the vampire may be in and out of the [[hospital]] frequently for a long time, which gives your medical team lots of experience fast. This can be very useful if the [[biome]] and [[surroundings]] make it so the hospital doesn't see too many patients.

Another possibility, should you be infested by the [[undead]], is to turn as many of your dwarves into vampires as possible; due to not counting as living by the [OPPOSED_TO_LIFE] token, undead won't attack your vampire dwarves, turning them into minor annoyances. This may result in mass unhappiness from the lack of blood to drink{{verify}}, but it may be preferable to losing the fortress.

If you have no better idea you can use a vampire to explore the caverns; they are usually good fighters with military experience and will not run off to refill their waterskin. Tangentially, if you're feeling particularly adventurous, you can make the dwarf your very own Alucard as a trump card against invaders and FBs. Unleash the seals.

So, in general, when under control, vampires tend to be much more useful and valuable than most of your non-bloodsucking dwarves. Without access to any sleeping places or hospitals, they tend to be totally harmless to other dwarves.

== Unfortunate accidents ==
Although keeping a single vampire in eternal solitary confinement can be a bonus for any fortress, it is always important to be capable of killing them whenever necessary (especially if the peasants unwittingly elect one as their leader and an [[unfortunate accident]] becomes necessary). However, vampires have certain abilities which will make it more difficult to properly take care of them - they cannot drown, and their physical strengths could make them tougher to kill with regular weapons. Fortunately, they are not resistant to [[Dwarven atom smasher|high-tech particle physics experimentation]].

== Adventure Mode ==
=== Becoming a vampire ===
There are two ways to become a vampire in Adventurer Mode. The classic method is slaying a vampire and drinking their vampiric blood (or simply attacking them, causing them to bleed and then drinking their blood off the floor), which immediately turns you into a vampire. However, not all vampires have infective blood. What causes a vampire to have non-infective blood is unclear, but it appears to be related to world age.{{bug|9774}} Further research is needed.{{verify}}

Playing as a species of [[animal people]] able to suck blood out of people with a bite attack (a [[leech man]], a [[tick man]], a female [[mosquito man]], etc) allows you to become a vampire by successfully biting and sucking the blood out of a living vampire during combat. While this reverse-vampire-vampirism sounds awesome on paper, however, caution should be taken due to blood-sucking animal people generally being smaller and more fragile than other races, making it very dangerous without careful preparation.

{{new in v0.42}}
The other, safer method is by toppling statues in a temple or sanctuary. Walk up to the statue and topple it with {{K|u}} then {{K|a}}. Toppling a statue in this way will lead you to being cursed: the curse will be either vampirism or werebeast transformation. Which curse you get appears to be randomly decided at the time you topple the statue (reloading the game and toppling it again has been confirmed to give the alternate curse.)

=== Playing as a vampire ===
You will be able to feed on other creatures by using {{k|e}} and choosing the "Feed" option on an unconscious target. On becoming a vampire, Strength, Agility and Toughness are doubled. This is a multiplier effect applied to these attributes and while the affected stats are doubled, the displayed attributes in the statistics menu will not change. As a result, your adventurer can have average strength in the attributes menu but their description will show them as extremely muscular. Physical attributes such as endurance are still able to increase after becoming a vampire.

If you have become a vampire, all warm, blood-bearing bodies that you can't directly see from your position will appear as {{Raw Tile|☼|4:0:1}} tiles. Your {{DFtext|Thirsty}} indicator will also show up as red, instead of blue.

Due to such conditions, it is relatively impossible to quench your thirst (on any member of a civilization) without antagonizing any of your companions, and even if you don't have any, there's still that chance that your victim might wake up in the middle of your feast and effectively set a whole civilization against you. Considering that vampires will not tire, the easiest way to deal with this is to sprint and {{k|j}}ump over a river. Once on the other side you just need to suck the blood of the first creature you find and return to your companions. Note also that by talking to your companions, you can ask them (in the favor menu) to stay where they are, allowing you to walk out of their sight and suck the blood of the first creature you find. One way to counter this is to raid goblin/bandit camps, concentrating on one lone weak unit far from any comrades, beat them till they give in to pain (but not to death) and then feed on them directly. You can do the same with wildlife, although some of them may be more aggressive and most might die too quickly. You can also try to strangle your foes; they instantly pass out and will not die unless you keep on strangling them for a long time. For instructions on chokeholds, see the [[Wrestler#Chokehold and strangling|relevant article]]. Another solution is finding some indoor place with people inside and Sleep so you wake up while they are sleeping. Your companions go wait outside while you sleep, so you have a brief time-window to suck a sleeping person's blood.

After becoming a vampire, you become invincible to zombies, since you're now a night creature. It is usually preferred to raid a necromancer tower alone, because bringing companions will only get them killed, and your agility when you become a vampire will rise drastically anyway, causing you to outrun them. This increased agility will also give you better odds against bogeymen and night trolls, since you'll be quicker than both.

Playing as a vampire is a strong advantage, assuming you can manage your bloodthirst. The most convenient method of drinking blood is to wield a blunt weapon such as a mace: as long as you don't strike the head, enemies rarely bleed out or suffocate from blunt damage and it's easy to force them to give in to the pain. Interestingly, your allies don't seem to care if you drink blood from enemies (Actually as of 40.24 it seems companions actually do care and this can cause a loyalty cascade. It doesn't seem to matter if it's an animal or a sentient being), and blood can be drunk in a single turn in combat (occasionally killing the creature, depending on its size and your thirst). Vampire bloodthirst shows up less often than normal thirst, and can usually be slaked in a single feeding from a human-sized opponent. Feeding from smaller animals, such as dingos, is possible but multiple feedings may be necessary. You are more than able to survive several months (possibly forever){{verify}} without drinking any blood, so don't worry if your thirst includes an exclamation mark with a beautiful bright red color! However, your strength and speed decrease as you get thirstier, so try to feed off of a few bandits before you challenge that angry Bronze Colossus.

Vampires, as noted before, do not need to eat, nor drink (normal fluids), nor sleep. As an adventurer, this is a huge advantage, as you don't need to stop, or worry about carrying consumables. As long as there's living, pain-feeling enemies, you can feed. Vampires also do not need to breathe and do not tire. They can swim as long as necessary and cannot drown, even to the extent of being able to swim oceans. A sufficiently skilled and armed vampire is essentially immortal for all intents and purposes.

=== Finding vampires ===
There are several ways to find a vampire in Adventure Mode.

* Ask local citizens (not nobles, hearthpersons or travelers) about "troubles" and "beasts" will usually point out the nearest ones first.
* Begin a conversation with the aforementioned citizens asking about directions to a being, specifically on the whereabouts of a vampire, named in the format of "the dwarf vampire Urist McBloodsucker".
* Filter the Events list of the Log or the rumor list in conversation for a location nearby. Vampires will be included among 'Beast' entries in the log, in rumor topics they vaguely identify someone's presence in a location and you will have to ask the rumor to get particulars.

Note: Always check the Log Entry's text for the date, as many stale reports will remain active rumors. Ask a knowledgeable traveler to learn their most recent location. If they can't guide you within the site of their last reported location, the vampire is most likely already slain.

Vampires will always have a flashing sprite. If the vampire has been outed, they may also be hostile. If not, you may simply examine NPCs for bone jewelry. This is not fool-proof in 40.11, as veteran soldiers and mercenaries may also wear bone trophies, and more recent vampires may wear none. Accusing the suspect of being a night creature will reveal for certain. A vampire exposed either way also becomes an enemy of the site government and civilization, and therefore fair game to kill.

=== Killing vampires ===
Vampires in Adventure Mode that are in hiding always wield the basic knife all villagers wield and basic clothing. They may also wear jewellery. Their lousy weapons make them a lower threat than you might think. Old vampires with large kill lists still may not be all that effective in combat, since most of their kills are likely stealthy, non combat kills a la Fortress Mode vampires. In some cases the vampire may be accompanied by cultists who will assist the bloodsucker in combat.

Vampires don't breathe or feel pain, so don't bother trying to strangle them or trying to use blunt weapons. Instead just slice them up with something edged, so they rapidly bleed to death, try to decapitate them or use wrestling to break their weapon arm and then finish them off at your leisure.

Vampires attack anyone around them once exposed, so if you like you can allow him to begin attacking random civilians and target him while he's busy or even allow them to weaken him.

Note that even if you tell someone Urist McVampire was a vampire before you tell them you killed Urist McVampire, they may still dislike you as a killer.

== Creating Vampires ==
Key:

F: floor
W: wall
B: bridge
P: pit/pond zone
S: statue (in a temple meeting zone)

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z0 ║z-1 ║z-2
WWW ║WWW ║WWWWW
WPW ║W W ║WFBSW
WFW ║WWW ║WWWWW
}}
Using the vampire-maker©:

1: Capture a [[building destroyer]], such as a [[troll]].

2: Throw building destroyer into pit.

3: Throw down useless, weak animals or enemies down until the building destroyer gets a title from it.

4: open bridge.

5: let it destroy the statue. You now have a vampire! (or [[werebeast]].)

(for z1, just make it so it can't get up)

== Modding ==
It is possible to create your own unique vampire strain by editing the raws. These custom vampires can be outfitted with various abilities only limited by your own creativity. An example would be shapeshifting vampires, firebreathing vampires, superfast vampires, and even vampires with the ability to raise corpses are fairly easy to make by creating a custom ''interaction_customvampirenamehere'' note document.

== Bugs ==
* Dwarven vampires remain dependent on alcohol but will not drink anything except blood in fortress mode, so inevitably end up showing symptoms of [[Alcohol#Consequences of a Sober Fortress|alcohol withdrawal]]. This has not been acknowledged as a bug. {{bug|5189}}
* Statues and engravings may identify dwarves as vampires before it is common knowledge, and may even depict them sucking blood.{{bug|5209}}
* Likewise, [[pet]]s adopted by vampires will identify them as vampires in the adoption [[announcement]].{{bug|5942}}
* Vampires do not bother claiming bedrooms, which doesn't help their disguise.{{bug|5642}}
* Weapon kill lists identify vampires.{{bug|5635}}
* Soldiers will not attack vampires caught red-handed, and can be fooled by their counter-accusations.{{bug|5087}}
* Dwarves passing by a body drained of all blood will immediately drop what they are doing to report it to the captain of the guard, regardless of how many times it has already been reported.{{bug|8899}}

{{Creatures}}
{{category|humanoids}}
{{Category|No Exert}}
{{Category|No Pain}}
{{Category|No Stun}}
[[Ru:Vampire]]

Ocean

2019-01-17T01:35:01Z

DF Ludicer:

{{Quality|Exceptional|21:28, 29 April 2013 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

An '''ocean''' is an immense volume of [[Water#Salt water|salt water]]. They are often bordered by [[sand|sandy beaches]] where [[driftwood]] can be found. [[Marsh]]es and [[swamp]]s also tend to form around oceanic coastlines, especially near [[river]]s. The land surrounding oceans also tends to have a high water table, resulting in [[aquifer]]s close to the surface.

It is not possible to found a fort solely in an oceanic biome—some land is needed.

Oceans are an excellent source of [[Creature#Aquatic|food]] for a new fortress, usually having tons of fish, and contain shell-bearing creatures like [[oyster]]s and [[mussel]]s. However, sometimes when you embark on a coast, you might receive announcements like "There is nothing to catch in <some area>". If this happens, you won't be able to fish in the ocean in this embark; you may wish to abandon the fort and start again elsewhere.

There are three varieties of oceans, based on temperature, which affects the sea life found there: Arctic, Temperate and Tropical. Oceans in a [[freezing]] climate (usually arctic oceans) will freeze, just like [[river]]s and [[pool]]s, acting like a [[glacier]].

== Ocean waves ==
Waves will periodically wash over the coast. The tiles will not get wet. However, if a wave washes over a staircase, the floors below it will be slowly flooded. Cavern moss will not grow in the mud left by salt water. The waves move over all natural tiles, and seem to move independently of constructed tiles like walls and floors. Be mindful not to carve away natural walls and allow tide to enter your fort, and cause excess slowdown. Sea walls can be built to block waves and protect beach areas, but need to be completely closed off to be effective. Waves also have a tendency to move items left on the beach, so it is inadvisable to place stockpiles too close to the shore—also beware that this effect means that dwarves can be knocked unconscious if hit by driftwood washed in from waves.

Since ocean waves do not actually move the water in the tiles below them, they do not create [[flow]]. Thus, waves ''cannot'' power a [[water wheel]], making tidal energy generation much more difficult.

In [[adventure mode]], being pushed by ocean waves occasionally increases [[swimming]] skill without the risk of drowning.

== Ocean floor geology ==
The ocean floor will be made up of entire layers of, or combinations of the following:
* A [[sedimentary layer]] of [[conglomerate]], [[limestone]], [[sandstone]], or [[shale]]
* A [[soil]] layer of [[calcareous ooze]], [[pelagic clay]], or [[siliceous ooze]]
* [[Sand]] of any variety, often in small patches alongside the sedimentary or soil layers

Most of these layers also support [[aquifer]]s, which are saltwater like the surrounding ocean, making the extraction of these materials rather difficult in [[fortress mode]]. Limestone is a notable exception, making it ideal for excavation from below since it is also a [[flux]] material.

== Resources ==
Almost all tiles next to oceans have aquifers, which require fairly complicated schemes to sidestep. In addition, oceans are salt water resources, requiring desalination with a [[screw pump]] into a [[cistern]] to use for drinking. On the other hand you have an inexhaustible source of water for fishing, drowning chambers, and so forth, as well as a spawning point for some very big and very meat-profitable [[creature]]s: [[sperm whale]]s, [[orca]]s, and the like.

== Wildlife ==
In Arctic oceans with [[Climate#Freezing|freezing]] climate, none of the aquatic vermin or creatures will be present when the water freezes over. This leaves only terrestrial and amphibious animals to appear because they are able to live on land.

=== Creatures ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Name
! Arctic ocean !! Temperate ocean !! Tropical ocean
|-
| {{Tile|a|7:1}} [[Albatross]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|s|6:0}} [[Angelshark]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|S|7:0}} [[Basking shark]]
| || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|s|0:1}} [[Blacktip reef shark]]
| || || X
|-
| {{Tile|S|1:1}} [[Blue shark]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|1:1}} [[Bluefin tuna]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|3:1}} [[Bluefish]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|S|7:1}} [[Bull shark]]
| || || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|7:0}} [[Cod]]
| X || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|C|1:1}} [[Coelacanth]]
| || || X
|-
| {{Tile|ò|6:0}} [[Common skate]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|~|7:0}} [[Conger eel]]
| X || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|c|4:1}} [[Crab]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|S|6:0}} [[Elephant seal]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|p|7:1}} [[Emperor penguin]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|s|3:0}} [[Frill shark]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|G|1:0}} [[Giant grouper]]
| || || X
|-
| {{Tile|b|2:0}} [[Great barracuda]]
| || || X
|-
| {{Tile|S|7:1}} [[Great white shark]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|6:0}} [[Halibut]]
| X || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|S|6:0}} [[Hammerhead shark]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|H|7:0}} [[Harp seal]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|c|6:0}} [[Horseshoe crab]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|L|0:1}} [[Leopard seal]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|p|1:1}} [[Little penguin]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|S|3:1}} [[Longfin mako shark]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|►|7:0}} [[Manta ray]]
| || || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|1:1}} [[Marlin]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|3:1}} [[Milkfish]]
| || || X
|-
| {{Tile|N|7:0}} [[Narwhal]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|S|6:0}} [[Nurse shark]]
| || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|α|3:0}} [[Ocean sunfish]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|o|7:0}} [[Octopus]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|4:1}} [[Opah]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|O|0:1}} [[Orca]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|o|7:1}} [[Osprey]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|p|0:1}} [[Penguin]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|p|0:1}} [[Puffin]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|~|0:1}} [[Sea lamprey]]
| X || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|o|6:0}} [[Sea otter]]
| || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|S|3:1}} [[Shortfin mako shark]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|W|7:0}} [[Sperm whale]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|s|6:0}} [[Spiny dogfish]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|s|4:1}} [[Sponge]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|S|6:0}} [[Spotted wobbegong]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|ò|7:0}} [[Stingray]]
| || || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|6:0}} [[Sturgeon]]
| X || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|S|7:0}} [[Tiger shark]]
| || || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|3:1}} [[Swordfish]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|W|6:0}} [[Walrus]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|S|6:0}} [[Whale shark]]
| || || X
|-
| {{Tile|s|7:1}} [[Whitetip reef shark]]
| || || X
|}

'''In savage oceans:'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Name
! Arctic ocean !! Temperate ocean !! Tropical ocean
|-
| {{Tile|a|7:1}} [[Albatross man]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|c|4:1}} [[Crab man]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|c|6:0}} [[Cuttlefish man]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|S|6:0}} [[Elephant seal man]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|A|7:1}} [[Giant albatross]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|C|4:1}} [[Giant crab]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|C|6:0}} [[Giant cuttlefish]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|S|6:0}} [[Giant elephant seal]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|H|7:0}} [[Giant harp seal]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|C|6:0}} [[Giant horseshoe crab]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|L|0:1}} [[Giant leopard seal]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|S|4:1}} [[Giant moon snail]]
| || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|N|7:0}} [[Giant narwhal]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|N|4:1}} [[Giant nautilus]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|O|7:0}} [[Giant octopus]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|O|0:1}} [[Giant orca]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|O|7:1}} [[Giant osprey]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|P|0:1}} [[Giant penguin]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|P|0:1}} [[Giant puffin]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|W|7:0}} [[Giant sperm whale]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|S|4:1}} [[Giant sponge]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|W|6:0}} [[Giant walrus]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|S|7:1}} [[Gigantic squid]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|h|7:0}} [[Harp seal man]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|c|6:0}} [[Horseshoe crab man]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|L|0:1}} [[Leopard seal man]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|s|4:1}} [[Moon snail man]]
| || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|N|7:0}} [[Narwhal man]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|n|4:1}} [[Nautilus man]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|o|7:0}} [[Octopus man]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|O|0:1}} [[Orca man]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|o|7:1}} [[Osprey man]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|p|0:1}} [[Penguin man]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|p|0:1}} [[Puffin man]]
| X || ||
|-
| {{Tile|S|3:1}} [[Sea serpent]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|W|7:0}} [[Sperm whale man]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|s|4:1}} [[Sponge man]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|s|7:1}} [[Squid man]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|W|6:0}} [[Walrus man]]
| X || ||
|}

'''In good oceans:'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Name
! Arctic ocean !! Temperate ocean !! Tropical ocean
|-
| {{Tile|M|3:1}} [[Merperson]]
| X || X || X
|}

'''In evil oceans:'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Name
! Arctic ocean !! Temperate ocean !! Tropical ocean
|-
| {{Tile|M|0:1}} [[Sea monster]]
| X || X || X
|}

=== Vermin ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Name
! Arctic ocean !! Temperate ocean !! Tropical ocean
|-
| {{Tile|α|7:1}} [[Anchovy]]
| || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|ò|0:1}} [[Bat ray]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|~|3:0}} [[Brook lamprey]]
| || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|α|4:1}} [[Clownfish]]
| || || X
|-
| {{Tile|♂|6:0}} [[Cuttlefish]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|6:0}} [[Flounder]]
| || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|α|4:1}} [[Glasseye]]
| || || X
|-
| {{Tile|~|6:0}} [[Hagfish]]
| X || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|α|7:1}} [[Hake]]
| X || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|α|3:1}} [[Herring]]
| X || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|α|7:0}} [[Mackerel]]
| X || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|∙|4:1}} [[Moon snail]]
| || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|m|7:1}} [[Mussel]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|♂|4:1}} [[Nautilus]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|o|7:1}} [[Oyster]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|4:1}} [[Salmon]]
| || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|Ω|6:0}} [[Sea nettle jellyfish]]
| || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|α|2:0}} [[Seahorse]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|3:1}} [[Shad]]
| X || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|α|6:0}} [[Sole]]
| X || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|α|6:0}} [[Spotted ratfish]]
| || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|♂|7:1}} [[Squid]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|3:1}} [[Steelhead trout]]
| X || X ||
|-
| {{Tile|ò|6:0}} [[Thornback ray]]
| || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|α|7:0}} [[White-spotted puffer]]
| || || X
|}

'''In good oceans:'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Name
! Arctic ocean !! Temperate ocean !! Tropical ocean
|-
| {{Tile|∙|6:1}} [[Fairy]]
| X || X || X
|-
| {{Tile|·|3:1}} [[Pixie]]
| X || X || X
|}

{{Translation
| dwarven = migrur
| elvish = romi
| goblin = strabo
| human = sota
}}

{{World|Biomes}}

Minecart

2019-01-17T01:34:57Z

DF Ludicer: /* Impulse ramps */

{{Quality|Masterwork|08:15, 19 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
[[File:Leitnagel Hund.png|thumb|Minecarts]]
A '''minecart''' is a [[tool]] intended for [[hauling]]. It can be made of [[wood]] at a [[carpenter's workshop]] or [[metal]] at a [[metalsmith's forge]] (using the [[Metal crafter|metalcrafting]] labor.) Minecarts store up to five times as many items as [[wheelbarrow]]s and are quite a bit faster than dwarves hauling objects by hand, but have the disadvantages of requiring a dedicated track network, a complex route planning phase, and the possibility of dwarves [[Fun|blundering into the path of carts filled with lead ore]]. Tracks may be carved into stone, or [[Construction|constructed]]; the latter allows above-ground routes, but these are more difficult to set up due to their additional [[building material|material requirements]].

Just like wheelbarrows, minecarts are considered [[item]]s and are stored in a [[furniture]] [[stockpile]]. Despite their five-times-greater capacity, they are only 33% larger than wheelbarrows (minecarts have a size of 4000) and are identical in base [[item value|value]] when made from the same [[material]] (the value may differ due to the [[item quality]]). [[thief|Thieves]] or even mischievous animals can steal minecarts, even when they are moving on a track.{{cite forum|109460/3289070}} However, minecarts moving fast enough or being ridden cannot be stolen.

Although most of the utility of minecarts is in [[fortress mode]], an [[adventure mode|adventurer]] can also ride in a minecart. Adventurers can also pick up and relocate minecarts.

The invention of minecarts revolutionized the [[minecart logic|Science of Dwarfputing]] by enabling smaller, faster logic systems to be built.

== Basic Minecart Usage ==
Minecarts can be used to swiftly transport dwarves, [[flow|fluids]], and/or large amounts of items, but before you have a functional minecart, there are several preconditions that need to be met. First of all, you need an actual minecart, constructed either in a [[carpenter's workshop]] or [[metalsmith's forge]]. For the minecart to be able to move, you also need to carve (with {{k|d}} {{k|T}}) or construct (with {{k|b}} {{k|C}} {{k|T}}) a track, which could be as simple as a straight line. Finally, you need to construct stops on your track (with {{k|b}} {{k|C}} {{k|S}}) where the minecart will start and stop.

After you have created the stops and assigned a cart to the track, you must create logic routes connecting several stops and designate starting conditions for each stop. This is done with the {{k|h}}auling key. The most basic conditions are how the cart's movement is initiated and in which direction the cart should start moving. Carts can be either pushed (a dwarf stands at a stop and gives the cart a single push) or guided (a dwarf continually pushes the cart forward, guiding it along the track). The [[hauling]] [[labor]] required for pushing and guiding carts is called "Push/Haul Vehicles" and is turned on by default.

To control which items are to be transported, you can add conditions specifying: (1) which kind of items are to be loaded and unloaded, (2) stockpile links to define which stockpile(s) the items should be un/loaded to and from.

===Capacity and weights ===
Minecarts have a [[Size|size capacity]] of 500,000, which gives them five times the capacity of [[wheelbarrow]]s.

'''Examples of the capacity of one cart'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Item
! Amount
|-
| [[stone]]
| 5
|-
| [[wood|log]]
| 10
|-
| [[block]]/[[bar]]
| 83
|-
| minecarts
| 125
|-
| [[Kitchen|prepared meals]]
| 500
|-
| [[Trap_component#Spiked_ball|spiked balls]]
| 500
|-
| [[Weapon#Native_weapons|mace]]
| 625
|-
| [[Weapon#Native_weapons|spears]]
| 1250
|-
| [[cloth]]
| 2500
|}

The weight of the loaded minecart does not affect the initial velocity received from pushing or launching from a roller.{{bug|6296}} However, the load of a minecart ''does'' affect whether a [[pressure plate]] triggers or not, based on the pressure plate's setting.

'''Weights of different carts'''

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Type of cart
! Empty cart
! Fully loaded (items)
|-
| oaken minecart
| 28Γ
| 378Γ (10 oak logs)
|-
| iron minecart
| 314Γ
| 1698Γ (83 marble blocks)
|-
|-
| copper minecart
| 357Γ
| 1682Γ (10 obsidian boulders)
|-
| platinum minecart
| 856Γ
| 10482Γ (83 gold bars)
|}

The weight of a minecart is one twenty-fifth (1/25) the [[density]] of its material in Urists. Because pressure plates can be set to trigger at intervals of 50 Urists, minecarts with weights just under a multiple of 50 are ideal for switching based on whether they're full or empty. The best minecart materials for full/empty switching are as follows:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Material !! Minecart weight !! Content weight required to trigger !! Banana roasts required to trigger (for scale)
|-
| [[Glumprong]] || 48 || 2 || 4
|-
| [[Electrum]] || 596 || 4 || 7
|-
| [[Nickel silver]] || 346 || 4 || 7
|-
| [[Brass]] || 342 || 8 || 14
|-
| [[Bismuth]] (moods only) || 391 || 9 || 15
|-
| [[Fine pewter]] || 291 || 9 || 15
|-
| [[Lay pewter]] || 291 || 9 || 15
|-
| [[Tin]] || 291 || 9 || 15
|-
| [[Trifle pewter]] || 291 || 9 || 15
|}

=== Creating tracks ===
Minecart tracks are made up of contiguous track, tracked ramp, or bridge tiles. Track tiles and tracked ramp tiles have a direction or series of directions associated with them. These directions dictate which directions a minecart on a given tile may move from that tile. For example, a Track NE (northeast) tile allows a minecart on it to move either north or east from its present position. Therefore, if you want your minecart to move east along a straight piece of track, then return west using that same track, you would need to use EW tracks so that the cart could travel east initially, then return west over the same track. Excluding designs in which the cart will "jump" tracks via a drop or other ramp, tracks must be valid end to end to work for most looped or straight-track applications. A single east only track tile in your line of east-west tracks will cause any route using the track to fail the moment it tries to go the wrong way over that tile. Minecart tracks can be built in two ways: Engraved/carved or constructed. A given minecart track need not use engraved or constructed elements exclusively, as the two methods can be used interchangeably depending on the needs of a given section of track. The way the tracks are built is slightly different between the two, as explained below.

====Simple tracks====

'''Carved'''

A single-tile wide strip of natural stone can be designated to be [[Engraver|carved]] (with {{K|d}} {{k|T}}), which will create a straight two-way track. The creation of corners, crossings, and T-junctions is as simple as designating another strip of track that overlaps an existent or newly designated track. Engraved tracks are removed by [[smoothing]] the rock they're on, which results in a smooth floor (that can be re-engraved if necessary), or by building a [[floor]] on top and subsequently removing it. Dwarves can carve corner tracks in one pass by designating the track carving twice and canceling unwanted carvings (with {{K|d}} {{K|x}}). Tracks can be engraved in any natural floor tile, rough, smooth and even over engravings, providing an easy method to remove low-quality or undesired floor engravings. Once a track has been engraved, it's important to check the track directions for each tile in the route carefully to make sure no mistakes were made by yourself or the game's track engraving logic.

'''Constructed'''

Tracks can also be built as regular [[construction]]s (through {{K|b}} {{K|C}} {{K|T}}). This method is resource-expensive, since each track tile requires one stone, [[bar]], or [[block]] for construction, and time-consuming, since you can't designate strips longer than 10 tiles at a time. Corners, crossings, T-junctions, and ramps also have to be designated individually. However, it is usually the only way to build tracks above ground or on soil (barring the [[Obsidian farming|creation of obsidian]]). Constructed tracks are designated for removal like any regular construction; be aware that removing track ramps built on top of natural ones will also remove the original ramp, leaving a flat floor.

====Ramps====

'''Carved'''

The carving of natural ramps is a little more confusing: to carve a two-way track on a ramp (natural only, does not work on constructed ramps), you must designate the track '''starting on the ramp and one square beyond''' in the direction you want the track to go. For the side of the ramp square you want to head upward, there '''must''' be either a natural or constructed wall in the square next to it, otherwise the game assumes you are trying to carve it on the same level -- this can result in the track being carved underneath a door or other object. If you have accidentally done this, you can correct it by smoothing the ramp and constructing a single square of wall next to it, then re-carving the ramp correctly. (However, the wall must stay there permanently; removing it will disconnect the track.)

'''Constructed'''

The track and ramp must be constructed together as a Track/Ramp from the construct track menu. When constructing track ramps, the stated direction should be the same as the connected tracks. For example, a track going up from West to East would require, starting from the West, a Track (EW), a Track/Ramp (EW) and a Wall behind the ramp, underneath the section of track above it. Incorrectly placed ramps result in minecarts ignoring the ramp and crashing into the supporting wall. They will not, however, display as unusable as when the supporting wall is missing.

'''Examples of ramps'''

A simple ramp would look like this:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1
░░░░ ░░░░
═▲o ░▼═
░░░░ ░░░░
o : wall
}}

Carving track corners into ramps is rather unintuitive and complicated. Since engraving tracks always requires two tiles to connect in a straight line as input, you have to give two separate designations for a single job: a track bit from the ramp tile to the "below" direction and another one to the wall of the "upward" direction. If you wanted to change direction on a ramp from east to north:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1
░░░░░ ░░░░░
░░░░░ ══╗░░
══▲░░ ░░▼░░
░░░░░ ░░░░░
}}

you would need to connect the ramp on z +0 both to the west and to the north by issuing two "carve track" commands, one selecting the ramp and the track tile to the west, and another connecting the ramp tile with the wall to the north. An engraver would then carve a NW track corner into the ramp, allowing carts to pass the corner correctly both going up and down. Such track corners are perfectly serviceable for guided carts, but moving down a route of several of them by pushed or ridden cart is problematic - ramps on corners behave very counter-intuitively, resulting in loss of speed when going down and diagonal movement when going up.

Moving to and from ramps (or between ramps "pointing" in different directions) causes some non-trivial adjustments to speed and even moving along the tiles at a fixed speed ''unrelated to the entry/exit velocity values'', because transitions to/from ramps are processed differently and are not to be "skipped". This affects compact track/ramp combinations (such as e.g. a simple 2x2 ramp spiral) most, and combined with bouncing often makes them work not in the way one could expect. {{cite forum|144328/5705102}}

{{anchor|Tracks}}

=== Hauling route ===
A hauling route is a list of directions describing how and under what conditions a minecart will move. The proper setting up of routes is essential for a working rail system. Routes, stops, departure conditions and stockpile links are managed from the {{k|h}}auling menu.

==== Route ====
A route defines the path a minecart will take along a track, as well as under what conditions it will move or stop moving. A route is made up of stops. Stops are precisely what they sound like, a position on the track at which you want a minecart to stop. A minecart track might use as little as a single stop for a looped track, which will serve as both a starting and stopping point for the cart, or it could contain many stops, perhaps to load supplies or wait for a bridge to be manually lowered, before reaching its destination or returning to its starting point. It is important to note that you only need to place stops on a route where you actually want the cart to stop and wait for some action to occur. They are not needed to help navigate the cart along the track beyond telling it where on the track to stop.

New routes are created with the {{k|h}}auling key. Existing ones can be removed (without confirmation) with the {{k|x}} key, and also {{k|n}}icknamed. Before operating, the route must have a {{k|v}}ehicle assigned to it (this can be done with either the route or a stop selected). Assigning a full minecart to a route may result in a slow hauling job if the contents are heavy.

==== Stops ====
Stops are the individual waypoints that make up a hauling route. A given stop consists of the location of a tile, as well as conditions describing when, where, and how a cart should be moved after being stopped at that tile. Stops can be created from within the {{k|h}}auling menu, by placing the cursor over a tile and hitting {{k|s}} while highlighting the route (or a stop within) you've already designated. A minecart will begin its route at the first stop created, and continue through each subsequent stop, being guided, pushed, or ridden from each stop to the next depending on the conditions specified. In many basic minecart applications, the cart will end up at the same stop it began at, though this is not always the case. It is important to note that hauling stop order is enforced, even if there is no track. A dwarf will drag the cart overland back to a skipped stop in the route's list if your tracks bypass it somehow.

Once a stop has been placed, it is given a default set of conditions under which to move the minecart if it is stopped there. Each new stop gets the same default conditions regardless of the track it is placed upon (e.g. guide the cart to the north). For this reason new stops might get marked by yellow exclamation marks ({{DFtext|!|#ff0}}) due to invalid directions. One important thing to note is that as you place additional stops, the display will show paths between the stops you have defined. However, this is '''not''' necessarily the actual route the minecart will take once the route is in operation. For example, if a route were defined with two stops at opposite ends of a track with many twists and turns, a line will be drawn directly between those stops to show the order in which they will be visited. These route lines may crisscross all over the tracks, but so long as the track is valid end to end, the cart will follow the track from one stop to the next, even across twists, turns, and z-level changes. Route stops, which are the steps that make up a route, should not be confused with physical Track Stops, described below.

===== Stockpile links =====
By placing the cursor on top of a stockpile and using {{k|s}}, you can create stockpile links while defining a hauling stop. Links can also be redefined by selecting them, placing the cursor over a different stockpile, and pressing {{k|p}}. The cart will then be filled by items present in its various linked stockpiles in preference to other items. Note that bins should be used with caution in stockpiles that are linked to minecarts. Bins cause problems when used with the "Desired Items" list in a stop's conditions. For example, if a minecart is set to accept only granite blocks, and to depart north when it is 100% full of granite blocks, it will not depart if any of those granite blocks are in bins, even if bins are also included in the desired items list. Two solutions to this problem exist as of v0.40.24. First, bins can be disallowed in stockpiles that are linked to stops. Alternatively, bins '''can''' be used in conjunction with minecarts provided that the minecart's departure conditions use only "any items" instead of "desired items." This option can be toggled in the advanced conditions menu for a stop, accessible via the {{key|C|}} key. The cart's contents can still be controlled by specifying what items are allowed in the linked stockpile.

===== Departure condition =====
Departure conditions involve setting conditions in which the minecart will leave on the route. Each condition includes:
# A departure mode (Guide, Ride or Push).
# An initial departure direction (NSEW). Note that this defines the initial direction of movement only. Even if a track includes many turns, as long as the initial movement direction is valid the cart will follow the minecart track thereafter.
# A timer, before which the departure condition cannot be met.
# Conditions on the amount of items in the cart.
Departure conditions are created with the {{k|n}} key. A new departure condition will read: "guide north immediately when empty of desired items". This condition can be changed between basic presets with {{k|c}}. "Advanced" mode ({{k|C}}) allows for more precise control over departure conditions: fine tuning the percentage from 0 to 100 in 25% steps ({{k|f}} and {{k|F}}), switching it being either the maximum or the minimum amount of items for the condition to be met ({{k|m}}), and whether the cart accepts all or only a specific set of items ({{k|l}}). Common to both screens are the departure mode ({{k|p}}, Push, Ride or Guide), {{k|d}}irection, and timer ({{k|t}} and {{k|T}}) options.

To have a cart only carry a specific set of items, the stop can be set to only carry "desired" items, opening the selection screen with the {{k|Enter}} key while having said stop condition selected, and toggling as desired, or it can simply be linked to a stockpile and set to depart once it is full of items from its linked stockpiles, regardless of type.

=== Track Stops ===
A Track Stop, not to be confused with a route stop, is an optional, single-tile construction which serves two purposes. First, it can be used to cancel a cart's momentum in order to slow or stop it as it passes over the Track Stop. This might be necessary if a cart were pushed down a series of ramps to its destination. Second, a Track Stop can cause a cart to automatically dump its contents as it passes over the Track Stop. Track Stops are constructed via {{k|b}} {{k|C}} {{k|S}}, and must be constructed atop an existing piece of track. If a Track Stop has been set to automatically dump a cart's contents, the cart will dump its contents in the direction indicated when it passes over the Track Stop. Depending on the friction settings chosen for the Track Stop, the cart might then stop after dumping, or it might continue on its route to another destination.

Track Stops are not mandatory; in fact, their main use is in automated rail systems. However, even in basic rail systems it can be useful to set a Track Stop to dump items: this saves time that dwarves would otherwise spend in removing items from the cart, time that is better spent driving the cart back to where it's needed. Dumping will occur even with a guided cart. '''Take care not to set Track Stops at a loading site to dump their contents''', or dwarves will never be able to fill the cart. It will dump any contents the moment they are loaded.

Counter-intuitive to their construction method, Track Stops are considered [[building]]s and must be removed by {{k|q}} {{k|x}}.
* See [[#More_on_Track_stop |More on Track Stops]]

=== Step-by-step tutorial ===

Let's construct a simple minecart route. This route will move stone blocks from an input stockpile to an output stockpile. We'll begin by creating the stockpiles:

[[File:minecart-example-1.png|Stockpiles designated.]]

The input stockpile is on the left; the output stockpile is on the right. We'll be moving blocks from left to right. Disable bins in both stockpiles, and set the input stockpile to accept only from links. Then make the stockpile take from the mason's workshop where the blocks are being produced.

Next, carve the track:

[[File:minecart-example-2.png|Track carving designation.]]

Note that the ends of the designation are uniquely shaped; this is automatic, and not anything you need to control. Now, wait for your engravers to come along and carve the track into the stone. (Your haulers will probably also fill up the input stockpile while you wait.)

In addition, while we're waiting for that to happen, we'll build an iron minecart in the forge.

[[File:minecart-example-3.png|Track carved.]]

When the track has been carved, it will look like the above (the track will be solid instead of flashing). Now, order a track stop to be constructed next to the output stockpile:

{|
| [[File:minecart-example-4.png|Track stop designation.]]
| [[File:minecart-example-5.png|Select dumping direction.]]
|}

You must press {{k|d}} three times to select the dumping direction ''before'' placing the track stop. We want our blocks to be dumped into the output stockpile east of the track stop. Then wait for a mechanic to come along and build the track stop.

[[File:minecart-example-6.png|Track stop constructed.]]

Now we'll define the actual ''route''. This is done in the {{k|h}}auling menu. Press {{k|r}} to begin defining a route. Next, move the cursor to the input end of the track, and then press {{k|s}} to define the first stop:

{|
| [[File:minecart-example-7.png|Stop 1 designation.]]
| [[File:minecart-example-8.png|Route definition, in progress.]]
|}

Move the cursor again, to the output end of the track, and press {{k|s}} again to define the second stop:

{|
| [[File:minecart-example-9.png|Stop 2 designation.]]
| [[File:minecart-example-10.png|Route definition, two stops.]]
|-
|
| [[File:minecart-example-11.png|Stops are not defined yet.]]
|}

There are several user interface features to note at this point. The stops have been positioned, but they haven't been ''defined'' yet, so there is a warning {{DFtext|!|#ff0}} symbol by each of them. In the lower right corner, we see what the {{DFtext|!|#ff0}} means. Also, note that the second stop is labeled in white, while the other two lines are grey. The white text is a selection indicator, and can be moved up and down by pressing {{k|+}}/{{k|-}}.

Next we need to define what our stops do. We want the minecart to be filled with blocks at the first stop, then travel to the second stop where it will dump its cargo, and then return. Press {{k|-}} to move the selection up to stop 1, and {{k|Enter}} to open it up. By default, the stop has three conditions:

[[File:minecart-example-12.png|Default stop definition.]]

We don't want any of these, so press {{k|x}} three times to delete them. This leaves us with a blank stop. Now we can add the conditions we actually want. Press {{k|n}} to begin adding the first condition, then {{k|d}} twice to change the direction from north to east. Then press {{k|c}} to change the condition from empty to full. This will instruct the minecart to be guided east when full of desired items.

To set the desired items, we create a stockpile link. Press {{k|s}}, then move the cursor to the input stockpile, then press {{k|p}} to select that stockpile. Now press {{k|Enter}}; this opens up a selection screen that resembles the stockpile customization screen. Move down to Blocks, {{k|e}}nable them, then (if you wish) restrict it to stone blocks.

When you've done all that, stop 1 should look like this:

[[File:minecart-example-13.png|Stop 1, defined.]]

Stop 2 is much simpler. All we need to do is have the minecart return to the input stop. So, make a condition and change the direction:

[[File:minecart-example-14.png|Stop 2, defined.]]

Finally, we just have to assign our minecart. Go back to the route definition screen, and press {{k|v}}. Select the minecart, and press {{k|Enter}}.

Now we've got everything set up:

[[File:minecart-example-15.png|Route, fully defined.]]

The V is red because the minecart hasn't been moved onto the track yet. Some dwarf will have to haul it from the forge to the first stop, by hand; this will take a while, especially if the forge is far away.

Once the minecart is in place, dwarves should fill it with blocks from the input stockpile, which will in turn be filled with blocks from the workshop where your mason has been toiling dutifully. When the minecart is full, the blocks will be dumped into the 1x1 stockpile on the right. Automatic quantum dumping!

=== Troubleshooting ===

Because of the complexity of the system, all but the most careful and experienced minecart users will encounter issues. Most route issues can be diagnosed and fixed from the {{k|h}}auling menu.

'''Symptom:''' {{DFtext|! Set dir/connect track|6:1}} message appears to the right of one or more stops

:;Possible Causes:
:* Game cannot find a path for ''guiding'' the cart without carrying. The game checks for haul route validity assuming the cart will be guided. This warning will be shown when the path crosses impassable tiles, requires a dwarf to carry the cart, or is not fully guidable.
:** If your cart path relies upon advanced tricks like deliberate falling into pits or ignoring floor types, even a path designed entirely as you intended will still trigger the yellow warning. If the route is working as intended, you can safely ignore this warning.
:* Invalid departure direction in one or more conditions for the stop. Edit the stop using {{k|Enter}} and press{{k|d}} until it is pointing in a valid direction.
:* Track stop built on trackless tile. Track stops must be built on tiles where tracks already exist to be usable.
:* Discontinuous track. If the route indicator seems to draw between your first and last stop, this is the cause. Make sure destinations are linked by track to both directions, and that there are no sneaky gaps in the tracks.
:** ''Ramps''' are notorious for their finicky use. It is recommended to check every ramp to confirm no unintended one-way ramps remain.
:** To carve a two-way track on a (natural) ramp, you must designate the ramp ''and one square beyond'' in the direction you want the track to go.
:** Ramps '''must''' have a solid wall on the side opposite to the track ("behind" the ramp), or they will neither work nor be marked as "unusable". The wall can be natural or constructed.
:* Discrepancies in desired/kept item configurations.

'''Symptom:''' The status '''0% V''' always appears to the right of one stop.

:;Possible Causes:
:* Stop not set to take from a stockpile. Edit the Stop using {{k|Enter}} and make sure you see a message like "Take from Stockpile #1".
:* Take conditions and stockpile contents do not overlap.
:* Track stop is set to dump. A track stop set to dump cannot be filled. You must either set the stop to a time-based departure or deconstruct the track stop and rebuild it without dumping. (Alternatively, with [[DFHack]] you can modify "Dump on arrival" to "No" using the {{key|q}} menu without rebuilding the stop.)
:* Minecart itself is designated to be dumped (such as when using mass-dump).

'''Symptom:''' Dwarves fill the minecart properly, but will not move it thereafter.

:;Possible Causes:
:* Minecart contains items not listed as desired on its current stop. Check minecart contents using the {{key|k}} and {{key|z}} keys and ensure that all items in the cart are desired items.
:* Minecart contain desired items ''in bins''. Minecarts seem to have problems realizing that they are in fact full of desired items if some of those items are in bins, even if bins are also among the desired items for that stop. '''This cannot be solved by adding the appropriate bins to the stop's desired items.''' Either disallow bins in stockpiles you intend to load minecarts from, or set the departure conditions to rely only on percentage of total load rather than percentage of desired items using the advanced conditions menu ({{key|C}} key).

'''Symptom:''' Dwarves repeatedly attempt to load the minecart, but no items are ever loaded into it.

:;Possible Causes:
:* Track Stop set to dump used as a loading site. Every time a dwarf places an item into a cart resting on such a track stop, the item will be immediately dumped, causing unlimited, useless cart loading jobs. Autodumping Track Stops should never be used at a loading site.

'''Symptom:''' A dwarf picks up the minecart and carries it to its destination.
:* See [[#Quirks|Quirks]]

=== Danger ===
Minecarts are not without <strike>danger</strike> [[fun]]. Although designating a track automatically sets the [[traffic]] designation to low, dwarves ''may'' still walk on them, and [[creature]]s ignore traffic designations altogether. If an unlucky dwarf or creature fails to [[dodger|dodge]] a minecart, they can be injured. Most of this danger can be avoided by setting the minecart {{k|h}}auling commands to guide instead of push or ride (dwarves guiding minecarts will ignore traffic restrictions), as well as by [[pasture|pasturing]] domestic animals and preventing the access of other creatures to the tracks. Note that removing the track doesn't reset that tile back to normal traffic priority, so you may wish to manually clean up traffic designation afterward. Also note that bridges that are used as tracks don't have their traffic priority changed automatically (since they're just normal bridges), which could cause dwarves to pathfind normally through dangerous minecart entrances in your fort's walls if you're not careful.

The only <s>fool</s>''dwarf''-proof method is to make the tracks inaccessible. There are several ways to create a track which works for minecarts but doesn't allow creature-traversal; the simplest is perhaps building a [[statue]] on the tracks. Other options include adding single-tile holes (minecarts moving at reasonable speed will jump the gap), vertical drops, minecart-triggered doors, small pools of liquid (4/7 water or 2/7 magma), and hostile creatures overlooking the tracks. For safety, both ends of the track should be isolated, making the dangerous center sections completely inaccessible (though maintenance access can be provided by a locked door).

Danger does not always involve living victims: careless route designation can also result in minecarts careening off tracks or colliding with each other. If this occurs, the [[item]]s may be scattered; this can cause even more hauling jobs than the minecart aimed to eliminate. Even <s>better</s> worse, scattered items, especially [[weapon]]s, can injure passing [[dwarf|dwarves]] or other [[creature]]s; in the words of Toady One the Great, "Accidental grapeshotting of the dining room should be possible now."

Of course, the danger of using minecarts means they can also be [[Trap_design#Minecarts|used as weapons]] by imaginative players.

== Advanced usage and automation ==
Minecart-specific effects are implemented via track stops, rollers and [[pressure plate]]s with "track" condition set. Since all three are considered [[building]]s, they can't be built on the same square (however convenient track stop + pressure plate would be) nor a simple ramp, and are removed by {{k|q}} {{k|x}}.

=== More on Track stop ===
Track stops are constructions that allow further automation of minecart systems via adjustable features such as braking by friction and automatic dumping of contents. They can be built from logs, bars and blocks through {{K|b}} {{K|C}} {{K|S}}; friction amount, dumping toggle and dumping direction must be set '''before''' construction, and these settings can be neither changed nor seen thereafter; however, track stops can be linked to [[pressure plate]]s or [[lever]]s to toggle friction and dumping On or Off (trigger state is inverted: switch On = track stop Off).

If a [[stockpile]] is placed on the tile that a track stop is set to dump to, it can act as a [[Exploit#Quantum_stockpiles|quantum stockpile]] and any items dumped from a minecart that match the storage settings of the stockpile will remain there and accumulate. Normally trackstops are built on top of existing track to operate on moving minecarts, but they can also be used without tracks to create [[Exploit#The_Minecart_Stop|automatic quantum stockpiles]] (see also [[#Step-by-step_tutorial|step-by-step tutorial]]). It is not always desirable to collect ALL of certain items into one quantum stockpile, such as when distributing a material to multiple separate industries. You can link your quantum stockpile to various other stockpiles, ensuring that your dwarves will keep them supplied as necessary. Because quantum stockpiles never fill up like regular stockpiles, it may be a good idea to add a switch to turn them off.

Items dumped from a minecart at a track stop (or dumped by any other means) into open space fall through z-levels until they land on a solid surface. Items falling onto a designated [[stockpile]] will automatically be considered part of that stockpile, even if the stockpile is set to disallow those items (they will, however, be automatically moved to a more appropriate stockpile, if available). Items falling on top of a minecart will '''not''' fall "inside" the minecart. Use with caution; dwarves have fragile skulls.{{bug|5945}}

=== Automated propulsion ===
==== Roller ====
{{Main|Roller}}

A '''roller''' is a [[power]]ed [[machine component]] for the automated propulsion of minecarts. They are built over the top of existing tracks with {{K|b|M|r}}, requiring a [[mechanic]], ''(length/4)+1'' [[mechanism]]s and a [[rope]]. Rollers may also be placed directly on ramps to help pull carts up Z levels. Rollers are very useful to maintain a cart's momentum along long routes, to get them to climb Z-levels without dwarfpower involved, and to get them to reach speeds unattainable by guiding dwarves. These devices are variable-length (1-10), variable-direction and variable-speed ([[Minecart#Numbers_behind_the_scene|see below]]), all traits that can be set at construction time; a roller uses two units of power per tile it is long.

Single-tile rollers transfer power in all four cardinal directions, while other rollers generally only transfer power perpendicular to their activity direction. Longer rollers can also transfer power along their activity direction if built in the correct order, although this can be hard to accomplish and is easily broken. Rollers cannot be powered from above.

Rollers have great acceleration and capped speed. Carts going faster than the roller are unaffected. If a cart moves across an active roller in the direction the roller works and moves slower than the roller's specified speed, the cart will be set to the roller's speed. A cart going against a roller's movement direction will be sent back the way it came (once again at the roller's speed), unless it was moving extremely fast: speed increment of 100000 allows to reverse carts from the full "highest" (50000) speed roller to full "highest" speed back, but ramps can accelerate a cart beyond this. {{cite forum|144328/5702453}}
A cart crossing over a roller perpendicular to its current movement direction will gain the roller's amount of speed in the perpendicular direction without directly changing its forward motion. Without an adjacent wall to constrict its movement, this will typically send a cart off the rails on a diagonal path, completely unable to follow any tracks until it collides with a wall or is otherwise brought to rest. However, if the roller is placed over a track turn and pushes ''from'' the direction of that turn's track, the turn affects carts ''after'' the roller, so they will be forced into the turn rather than derailed in a diagonal direction. {{cite forum|144328/5702453}}

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
tracks: full:
║ ║
═╗═ ═╢═
║ ║

╢ : roller pushing from W to E
}}
If the roller is powered, carts from ''all'' directions (unless too fast) exit S, because speed imparted by the roller forces carts toward E and ''then'' into the turn.
If not powered, carts from W and N exit S, carts from E and S exit W. Carts above derail speed will ignore the turn, of course.

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
║ ║
═╗═ ═╟═
║ ║

╟ : Roller pushing from E to W
}}
Carts from the E or W: exit W.
Carts from N: derailed diagonally, exit SW.
Carts from S: derailed diagonally, exit NW.

Rollers affects carts on a track - if placed on a floor or ramp without any tracks, they are ignored. Depowered rollers are also ignored, friction is determined by the tiles underneath.

Because of their one-way nature, rollers are unsuitable for most two-way minecart tracks (unless you set gears toggling roller A->B off while toggling A<-B rollers on). However, a minecart set to be ''guided'' is not affected by rollers at all{{cite forum|109460/3286235}} — this allows a one-way track to be used in both directions. In addition, unpowered rollers do not affect minecarts.

Care must be taken in [[glacier]]s and other extremely cold [[biome]]s, since rollers (and the machinery used to power them) will not operate when constructed on natural [[ice]] floors.

==== Impulse ramps ====
Carts can be given momentum without rollers or changing z-level by exploiting a design oversight in a phenomenon called "impulse ramps". A track ramp which is connected both to a wall and to a floor will ''always'' accelerate a cart towards the connected floor tile, no matter where the cart enters the tile from. This means carts can be accelerated as though dropping z-levels, even if the cart doesn't actually change z-level at all. If a track ramp faces three directions such as ╩, then two of those directions need to be facing walls for the cart to be accelerated towards the remaining direction.

Example of straight impulse acceleration:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
═▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲═ ═╚╚╚╚╚╚╚╚╚╚═
▒ : Wall
═ : Normal track
▲/╚ : N/E Track/Ramp
}}

If a cart enters from the left, it will speed up on every track/ramp and exit to the right going very very fast—more than one tile every step. If it enters from the right, then it will bounce back impulsed by the ramp if it's going slow enough.

As another oddity, carts coming from ramps will in some cases "teleport" through most of the next tile. This is called the "checkpoint effect", and is explained in detail in the Physics section, below. This negates the deceleration of the next tile if it is a ramp "angled" in a different direction. You can just make an upward spiral alternating impulse ramps and regular upward ramps. It takes no power, is quick and cheap to build, requiring only channeling and track carving, and the cart goes up fast, but not so fast that it launches its contents.

Example of an impulse elevator:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1 z +2 z +3
░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░
░╔░░░ ░▼╚╗░ ░░▼▼░ ░░░░░
░╝░░░ ░▼░░░ ░░░╔░ ░░░▼░
░▼▼░░ ░░░░░ ░░░╝░ ░╚╗▼░
░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░

░ : Wall
╔,╚,╗,╝ : Track/Ramp
▼ : Down Ramp (empty space)
}}

Note that this impulse elevator, due to the checkpoint effect and upward curved ramp effect, will not actually result in carts traveling straight up the ramp. They will lose speed, bounce off a ramp, then be accelerated back into the spiral after a 9-turn delay on both tiles on the floor where they are stopped. This is because the checkpoint effect allows carts to travel up the ramps in a single turn, but also prevents the impulse ramps from adding acceleration unless the cart is slowed to staying on the ramp for more than one turn. Initial acceleration will carry the cart up a variable number of floors before this effect occurs, but this bouncing back and forth will occur every 5 z-levels after the first time the cart stops. When the cart ''is'' traveling upwards, it will pass every tile at a rate of one tile per turn regardless of its actual speed, due to the checkpoint effect. In tracks with only a single cart, this is negligible, but when multiple carts are on the same track (such as when you place multiple carts on a magma cart lift) this can cause collisions which derail carts or cause other unexpected or undesired behaviors.

The following impulse ramp (while larger) should alleviate these problems by using a straight ramp to go upwards, preceded by an impulse ramp to exploit the checkpoint effect and negate up ramp costs. Corners still decelerate carts, so the cart will tend towards a velocity of 72k, which is derail speed. Derail speed breaks (see Controlling Speed, below) may be necessary at the top.

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1 z +2 z +3
░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░░░
░░░░░░ ░╔╔═░░ ░░▼▼╗░ ░░░░░░
░║░░░░ ░▼░░░░ ░░░░╗░ ░░░░▼░
░╚░░░░ ░▼░░░░ ░░░░║░ ░░░░▼░
░╚▼▼░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░═╝╝░
░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░░░

░ : Wall
║,═,╔,╚,╗,╝ : Track/Ramp
▼ : Down Ramp (empty space)
}}

Also, if you want to have a cart following a below-derail speed, the following track works well:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1 z +2 z +3
░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░
░░░░░ ░══░░ ░▼▼║░ ░░░▼░
░║░░░ ░▼░░░ ░░░║░ ░░░▼░
░║▼▼░ ░▼░░░ ░░░░░ ░░══░
░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░

░ : Wall
║,═ : Track/Ramp
▼ : Down Ramp (empty space)
}}
In this elevator, the cart collides with the walls in the corners, but then realigns on the ramp, picks up speed, checkpoints through the next ramp, and slams into the next wall. It is slower (10 ticks per floor) but produces reliable speeds, and will exit the impulse elevator at little more than push speeds.

A sort of opposite effect to impulse ramps also exists: ramps lacking the proper "up" and "down" connections are treated as flat track, even if they actually go up or down z-levels. This allows building "anti-impulse" slopes consisting entirely of ramps only connected up, which a minecart can travel up forty levels and more, needing no more than a single push.

=== Controlling traffic ===

==== Switching ====

As tracks are constructions or tile features, [[door]]s and other furniture can be built on them. A [[door]] or [[floodgate]] can be turned on or off by a [[lever]], effectively controlling the flow of automated minecarts. This may be <s>dangerous</s> [[fun]], however.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
->
A ════┤≡════ B
┤ : roller pushing to East
≡ : door
}}
The roller pushes the cart east, but until the "departure condition" is fulfilled, the door remains closed and blocks the path.

[[Bridge]]s can also act as tracks, but only if they're lowered or not retracted. This property can enable levers to turn tracks on and off. However, care should be taken to ensure that such bridges are never operated while a cart is on top of them, as the cart will be flung off the track. It's worth noting that it's often faster, and cheaper, to construct large bridges than long sections of constructed track.

A powered track switch can be constructed by building an "inverted" corner as illustrated below.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
B B
║ -> ║
║ ║
════╚═══ ════├════
A C A C
├ : roller pushing to West.
}}

If the cart is pushed East from the stop at 'A' while the roller is activated, it will arrive at 'B'. If the roller is not running, it will arrive at 'C'. The switch works by the roller first reversing the incoming cart's movement and the cart ''then'' following the track corner.

This switch is very reliable, reacts instantly to on/off signals, and carts of any speed can be switched by this design, although very fast carts will require rollers that are several tiles long, up to three. The requirement for power can be inconvenient or impractical. Non-powered solutions may use controlled derailment, or a connecting bridge.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
B ╥
║
║
╞════╝ ════╡
A D C
}}
Here the track between A and C is not continuous. The only continuous track is A->B, with a corner (not a T section). Fast moving carts will tend to derail at D and rejoin the track to C. Placing a door at D will prevent the derailment, so the cart continues to B. The door is operated by mechanisms elsewhere (typically, a lever, but some fun can be had with pressure plates).

Since it depends on derailing, this switch requires a very fast cart, faster than what can be achieved with rollers alone. To gain sufficient speed, a cart must be accelerated further, usually by descending several levels or through impulse ramps. The high speed makes the cart much more dangerous and harder to control.

If carts are moving too slowly to derail at the corner, a retractable bridge may be used as a connector between A and C.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
B╥
║
║
A╞════bbb════╡C
}}
The bridge must overlap the corner. Bridges behave like a track crossing, allowing carts to pass in a straight line. When retracted, the corner reappears, so the carts will continue to B. Bridges take 100 steps to react to a signal, necessitating rather long "lead times" when switching tracks via bridge.

As mentioned above, special care must be taken to make sure the bridge doesn't change state while the cart is passing over it. Retracting bridges will throw the cart, causing it to stop dead. Raising bridges can even crush the cart.

==== Controlling Speed ====


Minecarts can reach extremely high speeds, especially when descending multiple Z-levels. A minecart will derail at a track corner if its speed exceeds 0.5 t/st (tiles per step), '''unless''' the route in the direction of travel is blocked:

Will derail at > 0.5 t/st:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
in ══╗ -> derailing
║
out
}}

Will not derail at > 0.5 t/st:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
in ══╗O
║
out

O : wall/column.
}}

This behavior can be used to build a "speed limiter", that will ensure that when a minecart exits it is traveling below derail speed:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░
in ═╔═╗░ ░╔S╗░ ░╔S╗░
out ═╬═╝░ out ═╗═╝░ out ═╗═╝░
░╚S╝░ ░╚═╝═ in ░╚S╝░
░░░░░ ░░░░ ║░░░
in
░ : wall
S : Track Stop (High Friction or lower)
}}
If the minecart is traveling below derailment speed, it will not be affected; if above, will be slowed down and checked again. Granted, you could do the same just with track turns, but it may take a lot of turns and time.

Since all the derailings, bounces and ramps can impart a sideway component of speed small enough to start visible drift many tiles away (say, [[Fun|in the middle of a bridge]]), track turns have one more use: forcing the carts to move strictly along the grid directions. Carts passing a turn below derailing speed convert one component of velocity into another, thus eliminating the drift.

=== Loading liquids ===
[[Water]] and [[magma]] can also be loaded into minecarts by submerging them to a depth of at least 6/7 while standing still or moving at speeds of at most 10000. Loading fluids onto minecarts can be difficult because the added friction provided by fluids can stop a cart in a submerged tile. Curiously, filling a minecart with magma does not injure a dwarf ''riding'' it. A minecart will hold enough fluid to increase the depth of a single tile by 2. This amount is listed as 833 units, which weigh 459Γ (water) or 999Γ (magma). An iron or steel cart filled with magma weighs 1313Γ, while an adamantine cart filled with magma weighs 1007Γ. Since you need a minecart above the liquid's level, possible arrangements may include pressure-activated sluices, rollers (with magma-safe chains for magma), pouring from above to "submerge" it briefly on the same level and drain excess away (dig deeper and leave a vaporizer, though if you could have power for rollers, may as well use a pump) and exploits with ramps (not necessarily impulse ramps, "same height" passing dip does it).
The liquids can be dumped by a constructed track stop.

== Quirks ==
This little quirk concerns dwarf-managed minecarts. If a track which was previously open becomes blocked (ex. flipping a switch connected to a floodgate you've built on the track to raise it) and the conditions for departure are met, instead of refusing to ride/guide the minecart or ride/guide it until it reaches the obstacle, the dwarf will pick up the minecart off the tracks and haul it to its scheduled destination on foot. If the distance is long enough and the weight of the cart heavy enough (due to being filled with heavy items such as stones), the dwarf may drop the cart because of fatigue/hunger/thirst before reaching the destination. This will cancel that vehicle setting job and make another dwarf come by and attempt to haul the cart to the nearest appropriate stockpile where another dwarf will pick up the cart and attempt to haul it to its initial stop. If the stockpile is far enough from initial stop, this second dwarf who is attempting to place the minecart on its tracks may also drop the minecart out of fatigue/hunger/thirst creating a loop that will go on until a dwarf with enough endurance manages to place the minecart where it belongs.

In fact, it seems dwarves are more than happy to attempt to carry a minecart from one stop to another even if just waiting until the track is open again would be the more sane option.

Dwarves will also carry a minecart to its next stop if the direction specified is incorrect (or invalid). This can often occur when using the default departure settings and forgetting to set the direction of each condition.

Dwarves can admire buildings while riding mine carts. Dwarves will not fall asleep during a ride (at least not from being drowsy). If riding on a continuous powered track loop, the dwarf will die of dehydration/starvation as they can not jump off to get sustenance.{{cite forum|109460/3377228}} Dwarves riding in submerged minecarts will gain experience in [[swimming]].{{cite forum|129889}}

Tracks block wagon access to trade depots, unless they're on a ramp. [[Bridge]]s can also be used, as they function as tracks but do not block wagons.

== Physics ==


Minecart physics depend greatly on the departure mode set in the route stop conditions.

When set to "Push" or "Ride", minecarts will move according to the regular laws of momentum, gaining speed when going downhill, losing it slowly due to friction when on a flat plane, and more quickly when going uphill. In these modes, minecarts will move in a straight line until they either are brought to a stop by friction or an obstacle, or until they encounter a turn. A minecart will roll straight past "blocked" ends of T-junctions or track ends, they have no power to restrict a cart's movement. The cart's behavior is largely independent of the weight of its contents (including fluids and dwarves): heavily loaded carts gain more momentum when accelerating, but this only plays a role in collisions: a heavy cart gains just as much speed and is as easy to stop as a light one. In either case, dwarves can not push nor ride an unpowered cart up a ramp, bouncing back the direction it came. At best, this is a waste of time; at worst, it will give your cart-pushing dwarf a [[fun|fun surprise]]. To solve this, the player can either use Rollers (see below) or set the cart to be Guided.

The difference between "Push" and "Ride" is whether the dwarf will go along with the cart or not.
{{DFtext|Push}}: the dwarf will give the cart an initial push, not enough to go up a ramp, but enough to go some way along flat track, and the dwarf will remain at the first stop, ready for a new job.
{{DFtext|Ride}}: the dwarf will give the cart the same initial push and then hop aboard the cart riding with it to the next stop.
{{DFtext|Guide}}: minecarts seem to ignore all laws of physics. That is:
*Ignore the weight of any and all items inside. Therefore:
**Move at the speed of the dwarf that is guiding them. It is thus recommended to pick the most [[attribute#Agility|agile]] of your dwarves for cart-guiding tasks.
*Ignore working rollers.
*Will ''not'' collide with other guided carts even when a full frontal collision would be expected.
*Will go up ramps like nobody's business.
This is therefore the recommended method of transport for simple non-powered rail systems, despite it diverting a dwarf from other, potentially more important tasks.

Some samples with behavior:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
A <-> B A <-> C A <-> B
B B B
║ ║ ║
A══╝ A══╩══C A══╬╗
You can only go A->B ╚╝
Works when the cart Works
is in Guide mode.
}}
In the second example above, a cart "pushed" from B will go over the junction and roll off into the unknown south.

=== Numbers behind the scenes ===

According to early research by '''expwnent'''{{cite forum|112831/3536975}}:

The minecart has 3 variables for velocity. Velocity can be thought of as tiles per 100000 ticks, so a velocity of one hundred thousand means a cart travels one tile per tick. By going down a large number of ramps, a maximum velocity of 270,000 can be reached, which presents the limit for most practical applications. Short bursts of (much) higher speeds are possible through carefully planned collisions of high-speed carts.{{cite forum|137557/5145499}} (See [[#Perfectly Elastic Collisions|Perfectly Elastic Collisions]].)

Every tick the cart adjusts sub-tile position units by the amount of their velocity, as well as adjusts velocity depending on current tile (speed is reduced by the "friction" of the tile, or accelerated if going "down" a ramp). On flat (non-ramp) tiles, the cart will move to the next tile when the sub-tile position goes 50000 away from the centre of the tile, denoted by the no-fraction integer value - tile 15 e.g. has its centre at the exact value 15 and its borders at co-ordinates 14.5 and 15.5.

Since most deceleration and acceleration is applied per step, with the notable exception of corners, a cart going at twice the speed of another one can travel about four times the distance before coming to a stop when going in a straight line, but only twice the distance along a winding track with very many corners.

A push will teleport a cart to the middle of the next tile in one tick with 19990 speed (10 speed is lost due to track friction), while a roller will directly give a cart the roller's set speed (minus friction) and the cart starts accumulating distance from its standing position. When a cart leaves a ramp it will emerge after one tick at the very end of the next regular tile.

Friction of tiles:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Tile
! Friction
! Comment
|-
| Tracks
| 10
|-
| Ground/Floor
| 200
|-
| Unusable ramp
| 10
|-
| Upwards ramp
| 4910 (10+4900)
|-
| Downwards ramp
| -4890 (10-4900)
|-
| Roller
| ±100000 (but capped by the set speed)
|-
| Corner track
| 10
| Speed reduced by 1000 upon leaving the corner tile
|-
| Track stop (highest)
| 50000
|-
| Track stop (high)
| 10000
|-
| Track stop (medium)
| 500
|-
| Track stop (low)
| 50
|-
| Track stop (lowest)
| 10
|-
| Water 1-6
| Additional (WaterLevel - 1) * 100
| rowspan="2" | [[#Skipping|See Skipping]]
|-
| Magma 1-6
| Additional (WaterLevel - 1) * 500
|-
| Empty space
| 0
|}

Water of depth 7/7 provides a friction of about 10000 per step. Maximum-depth magma causes at least as much friction, possibly more. This higher friction may not apply to very slow-moving carts.

Impulse sources:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Feature
! Speed
|-
| Push
| 20000
|-
| Roller lowest
| 10000
|-
| Roller low
| 20000
|-
| Roller medium
| 30000
|-
| Roller high
| 40000
|-
| Roller Highest
| 50000
|-
|}

Note, again, that nearly all of these values are applied ''per tick'', rather than ''per tile''. The exceptions are curves, which is 1k deceleration per direction change at the end of the tile, and rollers, which ''set'' the speed every tick. This makes rollers particularly useful in high-deceleration situations, such as underwater, but require that ''nearly every tile'' in such high-deceleration situations have a roller.

A cart heading up a ramp can experience deceleration on multiple ticks, (and stays on the tile more ticks the slower it is going, resulting in greater deceleration,) and as such, a cart leaving a "Highest Speed" roller with 50k velocity will not be able to climb 10 consecutive straight ramps, since they are ''not'' "5k deceleration each". In fact, the first ramp not on a roller will be -15k velocity, and, depending slightly upon other factors of "remainder" x position, the second may completely cancel forward momentum, and send it rolling back down, where it will bounce off the roller repeatedly. Using rollers to power carts up ramps reliably requires rollers every other un-rollered ramp. Fortunately, rollers can be built upon ramps, themselves, which allows for rollers to only need to be built every other floor. (Exploiting the [[#Checkpoint Effect|checkpoint effect]] can allow one to bypass this requirement.)

There are two important speed values which affect carts' behaviour:

"Derailing" can happen when a cart moves at speeds in excess of 50000 - carts will ignore track corners unless forced to obey them by walls or other obstacles blocking the straight path.

The "shotgun" effect takes place when a collision changes a cart's movement speed by more than 55000: loaded carts subject to such a change eject their contents, which then keep on moving in a ballistic trajectory, in the direction and at the speed the cart had before the collision (with a small random vector added). This effect entirely rides on the amount of speed ''change'' - a speeding cart crashing into a wall can be subject to it just as well as a standing cart accelerated by a speedy cart smacking into it. It can even happen when two relatively slow-moving carts (down to speeds below 20000 in extreme cases) collide head-on.

=== Sub-tile Positions and Velocity ===
Carts store six values that are unique to them. Three sub-tile position values, and three velocity values. (X, Y, and Z.)

Note that the Z position and velocity only matter when a cart is in flight. (See [[#Falling|Falling]] and [[#Cart Jumps|Cart Jumps]].)

Each non-ramp tile is functionally composed of 100,000 individual minimal-length positions ''within'' the tile in both dimensions. When a cart has velocity, it is added or subtracted from the current position every tick, and then a friction force is applied to the cart.

In essence, every sub-tile position unit is a decimal value of a tile, 0.00001 tiles, in a game that largely prefers integer values.

The exact cart coordinates shown e.g. by a DFHack script must be rounded arithmetically (up or down to the nearest integer) to find the current tile: a cart in the centre of a tile will be at sub-tile zero in all directions, and it will cross into the next tile when subtile value is more than 50 000 higher or lower than the full number.

When carts move beyond the borders of a tile, they physically move a tile on the map, and start at the far end of the sub-tile position the next tile. (I.E., traveling West, a cart that starts a tick 15,000 X away from the border and has an X velocity of -20,000 will move -5000 X past the adjacent border of the next tile in direction -X. It will also lose 10 velocity in that tick due to friction with the track if it is on a track, or 100 velocity if it is on regular ground, or no velocity if it is airborne.)

Ramp tiles are longer, approximately 141,420{{cite forum|157627/0}} in the direction where it "slants downward", (to approximate a 45 degree slope, it is square root of two times longer,) with a centre-to-border distance of 70,710. Because of this, a cart with no velocity dropped from a hatch will land at the center of a tile, 70,710 away from the tile's borders in both directions, and will start rolling in the ramp's "downward" direction, picking up the ramp's acceleration (4890 per tick in the direction of the ramp's "downward" direction) every single tick, then moving that sub-tile amount every tick. (This results in a cart that takes 5 ticks of acceleration to leave its ramp - 6 ticks overall - and to leave the ramp with about 23k velocity, slightly more than a push.) When it enters another ramp ''facing the same direction downwards'', a cart will start at the -70710 or +70710 position, and have twice as far to travel. This means that if a cart enters a ramp from the side, it will gain twice the momentum of simply starting at the midpoint of a ramp.

Note that passing from one direction of ramp to another or to flat terrain causes unintuitive behavior, "teleporting" to the end of another tile in what is called the "[[#Checkpoint Effect|checkpoint effect]]".

Note, however, that all sub-tile positions are carried over from tile-to-tile. This separate tracking of velocity and position between X and Y can lead to problems with diagonal motion:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z0 z-1
▒║▒ ▒▒▒
═▼═ ▒╬▒
▒ ▒ ▒║▒
▒ : Wall
═, ║ : Track
╬ : Track and Ramp
}}

If a cart is passing West-to-East over this setup, the valid ramp to the South will apply "Southward" acceleration to the cart (-Y velocity) as it passes through the ramp tile. Assuming it only spends two ticks in that tile, it will have gained a lasting -5k Y velocity, which will still apply motion Southward. If the cart continues travelling over straight track for another ten steps, it will have accumulated enough Southward motion to try to move a tile South, even if all tracks are facing East-West.

A single tile spent on the ramp will not grant lasting southward motion, because the acceleration will be neutralised through the checkpoint effect when the cart leaves the ramp again, but the cart will be displaced about 5k sub-tiles southward, which can cause it to gain more or less speed than an undisplaced cart when meeting another south- or north-accelerating ramp.

'''Non-curving tracks do not correct this motion'''.

They don't "tip back over" without adjustments in the track. Any value of sideways motion on tracks larger than 990 will lead to a derailment. (Lower values will be nullified by friction before they are enough to lead to derailment, but there is currently no way to apply such a small amount of velocity.)

If the tile to the South is a wall at that point, it will be considered a collision with a wall that ''halts all motion''. If the tile is open, the cart will simply leave the track and travel over the terrain beside it. In almost any circumstance, this is undesirable behavior.

The only way to appropriately deal with this is to either cancel out this behavior with an equal amount of acceleration in the opposite direction, or to take a curve.

Note, again, that sub-track position is saved in both directions, so when a cart approaches a curve, it will already have a shorter or longer distance past the curve when it makes the turn.

Curves are applied at the end of a tile. If a cart is moving East, and approaches a North-West track corner at 30k velocity, and friction is eliminated for the purposes of a cleaner demonstration, then when it enters the tile on the western (X coordinate) border of the tile, but in a central North-South (Y) orientation (sub-tile -50k X and 0 Y due to arithmetic rounding), it will then move 30k East (+X) the next tick, and be at -20k X sub-tile position, and 0 Y sub-tile position. Next tick, it is at +10k X sub-tile position, and 0k Y sub-tile position. Two more ticks would take it to +70k X, but that's past the tile border, so it stops at 50k, turns (and thus loses 1k velocity, but translates the rest from X-velocity to Y-velocity) and travels another 20k. It is now at 0k X sub-tile position, and -20k Y sub-tile position (i.e. it's re-set from the end to the middle of the tile with respect to the X co-ordinate). Next tick, it travels at 29k velocity North, and so moves to 0k X sub-tile position, and +9k Y sub-tile position. Then in two more turns, it leaves to the North.

In the case of diagonal motion due to having velocities in X and Y at the same time, it is critical which tile the cart actually tries to enter next. Only if the path into that tile is blocked by the corner branches will the cart take the corner and rewrite its velocity, otherwise it leaves the corner tile without changes to its motion. If the cart is redirected by the corner, all sideways velocity is lost, as forwards velocity ''overwrites'' sideways velocity in a curve. If, in that example in the paragraph above, the cart entered at -50k X sub-tile position with 30k X velocity, and 40k Y sub-tile position and -1k Y velocity, it would take that "curve" (or rather, redirection of velocity) on the fourth turn, while it is at 37k Y sub-tile position to start with, and then move to -53k Y sub-tile position at the end of that tick. It would then move to -26k Y sub-tile position in the following turn, and take 3 turns to clear the tile.

But, most importantly, it would be centered in the X sub-tile position, and all sideways velocity is safely removed.

There are two common ways to gain sideways velocity: Rollers facing perpendicular to the cart's travel path (which, as covered above, are almost always a bad idea, as it is easier to push ''against'' the travel direction of a cart into a curve, which redirects all velocity in the new direction,) and [[#Corner Ramp Derail|corner ramps]], and require a curved track to compensate for sideways velocity within a few tiles.

=== Track Direction Irrelevance ===
Carts that are traveling independently, (that is, not guided,) only care that tracks ''are'' on the tile, not which direction the tracks actually move. Tracks respect only curves (with two exits) and ramps.

This means, for example, that the following tracks, when a (non-guided) cart travels from West-to-East, are functionally identical in effect:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
A════════════B A╬║╚╔╣╩╦╠╥╨╞╡B
}}

This is because so far as the cart is concerned, only valid ramps and curves with two exits where there is no exit in the path they are traveling matters.

Hence, if a minecart encounters the end of the track or a T junction with no "exit" in its movement direction, it will simply leave the track and continue on its course in a straight line until it encounters an obstacle, slows to a stop, or encounters another track even if the tile at which it joins the new track instantly sends it around a corner.

In fact, in a track designed for pushes or rides, a "║", a "╦", a "╬", and a "╥" are ''only different in appearance'', and are ignored by an unguided cart, which will continue in its current direction, regardless of the track. For any purpose but guided tracks, ''only curves and ramps matter at all''.

Tracks like T-junctions, however, ''are'' respected by dwarves guiding carts, who will lift and carry carts if they cannot find a valid track to their destination, and can choose to follow any orthogonal direction at a four-way junction in much the same way as they normally pathfind. What this functionally means is that T and four-way junctions ''only guide dwarves hauling a cart, not carts, themselves''.

Carts only check for curves when they are halfway through a tile. When they get there, they look to see if their path has no exit. (That is, if it is traveling East, it checks if there is an East exit.) If there is, it ignores all other track directions, and keeps traveling. If there is not, it checks to see if there are only two exits to the track, and if one of those directions was the direction it "came from". (That is, if traveling West from the East, it checks if there is a valid exit to the West, and if not, if there is an East exit and EITHER a North or South exit.) If there is not, it ignores the track anyway, and keeps on traveling as though it were still on track.

If there is a curve the cart will respect, it checks for derailment. Carts derail if their speed is higher than 50k. Carts at this critical speed will then check for blockages of their forward path. If there is an obstacle to their path, which may be a wall or even furniture or buildings like a door, they will not derail and respect the curve, anyway. Derailing carts do not "[[#Cart Jumps|jump]]" unless they hit completely untracked tile or an invalid ramp, but simply ignore the layout of the tracks entirely. With invalid ramps, this means not respecting the ramp, and likely results in collision with a wall, zeroing of all velocity, and a cart that requires manual retrieval.

If the cart is traveling at a speed that will not derail, or is forced to turn by a supporting wall, it will subtract 1000 from the "forwards" velocity of the cart, and redirect all forward velocity to the direction of the curve. This change in the direction of velocity ''overwrites'' any "diagonal" velocity, which can prevent diagonal velocity derailments, but any perpendicular velocity is not preserved, and is instead discarded.

=== Valid and Invalid Ramps ===
Ramps are functionally defined for cart purposes as being a tile which exerts an acceleration force upon its "downward slope", and which allows connection to tracks a z-level above or below. This downward slope requires a cart to have at least one track branch touching a wall tile and one ''and exactly one'' carved exit to the tile that is the "bottom" of the ramp. Ramps accelerate carts in this "downward" direction (possibly leading to [[#Corner Ramp Derail|diagonal movement]]), and the deceleration of an "uphill" ramp is actually just the acceleration being applied against the direction of a cart's movement.

This is where players can find an exploit in the behavior of ramps - if there are ''two'' "downhill" exits to a ramp (such as a "T junction" on a ramp where only one exit faces a wall), then the ramp provides no acceleration ''or'' deceleration, allowing carts to travel up ramps without any loss of momentum except for the standard "flat track" deceleration, because as far as the cart is concerned, the track ''is'' flat. (A T junction is also not a curve, so the track is considered flat and straight no matter what direction the cart is traveling.)

Similar effects can be achieved when there are ''no'' "downhill" exits to a ramp. This may be the case if you have, for example, an East-West track with a one-tile channel with a ramp in it. The cart will travel through the "dip" with no change in velocity. It can also be the case if you abuse the [[#Track Direction Irrelevance|Track Direction Irrelevance]], and set only exits ''up'' the ramp, and none leading ''down'' the ramp. For example, if a cart is traveling from West to East up a slope, only carving East exits on each tile of ramp will make the cart travel up the ramp, and then recognize the tile it is on as being a "flat" tile, thus ignoring any deceleration from traveling uphill.

Note that this effect only reliably occurs at below-derail speeds as the cart will treat the ramp as an invitation for a ramp jump otherwise. (This almost always results in a collision with a wall that will stop forward progress.)

=== Falling ===
When falling, a minecart appears to cause no damage upon collision, possibly to allow cart "stacking" across Z-levels.{{cite devlog|2012|04|06}} A dwarf riding in a minecart that is dropped multiple z-levels suffers normal fall damage. Minecarts can fall through up/down stairs.

While airborne, carts do not feel the effects of friction in any horizontal direction, and will continue until they strike an obstacle. Carts that land on tracks instantly re-rail themselves regardless of track directionality.

Falling carts accelerate similarly to the way that a ramp will accelerate a cart in a special z-only velocity that only applies to airborne carts. (Actually, since a tile is notionally 1.5 times as high as it is wide/long, acceleration due to gravity in freefall appears slightly ''slower'' than ramp acceleration, since it has to move the cart (or any other object) a greater distance.) Ramp acceleration, while it logically should be partially z-directional, is only recorded as x- or y-directional, and there is no translation of z-directional velocity upon landing. Landing carts zero out their vertical velocity upon landing, even when landing on ramps, although carts that had horizontal momentum while falling preserve it.

This means a cart falling onto a track ramp is accelerated as if starting from the middle of the ramp - i.e. to the same speed, no matter how many Z-levels it was dropped, vertical velocity is negated. {{cite forum|144328/5701211}} As a consequence, the fall damage to passengers is also negated.

Carts falling onto a floor can, however, cause damage to creatures ''one tile below the floor''. This can be used in an [[exploit]] called a "thumper", where carts are caused to repeatedly fall on a floor above an entrance to the fort, inflicting significant damage (as though it were a collision) on those below the cart.

=== Cart Jumps ===
Carts that cross off of "up" ramps relative to their current direction of travel, which do not have a ceiling above them, are traveling above derail speed, and do not have valid ramp track before them can translate a portion of their horizontal velocity into vertical velocity, causing a cart to be projected into the air until vertical velocity is negated and overcome by the gravitational acceleration. Because downwards acceleration is applied per-tick, this creates a reasonable facsimile of the parabolic motion of an actual object rolled up a ramp and launched with significant speed.

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z0 z0 hiding ramps z+1 A z+1 B (hidden ramp)
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
═▲▲▲▲▲══▲▒▲═ ═╚╚╚╚╚═══▒══ ▼▼▼▼▼ ▼═▼ ▼▼▼▼▼ ▼╚▼
▒ : Wall
═ : track
▲ : Ramp
}}
In this diagram, if there is no ceiling above it, the track in z+1 A will launch its carts airborne when they travel across the ramp. z+1 B (with a ramp on the tile on the hill) will not launch the cart. The cart would also not be launched with ''any'' valid ramp, even if it does not travel in an appropriate direction, such as North/South (which the cart will ignore, as it is not a curve, anyway, although it may produce acceleration that may cause diagonal movement.)

Carts that are traveling at derail velocity will also start "jumping" from the track if it hits an un-tracked tile, flying over and ignoring any tracks until it is ready to land. Carts that land upon tracked tiles re-rail themselves, and clever designers use this feature to jump over curved track sections in one direction or another. (Retracting bridges over untracked tiles can cause jumps or not cause jumps depending upon the status of the bridge.) Minecart speed must be carefully regulated to ensure reliability of jump length.

Hitting untracked tiles at around 70k velocity creates a vertical component to acceleration that allows for jumps of around 6 (horizontal) tiles that do not actually leave the z-level the cart is on, but which do apply z-direction velocity on the cart, as per falling.

Carts that approach a downward slope at a high enough velocity will also make a jump, (or rather, ignore the ramp and fly forwards) but will not do so if the [[#Checkpoint Effect|Checkpoint Effect]] is exploited through an impulse ramp before the actual downhill as the impulse ramp "tricks" the cart into thinking it has already started going downhill.

=== Skipping ===
If a minecart is moving fast enough, it can skip over [[water]] or [[magma]], making splashes of [[mist]] (or [[magma mist]]) as it attempts to move on them horizontally. This horizontal movement is independent of the minecart and its content's [[weight]].

Skipping causes significant friction on the cart, and even a cart going at max speed from ramps can only make about 50 tiles without requiring re-acceleration. (Carts that decelerate enough that they do not trigger the skipping effect will, of course, sink.)

=== Corner Ramp Derail ===

Corners on upward ramps can cause diagonal movement, forcing a derail even if the cart has a wall next to it, which will force a stop when it touches a wall that forces dwarves to manually reset the cart.

This is caused by the fact that a cart, after turning the bend in the track and entering e.g. a flat tile, will be subject to the checkpoint effect which applies 5k acceleration opposed to the last amount of ramp acceleration it received. Since the cart has just passed a corner, this compensatory speed adjustment now goes to the "outside" of the corner and creates enough lateral velocity to carry the cart off the track after eleven steps. (Down corner ramps do not have this problem, as the downward direction is in line with the past-corner movement direction and the checkpoint effect works on the only remaining movement vector.)

There are two fixes to this problem. One is to simply not put corners on up ramps. The other is to "cancel" the lateral speed after a cart has passed the ramp, either by sending the cart through another corner or by putting a high-friction track stop on the exit tile. In the latter case, the cart will lose 10000 speed in the desired direction, but the same speed loss will apply to the undesired lateral speed, nullifying it.

=== Checkpoint Effect ===
The checkpoint effect, [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=144328.0 explained in depth by Larix], is an odd and highly exploitable feature of ramps where minecarts "teleport" through the next tile of track, ignoring nearly all minecart physics (except that they stop at all walls or other obstacles and only respect curves with no backing wall and invalid ramps if they are below derail speed) and passing through that tile in just a single tick, and to the very end of the next tile.

This effect occurs when a cart leaves a downward ramp for any other direction of tile. (This includes ramps which accelerate in different directions, even a ramp which goes from accelerating East to accelerating North due to a bend in a chain of standard down ramps in a curve.) This allows, for example, two valid straight ramps directly next to one another with a cart dropped onto one or the other with no momentum to have the cart pick up acceleration going "down" the ramp as normal, but then flying up through the "up" ramp it travels into with no loss of momentum, as though it had come from an impulse ramp. If the two ramps had at least one space of distance between them, and then a cart were dropped in, the cart would instead "rock" back and forth between the two ramps.

This seems to be because ramps have a slightly longer length than regular tiles - 141,420, rather than 100,000 distance. When this "snaps back" after a ramp, it seems to project the cart suddenly further along the track, making it jump a tile ahead even when otherwise moving at relatively low speeds.

This [[bug]] is the cause of a ''wide array'' of unexpected behavior among people who do not take this bug into account. It causes derailments or failure to climb up seemingly valid impulse elevators. In general, it makes a system that behaves extremely counter-intuitively, and operates ''any time a cart encounters a valid ramp''. At the same time, when its effect is accounted for, it is highly exploitable: It causes "perpetual motion devices" using no power when two opposing ramps are placed next to one another, since the "uphill" effect of the opposing ramp is ignored, preventing deceleration.

Another useful thing to note about this exploit is that carts traveling at no less than 71,000 or so speed (enough to travel half a ramp tile in a single tick) can travel through every tile in just one tick at no change in velocity as long as the tiles alternate between impulse ramp or actual down ramp and any other tile type. The cart checkpoints through the non-down-ramp tiles, and can pass through the (impulse) down ramp tiles in a single tick, before they can actually start gaining momentum.

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
═▲═▲═▲═▲═▲═ ═╚═╚═╚═╚═╚═
▒ : Wall
═ : Normal track
▲/╚ : N/E Track/Ramp
}}

If the cart enters from the West at less than 72,000 speed, some of those ramps will cause Eastward acceleration.

This means that an impulse ramp not contiguous to other impulse ramps has a top speed of around 75k:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒
▒╔═╗▒ ▒╔═╗▒
▒╚▲╝▒ ▒╚╗╝▒
▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒
}}
This setup makes a cart that travels clockwise at a speed that fluctuates around 75k velocity. If the cart has more than 72k velocity, it fails to accelerate in the ramp, as it leaves the ramp in a single turn due to checkpointing to the halfway point. After that, the curves sap 1k velocity, and every tick saps 10 velocity.

Two contiguous impulse ramps with a same-facing "downwards slope", however, do not suffer the checkpoint effect in the second tile, giving functionally triple the space to accelerate. This means it will add velocity (at the standard rate of 4.9k per tick) up to a maximum speed of 216k.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒╔══╗▒ ▒╔══╗▒
▒╚▲▲╝▒ ▒╚╗╗╝▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒
}}
This example results in a cart moving three times as fast as the previous cart.

Three successive ramps results in the highest attainable speeds.

In practical terms, this means that only consecutive ramps should be used for high acceleration, but singleton ramps can be used to have speeds that are somewhat regulated.

=== Stacking ===
If a minecart lands on top of another minecart, they may form a stack, with the upper cart on the z-level above the lower. Subsequent carts do not form a stack, but rather quantum stockpile in the same space. This behaviour is useful for [[megaprojects]] and [[trap design]] with minecarts as the weaponry. Moderation should still be exercised: carts take longer to fall into a "stacking" tile already occupied by other carts and will spend that time "hanging" in the air above the stack. This can lead to following carts striking them, which can cause all kinds of malfunctions. The extra time is two game steps for every cart already in the stack, which doesn't hurt stacks of ten carts very much but makes stacks of 100+ rather impractical.

These minecarts on the upper level generally need to be struck with another minecart to move out, or have their support removed. The latter option is safest done by shooting it away with another minecart, manual removal of a stack-supporting cart typically causes the next cart from the stack to [[fun|fall on top]] of the hauler.

=== Perfectly Elastic Collisions ===
Minecart collisions are perfectly elastic, meaning that not only do minecarts not take damage, but that two carts that are rolling which have frontal collisions of near-similar speed, and where one cart is no more than twice the mass of the other cart, will result in a billiard-ball-like effect of the lighter cart bouncing off the heavier cart with a proportional speed increase dependent upon the relative momentum behind the heavier cart.

Using this trick with carts already at the 270,000 maximum speed from ramps can result in "supersonic" carts traveling at speeds in the millions (travelling a dozen tiles per tick), but where they are suddenly subject to 10,000 units of "terminal velocity" friction per tick. [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=137557.0 Thread with SCIENCE here].

While hypothetically capable of launching a minecart into orbit when used in conjunction with a ramp, no cargo can be contained in the launched cart, as the collisions will force ejections of the cargo. Your "unwilling volunteer" [[goblin]] space pioneers will simply become paste underneath the wheels of an extreme high-speed cart.

== Non-standard uses ==
Minecarts include some interesting characteristics that have motivated uses beyond hauling. They can be useful for creating fully-automated [[exploit|quantum stockpiles]], [[garbage disposal]]s, [[Water_wheel#Micro_Water_Reactor|water reactors]], and [[portable drain]]s. Storing perishable goods (meat, meals, etc.) inside a minecart appears to guard against rot and vermin.
Minecarts can be [[Trap_design#Minecarts|used as weapons]], or as (hopefully non-fatal) triggers to restart stalled [[healthcare]]. They can also be used to time/control game events, either using a basic [[repeater]] or much more advanced [[minecart logic]].
Minecarts trigger [[pressure plate]]s, which means a trap can be designed to trigger when a thief attempts to steal a minecart.
A pressure plate can be used as automatic and more precise custom "launch when full enough" system - as long as weight of your minecarts stays the same. You cannot build a hatch or roller on the same tile, so launch by bumping with another cart. {{cite forum|15096/4580050}}
Dwarves riding minecarts can attack enemies within reach (which goes back to dev log). This applies to shooting, and they actually can hit targets while riding by.{{cite forum|109460/5266119}} Whether a minecart protects the rider and how it interacts with dodging is not known yet. Minecart riders can also [[Swimming#Minecart_training|train swimming]] and [[Megaprojects#Surveillance_Track|detect ambushers]].

== Adventure mode ==
In addition to being used for hauling, minecarts can also be ridden in [[adventure mode]]. (Adapted from forum thread {{cite forum|122903/4258212}})

# If the minecart is in your inventory, drop it. If it is already on the ground, proceed to step 2.
# Press {{k|u}} when you are 1 tile away from the minecart (or standing on the same tile as the minecart).
# You will be presented with the following options:
[[File:minecart adventure mode menu.png|left]]
{{clear}}
* If you {{DFtext|Push}} the minecart, it will move a few tiles in the direction you chose. Physics comes into play here, so it will gain/lose speed depending on the usual factors.
* If you {{DFtext|Ride}} the minecart, you will hop into the minecart, even if you were a tile away, and it will move in the chosen direction with you in it. It will gain/lose speed depending on the usual factors. Whilst the minecart is in motion, you should press {{k|.}} to skip your turn; if you attempt to move whilst the minecart is still in motion, the laws of physics come into play, and you will take [[wound|damage]]. However, it is currently possible to jump out of a moving minecart safely.{{bug|10104}} Alternatively, you can push the minecart whilst it's still in motion (although it's unclear how one can bend [[physics]] so as to push a moving minecart whilst inside the minecart). If you push it in the same direction you are already travelling in, you will greatly increase the minecart's velocity. You can also push it in different directions, and this will cause it to gradually change direction-the amount of pushes this requires depends on the minecart's velocity. Once the minecart has stopped moving, you may move out of it safely, or you may want to give it another push. Note that if you push a minecart right after having ridden it (still on the same tile as the minecart), it will act as though you chose to ''ride'' it.
* When the minecart is on a track, options appear to {{DFtext|Guide}} it in directions that the tracks lead. This moves the cart 1 tile in the direction it is guided. Guiding the cart is the only way to move a minecart from a maximum friction track stop (other than taking it into inventory.)

Minecarts in adventure mode are not restricted by a lack of tracks. However, they are hindered by natural ramps. Attempting to go up a slope will lead up the cart slamming into the wall. The good news is you'll make it over the ramp. The bad news is you likely won't stick the landing.

Note that while carts are a powerful weapon if heavy and fast enough, they have their limits, and a collision can sharply reduce the speed of a cart depending on what you hit, potentially enough to eject the rider. Trying to run over a human will send them flying, while trying to ram a dragon will not end well.

If you want to test this out without creating an adventurer, the [[object testing arena]] allows you to spawn minecarts ({{k|k}}-{{k|c}}-{{k|n}})

== Forging and Melting ==
* Metal minecarts cost '''two''' [[metal]] bars to forge, or '''six''' [[adamantine]] wafers.
* When a non-adamantine metal minecart is melted down, it will return '''1.8''' metal bars, for an '''efficiency of 90%'''.
* When an adamantine minecart is melted down, it will produce '''1.8''' wafers, for an '''efficiency of 30%'''.

== See also ==
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=109460.0 The "How Does Minecart" Thread] by '''Girlinhat''' et al.
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112831.0 SCIENCE: Quantifying minecart physics] by '''Snaake''' et al.
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=129676.0 How to build a Multi-cart Ore to Magma Minecart Project without needing power] by '''WanderingKid'''.
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=144328.0 My very own Minecart Education Thread. Ten Lessons, now complete.] by '''Larix'''.

== Bugs ==
*A dwarf will drop her [[child|baby]], if she has one, when boarding a minecart set to be ridden.
*Dwarves have no concept of traffic safety and will walk into busy minecart lines to retrieve objects, often with deadly consequences. This is especially problematic in [[Swimming#Minecart_training|clever applications]] depending on dwarves riding the carts very frequently, because they have a bad habit of dumping their worn clothes on the tracks after a minecart ride. Adding an automatically-operated [[hatch cover]] at the end of such a ride can help prevent [[unfortunate accident]]s.
*Dwarves cannot guide a minecart through an unlocked door unless another dwarf opens the door.{{bug|6056}}
*It is possible for a creature and minecart moving towards each other to pass without collision if they exchange tiles in the same tick.
*After a minecart ride, a dwarf will sometimes haul the minecart to a storage stockpile, leaving another dwarf to haul the vehicle back to the route.
*Minecarts falling onto a floor injure creatures in the tile below the floor.{{bug|6068}}
*If a minecart travelling at high speed hits a wall, it and its contents may go through the wall, or even end up embedded in it.{{bug|5996}}
*A minecart's initial velocity is not affected by weight, when pushed or launched from rollers.{{bug|6296}}
*Removing a stop that has a vehicle waiting on it may cause the game to crash.{{bug|5980}}
*Jumping out of a minecart in motion does not lead to injury.{{bug|10104}}

{{Gamedata|{{raw|DF2014:item_tool.txt|ITEM_TOOL|ITEM_TOOL_MINECART}}}}

{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Interface}}

[[ru:Minecart]]

Water wheel

2019-01-17T01:27:59Z

DF Ludicer:

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{Machine_component|name=Water wheel|key=w
|construction=
* 3 [[Log]]s
|construction_job=
# [[Architecture]]
# [[Carpenter]]
|power=Needs 10 power. Generates 100 power. Net gain of 90 power.
}}{{av}}

A '''water wheel''' is a [[machine component]] that provides [[power]] via water [[flow]]. To build a water wheel, select {{key|b}}uild menu and choose {{key|M}}achine components. It requires 3 [[wood]] and generates 90 net power, which can be used for operating one or more [[Screw pump|pumps]] or [[mill]]s. You can use [[axle]]s and [[Gear assembly|gears]] to distribute the power produced by a water wheel, or connect the machinery directly.

Waterwheels do ''not'' work with waterfalls, nor in magma—it takes water that is flowing according to the DF use of the term.

''For a basic overview of how the different machine parts work and work together, see [[machinery]].''

== Construction ==
The [[Building_designer|architecture]] and [[Carpenter|carpentry]] labors are needed for the construction.

A water wheel occupies 3 adjacent tiles (N-S or E-W axis, no diagonals). It is the color of the first wood selected for it, so you could build a red wheel with one piece of goblin-cap and two of fungiwood.

Although it's ''possible'' to build a stable water wheel on solid ground, it won't provide any power. A useful water wheel is built in an empty tile that does not contain a floor, allowing the wheel to be powered by water in the tiles one [[Z-axis|z-level]] below. Floorless tiles are typically made by [[channel|channel]]ling away the floor. To support the water wheel, build it with its central tile orthogonally adjacent to a gear assembly, a horizontal axle, a screw pump, or the central tile of a pre-existing water wheel. Do not hang it from a gear assembly you wish to control with a switch, as a disconnected ("switched off") gear assembly can't support anything and will cause the waterwheel to deconstruct.

[[Power]] is generated from a water wheel as long as it has [[flow]]ing water at a depth of 4/7 or greater under at least one of its tiles. The easiest way to achieve this is by placing the water wheel over a [[river]] or [[brook]]. '''With a brook you must first channel through the surface''' since brooks have a floor of sorts over them.

Furthermore, the body of water beneath the water wheel must be flowing in the correct '''direction''' in order for it to work—for example, placing a N-S water wheel over water flowing straight east or west will have no effect. Since most water in Dwarf Fortress seems to flow diagonally, this is rarely an issue.

==Designs==
'''Key:'''

'''#''' = '''Wall'''
○ = '''Millstone'''
+ = '''Floor'''
~ = '''Water'''
W = '''Water Wheel'''
* = '''Gear Assembly'''
═ = '''Axle'''

{|style="border: 1px solid #0b0; background: #dfd"
|+'''Basic watermill design'''
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #07F; padding: 0"|~
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #07F; padding: 0"|~
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
|style="color: #333; padding: 0"|○
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
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|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|W
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
|style="color: #333; padding: 0"|*
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|═
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|═
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|═
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|W
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|W
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #7FF; padding: 0"|~
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
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|style="color: #07F; padding: 0"|~
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|}
{|style="border: 1px solid #0b0; background: #dfd"
|+'''Dual watermill design'''
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
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|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
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|style="color: #07F; padding: 0"|~
|style="color: #07f; padding: 0"|~
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #07F; padding: 0"|~
|style="color: #7FF; padding: 0"|~
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
|style="color: #333; padding: 0"|○
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|W
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|W
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
|style="color: #333; padding: 0"|*
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|═
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|═
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|═
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|W
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|W
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|W
|style="color: #970; padding: 0"|W
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #07F; padding: 0"|~
|style="color: #07F; padding: 0"|~
|- style="font-family: monospace; font-weight: bold; font-size: 135%"
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|#
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
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|style="color: #777; padding: 0"|+
|style="color: #07F; padding: 0"|~
|style="color: #07F; padding: 0"|~
|}
This is by no means the limit of water power from one location, depending on the width of your river/brook/channel you can stack many waterwheels side-by-side (really big assembles will need to be artificial as there's a limit to how wide the game created water flows get). Just remember to make sure there's a support structure in place before you place the next wheel.

== Perpetual motion ==

Due to the relatively low power draw of a [[screw pump]], a ''self-powering'' assembly can be made with a water wheel that still leaves plenty of excess power for other uses. This is undeniably an [[exploit]] and possibly a bug.

To get it working, you must start the pump manually.*

:''(* Exceptions are [[aquifer]]s, which can sometimes have naturally occurring [[flow]]. This is sometimes a good thing, because then a wheel simply works by itself - or a bad thing, if, for example, you want the wheel to '''not''' provide any power while you build a pump adjacent to it. It's not clear what causes an aquifer to have flow and then keep it - it's difficult to replicate reliably, and can be lost with additional [[channel]]ing, so designs will have to be adapted if such are found.)''

It is good to have a ready source of water to refill the machine, as water tends to escape and evaporate. As the water level decreases, the water wheel may intermittently stop providing power; when the level falls below 4/7, the wheel stops providing power altogether.

'''*REMEMBER TO BUILD AN ORTHOGONAL PUMP, HORIZONTAL AXLE OR GEAR ASSEMBLY BEFORE THE WATER WHEEL*'''

===Dwarven Water Reactor===
====Key====
:{{Raw Tile|║ ═ ╝ ╚ ╔ ╗ ╣ ╠ ╩ ╦ O|7:0:1}} = '''Wall'''
:{{Raw Tile|+|7:0:0}} = '''Floor'''
:{{Raw Tile|W|6:0:0}} = '''Water Wheel''' with floor underneath
:{{Raw Tile|W|6:1:0}} = '''Water Wheel''' with water underneath
:{{Raw Tile|≈|1:0:1}} = '''Water''' on current level
:{{Raw Tile|≈|3:0:1}} = '''Water''' on level below
:{{Raw Tile|X|2:0:0}} {{Raw Tile|X|2:0:1}} = '''Screw Pump''' drawing from south

This compact design, once started, produces 170 surplus power (less additional power train). While the water reactor provides a perpetual source of mechanical power in abundant amounts, the use of several reactors can cause performance issues. When building your water reactor, it is recommended that you include a method for stopping the reactor once started.

<div style="float:right; margin:2ex 20ex;"> 
{|
!'''Lower Level'''
!
!'''Upper Level'''
|-
|
{| style="border-spacing:0;"
|-
|{{RT|╔|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|═|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|╦|7:0:1}}
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|{{RT|╗|7:0:1}}
|-
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|{{H2O}}
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|{{H2O}}
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|-
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|{{H2O}}
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|{{H2O}}
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|-
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|{{H2O}}
|{{RT|O|7:0:1}}
|{{H2O}}
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|-
|{{RT|╚|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|╗|7:0:1}}
|{{H2O}}
|{{RT|╔|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|╝|7:0:1}}
|-
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|{{RT|╚|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|═|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|╝|7:0:1}}
|{{RTB|0:0:0}}
|}

|

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|-
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|W|6:1:0}}
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|{{RT|W|6:1:0}}
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|-
|{{RT|╝|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|W|6:1:0}}
|{{RT|X|2:0:0}}
|{{RT|W|6:1:0}}
|{{RT|╚|7:0:1}}
|-
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|{{RT|W|6:0:0}}
|{{RT|X|2:0:1}}
|{{RT|W|6:0:0}}
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|-
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|{{RT|≈|3:0:1}}
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|-
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
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|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|}
|}
</div>

Dig the V-shaped channel and fill it with water (either from an outside source or by designating it as a [[pond]]). On the top level, channel out two tiles under each wheel -- the ones under the center of the wheel and the ones by the pump output. Construct the pump, pumping from the South. Construct the two water wheels. Start the pump manually ( {{k|q}}, {{k|Enter}} ) - if there is enough water*, the "reactor" will start immediately and the pump operator will leave. The water from the north end of the pump will spill over the top-most floor tile, filling that to 7/7 and the two tiles east and west of it to ~5/7, but will not overflow back past the water wheel to the walkway area. Note that for the upper level, no southern walls are shown as none are needed, unless you don't follow the design and do something to create water pressure.

*''(* Estimated minimum depth to prime the reactor is 3/7 to 4/7, though this is not guaranteed.)''
* The ideal amount of water in this design is apparently 43 units of water. In other words six tiles below in the V are full up to 7/7 and three more above are also full up to 7/7 which will generate reliable flow permanently without ever losing any of that water to evaporation. An easy way to do this is to simply leave your pond fill command on after the reactor activates. They will eventually fill it up to the optimal level and stop.
* When you first start the pump, you are likely to have at least some excess water splash out while the fluid level achieves equilibrium - don't locate this in an area that you don't want any mud in.
* If the reactor is connected to a load totaling more than 100 power (including that used by the waterwheels and pump), it may sometimes fail to start. Using a gear assembly to disconnect the load from the reactor before starting it can fix this.

The reactor can be safely halted either by blocking the tile the pump draws water from or "overloading" the reactor (since drawing more power than the reactor supplies will stop the pump that keeps the cycle going until the load is reduced and the pump is manually restarted by dwarf-power). An easy way to halt the reactor is to place a lever-linked hatch cover over the tile the pump draws from. When the cover is closed, the pump can't draw any water, and the reactor stops. More drastically, the reactor will obviously be halted by deconstructing the pump. Deconstructing one wheel will cause a flood (and almost immediately cancel any job order to deconstruct the other components), and deconstructing the pump will cause both wheels to collapse (unless they are attached to [[machinery]] outside them, not shown).

[[Power]] can be routed up from the pump or off to the side from a wheel; the bottom of the pump is difficult to access without danger of water escaping. Routing power from a wheel is typically safe in practice, but it's not impossible for a small amount of water to escape the reactor if it is temporarily overfilled. Power can also be routed out of the reactor via a gear or horizontal axle over the pump's intake tile; while this does not interfere with the pump's operation or present a danger of flooding, it makes it more difficult to shut down the reactor. In either case, it's typically wise to place a [[gear assembly]] linked to a [[lever]] early in the power train in order to allow disconnecting the power at that point, as opposed to needing to halt the entire reactor to stop the power supply.

Expanded versions can produce more power, and can be added later with minimal advance planning; such extensibility is easily attainable by placing disengageable gears on either side of the two water wheels, then attaching minireactors at your leisure, or halting the original reactor by other means. Alternatively, it may be easier to simply produce a second reactor, then connect to the power train at another location.

''Note: If created in an aquifer, there is a chance that the channeled tiles will have a natural [[flow|water flow]] - this will cause the pump to start the moment the first wheel is finished, flooding the work area for the second.''
*This can be countered by connecting something that consumes >90 power while building the waterwheels -19 [[gear assembly|Gear assemblies]] works

===Mini Water Reactor===

This even more compact design is quite similar to the original Dwarven Water Reactor, but can be used in tight spots that do not need more than 80 surplus power. This plan can also be considered an extension unit to the DWR, in that it can be added to one or the other side to provide an additional 80 power to the resulting powertrain. Safely constructing a mini reactor to add to a previously built reactor without potential flooding and/or loss of power is possible only if you first turn off the original reactor. Planning ahead is a much better option, so if you're going to need more than 170 power, build a larger reactor to start with.

As stated previously, the design below produces 80 surplus power (less additional powertrain).

{|
|'''Lower Level'''
|'''Upper Level'''
|-
|
{| style="border-spacing:0;"
|-
|{{RT|╔|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|═|7:0:1}}
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|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|{{H2O}}
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|{{RTB|0:0:0}}
|-
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|{{H2O}}
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|{{RTB|0:0:0}}
|-
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|{{H2O}}
|{{RT|╚|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|╗|7:0:1}}
|-
|{{RT|╚|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|╗|7:0:1}}
|{{H2O}}
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|-
|{{RTB|0:0:0}}
|{{RT|╚|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|═|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|╝|7:0:1}}
|}

|
{| style="border-spacing:0;"
|-
|{{RT|╔|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|═|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|═|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|╗|7:0:1}}
|-
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|W|6:1:0}}
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|{{RT|║|7:0:1}}
|-
|{{RT|╝|7:0:1}}
|{{RT|W|6:1:0}}
|{{RT|X|2:0:0}}
|{{RT|╚|7:0:1}}
|-
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|{{RT|W|6:0:0}}
|{{RT|X|2:0:1}}
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|-
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|{{RT|≈|3:0:1}}
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|-
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|{{RT|+|7:0:0}}
|}
|}

Construction of the mini reactor follows the same order as for the DWR, though the channel is slightly different and only one water wheel is needed. If this is an addition to a full size reactor or set of reactors, all channels will need to be fairly full with water to start the reactor.

===Micro Water Reactor===

Replacing the pump with a dumping [[minecart]], the micro reactor is even more compact and produces up to 90 surplus power per waterwheel (less additional powertrain).

<diagram>
z z-1
+++ ╔═╗
+[#0:0][@6:0]─[#@]+ ║[#0:0][@6:0]■[#@]║
+[#0:0][@6:0]─═[#@] ║[#1:0]▲[#@]║
+[#0:0][@6:0]─[#@]+ ╚═╝
+++

</diagram>

Channel two adjacent tiles to create a trench, remove the ramp from one trench tile and build a [[Minecart#Track_Stops|track stop]] dumping into the other trench tile. Optionally link a lever to the track stop (to disable and enable the reactor later). Add a minecart to the track stop, build a waterwheel over the trench, and use a pond [[zone]] to fill the ramp tile. The reactor requires 11 units of water for continuous operation; any excess will simply disappear. Once filled, the minecart will dump water into the ramp tile. The water will then flow back to the minecart tile, repeating the process endlessly.

For more power, each trench can operate two waterwheels and multiple trenches can be arranged in a row to provide as much power as needed. (Each trench should remain isolated to avoid interference.) This example provides 356 surplus power with only 4 tiles of moving water:

<diagram>
z z-1
+++++
+[#0:0][@6:0]─[#@]+[#0:0][@6:0]─[#@]+
+[#0:0][@6:0]─═─═[#@] ╔═╦═╗
+[#0:0][@6:0]─[#@]+[#0:0][@6:0]─[#@]+ ║[#0:0][@6:0]■[#@]║[#0:0][@6:0]■[#@]║
+[#0:0][@6:0]─[#@]+[#0:0][@6:0]─[#@]+ ║[#1:0]▲[#@]║[#1:0]▲[#@]║
+[#0:0][@6:0]─═─═[#@] ╚═╩═╝
+[#0:0][@6:0]─[#@]+[#0:0][@6:0]─[#@]+
+++++

</diagram>

For a more compact design, several trench rows can be staggered to produce a solid block of waterwheels, scaling to whatever size necessary. The example below provides 538 power with 8 tiles of moving water:

<diagram>
z z-1
+++++ ╔═╗
++[#1:0].[#@]++ ║[#0:0][@6:0]■[#@]║
+[#0:0][@6:0]───[#@]+ ║[#1:0]▲[#@]║
+[#0:0][@6:0]───═[#@] ╔╩╦╩╗
+[#0:0][@6:0]───[#@]+ ║[#0:0][@6:0]■[#@]║[#0:0][@6:0]■[#@]║
+[#0:0][@6:0]───[#@]+ ║[#1:0]▲[#@]║[#1:0]▲[#@]║
+[#0:0][@6:0]───═[#@] ╚╦╩╦╝
+[#0:0][@6:0]───[#@]+ ║[#0:0][@6:0]■[#@]║
++[#1:0].[#@]++ ║[#1:0]▲[#@]║
+++++ ╚═╝

</diagram>

== Flowing Water ==
Waterwheels require water which is flowing; the game will consider water to be flowing under two circumstances - the first is when water spreads, that is, when deeper water flows to an adjacent tile where the water is shallower. This could be called "gradient flow" because it requires the water be flowing from deeper to shallower. Water which doesn't have a gradient - such as stretches of water which are 7/7 deep - is generally not regarded by the game to be flowing even if water is technically being delivered through those tiles.

The second kind of flow the game recognizes is when water flows off the map, either by going off the map edge or disappearing into an aquifer (water which enters an aquifer vanishes from the map, since an aquifer can never become full, even if it's only a single tile). This kind of flow propagates back from the map edge or aquifer sink and causes all or most of the connected water to gain the "Flowing" quality. Water which is flowing off the map counts as flowing even on stretches of 7/7 depth. This kind of flow is most readily observed in brooks, streams and rivers; however artificially constructed dwarf-made water channels function just as effectively, provided that they ultimately flow off the map.
A tile which has been marked as flowing off the map will retain this quality even if water movement is later blocked. This is most readily observed in that a dammed river will continue to power waterwheels, even though the water is no longer flowing off the map. This works equally well for dwarf-made water channels, the flowing quality is so persistent that it will remain even if the area is completely drained and refilled, although while the tiles contain less than 4/7 water they won't power waterwheels regardless.

=== Legitimate artificial rivers ===
If one wishes, one can build an underground river containing 7/7 water which powers water wheels, by allowing water sourced from a river, lake, sea or aquifer to ultimately flow off the map edge in a cavern. This would require building an aqueduct to bring the river to the map edge, since, if the water spreads significantly before flowing off the map edge, the game won't regard it as flowing. Water flowing from a higher aquifer into a lower one will also have legitimate natural flow.

=== Flowing Water Reactors ===
It is possible to exploit the game's definition of flowing water and create patches of water which power waterwheels despite the complete absence of actual water movement. When a channel is dug into an aquifer, the channel will sometimes have "natural flow". However, if water is pumped into an aquifer channel, then that channel will then always have "natural flow". This is because water is regarded as disappearing from the map at that point, and the tiles are marked as flowing water, and will power water wheels - even if the pump is removed.

The other way to create water with natural flow is to allow the water to flow off of the map edge (most commonly through a fortification carved into the map edge, although the edge of the map on the surface or in a cavern can also be used). The body of water will then be marked as flowing, even if the map edge is subsequently blocked by a floodgate or raising bridge. This can even be done with finite water sources such as murky pools, for example digging out a channel next to the map edge, building a floodgate to seal the map edge drain, filling the channel with 4/7 water, opening the floodgate, then closing the floodgate and filling it back up to 4/7 water.

The ethics of these reactors is not particularly different to perpetual motion machines, the conventional perpetual motion machine uses water wheels to generate power, and uses a fraction of that power to move the water with a screw pump. A waterwheel generates 100 power and consumes 10 power, presumably the 10 power consumed represents the energy the waterwheel requires to move the water in front of its blades. But if the water wheel moves water in and of itself, the pump actually becomes unnecessary. The water wheel itself both moves the water and is moved by the water.

{{Translation| dwarven = arel kol | elvish = alu rere | goblin = esp sost | human = thomo pobe}}

{{buildings}}

Giant desert scorpion

2019-01-16T09:17:36Z

DF Ludicer:

{{Quality|Exceptional|02:25, 14 September 2010 (UTC) (UTC)}}

{{av}}
{{removed feature}}


The '''giant desert scorpion''' was a rare, large, aggressive and dangerous [[creature]] found in most [[savage]] [[desert]] [[biome]]s - the above-ground equivalent of the [[giant cave spider]]. As opponents, they were equivalent to [[blind cave ogre]]s in lethality, and could appear in groups of anything from one to three mayhem-minded individuals. Giant desert scorpions were predatory meandering killing machines. They would roam over long distances seeking prey, meaning they ''would'' eventually find your fortress and start stinging [[dwarves]]. Unlike other giant creatures, they never possessed a normal and humanoid equivalents. All giant desert scorpions were born with Legendary [[skill]] in [[Climber|climbing]].

The reason they were considered such a high threat was because of their stingers; giant desert scorpions were capable of injecting a [[syndrome|neurotoxin]] which caused necrosis of the brain and nervous system, resulting in instant death once they completely rotted, though suffocation due to respiratory paralysis was likely to occur first. This process took about 950 ticks, or 19 in-game hours. They also [[No Stun|couldn't be stunned]] and [[No Pain|felt no pain]] or fear. A wounded scorpion would never stop fighting until it was dead. This meant that despite its relatively moderate size, the giant desert scorpion was able to one-hit-kill all creatures with [[blood]] and a nervous system, that is, most creatures. Yes, a giant desert scorpion could and would kill an [[elephant]], [[giant]] or [[dragon]] if it got in melee and had the time to sting before getting killed.

They were also famous for their ability to wrest the [[weapon]]s (or [[backpack]]s, or socks, or [[armor]], or whatever item struck their fancy) you or your dwarves wielded out of your hands (thanks to the UPPERBODY_PINCERS possessed by scorpions) and proceed to brutally kill you with them. They had also been reported to shoot [[crossbow]]s in the [[object testing arena]].

Giant desert scorpions could be captured in [[cage]] [[trap]]s and [[Animal trainer|trained]] into pets, being the most valuable animals (tied with giant cave spiders) in the game who weren't [[cave dragon]]s or [[megabeast]]s. Products made from their parts were 4 times more valuable than those made from normal animals, and they gave a decent amount of [[meat]] and [[fat]] when [[butcher]]ed, but most players would lean to the thought of breeding these beasts for the purpose of [[fortress defense]]. Stuffing a cage with thirty scorpions and [[Lever|releasing]] them all at once right next to unsuspecting [[goblin]]s during an invasion was a joyous sight.

Giant desert scorpions were removed from the game in [[DF2014:Release information/0.42.04|version 0.42.04]], with plans for a replacement in a future update. Players who can't wait that long can add the old version back in by [[mod:giant desert scorpion|installing this mod]].

Some dwarves [[Preferences|liked]] giant desert scorpions for their ''tails''.

[[Image:Scorpion-panel2-col.png|thumb|250px|center|Admired for their ''tails''.]]

{{D for Dwarf}}
It is said that to this day, you can still hear [[dragon]]s complaining about them being removed.


{{Creatures}}
{{Category|Animals}}
[[ru:Giant desert scorpion]]

Wound

2019-01-02T08:30:25Z

DF Ludicer: /* Wound effects */ Well, this is definitely a wound effect

{{quality|Exceptional|21:13, 30 March 2011 (UTC)}}{{av}}

There are five different levels of injury in the game, ranging from none to complete part loss.
Shown using the default colors, they are:


<div style="background:black">
:{{DFtext|NONE: No recorded active wounds on the part.|#fff}}
:{{DFtext|MINOR: Any damage that doesn't have functional/structural consequences (might be heavy bleeding, though).|#808000}}
:{{DFtext|INHIBITED: Any muscular, structural, or functional damage, without total loss.|#ffff00}}
:{{DFtext|FUNCTION LOSS: An important function of the part is completely lost, but the part is structurally sound (or at least partially intact).|#00ffff}}
:{{DFtext|BROKEN: The part has lost all structural integrity or muscular ability.|#ff0000}}
:{{DFtext|MISSING: The part is completely gone.|#808080}}
</div>

:''(The [[color]] of wounds can be changed in [[d_init.txt]].)''

== Wound effects ==
'''Brain''': Any damage almost always results in instant death. A bruised brain may occasionally not cause death. If it does not, the dwarf suffers no effect from the injured brain and lives as normal.

'''Eyes''': Eye damage causes extreme pain, generally causing unconsciousness and loss of sight, limiting dwarf perception.

'''Mouth/nose/ears/cheeks''': No effect

'''Teeth''': Fewer teeth to use for biting attacks.

'''Lungs''': Non-bruising damage to one lung interferes with breathing. Creature toughness affects how well it can survive with impaired breathing. Damage to both lungs almost always results in suffocation.

'''Heart''': Causes massive, fatal bleeding. The heart itself isn't required for life—it is the extreme bleeding that causes death when the heart is pierced. A bruised heart causes no ill effects; a torn heart is always fatal.

'''Pancreas/liver''': No effect. While it is reasonable to assume that the dwarven liver has evolved to be completely indestructible, liver damage doesn't cripple anything else either. Dwarves have a larger liver than any other sapient species, causing them to suffer liver damage more often, as it is easier to hit.

'''Guts''': Damage to the guts causes great pain and nausea. Creature will vomit and then retch repeatedly depending on how much damage was caused. This slows down the creature and can dehydrate them. When the guts are pierced they may spill out of the wound. This is visible as a gray "~" trailing behind the creature. This causes a lot of bleeding and exposes the guts themselves as a target for aimed attacks. Slicing off the exposed guts causes heavy bleeding and almost always death. The cut off guts can then be picked up and used as a weapon.

'''Spinal injuries''': Attacks to the spine that tear nervous tissue are extremely serious. Lower spinal injuries permanently stop the creature from ever standing again. They can only crawl. Middle spine injuries disable legs. Upper spinal injuries disable every limb in the body, rendering the creature unable to do anything except to use the default "push" attack and move about very slowly. It also disables every organ in the body besides the brain. This injures the lungs and upper spine injuries will invariably cause fatal suffocation within a few turns. As a whole, spinal damage is usually a death sentence.

A broken bone in the spine does '''not''' cause irreparable damage - only damage to the nervous tissue does. If you suffer a broken bone in the spine without any nerve damage, just wait and it will eventually heal.

'''Gelding''': Attacks to the lower body (or, theoretically, any place else where the, uh, geldable parts may be kept) of a geldable creature (including male dwarves) can result in a "gelding strike." In addition to the expected effects of bleeding and pain, this renders the creature permanently incapable of reproducing, just like non-combat [[gelding]].

== Pain ==

How pain works:
* Bruising causes 1x the pain value from the raw files
* Partially damaged tissue causes 2x pain
* Broken tissue causes 3x pain
* Having 150+ pain causes unconsciousness.
* Pain is independent of body part size

Most tissue has [PAIN_RECEPTORS:5], except bone has [PAIN_RECEPTORS:50]. So being punched in the guts (bruising skin, fat, muscle, guts) causes 20 pain and some nausea. Having any bone broken causes 15+50*3=165 pain (presuming bruised skin, fat, muscle). Having good stats presumably causes the pain to recede quickly, but that won't cause you to wake up sooner after you fall unconscious.

Strangely, having all your fingers cut off in DF is much less painful (or even painless?) compared to having a single finger bone broken.

== Miscellaneous injuries ==

These injuries include generic tears, cuts and breaks that don't target a specific organ.

Some attacks may shatter nail or horn. These attacks generate a cosmetic injury report but otherwise have no effect unless they become infected.

Likewise, attacks that tear hair have no ill effects. Attacks that destroy hair are common during chokeholds on animals, such as a lion's mane being damaged by the chokehold.

Injuries that only tear skin tend to cause little or no bleeding or scarring.

Injuries that tear fat layers cause bleeding but little pain.

Injuries to muscle layers can sometime cause the affected limb to become unusable. This usually happens when the muscle is "torn apart" rather than just torn. If the muscle is in an arm, damage to the muscle may cause items held in that arm's hand to be dropped. Torn apart leg or foot muscles may cause the creature to fall over and sometimes be unable to walk until the injury heals.

Tendons and ligaments may also be torn by attacks. As they link bones together, torn ligaments and tendons can impair grasping abilities, causing items to be dropped more easily.

Bone damage that cause fractures or breaks cause extreme pain. They are the most painful injuries in Dwarf Fortress and will almost invariably causes unconsciousness from the pain. Bone that is broken in a limb will render that limb inoperative. Bones that are hit hard enough may shatter and be jammed into other bones or body parts, causing far more damage. This is most common with the skull. A hard hit (or any hit) to the skull that causes a fracture can force the broken part into the vulnerable brain, causing immediate death. A broken smashed arm may be jammed into the shoulder as well, breaking it.

The upper spine was previously contained in the head in 0.34.11, but is contained in the neck in 0.40.xx.
The neck is appended to the upper body in 0.40.xx, and the head is appended to the neck (which is why you have to press "d" now to target the head, and "c" is the neck - the neck must be defined first). You can't hurt the upper spine anymore by attacking the head in 0.40.xx.

* Having the upper spine broken in 0.40.xx disables everything and causes suffocation.
* Having the lower spine (in the lower body) broken paralyzes the legs, preventing kicks and negating pain in the legs and in the lower spine itself.
* Having the middle spine broken (in the upper body) disables everything and causes suffocation.

So "what's below it" means "further from the upper body". Broken/pulped necks now only prevent biting attacks, but don't disable the head/brain otherwise to cause suffocation.

== Missing limb ==

As the name implies, this signals that a limb has been completely severed. Dwarves with severed limbs frequently either die of blood loss or linger in the [[hospital]] permanently. Those who recover may find themselves unable to perform the same tasks they had in the past.

Dwarves without arms are unable to [[haul]] items, but are still able to gather crops or work in a workshop. Once created/gathered, the items simply remain where they are until another dwarf comes along to move them. They are also unable to equip armor/clothing, but this won't stop them from biting/kicking in combat. Armless dwarves are unable to operate [[screw pump]]s. Armless dwarves trying to dress or clean themselves often cause constant cancellation spam.

== Function loss ==
The cyan "Function loss" signals impairment of an organ for which "broken" or "bruised" would not make sense. Internal organs and eyes have been observed to turn cyan, indicating failures of sight, liver function, and other maladies.

A dwarf can also suffer nervous damage to sensory and/or motor nerves. For example, motor nerve damage to a leg means that the dwarf will never be able to stand up again, which will show as "Ability to stand lost" in the dwarf's personal health screen, in addition to nervous damage information. Sensory nerve damage causes pain to disappear and is thought to make a creatures' attacks weaker. With a crutch applied, dwarves with leg nerve damage can become mobile / useful again. Damage to spinal nervous tissue disconnects all nervous function below the damaged point. For the upper and middle spines this can include the lungs, so damage leads to suffocation.

Creatures can be set to heal spinal nerve damage by going into the [[raw file|raws]], finding the tissue_template_default and setting a number like [HEALING_RATE:100] at the NERVE_TEMPLATE. A higher number translates to a slower healing rate, with bones for example having a healing rate of 1000. However, this setting does not affect non-spinal nerves, as they do not count as "nervous tissue".

== Scarring ==

Dwarves who sustain major injuries may never fully heal — the part will always remain listed in their Wounds section as "Minor" or "Inhibited", and the dwarf's description in his Thoughts and Preferences screen will note that he bears scars of varying degrees and types, eg {Tiny, very short, short, long, very long, massive, huge, etc.}; {Jagged, Dent, Straight, etc.}. While not all scars have an effect, this may result in notes in the [[Health screen]] such as "Ability to grasp somewhat impaired". This means that one of the creature's grasping parts (usually hands) has lost the ability to grasp. Military dwarves with inhibited ability to grasp will not hold a weapon or shield in the crippled arm. However, they will automatically grasp both weapon and shield in their good hand when they next come to equip themselves, assuming of course that they are set to use both such items.
{{Category|Military}}
{{Category|Healthcare}}
{{Category|Interface}}

== Permanent injury ==
There are several types of injuries dwarves will never recover from. Nerve damage is permanent; loss of limbs is permanent. Some types of [[syndrome]]s are lifelong. As a result, you may end up with a dwarf who has lost function in one or more body parts, or who continually exhibits some kind of problematic symptom. But these dwarves, if they don't meet with an [[unfortunate accident]], can still be very useful.

===Disabled veterans===
When a highly skilled soldier is injured too badly to continue on active duty, he can remain in the military as a teacher. Put him into a squad with your raw recruits and have him teach them what soldiering is about. When the recruits have been whipped into shape, they can be transferred to active-duty squads.

===Function loss: legs===
Dwarves who have lost the use of one leg cannot walk (or kick enemies in battle, but that's a minor problem). If the dwarf in question has had a foot or leg amputated, or has nerve damage to the leg, he can be issued a [[crutch]] by doctors in your hospital. Thereafter, he will gain crutch-walking skill whenever he moves with the crutch in his inventory. Eventually, his speed with the crutch can become faster than it was before, due to the [[Agility]] gained each step and reduction of the movement penalty to 0. A dwarf using a crutch can go back to military duty without any loss of effectiveness; in fact, it is quite possible for a one-armed dwarf to hold a shield, crossbow, and crutch (and occasionally bash his enemies with it - it is recommended to make metal crutches to issue to military dwarves).

===Lower body paralysis===
A dwarf who has nerve damage to his lower spine, or has nerve damage to both of his legs, is unable to use his legs and cannot benefit from using a crutch. After he recovers (you may need to deconstruct his hospital bed to get him out of it), he can move--but only very slowly. Dwarves like this are obviously unfit for military duty (Other than as a marksdwarf who sticks to fortifications)--they can still swing a battle axe, but they won't make it to the battle before the rest of the squad have finished their jobs and have moved on to claiming the enemies' socks. The best jobs for these dwarves are ones that don't require them to move around much. For best results, create a [[burrow]] containing the dwarf's workshop, stockpiles for food and booze, and the dwarf's bedroom. Turn off all labors but the one you want the dwarf to do; most importantly, turn off hauling. A paralyzed dwarf can also be kept idle in your lever room, where he will still move five steps more quickly than another dwarf can move fifty; or he can be appointed as [[broker]] and burrowed with your depot. You could also make such a dwarf [[Hammerer]], with exemplary results.

In adventure mode, anyone with a lower body paralysis is sort of done for if they can't find a werebeast.

No one has yet done Science on the possibility of using [[minecart]]s to transport paralyzed dwarves. Will your fort be the first?

===Function loss: arms===
The dwarf who has lost the use of an arm can go on with his life normally, and can even hold a shield and battle-axe at the same time. In the military, he is limited only in that he cannot wield weapons that are too large to be wielded one-handed. Outside the military, he can work as well as any other dwarf.

Losing both arms is a different story. Dwarves who have lost the use of both arms will be unable to do almost any task. Even managers, bookkeepers, and brokers must be able to use at least one arm. They cannot pick up weapons or shields and cannot haul items. Most irritatingly, they cannot clean themselves and cannot pick up clothing in order to put it on and will probably spam cancellation messages at you (seriously, consider turning off job cancellation messages in the 'o'rders menu if this is the case). These dwarves are at risk of [[insanity]] from the lack of clothing once theirs wears out, though they may have been lucky enough to be wearing armor, which will not wear out. Military dwarves can still lead demonstrations in non-weapons skills, and could quite possibly become a good wrestler or biter. Dwarves without arms can also be used as sentries; burrow them in watchtowers to spot ambushes.

===Blindness===
A dwarf with both eyes damaged cannot see - and what he can't see, he won't be afraid of. Therefore, a blind dwarf can do civilian labors without dropping everything and running when there's a wild animal nearby. He does suffer a severe drop in the [[quality]] of his work, but this won't affect jobs whose products don't have a quality level, such as [[wood burning]].
<gallery>
File:blind_in_adventure_mode.png|Blindness in [[adventure mode]]
</gallery>

===Long-term syndrome===
The most common long-term syndrome is probably the bite of a [[cave spider]], which causes long-term mild dizziness. The dwarf seems fine and works normally, except that the work tends to be low-quality because the dwarf is feeling under the weather. Even legendary dwarves will, if they're feeling dizzy enough, be unable to produce masterwork crafts. Assign these dwarves to producing goods that don't have quality levels.

{{Translation| dwarven = oslan | elvish = élitho | goblin = esmên | human = kortil}}
[[ru:Wound]]