Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

Death

2026-10-07T17:15:42Z

DarklingArcher: /* Corpses */ added more example ways to dispose of corpses

{{quality}}
{{av}}

When a [[creature]] reaches the end of its life, or experiences an otherwise [[unfortunate accident]], they '''die'''. While a common occurrence both in [[Fortress mode|Fortress]] and [[Adventurer mode]], death should be nothing troubling to a prepared player.

== Overview ==
When a [[dwarf]] dies in Fortress Mode, you will receive an ominous purple message that {{dftext|Urist McDwarf has been found dead|5:1}} as soon as someone finds the body. In Adventurer mode, a more explicit cause of death will be given. The actual cause of death may be anything from old age, [[starvation]], [[drowning]], to stumbling upon many of the hostile [[Cavern#Creatures|cavern creatures]]. Beware! Often the killer will still be looming nearby, ready to [[wound|maim]] dwarves who come to retrieve the body or items from the dead.

== Corpses ==
{{main|Corpse}}
When a creature dies, it leaves behind a '''corpse'''. If left unattended, the corpse will then follow to [[rot]] over the course of the next month or two. Rotting corpses not only [[miasma|stink horribly]], but the sight of death alone makes passing dwarves [[stress]] out, in both cases leading to unhappy [[thoughts]]. In certain [[fun]] scenarios, corpses can even [[undead|rise from the dead]]. Therefore, it is advised to deal with corpses as soon as possible, either by [[butchering]] (if [[animal]]), [[burial]] (if dwarven), [[atom smasher|atom smashing]], chucking them into [[magma]] or a [[deep pit]], or simply moving them away to a dedicated [[stockpile]] where they will (hopefully) not bother anyone.

{{Category|Combat}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}

Talk:Animated dead

2026-10-07T16:56:07Z

DarklingArcher: reply

I went ahead and swapped page contents between here and [[Undead]] (and updated old disambig to an article stub) to better reflect content and terminology in latest DF version. As suggested in [[Talk:Undead]]. – [[User:Alpacalypse|Alpacalypse]] ([[User talk:Alpacalypse|talk]]) 16:21, 7 October 2026 (UTC)

:Well, while the term "undead" is arguably more catchy for generic zombie-type creatures, that page has been there since ye olde times when these were the only ones and was poorly disambiguated since then, while more and more types of once living creatures were introduced to the game. Plus the fact that [[ghosts]] also show up as {{dftext|Undead|0:1}} in [[fortress mode]] [[unit list]]. So I think this change will hopefully be for the better. --[[User:DarklingArcher|DarklingArcher]] ([[User talk:DarklingArcher|talk]]) 16:41, 7 October 2026 (UTC)

:Once we settle on the name, [[DF2014:Undead]] has the same issue since all the undead were in this version as well. I don't know exactly when each one was introduced besides those from [[DF2014:Release_information/0.47.01|v47]], so even older version pages may also need to be disambiguated. --[[User:DarklingArcher|DarklingArcher]] ([[User talk:DarklingArcher|talk]]) 16:55, 7 October 2026 (UTC)

Talk:Animated dead

2026-10-07T16:42:29Z

DarklingArcher: reply

Undead

2026-10-07T15:25:22Z

DarklingArcher: /* Undead Fun Facts */ Rule T

{{Quality|Superior|24:55, 4 March 2023 (CST)}}
{{av}}

:''For other types of undeath, see [[ghost]] or [[intelligent undead]].''

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

[[File:undead_sprites_preview.png|right]]The '''animated dead''' (or '''undead''') {{Tile|Ñ|3:0}} are the [[corpse|bodies]] of formerly living [[creature]]s animated through fell [[magic]]. These [[night creature]]s can be created intentionally by a [[necromancer]], a [[mummy]], or arise naturally from the dark energies of [[surroundings|evil regions]]. Animated dead are [[immortal]] and have no [[soul]]s.

Graphically, the main races of the game will appear with purple skin. Undead [[animals]] will appear with an alternative sprite, usually being completely indigo with black spots around glowing white eyes. Many intelligent [[humanoid]] creatures will appear as they did when alive, albeit with an alternate, paler blue or purple skin color. Animated body parts may also appear as the whole, albeit zombified, version of the respective creature. Some undead creatures will appear exactly the same as they were when alive, which is usually the case for those that are procedurally generated. Undead [[extinct]] creatures appear as a vibrant, sharp pink and/or purple color.

==What is an undead?==
[[File:skin_color_preview.png|thumb|210px|right|What different undead/immortal creatures' skin colors mean.]]
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.
While ''Dwarf Fortress'' has many kinds of creatures that are no longer performing the bodily functions of a living being ([[vampire]]s, [[ghost]]s, [[mummy|mummies]], [[intelligent undead]], even [[necromancer]]s to some degree),
this article is focused on the mindless bodies, raised from death by the foul powers of individuals or evil lands, or enthralled by evil weather. [[Infected ghoul]]s are similar to the common animated dead, but have their own article and a different tile color.

[[File:undead_head_preview.png|thumb|right|Stat screen of an animated severed dwarf head.]]
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]] [[shell]]s''. These are, however, predictably nonlethal, mostly serving as B-movie terror monster 'fodder' 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 ==
[[File:df_tomb_undead.png|thumb|A mummy raising undead from a [[tomb]].]]
[[File:df_tomb_inteldead.png|thumb|A mummy raising ''intelligent'' undead]]

Upon animation, an undead gains a [[syndrome]] that fundamentally changes its physical characteristics and behaviour. Some of the traits they generally possess are:
*Unnatural [[attribute|strength and toughness]]. Strength increases to 130% and toughness to 300% + 1000 points on top - as the attributes scale from 0 to 5000, an above-average toughness of 1334 is enough for a zombie to reach the absolute cap of Toughness and pretty high, yet not absolute 3077 to reach the cap of Strength.
*[[Speed]] is reduced to 60% of the living creature.
*Unliving, sterile and opposed to life. Will be hostile to everything in the vicinity, other than fellow undead and inorganic aberrations that also have {{token|NOT_LIVING}} (iron men, bronze colossuses).
*Mindlessness. Undead can no longer learn or forget, fixed to what [[skill]] levels they had in death. They are unaffected by fear, cannot feel emotions and keep going even if the brain is destroyed. [[Gremlin|Mischievous behavior]] and [[martial trance|battle-trance]] capability are removed if present.
*Magically sustained. Undead keep their [[attribute]] scores forever, do not age, and are beyond bodily worries such as pain, illness and exertion. Undead do not breathe, bleed, eat, drink nor sleep. Their limbs will continue to function even if the normally-necessary ligaments have rotted away, and their extrasensory vision cannot be blinded.

[[File:dismal_zombie_preview.png|thumb|187px|right|Blue goblin as a dismal zombie.]]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 undead 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 skin and hair can potentially become undead. Reanimated skin and hair are easy to kill but will often frighten civilians; surrounding a butcher's shop with cage traps will help alleviate the problem. In addition, undead appear to retain the trading value of the original animal.

Unintelligent undead, such as those created by a necromancer or raised by an evil biome, have no concern for their own wellbeing - such zombies will not attempt to dodge, block, or parry blows.

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. [[Aquatic]] creatures rendered undead are able to path through land, even if their living counterparts are unable to do so.

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 [[Guineafowl|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. Similar entities called [[infected ghoul]]s can be created by necromancers, which spread their form of the syndrome through their bites.

Because the interaction can happen without first killing the target, thrall-like creatures are hostile to one another and 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==
[[File:undead_stab.jpg|thumb|200px|A drawing of a zombie and a dwarf by [[Zach Adams]]. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. The dwarf is stabbing the zombie in the back. The zombie is smirking.]]
''To kill undead via combat, means that sufficient slashing or blunt damage must be dealt to either the head, neck/throat, upper body, or lower body.''

The undead are not to be trifled with – they have high Strength and very high Toughness, along with all other physical [[attribute]]s increased (except Speed), do not tire, 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. Add in that they often arrive in very large numbers, using armor and weapons which make them even more powerful, and with [[necromancer]]s to reanimate them, and that [[semi-megabeast|the]] [[megabeast|greatest]] [[titan|of]] [[forgotten beast|beasts]] can be reanimated, and it comes off as no surprise that the undead can pose a great opportunity for trouble.

As a rule, an individual dwarven undead should best an untrained living dwarf, but be relatively easily dispatched by an armed member of the [[military|militia]]. Physically larger undead are greater threats than their smaller brethren, and no undead army should be faced without a prepared militia.

The undead cannot bleed out - puncture wounds do little good for this reason, and likewise, choking is obviously 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 against animated corpses because they inflict pulping damage, mangling the zombies so badly that they cannot rise up again, without severing body parts that might reanimate. Of those commonly available to dwarves, [[mace]]s are more efficient at pulping than [[war hammer]]s. [[Flail]]s are better still if one can acquire them. There once existed a very rare bug (one noted by Toady) may occur where beheading doesn't kill an undead – this is possibly related to the neck being cut off rather than the head itself, which the game does not register as decapitation{{Verify}}. However, if this occurs simply destroying/severing another part (be it a foot or even a finger) will cause the game to realize they should be dead and instantly kill them; it is unknown if this bug can still occur but is noted here just in case.

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. [[Crossbow]] bolts and other ranged weapons are essentially useless against undead of even moderate size, even if they can theoretically kill them if one of the previously mentioned important body-parts is destroyed by the shot. Against particularly small enemies like a kea or raccoon, bolts and arrows can be capable of severing limbs and ultimately finishing the job - but against anything more substantial like your average goblin, a squad of marksdwarves can spend multiple ''years'', and quiver after quiver of ammunition, before ever dealing a lethal blow. This can be useful for rapidly training marksdwarves with a small number of targets, but may be undesirable if you're making a last stand, or had intended to thin the horde before the melee started.

[[File:DnD skelleton.png|thumb|Illustration of Undead legions]]
Undead from necromancer sieges may carry equipment, including weaponry and armor. While such undead cannot dodge and will seldom block or parry even if able to, they are perfectly capable of using their weapons to inflict damage upon your dwarves, and the armor they carry makes them much more difficult to put down. Against an armored zombie, hammers will be more effective than maces, as they have higher armor penetration while still inflicting blunt damage.

[[Evil weather]] thralls may 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]].

Of course, the undead do not have to be beaten through direct combat - [[trap]]s and [[dwarven atom smasher|atom smashers]] are among the many indirect ways to neutralize them, and [[magma]], that traditional solution to all dwarven problems, is another effective weapon, as is [[fire]] in general - the sheer heat of the magma will eventually destroy the corpse, rendering it unable to rise again - it kills zombies fairly slowly, though. As unintelligent undead do not make any attempt to avoid attacks, they are particularly susceptible to even low-quality weapon traps. This property can be exploited in [[trap design]], as no-quality weapon traps will still be lethal to the undead hordes, while typically allowing the horde's masters to leap out of the way, potentially [[cage|somewhere]] [[Pit trap|nice]].

[[Discipline]] is a big obstacle to directly confronting a zombie horde - without enough discipline, a troop sent to fight them may instead simply 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.{{verify}}

In [[Adventure Mode]], edged weapons are far more effective than they are in fortress mode, and recommended over blunt weapons, as the player can target where they attack and provided they have no or little protection for their neck or head, their inability to dodge means the player can easily decapitate and instantly kill them, a skilled adventurer capable of slicing through a horde with ease while blunt weapons are notably less reliable in being able to kill a zombie every turn. Reanimated body parts are also far less of a concern than in fortress mode, as they require line of sight to be animated and reanimated parts deeply struggle to harm an adventurer in full armor with a shield. Reanimated parts can usually be put back down with a simple attack or two, or even kicked. It is recommended the player cut a swath to the necromancer (who make for pathetic fighters outside of their powers) and kill them as soon as possible.

==Uses==
Undead caught in [[cage trap]]s can be used to rapidly train marksdwarves, or 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==
[[File:zombie_dwarf.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Body, Decomposed. Wrath, Active. ''Art by DioMahesa'']]
* Undead can animate from hauled corpses.
* Animated undead will not attack necromancers (including those not responsible for raising them), as they are considered non-living beings. They are also indifferent towards other undead creatures like vampires or mummies.
* Undead will not attack inorganic/elemental creatures, such as [[Gabbro man|gabbro men]] and [[bronze colossus]]es. This is because these creatures are also treated as 'non-living', despite the fact they are not undead.
* 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]].
* Undead can jump over 2-tile thick moats.
* Hostile undead that aren't a part of a siege will register as "outcasts" upon retiring a fort.

==Bugs==
* Dwarves will never report someone who was reanimated before their body was discovered 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.
* Bone stacks obtained from the severed limbs of undead sentient creatures are useable in crafting even though bones stacks rotted from the limbs of the living are off-limits.
* Undead [[echidna]], [[echidna man]], [[giant echidna]], [[hedgehog]], [[giant hedgehog]] and [[hedgehog man]] can be at the same time curled up (and therefore impossible to destroy), moving and attacking. Modding may be used as a workaround.{{bug|11463}}{{bug|10519}}.
*Dwarves fail to bury remains of reanimated corpses.{{bug|10396}}
{{Translation| dwarven = nasnökor | elvish = senoanaÿa | goblin = rotûstru | human = obmuthro}}
{{Creatures}}
{{category|Creatures}}
[[ru:Undead]]

Undead

2026-10-07T15:11:37Z

DarklingArcher: added disambig

{{Quality|Superior|24:55, 4 March 2023 (CST)}}
{{av}}

:''For other types of undeath, see [[ghost]] or [[intelligent undead]].''

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

[[File:undead_sprites_preview.png|right]]The '''animated dead''' (or '''undead''') {{Tile|Ñ|3:0}} are the [[corpse|bodies]] of formerly living [[creature]]s animated through fell [[magic]]. These [[night creature]]s can be created intentionally by a [[necromancer]], a [[mummy]], or arise naturally from the dark energies of [[surroundings|evil regions]]. Animated dead are [[immortal]] and have no [[soul]]s.

Graphically, the main races of the game will appear with purple skin. Undead [[animals]] will appear with an alternative sprite, usually being completely indigo with black spots around glowing white eyes. Many intelligent [[humanoid]] creatures will appear as they did when alive, albeit with an alternate, paler blue or purple skin color. Animated body parts may also appear as the whole, albeit zombified, version of the respective creature. Some undead creatures will appear exactly the same as they were when alive, which is usually the case for those that are procedurally generated. Undead [[extinct]] creatures appear as a vibrant, sharp pink and/or purple color.

==What is an undead?==
[[File:skin_color_preview.png|thumb|210px|right|What different undead/immortal creatures' skin colors mean.]]
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.
While ''Dwarf Fortress'' has many kinds of creatures that are no longer performing the bodily functions of a living being ([[vampire]]s, [[ghost]]s, [[mummy|mummies]], [[intelligent undead]], even [[necromancer]]s to some degree),
this article is focused on the mindless bodies, raised from death by the foul powers of individuals or evil lands, or enthralled by evil weather. [[Infected ghoul]]s are similar to the common animated dead, but have their own article and a different tile color.

[[File:undead_head_preview.png|thumb|right|Stat screen of an animated severed dwarf head.]]
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]] [[shell]]s''. These are, however, predictably nonlethal, mostly serving as B-movie terror monster 'fodder' 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 ==
[[File:df_tomb_undead.png|thumb|A mummy raising undead from a [[tomb]].]]
[[File:df_tomb_inteldead.png|thumb|A mummy raising ''intelligent'' undead]]

Upon animation, an undead gains a [[syndrome]] that fundamentally changes its physical characteristics and behaviour. Some of the traits they generally possess are:
*Unnatural [[attribute|strength and toughness]]. Strength increases to 130% and toughness to 300% + 1000 points on top - as the attributes scale from 0 to 5000, an above-average toughness of 1334 is enough for a zombie to reach the absolute cap of Toughness and pretty high, yet not absolute 3077 to reach the cap of Strength.
*[[Speed]] is reduced to 60% of the living creature.
*Unliving, sterile and opposed to life. Will be hostile to everything in the vicinity, other than fellow undead and inorganic aberrations that also have {{token|NOT_LIVING}} (iron men, bronze colossuses).
*Mindlessness. Undead can no longer learn or forget, fixed to what [[skill]] levels they had in death. They are unaffected by fear, cannot feel emotions and keep going even if the brain is destroyed. [[Gremlin|Mischievous behavior]] and [[martial trance|battle-trance]] capability are removed if present.
*Magically sustained. Undead keep their [[attribute]] scores forever, do not age, and are beyond bodily worries such as pain, illness and exertion. Undead do not breathe, bleed, eat, drink nor sleep. Their limbs will continue to function even if the normally-necessary ligaments have rotted away, and their extrasensory vision cannot be blinded.

[[File:dismal_zombie_preview.png|thumb|187px|right|Blue goblin as a dismal zombie.]]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 undead 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 skin and hair can potentially become undead. Reanimated skin and hair are easy to kill but will often frighten civilians; surrounding a butcher's shop with cage traps will help alleviate the problem. In addition, undead appear to retain the trading value of the original animal.

Unintelligent undead, such as those created by a necromancer or raised by an evil biome, have no concern for their own wellbeing - such zombies will not attempt to dodge, block, or parry blows.

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. [[Aquatic]] creatures rendered undead are able to path through land, even if their living counterparts are unable to do so.

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 [[Guineafowl|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. Similar entities called [[infected ghoul]]s can be created by necromancers, which spread their form of the syndrome through their bites.

Because the interaction can happen without first killing the target, thrall-like creatures are hostile to one another and 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==
[[File:undead_stab.jpg|thumb|200px|A drawing of a zombie and a dwarf by [[Zach Adams]]. All craftsdwarfship is of the highest quality. The dwarf is stabbing the zombie in the back. The zombie is smirking.]]
''To kill undead via combat, means that sufficient slashing or blunt damage must be dealt to either the head, neck/throat, upper body, or lower body.''

The undead are not to be trifled with – they have high Strength and very high Toughness, along with all other physical [[attribute]]s increased (except Speed), do not tire, 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. Add in that they often arrive in very large numbers, using armor and weapons which make them even more powerful, and with [[necromancer]]s to reanimate them, and that [[semi-megabeast|the]] [[megabeast|greatest]] [[titan|of]] [[forgotten beast|beasts]] can be reanimated, and it comes off as no surprise that the undead can pose a great opportunity for trouble.

As a rule, an individual dwarven undead should best an untrained living dwarf, but be relatively easily dispatched by an armed member of the [[military|militia]]. Physically larger undead are greater threats than their smaller brethren, and no undead army should be faced without a prepared militia.

The undead cannot bleed out - puncture wounds do little good for this reason, and likewise, choking is obviously 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 against animated corpses because they inflict pulping damage, mangling the zombies so badly that they cannot rise up again, without severing body parts that might reanimate. Of those commonly available to dwarves, [[mace]]s are more efficient at pulping than [[war hammer]]s. [[Flail]]s are better still if one can acquire them. There once existed a very rare bug (one noted by Toady) may occur where beheading doesn't kill an undead – this is possibly related to the neck being cut off rather than the head itself, which the game does not register as decapitation{{Verify}}. However, if this occurs simply destroying/severing another part (be it a foot or even a finger) will cause the game to realize they should be dead and instantly kill them; it is unknown if this bug can still occur but is noted here just in case.

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. [[Crossbow]] bolts and other ranged weapons are essentially useless against undead of even moderate size, even if they can theoretically kill them if one of the previously mentioned important body-parts is destroyed by the shot. Against particularly small enemies like a kea or raccoon, bolts and arrows can be capable of severing limbs and ultimately finishing the job - but against anything more substantial like your average goblin, a squad of marksdwarves can spend multiple ''years'', and quiver after quiver of ammunition, before ever dealing a lethal blow. This can be useful for rapidly training marksdwarves with a small number of targets, but may be undesirable if you're making a last stand, or had intended to thin the horde before the melee started.

[[File:DnD skelleton.png|thumb|Illustration of Undead legions]]
Undead from necromancer sieges may carry equipment, including weaponry and armor. While such undead cannot dodge and will seldom block or parry even if able to, they are perfectly capable of using their weapons to inflict damage upon your dwarves, and the armor they carry makes them much more difficult to put down. Against an armored zombie, hammers will be more effective than maces, as they have higher armor penetration while still inflicting blunt damage.

[[Evil weather]] thralls may 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]].

Of course, the undead do not have to be beaten through direct combat - [[trap]]s and [[dwarven atom smasher|atom smashers]] are among the many indirect ways to neutralize them, and [[magma]], that traditional solution to all dwarven problems, is another effective weapon, as is [[fire]] in general - the sheer heat of the magma will eventually destroy the corpse, rendering it unable to rise again - it kills zombies fairly slowly, though. As unintelligent undead do not make any attempt to avoid attacks, they are particularly susceptible to even low-quality weapon traps. This property can be exploited in [[trap design]], as no-quality weapon traps will still be lethal to the undead hordes, while typically allowing the horde's masters to leap out of the way, potentially [[cage|somewhere]] [[Pit trap|nice]].

[[Discipline]] is a big obstacle to directly confronting a zombie horde - without enough discipline, a troop sent to fight them may instead simply 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.{{verify}}

In [[Adventure Mode]], edged weapons are far more effective than they are in fortress mode, and recommended over blunt weapons, as the player can target where they attack and provided they have no or little protection for their neck or head, their inability to dodge means the player can easily decapitate and instantly kill them, a skilled adventurer capable of slicing through a horde with ease while blunt weapons are notably less reliable in being able to kill a zombie every turn. Reanimated body parts are also far less of a concern than in fortress mode, as they require line of sight to be animated and reanimated parts deeply struggle to harm an adventurer in full armor with a shield. Reanimated parts can usually be put back down with a simple attack or two, or even kicked. It is recommended the player cut a swath to the necromancer (who make for pathetic fighters outside of their powers) and kill them as soon as possible.

==Uses==
Undead caught in [[cage trap]]s can be used to rapidly train marksdwarves, or 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==
[[File:zombie_dwarf.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Body, Decomposed. Wrath, Active. ''Art by DioMahesa'']]
* Undead can animate from hauled corpses.
* Animated undead will not attack necromancers (including those not responsible for raising them), as they are considered non-living beings. They are also indifferent towards other undead creatures like vampires or mummies.
* Undead will not attack inorganic/elemental creatures, such as [[Gabbro man|gabbro men]] and [[bronze colossus]]es. This is because these creatures are also treated as 'non-living', despite the fact they are not undead.
* 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-tile thick moats.
* Hostile undead that aren't a part of a siege will register as "outcasts" upon retiring a fort.

==Bugs==
* Dwarves will never report someone who was reanimated before their body was discovered 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.
* Bone stacks obtained from the severed limbs of undead sentient creatures are useable in crafting even though bones stacks rotted from the limbs of the living are off-limits.
* Undead [[echidna]], [[echidna man]], [[giant echidna]], [[hedgehog]], [[giant hedgehog]] and [[hedgehog man]] can be at the same time curled up (and therefore impossible to destroy), moving and attacking. Modding may be used as a workaround.{{bug|11463}}{{bug|10519}}.
*Dwarves fail to bury remains of reanimated corpses.{{bug|10396}}
{{Translation| dwarven = nasnökor | elvish = senoanaÿa | goblin = rotûstru | human = obmuthro}}
{{Creatures}}
{{category|Creatures}}
[[ru:Undead]]

Death

2026-10-07T14:52:32Z

DarklingArcher: written article instead of redirecting

{{quality}}
{{av}}

When a [[creature]] reaches the end of its life, or experiences an otherwise [[unfortunate accident]], they '''die'''. While a common occurrence both in [[Fortress mode|Fortress]] and [[Adventurer mode]], death should be nothing troubling to a prepared player.

== Overview ==
When a [[dwarf]] dies in Fortress Mode, you will receive an ominous purple message that {{dftext|Urist McDwarf has been found dead|5:1}} as soon as someone finds the body. In Adventurer mode, a more explicit cause of death will be given. The actual cause of death may be anything from old age, [[starvation]], [[drowning]], to stumbling upon many of the hostile [[Cavern#Creatures|cavern creatures]]. Beware! Often the killer will still be looming nearby, ready to [[wound|maim]] dwarves who come to retrieve the body or items from the dead.

== Corpses ==
{{main|Corpse}}
When a creature dies, it leaves behind a '''corpse'''. If left unattended, the corpse will then follow to [[rot]] over the course of the next month or two. Rotting corpses not only [[miasma|stink horribly]], but the sight of death alone makes passing dwarves [[stress]] out, in both cases leading to unhappy [[thoughts]]. In certain [[fun]] scenarios, corpses can even [[undead|rise from the dead]]. Therefore, it is advised to deal with corpses as soon as possible, either by [[butchering]] (if [[animal]]), [[burial]] (if dwarven), [[atom smasher|atom smashing]], or simply moving them away to a dedicated [[stockpile]] where they will (hopefully) not bother anyone.

{{Category|Combat}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}

Armor

2026-10-07T10:48:19Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Combat

{{Quality|Masterwork|20:10, 26 November 2025 (CST)}}
{{av}}
[[File:dwarf_armor_preview.png|right]]'''Armor''' is protective equipment used to reduce or deflect damage during [[combat]]. It comes in a variety of individual pieces that work together to cover a dwarf - there is no "suit of armor" in the sense of a single piece of equipment. Each armor piece protects a certain area or areas of a dwarf, and different pieces might cover a different collection of areas (see coverage chart below). The purpose of each piece is pretty much self-explanatory.

Loosely speaking, anything worn provides some protection, so it is considered "armor". In the [[stocks]] menu ({{k|k}}), each piece of armor is listed under the location where it is worn - "armor" being with other torso pieces, headwear, handwear, legwear, and footwear. However, this page will concentrate mostly just on combat-quality armor. Note that breastplates only protect upper/lower torso areas, while mail shirts also cover the neck, the upper arms, and the upper legs. (All this is explained below in more detail.)
__TOC__
== Basics ==
'''The actual effectiveness of a given piece of armor depends largely on the weapon/weapons being used against it.''' "Chain" pieces are flexible, and while good against slashing [[weapons]] (such as axes), they don't do much to stop the crushing force of blunt weapons (such as maces and hammers). "Solid" pieces (breastplates, greaves, gauntlets) are rigid, so they are more widely effective as protection against all weapons but are heavier. See the [[weapon]] article for more specific information.

Also, for slashing and piercing weapons (but not bludgeoning), the "armor vs. weapon" results are very dependent on the metal of each. A "better" metal will defeat a "lesser" armor, while a weapon of a lesser metal will be stopped more easily. For bludgeoning weapons, "weight" is the guiding rule, and all combat metals have roughly the same [[density|weight]]. See [[Weapon#Superior metal rule]] for further discussion.

Keeping in mind the enemies you are likely to meet, and how they will be armed, it is advisable to equip your militiadwarves with at least bronze or iron armor, as copper will quickly be outclassed against almost anything, except silver weapons and (most) animal attacks. Testing in the arena shows that armored dwarves have a huge advantage over unarmored ones, usually taking no casualties while making short work of their enemies. (But you shouldn't need this wiki to figure that out.) However, untrained dwarves will become encumbered and slowed down wearing armor due to lacking the [[armor user]] skill.

[[File:Armor Coverage Chart.png|thumb|550px|Dwarven armor coverage chart{{Verify|Chart has errors, see talk page}}]]

=== Purpose ===
Armor's purpose is simple: to allow your dwarves to better withstand damage in combat. Where an unarmored dwarf would invariably suffer injury from a weapon strike, well-armored dwarves have a good chance of taking reduced damage or shrugging it off altogether. Potentially-damaging blows become mere bruises, and otherwise-lethal or incapacitating wounds are reduced to serious ones. [[Clothes]], though not specifically recognized by the game as armor, nonetheless function as such, and may block weak attacks.

While a clothed dwarf is a better fighter than a naked one, an unarmored dwarf will still succumb to a goblin [[ambush]] in seconds. One clad in a full set of exceptional-quality steel armor, however, can absorb most of a goblin squad's ammunition, and half a minute of its time, before finally being killed. Unarmored or lightly-armored dwarves may suffice to deal with lone thieves and the local wildlife, but a serious [[military|army]] requires equally serious armor.

=== Types of armor ===
In terms of classifications, armor can be thought of as having three different types: [[clothing]], [[leather]], or metal. When you first create any [[squad]] in your squad sidebar {{menu icon|q}}, you will have the choice to assign a default uniform - "No uniform" (assigning no additional equipment, i.e., keeping their civilian clothing, no weapon), "Leather armor" (leather pieces and a melee weapon), "Metal armor" (any metal pieces and a melee weapon), or "Archer" (which is identical to "Leather armor" but with a choice of ranged weapon).

You can make additional custom uniforms for this purpose and mix and match different armor types, but otherwise, these refer to the pieces and combinations described below.
----
'''Note:''' It is important to note that '''all''' predefined uniforms have the "uniform worn over clothes" option enabled. As a result, dwarves will be unable to equip additional footwear armor, as they keep their civilian footwear on, and it is not possible to wear 2 types of footwear on top of each other.
To edit any uniform and/or fix this problem:
*Select the squad wearing the uniform you wish to edit in the squad tab {{menu icon|q}}
*Click on "Equip" at the bottom of the tab
*Click on "Details" on any dwarf
*Click on "Uniform worn over clothing" to change it to "Uniform replaces clothing"
*Set a new name for the uniform
*Select "Confirm and save uniform"
*Assign the newly created uniform to the whole squad (Button "Assign uniform" -> Select from the list)
----
The first type of armor is [[clothing]], which is made of [[cloth]] at a [[clothier's shop]] or leather at a [[leather works]]. Clothing can usually* only deflect very weak attacks - say, a [[raven]] bite - but nonetheless can reduce damage. Most dwarves will be wearing clothing; those that aren't will usually be either very [[tantrum|unhappy]], [[children|babies]], or [[insane]]. All dwarves, both your initial 7 and [[migrants]], arrive with a full set of clothing (but it does [[Clothing#Wear|wear]] out, so you'll need to make or [[caravan|trade]] for more sooner or later).

:''(* [[Silk]] clothing is a little stronger against cutting/piercing attacks, but still far from "military grade" protection.)

The second type is [[leather]] and/or [[bone]] armor, which is specialized for the purpose of defense compared to standard clothing. It is also very weak and designed to protect against small- to medium-sized animal attacks; it provides almost no noticeable defense against larger animals or military weapons. Leather/bone armor is usually only used by [[hunter]]s, or as the very first armor that a fortress military uses, for defending against marauding [[Rhesus macaque|macaque]]s and the like. These can be made before any [[metal industry]] is up and running, and they only need the raw material ([[bone]] or [[Skin|tanned hide]]s) and a [[craftsdwarf's workshop]] or [[leather works]], respectively.

Note that [[clothing]] made from leather is ''not'' the same as "leather armor", even if it consumes identical raw material. Protective leather armor that can be produced from the [[leather works]] includes "leather armor" (referring to leather upper-body armor), leather leggings, leather boots (high and low), and leather helms - these items are forms of true "military" armor, and non-military dwarves will not pick them up to wear.

The last type is classic combat-quality [[metal]] armor. This armor is made by an [[armorsmith]] at a [[metalsmith's forge]] and should be the armor of choice for any serious military. This armor can further be broken down into two sub-types. Flexible "chain" armor pieces, either a shirt or leggings (only), are stronger than clothing against cutting weapons (axes, swords) but do little against blunt/crushing weapons (maces, hammers, flails, whips), though they are difficult to [[wear|destroy]] with blunt force as well. Rigid "plate" pieces provide the best all-around protection. Plate pieces include helmets, metal gauntlets, and boots - there are no "chain" versions for those pieces. A full suit might incorporate both, the plate pieces layered over the chain pieces, for the best of both worlds.

==== By location ====
Though all clothes can protect from damage, a "complete" suit of armor consists of the following pieces, one cell from each column.

{|border="1" cellpadding="5" style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;text-align:left"
|-
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Torso
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Head
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Arm
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Leg
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Feet
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | [[Shield|Shields]] (block attacks)
|-
|Leather armor (upper body + lower body)
|Cap
|Gloves (hands)
|Leggings, made of leather or chain
|Low boots (feet)
|Buckler
|-
|'''Mail shirt''' (upper body + lower body + neck + upper arms + upper legs) 
and/or '''Breastplate''' (upper body + lower body only)
|Helm
|Gauntlets (hands + wrists)
|Greaves, made of plate
|High boots (feet + lower legs)
|Shield
|}

The second row is the more effective choice, while the first row offers less protection, but does not slow down dwarves unskilled as "[[Combat_skill#Equipment_skills|armor users]]". Be aware that civilians will also pick up and wear leather caps and leather gloves; leather helms can be produced instead, as civilians will not equip helms, but this may slow your unskilled dwarves down.

Note that if a mail shirt is combined with high boots, explicit "leg" covering can be omitted. (Dwarves don't have knees to protect, so the upper leg is covered from the shirt and the lower leg from the boot for complete coverage; though using greaves is still recommended, as there can never be "enough armor" in the world of ''Dwarf Fortress'').

=== Armor skill ===
Attacking and being attacked with armor on gives 3 [[experience]] to the [[armor user]] [[skill]], with 9 more points if the attack actually hits armor. Whereas armor quality affects hit block chance, armor user skill affects how quickly the dwarf can move in their armor. In arena tests, a grand master armor user could move at twice the speed of a dabbling user when in heavy armor. Faster speed translates into faster movement, although only when walking around since the combat/movement speed split in 2014.

Every time a dwarf deflects an attack with their armor, it will be [[report]]ed as - for example - Dwarf 1 slashes Dwarf 2 in the upper body with his iron short sword, but the attack is deflected by Dwarf 2's small iron breastplate!, and the dwarf will receive 18 experience on top of the 12 mentioned before. The skill can be trained by attacking local wildlife, or through [[live training]] schemes.

=== Shield skill ===
Likewise, shield use trains the [[shield user]] [[skill]]. Shields are a special piece of armor that can be worn on one arm (and cannot be worn with two-handed weapons) and can be used to block attacks better than equivalent armor can (a difference amounting to deflection instead of broken bones), greatly increasing dwarven survivability. The skill modifies how often the dwarf will be able to block an attack with the shield, and it is likewise trained every time the shield is used to block an attack, at 30 experience apiece. It can be trained in the same ways.

=== Material ===
:''See also: [[Metal#Weapon and armor quality]]''

{| class="wikitable"
! Material !! Workshop !! Labor !! Notes
|-
| [[Metal]] || [[Metalsmith's forge]] || [[Armorsmith|Armoring]] || Best choice; see notes below
|-
| [[Bone]] || [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]] || [[Bone carver|Bone carving]] || Leggings, greaves, gauntlets, and helms only
|-
| [[Shell]] || [[Craftsdwarf's workshop]] || [[Bone carver|Bone carving]] || Leggings, gauntlets, and helms only
|-
| [[Leather]] || [[Leather works]] || [[Leatherworker|Leatherworking]] || Light and unencumbering but weak protection.
|-
| [[Cloth]] || [[Clothier's shop]] || [[Clothier|Clothesmaking]] || Limited protection, nearly useless against metal.
|-
| [[Wood]] || [[Carpenter's workshop]] || [[Carpentry]] || Shield/buckler only (except [[Elf|elves]])
|}

[[File:armor_portrait_preview.png|right]]Armor can be made out of non-metallic, inferior (but sometimes plentiful) material, such as [[bone]], [[shell]], or [[leather]] (and wooden armor can sometimes be acquired from elven [[caravan]]s). This armor is only effective against the weakest "natural" attacks - small animals (smaller than a dwarf), or the sort of [[wrestling|rare accidents]] that can occur during [[Military quickstart#Melee Training|military training]]. However, that small level of protection can be critical for [[hunter]]s and your military trainees, to avoid the rare fatal or crippling injury that can occur when unarmored. Having an artery opened by a feisty [[wombat]] or irritated [[aardvark]], or cracking a skull during a training fall, is no way for a dwarf to end their story. And having a set of cheap "training armor" allows a new fort to field some metal-clad squads while others are safely sparring. However, against any larger [[creature]]s, and certainly against any sort of metal weaponry, these are completely insufficient for protection.

Metal armor must be made out of a [[weapons-grade]] material (i.e. copper, bronze/bismuth bronze, iron, steel, or something rarer). The only exception to this is when a dwarf is in a [[strange mood]], in which case a piece of armor might be created out of any metal lying around. The material used in armor is extremely important to combat; fully [[iron]]-armored dwarves with iron weapons stand far less chance against those using [[steel]].* In general, slashing weapons will have difficulty piercing armor made of the same weapons-grade material as the weapon and piercing weapons will be increasingly blunted, but blunt weapons will break bones through armor, almost regardless of its material. Rigid armor provides limited blunt protection, while chain mail shirts and leggings provide next to none. Even adamantine armor only prevents an estimated 13% of blows, demonstrating the utility of the slow-but-sure war hammer.

: ''(* see the [[Weapon#Superior_metal_rule|superior metal rule]])''

[[Shield]]s are a bit different than other pieces of armor - their material doesn't affect how well they deflect attacks, although that is not the only consideration. Wood and leather are both very light compared to their metal equivalents, tiring a low-skill dwarf less, and just as effective for blocking; however, they make for poor bludgeons if used to bash enemies (and they frequently are). When combined with changes made to how wear is applied to various materials, this means shields and bucklers of either will likely need to be replaced somewhat frequently if they are not artifact-quality. There can be no denying that the metal saved is significant, however, especially for new fortresses or in metal-poor embarks.

Certain weapons are surprisingly good at penetrating armor - copper whips will shatter skulls through steel helmets. [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=116151.30 science!]

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=5|Armor material comparison
|-
! Poor !! Acceptable !! Good !! Excellent !! Best
|-
| Leather/Bone/Wood || Copper || Iron/Bronze<nowiki>*</nowiki> || Steel || Adamantine
|}
:: (* Bronze here also includes [[bismuth bronze]], as both have identical combat stats and are armor-grade metals. [[Black_bronze|Black bronze]] '''cannot''' be used for armor.)

* [[Bone]] armor can be crafted very early in the game from the bones of livestock or other animals. Roughly equivalent to leather, bone armor provides practically no protection against "real" weapons or large animals, and little against the attacks of medium-sized animals, making it an inferior option even for [[hunter]]s, except as a fashion statement. Most types of [[Wood]] are not better than Bone, and are only used/crafted by [[Elves]], since they don't practice metalworking.
* [[Copper]] armor is the lowest-grade type of metal armor, but also (usually) the easiest to get, requiring one of [[native copper]], [[malachite]], or [[tetrahedrite]] (next to guaranteed on any embark containing more than one metal).
* [[Bronze]] is an [[alloy]] of copper and [[tin]], which requires [[cassiterite]]. It is much-improved over copper armor and is slightly stronger than iron, but it also weighs more and is more elastic.*
:* [[Bismuth bronze]] has identical properties to standard bronze, but has been alloyed with [[bismuth]], making it more valuable (and fancier-[[Color#Material_by_color|color]]ed). If you have access to bismuth and want to put it to use, and you have the time and [[fuel]] for the extra steps, you can save some tin and increase the [[value]] of the final objects this way.
* [[Iron]] can be smelted from [[hematite]], [[limonite]], or [[magnetite]] and is easiest to find in [[sedimentary layer]]s (though [[igneous extrusive]] layers may contain hematite). It is roughly comparable to bronze: it is slightly weaker but more rigid*, and has a less complicated smelting process.
:: ''(* What this means is that, unless you really want to both nerd-out on weapon/armor/damage mechanics and ''then'' micro-manage armor material vs. specific opponent weapon type and material during each different siege combat - and Respect if you can do that effectively - just consider them equal and you'll be close enough.)

* [[Steel]] is, by far, the best non-adamantine armor material, and is the "go to" for most fortresses. Creating steel is a 2-stage process that requires [[fuel]], [[flux]], [[iron]], and [[pig iron]] in its manufacturing. Note that steel in ''Dwarf Fortress'' is just as valuable as [[gold]]; making lots of armor is a sure way to attract [[siege|attention]], but at least it's going into shiny armor, right?
* [[Adamantine]] is only found beneath the third [[cavern]] layer, plumbing the depths of the [[magma sea]]; it can be used to create unparalleled armor, but is very time-consuming to produce, in addition to being hazardous to mine, and is immensely valuable to boot.

A detailed breakdown can be found [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=53571.0 here]. Note that a full suit of ''any'' non-adamantine metal armor will considerably slow down a raw recruit of average strength, as shown briefly [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=111414.0 here].



=== Quality and strange moods ===
Quality is an important modifier on armor - it gets a deflection bonus based on quality level, but its effect is only known for regular (1×), masterwork (2×), and artifact (3×) armor; presumably, the quality ranks in-between are progressive.

{{:Item quality/Table}}

This means that effectively, masterworks produced by legendary [[armorsmith]]s cut damage done by as much as half. This, combined with the need to produce a lot of armor, makes armorers far and away the most-desired dwarves for [[strange mood]]s, and various schemes exist for influencing such an event. Graphically, the quality of upper body armor and clothes can be seen in portraits of some individuals, such as the created characters in [[Adventure mode]]. Before starting a game in said mode, the player can choose any type of wearable item for themselves, at the cost of points. In these character portraits, the quality of clothes can be easily seen, as the piece of clothing will appear to be more lavishly decorated the higher the quality is. This can be seen in the image below:

[[File:armor_quality_preview.png|thumb|708px|center|From left to right, the armor's level of quality are standard, -well-crafted-, +finely-crafted+, *superior quality*, =exceptional=, ☼masterful☼ and artifact.]]

In adventure mode, the player has the choice of choosing the quality of some clothing and weapons by clicking [[File:quality_increase_button.png|16px]] and [[File:quality_decrease_button.png|16px]], with higher qualities costing more points. Note that some articles of armor will not show a unique graphic for every level of quality, and the player can never choose the artifact quality from the start.

Dwarves in strange moods can produce legendary artifacts, which benefit from a 3× multiplier, or three times as good as a more mundane piece of armor. Artifact-quality weapons-grade armor items are very strong defensively. However, artifacts can also be made of totally inappropriate materials, and the spectacularly-low defensive values of [[giant hedgehog]] [[bone]] leggings vastly outweigh any bonuses it gets. Fortunately, soldiers will not by themselves claim artifact equipment; it can only be issued by the overseer assigning it as a specific item.

Strange moods are an exception to the number-of-bars rule; only one bar is required for the item itself, although additional materials may be gathered for decoration.

=== Attachment ===
Dwarves that have used a particular piece of armor for an extended period of time may grow [[Attachment|attached]] to it, becoming [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?msg=7312290 better] at withstanding blows with it and unhappy if it is taken away. This is fine if it is a pair of ☼Steel Greaves☼, but it is a major problem if they are using what is meant to be interim armor. This happens less often with armor than it does for weapons. These events generate announcements.

=== Mechanics ===
There is no fundamental difference in performance between clothing and armor, something accentuated by regular clothing's ability to block attacks. Armor can be thought of as metal clothing, thicker and made of materials that have a much better chance of blocking attacks. Armor is, however, different in that it is not subject to standard [[wear]], will not be automatically equipped by civilians, and only non-clothing garments increase the [[Combat_skill|armor user]] skill.

The availability of specific articles of clothing varies by [[civilization]], and each has its own set of clothing that it can produce. In Fortress mode, sandals and shoes are in the same clothing class, but only the latter can be produced by dwarves, whereas the former must be stripped off dead enemies. Dwarves are gender-insensitive; a male dwarf may well put on a dress.

Non-armor clothing can provide some defense, most importantly to areas that are not covered by regular armor. The ears, nose, lips, and teeth are always exposed, even in full armor. Robes and cloaks will provide a bulwark of low-level protection, making them useful for military dwarves, especially those you plan to send through the [[danger room]].

=== Encumbrance ===
Sometimes, it is better to wear less than more armor, because it slows you down. Non-armor users tend to get slowed down significantly if they are wearing more than 1 piece of armor with 15-25 units of weight. This includes items such as mail shirts, greaves, and breastplates. Gauntlets only weigh 1-2 units of weight depending on material, and high boots weigh 3 units. Most clothing weighs 1 unit or less, with the exception of plant cloth clothing, which weigh 4 times as much as their silk and yarn alternatives.

Since most dwarves are not [[danger room]]-trained right away into legendary armor users, it is highly recommended that you do not outfit them with the maximum amount of armor possible, as this will make them super slow and allow the enemy to get in many hits before they have a chance to fight back. Weight also hinders ranged units like marksdwarves, who more or less depend on their first strike and fast reload to cripple the enemy before they get into melee and who may also spend the majority of their time behind fortifications anyway.

Wearing a combination of 1 pair of metal gauntlets, 1 pair of metal high boots, 1 metal helmet, and 1 metal mail shirt gives an armor level 2 {{Verify|Are armor levels still relevant in the new material properties-based mechanics?}} metal armor layer that covers all areas without sacrificing speed due to encumbrance on non-armor users. This setup will prevent most cutting and stabbing attacks from weapons below the armor's metal grade, but it will still be vulnerable to crushing attacks since no metal greaves or breastplate is worn. Lighter and weaker types of armor, like leather armor and bone greaves, can also be worn in addition to the metal layer to provide additional protection without encumbrance, and they tend to be at least moderately effective if they are masterworks {{Verify}}. Shields should be made of wood when possible because a copper shield could weigh up to 13 units of weight, and material does not matter for blocking attacks. However, wooden and leather shields wear out and break rather quickly in the new version when used to hit armor in combat, so in the long run, a metal shield might be worth it.

=== Wear ===
Armor can suffer [[wear]] when it is struck in combat. Whether armor is damaged in a fight depends on the material differences (e.g. steel weapons can easily damage copper armor) and presumably also the power of the attacker. Armor is irreparable, so if it's destroyed in combat, new armor must be made or purchased to replace it.

=== Race ===
Armor is typically sized for the kind of creature that produced it. [[Goblin]]s, [[elves]] and your [[dwarves]] are all about the same size, and their equipment can be used interchangeably, but [[human]] armor is too big for other races. You can manually specify the target race when forging armor, which is useful if you have non-dwarf [[visitor|residents]]. Also, armor sized for [[hyena man|hyena men]] is big enough to be worn by humans, but still small enough to be worn by dwarves. Being bigger, it also [[material science#Contact Area|offers]] slightly better slashing [[weapon]] protection than dwarf-sized armor, but is also more [[weight|heavy]]. Conversely, [[wolf man]]-sized armor is the smallest you can produce for your dwarf military, and may reduce their encumbrance a bit (but it's worse against slashing attacks).

Shields do not have a target race, so anyone can use them.

== Layers ==
The layers are, in order from inner to outer:
*Under
*Over
*Armor
*Cover

==Types of protection==
===Availability===
None of the clothing/armor items are guaranteed in the [[raw]]s to be available for production, but each body part will have some item to cover it (for certain layers, most importantly the armor layer{{verify|which other layers, or is it by armor level, or some thing else}}).

Also, dwarven [[civilization]]s are not homogenous; there can be small variations between them. Occasionally, some items listed below may randomly be deemed "inappropriate" for your chosen dwarven culture, and so your fortress simply cannot manufacture them. Your dwarves might still choose to wear them, but they can only be obtained via [[trade]] or recovered off [[war|bodies]] (assuming those items are "dwarf-size"). This can include items ''not'' specifically marked below as "uncommon" (≈).

===Material requirements===
The number of regular metal bars needed to make a piece of metal armor is equal to the '''material size''' divided by 3, rounded down with a minimum of one.
The number of adamantine wafers or stacks of adamantine cloth required to create armor is equal to the material size.

===Headgear===
{| style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class=wikitable class=sortable
|- style="background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;"
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Clothing Type
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;" colspan=3|Graphic (Preview/Portrait/Icon)
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Material Size
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|{{tooltip|Materials|Can be Cloth, Leather, Bone, Shell, Metal, or Wood.}}
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Layer Size, Permit, and layering armor|Layer Size]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Layer Size, Permit, and layering armor|Permit]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Layer
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Coverage %
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|{{tooltip|Armor Level|Items without an armor rating are considered clothing.}}
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Elasticity
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Face Veil{{tooltip|ƒ|Foreign}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:face_veil_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_face_veil.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:face_veil_icon.png]]

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Under
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Mask{{tooltip|§|Shaped}}{{tooltip|ƒ|Foreign}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:mask_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_mask.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:mask_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L,B,S,M
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|20
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Under
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Headscarf{{tooltip|ƒ|Foreign}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:headscarf_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_headscarf.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:headscarf_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Head Veil{{tooltip|ƒ|Foreign}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:head_veil_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_head_veil.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:head_veil_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Turban{{tooltip|ƒ|Foreign}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:turban_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_turban.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:turban_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|20
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cap{{tooltip|§|Shaped}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:cap_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:cap_portrait_anim.gif|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:cap_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L,M
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|+{{verify|description for METAL_ARMOR_LEVELS token says it only works if ARMORLEVEL is explicitly declared, which is not for cap}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven

|-
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Helm{{tooltip|§|Shaped}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:helm_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:helm_portrait_anim.gif|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:helm_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|L,B,S,M
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|30
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|20
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Armor
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1+
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|-
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Hood
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:hood_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_hood.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:hood_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cover
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|}

===Upper body===
{| style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class=wikitable class=sortable
|- style="background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;"
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Clothing Type
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;" colspan=3|Graphic (Preview/Portrait/Icon)
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Material Size
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|{{tooltip|Materials|Can be Cloth, Leather, Bone, Shell, Metal, or Wood.}}
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Size, Permit, and layering armor|Layer Size]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Size, Permit, and layering armor|Permit]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Layer
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Coverage %
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Coverage|UBSTEP]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Coverage|LBSTEP]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|{{tooltip|Armor Level|Items without an armor rating are considered clothing.}}
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Elasticity
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Tunic
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:tunic_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_tunic.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:tunic_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|3
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Under
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Shirt
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:shirt_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_shirt.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:shirt_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|3
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Under
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|MAX
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Dress
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:dress_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_dress.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:dress_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|5
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Under
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|MAX
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|MAX
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Vest
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:vest_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_vest.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:vest_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Toga{{tooltip|≈|Uncommon}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:toga_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_toga.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:toga_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|5
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|30
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Coat
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:coat_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_coat.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:coat_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|5
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|20
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|MAX
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Robe
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:robe_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_robe.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:robe_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|6
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|20
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|MAX
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|MAX
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Mail Shirt
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:mail_shirt_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_mail_shirt.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:mail_shirt_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|6
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|M
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Any chain
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Leather Armor{{tooltip|§|Shaped}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:leather_armor_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_leather_armor.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:leather_armor_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|6
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|20
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Armor
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Breastplate{{tooltip|§|Shaped}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:breastplate_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_breastplate.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:breastplate_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|9
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|M
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|20
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Armor
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|3
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape{{tooltip|ƒ|Foreign}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:cape_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_cape.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:cape_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|3
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cover
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cloak
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:cloak_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:portrait_cloak.png|30px]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:cloak_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|5
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|150
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cover
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|MAX
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Backpack
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:backpack_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|3
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|>300
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Quiver
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:quiver_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|3
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|>300
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Flask
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:flask_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|5
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|L,M
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Unique
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|}
[[Quiver]]s and [[backpack]]s are also worn on the upper body, counting towards layer permit size. [[Flask]]s are attached to the upper body armor or the garment worn over it (but not cover-layer items, such as cloaks).

===Hands===
{| style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class=wikitable class=sortable
|- style="background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;"
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Clothing Type
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;" colspan=2|Graphic (Preview/Icon)
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Material Size
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|{{tooltip|Materials|Can be Cloth, Leather, Bone, Shell, Metal, or Wood.}}
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Size, Permit, and layering armor|Layer Size]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Size, Permit, and layering armor|Permit]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Layer
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Coverage %
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Coverage|UPSTEP]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|{{tooltip|Armor Level|Items without an armor rating are considered clothing.}}
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Elasticity
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Gloves
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:gloves_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:glove_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Under
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Gauntlets{{tooltip|§|Shaped}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:gauntlets_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:gauntlet_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|B,S,M
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|20
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Armor
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Mittens
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:mittens_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:mitten_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|20
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cover
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|150%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|}

Each crafting job produces a pair of gloves, gauntlets, or mittens -- one right-handed, and one left-handed. The items from a single job may have different quality levels.

===Lower body===
{| style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class=wikitable class=sortable
|- style="background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;"
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Clothing Type
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;" colspan=2|Graphic (Preview/Icon)
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Material Size
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|{{tooltip|Materials|Can be Cloth, Leather, Bone, Shell, Metal, or Wood.}}
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Size, Permit, and layering armor|Layer Size]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Size, Permit, and layering armor|Permit]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Layer
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Coverage %
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Coverage|LBSTEP]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|{{tooltip|Armor Level|Items without an armor rating are considered clothing.}}
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Elasticity
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Thong{{tooltip|ƒ|Foreign}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:thong_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:thong_item_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|30
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Under
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|25%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Loincloth
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:loincloth_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:loincloth_thong_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|30
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Under
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Braies{{tooltip|≈|Uncommon}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:braies_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:braies_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|3
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|30
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Under
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Trousers
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:trousers_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:trousers_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|4
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|30
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|MAX
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Skirt (Short){{tooltip|ƒ|Foreign}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:short_skirt_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:short_skirt_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Skirt{{tooltip|ƒ|Foreign}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:skirt_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:skirt_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Skirt (Long){{tooltip|ƒ|Foreign}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:long_skirt_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:long_skirt_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|MAX
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Leggings{{tooltip|§|Shaped}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:leggings_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:leggings_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|5
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|L,B,S,M
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|30
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Armor
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|MAX
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1+
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Metal chain
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Greaves{{tooltip|§|Shaped}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:greaves_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:greaves_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|6
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|B,M
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|30
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Armor
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|MAX
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|3
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|}

===Footwear===
{| style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class=wikitable class=sortable
|- style="background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;"
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Clothing Type
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;" colspan=2|Graphic (Preview/Icon)
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Material Size
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|{{tooltip|Materials|Can be Cloth, Leather, Bone, Shell, Metal, or Wood.}}
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Size, Permit, and layering armor|Layer Size]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Size, Permit, and layering armor|Permit]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Layer
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Coverage %
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Coverage|UPSTEP]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|{{tooltip|Armor Level|Items without an armor rating are considered clothing.}}
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Elasticity
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Socks
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:socks_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:socks_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Under
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Chausses{{tooltip|ƒ|Foreign}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:chausses_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:chausses_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|3
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Under
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|MAX
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Sandals{{tooltip|ƒ|Foreign}}
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:sandals_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:sandals_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|25
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Shoes
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:shoes_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:shoes_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|C,L
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|20
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Woven
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Low Boots
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:low_boots_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:low_boots_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|L,M
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|25
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1+
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|High Boots
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:high_boots_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:high_boots_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|L,M
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|25
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Over
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|100%
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1+
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|}

Each crafting job produces one pair of footwear. Unlike gloves, footwear items are interchangeable (they are not right- or left-footed). The two items from a single crafting job may have different quality levels.

===Shield===
{| style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;"
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Clothing Type
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;" colspan=2|Graphic (Preview/Icon)
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Blockchance
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Material Size
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|{{tooltip|Materials|Can be Cloth, Leather, Bone, Shell, Metal, or Wood.}}
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Size, Permit, and layering armor|Layer Size]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Size, Permit, and layering armor|Permit]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Layer
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Coverage %
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|[[Armor#Coverage|UPSTEP]]
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|{{tooltip|Armor Level|Items without an armor rating are considered clothing.}}
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Elasticity
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Buckler
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:buckler_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:buckler_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|L,M,W
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|NA
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|NA
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|NA
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Shield
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:shield_sprite.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:shield_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|20
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|4
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|L,M,W
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|NA
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|NA
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|NA
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|N/A
|}
Note: Striking with a shield trains both misc object user and armor user skills. Additionally, shield material and quality only matter for bashing attacks and do not affect blocking. Skills rolls are 1d(blockchance) + 2d(skill*15), so skill matters more than blockchance even at novice skill. Also note that shields have increased mass when made for/by larger creatures.

Armor levels 1-3 were referred to as 'leather', 'chain', or 'plate' in earlier versions.
:+ The armor level is increased by one if made from metal.
:§ A shaped item, max one shaped item per body slot (e.g. a breastplate cannot be worn with leather armor, but it can be worn with a mail shirt, while greaves and leggings cannot be combined).
:ƒ This "foreign" article can never be crafted by dwarves (except for [[artifact]]s) but may be purchased in trade, although, not every article without this can always be crafted (see {{token|armor|e}}).
:≈ Uncommon for dwarven civilizations, thus not available more often.
* In theory, the only metal armor pieces which are not "shaped" are Mail Shirt, Flask, Low Boots and High Boots; in practice, the only ''true'' shapeless metal armor is Mail Shirt, because Flask can't deflect hits, while Low and High boots have such low permit that it's impossible anyway to put a second pair of boots on top of the first.
* '''Elasticity''': Woven items (with {{token|STRUCTURAL_ELASTICITY_WOVEN_THREAD|armor}} token) are flexible if they are made of any woven cloth (plant fiber, silk, or yarn), metal chains (with {{token|STRUCTURAL_ELASTICITY_CHAIN_METAL|armor}}) performs the same function for items made of metal, and any chains (with {{token|STRUCTURAL_ELASTICITY_CHAIN_ALL|armor}}) makes items flexible regardless of their material; flexible items provide little or no protection from blunt attacks, while all others are treated as rigid.
===Melting===
Armor pieces that are made of [[metal]]s can be "melted" to regain [[bar]]s of the original material. See the [[melt item]] article for full information.
{| style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class=wikitable class=sortable
|- style="background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;"
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Armor Type
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Icon
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Bars to make
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Bars returned on melting
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1.2em;"|Melting efficiency %
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cap
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:cap_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0.3
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|30%
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Helm
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:helm_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0.6
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|60%
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Mail Shirt
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:mail_shirt_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1.8
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|90%
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Breastplate
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:breastplate_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|3
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2.7
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|90%
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Gauntlets (per pair)
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:gauntlet_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1.2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|120%
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Leggings
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:leggings_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1.5
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|150%
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Greaves
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:greaves_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1.8
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|90%
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Low Boots (per pair)
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:low_boots_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0.6
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|60%
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|High Boots (per pair)
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:high_boots_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1.2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|120%
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Buckler
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:buckler_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0.6
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|60%
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Shield
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em; text-align:center;"|[[File:shield_icon.png]]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|1.2
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|120%
|}

==Special procedurally-generated armors==
Some rare entities have their own procedurally-generated armors. Currently, these armors are produced by copying the default properties of the "base" armor and adding an adjective ("bulging", "segmented", "rounded", etc.). Dwarves in [[strange mood]]s that select from all armors with a certain tag may produce one of these procedurally-generated armors. Since they retain the properties of their base items, these armors should be as usable as standard armor of the base type.

==Equipping clothing==
Items in ''Dwarf Fortress'' must be equipped in a specific order, similarly to what happens in real life: for example, a dwarf cannot equip a layer type of Under when they are already equipping a layer type of Over. The complete order is (inner clothing to outer clothing): Under, Over, Armor, Cover. It is common among civilians to see a dwarf equip pants with no undergarments due to this restriction, even when an undergarment is available. This issue doesn't typically occur with soldiers, however.

There is no restriction on wearing multiple items of the same type ''(Unless the item is shaped [S])''. You can, for example, wear 3 cloaks without penalty.

===Process for equipping a new piece of clothing===
[[File:aardvark_armor_preview.png|thumb|300px|right|An aardvark wearing armor meant for a dwarf. Somehow. Also, average-quality breastplate is made from non-armor-grade metal. Somehow.]]The following variables will be used in the logic below:
:'''Current Item''' refers to the specific item being equipped.
:'''Total Size''' refers to the [[Armor#Size, Permit, and layering armor|size]] of all items equipped on that body part, excluding the item to be equipped (while including those on a different [[Armor#Size, Permit, and layering armor|layer]]).
:'''Permit''' is a capacity value indicating the maximum allowable size of items equipped on the same layer and lower layers as the item being equipped.

In order to equip a new item, the dwarf (or other creature):
:*determines if they are eligible to wear the item in question (perhaps the body part is missing/severed);
:*must start with the lowest layer first, continuing to the next layer when no other items of that layer need to be equipped;
:*checks if the item is shaped [S] and will only equip the item if no other shaped items are equipped '''on that body part''';
:*considers the item with the lowest permit value first. If two items share the same permit value, the highest-size item would be equipped first{{verify}};
:*checks if the total size of items on each body part the current item would cover (excluding the current item's size) is less than or equal to the current item's permit level.
:*in case of an Armor layer item, also checks whether its own size + permit value is greater than the total size of items already on the body part.
:*in case of any non-Cover item, checks whether the total size of '''items in the same layer including the current item''' is less than the smallest permit value among these items.
:*if all above conditions are met, the dwarf/creature will equip the item.

===Equipment process example===
Each item is listed in order of being equipped. The primary focus of this example is that the total size must be equal to or less than the permit size of the item being equipped. Like above, the total size ''excludes the size of the item being equipped''.

{| style="margin:1em 1em 1em 0;background:#F9F9F9;border:1px #AAA solid;border-collapse:collapse;" class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="background:#F2F2F2;text-align:center;"

!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Item Type
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1em;"|Layer Size
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1em;"|Total Size*
!style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:1em;"|Permit
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Mail Shirt
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|0
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Mail Shirt
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Mail Shirt
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|30
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Breastplate [S]
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|20
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|45
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|50
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;color:#F00;"|Mail Shirt
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;color:#F00;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;color:#F00;"|65
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;color:#F00;"|50
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cloak
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|65
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|150
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cloak
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|80
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|150
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cloak
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|95
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|150
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cloak
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|110
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|150
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cloak
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|125
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|150
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cloak
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|140
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|150
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;color:#F00;"|Cloak
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;color:#F00;"|15
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;color:#F00;"|155
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;color:#F00;"|150
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|150
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|160
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|170
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|180
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|190
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|200
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|210
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|220
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|230
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|240
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|250
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|260
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|270
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|280
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|290
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;"|300
|-

|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;color:#F00;"|Cape
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;color:#F00;"|10
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;color:#F00;"|310
|style="border:1px #AAA solid;padding:0.2em;color:#F00;"|300
|-
|}

* * = Total Size includes the layer size of all equipped items but does not include the item being equipped
*Red Text = This item cannot be equipped because the total size is larger than the item's permitted size.

==Layer Size, Permit, and layering armor==

The '''Layer Size''' and '''Permit''' values govern how much clothing or armor can be worn.

Example: A helm (30 size, 20 permit) can be worn over two head veils (10, 100) and can fit 6 additional hoods if desired.

Example: Wearing a cap (10, 15) allows only one face veil (10, 100), but a combined total of up to 9 head veils and hoods can be added.

'''Adventurer mode''' follows the arena rules, so it is possible to have three mail shirts (15, 50), a breastplate (20, 50), and 25 capes (10, 300) on one's upper body plus a helm and six hoods on one's head. Confirmation is needed to see if [[fortress mode]] follows the old rules or the new arena rules. (Testing finds that Urist McNopants follows a totally different set of rules than either of these - their rules tell them to forget both caps, all of the hoods, both socks, and their trousers, and each successive time they get dressed ,they feel the need to do it differently.)

===Some more workarounds regarding Layer Size, Permit, and Layering===
Let's say you want to kit out your soldier's upper body. Try walking through this in arena mode to get a feel for it.

You start off with a [[steel]] breastplate. This has a layer size of '''20''' and a permit of '''50'''. It is also '''shaped''', so you can't add any other shaped items: no more breastplates and no [[leather]] armor.

Now, you want to add mail shirts. Each one has a permit of '''50''' and a layer size of '''15'''. You can add three of these if you want. It checks the layer size against each of the armor pieces' permit + layer size (or rather, the permit value ignoring that item's layer size in the calculation) like so:
* Against each of the mail shirts, you have '''2 × 15 = 30''' total size in mail shirts and '''+ 20''' from the breastplate, matching the '''50''' permit.
* Against the breastplate, you have '''3 × 15 = 45 < 50''', which is fine.
Now, if you add a fourth mail shirt, these tests will fail. However, because of the layering order (mail shirts being armor layer 2, the breastplate armor layer 3), the breastplate is added after the shirts. This results in the breastplate being dropped.

Because this reaches the '''50''' permit limit for the mail shirts, you can't add more non-cover items without substituting them for existing items. If you want a robe (size '''20'''), for example, you need to remove two of the mail shirts to clear a total size of '''30''', which then lets you add an extra size '''10''' shirt, vest, or whatever.

However, you can add cover layer items - in this case, cloaks. Each cloak has a layer size of '''15''' and a permit of '''150'''. Taking into account the '''50''' size already on the upper body, we can add '''100''' size worth of cloaks. This lets us add '''6''' ('''× 15 = 90''') cloaks over the existing armor.

Going through armor like this for the rest of the body (most of it is simpler) gives you a final setup of:

{| class="wikitable"
|+
|-
! Layer !! With Foreign Items !! Without Foreign Items !! Cheap
|-
| Body/Armour || '''''3 × mail shirts''''' '''1 × breastplate''' 6 × cloaks 16 × capes || '''''3 × mail shirts''''' '''1 × breastplate''' 6 × cloaks || 6 × dress 3 × robe 3 × cloak 
|-
| Legs || 3 × long skirts '''1 × greaves'''|| 2 × trousers '''1 × greaves'''|| 2 × trousers 1 × leggings or 1 × greaves (bone)
|-
| Head || - || '''1 × helm''' 8 × hood|| 1 × helm (leather, bone, shell) 8 × hood (or 0 × helm and 11 × hood)
|-
| Hands || - || '''1 × pairs of gauntlets''' 1 × pairs of mittens || 2 × pairs of gloves (or 1 × gauntlets - bone/shell) 1 × pairs of mittens
|-
| Feet† || 1 × pairs of chausses '''1 × pairs of high boots'''|| 1 × pairs of socks '''1 × pairs of high boots'''|| 1 × pairs of socks 1 × pairs of high boots (leather)
|}

Protected zones with optimal setups:
* With Foreign Items specific:
** Upper Torso: '''1 × breastplate''', '''''3 × mail shirts''''', 6 × cloaks, 16 × capes. ('''9 plate metal''', '''''18 chain metal''''', 30 rags, 48 half-rags)
** Lower Torso: '''1 × breastplate''', '''''3 × mail shirts''''', '''1 × greaves''', 6 × cloaks, 16 × capes, 3 × long skirts. ('''15 plate metal''', '''''18 chain metal''''', 39 rags, 48 half-rags)
** Upper Leg: '''1 × greaves''', '''''3 × mail shirts''''', 3 × long skirts, 6 × cloaks, 1 × pairs of chausses. ('''6 plate metal''', '''''18 chain metal''''', 39 rags)
** Lower Leg: '''1 × greaves''', '''1 × pairs of high boots''', 3 × long skirts, 6 × cloaks, 1 × pairs of chausses. ('''8 plate metal''', 39 rags)
** Toes: '''1 × greaves''', '''1 × pairs of high boots''', 1 × pairs of chausses, 3 × long skirts, 6 × cloaks. ('''8 plate metal''', 39 rags)
** Feet: '''1 × pairs of high boots''', 1 × pairs of chausses. ('''2 plate metal''', 3 rags)
* Without Foreign Items specific:
** Upper Torso: '''1 × breastplate''', '''''3 × mail shirts''''', 6 × cloaks. ('''9 plate metal''', '''''18 chain metal''''', 30 rags)
** Lower Torso: '''1 × breastplate''', '''''3 × mail shirts''''', '''1 × greaves''', 6 × cloaks, 2 × trousers. ('''15 plate metal''', '''''18 chain metal''''', 38 rags)
** Upper Leg: '''1 × greaves''', '''''3 × mail shirts''''', 2 × trousers, 6 × cloaks. ('''6 plate metal''', '''''18 chain metal''''', 38 rags)
** Lower Leg: '''1 × greaves''', '''1 × pairs of high boots''', 2 × trousers, 6 × cloaks. ('''8 plate metal''', 38 rags)
** Toes: '''1 × greaves''', '''1 × pairs of high boots''', 1 × pairs of socks, 2 × trousers, 6 × cloaks. ('''8 plate metal''', 39 rags)
** Feet: '''1 × pairs of high boots''', 1 × pairs of socks. ('''2 plate metal''', 1 rag)
* Metal Armor Sets specific:
** Neck, Upper Arm: '''''3 × mail shirts''''', 6 × cloaks ('''''18 chain metal''''', 30 rags).
** Lower Arm: '''1 × pairs of gauntlets''', 6 × cloaks ('''2 plate metal''', 30 rags)
** Fingers: '''1 × pairs of gauntlets''', 6 × cloaks, 1 × pairs of mittens ('''2 plate metal''', 1 150% rag, 30 rags)
** Hands: '''1 × pairs of gauntlets''', 1 × pairs of mittens ('''2 plate metal''', 1 150% rag)
** Skull: '''1 × helm''', 8 × hood. ('''2 plate metal''', 16 rags)
** Face: 6 × cloaks (30 rags)
* Cheap sets:
** ''To be written''
* Many Facial Features: Nothing

Finally, armor with larger Surface Area is harder to chop through with slashing swings; surface area of armor is likely sum of Surface Areas of all body parts covered by it, multiplied by Coverage.

To produce a set of full armor for a single dwarf (assuming you use no foreign items), you would require 14 metal bars, 15 units of leather or cloth (or silk or yarn), and 1 unit of cloth.

Of course, so long as the bugs are still around, we are likely to see dwarves wearing more than this, or refusing to put parts on because they found their boots before their socks.

''Note: "Cheap" implies the sets can be made from secondary materials such as bone and cloth, with item types not overlapping with the other, more combat-oriented sets that use metal, leather, and cloth (for socks). As a rule of thumb, combat sets provide better protection, but cheap sets are lighter and easier to mass-produce.''

† It appears that equipping footwear on one foot can affect what can be equipped on the other. For example, if a uniform calls for socks and high boots, a dwarf will only equip 3 of those 4 items between both of their feet.

==Coverage==
The value of coverage of an armor piece is the percentage probability that an attack made against a body part covered by said armor piece actually hits the armor. Example: Helms and caps both cover only the head (facial features excluded). 100% of attacks against the head of a helm-wearing dwarf are affected by the helm's protective capabilities because helms have 100% coverage. In the case of a cap-wearing dwarf, only 50% of attacks made against the head are affected by the cap - the remaining 50% bypass it and land directly on the head because caps have only 50% coverage. The value of coverage has an additional role in determining how well the armor protects against contaminants and temperature effects.

By default, armor pieces cover only a single body part, at which they are 'anchored' (hands, feet, lower body, upper body, or head){{verify}}. Their coverage is extended to other body parts using the following three tags:

:'''[UBSTEP]'''
This token, when applied to torso armor, controls how far 'up' the body an item of armor reaches. Basically, you can think of it as going out in stages along the body. It doesn't cover legs. It doesn't cover body parts with certain tags (notably [HEAD], [GRASP] and [STANCE], or the head). It can cover the children of such body parts (such as parts of the face) if it extends beyond them. The upper body and lower body are counted as 0 steps away, so both are always covered.

Breastplates have a default of 0, meaning they only cover the torso. 
Mail shirts have [UBSTEP:1], so they cover the upper arms and neck.

A number of clothing items have [UBSTEP:MAX]. What exactly this covers depends on a certain bug, but unless you are making adamantine robes, you probably won't get that much extra protection this way anyway. This would mean, for example, they would cover the upper arm and then lower arm, skip the hand, and then cover the fingers. The same goes for facial features after skipping the head and the toes after skipping the entire legs and feet. 
The clothes with these properties seem to be robes, cloaks, coats, shirts, and dresses. However, of these, only robes and dresses also have [LBSTEP:MAX] (see below), so I'm not sure if anything else would actually cover toes or not. This needs additional testing.

Testing in arena: in three battles with 15x15 dwarves where both sides was equipped with iron battle axes and iron full armor and one of the teams was enforced with leather robes, the team with robes was victorious (2-3 survivors).

:'''[LBSTEP]'''
This token, when applied to torso armor or pants, controls how much of the legs an item covers. Legs in this case are defined as [LIMB] body parts that end in a [STANCE] body part (e.g. foot). Arms are [LIMB]s but end in a [GRASP] hand instead. Because the upper and lower body are effectively zero steps from each other, torso armor can extend this way easily.

Both greaves and leggings have [LBSTEP:MAX] and so cover the entire leg to the best of their ability. 
Mail shirts have [LBSTEP:1] and so can protect the upper legs. A range of other clothes (including cloaks) and leather armor also have this.
As mentioned above, robes and dresses have [LBSTEP:MAX] and so cover the entire legs. These also have [UBSTEP:MAX] and so cover the entire body. Although not the strongest armor, a leather (or maybe adamantine?) robe or dress gives you maximum coverage.

:'''[UPSTEP]'''
This token, when applied to gloves or shoes, determines how far up the limb the armor protects. As with [LBSTEP], this doesn't cover anything but the [LIMB] tag body parts, but it does cover arms as well as legs.

Low boots literally only cover the foot. 
High boots have [UPSTEP:1], so they cover the lower leg. If you consider that the upper legs can covered by [LBSTEP] from above, you can effectively have an entire layer of chain armor on the legs from high boots and a mail shirt even before adding leg armor. This is why I go with greaves for a plate layer.
Gauntlets have [UPSTEP:1], so they cover the lower arms. Because there is no other protection for arms like there is for legs, you need gauntlets and mail shirts to protect your arms fully.
Chausses are a very rare sock substitute, but they are the only items to have [UPSTEP:MAX] and so offer full leg coverage while being exactly the same size as regular socks. They are the perfect undergarment.

The whole method is pretty nifty, even though faces can't be covered by head armor. This means that mouths, noses, eyes, and cheeks are as vulnerable as if you were not wearing anything at all, even if the name of an article of clothing would normally imply that it protects them. This also applies to teeth, lips, and ears.

Toes and fingers are protected by the relevant armor type (e.g. gauntlets cover fingers, and boots cover toes).

Coverage also seems to affect surface area of armor, being derived from surface area of all body parts covered by armor piece and multiplied by coverage. In turn, larger surface area of armor makes it harder to chop through with large-contact-area weapons like axes and swords. Thickness (overall toughness) of armor is, seemingly, derived from Material Size and Coverage.

== Other restrictions ==
In fortress mode, "under" layers cannot be put on over "over" layers, so, for instance, a dwarf cannot put on socks unless it first removes its shoes. They can wear over layers without putting an under layer on first, which explains their fondness for "going commando" (trousers without loincloth). Dwarves will only put on the specific armor they are told to put on unless they are not told what to wear.

Also, if you do not tell dwarves to replace clothing with a uniform, they will wear it alongside the uniform and possibly come into conflict with layering and sizes/permits, making them unable to wear assigned items. In particular, caps conflict with helms (both are shaped items), and shoes are too large to fit inside boots.

Military dwarves have a "pecking order" for equipment. The captain of the first squad created has first dibs, followed by their underlings in order, followed by the second squad, etc...

In adventurer mode, you have direct control over what armor you put on, and they are only limited by permit and "one only" (shaped) restrictions. This means you can wear three suits of mail (total size 45) plus another suit of chain or plate on top of them. On top of this, you can add six cloaks.

== Armor level ==
Armor Level is used for categorizing armor for determining which pieces are appropriate for a person to wear.

* Armor Level 0 - Clothing
* Armor Level 1 - Leather Armor
* Armor Level 2 - Chain Mail
* Armor Level 3 - Plate Armor

Having an Armor Level of 0 also enables wear-and-tear on a piece of armor, so that it wears out over time.

== Bugs ==
{{Translation
| dwarven = tosid
| elvish = datome
| goblin = nuklat
| human = stalcon
}}
* Many players report ranged dwarves have particular trouble equipping and using ammunition, unless the squad is assigned a uniform that includes a ranged weapon ''when the squad is created.'' This can be the default archer uniform, or any other uniform that has a ranged weapon assigned. Adding a ranged weapon or ranged weapon equipped uniform to the squad after creation will result in the squad failing to ever pick up bolts or arrows and the ammunition icon will remain red.
* Getting military dwarves to put on all their assigned equipment can be iffy. {{bug|535}}
* In fortress mode, it is possible to have (at least) 3 shields equipped.*(left hand, right hand, back, (turtle mode))
* Soldiers do not replace tattered clothing that is part of a uniform.{{bug|6039}}

{{Industry}}

{{Category|Armor|0}}
{{Category|Combat}}
[[ru:Armor]]

DF2014:Training

2026-10-07T10:42:57Z

DarklingArcher: added Template:Military

{{Quality|Exceptional|14:39, 29 July 2018 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
:''This article is about training the dwarven military in fortress mode.''
:* ''For information on training [[creature|animals]], see [[Animal trainer]]. ''
:* ''For information on training [[attribute]]s, see [[Cross-training]].''
:* ''For information on training [[skill]]s, see [[Experience]].''

Outside of actual mortal combat, '''training''' is how you improve the [[combat skill]]s of your [[soldier]]s in [[fortress mode]]. Training takes many forms, from a solo practice to group sparring, from individual instruction to actual live combat in a controlled, (hopefully) non-dangerous environment.

== Organized squad training ==
Military training takes place in [[barracks]] in the form of group demonstrations, individual training and sparring, and in [[archery range]]s for [[Advanced marksdwarf training guide|Archery training]].

* '''Demonstrations''' are group training sessions for a specific skill, led by a teacher with experience in that skill and observed by one or more squad members. Demonstrations need to be [[organizer|organized]] and require that all are students present for the demonstration to begin, those already present will wait or do individual training until that happens. In addition to the skill demonstrated, dwarves gain some [[teacher]] and [[student]] experience, causing future demonstrations to become more effective.

: Dwarves will only attend a demonstration if it teaches a fighting skill or the weapon they're currently equipped with (that is to say, if you have a squad of two dwarves, one with a spear, and one with an axe, you'll never get axe or spear demonstrations). Ranged dwarves will attend demonstrations for their weapons base skill; so marksdwarves will attend hammer demonstrations. They will however start and attend wrestling demonstrations as all dwarves can wrestle; this is also why wrestling levels up as fast as it does via demonstrations; a dwarf can always wrestle.[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=150534.0]

: When a squad leader completes a demonstration, it fulfils the "help somebody" [[need]].

* '''Sparring''' is a form of practice melee [[combat]] performed by two or more members of a squad, and possibly others choosing to watch the match. Sparring is a mostly-safe way to get experienced soldiers. Sparring appears to train every usable combat skill (weapon, Fighting, Wrestling, Discipline, etc.) even when dwarves have weapons equipped. Sparring tends to confer skill increases faster than Demonstrations.

: Dwarves will only begin sparring when there are at least 2 dwarves with at least 'novice' skill level in their weapons skill. It appears that Dwarves with unequal skill levels *will* spar, but not frequently. If two dwarves are very close in skill levels, they spar much more frequently, this may be maximized by using position assigning.[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=150534.0] It is currently believed that the best way to encourage sparring (rather than demonstrations) is to use 2 (or 3)-dwarf squads for training. Both dwarves should have the same weapon, to minimize useless cross-weapon teaching. It appears that the more experienced the training military dwarves are, the more likely they are to spar. However, sparring management is still a poorly understood science.

* '''Individual Training''' slowly improves one skill at time through self-training. Squad members may choose to conduct individual training ("Individual Combat Drill") when there is no one else to train with or on their spare time when there are no [[schedule]]d orders. The latter might be tied to [[Personality_trait|motivated]]{{verify}} dwarves.

Building a barracks and designating a squad to train in it will allow squad members to train there individually instead of going idle, but they will never spar/demonstrate. In order to make them spar/demonstrate you need to activate the squad, either via the {{k|s}} menu and then hitting {{k|t}}, or by the {{k|m}}-{{k|a}} menu.

=== Setup Walkthrough===
You cannot directly assign a soldier to train. Instead, you need to [[schedule]] his or her squad to train. This is accomplished by opening the {{k|m}}[[military interface|ilitary screen]]. Open the {{k|a}}lerts panel, then assign the squad to Active/Training (or establish a more complex schedule of alerts).
Now {{k|q}}uery a [[bed]], [[weapon rack]], and/or [[armor stand]] to designate a [[barracks]]. Highlight which squad you wish to train and press {{k|t}}. A {{Tile|T|3:0:1}} should appear on the right side of the screen beside that squad's name. Now your squad is set to be training, and has a place to train in.
A squad set to the default Active/Training alert level (or a more complicated schedule using the advanced calendar system) will train in their assigned barracks. A squad with active orders delivered through the squad menu will carry out those orders, taking breaks to eat or sleep, but will not train.

#[[Squad#Forming_Squads|Form a squad]] with members (equip with whatever armor and weapons you like)
#Designate a [[barracks]] and have the squad set to train there.
#Using the [[military interface|{{K|m}}ilitary]] {{K|a}}lerts system, assign the squad to 'active training'

See also: [[Military F.A.Q.|Military frequent asked questions]].

=== Equipment ===
The weapons you wish your soldiers to use can be chosen through the {{K|m}}ilitary screen, and then the {{K|e}}quip selection. When soldiers spar or perform weapon drills, they practice (and thereby gain experience) with whatever [[weapon]] (plus [[armor]] and [[shield]] in the case of sparring) they currently have equipped. Your soldiers will ''eventually'' pick up the equipment assigned in the military screen, though it is not uncommon to find them wandering around weaponless and half-armored when first drafted. Aside from a few specific circumstances, [[wood]]en [[training weapon]]s are not necessary for training, and can actually be counterproductive.

==Other Notes==
=== Injury===
Dwarves do not hurt each other directly while sparring with any type of weapon. They can however have accidents due to certain Wrestling move(s), namely throwing. A thrown dwarf may skid along the ground and sustain injury. It can be lethal to a dwarf if his head skids on the ground, so have your sparring dwarves wear helmets.{{verify}} '''Note:''' ''all'' sparring dwarves may decide to do a bit of Wrestling, even if they have weapons equipped.

Also make sure they have a safe environment to train in. Avoid having your barracks near high cliffs or open water, because dwarves have a habit of dodging off of cliffs and injuring themselves or dodging into water and becoming stunned, which leads to drowning. Also, dwarves can dodge up one level if they are next to a wall. Make sure they can walk back down or build a roof, because otherwise you risk a military dwarf trapping himself and starving to death.

Due to a bug, dwarves can teleport through at least two solid wall tiles when using charge attacks.{{bug|7444}} To avoid problems, barracks should not be located close to cisterns, pits, magma reservoirs, sealed-off areas, or any other potential danger.

===Default Schedule===
The default Active/Training alert tells the full squad to train. This can be changed from the [[Scheduling]] menu, if for some reason you only want part of a squad to train, or only to train during certain months, etc.

===Happy Soldiers===
Be kind to your soldiers. Civilians with no military experience will get bad [[thought]]s from going on duty. Soldiers will get a bad thought when going ''off'' duty if they don't have any civilian skills (if their title becomes "peasant"). In either case, [[cross-training]] can raise attributes while providing a larger and more flexible military.

=== [[Live training]] on disarmed prisoners ===
A very effective way to train your dwarves is to equip them with [[training weapon]]s and full armor and let them fight unarmed prisoners. This allows your dwarves to be "attacked" in real combat with relative safety, increasing their defensive skills rapidly. In other words: if you're interested in having your dwarves quickly train as Dodgers, Armor Users and Shield Users, it'll be worth the effort to set up some [[live training]] exercises.

See [[Cage#Remotely_Opening_Cages|Remotely Opening Cages]] for information on how to arrange for the training.

== See also==
* [[Archery]]
* [[Military]]
* [[Danger room]]

{{Military FAQ}}
{{Military}}

{{Category|Jobs}}
[[ru:Training]]

DF2014:Mission

2026-10-07T10:40:22Z

DarklingArcher: added Template:Military

{{Quality|Superior|04:43, 3 December 2017 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
{{New in|0.44.01}}
{{buggy}}
{{old}}
[[File:dwarf_mission_preview.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Dwarves counting their raided spoils. ''Art by steamingcore'']]'''Missions''' are commands in [[fortress mode]] that send one or more of your dwarves, in military [[squad]]s, to visit [[site]]s off your fortress map. Missions are created in the [[Civilization/World Info]] screen (accessed by pressing {{k|c}} in the main fortress view). There are multiple types of missions, such as raids, explorations, and artifact/citizen recovery.

Note: This is all done "off screen" - you have no control of the dwarves' actions once they leave your map, not until (with luck) they return.

== Overview ==
A '''raid''' is both the general and default term for any type of mission to an ''occupied'' foreign site, usually in the name of pillaging artifacts and death-dealing (although artifact looting seems to be the primary focus of most raids).

An '''exploration''' is essentially a raid on any ''unoccupied'' site. There are no social considerations, so no options to demand tribute or attack, you're simply traveling to a ruin to search for artifacts to grab. This can include explorations of sites previously inhabited by your civilization.

Both raids and explorations are created by opening the {{k|c}}ivilization/{{k|w}}orld Info map, then using the up/down/left/right keys to navigate around the map to select your target. If the site you're viewing holds or is rumored to hold artifacts or prisoners, these will be listed, along with the distance in time to the site ("a short trip", "a day's travel", etc.), the race, population, and your current political state (peace, neutral, allied, etc.). At the bottom of the screen, a prompt gives you information about the type of mission you're creating (i.e. 'r: Raid/Explore this site'). If a site is unable to be visited, the prompt will appear grayed out, and the text will explain why you cannot create the mission.

Missions cannot be sent to occupied sites that are members of your civilization, or locations that are impossible for your squads to reach (i.e. across oceans/glaciers), but can be sent to unoccupied/abandoned sites, as stated above. If all is well, you can then press {{k|r}} to create the mission and move into [[squad]] selection.

Squads on missions that are across a body of water (though not totally cut off by it such as with an isthmus) will sometimes route ''through the water''.

In addition to a default "raid", you can check {{k|d}}etails to choose a different sub-type of raid:

:* '''raid''' (default: squads will try to avoid detection)
:* '''pillage''' (openly attack)
:* '''raze''' (openly attack and destroy site)
:* '''demand''' one-time tribute
:* '''demand''' ongoing tribute
:* '''conquer''' and occupy
:* '''demand''' surrender and occupy

'''Neighboring Civilizations:''' 
Now, before you launch your first squad to crush your enemies and see them driven before you, take a look at your target in the {{k|h}}oldings screen (under {{k|c}}ivilizations). This shows the ''political'' situation. All target locations with the same icon - even ones that are not attached - are [[holding]]s of the ''same civilization''. So, if you go to war with that tiny, isolated hamlet with a population <10 next to you, you're also going to war with the ''entire'' civilization represented by all other squares of the same icon, near and far. And the map is not static - all those other, larger civilizations are looking to gobble up the smaller ones, just like you might be. Therefore, act fast, but act wisely, and consider your options!

=== Raid ===

In a raid, your dwarves will attempt to sneak in and steal items from the site, especially if they're [[artifact]]s. The raiders' [[ambusher]] [[skill]] will affect their chances of success; if they are spotted, then they go into battle as if they were on a [[#Pillage|Pillage]] mission. Each dwarf on the mission will gain experience in ambusher skill, regardless of the outcome, so it may be useful if you want to raise that particular skill quickly. If you send someone to raid a site while they have a baby, the baby will go with them and also gain Ambusher skill.

'''Note:'''
* Raiding a site of a civilization you are at Peace with, for any reason, could cause them to declare [[war]] on your civilization. Act with care when choosing sites to pillage.
* A Raid uses the Ambusher skill, probably checking the average of all dwarves on the mission{{verify}} against the defenders site leader's Observer skill.[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177137.msg8183427#msg8183427]

=== Pillage ===

On a pillaging mission, your dwarves will openly attack the site, and if successful will result in your dwarves stealing livestock and loot if you have those options selected in the [d]etails menu. Pillaging uses the [[military tactics]] skill of each army's highest-leveled tactician, giving the side with a better one major advantages in the battle.

=== Raze ===

When razing a site, your dwarves will both openly attack and attempt to destroy the site, resulting in a more prolonged attack. If you are sure that your army will win against the opposing one, and you want that site gone, a razing mission is probably what you want to perform. Your dwarves will still bring home loot and livestock if you have these options selected. Like pillaging, a razing mission uses the military tactics skill.

=== Tribute ===

Demanding [[Tribute|tribute]] (one-time or ongoing) may result in the site providing goods to your fortress (if successful). They will do so in the form of a caravan that will drop off the goods at your depot and leave. Tribute caravans tend to be relatively small, but they are guarded. You don't have any control on the content of the tribute. What they bring depends on the civilization's available materials, the site's size and tracked items and so forth, and may range from excessively mundane (like a bunch of average quality clothing) to extremely useful (like exotic animals). Notably, tributes are one of the few ways to obtain evil animals tamed by goblins, such as [[beak dog]]s, for instance. Yearly tributes usually happen at the beginning of a season and may be arranged in any season, including winter. Demanding tribute is one of the few ways to "contact" another civilization without triggering an outright war, and therefore ensure that it will send out regular caravans afterwards.

=== Conquer ===

Conquering a site relies on military force, while demanding surrender relies on negotiation under the threat of military force. If your demand of surrender isn't successful, your dwarves will then attempt to openly attack the site. There is no visible drawback to not always demanding surrender beforehand, and taking over sites with minimal bloodshed can be surprisingly easy, especially for the low-population ones.

If successful, occupying a site will make it one of your fortress's [[holding]]s. Note that your forces will remain on-site as occupiers. One of them will then claim the title of administrator of the place, "after a polite discussion with rivals". (This will be announced in a lovely purple message.) The previous administrator of the place will also likely be killed by your dwarves, as is standard in the conquering mechanics of ''Dwarf Fortress'' (in worldgen and afterwards).

You may request (through a [[messenger]]) that your occupying dwarves come back to your fortress, but the administrator will remain there regardless. Dwarves that you request this way will still have the labor preferences you've enabled for them prior to sending them out, but won't be part of a squad, so you will have to re-enlist them after they come back. There is also no guarantee that they will wear the same equipment as they had when you sent them out, so you may not be that keen on strapping them with very valuable gear after all. Note that [[insurrection]]s are explicitly disabled for your holdings, so at the moment there is no drawback to not requesting every single occupying dwarf to come back to your fortress (apart from FPS concerns).

== Artifact/Citizen recovery ==

An '''artifact recovery''' mission sets a specific artifact as the objective of a mission. This usually involves traveling to the last known or rumored location of said artifact. If your squad manages to encounter a bit of [[fun]] on any form of mission, members of those parties can be captured as prisoners by the inhabitants of the site you attempted to raid. When this happens, you can create a '''citizen recovery''' mission, whereupon the assigned squads will attempt to rescue the prisoner from whatever site they are held at. Captive citizens can join civilizations that captured them, so your next raid to the same site can be met with your own armor-clad legendary warriors as defenders, leading to unexpected '''fun'''.

You can also instruct your squad to free members of other civilizations you find at your destination. These other prisoners you rescue will come back with your squad and seek sanctuary at your fortress. Sometimes, even uninhabited [[tombs]] can contain "prisoners" that you can rescue. If you accept their request, these prisoners will become partial citizens. These units will have all basic labors enabled (such as hauling, construction, and the like), and will have any labors they are skilled in set to active with no way to deactivate them. Consider setting your workshop profiles a little more aggressively than normal if you don't want them filling orders reserved for more capable hands.

Artifact recovery and citizen recovery missions are created by selecting the desired recoverable from either the missing citizens menu (accessible with {{k|p}}) or the artifact menu (accessible with {{k|a}}). Once you've selected something, press {{k|r}} to create a new mission, and move into squad selection. Although you can technically select recoverables that belong to sites of your civilization, squads on these missions will almost instantaneously return, and will deliver no report data.

== Squad selection ==

Squad selection, as the name implies, simply involves selecting a squad (or multiple squads) to be sent out on the mission. Even if you do not select any squads by exiting the selection, the created mission will remain extant and active, albeit with no squads assigned to it.

Once an active mission has one or more squads assigned to it, the dwarves in those squads will automatically prepare themselves and leave the map's edge.

==Loot variation ==
Depending on the civilization you are raiding/razing, the loot may change. For example, when you are raiding elves, you won't get metal items; you will mostly get grown wood items instead. This also applies to livestock: Raiding [[elves]] may result in the looting of many different types of animals (all tame). When raiding [[goblin]]s, you will, interestingly, be able to obtain [[tame]] [[beak dog]]s, which are only trainable by dwarves, never tamable.

== Mission uses ==

Missions can be put to various uses. Demanding tribute from civilized sites succeeds more often than not and ensures you receive plenty of caravans from that site's parent civilization, on top of the tribute. As there is no functional limit to the number of civilizations you may be in contact with, you may find your trade depot becoming very busy all year round. Your fortress can potentially specialize and rely exclusively on imports for self-sustainability, which was impossible or at least very fragile to do in previous versions. The tributes themselves, while fairly random, often aren't too bad and can easily kickstart animal [[breeding]] programs that your fortress wouldn't have access to otherwise.

Occupying missions are also an indirect way of population control (that nicely contrasts with the previously messy ways one had to resort to in older versions), which is always good for FPS. They also act as a way to get rid of potential troublesome dwarves – usually night creatures, unhappy dwarves and [[noble]]s, since they will either stay at the conquered holding or die in the attempt – out of sight, out of mind. Acquiring a bunch of holdings this way is also relatively quick and easy and lets you fulfill the requirements for a [[baron]]y, [[count]]y, etc. faster.

Artifact looting is also fairly random but is a convenient way to accrue [[wealth]] and fill your [[library]]. Books containing useful [[knowledge]] (currently engineering and medicine) can be used to (slowly) accrue experience and some books have very special effects indeed – see [[secret]]s for a guide on how to determine which books contain the secrets of life and death and thus will turn your dwarves into [[necromancer]]s.

Missions also give you a greater degree of control on how much invasion-related [[fun]] you want – if a civilization gives you too much trouble, you can take the fight to them and attempt to raze their sites. Conversely, if you're getting bored, pillaging a bunch of sites is likely to provoke ''some'' kind of retaliation.

== Other notes ==

* Pressing {{k|m}} on the Civilization/World Info screen will show a list of active missions. You can reassign squads and delete missions on this screen.

* When a squad returns from a mission, an announcement to the effect of "<squad name> has returned" will be generated, and a mission [[report]] will be visible in the {{k|r}}eport menu. In the report, the path the squad took is traced on the map, and the events that took place along the way are revealed.

* Pets and other animals on missions can be killed or injured.

* The mission will NOT start until all dwarves assigned to the mission exit the fortress. This includes military dwarves that are imprisoned, hospitalized, or otherwise [[stress|unfit for duty]]. This can be fixed by removing the problem dwarves from the assigned squads. The mission will also NOT start if any assigned war animals have not left the fortress. Ensure no assigned animals are caged, chained, or roosting if your squad is gone for a long time.

* Sending a token dwarf to demand the surrender of a site can initiate contact with a distant civilization, providing an additional yearly trade [[caravan]].

* Receiving [[tribute]] from a site can establish peace with that civilization, at least temporarily.

* [[Noble]]s on missions still expect their existing [[mandate]]s to be fulfilled, but are unable to issue any new requests.

* Missions to a site will still be carried out if the site has changed ownership. This can lead to [[fun]] when you end up accidentally raiding your ally.

* Missions against your parent civilization or your current holdings cannot be created, but any existing missions against those sites can be modified and dispatched. Raiding your parent civilization may start a civil war.

* Sieges against your fortress take from a hostile site's population, which will leave that site woefully undefended should you decide to retaliate.

* Some Recover Artifact missions, in which the artifact to be recovered is held by a creature instead of placed at a site, produce no mission report. The [https://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=10367 bug] has been noted on the DF issue tracker

* There is an uncommon bug where squads sent on missions will never return and be forever listed as 'traveling'. To fix this, enter your (m)ilitary screen and replace each member in the missing squad with a random civilian in your fortress, then remove those civilians from the squad and leave it empty. Next, go to your (c)ivilizations/World Info screen and cancel the mission the squad was originally sent out to do. This is possible now that the squad is technically disbanded. The former members of the squad will eventually return to the fortress after a few days (thankfully still carrying their equipment) and it will announce 'XYZ squad has returned' when they do, even though they aren't in the squad anymore. You will need to delete the old empty squad and make another, as the game still thinks they are part of the old squad and won't let you re-add them to it.

* Dwarves who lose their limbs offsite won't actually realize they don't have their limb anymore until they get home, at which point everything they were wearing or holding on it will fall to the ground.

* Conquering a site makes its population's race playable in Adventure mode. This includes [[vault]]s and their [[angel]]s.

== Mission reports ==
[[Reports|Mission reports]] have an animated map on the left side of the screen. A path is traced out from your fortress to the destination and events are "revealed" on the right side of the screen.

[[File:Mission report example.png|center|700px]]

== Mission events ==
:''This list is incomplete and might contain errors, please feel free to contribute''
* Found nothing
* Slipped into (settlement) undetected
* Searched (settlement)
* Stole (artifact)
* Asked about (artifact)
* Caroused in (site)
* Looted treasure from (site)
* Seized livestock from (site)
* Freed the (species and name of prisoner)
* Confronted the (species and name of opponent)
* The (species and name of combatant) fought with...
* (Name)'s (body part) was torn out/ripped off/crushed
* (Name) was struck down
* (Item/Artifact) was looted from (former person holding it)
* (Name) spotted (your forces) slipping out of (site)
* (Your forces) attacked (site government) at (site)
* (Squad), led by (leader), clashed with (forces)
* (Your forces) rampaged throughout (site)
* (Your forces) defeated (site government) and took over (site)

== See also ==
* [[Quest]]

==Bugs==
*Missions may cause military equipment list corruption, frequently leading to crashes. {{bug|11014}}
*Dwarves sent on artifact retrieval missions sometimes don't return. {{bug|10545}} {{bug|10426}}
*Dead civilizations' missions never complete. {{bug|10891}}

{{Military}}

{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|World}}
[[ru:Mission]]

Mission

2026-10-07T10:39:21Z

DarklingArcher: added Template:Military

{{Quality|Fine}}
{{av}}
{{buggy}}
{{old}}
[[File:mission_preview.png|right]]'''Missions''' are commands in [[fortress mode]] that send dwarves in your military's [[squad]]s to visit [[site]]s off your fortress map. Missions are created in the [[Civilization/World Info|World Screen]] (accessed by pressing {{k|Y}} or clicking its icon in the bottom right main fortress view). There are multiple types of missions, such as raids, explorations, and artifact/citizen recovery.

Note: This is all done "off screen" - you have no control of the dwarves' actions once they leave your map, not until (with luck) they return.

== Overview ==
[[File:dwarf_mission_preview.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Dwarves counting their raided spoils. ''Art by steamingcore'']]Sites will either let you "click to '''raid'''" or "click to explore" The sites you can "click to raid" are any and only occupied foreign sites, with missions there possibly involving stealing artifacts, animals, things, life from the living and more using various [[#Mission types|mission types]]. (Raid is also a misleading term, as it's also a term for a specific mission type and the game will only refer to it as being a raid if you're actually raiding).

An '''exploration''' is essentially a raid on any ''unoccupied'' site. There's fewer options compared to sites you can raid, and all in regards to what to loot from the site and how to free potential prisoners. It's impossible to have combat at unoccupied sites, so don't worry about arming squads sent to explore.

Both raids and explorations are created by opening the civilization/world info map with {{k|Y}}, then by using the mouse, hover over a site to view and/or select it. If the site you are viewing holds or is rumored to hold artifacts or prisoners, these will be listed, along with the distance in time to the site ("a short trip", "a day's travel", etc.), the race, population, and your current political state (peace, neutral, allied, etc.).

After selecting a valid site, there will be a top right prompt giving you the mission types and options to select, all detailed further below. After setting your preferred mission type and its options, you can then select [[squads]] (to the left of the prompt) to send on the mission. Unpausing the game with any amount of squads assigned effectively begins the mission, and they will set off as soon as they gather all their equipment. Once they leave through the edge of the local fortress map, the mission cannot be altered. You can also choose to send no squads on a mission, which will not start it and useful for if you want to do it later.

Mission reports will show a more or less direct line to the destination, instead of outlining the path as taken. Thus the report can appear as if the squad had travelled across inaccessible patches like a body of water or high mountains.

If a site is unable to be visited, then the prompt's text will explain why you cannot create the mission. Missions cannot be sent to occupied sites that are members of your civilization, or locations that are impossible for your squads to reach. (i.e. across oceans/glaciers.)

=== Mission types ===

:* '''Raid''' (default: squads will try to avoid detection)
:* '''Pillage''' (openly attack)
:* '''Raze''' (openly attack and destroy site)
:* '''Demand''' one-time tribute
:* '''Demand''' ongoing tribute
:* '''Conquer''' and occupy
:* '''Demand''' surrender and occupy

along with additional mission options for raiding, pillaging, and razing:

:* '''Free''' captives that belong to your civilization
:* '''Release''' other prisoners
:* '''Take''' important treasures (referring to artifacts)
:* '''Loot''' other items
:* '''Steal''' livestock

all of which are toggled via clicking, green being the "toggled on" color. Notably, your dwarves can only carry so many items back to your fortress, so sending more dwarves will generally result in more loot.

'''Neighboring Civilizations:''' 
Now, before you launch your first squad to crush your enemies and see them driven before you, take a look at your target by hovering over them and check their civilization. Sending a mission against a civilization's site is likely a declaration of war with them (if you get caught and they care enough). So, if you go to war with that tiny, isolated hamlet with a population <10 next to you, you're also going to war with the ''entire'' civilization that site is a part of, near and far. And the map is not static - all those other, larger civilizations are looking to gobble up the smaller ones, just like you might be. Therefore, act fast, but act wisely, and consider your options! If no civilization is listed, then they are simply a local site government with no connected wider civilization, often this is the case with necromancer towers. They can still be at war with you if they declare it or decide to be after surviving your mission against them.

=== Raid ===

In a raid, your dwarves will attempt to sneak in and steal items from the site according to the mission's options. The raiders' [[ambusher]] [[skill]] will affect their chances of success; if they are spotted, then they go into battle as if they were on a [[#Pillage|Pillage]] mission. Each dwarf on the mission will gain experience in ambusher skill, regardless of the outcome, so it may be useful if you want to raise that particular skill quickly. If you send someone to raid a site while they have a baby, the baby will go with them and also gain Ambusher skill.

'''Note:'''
* Raiding a site of a civilization you are at peace with, for any reason, could cause them to declare [[war]] on your civilization. Act with care when choosing sites to pillage.
* A Raid uses the Ambusher skill, probably checking the average of all dwarves on the mission{{verify}} against the defending site leader's Observer skill.[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=177137.msg8183427#msg8183427]

=== Pillage ===

On a pillaging mission, your dwarves will openly attack the site, and if successful will result in your dwarves stealing loot according to what's available at the site and your mission options. Pillaging uses the [[military tactics]] skill of each army's highest-leveled tactician, giving the side with a better one major advantages in the battle.

=== Raze ===

When razing a site, your dwarves will both openly attack and attempt to destroy the site, resulting in a more prolonged attack. If you are sure that your army will win against the opposing one, and you want that site gone, a razing mission is probably what you want to perform. Your dwarves will still bring home loot according to mission options and site loot, and it also uses the military tactics skill in the same way as pillaging.

=== Tribute ===

Demanding [[Tribute|tribute]] (one-time or ongoing) may result in the site providing goods to your fortress (if successful). They will do so in the form of a caravan that will drop off the goods at your depot and leave. Tribute caravans tend to be relatively small, but they are guarded. You don't have any control on the content of the tribute. What they bring depends on the civilization's available materials, the site's size and tracked items and so forth, and may range from excessively mundane (like a bunch of average quality clothing) to extremely useful (like exotic animals). Notably, tributes are one of the few ways to obtain evil animals tamed by goblins, such as [[beak dog]]s, for instance. Yearly tributes usually happen at the beginning of a season and may be arranged in any season, including winter. Demanding tribute is one of the few ways to "contact" another civilization without triggering an outright war, and therefore ensure that it will send out regular trading caravans afterwards.

=== Conquer ===

Conquering a site relies on military force, while demanding surrender relies on negotiation under the threat of military force. If your demand of surrender isn't successful, your dwarves will then attempt to openly attack the site. There is no visible drawback to not always demanding surrender beforehand, and taking over sites with minimal bloodshed can be surprisingly easy, especially for the low-population ones.

If successful, occupying a site will make it one of your fortress's [[holding]]s. Note that your forces will remain on-site as occupiers. One of them will then claim the title of administrator of the place, "after a polite discussion with rivals". (This will be announced in a lovely purple message.) The previous administrator of the place will also likely be killed by your dwarves, as is standard in the conquering mechanics of ''Dwarf Fortress'' (in worldgen and afterwards).

You may request (through a [[messenger]]) that your occupying dwarves come back to your fortress, but the administrator will remain there regardless. Dwarves that you request this way will still have the labor preferences you've enabled for them prior to sending them out, but won't be part of a squad, so you will have to re-enlist them after they come back. There is also no guarantee that they will wear the same equipment as they had when you sent them out, so you may not be that keen on strapping them with very valuable gear after all. Note that [[insurrection]]s are explicitly disabled for your holdings, so at the moment there is no drawback to not requesting every single occupying dwarf to come back to your fortress (apart from FPS concerns). It is, however, a useful way of getting rid of a discontented dwarf or annoying noble without having to arrange for an [[unfortunate accident]] or exiling their entire family. Non-citizens who are resident soldiers and part of your raiding squad can be selected as the administrator of the conquered site. However, your messenger cannot request for non-citizen soldiers to be returned. The occupied site will still be considered one of your holdings even if the administrator is not one of your citizens. It is therefore possible to recover all citizens of a squad who have been sent to demand a surrender and only the militia captain is required to be a citizen.

If merchants belonging to your civilization are visiting a site you have conquered then your messenger can be sent to request that they join your fortress.

== Artifact/Citizen recovery ==

An '''artifact recovery''' mission sets a specific artifact as the objective of a mission. This usually involves traveling to the last known or rumored location of said artifact. Particularly hard to find artifacts may take upwards of 3 years to find.

If your squad manages to encounter a bit of [[fun]] on any form of mission, members of those parties can be captured as prisoners by the inhabitants of the site you attempted to raid. When this happens, you can create a '''citizen recovery''' mission, whereupon the assigned squads will attempt to rescue the prisoner from whatever site they are held at. Captive citizens can join civilizations that captured them, so your next raid to the same site can be met with your own armor-clad legendary warriors as defenders, leading to unexpected '''fun'''.

You can also instruct your squad to free members of other civilizations you find at your destination. These other prisoners you rescue will come back with your squad and seek sanctuary at your fortress. Sometimes, even uninhabited [[tombs]] can contain "prisoners" that you can rescue. If you accept their request, these prisoners will become partial citizens. These units will have all basic labors enabled (such as hauling, construction, and the like), and will have any labors they are skilled in set to active with no way to deactivate them. {{verify}} Consider setting your workshop profiles a little more aggressively than normal if you don't want them filling orders reserved for more capable hands.

Artifact recovery and citizen recovery missions are created by selecting the desired recoverable from either the missing citizens menu or the artifact menu accessible from the world screen via clicking on them in the bottom right. Once you've selected something, it will create a new mission, and allow you to select squads to assign. Although you can technically select recoverables that belong to sites of your civilization, squads on these missions will almost instantaneously return, and will deliver no report data.

==Loot variation ==
Depending on the civilization you are raiding/razing, the loot may change. For example, when you are raiding elves, you won't get metal items; you will mostly get grown wood items instead. This also applies to livestock: Raiding [[elves]] may result in the looting of many different types of animals (all tame). When raiding [[goblin]]s, you will, interestingly, be able to obtain [[tame]] [[beak dog]]s, which are only trainable by dwarves, never tamable.

== Mission uses ==

Missions can be put to various uses. Demanding tribute from civilized sites succeeds more often than not and ensures you receive plenty of caravans from that site's parent civilization, on top of the tribute. As there is no functional limit to the number of civilizations you may be in contact with, you may find your trade depot becoming very busy all year round. Your fortress can potentially specialize and rely exclusively on imports for self-sustainability, which was impossible or at least very fragile to do in previous versions. The tributes themselves, while fairly random, often aren't too bad and can easily kickstart animal [[breeding]] programs that your fortress wouldn't have access to otherwise.

Occupying missions are also an indirect way of population control (that nicely contrasts with the previously messy ways one had to resort to in older versions), which is always good for FPS. They also act as a way to get rid of potential troublesome dwarves – often night creatures, necromancers, and unhappy dwarves, since they will either stay at the conquered holding or die in the attempt – out of sight, out of mind. Acquiring a bunch of holdings this way is also relatively quick and easy and lets you fulfill the requirements for a [[baron]]y, [[count]]y, etc. faster.

Artifact looting is also fairly random but is a convenient way to accrue [[wealth]] and fill your [[library]]. Books containing useful [[knowledge]] (currently engineering and medicine) can be used to (slowly) accrue experience and some books have very special effects indeed – see [[secret]]s for a guide on how to determine which books contain the secrets of life and death and thus will turn your dwarves into [[necromancer]]s.

Missions also give you a greater degree of control on how much invasion-related [[fun]] you want – if a civilization gives you too much trouble, you can take the fight to them and attempt to raze their sites. Conversely, if you're getting bored, pillaging a bunch of sites is likely to provoke ''some'' kind of retaliation.

== Other notes ==

* On the Civilization/World Info screen there is a button titled "missions". You can reassign squads and delete missions on this screen.

* When a squad returns from a mission, an announcement to the effect of "<squad name> has returned" will be generated, and a mission [[report]] will be visible in the report menu accessible from the world screen. In the report, the path the squad took is traced on the map, and the events that took place along the way are revealed.

* Pets and other animals on missions can be killed or injured.

* The mission will NOT start until all dwarves assigned to the mission exit the fortress. This includes military dwarves that are imprisoned, hospitalized, or otherwise [[stress|unfit for duty]]. This can be fixed by removing the problem dwarves from the assigned squads. The mission will also NOT start if any assigned war animals have not left the fortress. Ensure no assigned animals are caged, chained, or roosting if your squad is gone for a long time.

* Sending a token dwarf to demand the surrender of a site can initiate contact with a distant civilization, providing an additional yearly trade [[caravan]].

* Receiving [[tribute]] from a site can establish peace with that civilization, at least temporarily.

* [[Noble]]s on missions still expect their existing [[mandate]]s to be fulfilled, but are unable to issue any new requests.

* [[Noble]]s returning from missions will be unassigned from their rooms.

* Missions to a site will still be carried out if the site has changed ownership. This can lead to [[fun]] when you end up accidentally raiding your ally. {{verify}}

* Missions against your parent civilization or your current holdings cannot be created, but any existing missions against those sites can be modified and dispatched. Raiding your parent civilization may start a civil war. {{verify}}

* Sieges against your fortress take from a hostile site's population, which will leave that site woefully undefended should you decide to retaliate.

* Some Recover Artifact missions, in which the artifact to be recovered is held by a creature instead of placed at a site, produce no mission report. The [https://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=10367 bug] has been noted on the DF issue tracker

* There is an uncommon bug where squads sent on missions will never return and be forever listed as 'traveling'. To fix this, go to your world screen and cancel the mission the squad was originally sent out to do. Then, cancel their orders in the {{k|q}} military sidebar. The former members of the squad will eventually return to the fortress after a few days (thankfully still carrying their equipment) and it will announce 'XYZ squad has returned' when they do.

* Dwarves who lose their limbs offsite won't actually realize they don't have their limb anymore until they get home, at which point everything they were wearing or holding on it will fall to the ground. {{verify}}

* Conquering a site makes its population's race playable in Adventure mode. This includes [[vault]]s and their [[angel]]s.

== Mission reports ==
[[Reports|Mission reports]] have an animated map on the left side of the screen. A path is traced out from your fortress to the destination and events are "revealed" on the right side of the screen.

[[File:Mission report example.png|center|700px]]

== Mission events ==
:''This list is incomplete and might contain errors, please feel free to contribute''
* Found nothing
* Slipped into (settlement) undetected
* Searched (settlement)
* Stole (artifact)
* Asked about (artifact)
* Caroused in (site)
* Looted treasure from (site)
* Seized livestock from (site)
* Freed the (species and name of prisoner)
* Confronted the (species and name of opponent)
* The (species and name of combatant) fought with...
* (Name)'s (body part) was torn out/ripped off/crushed/stabbed out
* (Name) was struck down
* (Item/Artifact) was looted from (former individual holding it)
* (Name) spotted (your forces) slipping out of (site)
* (Your forces) attacked (site government) at (site)
* (Squad), led by (leader), clashed with (forces)
* (Your forces) rampaged throughout (site)
* (Your forces) defeated (site government) and took over (site)

== See also ==
* [[Quest]]

==Bugs==
*Missions may cause military equipment list corruption, frequently leading to crashes. {{bug|11014}}
*Dwarves sent on artifact retrieval missions sometimes don't return. {{bug|10545}} {{bug|10426}}
*Dead civilizations' missions never complete. {{bug|10891}}

{{Military}}

{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|World}}
[[ru:Mission]]

Template:DF2014 military

2026-10-07T10:35:05Z

DarklingArcher: added training and missions

{{Navbox
| name = DF2014 military
| title = [[Military]] and defense
| state = {{{state|}}}
| basestyle = background-color: #dae3c0;

| above = [[Military F.A.Q.|F.A.Q.]]

| group1 = Guides
| list1 = [[Military quickstart]] • [[Military interface|Interface walkthrough]] • [[Defense guide]]

| group2 = Managing soldiers
| list2 = [[Soldier]]s • [[Scheduling|Scheduling and alerts]] • [[Squads|Squads]] • [[Equipment]] • [[Training]] • [[Advanced Marksdwarf Training Guide|Marksdwarf training]] • [[Mission]]s

| group3 = Design tips
| list3 = [[Military design]] • [[Security design]] • [[Trap design]]

| group4 = [[Invader]]s
| list4 = [[Ambush]] • [[Megabeast]] • [[Semi-megabeast]] • [[Siege]] • [[Thief]] • [[Werebeast]]
}}<noinclude>[[Category:Navigation templates]]</noinclude>

Template:V50 military

2026-10-07T10:31:35Z

DarklingArcher: added missions

{{Navbox
| name = v50 military
| title = [[Military]] and defense
| state = {{{state|}}}
| basestyle = background-color: #dae3c0;

| above = [[Military F.A.Q.|F.A.Q.]]

| group1 = Guides
| list1 = [[Military quickstart]] • [[Defense guide]]

| group2 = Managing soldiers
| list2 = [[Soldier]]s • [[Scheduling|Scheduling and alerts]] • [[Squad|Squads interface]] • [[Equipment]] • [[Training]] • [[Advanced Marksdwarf Training Guide|Marksdwarf training]] • [[Mission]]s

| group3 = Design tips
| list3 = [[Military design]] • [[Security design]] • [[Trap design]]

| group4 = [[Invader]]s
| list4 = [[Ambush]] • [[Megabeast]] • [[Semi-megabeast]] • [[Siege]] • [[Thief]] • [[Werebeast]]
}}{{Category|{{#if: {{{1|}}}|{{{1}}}|Military}}}}<noinclude>[[Category:Navigation templates]]</noinclude>

Weapon token

2026-10-07T10:22:05Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Weapons

{{Quality|Fine}}
{{av}}
{{Modding}}
'''Weapon tokens''' define [[weapon]]s. These tokens can only be placed within an ITEM_WEAPON object definition, and most do not function in armor objects.
{{clear}}

==Tokens==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! Token
! Arguments
! Description

|-
| {{text anchor|NAME}}
|
*singular
*plural
| Name of the weapon. Required.

|-
| {{text anchor|ADJECTIVE}}
|
*adjective
| Adjective of the weapon, e.g. the "large" in "large copper dagger".

|-
| {{text anchor|SIZE}} / {{text anchor|WEIGHT}}
|
*size
| Volume of weapon in mL or cubic cm. Defaults to 100.

|-
| {{text anchor|SHOOT_FORCE}}
|
*value
| The amount of force used when firing projectiles - velocity is presumably determined by the projectile's mass. Defaults to 0.

|-
| {{text anchor|SHOT_FORCE_REQUIRES}}
|
*[[Attribute]] or [[skill token]]
*value
| Limits the force of fired projectiles based on the user's stats. For example, [[crossbow]]s omit this token, while [[bow]]s have {{token|SHOT_FORCE_REQUIRES|weapon|STRENGTH:1500}} and {{token|SHOT_FORCE_REQUIRES|weapon|BOW:15}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|SHOOT_MAXVEL}}
|
*value
| The maximum speed a fired projectile can have.

|-
| {{text anchor|AIM_DIFFICULTY}}
|
*value
| Higher values cause fired projectiles to be less accurate.

|-
| {{text anchor|LOADED}}/{{text anchor|NOCKED}}
|
*maximum ticks
*minimum ticks
| Determines how long it takes to load ammunition into this weapon. An unskilled ranged weapon user takes the maximum [[time]] and a user with legendary skill in that ranged weapon takes the minimum time. Each level in the weapon's ranged skill reduces the loading time proportionally until the minimum time is reached.
LOADED ammo is [[Storage|stored]] inside the weapon, while NOCKED ammo stays inside the same inventory and remembers that it is nocked to the weapon.

|-
| {{text anchor|INITIATE_SHOT_TIME}}
|
*value
| Shooting this weapon takes this many ticks before the projectile is fired.

|-
| {{text anchor|SHOT_RECOVERY_TIME}}
|
*value
| After shooting this weapon, wait this many ticks to recover.

|-
| {{text anchor|SKILL}}
|
*[[Skill token]]
| The skill to determine effectiveness in melee with this weapon. Defaults to MACE. AXE skill will allow it to be used to chop down trees. MINING skill will allow it to be used for mining. Outsider adventurers (or regular ones with no points in offensive skills) will receive a weapon with the SPEAR skill, selected at random if multiple ones have been [[modding|modded]] in. All adventurers will also start with a weapon using the DAGGER skill, again selected at random if multiple such weapons exist.

|-
| {{text anchor|RANGED}}
|
*[[Skill token]]
*Ammo class
| Makes this a ranged weapon that uses the specified ammo. The specified skill determines accuracy in ranged combat.

|-
| {{text anchor|TWO_HANDED}}
|
*size
| Creatures under this size (in cm³, not including [[Size#Creatures|tissue layers]]) must use the weapon two-handed (or more if the creature has extra [GRASP] parts){{verify}}. Defaults to 50000. Below this size, one-handed use of a weapon will cause a penalty to hit.

|-
| {{text anchor|MINIMUM_SIZE}}
|
*size
| Minimum body size (in cm³, not including tissue layers) to use the weapon at all (multigrasp required until TWO_HANDED value). Defaults to 40000.

|-
| {{text anchor|CAN_STONE}}
|
| Allows the weapon to be made at a [[craftsdwarf's workshop]] from a sharp ([MAX_EDGE:10000] or higher) stone (i.e. [[obsidian]]) plus a wood log.

|-
| {{text anchor|TRAINING}}
|
| Restricts this weapon to being made of wood.

|-
| {{text anchor|MATERIAL_SIZE}}
|
*value
| Number of bar units needed for forging, as well as the amount gained from melting. Required.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER}}
|
* Preparation time
* Recovery time
| Determines the length of [[time]] to prepare this attack and until one can perform this attack again. Values appear to be calculated in adventure mode ticks.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_FLAG_BAD_MULTIATTACK}}
|
| Multiple strikes with this attack cannot be performed effectively.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_FLAG_INDEPENDENT_MULTIATTACK}}
|
| Multiple strikes with this attack can be performed with no penalty.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK}}
|
*attacktype:BLUNT or EDGE
*contact_area:value
*penetration_size:value
*verb2nd:string
*verb3rd:string
*noun:string
*velocity_multiplier:value
| You can have many ATTACK tags and one will be randomly selected for each attack, with EDGE attacks 100 times more common than BLUNT attacks. Contact area is usually high for slashing and low for bludgeoning, piercing, and poking. Penetration value tends to be low for slashing and high for stabbing, and is ignored if attack is BLUNT. Verbs are for the 2nd and 3rd person action verbs used to describe the attack. Noun describes what part of the weapon is being used in the attack, or NO_SUB for none. Velocity_multiplier is a multiplier for the [[Material_science#Attack_Momentum|attack momentum]], increasing effectiveness; stab attacks use 1000 while the lash of a whip uses 5000. Required.
|}

{{Category|Modding}}
{{Category|Tokens}}
{{Category|Weapons}}
[[ru:Weapon token]]

Wrestling

2026-10-07T10:05:39Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Combat

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
{{Skill
| color = 0:0
| skill = Wrestler
| profession = [[Military]]
| job name = Wrestler
| tasks = *Fighting creatures with wrestling moves
| attributes =
* Strength
* Agility
* Endurance
* Willpower
* Spatial Sense
* Kinesthetic Sense
}}
{{Buggy}}
[[File:wrestling_preview.jpg|thumb|260px|right|An ancient drawing of sumo wrestling.]]The '''wrestler''' [[combat skill]] pertains to incapacitating enemies by grabbing hold of limbs and other body parts, which is distinct from striker, kicker, and biter; separate skills that pertain to [[Natural weapon|punching/scratching, kicking, and biting attacks]], respectively. Note that the [[thrower]] skill is used for throwing miscellaneous objects at creatures, not throwing the opponents themselves. A wrestler who has gained Legendary level of skill is called an ''[[elite]] wrestler''.

While striking and kicking are basic one-shot attacks like weapon attacks, biting can be used in conjunction with wrestling, even though it uses a different skill to determine if the bite "hits" (see [[#Biting and ripping off body parts|Biting and Ripping Off Body Parts]] below).

Wrestling maneuvers include:
*[[File:Adv icon grab.png]] '''Grabbing''' is the basic wrestling move—a grabbed body part cannot be used to attack you, and the opponent will be unable to dodge to a different square, or move, until it breaks all your grabs (though ''you'' will also be unable to move without releasing it). Grabbing is required to use the more advanced maneuvers.
*[[File:Adv icon takedown.png]] '''Take-down''' maneuvers that render an opponent prone
*[[File:Adv icon throw.png]] '''Throws''' (as in throwing a creature, not an object) which render an opponent prone and stunned.
*[[File:Adv icon choke.png]] '''Choke Holds''' and [[File:Adv icon strangle.png]] '''Strangling''' which can render an opponent unconscious and eventually kill.
*[[File:Adv icon joint lock.png]] '''Joint Locks''' and [[File:Adv icon break.png]] '''Breaking Bones''' which can break limbs.
*[[File:Adv icon latch.png]] '''Shaking''' around by the teeth, after latching on from biting, which can do extra damage or sever body parts.
*[[File:Adv icon pinch2.png]] '''Gouging''' (eyes, for example) and [[File:Adv icon pinch1.png]] '''Pinching''' which can damage, destroy, or even sever body parts.
*[[File:Adv attack other.png]] '''Disarming''' maneuvers which can remove weapons, shields, clothing, or armor from an opponent.

When wrestling, the advantage always goes to the creature with greater mass. A stronger wrestler's moves will fail against larger opponents, and they will be unable to break holds. Blood loss will cause a proportionate reduction in a creature's mass, so a sufficiently injured [[minotaur]] can become vulnerable to a dwarven wrestler. Wrestling skill also improves defense against wrestling moves, so even a relatively light creature can benefit from developing it.

See [[combat skill]] for more information on other combat skills.

== Fortress Mode ==
While the same wrestling "moves" described here can be used by dwarves in [[fortress mode]], it isn't possible to force particular wrestling maneuvers to be used. About all you can do is take away a dwarf's weapons to encourage wrestling, and hope that they pick effective wrestling tactics in combat.

In fortress mode, wrestlers are generally unable to kill very effectively, but they may make killing easier for their armed comrades. Unfortunately, the AI is rather unlikely to do some of the more elaborate moves, even if they are possible.

== Adventurer Mode ==
Wrestling in [[adventurer mode]] can be performed by standing next to an enemy and pressing {{Adv menu icon|W}}, selecting (and perhaps confirming) the enemy you wish to fight, and then choosing a wrestling move. You can wrestle any enemy, but the effectiveness of your wrestling attempts will be limited by relative size and strength differences (for example, a dwarf is unlikely to be able to throw or choke-hold an elephant or dragon). Unconsciousness renders a creature vulnerable to wrestling regardless of size differences.

Wrestling works somewhat like a targeted attack. Once you grab a creature by some body part, you may be able to make another wrestling attempt that will allow you to perform a more elaborate and useful move. You may have to press {{k|,}} to wait once or twice before you can do a second wrestling maneuver.

Below are instructions on how to perform various wrestling moves in adventure mode:

(''In many of the moves that require two steps, auto-attacking after the first step will default to the secondary action. For example, after biting someone and "latching on firmly," moving into your opponent (auto-attacking) will cause you to shake the part with your teeth. This can be useful to quickly remove a lodged weapon, or choke your opponent, without manually performing each attack.'')

See [[status icon]] for a legend of icons used when creatures are prone, thrown, stunned, etc.

=== Take-down ===
This knocks an opponent to the ground, similar to how they fall to the ground when charged, though without stunning them. Once on the ground, they'll have to take time to stand back up, or their movement rate will be limited as they try to crawl. This move can only be performed if the opponent is standing up.

To perform a takedown:
#Select {{DFtext|Grab with right upper arm|7:1}} or with some other body part
#Select [[File:Adv icon grab.png]]{{DFtext|Grab upper body with right upper arm |7:1}} or some other part of the body. If the grab is successful, you will see:
#*{{DFtext| You grab the <creature> by the upper body with your right upper arm! |3:1}} and you and your opponent's icons will change to indicate that you are wrestling.
#Select the enemy for wrestling again.
#Select {{DFtext|Wrestle using right upper arm|3:1}}
#Select [[File:Adv icon takedown.png]]{{DFtext|Take-down by upper body with right upper arm|3:1}}
#You will then see one of:
#*{{DFtext|You take the <creature> down by the upper body with your right upper arm!|5:1}} Success! The creature's [[status icon]] will change to indicate being prone.
#*{{DFtext|You adjust the grip of your right upper arm on the <creature>'s upper body.|5:1}} Failure. You have not lost your grip, but you will have to try the takedown again.
#*{{DFtext|The <creature> breaks the grip of your right upper arm from the <creature>'s upper body!|5:1}} Total failure. You have completely lost your grip on your opponent, and will have to start over from the beginning.

=== Throw ===
You perform a throw the same way as a take-down, using the same procedure as above, except that you select [[File:Adv icon throw.png]]{{DFtext|Throw by x with y|3:1}} when the opponent is not on the ground. A throw will cause an opponent to become stunned and prone, with the possibility of throwing them back a certain distance (depending on your strength and relative size). However, it is more difficult to successfully throw a creature than it is to perform a take-down on one.

=== Chokeholds and strangling ===
Chokeholds can be extremely effective, if you can pull them off. A chokehold will cause an opponent to become unconscious, making it extremely easy to kill them with a followup shot.

To perform a chokehold:
#Select {{DFtext|Grab with right upper arm|7:1}} or some other body part
#Select [[File:Adv icon grab.png]]{{DFtext|Grab '''throat''' with right upper arm|7:1}}. Choking requires grabbing the throat, ''not'' the neck.
#Choose the enemy for wrestling again.
#Select {{DFtext|Wrestle with right upper arm|3:1}}
#Select [[File:Adv icon choke.png]]{{DFtext|Choke throat with right upper arm|3:1}}
#You will then see:
#*{{DFtext|You place a chokehold on the <creature>'s throat with your right upper arm!|5:1}} Success, so far anyway.
#*{{DFtext|You adjust the grip of your right upper arm on the <creature>'s throat.|5:1}} Failure. You have not lost your grip but you will have to try the chokehold again.
#Choose the enemy for wrestling yet again.
#Select {{DFtext|Wrestle with right upper arm|3:1}}
#Select [[File:Adv icon strangle.png]]{{DFtext|Strangle throat with right upper arm|3:1}}
#If successful you will see:
#*{{DFtext|You strangle <creature>'s throat!|5:1}}
#*{{DFtext|The <creature> passes out.|6:0}} (not necessarily on the first try)
#If the creature passes out (some are immune to strangling) the next attack will hit very easily, so follow up with a targeted head-shot or, if you want to be more gruesome, a bite to the throat. (See below.) You can also simply continue to strangle them until they suffocate, though this will take multiple turns.

=== Joint locks and breaking limbs ===
With some body parts, it's possible to put them into joint locks and break them. This works almost exactly like strangling:

#Select {{DFtext|Grab with right upper arm|7:1}}
#Select [[File:Adv icon grab.png]]{{DFtext|Grab right upper arm with right upper arm|7:1}}
#Choose to wrestle the enemy again.
#Select {{DFtext|Wrestle with right upper arm|3:1}}
#Select [[File:Adv icon joint lock.png]]{{DFtext|Lock right shoulder with right upper arm|3:1}}. If successful, you will see:
#*{{DFtext|You lock the <creature>'s right shoulder with your right upper arm!|5:1}}
#Choose to wrestle the enemy yet again.
#Select {{DFtext|Wrestle with right upper arm|3:1}}
#Select [[File:Adv icon break.png]]{{DFtext|Break right shoulder with right upper arm|3:1}} If successful, you will see:
#*{{DFtext|You bend the <creature>'s right upper arm with your right upper arm, shattering the right shoulder's bone!|5:1}}

=== Biting and ripping off body parts ===
When biting a creature, you will usually get a message saying {{DFtext|You latch on firmly!|5:1}}. If you have latched on with a bite, you can enter the wrestling menu and shake the creature around with your teeth - this can be extremely effective.

To bite down on and attempt to rip off a body part with your teeth:
#Choose to {{Adv menu icon|A}} strike and select an enemy ('''not''' to wrestle!).
#Select a body part, preferably one you can actually hit
#Select [[File:Adv attack bite.png]]"bite" as the attack type
#If the attack hits, you should do some damage and see {{DFtext|You latch on firmly!|5:1}}
#Choose your enemy, this time opting to {{Adv menu icon|W}} wrestle.
#You will now see an option like {{DFtext|Wrestle with upper front tooth|3:1}}. Select that option.
#Select [[File:Adv icon latch.png]]{{DFtext|Shake <nowiki><part></nowiki> with upper front tooth|3:1}}
#This should do some amount of damage, ranging from tissue layer damage, to ripping the body part completely off. If you bit down on the throat, for example, and were very successful, you will see:
#*{{DFtext|You shake the <creature> around by the throat, tearing apart the throat!|3:1}}
#*{{DFtext|A major artery in the throat has been opened by the attack!|3:1}}

=== Pinching and gouging ===
To pinch or gouge, you have to have at least one hand free, meaning that it can't be holding something like a weapon or shield.

#Select {{DFtext|Grab with left hand|7:1}}
#Select [[File:Adv icon grab.png]]{{DFtext|Grab head with left hand|7:1}}
#If this succeeds, choose to wrestle the enemy again.
#Select {{DFtext|Wrestle with left hand|3:1}}
#Select [[File:Adv icon pinch2.png]]{{DFtext|Gouge left eye with left hand|3:1}} or [[File:Adv icon pinch1.png]]{{DFtext|Pinch <nowiki><part></nowiki> with left hand|3:1}}, or whatever seems good. If successful you will see something like:
#*{{DFtext|You gouge the <creature>'s left eye with your left hand, tearing it apart!|3:1}}

Pinching can do anything from tissue damage to severing the body part.

=== Interrupting ===
If you know how a creature is attacking, you can try interrupting the attack with a grab. Incoming attacks are shown in the combat menu ({{Adv menu icon|A}} and {{Adv menu icon|W}}), and the main attribute that determines how well you can see incoming attacks is the [[Observer]] skill. To interrupt an attack, you must have a hand free (Use {{Adv menu icon|q}} to strap any weapons you're holding to your upper body, if necessary).

#Press {{Adv menu icon|W}} and check if there is an incoming attack like {{DFtext|Attacking you with right hand punch|4:1}}
#Select {{DFtext|Grab with left hand|7:1}}
#Scroll to and select [[File:Adv icon grab.png]]{{DFtext|Grab right hand with left hand|7:1}}
#Press {{k|,}} to advance time and if successful the game will display {{DFtext|You catch the goblin's right hand with your left hand!|5:1}} or {{DFtext|You grab the goblin by the right hand with your left hand!|3:1}} {{DFtext|The goblin's attack is interrupted!|4:1}}

If the opponent is attacking with a weapon, you can grab either the weapon or the hand holding it. If you successfully grab the weapon, you can try to disarm the opponent, as in the next section.

=== Disarming ===
Unlike interrupting an attack, you can attempt to disarm a creature at any time. As with interrupting, you must have a hand free (Use {{Adv menu icon|q}} to strap any weapons you're holding to your upper body, if necessary). Note that some powerful creatures may actually be more dangerous if you take away their weapon.

#Select [[File:Adv icon grab.png]]{{DFtext|Grab with left hand|7:1}}
#Now, scroll down toward the bottom of the list of body parts and you will see items that you can grab a hold of. Select {{DFtext|Grab <nowiki><item></nowiki> with left hand|7:1}}
#Assuming you hit, press {{Adv menu icon|I}} (advanced interaction) and scroll through your inventory until you see the item in your left hand listed in red. Select it. Shared items can also be found in the {{Adv menu icon|W}} wrestling menu.
#Select {{DFtext|Gain possession}}
#If successful, you will now have sole possession of the item in your left hand, and may do whatever you want with it. You can remove weapons, shields, armor, clothing, or anything that shows up in the list of things to grab.

See [[Adventurer_mode#Combat|adventurer mode combat]] for more information on combat in adventure mode.

==Bugs==
* Currently, most creatures (everything except [[human]]s, [[goblin]]s, [[kobold]]s, [[Elf|elves]], [[Dwarf|dwarves]], and some creatures like birds who use parts of the humanoid body plan) do not have joints, which means they are immune to joint locks and breaking limbs through wrestling.

* {{bug|6715}} If you attack a creature, and your blade lodges firmly in the wound, you can use wrestling to put a weapon in both hands. Attack a creature, and have the weapon you wish to duplicate lodge in the wound. Then enter wrestling and grab that weapon with your free hand, and move away. You will now appear to have two distinct weapons in your inventory, and you will get a list of attack choices for the weapon twice. '''''However''''', you do not actually get two distinct weapons, you are merely holding one weapon in two hands, it's just that the game doesn't properly handle this.

{{Skills}}

{{Category|Adventurer mode}}
{{Category|Combat}}
{{Category|Combat Skills}}

Level of conflict

2026-10-07T10:03:43Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Combat

{{Quality|Superior}}
{{av}}

[[File:attack_stances_preview.png|right]]Not all combat in ''Dwarf Fortress'' is lethal, to-the-death fighting. Several different '''levels of conflict''' exist and are used in different circumstances, affecting how [[creature]]s interact in combat.

In [[adventurer mode]], you can view the level of combat with any particular enemy by checking its description when moused over, or by [[status icon]]. When you attack an enemy by moving into them, the character seems never to choose attacks that would escalate the conflict (they will punch even if they have a weapon, avoid locks while brawling, and won't attempt strangulation in nonlethal combat).

== Levels ==
The levels revealed in the [[object testing arena]] are as follows:
* [[File:indicator_lethal.png]] {{DFtext|No Quarter|5:0:1}}
* [[File:indicator_lethal.png]] {{DFtext|Lethal|4:0:1}}
* [[File:indicator_nonlethal.png]] {{DFtext|Non-lethal|6:0:1}}
* [[File:indicator_brawl.png]] {{DFtext|Brawl|3:0:1}}
* {{DFtext|Training|7:0:1}}
* {{DFtext|Horseplay|2:0:1}}
* [[File:indicator_brawl.png]] {{DFtext|Encounter|7:0:0}}

One other level is commonly found in adventurer mode, despite that, strictly speaking, it is not a level of conflict:
* [[File:indicator_ally.png]] {{DFtext|Ally|1:0:1}}

When you are in conflict, you will also receive a [[status icon]].
* [[File:indicator_you.png]] {{DFtext|You|7:0:1}}

=== No Quarter ===
An attacker who gives [[wikipedia:No quarter|no quarter]] will refuse to accept [[surrender]] or otherwise spare the life of an opponent, meaning the conflict will not end until either the opponent is dead, or the attacker retreats. No-quarter mode is caused by either required kill [[ethic]]s (where surrendering would allow cheating the 'justice' system), lethal fighting with a non-sapient animal (which, obviously, does not understand the concept of surrender), or the opponent faking surrender (so the attacker will not fall for such tricks again).

This level of conflict may be reduced to Lethal, and then further reduced until the creature is neutral.

=== Lethal ===
Lethal combat is a fight to the death - striking with weapons will escalate combat into lethality. Although death is likely in this mode of conflict, surrender may be accepted to end the fight.

Combat also escalates to lethal if you attempt to bite an opponent, gouge their eyes or other body parts, break appendages after putting them in joint locks, or place a chokehold on the throat (that is, any body part with the THROAT token). There is no way to place a chokehold on someone in ''Dwarf Fortress'' without it being considered a lethal fight, even if you intend to release them as soon as they lose consciousness.

=== Non-lethal ===
Non-lethal combat is a fight without the use of weapons, instead using punches, kicks, scratching, and most forms of wrestling. Non-lethal fights may end without either combatant dying, though it is still possible to receive or deliver mortal wounds.

Currently, the only means of initiating non-lethal combat in adventurer mode is to wrestle an opponent and put one of their appendages in a joint lock. Otherwise, combat never elevates above brawling.

=== Brawl ===
A brawl occurs when one person attacks another with punches, kicks, scratching, and wrestling moves other than joint locks, choke holds, and gouging. A common situation in which a brawl can be initiated is by punching someone who has spat at you.

A primary difference between brawling and non-lethal combat is that NPC brawlers will not attack someone on the ground. This can presently be exploited in adventurer mode to easily subdue opponents and/or rapidly train striking, kicking, and wrestling by fighting while lying down (as many eligible opponents, like large herbivores, usually won't attack first and can take a huge number of unarmed strikes). E.G. beating up an [[Elephant]] until it dies, with pausing due to passing out from exhaustion, can level up your PCs unarmed attack skills from being untrained to being Expert. Note, however, that some opponents will elevate combat to lethal or no quarter for reasons other than your chosen combat style.

NPCs engaged in either non-lethal combat or brawling will sheath their weapons and shields.

Note; some non-sapient animals in Brawl may, sometimes, use attacks that would normally trigger a Lethal conflict level - such as due to not having other "safe" attack modes (e.g. a snake has no other method of attack than biting). If a brawling NPC attacks another NPC with a lethal attack, conflict rises to Lethal (such as might be due to the actions of your pets, mounts or companions); but as long as you don't start doing "lethal" attacks in turn, the combat won't turn Lethal.

Attacking an NPC lying on the ground, or attacking an NPC while lying prone, doesn't elevate the level beyond Brawl as long as you use "safe" attacks (i.e. your rules are not their rules - in such cases, you're effectively behaving as in a Non-Lethal level, while NPC keeps being in Brawl level). In fact, as long as you use the said safe attacks, even attacking an incapacitated foe until they die doesn't elevate the conflict past Brawl

Note that even this level may result in maiming or death, if the character is unlucky, or the opponent is very strong/skilled. E.G. An [[Elephant]] (or other large animal without "LARGE_PREDATOR" token) can be used as a great punching bag with the "brawl while lying on the ground" method - but trying to Brawl an [[Elephant]] while not prone will, most likely, result in your character being killed accidentally (due to the sheer size disparity; you're ''so tiny'', while the [[Elephant]]'s "not serious" strikes turn you into a pile of gibs).

The "Attacking while prone" method works correctly only when you're alone. [[Pets]] will join the conflict and lack non-lethal attacks, so they will elevate combat to Lethal. [[Adventurer_mode_gameplay#Companions|Companions]] have non-lethal attacks, but don't understand the "prone" part of the plan and fight while standing, therefore getting hit; companions likely will switch to Lethal combat if attacked by Lethal attacks of animals.

=== Training ===
Training is the mode used in sparring. In sparring, participants will use training weapons if they are available, and will "pull" their blows to inflict as little injury as possible by "lightly tapping the target". Injuries may still occur if a wrestling move is used; however, even attacks from a masterwork silver hammer will be as easily held back as from a training sword.

=== Horseplay ===
In horseplay, participants will wrestle one another, grab, then immediately release, never placing chokeholds or joint locks. It has no presently known circumstance in which it can be initiated in either adventurer mode or fortress mode.

=== Encounter ===
This level of conflict is typically used by wild animals when they first see a character - for most non-predatory animals, the reaction will be to flee in terror.
[[ru:Level of conflict]]

[[Category:Adventurer mode]]
[[Category:Combat]]

Wound

2026-10-07T10:01:12Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Combat, moved all categories to the bottom

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
: ''"Damage" redirects here; for how weapons do damage, see [[Weapon]]
[[File:injury_preview.png|right]]'''Injuries''' can be sustained to limbs and organs via the environment or fighting. There are five different levels of injury in the game, ranging from none to complete part loss - shown using the default colors, they are as follows:


<div style="background:black; width:840px; border-radius:3px">
:{{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>

For ways to diagnose and treat injuries, see [[health care]].

== Wound effects ==
'''Brain''': Any structural damage results in instant death. A bruise which doesn't cause {{DFtext|FUNCTION LOSS|#00ffff}} can be survived, and the creature suffers no effect from the injured brain and lives as normal.

'''Throat''': The throat has a major artery, much like the heart. Bruising damage to the throat has no special effect, however any structural damage can "open a major artery in the throat", producing the same bleeding as a torn heart.

'''Eyes''': Eye damage causes loss of sight, limiting creature perception.

'''Mouth/nose/ears/cheeks''': No special effect.

'''Teeth''': Fewer teeth to use for biting attacks.

'''Lungs''': Damage to one lung interferes with breathing. Creature toughness affects how well it can survive with impaired breathing. Damage to both lungs simultaneously almost always results in suffocation. Bruises to the lungs can cause {{DFtext|FUNCTION LOSS|#00ffff}} so they impair breathing; though they heal much more quickly than a torn lung, two simultaneous bruised lungs with function loss can be fatal (in adventurer mode party members can heal them by {{k|T}}raveling).

'''Heart''': Any structural damage 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. As such, a bruised heart causes no ill effects.

'''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. Creatures 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 also tear nervous tissue are extremely serious. Lower spinal injuries permanently disable the creature's legs - they can no longer stand or kick. Upper and middle spinal injuries disable every limb in the body, rendering the creature unable to do anything except use the default "push" attack, bite if it still has teeth, and move very slowly. It also disables every organ in the body besides the brain. As this disables the lungs, upper spine injuries will generally cause suffocation within a few turns. However, a broken bone in the spine does '''not''' cause irreparable damage - only damage to the nervous tissue does. If a dwarf suffers a broken bone in the spine without any nerve damage, just get them a cast and it will eventually heal.

'''Gelding''': Attacks to the lower body (or, theoretically, anywhere else where the 'geldables' may be kept) of a geldable creature (including male dwarves) can very rarely 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 ==
Injuries cause pain; excessive pain will knock your dwarves [[unconscious]] from the shock.

How pain works:
* Bruising causes 1× the pain value from the raw files
* Partially damaged tissue causes 2× pain
* Broken tissue causes 3× pain
* Having 150+ pain causes unconsciousness.
* Pain is independent of body part size

Most tissue has [PAIN_RECEPTORS:5], except bone, which 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 your character to wake up sooner after they fall unconscious.

Missing body parts no longer produce pain, so a completely severed limb or digit will cause no pain. Without breaking a bone, a creature would have to have three layers bruised on about ten different body parts, or three layers broken on about four, to collapse from pain (and edged weapons often damage sensory nerves, reducing pain).

== Miscellaneous injuries ==

(Miscellaneous injuries include generic tears, cuts and breaks that don't target a specific organ.)

Attacks that shatter nail or horn generate a cosmetic injury report, but otherwise have no effect unless they become infected. Similarly, attacks that tear hair have no ill effects, but hair damage is common during chokeholds on animals, such as a lion's mane being damaged by a chokehold.

Injuries that only tear skin tend to cause little bleeding and light scarring, while injuries that tear fat layers cause worse bleeding and severe scarring but little pain. Injuries to muscle layers can sometimes cause the affected limb to become unusable. This happens when a tendon, ligament, or motor nerve is severed, or if the limb reaches {{DFtext|BROKEN|#ff0000}}. If the muscle is in an arm and loses function, items held in that hand will be dropped. Damaged leg or foot muscles may cause the creature to fall over and be unable to walk until the injury heals. Damage to sensory nerves eliminates pain in the body part, and may reduce attack strength using that part.

[[Bone]] damage causes extreme pain, especially if the bone is fractured or broken. Those are the most painful injuries in ''Dwarf Fortress'', and will almost invariably cause unconsciousness from the pain. A bone that is broken in a limb will render that limb inoperative. Bones that are hit hard enough may shatter and be jammed into the muscles in their body part, or nearby bones and body parts, causing far more damage - this is most notable with the skull. A hard hit (or any hit) to the skull that causes a fracture can force the broken part into the brain, causing immediate death. A broken arm may be jammed into the shoulder as well, breaking it, and broken bones sometimes tear the muscles around them, causing bleeding.

In recent versions the neck is appended to the upper body, 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 directly by attacking the head anymore, though very powerful attacks can damage adjacent body parts by "twisting" them, so an extremely strong attack to the head or one of its parts can damage the upper spine by twisting the neck.

* Having the upper spine (in the neck) torn in 0.40.xx disables everything and causes suffocation.
* Having the middle spine (in the upper body) torn disables everything and causes suffocation.
* Having the lower spine (in the lower body) torn paralyzes the legs, preventing kicks and negating pain in the legs and in the lower spine itself.
Note that the bones in the spine being fractured does not cause paralysis, which occurs only when the nerves in the spine are torn.

If the neck is destroyed (pulped, broken, or cleaved), the upper spine will be destroyed as well.

== 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 that they had done 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, and trying to dress or clean themselves often causes 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 their Thoughts and Preferences screen will note that they bear scars of varying degrees and types, e.g., (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.

== Permanent injury ==
{{TipBox2|titlebg=#0a0|float=right|Disabled veterans|When a highly-skilled soldier is injured too badly to continue in active duty, they can remain in the military as a teacher. Put them into a squad with your raw recruits and have them teach the green maggots what soldiering is about. When the recruits have been whipped into shape, they can be transferred to active-duty squads.}}
There are several types of injuries that dwarves will never recover from - nerve damage is permanent, as is loss of limbs, while 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.

===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, they can be issued a [[crutch]] by doctors in your hospital. Thereafter, they will gain crutch-walking skill whenever they move with the crutch in their inventories. Eventually, their 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 their 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 their lower spine, or both of their legs, is unable to use them and cannot benefit from using a crutch. After their recovery (you may need to deconstruct their hospital bed to get them out of it), they 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 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 they will still move five steps more quickly than another dwarf can move fifty; or they can be appointed as the [[broker]] and burrowed in your depot. You could also make such a dwarf a [[hammerer]], with exemplary results.

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 their life normally, and can even hold a shield and battle-axe at the same time. In the military, they are limited only in that they cannot wield weapons that are too large to be wielded one-handed, and outside the military, they 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, or 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 their current set 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, biter, and/or kicker (if they still have functioning legs). Dwarves without arms can also be used as sentries; burrow them in watchtowers to spot ambushes.

===Blindness===
[[File:blind_in_adventure_mode.png|thumb|Blindness in [[adventure mode]]]]

A dwarf with both eyes damaged cannot see - and what they can't see, they 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. They will suffer a severe drop in the [[quality]] of their work, but this won't affect jobs whose products don't have a quality level, such as [[wood burning]].

Military dwarves are, unfortunately, less useful while blind. They will manage to home in on any nearby enemies just as well as any other dwarf, but will suffer a significant penalty to their dodging ability, to the point where even a dwarf with [[legendary]] in [[dodging]] may get hit more often than even an untrained civilian. As such, they will die too quickly to be useful as anything more than cannon fodder. Blind military dwarves may still be of use however, as their training will have netted them high [[combat skills]] alongside a good amount of [[organizer]], meaning they make for great [[champions]], or even just permanent teachers in a training squad.

===Chronic syndrome===
The most common chronic 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. Dwarves with dizziness will also perform significantly worse in combat; with them dodging, parrying, and successfully hitting less than normal. This is mild enough that they can still be useful in combat, and it may be worth setting them to train for longer to offset the penalty.

==Adventure Mode==
[[File:healing_liquid_message.png|thumb|300px|right|The messages that appear after drinking a magic healing substance.]]A wounded character in adventurer mode may be unable to use wounded limbs, or perform actions with them - someone with a mangled arm, for example, cannot wield a sword. Wounds heal over time, but moving even one cell in fast-{{k|T}}ravel mode will vastly speed up recovery, instantly healing all injuries that could heal over time. An adventurer with higher [[Attribute#Recuperation|recuperation]] will heal faster than others. Some wounds, however, will never heal.

As with dwarves in fortress mode, missing limbs and nonfunctional nerves, blindness, and similar permanent injuries do not heal, no matter how much time passes. Lower-body paralysis can be especially dangerous, as the affected character can only crawl on the ground. However, [[splint]]s may provide some limited assistance.

===Advanced healing===
There are some events that heal normally permanent injuries:
* Getting a lucky roll on a [[Die|divination die]] will heal all wounds.
* Undergoing a transformation (such as from a [[werebeast]] curse, or from the divination effect that turns you into a beast) heals all wounds.
* Consuming a healing substance, found in [[mysterious dungeon|mysterious dungeons and palaces]], and held by [[dungeon guardian|dungeon guardians]], will heal all wounds.
All of these options regrow missing body parts and heal nerve damage.

[[File:injured_dwarf.png|thumb|center|Seen better days. Fought weaker goblins. ''Art by Nikolay Persikov'']]
{{Translation| dwarven = oslan | elvish = élitho | goblin = esmên | human = kortil}}

{{Category|Combat}}
{{Category|Military}}
{{Category|Healthcare}}
{{Category|Interface}}
[[ru:Wound]]

Dwarf cancels task: Interrupted

2026-10-07T09:54:29Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Combat

{{Quality|Fine}}
{{av}}

{{DFtext|Urist McHauler cancels Store item in stockpile: Interrupted by a grizzly bear.|4:1}}

This means that a civilian dwarf had line-of-sight to a non-friendly creature; it does not matter whether the creature can actually reach the dwarf. The cause can be anything from a [[horse]] or [[Hoary marmot|marmot]] (basically safe to ignore), a [[kobold]] thief (often harmless, will usually flee), potentially dangerous animals like [[cougar]]s (dispatch military or hunter), to a [[goblin]] ambusher (Oh-oh, bad news) or [[40d:carp|carp]] (which were once lethal).

[[Image:Carp_escape.jpg|thumb|center|600px|Legends of terrifying carp persist from [[40d:Carp|days of yore]]. ''Art by Skullamity'']]

{{Errors FAQ}}
{{Category|Combat}}
{{Category|Errors}}
[[ru:Dwarf cancels task: Interrupted]]

Category:Combat

2026-10-07T09:48:03Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Military

[[Category:Game mechanics]]
[[Category:Military]]

Siege

2026-10-07T09:45:12Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Combat

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
[[File:df_goblin_siege.png|thumb|220px|right|Brutal battle during a small siege.]]
{{Translation
| dwarven = zokun
| elvish = thima
| goblin = etosp
| human = rislu}}
:''For catapults, ballistae, and bolt throwers, 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. In the premium version, it looks like this: 
[[File:siege_icon.png]] 

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 and subterranean [[animal people]]; these two never go beyond ambushes. Enemy civilizations will begin to send sieges against your fortress once its [[population]] reaches 80 members, with the exception of the undead, who may attack at any time.

[[Caravan]]s will not arrive at an already-besieged fortress, but will, unfortunately, arrive if a siege is not broken quickly enough - 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, that is, 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. Specifically, 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 (in)/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 a single general or commander (sometimes labeled "Master") and 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 squads. 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 from their riders. For more info on mounted units, and the [[fun]] they can unleash upon an ill-prepared defender, see: [[Mount]].
*Invaders can bring battering rams, which will destroy trees and constructions.
*Sieges may have one or more squads of Siege Engineers, typically [[Troll]]s or [[blind cave ogre]]s, who carry 20 rock blocks per engineer. They will construct stairs and floors to bridge moats and climb on-top of walls and towers.
*Sieges may have one or more squads of miners, typically [[Troll]]s, who carry a large pick. They will dig through floors and walls, including both constructed walls and natural stone, in order to breach the fortress. The speed of their digging is significantly slower than dwarves, and the material of the wall will affect their digging speed. For constructed walls, it's calculated similar to a blunt force attack on the wall, so a reinforced wall with steel will last even longer than one reinforced with copper.
*Invaders will avoid traps that they have observed being sprung and automatically reset, such as weapons traps. If a cage trap captures an invader, his fellow attackers will attempt to free him from the cage. If one or more invaders flee and successfully escape the siege at the end of the attack, their knowledge of the traps will persist into the next siege that attacks, so it is suggested to tear down and rebuild traps in a new location in between sieges.
*Invaders can climb [[wall]]s and pits. This can be quite [[fun]] if your fort defense relies on the same kinds 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.
*You can turn off sieges and [[megabeast]]s altogether by changing "civilizations can attack" and "megabeasts can attack" to NO in the difficulty settings.
*Depending on how your fortress is set up, [[winter]] can be the worst time for a siege due to any outside water being frozen. If your fortress is surrounded by a moat, or is meant to be blocked off by water in some way, your enemies will simply walk over the [[ice]] and climb over any walls into your fortress.

=== Difficulty ===
{{main|Difficulty}}
On normal difficulty, the intensity of enemy attacks directly corresponds to your [[fortress]]'s title. Once sieges are possible, 25% of invasions will be sieges instead of [[Ambush|ambushes]]. On hard difficulty, the trigger conditions for enemies are roughly halved, allowing more invaders to attack earlier. The frequency of sieges instead of ambushes increases to 50%.

By default, a max of 120 soldiers and 40 monsters can attack your fortress during a siege.

{| style="margin: 1em auto; border-spacing: 0;"
|- style="vertical-align: top; padding: 0 1em"
|
{| class=wikitable
|+ Normal enemies
! colspan='2' | Fortress Title
! Pop
! Created Wealth
! Exported Wealth
! Invaders

|- style='background-color:#eee'
| style='background-color:#000; padding:2px 6px' | {{Raw Tile|Ω|#555|#000}}
| '''Outpost'''
| style='text-align:right' | -
| -
| -
| None

|- style='background-color:#ddd'
| style='background-color:#000;' | {{Raw Tile|Ω|#777|#000}}
| '''Hamlet'''
| style='text-align:right' | 20
| 5,000☼
| 500☼
| Ambush only

|- style='background-color:#eee'
| style='background-color:#000;' | {{Raw Tile|Ω|#999|#000}}
| '''Village'''
| style='text-align:right' | 50
| 25,000☼
| 2,500☼
| " "

|- style='background-color:#ddd'
| style='background-color:#000;' | {{Raw Tile|Ω|#bbb|#000}}
| '''Town'''
| style='text-align:right' | 80
| 100,000☼
| 10,000☼
| Sieges (10 regulars)

|- style='background-color:#eee'
| style='background-color:#000;' | {{Raw Tile|Ω|#ddd|#000}}
| '''City'''
| style='text-align:right' | 110
| 200,000☼
| 20,000☼
| Sieges (40 regulars, 5 monsters)

|- style='background-color:#ddd'
| style='background-color:#000;| {{Raw Tile|Ω|#fff|#000}}
| '''Metropolis'''
| style='text-align:right' | 140
| 300,000☼
| 30,000☼
| Sieges (120 regulars, 40 monsters)
|}
|
{| class=wikitable
|+ Hard enemies
! Pop
! Created Wealth
! Exported Wealth
! Invaders

|- style='background-color:#eee'
| style='text-align:right' | -
| -
| -
| None

|- style='background-color:#ddd'
| style='text-align:right' | 15
| 2,500☼
| 250☼
| Ambush only

|- style='background-color:#eee'
| style='text-align:right' | 30
| 12,500☼
| 1,250☼
| " "

|- style='background-color:#ddd'
| style='text-align:right' | 40
| 50,000☼
| 5,000☼
| Sieges (20 regulars, 1 monster)

|- style='background-color:#eee'
| style='text-align:right' | 55
| 100,000☼
| 10,000☼
| Sieges (60 regulars, 10 monsters)

|- style='background-color:#ddd'
| style='text-align:right' | 70
| 150,000☼
| 15,000☼
| Sieges (120 regulars, 40 monsters)
|}
|}

== [[Goblin]] sieges ==
[[File:The last stand by ncorva.jpg|thumb|250px|We hear the drums, they are coming... ''Art by ncorva'']]
{{dftext|A vile force of darkness has arrived!|5:1}}

Formerly, the tactics used by the goblins were no more sophisticated than charging in an open march toward your fortress, and attempting to kill your dwarves; however, as of version 53 (also known as the ''siege'' update), their tactics are much more varied. Goblin sieges often include groups of [[troll]]s and [[beak dog]]s, but may also include things like [[ogre]]s, or [[cave dragon]]s (along with some other "Subterranean" and evil "Fantasy" creatures), that can [[Building destroyer|break buildings]] and smash workshops. Trolls in particular are especially problematic, as they are able to wield [[weapon|great picks]] to dig through your defenses (and to tunnel through the ground if need be), as well as carrying [[block]]s they can use to bridge over your moats and open otherwise unavailable avenues for attack. Goblins may also bring fighters belonging to other races (previously kidnapped as children 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, and battering rams, which they can utilise against your defenses.

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 – the behavior often seen in human sieges – instead of charging in blindly like a pack of fools (THIS INFORMATION MAY BE OUTDATED AS OF V53). Goblins are also the only race who can siege your fortress without their civilization being explicitly at [[war]] with your own, presumably because their evil nature makes them disregard diplomacy entirely.

== [[Elf|Elven]] sieges ==
{{dftext|An ambush! Curse all friends of nature!|4:1}}

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 ambush using stealth squads rather than siege, 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]] (like unaligned/mundane/giant animals, and good-aligned creatures). 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 ==
[[File:human_siege_preview.png|thumb|250px|right|Being taller helps with war-related things. ''Art by by John Gilbert (1817 - 1897 AD)'']]
{{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 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, or even [[elephant]]s. Be aware that human siegers know about all [[trap]]s that their diplomats have seen before; even their war animals are immune to those traps. If you have had a human diplomat in your fort, assume that your traps are useless against the invaders unless they were built after their 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}} 
{{dftext|Forms twisted from their nature, legion of the night. What hope remains?|5:1}}

Necromancers will only be able to siege you if you embark in an area near a [[Tower (necromancy)|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, anyone that dies in or near battle (or lying somewhere near it) 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 armor'', 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 three undead—but can cause very much cheesy [[fun]] if a lone necromancer accompanies them (which isn't uncommon).

(If [[experiment]]s are brought along, the latter message will be shown. Sometimes these "sieges" of experiments will be very small, consisting of only a few experiments and no necromancer.)

== [[Dwarf|Dwarven]] sieges ==
{{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 near by your fortress may also besiege it, happening potentially 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 in size to goblin [[ambush]]es, 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 (''as would be expected of such matters of war'').

== Bugs ==
* Amphibian invader mounts drown their riders. {{Bug|926}}
* Occasionally sieges will not end with all invaders being dealt with. In such cases the siege seems to end after several months by itself. {{Bug|10075}}

{{Military}}
{{Category|Combat}}
{{category|Fortress mode}}
[[ru:Siege]]

Ambush

2026-10-07T09:44:23Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Combat

{{Quality|Superior}}
{{av}}

[[File:ambush_olm_preview.png|thumb|238px|right|An ambush with [[Cave fish man|cave fish men]] in a cavern.]]
An '''ambush''' is a type of attack in [[fortress mode]] where a small force of enemy {{Catlink|humanoids}} attempts a sneak attack on your [[fortress]]. Smaller in scope than a full [[siege]], ambushes are not related to the number of [[dwarf|dwarves]] in your fortress. Enemies arrive in one or more separate "squads" of maybe 6-10 individuals that (try to) work and move as a team, similar to a dwarf military [[squad]].

Unlike [[siege]]s, ambushes are not [[announcement|announced]] immediately, and the attacking units are only revealed when your fortress becomes aware of the attackers in a way that does trigger an announcement, either when they set off a [[cage trap]] or come sufficiently close to a dwarf, [[caravan]] member, or [[pet]] (they ignore non-hostile wildlife). Ambushes can also be discovered manually if the player happens upon on an invader [[corpse]] and some [[goblinite]] in one of your weapon [[trap]]s (which do not cause announcements when they are triggered). Once an ambush squad is detected visually by a dwarf or pet, an ambush will generate a [[Announcement#Major announcement|major announcement]], the wording of which depends on the invader. There may be more than one enemy squad on the map, and each must be detected separately.

Ambushes, just like [[siege]]s, nearly always happen at the beginning of a season, generally in the first 15 days of the first month, often arriving with [[caravan]]s, but can happen at any time. Note that elves will usually ambush with more than one squad (up to 50+), each of which has to be detected separately and triggers a separate announcement. If ambushers are caught in cage traps, they will be marked as Caged Prisoner in the unit screen. These prisoners can be dragged around between cages (or tossed over tall towers), although there may be a risk of jailbreak. If you abandon your fortress while an ambush is active, you will receive the message "Your strength has been broken." Finally, when the leader of an ambush is killed (or captured), but not the other units, they will stand around and "wait" for their leader; this is probably a [[bug]].

== Types of ambushes ==
=== Elves ===
{{dftext|An ambush! Curse all friends of nature!|4:1}}

[[Elven]] ambushes may occur if your [[civilization]] is at war with a neighboring elven civilization. These ambushes have the same structure as the elven sieges, where their numbers and the nature of an ambush may very well catch an unprepared fortress off-guard. They might also bring exotic beasts as they may do during sieges, as well as [[animal people]] that can fight alongside the elves.

As soon as an ambush is detected, a group of a dozen elves will appear at the map. Be aware that an ambush does not only have one wave of enemies, but detection of several scores of elves is highly possible. But as with elven sieges, the elves themselves are very poorly equipped and carry only [[wood]]en armor and weaponry. [[Clothing]] is also known to be dropped by slain <s>hippies</s> elves.

=== Kobolds ===
{{dftext|An ambush! Skulking vermin!|4:1}}

[[Kobold]] ambushes are triggered by a long enough string of successful kobold thievery. This usually only happens when kobold thieves manage to steal from an outdoor cache of some sort that your dwarves cannot access for some reason, possibly fallen [[goblinite]] from or during an ongoing siege. Kobold ambushes are mostly notable for being much more annoying than kobold thieves, and should not be allowed to occur.

It should be noted that the first ambushes from kobolds are full of recruits who have never seen a dwarf in their life, and will almost always scatter and run away instead of fighting.

=== Necromancers ===
{{dftext|An ambush! Drive them out!|4:1}}

[[Necromancer]]s will also occasionally ambush your fortress, if you are in range of their [[Tower (necromancy)|tower]] and they opt out of a full-on [[siege]]. Necromancer ambushes consist of several necromancers, each one being detected individually; an early warning sign for a necromancer ambush is the presence of [[undead]] in non-evil [[biome|biomes]]. The necromancers themselves are harmless, being regular old unarmed humanoids; however, very bad things will happen if they manage to find their way within sight of any left-over goblin sieges, [[corpse]] or [[refuse]] [[stockpile]]s, or (Armok forbid) last month's [[dragon]] invader. For this reason it is highly recommended that fortresses within sounding range of a tower internalize or [[atom smasher|atom smash]] all of their meat byproducts, and set [[standing orders]] to "gather refuse from outside" and clean up any meaty outdoor bits.

=== Cavern Dwellers ===
{{dftext|Cavern dwellers! Send them back to the darkness!|4:1}}
[[File:Olm_People_Invaders.png|thumb|right|125px|They just keep coming!]]
[[File:Don't be next Bomrek.png|200px|thumb|left|Urist didn't make it out. Don't be next, Bomrek.]]

Upon breaching the [[caverns]], your fortress may occasionally be attacked by a large swarm of underground [[animal people]], such as [[Olm man|olm men]]. As with most ambushes, they often remain hidden until they get close enough to attack, but unlike other ambushes, their numbers can be well into the dozens or more, resulting in alert and notification spam as a new wave of them is discovered, so while these appear to use the mechanics of an ambush, they are somewhere between an ambush and a siege.

Cavern dwellers are typically armed with [[shields]] and [[spears]] made of random military-grade metals, up to and including [[steel]], but no [[armor]]. As such, they are easily dispatched by well-equipped dwarven veterans, but their numbers can quickly overwhelm even your mightiest warriors if one of them is caught alone during a patrol. They can be especially deadly versus your civilians, as well as any inexperienced fighters or [[monster slayer]]s.

They may also bring pets or mounts, at the worst gigantic war [[jabberer|jabberers]] or [[rutherer|rutherers]], which can pose their own set of problems, as either of those is too large to be crushed by a bridge.

They may attempt to relocate to a safer location in the caverns if they begin to lose, but they sometimes don't fully leave the map - amphibians may dive underwater and lie in wait to lick their wounds, which can have [[Fun]] consequences if your ☼Steel-clad☼ dwarves dive in chasing a kill, only to drown when they can't get back out, leaving all of their equipment at the bottom of an infinitely-replenishing lake, potentially forever lost. If this becomes a problem, creating a [[swimming pool]] or other means of teaching your dwarves to swim en masse should become a priority, as should engraved [[slabs]] to prevent [[ghosts]].

As caverns are always "indoors," massive clouds of [[miasma]] from the rotting corpses can also quickly become an issue for anyone doing work down there, as there are typically far too many to dispose of in a timely fashion.

=== Other ===
[[Quester]]s seeking an artifact may attempt to sneak in and steal their target from your fortress. If discovered, they may run away or attack, depending on their temperament.

[[Werebeast]]s from the wilds may also attempt to ambush your fortress during a full moon. If discovered, they trigger a message similar to the one that is shown when a Megabeast attacks ("The Were(creature) (name) has come! ... Now you will know why you fear the night."). At the conclusion of the full moon, they return to their normal form and attempt to leave the site. If discovered in this state, they will still be announced as above, but with the details of their current form ("The Human (name) has come! A medium size creature prone to great ambition.")

== Notes ==

* Hidden ambushers do not display combat reports, but their combat actions may be included in other units' combat reports.
* Upon discovery of an unconscious or otherwise incapacitated ambusher, the game will announce "There is a (creature) hidden away here." instead of the usual ambush announcement.{{cite forum|35009/581009}}
* Hidden ambushers are revealed upon death, without any announcement.

== Adventure Mode ==

Ambushes also occur from Fast Travel in [[Adventurer mode]]. When traveling, [[Army|armies]] and other traveling figures are shown as shields/asterisks, and if hostile, then approaching the region tile they occupy will trigger an ambush. Depending on the savagery of the land, you may also be randomly ambushed by the dominant predator(s) of the biome. Traveling alone at night in certain [[evil]] biomes may result in a [[bogeyman]] ambush.

When ambushed, the fast travel map will close and you will appear on the local map with your ambusher(s). If they're in view, they will be identified in a major announcement, but if obscured by terrain, distance, or lighting, then the announcement will inform you "You feel uneasy." As long as your ambushers can detect you or a party member, you will be unable to fast travel, as "You don't feel safe enough to travel."

Typical ambushes come from roving large predators (including [[giant]]s, giant [[Undead|zombies]], [[night troll]]s, etc) and [[Army|patrols]] from a hostile settlement nearby (such as from enemy civs or [[Bandit|raider]] [[camp]]s.) Muggers harassing towns also trigger ambushes; though they don't appear hostile at first, they intend to commit crimes against persons and property, including yours. And angered settlements or raider groups may take revenge by sending assassins who will strike even in the safe confines of a city.

If you're unprepared for the ambush, you can evade it successfully by escaping your pursuer's view, using terrain, speed, and stealth, until you're able to fast travel safely. This is easiest against random predators who can't detect you at the time of ambush. When evading [[historical figure]]s, fast traveling to another region tile adjacent to it will trigger another ambush, so you must get sufficient distance from them in order to successfully elude them.

== See also ==
* [[Security design]]
* [[Siege]]
* [[Wealth]]

{{Military}}
{{Category|Combat}}
{{category|Fortress mode}}
[[ru:Ambush]]

Weapon

2026-10-07T09:40:43Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Combat

{{av}}
:''This page deals entirely with manufactured weapons. For natural weapons, see [[Natural weapon]].''
[[File:weapons_sprites_preview.png|right]]A '''weapon''', in the sense described on this page, is any [[item]] specifically designed to be wielded in [[combat]] against others. In [[fortress mode]], weapons can be made at a [[metalsmith's forge]] (all metal weapons, including [[crossbow]]s, and [[bolt]]s in stacks of 25) using a single bar of metal*, a [[bowyer's workshop]] ([[wood|wooden]] and [[bone]] crossbows and bolts in stacks of 25 or 5 respectively) with a single [[log]] or [[bone]], or at a [[craftsdwarf's workshop]] (obsidian short swords* only) with one stone of obsidian plus one log.

: (* No "wooden handle" is required for most non-wooden weapons. The unique [[obsidian]] option for [[short sword]]s is the sole exception to this. Any metal weapons, including short swords made from metal, need no wood for their production.)
Graphically, each weapon's color palette will change according to the material used to make them.

Many creatures with a humanoid form ([[giant]], [[magma man|magma men]], [[animal people]], etc.), or even some non-humanoid creatures with hands can also wield weapons. [[Civilization|Civilized]] creatures and animal people have sprites showing them wielding the weapon; weapons can otherwise be seen in the creature's "items" tab.

== Basics ==
=== Native vs. foreign ===
[[File:weapon_prev1.png|right]]In fortress mode, weapons can be split into 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 that due to size 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, and 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}}
Mechanically, all weapon attacks are separated into "edge" and "blunt" types, although these can be further split into four practical categories:
*Slashing
*Piercing
*Crushing
*Ranged

(Weapons that are native to dwarven culture, that dwarves can create for themselves, are listed first, with ''foreign weapons'', types that must be looted off dead enemies or traded for, listed in parentheses and italics. Dwarves can use many types of foreign weapons, but finding a good-[[quality]] one is rare.)

====Slashing weapons====
* [[battle axe]]s, [[short sword]]s ''(also [[scimitar]]s, [[scourge]]s, [[great axe]]s, [[halberd]]s, [[long sword]]s and [[two-handed sword]]s)''

These 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 will usually prevent the cutting, converting strikes into weaker blunt damage. An advantage of severing parts is that they cannot be targeted again, allowing dwarves to better focus on more vital parts.

'''Short swords''' are, generally speaking, less effective than axes. Although categorized as a "slashing" weapon, analysis of combat statistics shows that short swords also deliver piercing and bludgeoning blows (the latter from the butt-end of the handle). However, they do all of these less effectively than other weapons in those categories, making them the "Jack of all trades, master of none" weapon. However, if going against heavily armored opponents, they do have that occasional piercing attack as an advantage over axes, if only that. Also, if [[obsidian]] is available (along with spare wood), obsidian short swords can be produced outside of the usual metal industry chain of production.

====Crushing weapons====
* [[war hammer]]s, [[mace]]s, training weapon attacks (see below), melee attacks with [[crossbow]]s ''(also [[flail]]s, [[maul]]s, [[whip]]s)''

Also known as "blunt" or "bludgeoning" weapons, these work by concentrating their force behind a tiny, blunt point, (notably, war hammers have half the contact area of spears), smashing right through 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 always result in 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.

====Piercing weapons====
* [[spear]]s, [[pick]]s, [[crossbow]] bolts ''(also [[dagger]]s, [[Pike (weapon)|pikes]], [[morningstar]], [[arrow]]s and [[blowdart]]s)''

These 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, forcing their wielder to spend valuable time pulling the weapon back out between uses.

====Ranged weapons====
* [[crossbow]]s ''(also [[bow]]s and [[blowgun]]s)''

[[File:weapon_prev2.png|right]]These are effectively lightweight piercing weapons which work from a distance. When opponents engage the user in melee, the users are then forced to wield these weapons as melee weapons. Ranged weapons depend on shoot force and the material composition of the ammunition to deal damage. Best used against light to medium armored targets. All ranged ammunition deals "edged" damage. Wielding any of these as melee weapons is not recommended.

====Training weapons====
There exists one more umbrella category of weapon: the so-called "'''training weapon'''". Training weapons are wooden, and are made at a [[carpenter's workshop]]. Training axes, spears, and short swords can be constructed in fortress mode. They all do blunt impact damage, but only a tiny amount due to the poor [[material science|material properties]] of wood for a combat weapon. While every weapon is actually safe to use in [[Training|sparring]], the primary purpose of training weapons in fortress mode is to allow your dwarves to start training 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]].

=== 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 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.

=== Attachment ===
A dwarf that has used a particular weapon for a long time will grow [[Attachment|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 impact on its combat performance, as well as its [[value]].

{{: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 [[Strange mood#Skills_and_workshops|high chance]] of becoming a legendary weaponsmith.

==== Moods and other metals ====
Some (old, 2011) [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=92852.msg2601760#msg2601760 dwarven science] has also been conducted on the slashing value, using picks made from non-weapons-grade materials. These (somewhat limited) results seem to indicate the following ''rough'' order of preference in terms of ''slashing'' weapon properties (but take note of the artifact To-Hit multiplier as well) ([[weapons-grade]] metals are underlined): Adamantine, Steel, Iron/Pig Iron*, Bronze/Bismuth Bronze*, Platinum, Brass, Black Bronze, Billon, Rose Gold, Electrum, Bismuth, Aluminum, Gold, Copper, Tin, Sterling Silver, Silver, Nickel, Zinc, Lead, Nickel Silver, Trifle Pewter, Fine Pewter, Lay Pewter.
: (* The [[RAW]]s show identical values for for [[Bronze]] and [[Bismuth Bronze]]. ''At the time of this testing'' (2011), [[Iron]] and [[Pig Iron]] were likewise identical, but pig iron has since become noticeably inferior to iron.)

=== Weapons as tools ===
[[Hunter]]s use crossbows, [[wood cutter]]s use [[battle axe]]s, 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.

=== "Best" weapon choices ===
To put it simply, the combat system behind ''Dwarf Fortress'' is ''very'' complicated. It's not just a question of ''"What is the weapon with the biggest number?"'' - no such thing here. If you want technical specifics, that's addressed in the bottom half of this article (and elsewhere), but for now, from both study of the formulae and observed behavior, there are some patterns for what weapons seem to work "best" against certain targets, and what don't, and (basically) why.

''Dwarf Fortress'' combat is rarely "one-shot", nor is it a long process of whittling away a huge pile of "hit points" (which do not exist in DF). Your best tactic is to try to quickly cripple or stun an opponent, so that you can then deliver a killing blow against a (momentarily) defenseless target, and then move on to the next opponent. The recommended weapons are chosen with this in mind.

==== Superior metal rule ====
As a general rule, if a weapon slashes or pierces, it wants to be made from a "better" metal than the [[armor]] it's trying to penetrate. If it is, it goes through more easily; if it is equal, it has some problems, and if it's inferior, it has some real problems. That does '''not''' mean that a copper spear can't hurt a superior-metal-clad target - just understand that the odds drop compared to weapons of equal metal, and, similarly, superior weapons start to ignore armor of inferior metal.

Also, note that this effectively works in steps - copper is weak against bronze/iron targets, but feeble against steel.

(Note: In this section, if 2 metals are equivalent to each other, they will be placed together in parentheses for ease of comparison. Bronze and Bismuth Bronze are identical for all combat values.)

* [[steel]], the clear best*
* ([[bronze]]/[[bismuth bronze]] or [[iron]]), very respectable, roughly equivalent** to each other
* [[copper]], a distant third
* [[silver]], for slashing/piercing, a ''very'' distant last. For bludgeoning (hammers/maces), a rough equivalent to steel, but also much heavier, quickly tiring any but the [[strength|strongest]] and/or most [[Attribute#Endurance|enduring]] dwarves. Note that silver ''cannot'' be used for crossbows (which use the Hammerdwarf skill in melee).

:: (* There are also [[adamantine]] and [[divine metal]]s, which are late game only, and a league above steel. These are not the subject of a "basic" discussion.)
:: (** There are some "X weapon vs Y armor" situations where iron is slightly better than bronzes, but also a couple situations where bronze is actually slightly better than iron - but each is a very specific case. "Roughly equivalent" is a good rule of thumb.)

Ranged attacks (for dwarves, [[crossbow]]s, but also bows and arrows for enemies) are also piercing, and suffer even more from the "superior metal" rule, especially since everything except adamantine has essentially equal density when it comes to bolts due to their max velocity and force. It can be very disheartening to see all those cheap bolts bounce off their armored targets when it matters most.

Note that [[Attack_types#Blunt_weapons|blunt]] weapons, such as [[mace]]s or [[war hammer]]s, do '''''not''''' follow this rule. For them, generally speaking, "heavier is better", so [[density|denser]] metals, such as silver, perform well, although the hardness of steel makes it another strong performer. In terms of which is actually better, it depends on the skill level of the dwarf swinging the weapon. Unskilled dwarves are much better off using steel because of its lower weight; silver tires them out far too quickly. This means blunt weapons made of steel are good for militias, or any squad that doesn't do much dedicated training. For more skilled dwarves, however, silver's weight tends to tire the wielder out much slower now, and the extra damage per hit makes it better than steel in this case. This means that if you have a squad that trains for most of the year, they will make much better use of a silver blunt weapon than a steel one. For the other weapons-grade metals, they are all a close third to these and are perfectly serviceable, as the small differences in density do not matter that much. Rare heavy artifact blunt weapons from [[gold]] or, better, [[platinum]], do only slightly more damage (despite being 273% the density of steel, platinum only gets about 1% more momentum), but with the greater weight comes a greater risk of tiring out the wielder in a long fight.[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=181479]

====Shields and Crossbows====
[[File:shield_crossbow_preview.png|right]]Two atypical "blunt weapons" are of particular note - both [[shield]]s and (once engaged in melee) [[crossbow]]s are used to bash enemies, using the basic principles outlined above. Heavier metal shields and crossbows are superior to wooden versions for bashing damage; "typical" Wood has a [[density]] of ~500, vs. Iron (and Steel) 7850, vs. Bronze/Bismuth Bronze 8250, so metal is simply more effective. Also metal is harder when striking, adding slightly more to the damage, and making it far more durable - wooden versions will take XX[[wear]]XX more quickly and eventually break (which is always awkward in the middle of combat, and annoying to replace either way). Note that Silver weighs in at 10,490, but is not available for Shields or Crossbows outside of rare [[mood]]s.

Note also that the Shield skill not only increases both offensive and defensive effectiveness but also reduces effective Encumbrance of an equipped shield. While for a Novice a lighter weight wooden Shield is highly recommended to avoid fatigue, skilled shield wielders can reduce effective metal shield weight down close to wooden values without cause for concern.

==== vs. unarmored ====
This includes most wild [[animal]]s, [[siege]]-mounts, [[thief|thieves]], [[kobold]]s, etc. Leather/bone armor helps against animal attacks, not against metal weapons.

It may also include some [[semi-megabeast]]s and [[megabeast]]s, depending on specifics.

* recommended weapon: any sharp weapon

Most unarmored creatures are biological beings much larger than dwarf, a situation where spear excels at reaching the vitals. Axes have 60% the penetration and swords 40% of the penetration of spears, but much larger areas, which leads to much more bleeding and more chance of pulping. In theory, all edged weapons follow the "superior metal" rule, but, against unarmored targets, skin and bone will always lose to ''any'' edged metal weapon - even silver! (However, see "vs. undead", below.)

Blunt weapons can break bones, which stuns the target and allows a killing blow, but removing a limb is obviously better. War hammers break bones more easily than maces, causing pain, though maces achieve total pulping blows sooner. However, unless you're facing small enemies even the best blunt weapon is going to lose to the worst sharp weapon.

Crossbows can hit a vital organ, knee or guts if lucky, but otherwise are slow to cripple and may get off only 2-3 shots before melee combat begins. They are, however, excellent for chasing down fleeing targets, making them ideal against various thieves/wildlife.

And the bonus lesson here is... armor your military.

==== vs. [[armor]]ed ====

Usually showing up only during a [[siege]] or [[ambush]]. [[Quality]] has a significant effect, but copper chain pieces have much less stopping power than bronze/iron plate pieces.

* recommended weapon: steel spear
* other choices: any steel sharp weapon, any warhammer or pick

Your typical goblin or human sieges will never have steel. Even when undead have it, the coverage is only partial.

Steel spears are the only edged weapon that can consistently pierce armor. Unless held by an extremely strong dwarf or made of adamantine, a sword will have difficulty getting through a breastplate, and an axe '''never''' will.

Steel swords have biggest variety of attacks, allowing them to both stab organs and remove limbs. Picks have the velocity of a blunt weapon with the edge of a sharp weapon, giving them extra punch. Functionally, having "superior metal" will make the battle much like removing enemy armor.

(Note also that piercing weapons have a chance to get stuck in an opponent, which can lead to [[wrestling]] to get the weapon out, or to apply more punishment.)

Blunt weapons work on flexible chain just as well as against an unarmored opponent, and can deform solid armor (which is everything "not chain") to land a killing blow. Warhammers are superior to maces in penetrating solid, "non-chain" armor and breaking bones.

Slashing weapons really suffer here, and especially so against non-chain targets. It's critical that they be superior metal if you want any chance of them having much reliable effect against heavy armor. A lucky blow can still take a limb, but often slashing blows just do little more than anger the target, even with steel.

Crossbows suffer doubly from superior metal issues against chain, and it only gets worse against plate [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=160814.msg7192083#msg7192083 3]

==== vs. [[undead]] ====

* recommended weapon: mace or war hammer if you want to have a single corpse, axe if you want efficiency.
* other choices: sword will do a fine job.

u/MrNorrelDoesHisPart:

"Maces did indeed perform the best in terms of creating the smallest number of additional reanimated opponents. They always scored perfectly and thus don’t have a margin of error. Axes produced the largest number of additional reanimated opponents, and spears produced relatively few reanimated body parts...(However) Axes and spears tie for fastest and maces come a distant third. Although it is true that an axe is much messier than a mace, it seems that an axe’s greater killing ability more than compensates for this problem. Maces thus appear to be the best choice when cleanliness is a priority but the worst choice when combat efficiency is important."

*Newest Dwarven [https://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/11bh54h/combat_science_iii_fighting_the_undead/ !!Science!!] shows that while axe create a messy pile of reanimated corpse, the axe generally takes only 1/3 the time to kill all the reanimated bits. Therefore without considering the extra hauling labor, battle axe is the superior solution to reanimated corpse.

War hammers can be preferable to maces when fighting living enemies that you don't want to resurrect. Killing a living enemy with a war hammer will usually result in a mangled corpse just like in the case of maces, but a war hammer will deal more damage due to its superior ability to penetrate outer layers and damage internal organs and bones, as well as better ability to stun enemies. An axe can still kill unarmored living creatures faster, but it will cut off limbs and head which can later resurrect. Resurrected body parts are often easy to kill, even for unarmed dwarves (although sometimes they are significantly stronger, such as a resurrected neck killing multiple dwarves), but can generate job cancellation spam and unhappy thoughts from being attacked by the dead. Also, resurrected body parts may need to be killed many times before they are mangled, even when using maces or war hammers.

==== vs. Undead megabeast and other large fleshy creatures ====

** recommended weapon if has access to steel: large army with steel spears.
** recommended weapon if has access to adamantine: adamantine axe.
** unrecomended weapon: anything inferior than steel.

The result varies between axe, spear and sword. When a squad of 4 armored dwarves fight an undead cyclops with metal inferior to adamantine, only the ones armed with steel spears have a chance of winning. The squads with axe, mace and sword stand no fighting chance.

With an adamantine weapon, however, axe and sword outperforms spear. Even one grandmaster axedwarf with an adamantine axe stands a chance to defeat the undead cyclops.

==== vs. others ====
This category consists of the rare "not like anything else" creature, the type you get when you breach the [[cavern]]s or [[magma]] (or deeper), or once your fortress is large enough to get their attention.

* recommended weapon: (varies)
* other choices: any steel axe (depending), crossbow (from behind fortifications), whip

There are many different types here, and no one approach works for all. Some are merely gigantic but (more or less) "normal", but many are non-organic, and most enjoy the "[[No Pain|don't feel pain]]" tag, including [[titan]]s, [[forgotten beast]]s, [[bronze colossus]]es, [[Iron man|iron men]], and [[HFS|hidden fun stuff]]. Many of these enemies ''have'' no internal organs while being huge, weakening the effectiveness of pain and pierce. Some are still flesh and blood, and they're functionally like unarmored wildlife, but some are made from some material that may be very difficult to slash at.* In the worst case of being made of steel, it leaves chipping away at the target until they collapse from cumulative damage, which means either penetrating a LOT of armor (warhammer or ideally whip) or breaking everything (mace). Some few megabeasts are metal (e.g. [[bronze colossus]]), and the "superior metal" rule goes ''strongly'' in effect there - use steel sharp weapons for them, though whip would be best if you don't have those.

(* although a forgotten beast made of, for instance, "mud" is laughably easy to kill)

Ranged attacks are useful for taking care of the ones who are unapproachable themselves while being incredibly fragile. And at the very least, you're at less risk when raining down bolts from above, even if it won't do much damage.

==== Final verdict ====
Now, all that said, overall, if you had to choose one "least worst" weapon, it would probably have to be... the steel short sword. It has no true counters, no enemy it cannot ever defeat - while axes falls to iron men and copper armor and maces/hammers/spears falls to big creatures. If you cannot get steel, a second option would be the goblin-made whip, which is still somewhat effective against bronze colossuses and big beasts, and maces and hammers will always be effective no matter what they're made of.

Outside that, for edged/piercing weapons (axe, spear, bolts, and sword) against unarmored (and non-"unusual" targets) any metal will be overpowered, easily cutting/chopping/piercing all equally. Soft targets aside, make edged/piercing weapons out of the best metal you can (steel > iron > bronze > copper > silver) for use against armor, if/when you meet that. Crushing weapons (in order: hammer, mace, and crossbow in melee) can be any metal, steel being quite a bit better for untrained dwarves, and silver being the best for trained dwarves. If you want to add megabeasts into the consideration, go with steel to be safe, for any weapon type.

= Technical =
From here down, there are tables of values pulled from the raws, some technical analyses, a few statistical observations, and some solid and speculative inferences and conclusions.

Insert obligatory "math warning" here.

== Weapons ==
=== Native weapons ===
{| class="wikitable" border="border"
! Type
! Graphic
! 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"| [[File:battle_axe_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 800
| Hack || Edge || 40000 || 6000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| one
|rowspan="3"| Yes
|rowspan="3"| No
|rowspan="3"| No
|rowspan="3"| No
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 40000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|-
| [[Crossbow]] (Melee)
| [[File:crossbow_sprite.png]]
| 400
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25×
| Hammer
| two
| Yes
| Yes
| Yes
| No
|-
| [[Mace]]
| [[File:mace_sprite.png]]
| 800
| Bash || Blunt || 20 || (200) || 2.0×
| Mace
| one
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|-
| [[Pick]] (foreign)
| [[File:pickaxe_sprite.png]]
| 500
| Strike || Edge || 100 || 4000 || 2.0×
| Mining
| one
| Yes
| No
| No
| No
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[short sword|Short Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| [[File:short_sword_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 4000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| one
|rowspan="4"| Yes
|rowspan="4"| No
|rowspan="4"| No
|rowspan="4"| Yes
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0×
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[Spear]]
|rowspan="2"| [[File:spear_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="2"| 400
| Stab || Edge || 20 || 10000 || 1.0×
|rowspan="2"| Spear
|rowspan="2"| one
|rowspan="2"| Yes
|rowspan="2"| No
|rowspan="2"| No
|rowspan="2"| No
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|-
| [[war hammer|War Hammer]]
| [[File:war_hammer_sprite.png]]
| 400
| Bash || Blunt || 10 || (200) || 2.0×
| Hammer
| one
| 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 inventory screen (click on the dwarf -> Items tab -> choose the item on [[File:Mag glass icon.png]] -> [[File:Button dump.png]] or [[File:Button_forbid.png]]). 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 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 tend to do more damage due to the [[Material science#Attack Momentum|momentum formula]]
* 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). The game does not distinguish between "piercing" and "slashing" attacks, despite this page using those terms often--the only difference is that piercing weapons have small contact area and slashing ones have large contact area. Penetration tends to be the same between either, but large contact area makes it much more difficult for weapons to get through armor--armor that a spear can barely pierce would require '''400 times''' as much momentum for an axe to pierce.
* The velocity is a direct multiplier on the attack's [[Material science#Attack Momentum|momentum]] - 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
! Graphic
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Training Axe
|rowspan="3"| [[File:training_axe_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 800
| Hack || Blunt || 30000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 30000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| Training Sword
|rowspan="4"| [[File:training_sword_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25×
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|-
| Stab || Blunt || 50 || (2000) || 1.0×
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| Training Spear
|rowspan="2"| [[File:training_spear_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="2"| 400
| Stab || Blunt || 200 || (10000) || 1.0×
|rowspan="2"| Spear
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|}

=== Foreign weapons ===
Using any multi-grasp weapon in a single hand (i.e. with a shield in the other hand) without being of the proper size/broadness (which dwarves in Fortress Mode almost never are), gives you a disability to hit - do not equip two-handed swords with a shield, for instance. '''The game will not stop you from doing this''', so be wary about it.

In Adventurer Mode, however, if your character passes the one-handed check for single-handing a multi-grasp weapon, 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). 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
! Graphic
! Size
! Attack
! [[Attack type]]
! Contact Area
! Penetration
! Velocity
! Skill Used
! Used by
! Hands Used (average human)
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[Two-handed sword]]
|rowspan="4"| [[File:two_handed_sword_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="4"| 900
| Slash || Edge || 100000 || 8000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="4"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 4000 || 1.0×
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 100000 || (8000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
| [[Blowgun]] (Melee)
| [[File:blowgun_sprite.png]]
| 150
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25×
| Sword
| Subterranean [[animal people]]
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
| [[Bow]] (Melee)
| [[File:bow_sprite.png]]
| 300
| Bash || Blunt || 10000 || (4000) || 1.25×
| Sword
| [[Elf]], [[Goblin]], [[Human]], [[Kobold]]
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
| [[Flail]]
| [[File:flail_sprite.png]]
| 500
| Bash || Blunt || 200 || (4000) || 2.5×
| Mace
| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[great axe|Great Axe]]
|rowspan="3"| [[File:great_axe_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 1300
| Hack || Edge || 60000 || 8000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="3"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 60000 || (8000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[Halberd]]
|rowspan="3"| [[File:halberd_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 1200
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 8000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="3"| Multi-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0×
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 20000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| [[Dagger]] (Large)
|rowspan="3"| [[File:dagger_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 200
| Slash || Edge || 1000 || 800 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Dagger
|rowspan="3"| [[Goblin]], [[Kobold]]
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 5 || 1000 || 1.0×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 20 || (600) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[long sword|Long Sword]]
|rowspan="4"| [[FIle:long_sword_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="4"| 700
| Slash || Edge || 60000 || 6000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| [[Elf]], [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="4"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 3000 || 1.0×
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 60000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 100 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
| [[Maul]]
| [[File:maul_sprite.png]]
| 1300
| Bash || Blunt || 100 || (6000) || 2.0×
| Hammer
| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
| Multi-grasp
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[Morningstar]]
|rowspan="2"| [[File:morningstar_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="2"| 500
| Bash || Edge || 10 || 500 || 2.0×
|rowspan="2"| Mace
|rowspan="2"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="2"| Single-grasp
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 50 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| [[pike (weapon)|Pike]]
|rowspan="2"| [[File:pike_weapon_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="2"| 800
| Stab || Edge || 20 || 12000 || 1.0×
|rowspan="2"| Pike
|rowspan="2"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="2"| Multigrasp
|-
| Shaft bash || Blunt || 10000 || (6000) || 1.25×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="4"| [[Scimitar]]
|rowspan="4"| [[File:scimitar_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="4"| 300
| Slash || Edge || 20000 || 4000 || 1.25×
|rowspan="4"| Sword
|rowspan="4"| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
|rowspan="4"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 50 || 2000 || 1.0×
|-
| Flat slap || Blunt || 20000 || (4000) || 1.25×
|-
| Pommel strike || Blunt || 50 || (1000) || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
| [[Scourge]]
| [[File:scourge_sprite.png]]
| 300
| Lash || Edge || 10 || 50 || 2.0×
| Whip
| [[Goblin]]
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
| [[Whip]]
| [[File:whip_sprite.png]]
| 100
| Lash || Blunt || 1 || (10) || 5.0×
| Whip
| [[Goblin]], [[Human]]
| Single-grasp
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Stone axe
|rowspan="3"|[[File:stone_axe_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 400
| Hack || Edge || 800 || 400 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| Player in [[adventurer mode]]
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Slap|| Blunt || 800|| 400 || 1.25×
|-
| Strike || Blunt || 20|| 400 || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Carving knife
|rowspan="3"|[[File:carving_knife_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 150
| Slash || Edge || 800 || 600 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Dagger
|rowspan="3"| Non-warrior NPCs in [[adventurer mode]]
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 4 || 800 || 1.0×
|-
| Strike|| Blunt || 15|| 400 || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Boning knife
|rowspan="3"|[[File:boning_knife_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 50
| Slash || Edge || 500 || 300 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Dagger
|rowspan="3"| Non-warrior NPCs in [[adventurer mode]]
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 2 || 400 || 1.0×
|-
| Strike|| Blunt || 10 || 200 || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Slicing knife
|rowspan="3"|[[File:slicing_knife_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 150
| Slash || Edge || 900 || 700|| 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Dagger
|rowspan="3"| Non-warrior NPCs in [[adventurer mode]]
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Stab || Edge || 3 || 900 || 1.0×
|-
| Strike|| Blunt || 15 || 400 || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="3"| Meat cleaver
|rowspan="3"|[[File:meat_cleaver_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="3"| 300
| Hack|| Edge || 800 || 400 || 1.25×
|rowspan="3"| Axe
|rowspan="3"| Non-warrior NPCs in [[adventurer mode]]
|rowspan="3"| Single-grasp
|-
| Clap || Blunt || 800 || 400 || 1.25×
|-
| Strike || Blunt || 20 || 400 || 1.0×
|- valign="top"
|rowspan="2"| Carving fork
|rowspan="2"| [[File:carving_fork_sprite.png]]
|rowspan="2"| 150
| Stab|| Edge || 1 || 100 || 1.0×
|rowspan="2"| Dagger
|rowspan="2"| Non-warrior NPCs in [[adventurer mode]]
|rowspan="2"| Single-grasp
|-
| Strike || Blunt || 15 || 400 || 1.0×
|}

===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. As of yet, some of these weapons have no sprites.

== Size ==

Weapons have a minimum size to use at all, and a minimum size to use one-handed. Adult dwarves vary in size between 33,750 and 93,750 (average 60,000) based on their height and broadness. '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.

Note that there are other factors (such as fat and muscle mass) affecting dwarf size, and e.g. [[DFHack]] {{k|Alt}}+{{k|I}} will take them into account, but (at least in adventure mode) only base height and broadness appear to determine weapon wieldability.

Additionally, even if a creature is large enough to wield a weapon with one hand/appendage, it is still possible to wield it with both/more through [[Wrestling#Bugs|wrestling]] by first lodging it into a target, then grabbing it with a free hand/appendage, and then pulling it free.

Where the size check affects weapon wielding for dwarves, correct approximate figures are given in brackets.
{| class="wikitable sortable" 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==

As a general rule, weapons and armor can only be forged from weapon-grade metals: copper, bronze/bismuth bronze, iron, steel, adamantine, and divine metal. Most weapons (not crossbows) can also be made from silver, and [[training weapon]]s ''(axe, sword and spear only)'' can be made from wood (though these are ''not'' needed nor recommended). Leather, wood, shell or bone can be used to make a very light form of standard armor pieces. Other exceptions include obsidian [[short sword]]s, [[trap weapon]]s (which can also be forged from any wood or any [[glass]]), 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 a bit more force, very 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 for blunt weapons, but ''lower'' is better for armor. 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 most important indicator of edged strength. 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. Maybe it defines how deep a blade may go through layers of armor and flesh and bones and even cut off limbs. This may explain why it does not apply for blunt attacks that do not go through layers.

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.
* '''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 [[Material science#Contact_Area|contact area]]
* '''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]] sharpness multiplier (0.5x for normal quality, 0.7x for fine, 1x 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). {{verify}}

Failure means the attack bounces off, meaning denser, larger armor resists blunt attacks better, but larger blunt weapons with smaller 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 fracture as possible to make this test fail. The armor also wants low impact yield, 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 a distant second place respectively, with [[iron]] a slightly less distant third best material in the game, nearly 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 that, given how unbelievably complicated this system is, very little should be taken as word of law yet.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
! 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, but when 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, Slade
| 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-versus-15 dwarves combat) 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.

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.

==Bugs==
*Equipping weapons/armor on military is erratic. This is likely due to a single piece of weapons/armor being erroneously assigned to multiple dwarves and seems to occur when dwarves are upgrading their equipment or going on raids. Removing and reassigning equipment for all military dwarves can temporarily fix this problem.{{Bug|535}}
*In the Premium version, the sprite sheets for equipped gear are mostly incomplete. The material of equipped gear is currently distinguished for [[dwarf|dwarves]], for [[elf|elves']] and [[kobold|kobolds']] [[armor]] (including metal armor), and for elves' wooden weapons; everything else has a default, 'gray' color palette.
*The Premium version has placeholder sprites for equipped artifact gear (which can be any material), but these are not used for gear of nonstandard materials spawned in the [[object testing arena]], resulting in creatures that use them appearing un-equipped.

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

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

Combat

2026-10-07T09:38:56Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Combat

{{Quality|Superior}}
{{av}}
: ''This page ''will'' cover the mechanics of combat - as they're all figured out. For now, you may want to refer to [[Combat skill]]s, [[Armor]] and/or [[Weapon]]s) for specific information on those aspects. The effects of many [[material]] properties on combat are somewhat understood (see the [[Material science]] page).''
: ''For a "How to", [[Military]] is the main article, (or see [[Attack]] for the quick "right now!" version).''

[[File:combat_preview_anim.gif|thumb|290px|right|Animation of an armored [[dwarf]] and armored [[human]] in a fight to the death.]]'''Combat''' in ''Dwarf Fortress'' is unlike that in most strategy and role-playing games - rather than having hit points, units have a collection of body parts, such as limbs, head(s) and a torso, which have sub-parts: limbs have skin, fat, muscle, tendons, bones, nerves and arteries; heads have brains, eyes, noses, mouths, teeth and tongues; and torsos have internal organs. [[Wound|Damage]] to these parts and sub-parts causes various negative effects, such as fainting, vomiting, loss of mobility due to bone fractures or nerve damage, and eventually leading to death from organ failure or blood loss. The combat system tries to present a fairly realistic depiction of combat, with several important consequences.

Although [[creature]]s and players may direct and focus their attacks, combat is random in nature - a glancing blow can get lucky and damage a vital organ, or open an artery to cause massive blood loss. Weapons cause damage specific to their class, be they [[Battle axe|axes]] or [[Short sword|swords]] or [[backpack]]s. You will often see creatures attacked with impaling weapons such as [[spear]]s or [[crossbow]] bolts die of asphyxiation when their lungs are pierced, while slashing weapons are more likely to open an artery or lop off a limb, and blunt weapons will cause fractures. Some weapons may become stuck in the enemy: if the weapon wielder can maintain control, they can continue to do damage and immobilize the enemy, but if the enemy gains control of the stuck weapon, the weapon's wielder will be disarmed.

{{Translation
| dwarven = zoluth
| elvish = moÿira
| goblin = nur
| human = thec}}Reading the combat {{menu icon|N}} [[reports]] will give you a gruesome blow-by-blow of the fighting, telling you exactly what each strike did. It is important to note that, while most natural creatures have the same sorts of vulnerabilities due to their similar collections of body parts, procedurally-generated creatures such as [[bogeymen]], [[forgotten beast]]s and [[titan]]s may lack these vulnerabilities entirely. Killing a shambling pile of refuse may prove to be a very, very long process due to the fact that it has no vital parts, and metallic creatures may prove to be nearly invulnerable. When all else fails, a [[cave-in]] or [[obsidian]] casting means certain death for anything caught in it.

As in real life, combat in ''Dwarf Fortress'' is chaotic, deadly, and gruesome. Numbers seem to matter, as defending against multiple opponents can be difficult, even for a decent fighter. Your warriors will not suffer loss of generic 'hit points', and cannot simply rest to regain them. Injuries must be dealt with in an appropriate fashion for healing to occur: broken bones must be set, wounds must be cleaned and stitched up, and for some things such as concussions, you can only wait and hope the victim eventually regains consciousness. If a [[minecart]] slams into a creature, it will be reported in the combat log as if the cart was an attacking creature.

In [[fortress mode]], combat is handled passively, with gameplay constantly moving, and only pausing in certain circumstances (such as the arrival of a [[megabeast]] or [[siege]]). In [[adventure mode]], combat is handled in a slower and more diligent manner, given the frame-by-frame manner of the game mode, allowing the player to manage their actions more carefully. Combat is also represented in a more graphical way in the latter game mode, such as slashes and sparks appearing across the screen when a creature attacks another. The player, their companions and any nearby creatures will cause a small combat log to appear in the upper center of the screen when attacking in adventure mode.

==General observations==
[[File:advmode_combat_anim.gif|thumb|178px|right|An intelligent undead human fighting a goblin in adventure mode.]]
* '''Blunt weapons''' use contact area, IMPACT_YIELD, IMPACT_FRACTURE and weapon mass to scale damage. As such, metal effective for blunt weapons are, listed from worst to best: [[Adamantine]] → [[Steel]] → [[Iron]] → [[Bronze]] → [[Copper]] → [[Silver]]. It should be noted that, other than Adamantine, all previously-listed materials are just about as effective as each other for blunt attacks due to their impact values. Higher contact area has higher potential damage but has a harder time getting through armor.
* '''Edged weapons''' use SHEAR_YIELD and SHEAR_FRACTURE for material strength. As such, metal effectiveness for edged weapons are, listed from worst to best: [[Silver]] → [[Copper]] → [[Bronze]] → [[Iron]] → [[Steel]] → [[Adamantine]].
* Edged weapons use contact area and penetration size to determine pressure. Lower contact area results in better ability to pierce armor, higher contact area increases the amount of tissue affected by an attack. Swords provide both, with slashing and stabbing; spears provide only low contact area, and axes only provide high.

===AI Behaviour===
On seeing an enemy, military dwarves will rush towards their targets if they're able to path towards them. When at least one opponent is engaging a player-controlled character in [[adventure mode]] or the [[object testing arena]] colored dots will appear to reduce confusion, and will indicate where the player is, where attacking allies are and where enemies are, including what type of fighting said enemies are doing:
* [[File:indicator_you.png]] - '''You:''' The character currently controlled by the player.
* [[File:indicator_ally.png]] - '''Ally:''' The character is an ally and/or companion during a fight.
* [[File:indicator_brawl.png]] - '''Brawl:''' The character is brawling: punches, kicks, scratches and some wrestling moves, but no weapons.
* [[File:indicator_nonlethal.png]] - '''Non-lethal:''' Somewhat similar to brawling, but with more types of wrestling moves. Although there is no lethal intent, a combatant may still receive mortal wounds.
* [[File:indicator_lethal.png]] - '''Lethal:''' The character intends to fight to the death, but someone surrendering may also end the fight.

====Weapon attacks====
During most fights, attacks are targeted at a specific body part with a specific weapon, based on a few factors.

In adventurer mode, during a fight, each turn generates an ease and squareness for each part of the target, based on relative positioning and current actions. If an auto-attack is made, the AI will take into account:
*A combination of the ease and squareness of the attack.
*Weapons at its disposal, including both held and natural weapons
*Body parts, such as the head, although this seems to be considered a low priority

The AI can also perform wrestling, including the use of locks, choke-holds, and even forcefully removing equipment, although wrestling attacks are usually uncommon when a weapon is equipped.

If the target is unconscious or immobilized, such as becoming exhausted or caught in webs, all strikes against that target will become perfectly accurate and perfectly squared, and the AI will always prioritize removing the helmet, then striking the head.

Note that the AI does not seem to account for a body part's injuries - an already-disarmed hand or unusable leg can still be targeted, despite the presence of functional parts.

*Example: A goblin might suffer fatal upper spine injury from a blunt attack, rendering everything below their head useless - however, the dwarves will fail to recognise this and can continue to attack their body. This can result in dwarves becoming tired needlessly, increasing their own chances of death, especially in sieges.

The AI also sometimes forgets to retrieve their weapon after it becomes lodged in a target's wound - while they can still block attacks with their weapon, they will stop using it to make an attack, unless they receive intervention, such as another creature killing their target, or a tackle displacing them. This means even legendary weapon users can suddenly become useless mid-battle, and dispatching a small number of dwarves can be prone to reliability issues, especially if their weapon type becomes lodged often.

==General terms==
{{main|Material science}}
:'''Stress''' - Pressure = Force per area = F/A
:'''Strain''' - Deformation of a solid due to stress = Stress/Elastic Modulus

:'''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
:'''Strain at yield''' is the amount of deformation (bending) that occurs at the yield point
:Implications to ''Dwarf Fortress'' Combat

===Armor properties===
*Material Properties
:* Blunt Protection
::*'''Impact yield'''
::*'''Impact fracture'''
::*'''Impact strain at yield'''

:* Edge Protection
::*'''Shear yield'''
::*'''Shear fracture'''
::*'''Shear strain at yield'''

*Item Properties
:*'''Armor Level''': Layer number in which armor is worn. Lower numbers will be equipped first, and later numbers equipped if space is available.
:*'''Coverage''': Some armor covers more of the body than others.

===Weapon properties===
*Material Properties
:*Common
::*'''Contact Area''': Determines the surface area hit by the weapon. Likely in mm2.
::*'''Velocity Multiplier''': Effectively increases the velocity of the weapon swing.

:*Blunt Weapons
::*Blunt weapons are all about weapon mass, contact area, and velocity. Apply a large force to a small area for bone crushing goodness.
::*'''Mass''' is likely material '''Density''' times weapon '''Size'''
::*'''Momentum''' is '''Mass''' times '''Velocity'''
::*'''Velocity''' is based on the '''Mass''' of the weapon, the '''Strength''' of the wielder, and the '''Velocity Multiplier''' of the weapon
::*Any impact must have a conservation of momentum, and thusly, impart the weapon's momentum to the target
::*'''Stress''' is the '''Force''' of the strike divided by the '''Contact Area'''
:::*Material '''Impact Yield''' determines the '''Stress''' required to dent the armor (likely not used)

:*Edged Weapons
::*Edged weapons rely on a combination of size, mass, contact area, penetration depth, and velocity.
::*'''Penetration depth''' affect how deep stabs go. Unlike contact area, penetration depth is the maximum shear distance the weapon can go before an edged force stops and converts into a blunt force.

==Attack speed==
Attack speed is defined in the raws using the {{token|ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER|weapon}} token. <code>ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER:3:3</code> means "3 ticks to prepare, 3 ticks to recover"; this is the usual, for most attacks. Some attacks, such as kicks, are slower, and some, such as many night creature attacks, are faster. These can also be affected by modifiers (see below).

==Other combat factors==
* Adventurer mode keeps track of which way a creature is facing, based on its last actions; fortress mode only does this for some actions, other actions just leave it facing north (and field-of-view might be ignored in fortress mode{{verify}}). Attacks from behind will have increased accuracy, especially if the target hasn't spotted the attacker yet.
* Movement speed plays an important role in melee combat, as it determines both dodging efficiency and opponent's accuracy. Creatures that are either prone or naturally slow (such as [[giant snail]]s) will have a hard time dodging attacks, so breaking half of the opponent's legs is worth the effort.
* Creature size, especially relative to other combatants, has a considerable effect on combat. In addition to individual strength stats, larger targets hit with greater force. Charging and wrestling also favor the larger combatant.
* Shakes and strong attacks will transfer momentum to other bodyparts, for example, if you hit an enemy in the head with a blunt weapon, the force from that attack may also hurt the neck of the enemy. Even if an attack is blocked by armor, the force of the blow can still damage other bodyparts.
* Attacks can have modifiers that affect their speed and properties: heavy attacks increase the prepare and recover time, but have a higher velocity; precise attacks nearly double the prepare time, but have much higher accuracy; quick attacks reduce prepare and recover to about 2/3, but have lower velocity; wild attacks are slightly faster in preparation and have higher velocity, but lower accuracy and take significantly longer to recover.
* Only wild attacks are usable by berserk creatures.

==Adventurer mode==

{| class="wikitable" style="border:1px solid #ccc;"
|-
| {{k|8}} {{k|2}} {{k|4}} {{k|6}} {{k|7}} {{k|9}} {{k|1}} {{k|3}}/ {{k|↑}} {{k|↓}} {{k|←}} {{k|→}}
| Attack adjacent hostile creature
|-
|
|-
| {{k|5}}
| Attack hostile creature on same tile
|-
| {{Adv menu icon|A}}
| Attack an adjacent creature
|-
| {{Adv menu icon|W}}
| Wrestle an adjacent creature
|-
| {{Adv menu icon|f}}
| Fire a projectile
|-
| {{k|t}}
| Throw an item
|-
| {{Adv menu icon|X}}
| Use ability or power
|-
| {{Adv menu icon|j}}
| Jump
|-
| {{Adv menu icon|C}}
| Open combat preferences interface
|}

[[Combat]] is the fine art of using physical force to cause injury and death, and it is particularly fun in ''Dwarf Fortress''.

See [[Adventurer mode gameplay#Party members]] for information on switching characters and using tactical mode.

=== Defense ===

Defense is very important in ''Dwarf Fortress''. Lucky attacks can kill instantly, and the only common way to heal is to pass time (which can be done with fast travel, sleeping, or actual waiting) and some damage cannot be healed (except [[Werebeast#Werebeasts_in_adventure_mode|rare]] [[Mythical substance|means]]). The main methods of defense are armor, dodging, shields, and parrying attacks.

Defense can happen either automatically, or manually using the {{Adv menu icon|A}} attack menu. Manual defense is more likely to succeed, but prevents you from attacking (except for multi-attacks, but defense is tricky with those). The relative skill levels of attacker and target also affect the chances of success - a master swordsman is more likely to hit a novice dodger than a master dodger, for example. Also, see the [[Combat#Combat_preferences|Combat preferences]] section below for information on how those can affect defense.

[[Armor]] has a chance to automatically deflect an attack that targets a body part covered by it. So, getting as much [[Armor#Coverage|coverage]] as possible is important, as is having more [[Armor#Layers|layers]] of protection. The [[armor user]] skill is also very important as otherwise worn armor will greatly slow the wearer down.

Each attack on you has a chance of being dodged automatically depending on your [[dodger]] skill level. You can also dodge manually in the {{Adv menu icon|A}} aim attack menu by selecting any creature and choosing dodge. You then pick a direction, and your character will move one tile in that direction, possibly avoiding any number of attacks. Tiles that have a creature standing in them or some other blocking object cannot be dodged into. It is not clear whether choosing a specific creature increases the chance to dodge their attack or if choosing any creature will result in the same chance to dodge all attacks.

Each held shield has a chance to block most attacks, including breath attacks, and each held weapon has a chance to parry other weapon attacks, including projectile attacks (very rarely). Blocking and parrying can also be attempted manually in the {{Adv menu icon|A}} aim attack menu. There you can see adjacent creatures and any attacks they are attempting. This may include how soon the attack will happen depending on [[observer]] skill level. You can then pick a creature and choose to attempt to parry or block their attack. If several attacks are incoming, you can either manually defend against the soonest attack hoping for time to defend against the others or against the most dangerous hoping the other attacks are defended automatically.

The defensive options in the {{Adv menu icon|A}} aim attack menu do not have fixed keys because their position can change if one or more is impossible. You can't block without a shield, parry without a free weapon, or dodge while in a wrestling hold.

Offense can also sometimes be used defensively. Using {{Adv menu icon|W}} [[wrestling]] grabs, incoming attacks can be [[Wrestling#Interrupting|interrupted]] and opponents [[Wrestling#Disarming|disarmed]].

Note that you can dodge even if you are not being attacked. Also, despite being in an attack menu the defensive options will not escalate the conflict level. So, you can dodge away from a friendly creature without it counting as an attack.

=== Weapons ===

[[Weapon]]s are divided into specific [[Combat_skill#Weapon_skills|weapon skill]]s. Also, any item held in a grasp (usually a hand) can be used as a weapon and will use the [[Miscellaneous object user]] skill. This includes shields. Mining [[pick]]s are an exception in that they use the [[Miner]] skill.

Weapons can become stuck in wounds after an attack - this will make the weapon unavailable for aimed attacks. There are multiple ways to free them. The most reliable is by {{Adv menu icon|I}} interacting with the weapon in inventory, choosing the weapon, and choosing the {{DFtext|Gain possession}} option. Other ways include; doing a non-aimed attack can free up a stuck weapon (but if you're holding multiple weapons this isn't certain to work); moving from your current tile (exposing your back or flank to the enemy is not recommended); moving the enemy from their ''own'' tile by wrestling throw or charging attack; or jumping into the enemy.

Most creatures have body parts that can be used as weapons; hands, nails, feet, and mouths are common. These allow the creature to punch, scratch, kick, and bite, which use the Striker, Kicker, and Biter [[combat skill]]s. Creatures with other body parts may have an added attack with those; horns or tusks add gore attacks, for example. Creatures may also have attacks as natural abilities or acquired powers which can be used with {{Adv menu icon|X}}. [[Spit]] is a common ability, but is not very effective.

The entire body can also be used as a weapon by {{Adv menu icon|j}} jumping into or through the tile a creature is in. Usually they will dodge, but that might be useful around dangerous terrain. If it does hit, they may be sent flying depending on your relative masses. This can be useful for crowd control or knocking enemies into pits. Having your weapon stuck in them seems to increase the chance of hitting them.

=== Melee attacks ===

Hostile creatures can be attacked using a non-aimed attack by simply moving towards your enemy using the movement keys. A hostile creature in the same tile as you can be attacked with {{k|5}}. The specific type of attack can be influenced by the [[Combat#Combat_preferences|combat preferences]] and may be influenced by the character's skill level for each type of attack.{{verify}}

Any visible creature can be attacked by standing next to it and pressing {{Adv menu icon|A}} or {{Adv menu icon|W}}. Attacking some creatures will require a confirmation, given using {{k|alt}}+{{k|y}}. This can be because they're friendly (which includes wild animals for elves), unconscious, or have yielded. This menu also has [[Combat#Wrestling|wrestling]] and [[Combat#Defense|defensive]] options.

The first option {{k|a}} is to make an '''aimed attack'''. You first select the body part that you want to attack, then the type of attack. There are several options below the attack type menu. '''Quick attacks''' are faster than regular attacks but weaker. '''Heavy attacks''' are slower but hit harder. '''Wild attacks''' are faster and hit harder but are inaccurate. '''Precise attacks''' are very slow but are much more likely to hit. '''Multi-attacks''' allow you to attack several times in a row, at a great cost to the effectiveness of any one of the chosen attacks.

Some options may be marked with a {{Raw tile|!|3:1}}, this indicates an attack of opportunity which has a greatly increased chance of effectiveness, but only applies to a specific attack type. Selecting a body part with one of these will then show which type of attack it is. A {{Raw tile|↑|3:1}} or {{Raw tile|↓|3:1}} indicates that there is a {{Raw tile|!|3:1}} on another page. The keys to change the page are shown above the list, {{k|/}} and {{k|*}} by default. Even if one of these doesn't target an important body part or uses a weaker attack, if successful they can cause significant pain which may give you an advantage.

Some options may also be marked with one of {{Raw tile|+|2:0}}, {{Raw tile|+|2:1}}, {{Raw tile|-|4:0}}, or {{Raw tile|-|4:1}}, these indicate normal attacks that are better ({{Raw tile|+|2:0}}{{Raw tile|+|2:1}}) or worse ({{Raw tile|-|4:0}}{{Raw tile|-|4:1}}) than average.

Look at the difficulty rating for various possible attacks. Impossible attacks will be nearly impossible to land and Easier attacks will be very easy to land. The difficulty rating for an attack does not change depending on your weapon skill. Based on player experiences, a Grand Master weapon user can almost always land a "Tricky" strike, while a Novice generally cannot. Attacks on various locations will also have limits on how "squarely" they can land (due to being out of reach, for example). Square and very square attacks will deal more damage.{{Verify}} Attacks which "can't land squarely" are generally still effective. When your target is unconscious, all attacks will be {{DFtext|Simple strike, direct hit|3:1}}.

Attacks aimed at an unarmored head are the most effective; a single attack to the cranium with a weapon will usually put an end to the fight. Aimed attacks are especially useful for dismembering opponents. Opponents who are missing a foot will fall over, thereby greatly lowering their speed, and giving you an immediate edge in the fight. Cutting off both hands is also highly recommended for obvious reasons. After all, a field full of armless, one-legged enemies can be a big experience booster for your character and your companions. Damage to the lower body can cause nausea on most mundane creatures which is a major debuff for them. (They can also rarely [[Gelder|geld]] male creatures, but that has no other combat effect.)

Aimed attacks are also especially helpful when fighting giant beasts. Some enemies like [[giant bark scorpion]] have lots of redundant body parts, and random attacks waste valuable time on low priority areas while the scorpion is busy injecting venom into the whole party. Lastly, aimed attacks allow you to grab trophies that are not available via butchering. For example, a minotaur's horns can be cut off during a fight, but since it's a humanoid, most adventurers will refuse to butcher its corpse after the fight. However, in DF2014, all butcherable corpses are able to be butchered, as long as the corpse isn't too mangled.{{Verify}}

=== Ranged attacks ===

To attack with a ranged weapon press the {{Adv menu icon|f}} key with a ranged weapon (bow, crossbow, etc.) equipped on one hand and select the square where you want to attack. Note that you need to have some sort of ammo, corresponding to the type of ranged weapon you are using (for example, bows use arrows, crossbows use bolts). Otherwise, a message stating "You have nothing left to fire." is displayed in brown. Similarly use the {{k|t}} key to throw any random object in the same manner. Random objects appear to make a random attack if they happen to have more than one possible type.{{Verify}} For example, if you throw a sword it may hit with a blunt impact, a stabbing impact, or a slicing impact. Throwing crossbow bolts with sufficient throwing skill and strength seems to have an effect similar to firing them, although less powerful. On the plus side, you will never lose ammo if you throw it. It is possible to aim for specific body parts with ranged or thrown attacks.

{{k|t}}hrowing is generally a good skill to have for any adventurer, as it allows you to slow down fleeing foes, both on the ground and in the air without the need of equipping a (cross)bow. Just like {{k|l}}ooking, you can use throwing to view and hit enemies multiple Z levels away from you. If you're lucky, you can simply land a hit that causes the flying enemy to give in to pain, and then let gravity do the rest of the work. Even if the fall doesn't kill them, they will most likely be stunned long enough for you to run up and slaughter them.

=== Wrestling ===

:''Main article: [[Wrestling]]''

'''[[Wrestling]]''' (grappling) can be performed by selecting an enemy via {{Adv menu icon|W}} to wrestle. You can wrestle any enemy. Wrestling works somewhat like a targeted attack: Once you grab a creature by some body part, you may be able to make another wrestling attempt that will allow you to perform a throw or takedown. For a detailed list of moves, such as takedowns, throws, choke holds, etc., see [[Wrestling]].

=== Wounds ===

If you get wounded during combat, you can try to yield or flee - or both - before you get more wounded. To yield, press {{Adv menu icon|y}}. This will be less effective if you continue to hold a weapon, so drop any with {{Adv menu icon|d}}. Putting them away with {{Adv menu icon|q}} or {{Adv menu icon|p}} may also work. You can also ask them to cease hostilities with {{Adv menu icon|k}}. However, depending on the hostility level of the conflict, and possibly the personality of your enemy, they may continue to attack you.

If you choose to flee, you can increase your movement speed with {{Adv menu icon|m}}. Be aware that movement speed while stunned, nauseous or winded is reduced, and might leave you open to fatal blows. If you are next to a creature, manually dodging using the {{Adv menu icon|A}} attack menu may be faster than using the movement keys, and will likely avoid more attacks.

Your wounds will heal over time, so just fast travel or sleep in a safe place. Some wounds may never heal, however, leaving you permanently crippled - obtaining a crutch may help with this. Or, if you are not already a vampire, you can get bitten by a werebeast during full moon, which will heal all injuries once per month. Rolling [[die|divination dice]] can also result in a transformation or direct healing, though such magical healing seems to also have limits. Finally, you might come across a very rare healing [[Mythical substance|substance]].

If you have some bolts or arrows stuck in your body, they can be removed by using the complex {{Adv menu icon|I}} interaction menu. Select the stuck bolt or arrow from the list, and then pull it out with {{k|a}}. You'll probably start bleeding after you pull it out, but the bleeding is rarely anything to worry about.

=== Combat preferences ===

At any time during gameplay (except in fast travel mode), you can press {{Adv menu icon|C}} to open the Combat Preferences menu. There are three different preferences you can set: Attack, Dodge and Charge Defense. These have a few different sub-preferences each:

*'''{{k|a}}ttack'''
**'''According to Opponent''' - The default setting. When set to this, charging happens more or less frequently, depending on the difference in size between you and the opponent. Bigger opponents get charged less, smaller more often. Can be very risky, since a random charge against a huge opponent is likely to get you knocked down and stunned. In the same vein, charging when close to obstacles or other environmental hazards is very dangerous, potentially fatal, if the enemy dodges you.
**'''Strike''' - This setting ensures that you never charge an opponent, but rather just swing your weapon at them. This carries less risk than the above, but you're never going to knock anyone down without hitting their legs or spine. Very preferable against large opponents.
**'''Charge''' - When set to this, you ALWAYS charge. When faced with numerous small enemies (Bogeymen in particular), this can be extremely useful, but remember to switch back when facing something bigger. Charging a large dragon is almost a certain death sentence.
**'''Close Combat''' - With this setting, all your auto-attacks are grapples. Generally not very useful, since the random nature of it tends to prevent you from actually doing any damage with it, but if you continually auto-attack a harmless creature with it, your wrestling-skill will be legendary in no time.

*'''{{k|d}}odge'''
**'''Move Around''' - This means you can jump away from attacks, physically moving in a random direction. While this lets you dodge attacks more often, it can also result in you jumping into a wall or lake. If you're fighting in really tight spaces, or areas with large pits, you might want to switch to the other option.
**'''Stand Ground''' - As can be expected, you stand your ground. No jumping around, which is useful in the above situation, but risky in the open. If you have room for jumping around, go with Move Around, but otherwise this could be a good idea.

*'''{{k|c}}harge Defense'''
**'''According to Opponent''' - Again, the default setting. You're more likely to stand still against small enemies charging, but will probably prefer moving away from larger ones. Somewhat risky, in that even a somewhat small enemy can stun you by charging.
**'''Dodge Away''' - With this, you'll dodge away from charging enemies, if you can. It's not a sure bet, but it's very much worth it against enemies who like to charge. This is probably the most preferable mode, since you're not losing a whole lot by dodging a small foe charging, but dodging an angry night beast can save you from a world of pain.
**'''Stand Ground''' - If you're certain of your physical superiority to the opponent, you can safely choose this. Standing your ground like a real man/woman might feel hardcore, but getting knocked down in a fight can be extremely dangerous. It probably has some use against bogeymen, though, since they're quite small. If you really are much bigger than the enemy, you'll end up knocking THEM down. Most of the time though, charges heavily favor the attacker, so dodging away is probably preferable.

Using the Combat Preferences properly can actually save your hide, so they're worth fiddling with. Just don't forget that you've fiddled with them, since a misplaced charge or dodge could end up killing ''you''.

===Iconography===
====Natural attacks====
These are attacks that do not need the use of weapons, but instead utilize the body parts of the attacker to harm, manipulate or hold onto the body parts of an enemy.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:660px;"
! Icon
! Attack
! Description
|-
| [[File:adv_icon_wrestle.png]]
| '''Wrestle'''
| A set of attacks based on wrestling moves, naturally using one's limbs to attack.
|-
| [[File:adv_icon_grab.png]]
| '''Grab'''
| Takes hold of an enemy's body part.
|-
| [[File:adv_icon_joint_lock.png]]
| '''Joint Lock'''
| Push or pull an enemy's joint to its maximum degree of motion, putting the combatant in pain and further preventing movement.
|-
| [[File:adv_icon_choke.png]]
| '''Choke'''
| Grabs the enemy with a choke hold, suffocating them if they need to breathe.
|-
| [[File:adv_icon_takedown.png]]
| '''Takedown'''
| Throws the enemy down, likely knocking them off their feet.
|-
| [[File:adv_icon_throw.png]]
| '''Wrestle'''
| Send the enemy airborne.
|-
| [[File:adv_icon_pinch1.png]]
| '''Pinch'''
| The user pinches an enemy's body part with their digits, fingers or pincers.
|-
| [[File:adv_icon_pinch2.png]]
| '''Gouge'''
| Tears or claws into an enemy body part that has been grappled.
|-
| [[File:adv_icon_break.png]]
| '''Break'''
| Forcefully break an enemy bone, rendering the body part useless.
|-
| [[File:adv_icon_release.png]]
| '''Loosen'''
| Loosen or release the grip of a hold on an enemy.
|-
| [[File:adv_icon_strangle.png]]
| '''Strangle'''
| Grab and shake the throat of the enemy, suffocating them if they need to breathe.
|-
| [[File:adv_icon_latch.png]]
| '''Latch'''
| Sharply bite into the victim, holding them in place.
|}

====Weapon/Item attack types====
These attacks utilize the weapons the user is holding, or whatever items are in their inventory.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:660px;"
! Icon
! Attack
! Description
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_quick.png]]
| '''Quick'''
| A weaker attack that is quick and easy to recover from.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_heavy.png]]
| '''Heavy'''
| A strong attack that is slower and harder to recover from.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_wild.png]]
| '''Wild'''
| A fast attack, but is very inaccurate and hard to maintain the balance of.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_precise.png]]
| '''Precise'''
| A very slow, but very accurate attack.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_charge.png]]
| '''Charge'''
| Charges into the enemy, possibly making an enemy stumble off balance or knock them down.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_multi.png]]
| '''Multi-attack'''
| A sequence of attacks customizable by the player, when finished, they will all be executed one after the other.
|}

====Weapon/Item utilization====
These attack choices determine how the weapon or item will be used.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:660px;"
! Icon
! Attack
! Description
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_stab.png]]
| '''Stab'''
| Strike the enemy by directly thrusting a sword's point.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_slash.png]]
| '''Slash'''
| Strike the enemy by swinging the edge of a sword at the enemy.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_slap.png]]
| '''Slap'''
| Hits the enemy with the flat side of a weapon.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_hack.png]]
| '''Hack'''
| Strike the enemy by swinging an axe or axe-like weapon into the enemy.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_bash.png]]
| '''Charge'''
| Strike the enemy with a blunt weapon.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_lash.png]]
| '''Lash'''
| Attack an enemy by lashing a whip at them.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_pommel.png]]
| '''Pommel'''
| Bash an enemy with the handle of a weapon.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_punch.png]]
| '''Punch'''
| Swing a punch toward the enemy.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_kick.png]]
| '''Kick'''
| Kick the enemy.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_bite.png]]
| '''Bite'''
| Simply bite the enemy. A [[vampire]] can draw blood from a victim this way, or a [[werebeast]] can also transfer its curse with a bite that breaks the skin, as will an [[infected ghoul]]. Very effective if the attacker's bite is venomous.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_sting.png]]
| '''Sting'''
| Attack the enemy with a stinger, if the attacker naturally has a stinger. Very effective if the attacker's sting is venomous.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_pincer.png]]
| '''Pincer'''
| Attack the enemy with a pincer, if the attacker naturally has a pincer.
|-
| [[File:adv_attack_other.png]]
| '''Push'''
| Shoves the enemy away.
|}

==See also==
* [[Material science]]
* [[Military testing]]

{{Category|Combat}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}
[[ru:Combat]]

Category:Combat

2026-10-07T09:36:20Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Game mechanics

[[Category:Game mechanics]]

Category:Combat Skills

2026-10-07T09:32:44Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Combat

Skills used by military dwarfs and in adventurer

[[Category:Combat]]
[[Category:Skills]]
[[Category:Military]]

Struck down

2026-10-07T09:29:09Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Combat

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
When the message {{dftext|[dwarf] has been struck down|5:1}} appears, some dwarf has received an immediately fatal injury in [[combat]], namely: the [[brain]] being damaged, the [[head]] being chopped off, or the lower/upper body being cut in two. Too much of this, and your fort may experience [[tantrum spiral|large amounts of fun]].

If a dwarf is not seen dying by another dwarf, there will be, obviously, no announcement of the dwarf dying.

More specific death messages for other scenarios include the following: [[bow|shot]] [[crossbow|and]] [[magma crab|killed]], [[fire|burned]] [[magma|to]] [[fire imp|death]], [[water|drowned]], [[ice|encased in ice]], [[obsidian|encased in obsidian]], [[dragon|melted]], [[dwarven atom smasher|crushed by a drawbridge]], [[Hell|fell into a deep chasm]], crushed by a [[cave-in]], died after colliding with an obstacle, and, most commonly among [[noble]]s, [[unfortunate accident|killed by a]] [[trap|spike]].

{{Category|Combat}}
{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Interface}}
[[ru:Struck down]]

Martial trance

2026-10-07T09:28:13Z

DarklingArcher: +Category:Combat

{{Quality|Superior}}
{{av}}
[[File:martial_status_icon_preview.png|right]]
[[File:Announce martial icon.png]]
[[Dwarves]] enter a '''martial trance''' when [[Combat|fighting]] multiple enemies at once. The trance offers a boost to the dwarf's abilities – a dwarf in a martial trance has a significantly increased chance of blocking or parrying an attack, and is more likely to hit their opponent. However, it does not give a direct damage bonus like '''enraged'''. The [[status icon]] for a dwarf in a trance is {{Tile|!|2:1}} which will flash over their [[Status icon|icon]]. A dwarf also appears to occasionally enter a trance even when not fighting, though this behavior is rare and may be a bug.

Dwarves are the only creatures which enter martial trances without [[modding]]. The RAW tag which determines this is {{token|TRANCES}}. A dwarven adventurer may also enter a martial trance in [[adventurer mode]]. Fresh recruits can, when pressed to fight, go into a martial trance as well.

This is also a great way to dispose of [[Bogeyman|bogeymen]] in adventurer mode, as you can dodge most of their attacks, and most of your attacks will land successfully, regardless of the difficulty of the shot.

[[Image:Champions.png|150px|thumb|center|The aftermath of a dwarf in martial trance.]]

[[ru:Martial_trance]]
[[zh:Martial trance]]
{{Category|Creature attributes}}
{{Category|Combat}}
{{Category|Dwarves}}

Category:Combat

2026-10-07T09:26:49Z

DarklingArcher: created

Rutherer

2026-10-06T10:27:07Z

DarklingArcher: /* Gallery */ formatting

{{Quality|Superior}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|image=rutherer_sprites.png
|portrait=rutherer_portrait.png
|wiki=no
|contrib=no
|bone=37
|fat=13
|skull=1
|teeth=1
|meat=90
|eye=2
|lung=6
|heart=1
|intestine=10
|liver=3
|tripe=3
|sweetbread=1
|spleen=1
|kidney=2
|brain=3
|skin=hide}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}
'''Rutherers''' are massive [[creature]]s who can be found meandering on the second and third layers of the [[caverns]], appearing in groups of 3-7 individuals. An adult rutherer weighs around 3 tonnes, which is about 50 times heavier than a [[dwarf]], though, despite this, they are in fact entirely benign, fleeing from anything they may consider a threat. In the event they engage in battle, they will use their massive size to easily tear dwarves apart with bites and kicks. They are exotic [[mount]]s and may be ridden by [[goblin]]s during [[siege]]s.

Rutherers can be captured in [[cage]] [[trap]]s and [[Animal trainer|trained]] into valuable [[pet]]s. They provide a great quantity of returns when [[butcher]]ed, and products made from their parts are [[Item value|worth]] 3 times more than those of common domestic animals. This makes the idea of a rutherer farm an attractive one, especially since the creatures constantly give birth to more than one baby at a time. However, rutherers only reach their maximum size after 5 years, considerably longer than most sources of food, and they take '''10 years''' to become adults, which means domesticating them and building a significant breeding population can take a very long time.

Unlike most beasts, rutherers can't be spawned in the [[object testing arena]].

Some dwarves [[Preferences|like]] rutherers for their ''enormous tails''.
==Gallery==
<center>
<gallery widths="250px" heights="240px">
Rutherer.png|Admired for their ''enormous tails''. ''Art by Buttery_Mess''
rutherer_preview.png|Actually an uncomfortable ride. ''Art by Arne''
Notebook_11_Rutherer.jpg|"It is furry with a big tail." [[Dwarf]] for scale. ''Concept art by Bay 12 Games.''
</gallery></center>

{{gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}
{{Category|Animals}}

40d:Struck down

2026-10-06T10:14:08Z

DarklingArcher: link

{{Quality|Fine|10:56, 18 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
A [[creature]] inflicted with a fatal blow, whether in [[combat]] or by [[butcher]]ing, will be announced as "struck down" or, if a ranged [[weapon]] was used "shot and killed". Other death messages include "starved to death", "drowned", "fallen into a deep [[chasm]]", "burned to death", etc.

{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Interface}}

DF2014:Struck down

2026-10-06T10:10:03Z

DarklingArcher: colored the message

{{Quality|Fine|18:32, 23 August 2014 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
When the message {{dftext|[dwarf] has been struck down|5:1}} appears, some dwarf has received an immediately fatal injury in [[combat]], namely : the [[brain]] being damaged, the [[head]] being chopped off or the lower/upper body being cut in two. Too much of this message and your fort may experience [[tantrum spiral|large amounts of fun]].

If a dwarf is not seen dying by another dwarf there will be no announcement of the dwarf dying.

More specific death messages for other scenarios include the following: [[bow|shot]] [[crossbow|and]] [[magma crab|killed]], [[fire|burned]] [[magma|to]] [[fire imp|death]], [[water|drowned]], [[ice|encased in ice]], [[obsidian|encased in obsidian]], [[dragon|melted]], [[dwarven atom smasher|crushed by a drawbridge]], [[Hell|fell into a deep chasm]], crushed by a [[cave-in]], died after colliding with an obstacle, and, most commonly among [[noble]]s, [[unfortunate accident|killed by a]] [[trap|spike]].

{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Interface}}
[[ru:Struck down]]

Struck down

2026-10-06T10:08:41Z

DarklingArcher: colored the message

{{migrated article}}
{{Quality|Unrated}}
{{av}}
When the message {{dftext|[dwarf] has been struck down|5:1}} appears, some dwarf has received an immediately fatal injury in [[combat]], namely: the [[brain]] being damaged, the [[head]] being chopped off, or the lower/upper body being cut in two. Too much of this, and your fort may experience [[tantrum spiral|large amounts of fun]].

If a dwarf is not seen dying by another dwarf, there will be, obviously, no announcement of the dwarf dying.

More specific death messages for other scenarios include the following: [[bow|shot]] [[crossbow|and]] [[magma crab|killed]], [[fire|burned]] [[magma|to]] [[fire imp|death]], [[water|drowned]], [[ice|encased in ice]], [[obsidian|encased in obsidian]], [[dragon|melted]], [[dwarven atom smasher|crushed by a drawbridge]], [[Hell|fell into a deep chasm]], crushed by a [[cave-in]], died after colliding with an obstacle, and, most commonly among [[noble]]s, [[unfortunate accident|killed by a]] [[trap|spike]].

{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Interface}}
[[ru:Struck down]]

Creature token

2026-10-06T10:04:48Z

DarklingArcher: /* C */ [CAN_SPEAK] makes the creature a citizen in the unit list

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
{{Modding}}

The <code>[OBJECT:CREATURE]</code> [[token]] begins the definition of a ''Dwarf Fortress'' [[creature]] [[raw file]]. Each creature definition that follows begins with the {{token|creature|c|creature ID}} token, and the creature's exact properties and behavior are then specified by the use of further creature tokens. All known creature tokens are listed below.

Vanilla creature definitions can be found in <code>[[Game folder|<Dwarf Fortress>]]\data\vanilla\vanilla_creatures\</code>.
Creature ID is also used with [[graphics token]]s to make customizable [[graphics set]]s.

The [[caste]] tokens allow defining sub-species within the broader creature definition, including true biological castes and lesser variations, such as sexes. Creature tokens can either be 'Creature' or 'CASTE-only' type which can only be applied to creature or caste respectively, or 'CASTE' which can be applied to both. In the table bellow, creature type distinguishes tokens that can be applied to creature only, caste only, and both ('creature', 'CASTE-only', and 'CASTE' respectively)

__NOTOC__
{{clear}}
{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==A==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|ADOPTS_OWNER}}
| Caste
|
| Prevents the tamed creature from being made available for adoption, instead allowing it to automatically adopt whoever it wants. The basic requirements for adoption are intact, and the creature will only adopt individuals who have a [[preference]] for their species. Used by [[cat]]s in the vanilla game. When {{k|v}}iewing a tame creature with this token, the message "This animal isn't interested in your wishes" will appear instead of "This [adorable] animal can't work" or "This animal is waiting to be trained".

|-
| {{text anchor|ALCOHOL_DEPENDENT}}
| Caste
|
| Makes the creature need [[alcohol]] to get through the working day; it will choose to drink booze instead of [[water]] if possible. Going sober for too long reduces speed.

|-
| {{text anchor|ALL_ACTIVE}}
| Caste
|
| When set, the creature will appear at any time of day. Overrides {{token|DIURNAL|c}}, {{token|NOCTURNAL|c}}, {{token|CREPUSCULAR|c}}, {{token|MATUTINAL|c}}, and {{token|VESPERTINE|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|ALTTILE}}
| Creature
|
*'character' or tile number
| If set, the creature will blink between its {{token|TILE|c}} and its ALTTILE.

|-
| {{text anchor|AMBUSHPREDATOR}}
| Caste
|
| Makes the creature start out hidden and remain near its original location until its prey draws near. When combined with {{token|WEBBER|c}}, causes them to lay gigantic webs near their spawn location, though only for creatures present during embark.

|-
| {{text anchor|AMPHIBIOUS}}
| Caste
|
| Allows a creature to breathe both in and out of [[water]] (unlike {{token|AQUATIC|c}}) - does not prevent drowning in [[magma]].

|-
| {{text anchor|APP_MOD_DESC_RANGE}}
| Appearance Modifier
|
*Range (6 values, low to high)
| Based on info from [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=113762.msg3473069#msg3473069 Wannabehero on the forums]: When used with an appearance modifier token (BP_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER or BODY_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER), tells the game what numeric ranges to map to which descriptors.

The game uses 7 descriptor levels for each modifier, with the center one generally being to omit the thing from the creature description entirely. The six values in APP_MOD_DESC_RANGE define the boundaries between each described range. If this is not specified it uses the numbers 10:50:95:105:150:190.

|-
| {{text anchor|APP_MOD_GENETIC_MODEL}}
| Appearance Modifier
|
*Model (Accepts DOMINANT_MORE, DOMINANT_LESS, and MIX)
| Defines a genetic model for the relevant appearance modifier(s). May or may not do anything significant at present.

|-
| {{text anchor|APP_MOD_IMPORTANCE}}
| Appearance Modifier
|
*number
| Determines how important the appearance modifier is, for determining whether it shows up in the creature description.{{verify}}

|-
| {{text anchor|APP_MOD_NOUN}}
| Appearance Modifier
|
*noun
*SINGULAR or PLURAL
| Creates a noun for the appearance, and whether it is singular or plural.

|-
| {{text anchor|APP_MOD_RATE}}
| Appearance Modifier
|
*Rate (integer)
*Scale (DAILY, YEARLY)
*min (growth)
*max (growth)
*start year
*start day
*end year
*end day
| Setting the growth rate of the modifier. The last two tokens can be replaced by NO_END to have growth continue indefinitely.

|-
| {{text anchor|APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION}}
| Caste
|
*creature variation ID
*(optional) any amount of arbitrary arguments
| Applies the specified [[creature variation token|creature variation]]. See [[Creature_variation_token#Arguments_and_conditional_tokens]] for how the subsequent arguments may be used.

|-
| {{text anchor|APPLY_CURRENT_CREATURE_VARIATION}}
| Special
|
| Applies the effects of all pending {{token|CV_ADD_TAG|c}} and {{token|CV_REMOVE_TAG|c}} tokens that have been defined in the current creature.

|-
| {{text anchor|AQUATIC}}
| Caste
|
| Enables the creature to breathe in water, but causes it to air-drown on dry land.

|-
| {{text anchor|ARENA_RESTRICTED}}
| Caste
|
| Causes the creature to be excluded from the [[object testing arena]]'s creature spawning list. Typically applied to spoileriffic creatures.

|-
| {{text anchor|ARTIFICIAL_HIVEABLE}}
| Creature
|
| Enables the creature to be kept in artificial [[hive]]s by [[beekeeper]]s.

|-
| {{text anchor|AT_PEACE_WITH_WILDLIFE}}
| Caste
|
| Prevents the creature from attacking or frightening creatures with the {{Token|NATURAL|c}} tag.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK}}
| Caste
|
*token
*selection criteria (it's complicated)
| Defines the attack name, and the body part used. See [[#Attack Tokens|below]] for valid subtokens
'''Example:''' 
<code>[ATTACK:GORE:BODYPART:BY_CATEGORY:HORN]</code> 
''GORE'' = name of the attack 
''BODYPART:BY_CATEGORY:HORN'' = the horn is used to attack (presuming the creature has one)

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_TRIGGER}}
| Caste
|
*population
*exported wealth
*created wealth
| Specifies when a [[megabeast]] or [[semi-megabeast]] will attack the fortress. The attacks will start occurring when all of the requirements are met. Setting a value to 0 disables the trigger.

|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==B==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|BABY}}
| Caste
|
*integer
| Age at which creature is considered a child, the default is zero. One can think of this as the duration of the baby stage.

|-
| {{text anchor|BABYNAME}}
| Caste
|
*singular
*plural
| Defines a new name for a creature in baby state at the caste level. For non-caste-specific baby names, see {{token|GENERAL_BABY_NAME|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|BEACH_FREQUENCY}}
| Caste
|
*integer
| Creature may be subject to [[beaching]], becoming stranded on [[Beach|shores]], where they will eventually air-drown. The number indicates the frequency of the occurrence. Presumably requires the creature to be {{token|AQUATIC|c}}. Used by [[orca]]s, [[sperm whale]]s and [[sea nettle jellyfish]] in the vanilla game.

|-
| {{text anchor|BENIGN}}
| Caste
|
| The creature is non-aggressive by default, and will never automatically be engaged by companions or soldiers, running away from any creatures that are not friendly to it, and will only defend itself if it becomes enraged. Can be thought of as the counterpoint of the {{token|LARGE_PREDATOR|c}} tag. When tamed, animals with this tag will be useless for fortress defense.

This and {{token|TRADE_CAPACITY|c}} are required for {{token|PACK_ANIMAL|c}} to function properly, if an animal contains the aforementioned requirements without this tag: items loaded by the merchants will be dropped upon departure.

|-
| {{text anchor|BIOME}}
| Creature
|
* [[biome token]]
| Select a [[biome]] the creature may appear in.

|-
| {{text anchor|BLOOD}}
| Caste
|
* <[[material token]]>
* <[[Material_definition_token#Material_States|material state]]>
| Specifies what the creature's blood is made of.

|-
| {{text anchor|BLOODSUCKER}}
| Caste
|
| Causes [[vampire]]-like behaviour; the creature will suck the [[Creature_token#BLOOD|blood]] of unconscious victims when its [[Syndrome#TIME_SINCE_SUCKED_BLOOD|thirst for blood]] grows sufficiently large. When controlling the creature in adventure mode, this can be done at will. Seems to be required to make the creature denouncable (in-world) as a creature of the night.

|-
| {{text anchor|BODY}}
| Caste
|
*body parts
| Draws body parts from OBJECT:BODY files (such as body_default.txt)
'''Example:''' 
[BODY:BODY_WITH_HEAD_FLAG:HEART:GUTS:BRAIN:MOUTH] 
This is the body from a [[purring maggot]]. It creates a body with head, a heart, some guts, a brain, and a mouth. That's all a maggot needs.

The body parts need to be listed in an order such that any parent part appears before its connected children. For example [BODY:HEART:BODY_WITH_HEAD_FLAG] produces a "Body Token Recognized But Could Not Connect: HEART" error because HEART can't find any UPPERBODY(s) to connect to. Switching the order to [BODY:BODY_WITH_HEAD_FLAG:HEART] fixes the problem because now the UPPERBODY is created before the HEART tries to connect to it.

'''If the body is left undefined, the creature (or caste) will be tagged as [DOES_NOT_EXIST].''' {{verify}}

|-
| {{text anchor|BODY_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER}}
| Caste
|
*ATTRIBUTE
*lowest
*lower
*low
*median
*high
*higher
*highest
| These body modifiers give individual creatures different characteristics. In the case of HEIGHT, BROADNESS and LENGTH, the modifier is also a percentage change to the BODY_SIZE of the individual creature. The seven numbers afterward give a distribution of ranges. Each interval has an equal chance of occurring.
'''Example:''' 
[BODY_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER:HEIGHT:90:95:98:100:102:105:110] 
''HEIGHT'' : marks the height to be changed 
''90:95:98:100:102:105:110'' : sets the range from the shortest (90% of the average height) to the tallest (110% of the average height) creature variation.

|-
| {{text anchor|BODY_DETAIL_PLAN}}
| Caste
|
*PlanName
*Arguments
| Loads a plan from listed OBJECT:BODY_DETAIL_PLAN files, such as b_detail_plan_default.txt. Mass applies USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE, mass alters RELSIZE, alters body part positions, and will allow tissue layers to be defined. Tissue layers are defined in order of skin to bone here.
'''Example:''' 
[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:VERTEBRATE_TISSUE_LAYERS:SKIN:FAT:MUSCLE:BONE:CARTILAGE] 
This creates the detailed body of a [[fox]], the skin, fat, muscle, bones and cartilage out of the vertebrate tissues. 
A [[Purring maggot|maggot]] would only need: 
''[BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:EXOSKELETON_TISSUE_LAYERS:SKIN:FAT:MUSCLE]''

|-
| {{text anchor|BODY_SIZE}}
| Caste
|
*years
*days
*size
| Sets size at a given age. Size is in cubic centimeters, and for normal body materials, is roughly equal to the creature's average weight in grams.
'''Example:''' 
[BODY_SIZE:0:0:10000] 
[BODY_SIZE:1:168:50000] 
[BODY_SIZE:12:0:220000] 
This describes the size of a [[minotaur]]. Its birth size would be 10,000 cm3 (~10 kg). At 1 year and 168 days old it would be 50,000 cm3 (~50 kg). And as an adult (at 12 years old) it would be 220,000 cm3 and weigh roughly 220 kg.

|-
| {{text anchor|BODYGLOSS}}
| Caste
|
*gloss
| Substitutes body part text with replacement text. Draws gloss information from OBJECT:BODY files (such as body_default.txt)

|-
| {{text anchor|BONECARN}}
| Caste
|
| Creature eats bones. Implies {{token|CARNIVORE|c}}. Currently does not work due to a bug ({{Bug|11069}}).

|-
| {{text anchor|BP_ADD_TYPE}}
| Caste
|
| Adds a type to a body part - used with {{token|SET_BP_GROUP|c}}. In vanilla DF, this is used for adding the type '[[Body token#GELDABLE|GELDABLE]]' to the lower body of certain [[cat|creatures]].

|-
| {{text anchor|BP_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER}}
| Caste
|
*QUALITY
*lowest
*lower
*low
*median
*high
*higher
*highest
| Sets up the breadth of possibilities for appearance qualities for a selected BP group. EG. Eyes (CLOSE_SET, DEEP_SET, ROUND_VS_NARROW, LARGE_IRIS),Lips (THICKNESS), Nose (BROADNESS, LENGTH, UPTURNED, CONVEX), Ear (SPLAYED_OUT, HANGING_LOBES, BROADNESS, HEIGHT), Tooth (GAPS), Skull (HIGH_CHEEKBONES, BROAD_CHIN, JUTTING CHIN, SQUARE_CHIN), Neck (DEEP_VOICE, RASPY_VOICE), Head (BROADNESS, HEIGHT)

|-
| {{text anchor|BP_REMOVE_TYPE}}
| Caste
|
| Removes a type from a body part. Used with {{token|SET_BP_GROUP|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|BUILDINGDESTROYER}}
| Caste
|
*1 or 2
| Allows a creature to destroy furniture and buildings. Value [1] targets mostly doors, hatches, furniture and the like. Value [2] targets anything not made with the {{k|b}} + {{k|C}} commands.
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==C==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|CAN_DO_INTERACTION}}
| Caste
|
*interaction token
| The creature can perform an interaction. See [[interaction token]].

|-
| {{text anchor|CAN_LEARN}}
| Caste
|
| The creature gains [[skill]]s and can have [[labor|professions]]. If a member of a civilization (even a pet) has this token, it'll need to eat, drink and sleep. Note that this token makes the creature unable to be eaten by an adventurer, so it is not recommended for uncivilized monsters. Adventurers lacking this token can allocate but not increase attributes and skills. Skills allocated will disappear on start. A creature with at least this token or the {{token|CAN_SPEAK|c}} token will be able to have [[Personality value|values]] and [[Personality goal|goals]].

|-
| {{text anchor|CAN_SPEAK}}
| Caste
|
| Can [[talking|talk]]. Note that this is not necessary for a creature to gain social skills but to make friends in fortress mode. A creature with at least this token or the {{token|CAN_LEARN|c}} token will be able to have [[Personality value|values]] and [[Personality goal|goals]]. When a member of the fortress, the creature will show up as citizen rather than livestock in the [[unit list]], '''unless''' it is also a {{token|PET}} or {{token|PET_EXOTIC}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|CANNOT_CLIMB}}
| Caste
|
| Creature cannot [[climber|climb]], even if it has free grasp parts.

|-
| {{text anchor|CANNOT_JUMP}}
| Caste
|
| Creature cannot [[jump]].

|-
| {{text anchor|CANNOT_UNDEAD}}
| Caste
|
| Acts like {{token|NOT_LIVING|c}}, except that {{token|OPPOSED_TO_LIFE|c}} creatures will attack them.

|-
| {{text anchor|CANOPENDOORS}}
| Caste
|
| Defunct, as doors cannot be set as tightly closed anymore.

|-
| {{text anchor|CARNIVORE}}
| Caste
|
| Creature ''only'' eats [[meat]]. If the creature goes on rampages in worldgen, it will often devour the people/animals it kills.

|-
| {{text anchor|CASTE}}
| Creature
|
*name
| Defines a [[caste]].

|-
| {{text anchor|CASTE_ALTTILE}}
| Caste
|
*tile number or "letter"
| Caste-specific {{token|ALTTILE|c}}. Requires {{token|CASTE_TILE|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|CASTE_COLOR}}
| Caste
|
*fg
*bg
*brightness
| Caste-specific {{token|COLOR|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|CASTE_GLOWCOLOR}}
| Caste
|
*fg
*bg
*brightness
| Caste-specific {{token|GLOWCOLOR|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|CASTE_GLOWTILE}}
| Caste
|
*tile value or "letter"
| Caste-specific {{token|GLOWTILE|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|CASTE_NAME}}
| Caste
|
*singular
*plural
*adjective
| While {{token|NAME|c}} describes the name of the species, {{token|CASTE_NAME|c}} names individuals of the species. Unlike other caste-specific descriptions, this token is required, even for creatures without separate castes. If left undefined, the creature will not show up in the [[arena]] and members of the species will be labeled as "nothing".

|-
| {{text anchor|CASTE_PROFESSION_NAME}}
| Caste
|
*[[Unit type token]] (Profession)
*singular
*plural
| Caste-specific {{token|PROFESSION_NAME|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|CASTE_SOLDIER_ALTTILE}}
| Caste
|
*'character' or tile number
| Caste-specific {{token|SOLDIER_ALTTILE|c}}. Requires {{token|CASTE_SOLDIER_TILE|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|CASTE_SOLDIER_TILE}}
| Caste
|
*'character' or tile number
| Caste-specific {{token|CREATURE_SOLDIER_TILE|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|CASTE_TILE}}
| Caste
|
* tile number or "letter"
| Caste-specific {{token|CREATURE_TILE|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|CAVE_ADAPT}}
| Caste
|
| Causes the creature to develop [[cave adaptation]].

Allows for creature's race to be involved in jokes that end in "And the [race] saw the sun and vomited on the spot!"

|-
| {{text anchor|CDI}}
| Caste
|
*Varies
| Specifies interaction details following a {{token|CAN_DO_INTERACTION|c}} token. See [[interaction token]].

|-
| {{text anchor|CHANGE_BODY_SIZE_PERC}}
| Caste
|
*integer
| Multiplies body size by a factor of (integer)%. 50 halves size, 200 doubles.

|-
| {{text anchor|CHANGE_FREQUENCY_PERC}}
| Creature
|
*integer
| Multiplies frequency by a factor of (integer)%.

|-
| {{text anchor|CHILD}}
| Caste
|
*integer
| Age at which creature is considered an adult - one can think of this as the duration of the [[children|child]] stage. Allows the creature's offspring to be rendered fully tame if [[animal trainer|trained]] during their childhood.

|-
| {{text anchor|CHILDNAME}}
| Caste
|
*singular
*plural
| Defines a new name for a creature in the child state at the caste level. For non-caste-specific child names, see {{token|GENERAL_CHILD_NAME|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|CLUSTER_NUMBER}}
| Creature
|
*min
*max
| The minimum/maximum numbers of how many creatures per spawned cluster. Vermin fish with this token in combination with temperate ocean and river biome tokens [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=51864.msg1122319#msg1122319 will perform seasonal migrations]. Defaults to 1:1 if not specified.

|-
| {{text anchor|CLUTCH_SIZE}}
| Caste
|
*min
*max
|Number of [[egg]]s laid in one sitting.

|-
| {{text anchor|COLONY_EXTERNAL}}
| Caste
|
| Caste hovers around colony.

|-
| {{text anchor|COLOR}}
| Creature
|
*foreground
*background
*brightness
| Color of the creature's tile. (See [[Color]] for usage.)

|-
| {{text anchor|COMMON_DOMESTIC}}
| Caste
|
| When combined with any of {{token|PET|c}}, {{token|PACK_ANIMAL|c}}, {{token|WAGON_PULLER|c}} and/or {{token|MOUNT|c}}, the creature is guaranteed to be domesticated by any [[civilization]] with {{token|COMMON_DOMESTIC_PET|e}}, {{token|COMMON_DOMESTIC_PACK|e}}, {{token|COMMON_DOMESTIC_PULL|e}} and/or {{token|COMMON_DOMESTIC_MOUNT|e}} respectively. Such civilizations will always have access to the creature, even in the absence of wild populations. This token is invalid on {{token|FANCIFUL|c}} creatures.

|-
| {{text anchor|CONVERTED_SPOUSE}}
| Caste
|
| Creatures of this caste's species with the {{token|SPOUSE_CONVERTER|c}} and {{token|NIGHT_CREATURE_HUNTER|c}} tokens will kidnap {{token|SPOUSE_CONVERSION_TARGET|c}}s of an appropriate sex and convert them into castes with CONVERTED_SPOUSE.

|-
| {{text anchor|COOKABLE_LIVE}}
| Caste
|
| Set this on a vermin creature to allow it to be cooked in meals while it is still alive, as well as when it's dead but not yet [[fishery|cleaned]]. Used by some water-dwelling vermin such as [[mussel]]s, [[oyster]]s, and [[cave lobster]]s. Currently does not work correctly when applied to non-{{token|FISHITEM|c}} vermin.{{bug|13200}}

|-
| {{text anchor|CRAZED}}
| Caste
|
| Creature is '[[insanity|berserk]]' and will attack all other creatures, except members of its own species that '''also''' have the CRAZED tag. It will show {{DFtext|Berserk|4:1}} in the [[unit list]]. Berserk creatures go on rampages during [[world generation|worldgen]] much more frequently than non-berserk ones.

|-
| {{text anchor|COPY_TAGS_FROM}}
| Special
|
*creature ID
| Copies another specified creature. This will override any definitions made before it; essentially, it makes this creature identical to the other one, which can then be modified. Often used in combination with {{token|APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION|c}} to import standard variations from a file. The vanilla [[giant animal]]s and [[animal person|animal people]]s are examples of this token combination.

|-
| {{text anchor|CREATURE}}
| Creature
|
*creature ID
| A unique, arbitrary identifier that begins the definition of each new creature, and is used to reference the creature in other tokens and raws.

|-
| {{text anchor|CREATURE_CLASS}}
| Caste
|
*classname
| An arbitrary creature classification - can be set to anything, but the only vanilla uses are GENERAL_POISON (used in syndromes), EDIBLE_GROUND_BUG (used as targets for {{token|GOBBLE_VERMIN_CLASS|c}}), MAMMAL, and POISONOUS (both used for kobold pet eligibility). If a creature has the REAL_WORLD_EXTINCT class, they can be customized in how they appear during world generation, and will also have another creature class token to denote what prehistoric period they existed in. A single creature can have multiple classes.

The full list of tokens that use creature classes is:

* Creature tokens: {{token|GOBBLE_VERMIN_CLASS|c}}, {{token|GOBBLE_VERMIN_CLASS|c}}
* Interaction tokens: {{token|IT_AFFECTED_CLASS|in}}, {{token|IT_IMMUNE_CLASS|in}}
* Animal definition (Entity) tokens: {{token|ANIMAL_CLASS|e}}, {{token|ANIMAL_FORBIDDEN_CLASS|e}}
* Position (Entity) token: {{token|ALLOWED_CLASS|po}}
* Syndrome tokens: {{token|SYN_AFFECTED_CLASS|sy}}, {{token|SYN_IMMUNE_CLASS|sy}}, {{token|CE_SENSE_CREATURE_CLASS|sy}}
* Extinction tokens: CAMBRIAN, CARBONIFEROUS, CENOZOIC, CRETACEOUS, DEVONIAN, JURASSIC, ORDOVICIAN, PERMIAN, SILURIAN, TRIASSIC
|-
| {{text anchor|CREATURE_SOLDIER_TILE}}
| Creature
|
*'character' or tile number
| Creatures active in their civilization's [[military]] will use this tile instead.

|-
| {{text anchor|CREATURE_TILE}}
| Creature
|
*'character' or tile number
| The symbol of the creature in ASCII mode.

|-
| {{text anchor|CREPUSCULAR}}
| Caste
|
| When set, the creature will appear at dawn (between 4:30 AM and 6:00 AM) and in the evening (between 8:00 PM and 10:05 PM) in [[Adventurer mode]].

|-
| {{text anchor|CURIOUSBEAST_EATER}}
| Caste
|
| Allows a creature to [[Steals food|steal and eat edible items]] from a site. It will attempt to grab a food item and immediately make its way to the map's edge, where it will disappear with it. If the creature goes on rampages during worldgen, it will often steal food instead of attacking. Trained and tame instances of the creature will no longer display this behavior.

|-
| {{text anchor|CURIOUSBEAST_GUZZLER}}
| Caste
|
| Allows a creature to (very quickly) [[Steals drink|drink your alcohol]]. Or spill the barrel to the ground. Also affects undead versions of the creature. Unlike food or item thieves, drink thieves will consume your alcohol on the spot rather than run away with one piece of it. Trained and tame instances of the creature will no longer display this behavior.

|-
| {{text anchor|CURIOUSBEAST_ITEM}}
| Caste
|
| Allows a creature to [[Steals items|steal things]] (apparently, of the highest value it can find). It will attempt to grab an item of value and immediately make its way to the map's edge, where it will disappear with it. If a creature with any of the CURIOUSBEAST tokens carries anything off the map, even if it is a caravan's pack animal, it will be reported as stealing everything it carries. If the creature goes on rampages in worldgen, it will often steal items instead of attacking - [[kea]] birds are infamous for this. Trained and tame instances of the creature will no longer display this behavior. Also, makes the creature unable to drop hauled items until it enters combat.

|-
| {{text anchor|CV_ADD_TAG}}
| Special
|
*TAG NAME
| Adds a tag. Used in conjunction with creature variation templates.

|-
| {{text anchor|CV_REMOVE_TAG}}
| Special
|
*TAG NAME
| Removes a tag. Used in conjunction with creature variation templates.
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==D==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|DEMON}}
| Caste
|
| Found on generated [[demon]]s.

At least 1 demon generated, or custom must have the {{token|FLIER|c}} token in order for the [[Underworld|horrifying screams]] event to trigger.

|-
| {{text anchor|DESCRIPTION}}
| Caste
|
*text
| A brief description of the creature type, as displayed when viewing the creature's description/[[Thoughts and preferences|thoughts & preferences]] screen.

|-
| {{text anchor|DIE_WHEN_VERMIN_BITE}}
| Caste
|
| Causes the creature to die upon attacking. Used by [[honey bee]]s to simulate them dying after using their stingers.

|-
| {{text anchor|DIFFICULTY}}
| Caste
|
*integer
| Increases experience gain during adventure mode. Creatures with a difficulty of 11 or higher are not assigned for quests in adventure mode. Vanilla [[semimegabeast]]s have a difficulty of 5 and [[megabeast]]s have a difficulty of 10.

|-
| {{text anchor|DIURNAL}}
| Caste
|
| When set, the creature will only appear during the day (between 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM) in [[Adventurer mode]].

|-
| {{text anchor|DIVE_HUNTS_VERMIN}}
| Caste
|
| The creature hunts vermin by diving from the air. On tame creatures, it has the same effect as {{token|HUNTS_VERMIN|c}}. Found on [[peregrine falcon]]s.

|-
| {{text anchor|DOES_NOT_EXIST}}
| Creature
|
| Adding this token to a creature prevents it from appearing in generated worlds (unless it's marked as [[Entity_token#ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PRESENT|always present]] for a particular civilisation). For example, adding it to [[dog]]s will lead to worlds being generated without dogs in them. Also removes the creature from the [[object testing arena]]'s spawn list. If combined with {{token|FANCIFUL|c}}, artistic depictions of the creature will occur regardless. Used by [[centaur]]s, [[chimera]]s and [[griffon]]s in the vanilla game.

Note: a creature tagged as DOES_NOT_EXIST can still be [[Interaction_token#I_EFFECT|summoned]] successfully, as long as it has a body defined in its raws [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=165213.msg8086938#msg8086938], or, another creature can [[Syndrome#CE_BODY_TRANSFORMATION|transform]] into it.
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==E==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|EBO_ITEM}}
| Caste
|
*[[item token]]
*[[material token]] (ANY_HARD_STONE can be used for the material)
| Defines the item that the creature drops upon being [[butcher|butchered]]. Used with {{token|EXTRA_BUTCHER_OBJECT|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|EBO_SHAPE}}
| Caste
|
*gem shape
| The shape of the creature's extra [[butcher|butchering]] drop. Used with {{token|EXTRA_BUTCHER_OBJECT|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|EGG_MATERIAL}}
| Caste
|
* <[[material token]]>
* <[[Material_definition_token#Material_States|material state]]>
| Defines the material composition of [[egg]]s laid by the creature. [[creature_token#LAYS_EGGS|Egg-laying]] creatures in the default game define this 3 times, using LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:EGGSHELL, LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:EGG_WHITE, and then LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:EGG_YOLK. Eggs will be made out of eggshell. Edibility is determined by tags on whites or yolk, but they otherwise do not exist.

|-
| {{text anchor|EGG_SIZE}}
| Caste
|
*size
| Determines the size of laid [[egg]]s. Doesn't affect hatching or cooking, but bigger eggs will be heavier, and may take longer to be hauled depending on the hauler's strength.

|-
| {{text anchor|EQUIPMENT_WAGON}}
| Creature
|
| Makes the creature appear as a large 3×3 [[wagon]] responsible for carrying trade goods, pulled by two {{token|WAGON_PULLER|c}} creatures and driven by a merchant.

|-
| {{text anchor|EQUIPS}}
| Caste
|
| Allows the creature to wear or wield items.

|-
| {{text anchor|EVIL}}
| Creature
|
| The creature is considered evil and will only show up in evil biomes. Civilizations with {{token|USE_EVIL_ANIMALS|e}} can domesticate them regardless of exotic status. Has no effect on cavern creatures except to restrict taming. A civilization with evil creatures can colonize evil areas.

Civilizations which list evil creatures as one of their main population options will potentially emerge following an underworld mining disaster, with the added caveat that a demon will be in charge of the civ. The rules which govern which noble position the demon in charge adopts however, are unclear. It either picks one of the predefined positions, or simply makes its own.

|-
| {{text anchor|EXTRA_BUTCHER_OBJECT}}
| Caste
|
* [[Body token#CATEGORY|BY_CATEGORY]] or [[Body token#CONTYPE|BY_TYPE]] or [[Body token#BP|BY_TOKEN]]
* TYPE, CATEGORY, or TOKEN
| The creature drops an additional object when [[butcher|butchered]], as defined by {{token|EBO_ITEM|c}} and {{token|EBO_SHAPE|c}}. Used for [[gizzard stone]]s in default creatures. For some materials, needs to be defined after caste definitions with SELECT_CASTE:ALL{{Bug|6355}}

|-
| {{text anchor|EXTRACT}}
| Caste
|
* [[material token]]
| Defines a creature extract which can be obtained via [[small animal dissection]].

|-
| {{text anchor|EXTRAVISION}}
| Caste
|
| The creature can see regardless of whether it has working eyes and has full 360 degree vision, making it impossible to strike the creature from a blind spot in combat. Invisible creatures will also be seen, namely [[intelligent undead]] using a "vanish" power.
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==F==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|FANCIFUL}}
| Creature
|
| The creature is a thing of legend and known to all civilizations. Its materials cannot be requested or preferred. The tag also adds some art value modifiers. Used by a [[Fanciful|number of creatures]]. Conflicts with {{token|COMMON_DOMESTIC|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|FEATURE_ATTACK_GROUP}}
| Caste
|
| Found on [[Animal people#Subterranean animal people|subterranean animal-man]] tribals. Currently defunct. In previous versions{{verify}}, it caused these creatures to crawl out of chasms and underground rivers.

|-
| {{text anchor|FEATURE_BEAST}}
| Caste
|
| Found on [[forgotten beast]]s. Presumably makes it act as such, initiating underground attacks on fortresses, or leads to the pop-up message upon encountering one{{verify}}. Displays the creature's {{token|DESCRIPTION|c}} in its [[legends mode]] entry and hides the creature from displaying in a world_sites_and_pops file. Does not create historical figures like generated forgotten beasts do.

Requires specifying a {{token|BIOME|c}} in which the creature will live, and both surface and subterranean biomes are allowed. Does not stack with {{token|LARGE_ROAMING|c}} and if both are used the creature will not spawn. Appears to be incompatible with {{token|DEMON|c}} even if used in separate castes.

|-
| {{text anchor|FEMALE}}
| Caste
|
| Makes the creature biologically female, enabling her to [[Breeding|bear young]]. Usually specified inside a caste.

|-
| {{text anchor|FIREIMMUNE}}
| Caste
|
| Makes the creature immune to [[Interaction_token#FIREBALL|FIREBALL]] and [[Interaction_token#FIREJET|FIREJET]] attacks, and allows it to path through high temperature zones, like lava or fires, but does not, by itself, make the creature immune to the damaging effects of burning in [[fire]], and does not prevent general heat damage or melting on its own (this would require adjustments to be made to the creature's body [[Material_definition_token|materials]] - see the [[Dragon/raw|dragon raws]] for an example).

|-
| {{text anchor|FIREIMMUNE_SUPER}}
| Caste
|
| Like {{token|FIREIMMUNE|c}}, but also renders the creature immune to [[Interaction_token#DRAGONFIRE|DRAGONFIRE]] attacks.

|-
| {{text anchor|FISHITEM}}
| Caste
|
| The creature's corpse is a single [[Item_token#FISH_RAW|FISH_RAW]] food item that needs to be cleaned (into a [[Item_token#FISH|FISH]] item) at a [[fishery]] to become edible. Before being cleaned the item is referred to as "raw". The food item is categorized under "fish" on the food and stocks screens, and when uncleaned it is sorted under "raw fish" in the stocks (but does not show up on the food screen).
Without this or {{token|COOKABLE_LIVE|c}}, [[fishing|fished]] vermin will turn into food the same way as non-vermin creatures, resulting in multiple units of food (meat, brain, lungs, eyes, spleen etc.) from a single fished vermin. These units of food are categorized as meat by the game.

|-
| {{text anchor|FIXED_TEMP}}
| Caste
|
*temperature
| The creature's body is constantly at this temperature, heating up or cooling the surrounding area. Alters the temperature of the creature's inventory and all adjacent tiles, [[Temperature|with all the effects that this implies]] - may trigger wildfires at high enough values. Also makes the creature immune to extreme heat or cold, as long as the temperature set is not harmful to the materials that the creature is made from. Corpses and body parts of creatures with a fixed temperature maintain their temperature even after death.

Note that temperatures of 12000 and higher may cause [[path|pathfinding]] issues in fortress mode.

|-
| {{text anchor|FLEEQUICK}}
| Caste
|
| If engaged in combat, the creature will flee at the first sign of resistance. Used by [[kobold]]s in the vanilla game.

|-
| {{text anchor|FLIER}}
| Caste
|
| Allows a creature to fly, independent of it having wings or not. Fortress Mode pathfinding only partially incorporates flying - flying creatures need a land path to exist between them and an area in order to access it, but as long as one such path exists, they do not need to use it, instead being able to fly over intervening obstacles. Winged creatures with this token can lose their ability to fly if their wings are crippled or severed. Winged creatures without this token will be unable to fly. (A 'wing' in this context refers to any body part with its own [[Body_token#FLIER|FLIER]] token).

At least 1 [[Demon]] must have the flier token in order for the [[Underworld|horrifying screams]] event to trigger.

|-
| {{text anchor|FREQUENCY}}
| Creature
|
*number, max 100
| The {{token|FREQUENCY|c}} value plays two separate roles. The first is in determining the initial distribution of creatures across the world map. Each creature is randomly assigned a single x, y co-ordinate on the world map, which act as the epicenter for that creature's distribution. A square is drawn around that x, y co-ordinate with a Manhattan radius equal to the {{token|FREQUENCY|c}} value divided by 100 times the world map size. For example, in a 256 by 256 size world map, the [[lion]] might be assigned 14, 112. The [[lion]] has {{token|FREQUENCY:5|c}}, and so a square is drawn by moving 13 tiles in each direction from the [[lion]]'s x, y co-ordinate. This is the [[lion]]'s "territory".

Each sub-region in the world will attempt to fill lists of wildlife. There are five lists - {{token|VERMIN_GROUNDER|c}}, {{token|VERMIN_SOIL|c}}, {{token|VERMIN_SOIL_COLONY|c}}, {{token|LARGE_ROAMING|c}}, and {{token|LARGE_PREDATOR|c}}, corresponding with the relevant tokens. The game will attempt to place seven creatures in each list for each sub-region. The game will select the seven nearest valid creatures. Creatures are valid for sub-region's list if they have the requisite token for that list, if they have the valid token for that sub-region's biome (for example, the [lion] can only be selected for {{token|BIOME:SAVANNA_TROPICAL|c}}, {{token|BIOME:GRASSLAND_TROPICAL|c}}, and {{token|BIOME:SHRUBLAND_TROPICAL|c}}, and if their "territory" as defined by their random epicenter and {{token|FREQUENCY|c}} radius overlaps with that sub-region. These lists then determine the creatures that can actually appear within that sub-region during gameplay.

There are some exceptions to the above. If the game was not capable of filling all seven entries in a list, it will drop the overlapping territory requirement, and simply pull the nearest creature which has the correct token and biome availability. Conversely, if a creature has an epicenter but has not appeared on any of the list for any of the world map's sub-regions, the creature will be assigned to the relevant list for the nearest appropriate sub-region - meaning it is occasionally possible to have lists of eight creatures or more. This is more common in smaller worlds where there are less possible sub-regions to be assigned towards. Creatures with the {{token|GOOD|c}} and {{token|EVIL|c}} tokens ignore the epicenter distribution system altogether. They are always capable of appearing in appropriate biomes which are {{token|GOOD|b}} or {{token|EVIL|b}} respectively. This is not true for {{token|SAVAGE|c}}, which acts more like the biome tokens. Creatures with {{token|UBIQUITOUS|c}} have a "territory" which covers the entire map, regardless of their epicenter (although they can still fail to be chosen if there are 7 creatures which are eligible and have nearer epicenters to the sub-region in question).

The second use for {{token|FREQUENCY|c}} is to determine how often a creature actually appears on map. In Fortress Mode, the game will try and spawn large wildlife (creatures with {{token|LARGE_ROAMING|c}} or {{token|LARGE_PREDATOR|c}} in fairly regular waves. These waves include {{token|LARGE_ROAMING|c}}, {{token|LARGE_ROAMING|c}} combined with {{token|FLIER|c}}, {{token|LARGE_PREDATOR|c}}, and {{token|CURIOUS_BEAST|c}} - so a [[lion]] does not compete for selection with a [[gazelle]]. When the game decides it needs to spawn in a fresh wave of e.g. {{token|LARGE_ROAMING|c}} creatures, it will select one of the creatures available to it from the lists for that sub-region at random, with all creatures weighted equally. Once it has selected a creature, it then effectively rolls a d100 against the relevant creature's {{token|FREQUENCY|c}}. If the d100 is equal to the creature's {{token|FREQUENCY|c}} or less, that creature is then spawned in. If the d100 is above the creature's {{token|FREQUENCY|c}}, the game returns to the relevant list and selects again. {{token|UBIQUITOUS|c}} acts as {{token|FREQUENCY:100|c}} for these purposes - in other words, the creature cannot fail the d100 check and will always be spawned in if it is selected from the list.

Defaults to 50.

|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==G==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|GAIT}}
| Caste
|
* <gait type>
* <gait name>
* <max [[Gait#Speed|speed]]>
* <build up time>
* <max turning [[Gait#Speed|speed]]>
* <start [[Gait#Speed|speed]]>
* <energy expenditure>
* <gait flag(s)>
| Defines a gait by which the creature can move. See [[Gait]] for more information. Specifically, you likely want to use one of the existing STANDARD_X_GAITS creature variations, as described in [[Gait#Gaits_and_Modding|this subsection]].

* <max speed> indicates the maximum [[Gait#Speed|speed]] achievable by a creature using this gait
* <start speed> indicates the creature's speed when it starts moving using this gait
* <build up time> indicates how long it will take for a creature using this gait to go from <start speed> to <max speed>. For example, a value of 10 means that it should be able to reach the maximum speed by moving 10 [[tile]]s in a straight line over even terrain.
* <max turning speed> indicates the maximum speed permissible when the creature suddenly changes its direction of motion. The creature's speed will be reduced to <max turning speed> if travelling at a higher speed than this before turning.
* <energy expenditure> indicates how energy-consuming the gait is. Higher values cause the creature to tire out faster. Persistent usage of a high-intensity gait will eventually lead to exhaustion and [[Status_icon#Non-flashing|collapse]].

'''NO_BUILD_UP''' can be specified instead of a <start speed> value to make the <max speed> instantly achievable upon initiating movement (this is equivalent to a <build up time> of 0). Note that <build up time> and <max turning speed> are both ignored if specified alongside this (as NO_BUILD_UP trumps <build up time> and preserves <max speed> whilst turning, and <max turning speed> cannot exceed <max speed>) so it is permissible to omit them so long as they are '''both''' omitted together.

It's possible to specify a <start speed> greater than the <max speed>; the moving creature will decelerate towards its <max speed> in this case.

'''valid gait types:'''
*'''WALK''' 
Used for moving normally over ground tiles.

*'''CRAWL''' 
Used for moving over ground tiles whilst [[Status_icon#Non-flashing|prone]].

*'''SWIM''' 
Used for moving through tiles containing [[water]] or [[magma]] at a [[Water#Depth|depth]] of at least 4/7.

*'''FLY''' 
Used for moving through [[open space]].

*'''CLIMB''' 
Used for moving whilst [[Climber|climbing]].

'''valid gait flags:'''
* '''AGILITY''' 
Speeds/slows movement depending on the creature's [[Attribute#Agility|Agility]] stat.

* '''STRENGTH''' 
Speeds/slows movement depending on the creature's [[Attribute#Strength|Strength]] stat.

* '''LAYERS_SLOW''' 
Makes [[Tissue_definition_token#THICKENS_ON_ENERGY_STORAGE|THICKENS_ON_ENERGY_STORAGE]] and [[Tissue_definition_token#THICKENS_ON_STRENGTH|THICKENS_ON_STRENGTH]] tissue layers slow movement depending on how thick they are. Adding the STRENGTH gait flag counteracts the impact of the latter layer.

* '''STEALTH_SLOWS:'''<percentage> 
Slows movement by the specified percentage when the creature is [[Ambusher|sneaking]].

|-
| {{text anchor|GENERAL_BABY_NAME}}
| Creature
|
*singular
*plural
| Like {{token|BABYNAME|c}}, but applied regardless of caste.

|-
| {{text anchor|GENERAL_CHILD_NAME}}
| Creature
|
*singular
*plural
| Like {{token|CHILDNAME|c}}, but applied regardless of caste.

|-
| {{text anchor|GENERAL_MATERIAL_FORCE_MULTIPLIER}}
| Caste
|
*value A
*value B
| Has the same function as {{token|MATERIAL_FORCE_MULTIPLIER|c}}, but applies to all attacks instead of just those involving a specific material. Appears to be overridden by MATERIAL_FORCE_MULTIPLIER ([[werebeast]]s, for example, use both tokens to provide resistance to all materials, with one exception to which they are especially vulnerable).

|-
| {{text anchor|GENERATED}}
| Creature
|
| Found on procedurally generated creatures like [[forgotten beast]]s, [[titan]]s, [[demon]]s, [[angel]]s, and [[night creature]]s. Cannot be specified in user-defined raws.

|-
| {{text anchor|GETS_INFECTIONS_FROM_ROT}}
| Caste
|
| Makes the creature get [[Health_care#Infection|infections]] from necrotic tissue.

|-
| {{text anchor|GETS_WOUND_INFECTIONS}}
| Caste
|
| Makes the creature's wounds become [[Health_care#Infection|infected]] if left untreated for too long.

|-
| {{text anchor|GLOWCOLOR}}
| Creature
|
*foreground
*background
*brightness
| The colour of the creature's {{token|GLOWTILE|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|GLOWTILE}}
| Creature
|
*ascii character
| If present, the being glows in the dark (generally used for Adventurer Mode). The tile is what replaces the being's current tile when it is obscured from your sight by darkness. The default setting for kobolds (a yellow quotation mark) provides a nice "glowing eyes" effect. The game is also hardcoded to automatically convert quotation mark GLOWTILES into apostrophes if the creature has lost one eye. This works at the generic creature level - for caste-specific glow tiles, use {{token|CASTE_GLOWTILE|c}} instead.

|-
| {{text anchor|GNAWER}}
| Caste
|
*verb
| The creature can and will gnaw its way out of [[animal trap]]s and [[cage]]s using the specified verb, depending on the material from which it is made (normally wood).

|-
| {{text anchor|GOBBLE_VERMIN_CLASS}}
| Caste
|
*class
| The creature eats vermin of the specified class.

|-
| {{text anchor|GOBBLE_VERMIN_CREATURE}}
| Caste
|
*creature
*caste
| The creature eats a specified [[vermin]].

|-
| {{text anchor|GO_TO_END}}
| Special
|
| When using tags from an existing creature, inserts new tags at the end of the creature.

|-
| {{text anchor|GO_TO_START}}
| Special
|
| When using tags from an existing creature, inserts new tags at the beginning of the creature.

|-
| {{text anchor|GO_TO_TAG}}
| Special
|
| When using tags from an existing creature, inserts new tags ''before'' the specified tag.

|-
| {{text anchor|GOOD}}
| Creature
|
| Creature is considered good and will only show up in good biomes - [[unicorn]]s, for example. Civilizations with {{token|USE_GOOD_ANIMALS|e}} can domesticate them regardless of exotic status. Has no effect on cavern creatures except to restrict taming. A civilization that has good creatures can colonise good areas in world-gen.

|-
| {{text anchor|GRASSTRAMPLE}}
| Caste
|
*value
| The value determines how rapidly [[grass]] is trampled when a creature steps on it - a value of 0 causes the creature to never damage grass, while a value of 100 causes grass to be trampled as rapidly as possible. Defaults to 5.

|-
| {{text anchor|GRAVITATE_BODY_SIZE}}
| Caste
|
*target value
| Used in Creature Variants. This token changes the adult body size to the average of the old adult body size and the target value and scales all intermediate growth stages by the same factor.

|-
| {{text anchor|GRAZER}}
| Caste
|
*number
| The creature is a grazer - if tamed in fortress mode, it needs a pasture to survive. The higher the number, the less frequently it needs to eat in order to live. Not used since 0.40.12, replaced by {{token|STANDARD_GRAZER|c}} to fix {{bugl|4113}}.
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==H==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|HABIT}}
| Caste
|
*type
*probability
| Defines certain behaviors for the creature. The habit types are:
*COLLECT_TROPHIES
*COOK_PEOPLE
*COOK_VERMIN
*GRIND_VERMIN
*COOK_BLOOD
*GRIND_BONE_MEAL
*EAT_BONE_PORRIDGE
*USE_ANY_MELEE_WEAPON
*GIANT_NEST
*COLLECT_WEALTH.
These require the creature to have a {{token|LAIR|c}} to work properly, and also don't seem to work on creatures who are not a {{token|SEMIMEGABEAST|c}}, {{token|MEGABEAST|c}}, or{{token|NIGHT_CREATURE_HUNTER|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|HABIT_NUM}}
| Caste
|
*number or TEST_ALL
| "If you set HABIT_NUM to a number, it should give you that exact number of habits according to the weights.".{{cite forum|60554/1719248}} All lists of HABITs are preceded by [HABIT_NUM:TEST_ALL]

|-
| {{text anchor|HAS_NERVES}}
| Caste
|
| The creature has nerves in its muscles. Cutting the muscle tissue can sever motor and sensory nerves, disabling the limb.

|-
| {{text anchor|HASSHELL}}
| Caste
|
| The creature has a shell. Seemingly no longer used - holdover from previous versions.

|-
| {{text anchor|HIVE_PRODUCT}}
| Creature
|
*number
*[[time]]
*[[item token]]s
| What product is harvested from [[Beekeeping industry|beekeeping]].

|-
| {{text anchor|HOMEOTHERM}}
| Caste
|
*number or NONE
| Default 'NONE'. The creature's normal body [[temperature]]. Creature ceases maintaining temperature on death unlike fixed material temperatures. Provides minor protection from environmental temperature to the creature.

|-
| {{text anchor|HUNTS_VERMIN}}
| Caste
|
| Creature hunts and kills nearby [[vermin]], randomly walking between places with food laying on the ground or in stockpiles, to check for possible [VERMIN_EATER] vermin, but they'll kill any other vermin too. Do not include this creature token on an intelligent entity that you intend to play as in fortress mode because it will prevent them from feeding themselves.

|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==I==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|IMMOBILE}}
| Caste
|
| The creature cannot move. Found on [[sponge]]s. Will also stop a creature from breeding in fortress mode (MALE and FEMALE are affected, if one is IMMOBILE; no breeding will happen).

|-
| {{text anchor|IMMOBILE_LAND}}
| Caste
|
| The creature is immobile while on land. Only works on {{token|AQUATIC|c}} creatures which can't breathe on land.

|-
| {{text anchor|IMMOLATE}}
| Caste
|
| The creature radiates [[fire]]. It will ignite, and potentially completely destroy, items the creature is standing on. Also gives the vermin a high chance of escaping from [[animal trap]]s and [[cage]]s made of any flammable materials (specifically ones that could be ignited by magma).

|-
| {{text anchor|INTELLIGENT}}
| Caste
|
| Alias for {{token|CAN_SPEAK|c}} + {{token|CAN_LEARN|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|ITEMCORPSE}}
| Caste
|
* [[item token]]
* [[material token]]
| Determines if the creature leaves behind a non-standard corpse (i.e. wood, statue, bars, stone, pool of liquid, etc.). [[Ethics]] may prevent actually using the item in jobs or reactions.

|-
| {{text anchor|ITEMCORPSE_QUALITY}}
| Caste
|
* number
| The [[quality]] of an item-type corpse left behind. Valid values are: 0 for ordinary, 1 for well-crafted, 2 for finely-crafted, 3 for superior, 4 for exceptional, 5 for masterpiece.
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==L==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|LAIR}}
| Caste
|
*type
*probability
| Found on megabeasts, semimegabeasts, and night creatures. The creature will seek out sites of this type and take them as lairs. The lair types are:
*SIMPLE_BURROW
*SIMPLE_MOUND
*WILDERNESS_LOCATION
*SHRINE
*LABYRINTH

|-
| {{text anchor|LAIR_CHARACTERISTIC}}
| Caste
|
*characteristic
*probability
| Defines certain features of the creature's lair. The only valid characteristic is HAS_DOORS.

|-
| {{text anchor|LAIR_HUNTER}}
| Caste
|
| This creature will actively hunt adventurers in its lair.

|-
| {{text anchor|LAIR_HUNTER_SPEECH}}
| Caste
|
*speech file
| What this creature says while hunting adventurers in its lair.

|-
| {{text anchor|LARGE_PREDATOR}}
| Caste
|
| Will attack other creatures that are smaller than it. Tamed large predators will still attack wildlife. In [[fortress mode]], only one group of "large predators" (possibly two groups on "savage" maps) will appear on any given map. In [[adventurer mode]], large predators will try to ambush and attack you (and your party will attack them back). When tamed, large predators tend to be much more aggressive to enemies than non-large predators, making them a good choice for an animal army. They may go on rampages in worldgen, and adventurers may receive quests to kill them. Also, they can be mentioned in the intro paragraph when starting a fortress e.g. "ere the wolves get hungry."
A single biome supports 7 large predator species, picking randomly and rolling a d100 under its {{token|FREQUENCY|c}} to add it until all 7 slots are filled.

Incompatible with {{token|PACK_ANIMAL|c}} on a technicality, if included: hauled items are likely to be dropped upon entering the map (even if {{token|TRADE_CAPACITY|c}} is present) in contrast to when the merchants depart.

|-
| {{text anchor|LARGE_ROAMING}}
| Creature
|
| This is the core requisite tag allowing the creature to spawn as a wild animal in the appropriate biomes. Requires specifying a {{token|BIOME|c}} in which the creature will spawn. Does not require specifying a frequency, population number, or cluster number.

This tag stacks with {{token|MEGABEAST|c}}, {{token|SEMIMEGABEAST|c}}, or {{token|NIGHT_CREATURE_HUNTER|c}}; if used with one of these tags, the creature will spawn as both a boss and as a wild animal. This tag does not stack with {{token|FEATURE_BEAST|c}} and if both are used the creature will not spawn. This tag is unaffected by {{token|DEMON|c}}.
Large roamers are not able to spawn in Pool biomes as they do not connect to the edge of the map and are too small, Lake biomes are a suitable alternative.

|-
| {{text anchor|LAYS_EGGS}}
| Caste
|
| Creature lays [[egg]]s instead of giving birth to live young.

|-
| {{text anchor|LAYS_UNUSUAL_EGGS}}
| Caste
|
* [[item token]]
* [[material token]]
| Creature lays the specified item instead of regular eggs.

|-
| {{text anchor|LIGAMENTS}}
| Caste
|
* [[material token]]
*healing rate
| The creature has ligaments in its {{token|CONNECTIVE_TISSUE_ANCHOR|td}} tissues (bone or chitin by default). Cutting the bone/chitin tissue severs the ligaments, disabling motor function if the target is a limb.

|-
| {{text anchor|LIGHT_GEN}}
| Caste
|
| A vermin featuring this tag will remain visible to an adventurer even at night.

Subterranean vermin which feature this token will flicker in unexposed and unrevealed cavern layers while playing in Fortress Mode.

|-
| {{text anchor|LISP}}
| Caste
|
| Creature uses "sssssnake talk" (multiplies 'S' when talking - "My name isss Recisssiz."). Used by [[Serpent man|serpent men]] and [[Reptile man|reptile men]] in the vanilla game. C's with the same pronunciation (depending on the word) are not affected by this token.

|-
| {{text anchor|LITTERSIZE}}
| Caste
|
* minimum
* maximum
| Determines the number of offspring per one birth; default 1-3, not used in vanilla raws. See also {{token|MULTIPLE_LITTER_RARE|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|LOCAL_POPS_CONTROLLABLE}}
| Creature
|
| Allows you to play as a wild animal of this species in adventurer mode. Prevents trading of (tame) instances of this creature in caravans.

|-
| {{text anchor|LOCAL_POPS_PRODUCE_HEROES}}
| Creature
|
| Wild animals of this species may occasionally join a civilization. Prevents trading of (tame) instances of this creature in caravans.

|-
| {{text anchor|LOCKPICKER}}
| Caste
|
| Lets a creature open [[door]]s that are set to forbidden in fortress mode.

|-
| {{text anchor|LOOSE_CLUSTERS}}
| Creature
|
| The creatures will scatter if they have this tag, or form tight packs if they don't.

|-
| {{text anchor|LOW_LIGHT_VISION}}
| Caste
|
*number
| Determines how well a creature can see in the dark - higher is better. Dwarves have 10000, which amounts to perfect nightvision.
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==M==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|MAGICAL}}
| Caste
|
| According to Toady One, this is completely interchangeable with {{token|AT_PEACE_WITH_WILDLIFE|c}} and might have been used in very early versions of the game by wandering wizards, or the ent-type tree creatures that used to be animated by elves. [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=169696.msg8316954#msg8316954]

|-
| {{text anchor|MAGMA_VISION}}
| Caste
|
| The creature is able to see while submerged in [[magma]].

|-
| {{text anchor|MALE}}
| Caste
|
| Makes the creature biologically male; usually declared inside a caste.

|-
| {{text anchor|MANNERISM|MANNERISM_*}}
| Caste
|
*occasionally body part
| Adds a possible mannerism to the creature's profile. See [[creature mannerism token]] for further info.

|-
| {{text anchor|MATERIAL}}
| Creature
|
*material id
| Begins defining a new local material. Follow this with standard material definition tokens to define the material. A maximum of 200 materials can be defined on any given creature.

|-
| {{text anchor|MATERIAL_FORCE_MULTIPLIER}}
| Caste
|
*[[Material token]]
*value A
*value B
| When struck with a weapon made of the specified material, the force exerted will be multiplied by A/B, thus making the creature more or less susceptible to this material. For example, if A is 2 and B is 1, the force exerted by the defined material will be doubled. If A is 1 and B is 2, it will be halved instead. See also {{token|GENERAL_MATERIAL_FORCE_MULTIPLIER|c}}, which can be used to make this sort of effect applicable to all materials.

|-
| {{text anchor|MATUTINAL}}
| Caste
|
| When set, the creature will only appear at dawn (between 4:30 AM and 6:00 AM) in [[Adventurer mode]].

|-
| {{text anchor|MAXAGE}}
| Caste
|
*min
*max
| Determines the creature's natural lifespan, using the specified minimum and maximum age values (in years). Each individual creature with this token is generated with a predetermined date (calculated down to the exact [[time|tick]]!) between these values, at which it is destined to die of old age, should it live long enough. Note that the probability of death at any given age does not increase as the creature gets older [http://i.imgur.com/A1A4aA9.png].
Creatures which lack this token are naturally immortal. The [[Syndrome#CE_ADD_TAG|NO_AGING]] syndrome tag will prevent death by old age from occurring. Also note that, among civilized creatures, castes which lack this token will refuse to marry others with it, and vice versa.

|-
| {{text anchor|MEANDERER}}
| Caste
|
| Makes the creature slowly stroll around, unless it's in combat or performing a job. If combined with {{token|CAN_LEARN|c}}, will severely impact their [[pathfinding]] and lead the creature to move extremely slowly when not performing any task. <s>Problematically applies to animal people based on the animal, and war trained animals{{bug|9588}}</s> As of [[Release_information/52.05|version 52.05]], meandering behavior no longer applies to animal people and to animals that are trained for war or hunting..

|-
| {{text anchor|MEGABEAST}}
| Caste
|
| A 'boss' creature; a small number of those are created during worldgen, their histories and descendants (if any) will be tracked in worldgen (as opposed to simply 'spawning'), and they will occasionally go on rampages, potentially leading to worship if they attack the same place multiple times. Their presence and number will also influence world age names. When appearing in fortress mode, they will have a pop-up message announcing their arrival. They will remain hostile to the fortress military even after being tamed.{{bug|10731}} See [[megabeast]] page for more details.

Requires specifying a {{token|BIOME|c}} in which the creature will live. Subterranean biomes appear to not be allowed. Does stack with {{token|LARGE_ROAMING|c}} and if both are used the creature will spawn as both historical bosses and as wild animals.

|-
| {{text anchor|MENT_ATT_CAP_PERC}}
| Caste
|
*[[Attribute|ATTRIBUTE]] Token
*Cap %
|Default is 200. This means you can increase your attribute to 200% of its starting value (or the average value + your starting value if that is higher).

|-
| {{text anchor|MENT_ATT_RANGE}}
| Caste
|
*[[Attribute|ATTRIBUTE]]
*lowest
*lower
*low
*median
*high
*higher
*highest
| Sets up a [[Attribute#Soul_attributes|mental attribute]]'s range of values (0-5000). All mental attribute ranges default to 200:800:900:1000:1100:1300:2000.

|-
| {{text anchor|MENT_ATT_RATES}}
| Caste
|
*[[Attribute|ATTRIBUTE]] Token
*cost to improve
*unused counter rate
*rust counter rate
*demotion counter rate
| [[Attribute#Soul_attributes|Mental attribute]] gain/decay rates. Lower numbers in the last three slots make decay occur faster. Defaults are 500:4:5:4.

|-
| {{text anchor|MILKABLE}}
| Caste
|
* [[material token]]
* frequency
| Allows the creature to be [[milk]]ed in the [[farmer's workshop]]. The frequency is the amount of [[time|ticks]] the creature needs to "recharge" (i.e. how much time needs to pass before it can be milked again). Does not work on [[#CAN_LEARN|sentient]] creatures, regardless of [[ethics]].

|-
| {{text anchor|MISCHIEVIOUS}}
| Caste
|
| Alias for {{token|MISCHIEVOUS|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|MISCHIEVOUS}}
| Caste
|
| The creature spawns [[stealth]]ed and will attempt to path into the fortress, pulling any [[lever]]s it comes across. It will be invisible on the map and [[unit list]] until spotted by a citizen, at which point the game will pause and recenter on the creature. Used by [[gremlin]]s in the vanilla game. "They go on little missions to mess with various fortress buildings, not just levers."

|-
| {{text anchor|MODVALUE}}
| Caste
|
| Seemingly no longer used.

|-
| {{text anchor|MOUNT}}
| Caste
|
| Creature may be used as a [[mount]]. No use for the player in fortress mode, but enemy [[siege|sieging]] forces may arrive with cavalry. Mounts are usable in [[adventure mode]].

|-
| {{text anchor|MOUNT_EXOTIC}}
| Caste
|
| Creature may be used as a [[mount]], but civilizations cannot domesticate it in worldgen without certain exceptions.

|-
| {{text anchor|MULTIPART_FULL_VISION}}
| Caste
|
| Allows the creature to have all-around vision, as long as it has multiple heads that can see.

|-
| {{text anchor|MULTIPLE_LITTER_RARE}}
| Caste
|
| Makes the species usually produce a single offspring per birth, with a 1/500 chance of using the {{token|LITTERSIZE|c}} as usual. Requires {{token|FEMALE|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|MUNDANE}}
| Creature
|
| Marks if the creature is an actual real-life creature. Only used for age-names at present.
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==N==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|NAME}}
| Creature
|
*singular
*plural
*adjective
| The generic name for any creature of this type - will be used for referring to the species in the abstract, such as the default material prefix. For labeling individual creatures, {{token|CASTE_NAME|c}} is necessary. If left undefined, the creature will be labeled as "nothing" by the game.

Some examples of adjective use:
* "super''dwarven'' strength"
* "the ''dwarven'' hillocks of X"
* Deity species as in "''feline'' deity"
* Megabeast attacks in worldgen. One with multiple dragons being a "''draconic'' rampage"

|-
| {{text anchor|NATURAL}}
| Caste
|
| Animal is considered to be natural. NATURAL animals will not engage creatures tagged with {{token|AT_PEACE_WITH_WILDLIFE|c}} in combat unless they are members of a hostile entity and vice-versa.

|-
| {{text anchor|NATURAL_ANIMAL}}
| Caste
|
| Alias of {{token|NATURAL|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|NATURAL_SKILL}}
| Caste
|
*[[Skill_token|Skill token]]
*value
| The creature possesses the specified [[skill]] at this level inherently - that is, it begins with the skill at this level, and the skill may never rust below that. A value of 15 is legendary.

|-
| {{text anchor|NIGHT_CREATURE}}
| Caste
|
| Creatures with this token can appear as [[experiment|experiments]]. Causes the creature to count as {{token|NOT_LIVING|c}}.

Killing a creature featuring this token provides one point of "hero" reputation. Adds the creature's description as part of the initial summary of their historical figure in legends mode. People will react to creatures with this token as a night creature (natch). In adventure mode, ambushes involving these units will say "Night creature!" instead of "Ambush!"

Prevents creature behavior enabled by {{token|LARGE_PREDATOR|c}}.

Removes the high nature value check imposed by {{token|LOCAL_POPS_PRODUCE_HEROES|c}}.

Prevents the AI from using ANIMATE interactions, unless the newly-animated{{token|OPPOSED_TO_LIFE|c}}undead will not attack them. The check for this is specifically whether the unit is:
*a ghost
*an animated unit
*a unit with the {{token|NO_AGING|c}} token added via {{token|CE_ADD_TAG|c}}. (This allows for the default exclusion of elves and goblins, unless raised as intelligent undead.)

|-
| {{text anchor|NIGHT_CREATURE_BOGEYMAN}}
| Caste
|
| Creatures with this token can appear in [[bogeyman|bogeyman ambushes]] in [[adventure mode]], where they adopt classical bogeyman traits such as stalking the adventurer and vaporising when dawn breaks. Such traits do not manifest if the creature is encountered outside of a bogeyman ambush (for instance, as a megabeast or a civilised being). In addition, their corpses and severed body parts turn into [[smoke]] after a short while. Note that setting the "Number of Bogeyman Types" in [[advanced world generation]] to 0 will only remove randomly-generated bogeymen.

|-
| {{text anchor|NIGHT_CREATURE_EXPERIMENTER}}
| Caste
|
| Found on some [[necromancer]]s. Creatures with this tag may periodically "perform horrible experiments" offscreen, during which they can use creature-targeting interactions with an <code>[[Interaction_token#I_SOURCE|[I_SOURCE:EXPERIMENT]]]</code> tag on living creatures in their area. Worlds are generated with a list of procedurally-generated experiments, allowing necromancers to turn living people and animals into [[Infected_ghoul|ghouls]] and [[Experiment|other experimental creatures]], and these will automatically be available to all experimenters; it does not appear possible to prevent this. You can mod in your own custom experiment interactions, but these are used very infrequently due to the large number of generated experiments.

|-
| {{text anchor|NIGHT_CREATURE_HUNTER}}
| Caste
|
| Found on [[night troll]]s and [[werebeast]]s. Implies that the creature is a [[night creature]], and shows its description in [[legends mode]] entry. The creature is always hostile and will start [[no quarter]] combat with any nearby creatures, except for members of its own race.{{verify}} Note that this tag does not override the creature's normal behavior in [[fortress mode]] except for the aforementioned aggression, and doesn't prevent the creature from fleeing the battles it started. It also removes the creature's materials from stockpile settings list, making them be stored there regardless of settings.

Does stack with {{token|LARGE_ROAMING|c}} and if both are used the creature will spawn as both historical hunters and as wild animals; this requires specifying a {{token|BIOME|c}} in which the creature will live, and subterranean biomes are allowed.

This tag causes the usual behaviour of werebeasts in worldgen, that is, fleeing towns upon being cursed and conducting raids from a lair. If this tag is absent from a deity curse, the accursed will simply be driven out of towns in a similar manner to [[vampire]]s. When paired with SPOUSE_CONVERTER, a very small population of the creature will be created during worldgen (sometimes only a single individual will be created), and their histories will be tracked (that is, they will not spawn spontaneously later, they must either have children or convert other creatures to increase their numbers). The creature will settle in a lair and go on rampages during worldgen. It will actively attempt to seek out potential conversion targets to abduct, convert, and have children with (if possible).

|-
| {{text anchor|NIGHT_CREATURE_NIGHTMARE}}
| Caste
|
| Found on [[nightmare]]s. Corpses and severed body parts derived from creatures with this token turn into [[smoke]] after a short while.

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_AUTUMN}}
| Caste
|
| The creature caste does not appear in [[Calendar|autumn]].

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_CONNECTIONS_FOR_MOVEMENT}}
| Caste
|
| Creature doesn't require connected body parts to move{{verify}}; generally used on undead creatures with connections that have rotted away.

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_DIZZINESS}}
| Caste
|
| Creature cannot become [[Symptom#Dizziness|dizzy]].

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_DRINK}}
| Caste
|
| Creature does not need to drink.

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_EAT}}
| Caste
|
| Creature does not need to [[food|eat]].

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_FEVERS}}
| Caste
|
| Creature cannot suffer [[Symptom#Fever|fevers]].

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_GENDER}}
| Caste
|
| The creature is biologically sexless, making it unable to [[breeding|breed]].

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_PHYS_ATT_GAIN}}
| Caste
|
| The creature cannot raise any [[Attribute#Body_attributes|physical attributes]].

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_PHYS_ATT_RUST}}
| Caste
|
| The creature cannot lose any [[Attribute#Body_attributes|physical attributes]].

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_SLEEP}}
| Caste
|
| Creature does not need to sleep, but can still be rendered unconscious by other means.

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_SPRING}}
| Caste
|
| The creature caste does not appear in [[Calendar|spring]].

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_SUMMER}}
| Caste
|
| The creature caste does not appear in [[Calendar|summer]].

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_THOUGHT_CENTER_FOR_MOVEMENT}}
| Caste
|
| The bodyparts of this creature don't need to be connected to an organ with the {{token|THOUGHT|body}} tag in order to have motor function. Generally used on creatures that don't have brains. If a creature doesn't have a thought part and doesn't have this token, it will be unable to grasp or stand. Nautilus men experience this issue in vanilla.

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_UNIT_TYPE_COLOR}}
| Caste
|
| Prevents creature from selecting its color based on its profession (e.g. Miner, Hunter, Wrestler).

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_VEGETATION_PERTURB}}
| Caste{{Verify}}
|
| Likely prevents the creature from leaving broken vegetation tracks.{{Verify}}

|-
| {{text anchor|NO_WINTER}}
| Caste
|
| The creature caste does not appear in [[Calendar|winter]].

|-
| {{text anchor|NOBONES}}
| Caste
|
| Creature cannot be picked up for worldgen fell moods and cannot be made a skeleton deity.

|-
| {{text anchor|NOBREATHE}}
| Caste
|
| Creature doesn't need to breathe or have {{token|BREATHE|body}}parts in its body, nor can it drown or be strangled. Creatures living in magma must have this tag, otherwise they will drown.

|-
| {{text anchor|NOCTURNAL}}
| Caste
|
| When set, the creature will only appear at night (after 10:05 PM and before 4:30 AM) in [[Adventurer mode]].

|-
| {{text anchor|NOEMOTION}}
| Caste
|
| Creature has no emotions, thus; it is immune to the effects of [[stress]] and unable to rage, and its [[need]]s cannot be fulfilled in any way. Used on [[undead]] in the vanilla game.

|-
| {{text anchor|NOEXERT}}
| Caste
|
| Creature can't become tired or over-exerted from taking too many combat actions, or moving at full speed for extended periods of time.

|-
| {{text anchor|NOFEAR}}
| Caste
|
| Creature doesn't feel fear and will never flee from battle, and will be immune to [[ghost]]s' attempts to 'scare it to death'. Additionally, it causes [[bogeyman|bogeymen]] and [[nightmare]]s to become friendly towards the creature.

|-
| {{text anchor|NOMEAT}}
| Caste
|
| Creature will not be hunted or fed to wild beasts.

|-
| {{text anchor|NONAUSEA}}
| Caste
|
| Creature isn't nauseated by gut hits and cannot vomit.

|-
| {{text anchor|NOPAIN}}
| Caste
|
| Creature doesn't feel pain.

|-
| {{text anchor|NOSKIN}}
| Caste
|
| Creature will not drop a hide when [[butcher|butchered]].

|-
| {{text anchor|NOSKULL}}
| Caste
|
| Creature will not drop a skull on butchering, rot, or decay of severed head.

|-
| {{text anchor|NOSMELLYROT}}
| Caste
|
| Does not produce [[miasma]] when rotting.

|-
| {{text anchor|NOSTUCKINS}}
| Caste
|
| Weapons can't get stuck in the creature.

|-
| {{text anchor|NOSTUN}}
| Caste
|
| Creature can't be stunned and knocked unconscious by pain or head injuries. Creatures with this tag never wake up from sleep in Fortress Mode. If this creature needs to sleep while playing, it will die.

|-
| {{text anchor|NOT_BUTCHERABLE}}
| Caste
|
| Corpses from this creature cannot be [[butcher|butchered]]. Does not prevent the creature from being slaughtered while alive, however.

|-
| {{text anchor|NOT_LIVING}}
| Caste
|
| Cannot be raised from the dead by necromancers or evil clouds. Implies the creature is not a normal living being. Used by [[vampire]]s, [[Mummy|mummies]] and inorganic creatures like the [[amethyst man]] and [[bronze colossus]]. Creatures who are {{token|OPPOSED_TO_LIFE|c}} (undead) will be docile towards creatures with this token.

|-
| {{text anchor|NOTHOUGHT}}
| Caste
|
| Creature doesn't require a {{token|THOUGHT|body}} body part to survive. Has the added effect of preventing speech, though directly controlling creatures that would otherwise be capable of speaking allows them to engage in conversation.
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==O==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|ODOR_LEVEL}}
| Caste
|
*number
| How easy the creature is to [[smell]]. The higher the number, the easier the creature is to sniff out. Defaults to 50. Vanilla creatures have values from 0 (undetectable) to 90 (noticeable by humans and dwarves).

|-
| {{text anchor|ODOR_STRING}}
| Caste
|
*string
| What the creature [[smell]]s like. If no odor string is defined, the creature name (not the caste name) is used.

|-
| {{text anchor|OPPOSED_TO_LIFE}}
| Caste
|
| Is hostile to all creatures except undead and other non-living ones and will show {{DFtext|Opposed to life|0:1}} in the [[unit list]]. Used by [[undead]] in the vanilla game. Functions without the {{token|NOT_LIVING|c}} token, and seems to imply said token as well. Undead will not be hostile to otherwise-living creatures given this token. Living creatures given this token will attack living creatures that lack it, while ignoring other living creatures that also have this token.

|-
| {{text anchor|ORIENTATION}}
| Caste
|
*MALE/FEMALE
*disinterested chance
*casual chance
*strong chance
| Determines caste's likelihood of having sexual attraction to certain sexes. Values default to 75:20:5 for the same sex and 5:20:75 for the opposite sex. The first value indicates how likely to be entirely uninterested in the sex, the second decides if the creature will be able to become lovers with that sex, the third decides whether they will be able to marry in worldgen and post-worldgen world activities (which implies being able to become lovers). Marriage seems to be able to happen in fort mode play regardless, as long as they are lovers first.

|-
| {{text anchor|OUTSIDER_CONTROLLABLE}}
| Caste
|
| Lets you play as an [[Adventurer_mode_character_creation#Outsider|outsider]] of this species in adventure mode.

|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==P==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|PACK_ANIMAL}}
| Caste
|
| Allows the creature to be used as a pack animal. Used by [[trading|merchants]] without wagons and adventurers. Also prevents creature from dropping hauled items on its own -- do ''not'' use for player-controllable creatures! May lead to the creature being domesticated during worldgen, even if it doesn't have {{token|COMMON_DOMESTIC|c}}.

Creatures with this tag but without {{token|BENIGN|c}}, and/or with {{token|LARGE_PREDATOR|c}} leads to hauled items being dropped.

|-
| {{text anchor|PARALYZEIMMUNE}}
| Caste
|
| The creature is immune to all [[Syndrome#CE_PARALYSIS|paralyzing]] special attacks.

|-
| {{text anchor|PATTERNFLIER}}
| Caste
|
| Used to control the bat riders with paralyze-dart blowguns that flew through the 2D chasm. Doesn't do anything now.

|-
| {{text anchor|PCG_LAYERING}}
| Creature
|
*[[Procedural graphics layer|Layering type]]
| Adds a layer to the current {{token|PROCEDURAL_CREATURE_GRAPHICS|c}} definition.

|-
| {{text anchor|PEARL}}
| Caste
|
| [[Pearl|Does nothing]].

|-
| {{text anchor|PENETRATEPOWER}}
| Caste
|
*value
| Controls the ability of [[vermin]] to find a way into containers when they are eating food from your stockpiles.

Objects made of most materials (e.g. metal) roll a number from 0-100, and if the resulting number is greater than the penetrate power, their contents escape for the time being. Objects made of [[wood]], [[leather]], [[amber]], or [[coral]] roll 0-95, and items made of [[cloth]] roll 0-90.

|-
| {{text anchor|PERSONALITY}}
| Caste
|
*ATTRIBUTE
*lowest
*median
*highest
| Determines the range and chance of personality facets. Standard is 0:50:100. See [[personality facet]] for more info.

|-
| {{text anchor|PET}}
| Caste
|
| Allows the creature to be [[Animal_trainer|tamed]] in Fortress mode. Prerequisite for all other working animal roles. Civilizations that encounter it in worldgen will tame and domesticate it for their own use. Adding this to civilization members will classify them as pets instead of citizens, with all the [[Fun|problems]] that entails. However, you can solve these problems using the popular plugin [https://dffd.bay12games.com/file.php?id=13095| Dwarf Therapist], which is completely unaffected by the tag.

|-
| {{text anchor|PET_EXOTIC}}
| Caste
|
| Allows the creature to be [[Animal_trainer|tamed]] in Fortress mode. Prequisite for all other working animal roles. Civilizations cannot domesticate it in worldgen, with certain exceptions. More difficult to tame?{{verify}} Adding this to civilization members will classify them as pets instead of citizens, with all the [[Fun|problems]] that entails. ([[Gremlin|Example]]).

|-
| {{text anchor|PETVALUE}}
| Caste
|
*value
| How valuable a tamed animal is. Actual cost in points in the embarking screen is 1+(PETVALUE/2) for an untrained animal, 1+PETVALUE for a war/hunting one.

|-
| {{text anchor|PETVALUE_DIVISOR}}
| Caste
|
*value
| Divides the creature's {{token|PETVALUE|c}} by the specified number. Used by [[honey bee]]s to prevent a single hive from being worth a fortune.

|-
| {{text anchor|PHYS_ATT_CAP_PERC}}
| Caste
|
*[[Attribute|ATTRIBUTE]] Token
*Cap %
|Default is 200. This means you can increase your attribute to 200% of its starting value (or the average value + your starting value if that is higher).

|-
| {{text anchor|PHYS_ATT_RANGE}}
| Caste
|
*[[Attribute|ATTRIBUTE]]
*lowest
*lower
*low
*median
*high
*higher
*highest
| Sets up a [[Attribute#Body_attributes|physical attribute]]'s range of values (0-5000). All physical attribute ranges default to 200:700:900:1000:1100:1300:2000.

|-
| {{text anchor|PHYS_ATT_RATES}}
| Caste
|
*[[Attribute|ATTRIBUTE]] Token
*cost to improve
*unused counter rate
*rust counter rate
*demotion counter rate
| [[Attribute#Body_attributes|Physical attribute]] gain/decay rates. Lower numbers in the last three slots make decay occur faster. Defaults for STRENGTH, AGILITY, TOUGHNESS, and ENDURANCE are 500:3:4:3, while RECUPERATION and DISEASE_RESISTANCE default to 500:NONE:NONE:NONE.

|-
| {{text anchor|PLUS_BP_GROUP}}
| Caste
|
*BY_TYPE, BY_CATEGORY, or BY_TOKEN
*body type, category, or token
| Adds a body part group to selected body part group. Presumably used immediately after {{token|SET_BP_GROUP|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|PLUS_MATERIAL}}
| Creature
|
*material
| Adds a material to selected materials. Used immediately after {{token|SELECT_MATERIAL|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|POP_RATIO}}
| Caste
|
*number (max 100000)
| Weighted population of caste; Lower is rarer. Not to be confused with {{token|FREQUENCY|c}}. A weight of 0 will{{version|51.06 experimental}} prevent a caste from spawning naturally. Regardless of pop ratio, [[Position token|Position]]s that only allow a certain caste can force it to spawn.

|-
| {{text anchor|POPULATION_NUMBER}}
| Creature
|
*min
*max
| The minimum/maximum numbers of how many of these creatures are present in each world map tile of the appropriate region. Defaults to 1:1 if not specified. If the creature's chosen {{token|CLUSTER_NUMBER|c}} happens to be larger, it will be used instead.

|-
| {{text anchor|POWER}}
| Caste
|
| Allows the being to represent itself as a deity, allowing it to become the leader of a civilized group. Not used by any creatures in the vanilla game. Requires {{token|CAN_SPEAK|c}} to actually do anything more than settle at a location (e.g. write books, lead armies, profane temples). Doesn't appear to do anything for creatures that are already civilized. Once the creature ascends to a position of leadership, it will proceed to act as a standard ruler for their entity and fulfill the same functions (hold tournaments, tame creatures, etc.).

|-
| {{text anchor|PREFSTRING}}
| Creature
|
*string
| Sets what other creatures [[Preferences|prefer]] about this creature. "Urist likes dwarves for their beards." Multiple entries will be chosen from at random. Creatures lacking a PREFSTRING token will never appear under another's preferences.

|-
| {{text anchor|PROCEDURAL_CREATURE_GRAPHICS}}
| Creature
|
* [[Graphics_token#Basic_creature_sprite_types|Sprite type]] or Caste then sprite type
| Makes the creature have procedural graphics built for it, like forgotten beasts/demons/titans/experiments. Must be associated with PCG_LAYERING tokens.

|-
| {{text anchor|PROFESSION_NAME}}
| Creature
|
*[[Unit type token]] (Profession)
*singular
*plural
| The generic name for members of this profession, at the creature level. In order to give members of specific castes different names for professions, use {{token|CASTE_PROFESSION_NAME|c}} instead.

|-
| {{text anchor|PRONE_TO_RAGE}}
| Caste
|
*Chance
| Creature has a percentage chance to flip out at visible non-friendly creatures. Enraged creatures attack anything regardless of timidity and get a strength bonus to their hits. This is what makes [[badger]]s so hardcore.

|-
| {{text anchor|PUS}}
| Caste
|
* <[[material token]]>
* <[[Material_definition_token#Material_States|material state]]>
| The creature has pus. Specifies the stuff secreted by [[Health_care#Infection|infected wounds]].
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==R==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|RELSIZE}}
| Caste
|
*BY_CATEGORY, BY_TYPE, BY_TOKEN
*body category, type, or token
*Relsize
| Specifies a new relative size for a part than what is stated in the body plan. For example, dwarves have larger livers.

|-
| {{text anchor|REMAINS}}
| Caste
|
*singular
*plural
| What the creature's [[remains]] are called.

|-
| {{text anchor|REMAINS_COLOR}}
| Caste
|
| What color the creature's [[remains]] are.

|-
| {{text anchor|REMAINS_ON_VERMIN_BITE_DEATH}}
| Caste
|
| Goes with {{token|VERMIN_BITE|c}} and {{token|DIE_WHEN_VERMIN_BITE|c}}, the vermin creature will leave remains on death when biting. Leaving this tag out will cause the creature to disappear entirely after it bites.

|-
| {{text anchor|REMAINS_UNDETERMINED}}
| Caste
|
| Nothing.

|-
| {{text anchor|REMOVE_MATERIAL}}
| Creature
|
*material token
| Removes a material from the creature.

|-
| {{text anchor|REMOVE_TISSUE}}
| Creature
|
*tissue token
| Removes a tissue from the creature.

|-
| {{text anchor|RETRACT_INTO_BP}}
| Caste
|
*BY_TYPE, BY_CATEGORY or BY_TOKEN
*body type, [[Body_token#CATEGORY|category]], or [[Body_token#BP|token]]
*Second person ("You") retract verb text
*Third person ("The giant snail") retract verb text
*Second person cancel retract text
*Third person cancel retract text
| The creature will retract into the specified body part(s) when threatened. It will be unable to move or attack, but enemies will only be able to attack the specified body part(s). When one of the specified body part is severed off, the creature automatically unretracts and cannot retract anymore. More than one body part can be selected by using BY_TYPE or BY_CATEGORY.

Second-person descriptions are used for adventurer mode natural ability. "<pro_pos>" can be used in the descriptions, being replaced with the proper pronoun (or lack thereof) in-game.

Undead curled up creatures are buggy, specifically those that retract into their upper bodies: [[echidna]]s, [[hedgehog]]s and [[pangolin]]s.{{bug|11463}}{{bug|10519}} The upper body is prevented from collapsing by a separate body part (the middle spine), which cannot be attacked when the creature is retracted. See {{token|PREVENTS_PARENT_COLLAPSE|bo}}. Living creatures eventually succumb to blood loss, but undead creatures do not. Giant creatures also take a very long time to bleed out.
|-
| {{text anchor|RETURNS_VERMIN_KILLS_TO_OWNER}}
| Creature
|
| Cat behavior. If it kills a vermin creature and has an owner, it carries the remains in its mouth and drops them at their feet. Requires {{token|HUNTS_VERMIN|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|ROOT_AROUND}}
| Caste
|
*BY_TYPE, BY_CATEGORY or BY_TOKEN
*body type, [[Body_token#CATEGORY|category]], or [[Body_token#BP|token]]
*Second person ("You") verb text
*Third person ("The hen") verb text
| Creature will occasionally root around in the grass, looking for insects. Used for flavor in Adventurer Mode, spawns vermin edible for this creature in Fortress Mode. Creatures missing the specified body part will be unable to perform this action. The action produces a message (visible in adventure mode) in the form:

{{DFtext|[creature] [verb text] the [description of creature's location].|6:0}}

In adventure mode, the "rooting around" ability will be included in the "natural abilities" menu, represented by its second person verb text.

|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==S==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|SAVAGE}}
| Creature
|
| The creature will only show up in "savage" biomes. Has no effect on cavern creatures. Cannot be combined with {{token|GOOD|c}} or {{token|EVIL|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|SECRETION}}
| Caste
|
*<[[material token]]>
*<[[Material_definition_token#Material_States|material state]]>
*BY_TOKEN / BY_CATEGORY / BY_TYPE
*<[[Body_token#BP|body part ID]]> / <[[Body_token#CATEGORY|category]]> or ALL / <type (e.g. [[Body_token#GRASP|GRASP]])>
*<[[Body_detail_plan_token#BP_LAYERS|tissue layer]]> or ALL
*<trigger>
| Causes the specified tissue layer(s) of the indicated body part(s) to secrete the designated material. A size 100 ('covering') [[contaminant]] is created over the affected body part(s) in its specified material state (and at the temperature appropriate to this state) when the trigger condition is met, as long as one of the secretory tissue layers is still intact. Valid triggers are:
*'''CONTINUOUS'''
Secretion occurs once every 40 [[time|ticks]] in [[fortress mode]], and every tick in [[adventurer mode]].
*'''EXERTION'''
Secretion occurs continuously (at the rate described above) whilst the creature is at minimum {{Tile|Tired|6:1}} following physical exertion. Note that this cannot occur if the creature has {{token|NOEXERT|c}}.
*'''EXTREME_EMOTION'''
Secretion occurs continuously (as above) whilst the creature is distressed. Cannot occur in creatures with {{token|NOEMOTION|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|SELECT_ADDITIONAL_CASTE}}
| Creature
|
*<caste>
| Adds an additional previously defined caste to the selection. Used after {{token|SELECT_CASTE|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|SELECT_CASTE}}
| Creature
|
*<caste> or ALL
| Selects a previously defined caste

|-
| {{text anchor|SELECT_MATERIAL}}
| Creature
|
*<[[material token]]>
| Selects a locally defined material. Can be ALL.

|-
| {{text anchor|SELECT_TISSUE}}
| Creature
|
*tissue token
| Selects a tissue for editing.

|-
| {{text anchor|SEMIMEGABEAST}}
| Caste
|
| Essentially the same as {{token|MEGABEAST|c}}, but more of them are created during worldgen. See the [[semi-megabeast]] page for details.

|-
| {{text anchor|SENSE_CREATURE_CLASS}}
| Caste
|
* <[[Creature_token#CREATURE_CLASS|creature class]]>
* [[Tilesets|<tile value or character>]]
* [[Color#Color_values|<foreground color>:<background color>:<foreground brightness>]]
| Gives the creature the ability to sense creatures belonging to the specified [[Creature_token#CREATURE_CLASS|creature class]] even when they lie far beyond line of sight, including through walls and floors. It also appears to reduce or negate the combat penalty of [[Wound#Blindness|blind]] units when fighting creatures they can sense. In [[adventure mode]], the specified tile will be used to represent sensed creatures when they cannot be seen directly.

|-
| {{text anchor|SET_BP_GROUP}}
| Caste
|
*selection criteria BY_TYPE, BY_CATEGORY, BY_TOKEN
*category, type, or token
| Begins a selection of body parts.

|-
| {{text anchor|SKILL_LEARN_RATE}}
| Caste
|
*<[[skill_token]]>
*<percentage>
| The rate at which this creature learns this skill. Requires {{token|CAN_LEARN|c}} or {{token|INTELLIGENT|c}} to function.

|-
| {{text anchor|SKILL_LEARN_RATES}}
| Caste
|
*<percentage>
| The rate at which this creature learns all skills. Requires {{token|CAN_LEARN|c}} or {{token|INTELLIGENT|c}} to function.

|-
| {{text anchor|SKILL_RATE}}
| Caste
|
*[[skill_token]]
*<% of improvement points gained>
*<unused counter rate>
*<rust counter rate>
*<demotion counter rate>
| Like {{token|SKILL_RATES|c}}, but applies to individual skills instead. Requires {{token|CAN_LEARN|c}} or {{token|INTELLIGENT|c}} to function.

|-
| {{text anchor|SKILL_RATES}}
| Caste
|
*<% of improvement points gained>
*<unused counter rate>
*<rust counter rate>
*<demotion counter rate>
| Affects skill gain and decay. Lower numbers in the last three slots make decay occur faster ([SKILL_RATES:100:1:1:1] would cause rapid decay). The counter rates may also be replaced with NONE.
Default is [SKILL_RATES:100:8:16:16]. Requires {{token|CAN_LEARN|c}} or {{token|INTELLIGENT|c}} to function.

|-
| {{text anchor|SKILL_RUST_RATE}}
| Caste
|
*[[skill_token]]
*value
*value
*value
| The rate at which this skill decays. Lower values cause the skill to decay faster. Requires {{token|CAN_LEARN|c}} or {{token|INTELLIGENT|c}} to function.

|-
| {{text anchor|SKILL_RUST_RATES}}
| Caste
|
*value
*value
*value
| The rate at which all skills decay. Lower values cause the skills to decay faster. Requires {{token|CAN_LEARN|c}} or {{token|INTELLIGENT|c}} to function.

|-
| {{text anchor|SLAIN_CASTE_SPEECH}}
| Caste
|
*[[Speech file|text set]]
| Caste-specific {{token|SLAIN_SPEECH|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|SLAIN_SPEECH}}
| Creature
|
*[[Speech file|text set]]
| Boasting speeches relating to killing this creature. Examples include [[text_dwarf.txt/raw|text_dwarf.txt]] (<code>[SLAIN_SPEECH:SLAIN_DWARF]</code>) and text_elf.txt (<code>[SLAIN_SPEECH:SLAIN_ELF]</code>) in data\vanilla\vanilla_creatures\objects.

|-
| {{text anchor|SLOW_LEARNER}}
| Caste
|
| Allows the creature to learn skills without making the creature be considered sapient, though only at half of the normal rate (equivalent to {{token|SKILL_LEARN_RATES|c|50}}). All creatures that use this token in vanilla use it alongside {{token|CAN_LEARN|c}}, so it is not well known what it does by itself. Used by a number of 'primitive' creatures (like [[ogre]]s, [[giant]]s and [[troglodyte]]s) in the vanilla game. Prevents a player from recruiting nobility, even basic ones. (clarify?) Creatures with this token combined with {{token|EVIL|c}} can become domesticated by civilizations with {{token|USE_EVIL_ANIMALS|e}}, as seen commonly with goblin civilizations domesticating [[troll]]s.

|-
| {{text anchor|SMALL_REMAINS}}
| Caste
|
| Creature leaves "[[item token#REMAINS|remains]]" instead of a corpse. Used by [[vermin]].

|-
| {{text anchor|SMELL_TRIGGER}}
| Caste
|
*value
| Determines how keen a creature's sense of smell is - lower is better. At 10000, a creature cannot smell at all.

|-
| {{text anchor|SOLDIER_ALTTILE}}
| Creature
|
*'character' or tile number
| If this creature is active in its civilization's military, it will blink between its default tile and this one.

|-
| {{text anchor|SOUND}}
| Caste
|
* Sound application (currently accepts ALERT or PEACEFUL_INTERMITTENT)
* Sound range (in tiles)
* Sound delay (lower values = sound is produced more often)
* VOCALIZATION or NONE (determines whether the sound requires breathing or not)
* First-person description
* Third-person description
* Description when out of sight
| Creature makes sounds periodically, which can be heard in Adventure mode.
* First-person reads "You '''bark'''"
* Third-person reads "The [[capybara]] '''barks'''"
* Out of sight reads "You hear '''a loud bark'''"
with the text in bold being the description arguments of the token.

|-
| {{text anchor|SOURCE_HFID}}
| Creature
|
*Integer
| Found on generated [[angel]]s. This is the historical figure ID of the deity with which the angel is associated. Since HFIDs are not predictable before worldgen, this isn't terribly usable in non-lua mods.

|-
| {{text anchor|SPECIFIC_FOOD}}
| Caste
|
* PLANT or CREATURE
* Plant/creature ID
| Creature will only appear in biomes with this plant or creature available. Grazers given a specific type of grass (such as [[panda]]s and [[bamboo]]) will only eat that grass and nothing else, risking starvation if there's none available.

|-
| {{text anchor|SPHERE}}
| Creature
|
* [[Sphere#Available_spheres|sphere]]
| Sets what religious spheres the creature is aligned to, for purposes of being worshipped via the {{token|POWER|c}} token. Affects the creature's name. Creatures with spheres opposed to Death (ie: HEALING, LONGEVITY, YOUTH) will be much less likely to pursue the secrets of life and death.

|-
| {{text anchor|SPOUSE_CONVERSION_TARGET}}
| Caste
|
| This creature can be converted by a night creature with {{token|SPOUSE_CONVERTER|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|SPOUSE_CONVERTER}}
| Caste
|
| If the creature has the {{token|NIGHT_CREATURE_HUNTER|c}} tag, it will kidnap {{token|SPOUSE_CONVERSION_TARGET|c}}s and transform them into the caste of its species with the {{token|CONVERTED_SPOUSE|c}} tag during worldgen. It may also start families this way.

|-
| {{text anchor|SPREAD_EVIL_SPHERES_IF_RULER}}
| Caste
|
| If the creature rules over a [[site]], it will cause the local landscape to be corrupted into [[Surroundings#Evil|evil surroundings]] associated with the creature's [[Creature_token#SPHERE|sphere]]s. The creature must have at least one of the following [[sphere]]s for this to take effect: BLIGHT, DEATH, DISEASE, DEFORMITY, NIGHTMARES. The first three kill vegetation, while the others sometimes do. The last two get [[Plant_token#EVIL|evil plants]] and [[Creature_token#EVIL|evil animals]] sometimes. NIGHTMARES gets [[bogeyman|bogeymen]]. [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=169696.msg8162224#msg8162224] Used by [[demon]]s in the vanilla game.

|-
| {{text anchor|STANCE_CLIMBER}}
| Caste
|
| Caste does not require <code>[[Body_token#GRASP|[GRASP]]]</code> body parts to climb -- it can climb with <code>[[Body_token#STANCE|[STANCE]]]</code> parts instead.

|-
| {{text anchor|STANDARD_GRAZER}}
| Caste
|
| Acts as {{token|GRAZER|c}} but set to 20000*G*(max size)^(-3/4), where G defaults to 100 but can be set in d_init, and the whole thing is trapped between 150 and 3 million. Used for all grazers in the default creature raws.

|-
| {{text anchor|STRANGE_MOODS}}
| Caste
|
| The creature will get [[strange mood]]s in fortress mode and can produce artifacts.

|-
| {{text anchor|SUPERNATURAL}}
| Caste
|
| Gives the creature knowledge of any secrets with <code>[[Interaction_token#IS_SECRET|[SUPERNATURAL_LEARNING_POSSIBLE]]]</code> that match its [[Creature_token#SPHERE|spheres]] and also prevents it from becoming a [[vampire]] or [[werebeast]]. Other effects are unknown.

|-
| {{text anchor|SWIMS_INNATE}}
| Caste
|
| The creature naturally knows how to swim perfectly and does not use the [[swimmer]] skill, as opposed to {{token|SWIMS_LEARNED|c}} below. However, Fortress mode AI never paths into water anyway, so it's less useful there.

|-
| {{text anchor|SWIMS_LEARNED}}
| Caste
|
| The creature swims only as well as their present [[Swimmer|swimming skill]] allows them to.

|-
| {{text anchor|SYNDROME_DILUTION_FACTOR}}
| Caste
| <[[Syndrome#SYN_IDENTIFIER|syndrome identifier]]>:<percentage>
| Dilutes the effects of syndromes which have the specified identifier. A percentage of 100 is equal to the regular syndrome effect severity, higher percentages reduce severity.
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==T==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|TENDONS}}
| Caste
|
* [[material token]]
*healing rate
| The creature has tendons in its {{token|CONNECTIVE_TISSUE_ANCHOR|td}} tissues (bone or chitin by default). Cutting the bone/chitin tissue severs the tendons, disabling motor function if the target is a limb.

|-
| {{text anchor|THICKWEB}}
| Caste
|
| The creature's [[web]]s can catch larger creatures.

|-
| {{text anchor|TISSUE}}
| Creature
|
*name
| Begins defining a tissue in the creature file. Follow this with standard tissue definition tokens to define the tissue properties.

|-
| {{text anchor|TISSUE_LAYER}}
| Caste
|
*BY_TYPE, BY_CATEGORY, BY_TOKEN
*TYPE,CATEGORY, or TOKEN
*TISSUE
*LOCATION
| Adds the tissue layer to wherever it is required.
Non-argument Locations can be FRONT, RIGHT, LEFT, TOP, BOTTOM. Argument locations are AROUND and CLEANS, requiring a further body part and a % of coverage/cleansing

|-
| {{text anchor|TISSUE_LAYER_OVER}}
| Caste
|
*BY_TYPE, BY_CATEGORY, BY_TOKEN
*TYPE,CATEGORY, or TOKEN
*TISSUE
*LOCATION
| Alias for TISSUE_LAYER

|-
| {{text anchor|TISSUE_LAYER_UNDER}}
| Caste
|
*BY_TYPE, BY_CATEGORY, BY_TOKEN
*TYPE,CATEGORY, or TOKEN
*TISSUE
| Adds the tissue layer under a given part.
For example, an [[iron man]] has a gaseous poison within, and this tissue (GAS is its name) has the token [TISSUE_LEAKS] and its state is GAS, so when you puncture the iron outside and damage this tissue it leaks gas (can have a syndrome by using a previous one in the creature sample.) [TISSUE_LAYER_UNDER:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:{tissue}] {tissue} is what will be under the TISSUE_LAYER; here is an example Tissue from the Iron Man: 
[TISSUE:GAS] [TISSUE_NAME:gas:NP] [TISSUE_MATERIAL:LOCAL_CREATURE_MAT:GAS] [TISSUE_MAT_STATE:GAS] [RELATIVE_THICKNESS:50] [TISSUE_LEAKS] [TISSUE_SHAPE:LAYER]

|-
| {{text anchor|TITAN}}
| Caste
|
| Found on [[titan]]s. Cannot be specified in user-defined raws.

|-
| {{text anchor|TRADE_CAPACITY}}
| Caste
|
*number
| How much the creature can carry when used by merchants. 1000 by default. Completely ignored if the animal does not also have PACK_ANIMAL or WAGON, instead using BODY_SIZE^(2/3)/20, even if they're a pack animal due to ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PACK_ANIMAL.

|-
| {{text anchor|TRAINABLE}}
| Caste
|
| Shortcut for {{token|TRAINABLE_HUNTING|c}} + {{token|TRAINABLE_WAR|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|TRAINABLE_HUNTING}}
| Caste
|
| Can be [[Animal trainer|trained]] as a hunting beast, increasing speed.

|-
| {{text anchor|TRAINABLE_WAR}}
| Caste
|
| Can be [[Animal trainer|trained]] as a war beast, increasing strength and endurance.

|-
| {{text anchor|TRANCES}}
| Caste
|
| Allows the creature to go into [[martial trance]]s. Used by dwarves in the vanilla game.

|-
| {{text anchor|TRAPAVOID}}
| Caste
|
| The creature will never trigger [[trap]]s it steps on. Used by a [[Trapavoid|number of creatures]]. Doesn't make the creature immune to remotely activated traps (like retractable spikes being triggered while the creature is standing over them). TRAPAVOID creatures lose this power if they're immobilized while standing in a trap, be it by stepping on thick web, being paralyzed or being knocked unconscious.

|-
| {{text anchor|TRIGGERABLE_GROUP}}
| Creature
|
*min
*max
| A large swarm of vermin can be disturbed, usually in adventurer mode.

|-
| {{text anchor|TSU_NOUN}}
| Caste
|
*noun
*SINGULAR or PLURAL
| Noun for the {{token|TISSUE_STYLE_UNIT|c}}, used in the description of the tissue layer's style.
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==U==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|UBIQUITOUS}}
| Creature
|
| Creature will occur in every region with the correct biome. Does not apply to {{token|EVIL|c}}/{{token|GOOD|c}} tags. Supersedes {{token|FREQUENCY|c}} for the purposes of distributing populations through the map, they are present in every part of the valid biome. Respects {{token|FREQUENCY|c}} for the frequency of unit [[Creature token#CLUSTER_NUMBER|cluster]] spawns being of this species.

|-
| {{text anchor|UNDERGROUND_DEPTH}}
| Creature
|
*mindepth
*maxdepth
| Depth that the creature appears underground. Numbers can be from 0 to 5. 0 is actually 'above ground' and can be used if the creature is to appear both above and below ground. Values from 1-3 are the respective [[cavern]] levels, 4 is the [[magma sea]] and 5 is the [[HFS]]. A single argument may be used instead of min and max. [[Demon]]s use only 5:5; user-defined creatures with both this depth and {{token|FLIER}} will take part in the initial wave from the HFS alongside generated demons, but without {{token|FLIER}} they will only spawn from the map edges. Civilizations that can use underground plants or animals will only export (via the embark screen or caravans) things that are available at depth 1.

|-
| {{text anchor|UNDERSWIM}}
| Caste
|
| The creature is displayed as blue when in [[Water#Depth|7/7 water]]. Used on fish and amphibious creatures which swim under the water.

|-
| {{text anchor|UNIQUE_DEMON}}
| Caste
|
| Found on generated [[demon]]s; causes the game to create a single named instance of the demon, per caste, which will emerge from the underworld and take over civilizations during worldgen.

|-
| {{text anchor|USE_CASTE}}
| Creature
|
*new caste token
*old caste token
| Defines a new caste derived directly from a previous caste. The new caste inherits all properties of the old one. The effect of this tag is automatic if one has not yet defined any castes: "Any caste-level tag that occurs before castes are explicitly declared is saved up and placed on any caste that is declared later, unless the caste is explicitly derived from another caste."
Roostre: "When DF detects duplicate tokens in the raws of the same object, a failsafe seems to kick in; it takes the bottom-most of the duplicates, and disregards the others. In the case of tokens added by a mod, it prioritizes the duplicate in the mod." This means that if a tag is defined in the base-caste and redefined in the derived caste, the derived tag overwrites the base tag.

|-
| {{text anchor|USE_MATERIAL}}
| Creature
|
*new material ID
*old material ID
| Defines a new local creature material and populates it with all properties defined in the specified local creature material. A maximum of 200 materials can be defined on any given creature.

|-
| {{text anchor|USE_MATERIAL_TEMPLATE}}
| Creature
|
*new material token
*material template
| Defines a new local creature material and populates it with all properties defined in the specified template. A maximum of 200 materials can be defined on any given creature.

|-
| {{text anchor|USE_TISSUE}}
| Creature
|
*new tissue token
*old tissue id
| Defines a new local creature tissue and populates it with all properties defined in the local tissue specified in the second argument.

|-
| {{text anchor|USE_TISSUE_TEMPLATE}}
| Creature
|
*new tissue token
*tissue template
| Loads a tissue template listed in OBJECT:TISSUE_TEMPLATE files, such as tissue_template_default.txt.

|-
| {{text anchor|UTTERANCES}}
| Creature
|
| Changes the language of the creature into unintelligible 'kobold-speak', which creatures of other species will be unable to understand. If a civilized creature has this and is not part of a {{token|SKULKING|e}} civ, it will tend to start wars with all nearby civilizations and will be unable to make peace treaties due to 'inability to communicate'.
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==V==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|VEGETATION}}
| Caste
|
| Like {{token|AT_PEACE_WITH_WILDLIFE}}, but also makes the creature more valued in artwork by civilisations with the PLANT [[sphere]]. [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=169696.msg8316954#msg8316954] Used by [[grimeling]]s in the vanilla game.

|-
| {{text anchor|VERMIN_BITE}}
| Caste
|
*chance of occurrence{{verify}}
*verb (bitten, stung, etc.)
* [[material token]]
* [[Material_definition_token#Material_States|material state]]
| Enables vermin to bite other creatures, injecting the specified material. See {{token|SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT|c}} for details about injection - this token presumably works in a similar manner.{{verify}}

|-
| {{text anchor|VERMIN_EATER}}
| Creature
|
| The vermin creature will attempt to eat exposed food. See {{token|PENETRATEPOWER|c}}. Distinct from {{token|VERMIN_ROTTER|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|VERMIN_FISH}}
| Creature
|
| The vermin appears in [[water]] and will attempt to swim around. Required to catch the vermin with [[fishing]] or [[Fishery|capturing a live fish]].

|-
| {{text anchor|VERMIN_GROUNDER}}
| Creature
|
| The creature appears in "general" surface ground locations. Note that this doesn't stop the creature from flying if it can (most vermin birds have this tag).

|-
| {{text anchor|VERMIN_HATEABLE}}
| Caste
|
| Some dwarves will [[Preferences|hate]] the creature and get unhappy thoughts when around it. See the [[Hateable|list of hateable vermin]] for details.

|-
| {{text anchor|VERMIN_MICRO}}
| Caste
|
| This makes the creature move in a swarm of creatures of the same race as it (e.g. swarm of flies, swarm of ants).

|-
| {{text anchor|VERMIN_NOFISH}}
| Caste
|
| The creature cannot be caught by [[fishing]].

|-
| {{text anchor|VERMIN_NOROAM}}
| Caste
|
| The creature will not be observed randomly roaming about the map.

|-
| {{text anchor|VERMIN_NOTRAP}}
| Caste
|
| The creature cannot be caught in baited [[animal trap]]s; however, a "[[Trapper|catch live land animal]]" task may still be able to capture one if a dwarf finds one roaming around.

|-
| {{text anchor|VERMIN_ROTTER}}
| Creature
|
| The vermin are attracted to rotting stuff and loose food left in the open and cause unhappy thoughts to dwarves who encounter them. Present on flies, knuckle worms, acorn flies, and blood gnats.

|-
| {{text anchor|VERMIN_SOIL}}
| Creature
|
| The creature randomly appears near dirt or mud, and may be uncovered by creatures that have the {{token|ROOT_AROUND|c}} interaction such as [[goose|geese]] and [[chicken]]s. Dwarves will ignore the creature when given the "Capture live land animal" task.

|-
| {{text anchor|VERMIN_SOIL_COLONY}}
| Creature
|
| The vermin will appear in a single tile cluster of many vermin, such as a colony of ants.

|-
| {{text anchor|VERMINHUNTER}}
| Caste
|
| Old shorthand for "does cat stuff". Contains {{token|AT_PEACE_WITH_WILDLIFE|c}} + {{token|RETURNS_VERMIN_KILLS_TO_OWNER|c}} + {{token|HUNTS_VERMIN|c}} + {{token|ADOPTS_OWNER|c}}.

|-
| {{text anchor|VESPERTINE}}
| Caste
|
| When set, the creature will only appear in the evening (between 8:00 PM and 10:05 PM) in [[Adventurer mode]].

|-
| {{text anchor|VIEWRANGE}}
| Caste
|
*value
| Value should determine how close you have to get to a critter before it attacks (or prevents adv mode travel etc.) Default is 20.

|-
| {{text anchor|VISION_ARC}}
| Caste
|
*binocular vision arc
*non-binocular vision arc
| The width of the creature's vision arcs, in degrees (i.e. 0 to 360). The first number is binocular vision, the second is non-binocular vision. Binocular vision has a minimum of about 10 degrees, monocular, a maximum of about 350 degrees. Values past these limits will be accepted, but will default to ~10 degrees and ~350 degrees respectively. Defaults are 60:120.
|}

{{alphabetical TOC|style=margin: 1em auto;}}

==W==
{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|WAGON_PULLER}}
| Caste
|
| Allows the creature to pull caravan wagons. If a civilization doesn't have access to any, it is restricted to trading with pack animals.

|-
| {{text anchor|WEBBER}}
| Caste
|
* [[material token]]
| Allows the creature to create [[web]]s, and defines what the webs are made of.

|-
| {{text anchor|WEBIMMUNE}}
| Caste
|
| The creature will not get caught in thick [[web]]s. Used by creatures who can shoot thick webs (such as [[giant cave spider]]s) in order to make them immune to their own attacks.
|}

==Attack Tokens==

Attacks can use four different part selection criteria. Except for TISSUE_LAYER, the base game makes use of all of these in its attacks.

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Part type token
! width="30%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|BODYPART}}
|
* BY_TYPE/BY_TOKEN/BY_CATEGORY
* type/token/category
| This attack uses a particular body part; for example, ATTACK:PUNCH:BODYPART:BY_TYPE:GRASP will make it use any part that can hold onto an object.

|-
| {{text anchor|TISSUE_LAYER}}
|
* BY_TYPE/BY_TOKEN/BY_CATEGORY
* type/token/category
* tissue layer
| This attack uses a specific tissue layer on a specific body part; ATTACK:SCRATCH:TISSUE_LAYER:BY_TYPE:GRASP:BONE will make it use the bone of the hands.

|-
| {{text anchor|CHILD_BODYPART_GROUP}}
|
* BY_TYPE/BY_TOKEN/BY_CATEGORY
* type/token/category
* BY_TYPE/BY_TOKEN/BY_CATEGORY
* type/token/category
| Uses a body part that is subordinate to another; ATTACK:SLAP:CHILD_BODYPART_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:ARM_LOWER:BY_TYPE:GRASP will make it use every hand attached to each lower arm (so it will generate one attack per lower arm, each of which will use every hand on that arm, assuming there are multiple hands per arm).

|-
| {{text anchor|CHILD_TISSUE_LAYER_GROUP}}
|
* BY_TYPE/BY_TOKEN/BY_CATEGORY
* type/token/category
* BY_TYPE/BY_TOKEN/BY_CATEGORY
* type/token/category
* tissue layer
| As CHILD_BODYPART_GROUP, but specifying a tissue, too; ATTACK:BITE:CHILD_BODYPART_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:HEAD:BY_CATEGORY:TOOTH

|}

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_SKILL}}
| Caste
|
*[[Skill token]]
| Defines the skill used by the attack.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_VERB}}
| Caste
|
*2nd person
*3rd person
| Descriptive text for the attack.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_CONTACT_PERC}}
| Caste
|
*% value
| The contact area of the attack, measured in % of the body part's volume. Note that all attack percentages can be more than 100%.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_PENETRATION_PERC}}
| Caste
|
*% value
| The penetration value of the attack, measured in % of the body part's volume. Requires ATTACK_FLAG_EDGE. Maximum value: 15000.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_PRIORITY}}
| Caste
|
*MAIN or SECOND
| Usage frequency. MAIN attacks are 100 times more frequently chosen than SECOND. Opportunity attacks ignore this preference.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_VELOCITY_MODIFIER}}
| Caste
|
*number
| The velocity multiplier of the attack, multiplied by 1000.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_FLAG_CANLATCH}}
| Caste
|
| Attacks that damage tissue have the chance to latch on in a wrestling hold. The grabbing bodypart can then use the "shake around" wrestling move, causing severe, armor-bypassing tensile damage according to the attacker's body volume.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_FLAG_WITH}}
| Caste
|
| Displays the name of the body part used to perform an attack while announcing it, e.g. "The weaver punches the bugbat with his right hand".

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_FLAG_EDGE}}
| Caste
|
| The attack is edged, with all the effects on physical resistance and contact area that it entails.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_PREPARE_AND_RECOVER}}
| Caste
|
* Preparation time
* Recovery time
| Determines the length of time to prepare this attack and until one can perform this attack again. Values appear to be calculated in adventure mode ticks.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_FLAG_BAD_MULTIATTACK}}
| Caste
|
| Multiple strikes with this attack cannot be performed effectively.

|-
| {{text anchor|ATTACK_FLAG_INDEPENDENT_MULTIATTACK}}
| Caste
|
| Multiple strikes with this attack can be performed with no penalty. The creature will use all attacks with this token at once.

|-
| {{text anchor|SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT}}
| Caste
|
*<[[material token]]>
*<[[Material_definition_token#Material_States|material state]]>
*<min quantity>
*<max quantity>
| When added to an attack, causes the attack to inject the specified material into the victim's bloodstream. Once injected, the material will participate in [[temperature|thermal]] exchange within the creature - injecting something like molten [[iron]] (INORGANIC:IRON:LIQUID) would cause most unmodded creatures to melt (note that some of the injected material also [[contaminant|splatters]] over the bodypart used to carry out the attack, so it should be protected appropriately). If the injected material has an associated [[syndrome]] with the [[Syndrome#SYN_INJECTED|[SYN_INJECTED]]] token, it will be transmitted to the victim. If the attack is blunt, the injected material lacks the [[Material definition token#ENTERS_BLOOD|[ENTERS_BLOOD]]] token, the attacked bodypart has no [[Tissue_definition_token#VASCULAR|[VASCULAR]]] tissues, or the victim is bloodless, the material will splatter over the attacked body part instead.

|-
| {{text anchor|SPECIALATTACK_INTERACTION}}
| Caste
|
*interaction
| When this attack lands successfully, a specified interaction will take effect on the target creature. The attack must break the target creature's skin in order to work. This will take effect in worldgen as well. If the attack would break skin, the interaction will occur '''before the attack actually lands'''.

|-
| {{text anchor|SPECIALATTACK_SUCK_BLOOD}}
| Caste
|
*min
*max
| Successful attack draws out an amount of blood randomized between the min and max value. Beware that this '''will''' trigger any ingestion syndromes attached to the target creature's blood - for example, using this attack on a vampire will turn you into one too.
|}

==Tissue Layer Tokens==
Tissue layers are added to a creature's body parts by the creature tokens [[#TISSUE_LAYER|TISSUE_LAYER]], [[#TISSUE_LAYER_OVER|TISSUE_LAYER_OVER]], [[#TISSUE_LAYER_UNDER|TISSUE_LAYER_UNDER]], and the body detail plan token [[#TL_LAYERS|TL_LAYERS]].

These tissue layers are not the same thing as tissues, which are defined at creature level, but rather applications of the tissues. If the SKIN tissue of a creature is the more general and abstract notion of what skin is for that creature, then a tissue layer may be the "actual" skin on the creature's nose, head, or second toe. As most creatures have more than one body part, tissue layers are normally selected en masse.

Some tissue layer tokens are analogous to tissue definition tokens, e.g. [[#TL_CONNECTS|TL_CONNECTS]] to [[tissue_definition_token#CONNECTS|CONNECTS]].

{| {{prettytable}}
|- bgcolor="#ddd"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="10%" | Type
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="50%" | Description

|-
| {{text anchor|SELECT_TISSUE_LAYER}}
| Caste
|
*TISSUE
*BY_CATEGORY, BY_TYPE, BY_TOKEN
*Location - category, type, or token | Selects a tissue at a location
* (optional) FRONT, BACK, LEFT, RIGHT, TOP, BOTTOM, AROUND.
| Begins a selection of tissue layers.
[SELECT_TISSUE_LAYER:HEART:BY_TYPE:HEART]

|-
| {{text anchor|PLUS_TISSUE_LAYER}}
| Caste
|
*TISSUE
*BY_CATEGORY, BY_TYPE, BY_TOKEN
*Location - category, type, or token
| Adds tissue layers to those selected.

|-
| {{text anchor|SET_TL_GROUP}}
| Caste
|
*TISSUE
*BY_CATEGORY, BY_TYPE, BY_TOKEN
*Location - category, type, or token
*tissue
| Begins a selection of tissue layers. Only usable for descriptor and cosmetic purposes.

Research has implied it may be redundant with SELECT_TISSUE_LAYER, as the latter allows for cosmetics as well as "functional" tokens such as TL_MAJOR_ARTERIES. Vanilla raws still use SET_TL_GROUP though, for all cosmetic purposes. More research is needed on this subject.

|-
| {{text anchor|PLUS_TL_GROUP}}
| Caste
|
*BY_CATEGORY, BY_TYPE, BY_TOKEN
*Location - category, type, or token
*tissue
| Adds tissue layers to those selected. Like SET_TL_GROUP, it may be redundant even if used in the vanilla raws.

|-
| {{text anchor|SET_LAYER_TISSUE}}
| Caste
|
*TISSUE
| Sets a selected tissue layer to be made of a different tissue.

|-
| {{text anchor|SHEARABLE_TISSUE_LAYER}}
| Caste
|
* tissue modifier
* required value
| Tissue layer can be sheared for its component material. The specified modifier must be at least of the desired value for shearing to be possible (for example, a [[llama]]'s wool must have a LENGTH of 300 before it is shearable).

|-
| {{text anchor|TISSUE_LAYER_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER}}
| Caste
|
*QUALITY
*lowest
*lower
*low
*median
*high
*higher
*highest
| Sets the range of qualities, including LENGTH, DENSE, HIGH_POSITION, CURLY, GREASY, WRINKLY

|-
| {{text anchor|TISSUE_STYLE_UNIT}}
| Caste
|
*tissue style unit ID
*shaping
| Sets tissue layer to be the target of TISSUE_STYLE token specified for an entity, works only on entity members. Mostly used with tissues HAIR, BEARD, MOUSTACHE, SIDEBURNS.

|-
| {{text anchor|TL_COLOR_MODIFIER}}
| Caste
|
*COLOR
*freq
*COLOR
*freq etc.
| Creates a list of colors/color patterns, giving each a relative frequency. If the given color or pattern does not exist, the tissue is described as being "transparent".

|-
| {{text anchor|TLCM_GENETIC_MODEL}}
| Caste
|
| The way the color modifier is passed on to offspring. May or may not work right now.{{verify}}

|-
| {{text anchor|TLCM_IMPORTANCE}}
| Caste
|
*number
| Presumably modifies the importance of the tissue layer color modifier, for description purposes.
HOWEVER using this appears to remove all mention of colour from creature descriptions. It does not appear in any default creatures.

|-
| {{text anchor|TLCM_NOUN}}
| Caste
|
*name
*SINGULAR or PLURAL
| Names the tissue layer color modifier, and determines the noun. Also used by [[Utility:Stonesense|Stonesense]] for colouring body parts.

|-
| {{text anchor|TLCM_TIMING}}
| Caste
|
*ROOT
*start change window years
*days
*end change window years
*days
| Determines the point in the creature's life when the color change begins and ends.

|-
| {{text anchor|TL_CONNECTS}}
| Caste
|
| Gives the CONNECTS attribute to selected layers.

|-
| {{text anchor|TL_HEALING_RATE}}
| Caste
|
*value
| Changes the HEALING_RATE of the selected tissue layers.

|-
| {{text anchor|TL_MAJOR_ARTERIES}}
| Caste
|
| Gives the "major arteries" attribute to selected layers. Used to add massive bleeding properties to the throat, made from skin.

|-
| {{text anchor|TL_PAIN_RECEPTORS}}
| Caste
|
*value
| Changes the number of pain receptors for selected tissue layers.

|-
| {{text anchor|TL_RELATIVE_THICKNESS}}
| Caste
|
*value
| Changes the relative thickness for selected tissue layers.

|-
| {{text anchor|TL_VASCULAR}}
| Caste
|
*value
| Sets a new VASCULAR value (which modulates bleeding) for selected tissue layers.

|}

==See Also==
*[[Body detail plan token]]
*[[Body token]]
*[[Material definition token]]
*[[Syndrome]]
*[[Tissue definition token]]
*[[Creature examples]]

{{Category|Modding}}
{{Category|Tokens}}
[[ru:Creature token]]

DF2014:Troll

2026-10-05T08:27:01Z

DarklingArcher: formatting

{{Quality|Exceptional|01:51, 28 April 2013 (UTC)}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|wiki=yes
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}
'''Trolls''' are large, predatory, dangerous subterranean evil [[creature]]s who inhabit all layers of the [[caverns]] and often appear under the command of [[goblin]]s during [[siege]]s, and have any number of [[fun|features]] which make them creatures to be taken seriously. Over four times larger than a [[dwarf]], they are [[building destroyer]]s, and will path to your [[building]]s simply for the joy of sheer destruction. During sieges, they act as battering rams, so [[trap design|design your defenses accordingly]]. They are not related to [[night troll]]s, despite the similar names.

Wild trolls meander the underground and attack dwarves who approach or provoke them (or at least are supposed to, but currently don't {{bug|10031}}). Many of them are enslaved/absorbed by goblins during world generation and become their servants, inhabiting their [[dark pit]]s in truly huge numbers (sometimes enough to cause overwhelming lag {{bug|7526}}) and aiding their smaller masters in their battles against other races. Goblins [[Shearer|shear]] trolls for their fur, making them the evil race's equivalent of [[sheep]]. As they are intelligent (although incapable of speech), civilized trolls may gain non-military professions among goblin society. In a modded game, they may be usable in the dwarven [[textile industry]], but you can't change their labors, due to a bug.

Trolls will almost certainly appear accompanying goblins when they siege your fortress. They are quite tough and have a variety of different ways to cause injury to your dwarves due to their humanoid bodies and large tusks. Since they only rarely wear [[armor]] (when appearing as helpers of [[goblin christmas|Goblin Claus]]), they will be easy targets for a decently-skilled squad of axedwarves, though [[silk]]-wearing trolls can complicate things, if [[copper]] and [[silver]] are the only [[Weapon#Superior metal rule|weapons-grade metals]] your fortress has available. Trolls can and will [[Wrestling|wrestle]] your dwarves, which can lead to some broken bones in your military. Unlike goblins, trolls are natural [[swim]]mers, which could be a problem for a fortress relying on a moat for defense, or using a drowning chamber or underground lake as a means of administering dwarven justice. Trolls can [[climb]], so it is possible for them to get to level one of a cavern through [[deep pit]]s and access your fortress to <s>crush the heads of</s> play with your dwarves.

Trolls notably possess cyan-colored [[blood]] (possibly [[wikipedia:Hemocyanin|hemocyanin]]-based). Their behavior as a servant race of goblins is done via the combination of the {{token|EVIL}} and {{token|SLOW_LEARNER}} creature tokens and the fact they live underground; through modding, players can create their own subterranean goblin servants who will accompany trolls in battle by giving their race these two tokens. Unlike gremlins, they cannot become [[pet]]s of citizens.

Some dwarves [[Preferences|like]] trolls for their ''terrifying features''.

<center>
<gallery widths="250px" heights="300px">
Troll Drawing.jpg|A dwarf battling a troll, drawn in crayon by [[Main:Bay 12 Games|Bay 12 Games]].
troll_preview.png|One holding a weapon. ''Art by Arne''
</gallery></center>

{{D for Dwarf}}

They also enjoy vandalizing wiki pages and causing mass annoyance. Though they do not speak, they would provoke others into angry responses with their wild claims if they could. Once a troll would successfully cause an argument between many individuals, the troll would sit back and laugh, taking an immature enjoyment out of the scenario. Sometimes, the best course of action in defeating a troll is to ignore it.

{{gamedata}}
{{creatures}}
{{Category|Shearable}}

Troll

2026-10-05T08:25:33Z

DarklingArcher: formatting

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|image=troll_sprites.png
|portrait=troll_portrait.png
|wiki=yes
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}
'''Trolls''' are large, predatory, dangerous subterranean evil [[creature]]s who inhabit all layers of the [[caverns]] and often appear under the command of [[goblin]]s during [[siege]]s, and have any number of [[fun|features]] which make them creatures to be taken seriously. Over four times larger than a [[dwarf]], they are [[building destroyer]]s, and will path to your [[building]]s simply for the joy of sheer destruction. During sieges, they act as battering rams, so [[trap design|design your defenses accordingly]]. They are not related to [[night troll]]s, despite the similar names.

Wild trolls meander the underground and attack dwarves who approach or provoke them. Many of them are [[Slavery|enslaved/absorbed]] by goblins during world generation and become their servants, inhabiting their [[dark pit]]s in truly huge numbers (sometimes enough to cause overwhelming lag {{bug|7526}}) and aiding their smaller masters in their battles against other races. Goblins [[Shearer|shear]] trolls for their fur, making them the evil race's equivalent of [[sheep]]. As they are intelligent (although incapable of speech), civilized trolls may gain non-military professions among goblin society. In a modded game, they may be usable in the dwarven [[textile industry]], but you can't change their labors, due to a bug.

Trolls will almost certainly appear accompanying goblins when they siege your fortress. They are quite tough and have a variety of different ways to cause injury to your dwarves due to their humanoid bodies and large tusks. Since they only rarely wear [[armor]] (when appearing as helpers of [[goblin christmas|Goblin Claus]]), they will be easy targets for a decently-skilled squad of axedwarves, though [[silk]]-wearing trolls can complicate things, if [[copper]] and [[silver]] are the only [[Weapon#Superior metal rule|weapons-grade metals]] your fortress has available. Trolls can and will [[Wrestling|wrestle]] your dwarves, which can lead to some broken bones in your military. Unlike goblins, trolls are natural [[swim]]mers, which could be a problem for a fortress relying on a moat for defense, or using a drowning chamber or underground lake as a means of administering dwarven justice. Trolls can [[climb]], so it is possible for them to get to level one of a cavern through [[deep pit]]s and access your fortress to <s>crush the heads of</s> play with your dwarves.

Trolls notably possess cyan-colored [[blood]] (possibly [[wikipedia:Hemocyanin|hemocyanin]]-based). Their behavior as a servant race of goblins is done via the combination of the {{token|EVIL}} and {{token|SLOW_LEARNER}} creature tokens and the fact they live underground; [[Slavery|through modding]], players can create their own subterranean goblin servants who will accompany trolls in battle by giving their race these two tokens. Unlike [[gremlin]]s, they cannot become [[pet]]s of citizens.

Some dwarves [[Preferences|like]] trolls for their ''terrifying features''.

<center>
<gallery widths="250px" heights="300px">
Troll Drawing.jpg|A dwarf battling a troll, drawn in crayon by [[Main:Bay 12 Games|Bay 12 Games]].
troll_preview.png|One holding a weapon. ''Art by Arne''
</gallery></center>

{{D for Dwarf}}

They also enjoy vandalizing wiki pages and causing mass annoyance. Though they do not speak, they would provoke others into angry responses with their wild claims if they could. Once a troll would successfully cause an argument between many individuals, the troll would sit back and laugh, taking an immature enjoyment out of the scenario. Sometimes, the best course of action in defeating a troll is to ignore it.

{{gamedata}}
{{creatures}}
{{Category|Shearable}}

Slavery

2026-10-04T19:17:32Z

DarklingArcher: /* Modding slavery */ typo fix

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
[[Image:necromancer_experiment_slave.png|300px|thumb|right|A [[necromancer]] [[experiment]] with the slave "profession".]]

'''Slavery''' is the concept of a [[creature]] being under the ownership and/or forced employment of another. This article describes slavery only as represented by the game mechanics, world generation and fictional setting of ''Dwarf Fortress''.

==Overview==
Slavery is not a major gameplay mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress'', but the concept occurs in several parts of the game. [[Legends|Historical]] figures can become enslaved during [[world generation]], and slavery can also occur through several distinct game mechanics.
The game represents several forms of enslavement, including:
* Child enslavement — [[Goblin]] snatchers abduct [[children]], who may subsequently become slaves of the kidnapper's civilization.
* Forced domestication — Goblins can enslave [[troll]]s and use them as mounts, haulers or war animals.
* War slavery — [[Civilization]]s can enslave defeated enemies and bring them back to their settlements.
* Undead servitude — [[Undead]] creatures raised by [[necromancer]]s can be regarded as being under the control of their creator.
* Slaves of Armok — The game's subtitle; '''Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress''', uses slavery as part of the game's fictional terminology.

==Civilizational attitudes==
Slavery is also represented in the game's ethics system, which determines how different civilizations regard the practice.

The vanilla civilization definitions specify the following [[Ethic|ethical attitudes]] toward slavery:
{| class="wikitable"
!Civilization!!Attitude toward slavery
|-
|[[Human]]s||Acceptable
|-
|[[Goblin]]s||Viewed as a personal matter
|-
|[[Elf|Elves]]||Punishable by exile
|-
|[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]||Capital punishment1
|-
|[[Kobold]]s||Unthinkable
|-
|[[Animal person|Subterranean animal peoples]]||Unthinkable
|}
These attitudes primarily determine how a civilization reacts to slavery as an ethical issue. They should not be confused with the separate mechanics through which slavery actually occurs.

Notes:
#Despite being defined by the entity token <code>[[Ethic#PUNISH_CAPITAL|PUNISH_CAPITAL]]</code>, as far as dwarven [[Justice#Punishments|justice]] is concerned, capital punishment is not an intentional death penalty (though it is often an [[Hammerer|unintentional]] one). Dwarf society regards this punishment as 8 months in prison or fifty hammer strikes, falling just short of the greater than fifty hammer strikes needed for a punishment to be specifically considered an execution.

==Slavery in world generation==
During world generation, [[historical figure]]s can become enslaved. In mechanical terms, enslavement is closely related to imprisonment: an enslaved historical figure can potentially escape.

Slavery is unlikely to have a direct impact on the game when playing in [[Adventurer mode|adventure]] or [[Dwarf fortress mode|fortress mode]], where it is most likely to be seen in descriptions of historical events. Specific examples of how slavery is represented or implemented by the game can be seen in:
*A civilization's ethics.
*The various text [[String_dump/raw|strings]] used by the game in [[language]]s, [[speech]] and descriptions.
*Two explicit [[unit type token]]s.

Examples of possible references:
* "the end of the former enslavement of"
* "escaped from the slavery of"
* "escaped from the slavery of" / "escaped from the prisons of"
* "was enslaved by" / "was imprisoned by"
* "the enslavement" / "the imprisonment"
* "as a former slave of" / "as a former prisoner of"

==Child enslavement==
Goblins are particularly associated with the abduction of [[children]]. Goblin snatchers can enter settlements and abduct children, who can become part of the goblin civilization, rather than remaining members of their original civilization.
Children can potentially be recovered through a citizen recovery mission, while adventurers can also encounter and rescue captives through quests.
See:
* [[Thief#Goblin_snatchers|Goblin snatchers]]
* [[Mission|Missions]]
* [[Quest|Quests]]

==Troll enslavement / forced domestication / sentient livestock==
[[Goblin]]s can also enslave [[troll]]s. This is mechanically different from human-style war slavery. The troll is treated as an animal-like creature under goblin control, and can be used for purposes such as:
* carrying loads;
* pulling;
* riding;
* combat.
This creates a distinction between sapient creatures that are treated as animals and ordinary domesticated animals.
This form of enslavement is particularly relevant to modding, because the {{token|ANIMAL|entity}} token can cause a creature to be treated mechanically as an animal, even when the creature is otherwise sapient.
The relevant distinction is between:
* a creature being part of the civilization's main race;
* a creature being defined as an animal or special animal caste;
* a creature being treated as a pet;
* a creature being used as a mount, puller or hauler.
This can produce a situation in which a creature is biologically or culturally sapient, but is mechanically handled as livestock or a domesticated animal.

==War slavery==

Civilizations can enslave defeated enemies and take them back to their settlements. This can be described as spoils-of-war slavery or war enslavement.

The ethics value for slavery also affects whether a civilization is willing to accept caged sapient creatures from merchants.

Higher or lower ethical values appear to have relatively limited mechanical consequences, beyond determining whether the civilization permits slavery at all. The ethical value therefore primarily establishes the civilization's attitude toward the practice rather than providing a detailed slavery simulation.

==Undead servitude==
[[Necromancer|Necromancers]] can raise dead creatures as [[undead]]. The resulting undead are generally under the control of the necromancer who created them.
This can be interpreted as another form of forced servitude, although the game does not necessarily classify undead as slaves in the same mechanical sense as enslaved historical figures.

==Modding slavery==
{{mod}}
There is no dedicated `SLAVE` creature mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress''. A [[Modding|mod]] can simulate slavery through the use of [[Entity token#Animal definitions|ANIMAL entity tokens]], and referencing a creature with specific [[creature token]]s such as {{token|PACK_ANIMAL}} and {{token|PET}}. There are three main approaches, all of which rely on the creature in question being explicitly defined per-civlization (entity).
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Modding approaches
|-
! Method !! Description !! Can be embarked with1 !! Can be traded2 !! Has slave-population in worldgen !! Can be trained !! Can have labours !! Can have a specific interaction3 !! Can have specific traits4 !! Can have a pet value !! Slave can be married to non-slave and have kids || Graphic modding needed
|-
| Existing creature as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Use <code>ANIMAL</code> tokens within an entity to define an existing creature itself. || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking5 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || {{N}}o || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{N}}o
|-
| Special caste as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Add a special caste to an existing creature and use <code>ANIMAL_CASTE_TOKEN</code> to define it within an entity. || {{Y}}es for the special caste, but not the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || If non-speaking5 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special caste || Only for the special caste ||{{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es
|-
| Creature copy as <code>ANIMAL</code>|| Create a copy of the original creature and define the copy using <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens. || {{Y}}es for the special creature, but not for the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking5 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special creature || Only for the special creature || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es
|}

The choice of method depends on desired behaviour. A special caste is useful when the enslaved version should remain closely connected to the original creature — i.e. if dwarves should be able to enslave other dwarves. A separate creature provides more freedom when the enslaved version needs substantially different properties — i.e. if there is a specific "House Elf" creature that is expected to always be enslaved.

Notes:
# Can be selected as livestock animals.
# Can be selected in the [[trade]] agreement.
# An [[interaction]] can be defined specifically for this slave-creature.
# [[Creature token|Tokens]] can be assigned to the slave-creature.
# Intelligent creatures with either {{token|PET}} or {{token|PET_EXOTIC}} ''can'' be trained anyway, albeit training them is [[Gremlin#Bugs and behaviour|buggy]].

===Sapience and assigning tasks===
You can assign tasks to a creature with <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens if they have the creature tokens {{token|CAN_LEARN}} and {{token|CAN_SPEAK}}.

The <code>CAN_LEARN</code> tag will also mean that the game classes a creature as sapient, which comes with certain limitations on how they can be treated and interacted with. For instance, sapient creatures cannot normally be milked or butchered. Either token will allow a creature to have [[Personality value|values]] and [[Personality goal|goals]].

For a more detailed and philosophical analysis on the topic of sapience, within the context of ''Dwarf Fortress'', see [[Person]].

===How to make them show up===
For creatures that do not naturally spawn, you need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PRESENT|entity}}, otherwise, the civ only has them available if they somehow domesticated them. You need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PET|entity}} to make them selectable for embark.

===Other notes about [ANIMAL] sapients===
* They can be assigned a (bed)room, and positions like [[tavern keeper]] or [[priest]], but never any of the noble positions
* They cannot be assigned a [[Zone#Pit/Pond|pond or pit]] and cannot be tied to a [[rope]].
* They cannot be assigned to a trainer.
* If an ANIMAL-sapient is brought by the merchants, they will come clothed and the merchants will charge extra for the clothing.
* Their [[thoughts]] can be viewed in full detail.
* They can be [[expel]]led. They do not form any [[relationship]]s at all until they become [[historical figure]]s.
* If they are {{token|PET}}s or cannot speak, they are listed as livestock and cannot be assigned labours.
* If they are {{token|PET}}s or cannot speak, they are trainable.
* If you [[cage trap|catch]] a hostile creature in a [[war]], they cannot be pacified. They can, however, be sold to traders.
* If you [[mission|attack a site]] that is inhabited by a sapient creature that is defined as an animal by your civilization, you cannot capture them as livestock.
* If not already a citizen, after two years they can [[Citizenship#Tamed sentients|apply for citizenship]].

===Example===
A modder who wants dwarves to have an enslaved caste can add a special `SLAVE` caste to the dwarf creature, making use of the appropriate creature tags detailed above. Setting its population ratio to `0` prevents enslaved dwarves from appearing as a separate natural population, while still allowing the caste to be used for individual enslaved dwarves.

For elves or other races, a separate copy of the creature can instead be used as the enslaved version. This provides more control over its properties, but the game treats it as a different creature.

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
|"Slave" in other '''[[Language|Languages]]''' [[File:Story tell indicator.png|20px]]
{| style="text-align:left;"
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''': noth
|-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''': urepe
|-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''': smanges
|-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''': cubnor
|}
|}

{{V50 entities}}
{{Category|Entities}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}
{{Category|Legends mode}}
{{Category|Lore}}
{{Category|Modding}}

Turkey

2026-10-04T19:13:26Z

DarklingArcher: added D for Dwarf with some real life remarks

{{Quality|Fine}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|image=turkey_sprites.png
|portrait=turkey_portrait_anim.gif
|contrib=no
|bone=6
|meat=9
|fat=9
|intestine=1
|skull=1
|skin=hide
|wiki=Turkey_(bird)
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

'''Turkeys''' are a species of [[domestic animal|domesticated]] [[creature]] who can be brought on [[embark]] or found in the wild, inhabiting [[temperate]] [[wetland]]s. Males are called ''turkey gobblers'', females are called ''turkey hens'' and hatchlings are called ''poults''.

[[Domestic animal#Comparison of domestic poultry|Compared]] to other domestic poultry, turkeys are the largest in size, being a better [[food]] source than the likes of [[chicken]]s. Turkeys take two years to reach their full weight, while the slightly smaller [[blue peafowl]] and [[goose|geese]] take only one year. They lay the most [[egg]]s in average out of all domestic birds (12, compared to the average 10 eggs of the [[duck]] and 9 of the [[guineafowl]]), making them the best domestic birds for [[egg production]]. Having both genders of turkey around allows one to breed them fairly quickly, though [[framerate]] can be negatively impacted by [[catsplosion#Birdsplosion|plentifully]]-peeping poults. As with other tame animals, if many turkeys are confined in a small area, they can become [[overcrowding|overcrowded]] and start fights. Since poults need no food, and have no practical utility until mature, they are generally best [[cage]]d, where they cannot eat FPS by doing line-of-sight checks until they are ready for egg laying or [[Butcher|slaughter]]. Putting a couple in a cage in the [[dining hall]] gives dwarves who like turkeys happy thoughts, as well.

Turkeys are also the most cost-efficient source of food on [[embark]]. At a modest cost of only 6 embark points (when compared to 2 for a single piece of [[meat]]), you can easily start with several and (if disregarding their superior egg laying) slaughter them immediately afterwards, not only for a decent supply of food but also usable [[bone]]s and [[leather]].

Wild turkeys can be captured with [[cage]] [[trap]]s. [[Animal trainer|Training]] them will render them completely tame.

Some [[Dwarf|dwarves]] [[Preferences|like]] turkeys for their ''wattle'', their ''snood'' and their ''gobble''.

[[File:Wild turkey eastern us.jpg|thumb|400px|center|Admired for its ''gobble''.]]

{{D for Dwarf}}

Certain [[human]] [[civilization]]s, when asked about their origin, mention a mythical place called a Turkey.


Even then, turkeys do not seem to actually come from there, although [[scholar]]s have a hard time agreeing on where did they originate, as each of the civilized [[race]]s cites a different place as the name of such animal in their native [[language]].

{{Gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}
{{Category|Animals}}

DF2014:Turkey

2026-10-04T17:51:22Z

DarklingArcher: turkeys are the most cost-efficient source of food on embark

{{Quality|Superior|17:45, 11 March 2011 (UTC)}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|contrib=no
|bone=6
|meat=9
|fat=9
|intestine=1
|skull=1
|skin=hide
|wiki=Turkey_(bird)
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

'''Turkeys''' are a species of [[domestic animal|domesticated]] [[creature]] who can be brought on [[embark]] or found in the wild, inhabiting [[temperate]] [[wetland]]s. Males are called ''turkey gobblers'', females are called ''turkey hens'' and hatchlings are called ''poults''.

[[Domestic animal#Comparison of domestic poultry|Compared]] to other domestic poultry, turkeys are the largest in size, being a better [[food]] source than the likes of [[chicken]]s. Turkeys take two years to reach their full weight, while the slightly smaller [[blue peafowl]] and [[goose|geese]] take only one year. They lay the most [[egg]]s in average out of all domestic birds (12, compared to the average 10 eggs of the [[duck]] and 9 of the [[guineafowl]]), making them the best domestic birds for [[egg production]]. Having both genders of turkey around allows one to breed them fairly quickly, though [[framerate]] can be negatively impacted by [[catsplosion#Birdsplosion|plentiful]] pathing poults. As with other tame animals, if many turkeys are confined in a small area, they can become [[overcrowding|overcrowded]] and start fights. Since poults need no food and have no practical utility until mature, they are generally best [[cage]]d, where they cannot eat FPS by attempting pathing until they are ready for egg laying or [[Butcher|slaughter]]. Putting a couple in a cage in a dining hall gives dwarves who like turkeys happy thoughts, as well.

Turkeys are also the most cost-efficient source of food on [[embark]]. At a modest cost of only 6 embark points (when compared to 2 for a single piece of [[meat]]), you can easily start with several and slaughter them immediately afterwards, not only for a decent supply of food but also usable [[bone]]s and [[leather]].

Wild turkeys can be captured with [[cage]] [[trap]]s. [[Animal trainer|Training]] them will render them completely tame.

Some [[Dwarf|dwarves]] [[Preferences|like]] turkeys for their ''wattle'', their ''snood'' and their ''gobble''.

[[File:Wild turkey eastern us.jpg|thumb|400px|center|Admired for its ''gobble''.]]

{{Gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}
{{Category|Animals}}

Turkey

2026-10-04T17:49:27Z

DarklingArcher: turkeys are the most cost-efficient source of food on embark

{{Quality|Fine}}
{{Creaturelookup/0
|image=turkey_sprites.png
|portrait=turkey_portrait_anim.gif
|contrib=no
|bone=6
|meat=9
|fat=9
|intestine=1
|skull=1
|skin=hide
|wiki=Turkey_(bird)
}}
{{av}}
{{creaturedesc}}

'''Turkeys''' are a species of [[domestic animal|domesticated]] [[creature]] who can be brought on [[embark]] or found in the wild, inhabiting [[temperate]] [[wetland]]s. Males are called ''turkey gobblers'', females are called ''turkey hens'' and hatchlings are called ''poults''.

[[Domestic animal#Comparison of domestic poultry|Compared]] to other domestic poultry, turkeys are the largest in size, being a better [[food]] source than the likes of [[chicken]]s. Turkeys take two years to reach their full weight, while the slightly smaller [[blue peafowl]] and [[goose|geese]] take only one year. They lay the most [[egg]]s in average out of all domestic birds (12, compared to the average 10 eggs of the [[duck]] and 9 of the [[guineafowl]]), making them the best domestic birds for [[egg production]]. Having both genders of turkey around allows one to breed them fairly quickly, though [[framerate]] can be negatively impacted by [[catsplosion#Birdsplosion|plentifully]]-peeping poults. As with other tame animals, if many turkeys are confined in a small area, they can become [[overcrowding|overcrowded]] and start fights. Since poults need no food, and have no practical utility until mature, they are generally best [[cage]]d, where they cannot eat FPS by doing line-of-sight checks until they are ready for egg laying or [[Butcher|slaughter]]. Putting a couple in a cage in the [[dining hall]] gives dwarves who like turkeys happy thoughts, as well.

Turkeys are also the most cost-efficient source of food on [[embark]]. At a modest cost of only 6 embark points (when compared to 2 for a single piece of [[meat]]), you can easily start with several and slaughter them immediately afterwards, not only for a decent supply of food but also usable [[bone]]s and [[leather]].

Wild turkeys can be captured with [[cage]] [[trap]]s. [[Animal trainer|Training]] them will render them completely tame.

Some [[Dwarf|dwarves]] [[Preferences|like]] turkeys for their ''wattle'', their ''snood'' and their ''gobble''.

[[File:Wild turkey eastern us.jpg|thumb|400px|center|Admired for its ''gobble''.]]

{{Gamedata}}
{{Creatures}}
{{Category|Animals}}

Slavery

2026-10-04T10:53:33Z

DarklingArcher: deleted junk code that seems copied from Template:Translation

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
[[Image:necromancer_experiment_slave.png|300px|thumb|right|A [[necromancer]] [[experiment]] with the slave "profession".]]

'''Slavery''' is the concept of a [[creature]] being under the ownership and/or forced employment of another. This article describes slavery only as represented by the game mechanics, world generation and fictional setting of ''Dwarf Fortress''.

==Overview==
Slavery is not a major gameplay mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress'', but the concept occurs in several parts of the game. [[Legends|Historical]] figures can become enslaved during [[world generation]], and slavery can also occur through several distinct game mechanics.
The game represents several forms of enslavement, including:
* Child enslavement — [[Goblin]] snatchers abduct [[children]], who may subsequently become slaves of the kidnapper's civilization.
* Forced domestication — Goblins can enslave [[troll]]s and use them as mounts, haulers or war animals.
* War slavery — [[Civilization]]s can enslave defeated enemies and bring them back to their settlements.
* Undead servitude — [[Undead]] creatures raised by [[necromancer]]s can be regarded as being under the control of their creator.
* Slaves of Armok — The game's subtitle; '''Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress''', uses slavery as part of the game's fictional terminology.

==Civilizational attitudes==
Slavery is also represented in the game's ethics system, which determines how different civilizations regard the practice.

The vanilla civilization definitions specify the following [[Ethic|ethical attitudes]] toward slavery:
{| class="wikitable"
!Civilization!!Attitude toward slavery
|-
|[[Human]]s||Acceptable
|-
|[[Goblin]]s||Viewed as a personal matter
|-
|[[Elf|Elves]]||Punishable by exile
|-
|[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]||Capital punishment1
|-
|[[Kobold]]s||Unthinkable
|-
|[[Animal person|Subterranean animal peoples]]||Unthinkable
|}
These attitudes primarily determine how a civilization reacts to slavery as an ethical issue. They should not be confused with the separate mechanics through which slavery actually occurs.

Notes:
#Despite being defined by the entity token <code>[[Ethic#PUNISH_CAPITAL|PUNISH_CAPITAL]]</code>, as far as dwarven [[Justice#Punishments|justice]] is concerned, capital punishment is not an intentional death penalty (though it is often an [[Hammerer|unintentional]] one). Dwarf society regards this punishment as 8 months in prison or fifty hammer strikes, falling just short of the greater than fifty hammer strikes needed for a punishment to be specifically considered an execution.

==Slavery in world generation==
During world generation, [[historical figure]]s can become enslaved. In mechanical terms, enslavement is closely related to imprisonment: an enslaved historical figure can potentially escape.

Slavery is unlikely to have a direct impact on the game when playing in [[Adventurer mode|adventure]] or [[Dwarf fortress mode|fortress mode]], where it is most likely to be seen in descriptions of historical events. Specific examples of how slavery is represented or implemented by the game can be seen in:
*A civilization's ethics.
*The various text [[String_dump/raw|strings]] used by the game in [[language]]s, [[speech]] and descriptions.
*Two explicit [[unit type token]]s.

Examples of possible references:
* "the end of the former enslavement of"
* "escaped from the slavery of"
* "escaped from the slavery of" / "escaped from the prisons of"
* "was enslaved by" / "was imprisoned by"
* "the enslavement" / "the imprisonment"
* "as a former slave of" / "as a former prisoner of"

==Child enslavement==
Goblins are particularly associated with the abduction of [[children]]. Goblin snatchers can enter settlements and abduct children, who can become part of the goblin civilization, rather than remaining members of their original civilization.
Children can potentially be recovered through a citizen recovery mission, while adventurers can also encounter and rescue captives through quests.
See:
* [[Thief#Goblin_snatchers|Goblin snatchers]]
* [[Mission|Missions]]
* [[Quest|Quests]]

==Troll enslavement / forced domestication / sentient livestock==
[[Goblin]]s can also enslave [[troll]]s. This is mechanically different from human-style war slavery. The troll is treated as an animal-like creature under goblin control, and can be used for purposes such as:
* carrying loads;
* pulling;
* riding;
* combat.
This creates a distinction between sapient creatures that are treated as animals and ordinary domesticated animals.
This form of enslavement is particularly relevant to modding, because the {{token|ANIMAL|entity}} token can cause a creature to be treated mechanically as an animal, even when the creature is otherwise sapient.
The relevant distinction is between:
* a creature being part of the civilization's main race;
* a creature being defined as an animal or special animal caste;
* a creature being treated as a pet;
* a creature being used as a mount, puller or hauler.
This can produce a situation in which a creature is biologically or culturally sapient, but is mechanically handled as livestock or a domesticated animal.

==War slavery==

Civilizations can enslave defeated enemies and take them back to their settlements. This can be described as spoils-of-war slavery or war enslavement.

The ethics value for slavery also affects whether a civilization is willing to accept caged sapient creatures from merchants.

Higher or lower ethical values appear to have relatively limited mechanical consequences, beyond determining whether the civilization permits slavery at all. The ethical value therefore primarily establishes the civilization's attitude toward the practice rather than providing a detailed slavery simulation.

==Undead servitude==
[[Necromancer|Necromancers]] can raise dead creatures as [[undead]]. The resulting undead are generally under the control of the necromancer who created them.
This can be interpreted as another form of forced servitude, although the game does not necessarily classify undead as slaves in the same mechanical sense as enslaved historical figures.

==Modding Slavery==
{{mod}}
There is no dedicated `SLAVE` creature mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress''. A [[Modding|mod]] can simulate slavery through the use of [[Entity token#Animal definitions|ANIMAL entity tokens]], and referencing a creature with specific [[creature token]]s such as {{token|PACK_ANIMAL}} and {{token|PET}}. There are three main approaches, all of which rely on the creature in question being explicitly defined per-civlization (entity).
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Modding approaches
|-
! Method !! Description !! Can be embarked with !! Can be traded !! Has slave-population in worldgen !! Can be trained !! Can have labours !! Can have a specific interaction !! Can have specific traits !! Can have a pet value !! Slave can be married to non-slave and have kids || Graphic modding needed
|-
| Existing creature as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Use <code>ANIMAL</code> tokens within an entity to define an existing creature itself. || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || {{N}}o || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{N}}o
|-
| Special caste as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Add a special caste to an existing creature and use <code>ANIMAL_CASTE_TOKEN</code> to define it within an entity. || {{Y}}es for the special caste, but not the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special caste || Only for the special caste ||{{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es
|-
| Creature copy as <code>ANIMAL</code>|| Create a copy of the original creature and define the copy using <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens. || {{Y}}es for the special creature, but not for the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special creature || Only for the special creature || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es
|}
* '''Can be embarked with''': creatures can be selected as livestock animals
* '''Can be traded''': can be selected in the [[trade]] agreement
* '''Can have a specific interaction''': an [[interaction]] specifically for this slave-creature can be defined
* '''Can have specific traits''': [[Creature token|tokens]] as desired can be assigned to the slave-creature.

The choice depends on the desired behaviour. A special caste is useful when the enslaved version should remain closely connected to the original creature — i.e. if dwarves should be able to enslave other dwarves. A separate creature provides more freedom when the enslaved version needs substantially different properties — i.e. if there is a specific "House Elf" creature that is expected to always be enslaved.

Notes:
#Intelligent creatures with either {{token|PET}} or {{token|PET_EXOTIC}} ''can'' be trained anyway, albeit training them is [[bug]]gy. For more information, see the article on [[gremlin]]s.

===Sapience and Assigning Tasks===
You can assign tasks to a creature with <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens if they have the creature tokens {{token|CAN_LEARN}} and {{token|CAN_SPEAK}}.

The <code>CAN_LEARN</code> tag will also mean that the game classes a creature as sapient, which comes with certain limitations on how they can be treated and interacted with. For instance, sapient creatures cannot normally be milked or butchered. Either token will allow a creature to have [[Personality value|values]] and [[Personality goal|goals]].

For a more detailed and philosophical analysis on the topic of sapience, within the context of ''Dwarf Fortress'', see [[Person]].

===How to make them show up===
For creatures that do not naturally spawn, you need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PRESENT|entity}}, otherwise, the civ only has them available if they somehow domesticated them. You need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PET|entity}} to make them selectable for embark.

===Other notes about [ANIMAL] sapients===
* They can be assigned a (bed)room, and positions like [[tavern keeper]] or [[priest]], but never any of the noble positions
* They cannot be assigned a [[Zone#Pit/Pond|pond or pit]] and cannot be tied to a [[rope]].
* They cannot be assigned to a trainer.
* If an ANIMAL-sapient is brought by the merchants, they will come clothed and the merchants will charge extra for the clothing.
* Their [[thoughts]] can be viewed in full detail.
* They can be [[expel]]led. They do not form any [[relationship]]s at all until they become [[historical figure]]s.
* If they are {{token|PET}}s or cannot speak, they are listed as livestock and cannot be assigned labours.
* If they are {{token|PET}}s or cannot speak, they are trainable.

* If you [[cage trap|catch]] a hostile creature in a [[war]], they cannot be pacified. They can, however, be sold to traders.
* If you [[mission|attack a site]] that is inhabited by a sapient creature that is defined as an animal by your civilization, you cannot capture them as livestock.

===Example===
A modder who wants dwarves to have an enslaved caste can add a special `SLAVE` caste to the dwarf creature, making use of the appropriate creature tags detailed above. Setting its population ratio to `0` prevents enslaved dwarves from appearing as a separate natural population, while still allowing the caste to be used for individual enslaved dwarves.

For elves or other races, a separate copy of the creature can instead be used as the enslaved version. This provides more control over its properties, but the game treats it as a different creature.

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
|"Slave" in other '''[[Language|Languages]]''' [[File:Story tell indicator.png|20px]]
{| style="text-align:left;"
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''': noth
|-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''': urepe
|-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''': smanges
|-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''': cubnor
|}
|}

{{V50 entities}}
{{Category|Entities}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}
{{Category|Legends mode}}
{{Category|Lore}}
{{Category|Modding}}

Slavery

2026-10-04T10:16:38Z

DarklingArcher: /* Other notes about [ANIMAL] sapients */ added some remarks, added links

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
[[Image:necromancer_experiment_slave.png|300px|thumb|right|A [[necromancer]] [[experiment]] with the slave "profession".]]

'''Slavery''' is the concept of a [[creature]] being under the ownership and/or forced employment of another. This article describes slavery only as represented by the game mechanics, world generation and fictional setting of ''Dwarf Fortress''.

==Overview==
Slavery is not a major gameplay mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress'', but the concept occurs in several parts of the game. [[Legends|Historical]] figures can become enslaved during [[world generation]], and slavery can also occur through several distinct game mechanics.
The game represents several forms of enslavement, including:
* Child enslavement — [[Goblin]] snatchers abduct [[children]], who may subsequently become slaves of the kidnapper's civilization.
* Forced domestication — Goblins can enslave [[troll]]s and use them as mounts, haulers or war animals.
* War slavery — [[Civilization]]s can enslave defeated enemies and bring them back to their settlements.
* Undead servitude — [[Undead]] creatures raised by [[necromancer]]s can be regarded as being under the control of their creator.
* Slaves of Armok — The game's subtitle; '''Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress''', uses slavery as part of the game's fictional terminology.

==Civilizational attitudes==
Slavery is also represented in the game's ethics system, which determines how different civilizations regard the practice.

The vanilla civilization definitions specify the following [[Ethic|ethical attitudes]] toward slavery:
{| class="wikitable"
!Civilization!!Attitude toward slavery
|-
|[[Human]]s||Acceptable
|-
|[[Goblin]]s||Viewed as a personal matter
|-
|[[Elf|Elves]]||Punishable by exile
|-
|[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]||Capital punishment1
|-
|[[Kobold]]s||Unthinkable
|-
|[[Animal person|Subterranean animal peoples]]||Unthinkable
|}
These attitudes primarily determine how a civilization reacts to slavery as an ethical issue. They should not be confused with the separate mechanics through which slavery actually occurs.

Notes:
#Despite being defined by the entity token <code>[[Ethic#PUNISH_CAPITAL|PUNISH_CAPITAL]]</code>, as far as dwarven [[Justice#Punishments|justice]] is concerned, capital punishment is not an intentional death penalty (though it is often an [[Hammerer|unintentional]] one). Dwarf society regards this punishment as 8 months in prison or fifty hammer strikes, falling just short of the greater than fifty hammer strikes needed for a punishment to be specifically considered an execution.

==Slavery in world generation==
During world generation, [[historical figure]]s can become enslaved. In mechanical terms, enslavement is closely related to imprisonment: an enslaved historical figure can potentially escape.

Slavery is unlikely to have a direct impact on the game when playing in [[Adventurer mode|adventure]] or [[Dwarf fortress mode|fortress mode]], where it is most likely to be seen in descriptions of historical events. Specific examples of how slavery is represented or implemented by the game can be seen in:
*A civilization's ethics.
*The various text [[String_dump/raw|strings]] used by the game in [[language]]s, [[speech]] and descriptions.
*Two explicit [[unit type token]]s.

Examples of possible references:
* "the end of the former enslavement of"
* "escaped from the slavery of"
* "escaped from the slavery of" / "escaped from the prisons of"
* "was enslaved by" / "was imprisoned by"
* "the enslavement" / "the imprisonment"
* "as a former slave of" / "as a former prisoner of"

==Child enslavement==
Goblins are particularly associated with the abduction of [[children]]. Goblin snatchers can enter settlements and abduct children, who can become part of the goblin civilization, rather than remaining members of their original civilization.
Children can potentially be recovered through a citizen recovery mission, while adventurers can also encounter and rescue captives through quests.
See:
* [[Thief#Goblin_snatchers|Goblin snatchers]]
* [[Mission|Missions]]
* [[Quest|Quests]]

==Troll enslavement / forced domestication / sentient livestock==
[[Goblin]]s can also enslave [[troll]]s. This is mechanically different from human-style war slavery. The troll is treated as an animal-like creature under goblin control, and can be used for purposes such as:
* carrying loads;
* pulling;
* riding;
* combat.
This creates a distinction between sapient creatures that are treated as animals and ordinary domesticated animals.
This form of enslavement is particularly relevant to modding, because the {{token|ANIMAL|entity}} token can cause a creature to be treated mechanically as an animal, even when the creature is otherwise sapient.
The relevant distinction is between:
* a creature being part of the civilization's main race;
* a creature being defined as an animal or special animal caste;
* a creature being treated as a pet;
* a creature being used as a mount, puller or hauler.
This can produce a situation in which a creature is biologically or culturally sapient, but is mechanically handled as livestock or a domesticated animal.

==War slavery==

Civilizations can enslave defeated enemies and take them back to their settlements. This can be described as spoils-of-war slavery or war enslavement.

The ethics value for slavery also affects whether a civilization is willing to accept caged sapient creatures from merchants.

Higher or lower ethical values appear to have relatively limited mechanical consequences, beyond determining whether the civilization permits slavery at all. The ethical value therefore primarily establishes the civilization's attitude toward the practice rather than providing a detailed slavery simulation.

==Undead servitude==
[[Necromancer|Necromancers]] can raise dead creatures as [[undead]]. The resulting undead are generally under the control of the necromancer who created them.
This can be interpreted as another form of forced servitude, although the game does not necessarily classify undead as slaves in the same mechanical sense as enslaved historical figures.

==Modding Slavery==
{{mod}}
There is no dedicated `SLAVE` creature mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress''. A [[Modding|mod]] can simulate slavery through the use of [[Entity token#Animal definitions|ANIMAL entity tokens]], and referencing a creature with specific [[creature token]]s such as {{token|PACK_ANIMAL}} and {{token|PET}}. There are three main approaches, all of which rely on the creature in question being explicitly defined per-civlization (entity).
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Modding approaches
|-
! Method !! Description !! Can be embarked with !! Can be traded !! Has slave-population in worldgen !! Can be trained !! Can have labours !! Can have a specific interaction !! Can have specific traits !! Can have a pet value !! Slave can be married to non-slave and have kids || Graphic modding needed
|-
| Existing creature as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Use <code>ANIMAL</code> tokens within an entity to define an existing creature itself. || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || {{N}}o || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{N}}o
|-
| Special caste as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Add a special caste to an existing creature and use <code>ANIMAL_CASTE_TOKEN</code> to define it within an entity. || {{Y}}es for the special caste, but not the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special caste || Only for the special caste ||{{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es
|-
| Creature copy as <code>ANIMAL</code>|| Create a copy of the original creature and define the copy using <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens. || {{Y}}es for the special creature, but not for the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special creature || Only for the special creature || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es
|}
* '''Can be embarked with''': creatures can be selected as livestock animals
* '''Can be traded''': can be selected in the [[trade]] agreement
* '''Can have a specific interaction''': an [[interaction]] specifically for this slave-creature can be defined
* '''Can have specific traits''': [[Creature token|tokens]] as desired can be assigned to the slave-creature.

The choice depends on the desired behaviour. A special caste is useful when the enslaved version should remain closely connected to the original creature — i.e. if dwarves should be able to enslave other dwarves. A separate creature provides more freedom when the enslaved version needs substantially different properties — i.e. if there is a specific "House Elf" creature that is expected to always be enslaved.

Notes:
#Intelligent creatures with either {{token|PET}} or {{token|PET_EXOTIC}} ''can'' be trained anyway, albeit training them is [[bug]]gy. For more information, see the article on [[gremlin]]s.

===Sapience and Assigning Tasks===
You can assign tasks to a creature with <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens if they have the creature tokens {{token|CAN_LEARN}} and {{token|CAN_SPEAK}}.

The <code>CAN_LEARN</code> tag will also mean that the game classes a creature as sapient, which comes with certain limitations on how they can be treated and interacted with. For instance, sapient creatures cannot normally be milked or butchered. Either token will allow a creature to have [[Personality value|values]] and [[Personality goal|goals]].

For a more detailed and philosophical analysis on the topic of sapience, within the context of ''Dwarf Fortress'', see [[Person]].

===How to make them show up===
For creatures that do not naturally spawn, you need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PRESENT|entity}}, otherwise, the civ only has them available if they somehow domesticated them. You need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PET|entity}} to make them selectable for embark.

===Other notes about [ANIMAL] sapients===
* They can be assigned a (bed)room, and positions like [[tavern keeper]] or [[priest]], but never any of the noble positions
* They cannot be assigned a [[Zone#Pit/Pond|pond or pit]] and cannot be tied to a [[rope]].
* They cannot be assigned to a trainer.
* If an ANIMAL-sapient is brought by the merchants, they will come clothed and the merchants will charge extra for the clothing.
* Their [[thoughts]] can be viewed in full detail.
* They can be [[expel]]led. They do not form any [[relationship]]s at all until they become [[historical figure]]s.
* If they are {{token|PET}}s or cannot speak, they are listed as livestock and cannot be assigned labours.
* If they are {{token|PET}}s or cannot speak, they are trainable.

* If you [[cage trap|catch]] a hostile creature in a [[war]], they cannot be pacified. They can, however, be sold to traders.
* If you [[mission|attack a site]] that is inhabited by a sapient creature that is defined as an animal by your civilization, you cannot capture them as livestock.

===Example===
A modder who wants dwarves to have an enslaved caste can add a special `SLAVE` caste to the dwarf creature, making use of the appropriate creature tags detailed above. Setting its population ratio to `0` prevents enslaved dwarves from appearing as a separate natural population, while still allowing the caste to be used for individual enslaved dwarves.

For elves or other races, a separate copy of the creature can instead be used as the enslaved version. This provides more control over its properties, but the game treats it as a different creature.

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
|"Slave" in other '''[[Language|Languages]]''' [[File:Story tell indicator.png|20px]]
{| style="text-align:left;"
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''': noth
|-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''': urepe
|-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''': smanges
|-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''': cubnor
|}
|}

{| style="text-align:left;"
{{#if:{{{english|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[wikipedia:English language|English]]''':
{{!}} {{{english}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{dwarven|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''':
{{!}} {{{dwarven}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{elvish|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''':
{{!}} {{{elvish}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{goblin|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''':
{{!}} {{{goblin}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{human|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''':
{{!}} {{{human}}}
}}
|}

{{V50 entities}}
{{Category|Entities}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}
{{Category|Legends mode}}
{{Category|Lore}}
{{Category|Modding}}

Slavery

2026-10-04T09:56:05Z

DarklingArcher: /* Modding Slavery */ bolded some text for easier reading, added links

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
[[Image:necromancer_experiment_slave.png|300px|thumb|right|A [[necromancer]] [[experiment]] with the slave "profession".]]

'''Slavery''' is the concept of a [[creature]] being under the ownership and/or forced employment of another. This article describes slavery only as represented by the game mechanics, world generation and fictional setting of ''Dwarf Fortress''.

==Overview==
Slavery is not a major gameplay mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress'', but the concept occurs in several parts of the game. [[Legends|Historical]] figures can become enslaved during [[world generation]], and slavery can also occur through several distinct game mechanics.
The game represents several forms of enslavement, including:
* Child enslavement — [[Goblin]] snatchers abduct [[children]], who may subsequently become slaves of the kidnapper's civilization.
* Forced domestication — Goblins can enslave [[troll]]s and use them as mounts, haulers or war animals.
* War slavery — [[Civilization]]s can enslave defeated enemies and bring them back to their settlements.
* Undead servitude — [[Undead]] creatures raised by [[necromancer]]s can be regarded as being under the control of their creator.
* Slaves of Armok — The game's subtitle; '''Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress''', uses slavery as part of the game's fictional terminology.

==Civilizational attitudes==
Slavery is also represented in the game's ethics system, which determines how different civilizations regard the practice.

The vanilla civilization definitions specify the following [[Ethic|ethical attitudes]] toward slavery:
{| class="wikitable"
!Civilization!!Attitude toward slavery
|-
|[[Human]]s||Acceptable
|-
|[[Goblin]]s||Viewed as a personal matter
|-
|[[Elf|Elves]]||Punishable by exile
|-
|[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]||Capital punishment1
|-
|[[Kobold]]s||Unthinkable
|-
|[[Animal person|Subterranean animal peoples]]||Unthinkable
|}
These attitudes primarily determine how a civilization reacts to slavery as an ethical issue. They should not be confused with the separate mechanics through which slavery actually occurs.

Notes:
#Despite being defined by the entity token <code>[[Ethic#PUNISH_CAPITAL|PUNISH_CAPITAL]]</code>, as far as dwarven [[Justice#Punishments|justice]] is concerned, capital punishment is not an intentional death penalty (though it is often an [[Hammerer|unintentional]] one). Dwarf society regards this punishment as 8 months in prison or fifty hammer strikes, falling just short of the greater than fifty hammer strikes needed for a punishment to be specifically considered an execution.

==Slavery in world generation==
During world generation, [[historical figure]]s can become enslaved. In mechanical terms, enslavement is closely related to imprisonment: an enslaved historical figure can potentially escape.

Slavery is unlikely to have a direct impact on the game when playing in [[Adventurer mode|adventure]] or [[Dwarf fortress mode|fortress mode]], where it is most likely to be seen in descriptions of historical events. Specific examples of how slavery is represented or implemented by the game can be seen in:
*A civilization's ethics.
*The various text [[String_dump/raw|strings]] used by the game in [[language]]s, [[speech]] and descriptions.
*Two explicit [[unit type token]]s.

Examples of possible references:
* "the end of the former enslavement of"
* "escaped from the slavery of"
* "escaped from the slavery of" / "escaped from the prisons of"
* "was enslaved by" / "was imprisoned by"
* "the enslavement" / "the imprisonment"
* "as a former slave of" / "as a former prisoner of"

==Child enslavement==
Goblins are particularly associated with the abduction of [[children]]. Goblin snatchers can enter settlements and abduct children, who can become part of the goblin civilization, rather than remaining members of their original civilization.
Children can potentially be recovered through a citizen recovery mission, while adventurers can also encounter and rescue captives through quests.
See:
* [[Thief#Goblin_snatchers|Goblin snatchers]]
* [[Mission|Missions]]
* [[Quest|Quests]]

==Troll enslavement / forced domestication / sentient livestock==
[[Goblin]]s can also enslave [[troll]]s. This is mechanically different from human-style war slavery. The troll is treated as an animal-like creature under goblin control, and can be used for purposes such as:
* carrying loads;
* pulling;
* riding;
* combat.
This creates a distinction between sapient creatures that are treated as animals and ordinary domesticated animals.
This form of enslavement is particularly relevant to modding, because the {{token|ANIMAL|entity}} token can cause a creature to be treated mechanically as an animal, even when the creature is otherwise sapient.
The relevant distinction is between:
* a creature being part of the civilization's main race;
* a creature being defined as an animal or special animal caste;
* a creature being treated as a pet;
* a creature being used as a mount, puller or hauler.
This can produce a situation in which a creature is biologically or culturally sapient, but is mechanically handled as livestock or a domesticated animal.

==War slavery==

Civilizations can enslave defeated enemies and take them back to their settlements. This can be described as spoils-of-war slavery or war enslavement.

The ethics value for slavery also affects whether a civilization is willing to accept caged sapient creatures from merchants.

Higher or lower ethical values appear to have relatively limited mechanical consequences, beyond determining whether the civilization permits slavery at all. The ethical value therefore primarily establishes the civilization's attitude toward the practice rather than providing a detailed slavery simulation.

==Undead servitude==
[[Necromancer|Necromancers]] can raise dead creatures as [[undead]]. The resulting undead are generally under the control of the necromancer who created them.
This can be interpreted as another form of forced servitude, although the game does not necessarily classify undead as slaves in the same mechanical sense as enslaved historical figures.

==Modding Slavery==
{{mod}}
There is no dedicated `SLAVE` creature mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress''. A [[Modding|mod]] can simulate slavery through the use of [[Entity token#Animal definitions|ANIMAL entity tokens]], and referencing a creature with specific [[creature token]]s such as {{token|PACK_ANIMAL}} and {{token|PET}}. There are three main approaches, all of which rely on the creature in question being explicitly defined per-civlization (entity).
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Modding approaches
|-
! Method !! Description !! Can be embarked with !! Can be traded !! Has slave-population in worldgen !! Can be trained !! Can have labours !! Can have a specific interaction !! Can have specific traits !! Can have a pet value !! Slave can be married to non-slave and have kids || Graphic modding needed
|-
| Existing creature as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Use <code>ANIMAL</code> tokens within an entity to define an existing creature itself. || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || {{N}}o || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{N}}o
|-
| Special caste as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Add a special caste to an existing creature and use <code>ANIMAL_CASTE_TOKEN</code> to define it within an entity. || {{Y}}es for the special caste, but not the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special caste || Only for the special caste ||{{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es
|-
| Creature copy as <code>ANIMAL</code>|| Create a copy of the original creature and define the copy using <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens. || {{Y}}es for the special creature, but not for the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special creature || Only for the special creature || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es
|}
* '''Can be embarked with''': creatures can be selected as livestock animals
* '''Can be traded''': can be selected in the [[trade]] agreement
* '''Can have a specific interaction''': an [[interaction]] specifically for this slave-creature can be defined
* '''Can have specific traits''': [[Creature token|tokens]] as desired can be assigned to the slave-creature.

The choice depends on the desired behaviour. A special caste is useful when the enslaved version should remain closely connected to the original creature — i.e. if dwarves should be able to enslave other dwarves. A separate creature provides more freedom when the enslaved version needs substantially different properties — i.e. if there is a specific "House Elf" creature that is expected to always be enslaved.

Notes:
#Intelligent creatures with either {{token|PET}} or {{token|PET_EXOTIC}} ''can'' be trained anyway, albeit training them is [[bug]]gy. For more information, see the article on [[gremlin]]s.

===Sapience and Assigning Tasks===
You can assign tasks to a creature with <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens if they have the creature tokens {{token|CAN_LEARN}} and {{token|CAN_SPEAK}}.

The <code>CAN_LEARN</code> tag will also mean that the game classes a creature as sapient, which comes with certain limitations on how they can be treated and interacted with. For instance, sapient creatures cannot normally be milked or butchered. Either token will allow a creature to have [[Personality value|values]] and [[Personality goal|goals]].

For a more detailed and philosophical analysis on the topic of sapience, within the context of ''Dwarf Fortress'', see [[Person]].

===How to make them show up===
For creatures that do not naturally spawn, you need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PRESENT|entity}}, otherwise, the civ only has them available if they somehow domesticated them. You need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PET|entity}} to make them selectable for embark.

===Other notes about [ANIMAL] sapients===
* They can be assigned a (bed)room, and positions like tavern keeper or priest, but never any of the noble positions
* They cannot be assigned a pond or pit and cannot be tied to a rope
* They cannot be assigned to a trainer
* If an ANIMAL-sapient is brought by the merchants, they will come clothed and the merchants will charge extra for the clothing.
* Their thoughts can be viewed in full detail.
* They can be expelled. They do not seem to form any relationships at all.
* If they cannot speak, they are listed as livestock, but cannot be assigned labours, so they can be assigned labours if they are able to speak.
* If they cannot speak, they are trainable
Whether they will petition for citizenship has yet to be verified.
* If you catch a hostile creature in a war, they cannot be pacified. They can, however, be sold to traders.
* If you attack a site that is inhabited by a sapient creature that is defined as an animal by your civilization, you cannot capture them as livestock.

===Example===
A modder who wants dwarves to have an enslaved caste can add a special `SLAVE` caste to the dwarf creature, making use of the appropriate creature tags detailed above. Setting its population ratio to `0` prevents enslaved dwarves from appearing as a separate natural population, while still allowing the caste to be used for individual enslaved dwarves.

For elves or other races, a separate copy of the creature can instead be used as the enslaved version. This provides more control over its properties, but the game treats it as a different creature.

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
|"Slave" in other '''[[Language|Languages]]''' [[File:Story tell indicator.png|20px]]
{| style="text-align:left;"
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''': noth
|-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''': urepe
|-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''': smanges
|-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''': cubnor
|}
|}

{| style="text-align:left;"
{{#if:{{{english|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[wikipedia:English language|English]]''':
{{!}} {{{english}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{dwarven|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''':
{{!}} {{{dwarven}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{elvish|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''':
{{!}} {{{elvish}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{goblin|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''':
{{!}} {{{goblin}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{human|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''':
{{!}} {{{human}}}
}}
|}

{{V50 entities}}
{{Category|Entities}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}
{{Category|Legends mode}}
{{Category|Lore}}
{{Category|Modding}}

Slavery

2026-10-04T08:37:54Z

DarklingArcher: /* Modding Slavery */ added mod header

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
[[Image:necromancer_experiment_slave.png|300px|thumb|right|A [[necromancer]] [[experiment]] with the slave "profession".]]

'''Slavery''' is the concept of a [[creature]] being under the ownership and/or forced employment of another. This article describes slavery only as represented by the game mechanics, world generation and fictional setting of ''Dwarf Fortress''.

==Overview==
Slavery is not a major gameplay mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress'', but the concept occurs in several parts of the game. [[Legends|Historical]] figures can become enslaved during [[world generation]], and slavery can also occur through several distinct game mechanics.
The game represents several forms of enslavement, including:
* Child enslavement — [[Goblin]] snatchers abduct [[children]], who may subsequently become slaves.
* Forced domestication — Goblins can enslave [[troll]]s and use them as mounts, haulers or war animals.
* War slavery — [[Civilization]]s can enslave defeated enemies and bring them back to their settlements.
* Undead servitude — [[Undead]] creatures raised by [[necromancer]]s can be regarded as being under the control of their creator.
* Slaves of Armok — The game's subtitle; '''Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress''', uses slavery as part of the game's fictional terminology.

==Civilizational attitudes==
Slavery is also represented in the game's ethics system, which determines how different civilizations regard the practice.

The vanilla civilization definitions specify the following [[Ethic|ethical attitudes]] toward slavery:
{| class="wikitable"
!Civilization!!Attitude toward slavery
|-
|[[Human]]s||Acceptable
|-
|[[Goblin]]s||Viewed as a personal matter
|-
|[[Elf|Elves]]||Punishable by exile
|-
|[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]||Capital punishment1
|-
|[[Kobold]]s||Unthinkable
|-
|[[Animal person|Subterranean animal peoples]]||Unthinkable
|}
These attitudes primarily determine how a civilization reacts to slavery as an ethical issue. They should not be confused with the separate mechanics through which slavery actually occurs.

Notes:
#Despite being defined by the entity token <code>[[Ethic#PUNISH_CAPITAL|PUNISH_CAPITAL]]</code>, as far as dwarven [[Justice#Punishments|justice]] is concerned, capital punishment is not an intentional death penalty (though it is often an [[Hammerer|unintentional]] one). Dwarf society regards this punishment as 8 months in prison or fifty hammer strikes, falling just short of the greater than fifty hammer strikes needed for a punishment to be specifically considered an execution.

==Slavery in world generation==
During world generation, [[historical figure]]s can become enslaved. In mechanical terms, enslavement is closely related to imprisonment: an enslaved historical figure can potentially escape.

Slavery is unlikely to have a direct impact on the game when playing in [[Adventurer mode|adventure]] or [[Dwarf fortress mode|fortress mode]], where it is most likely to be seen in descriptions of historical events. Specific examples of how slavery is represented or implemented by the game can be seen in:
*A civilization's ethics.
*The various text [[String_dump/raw|strings]] used by the game in [[language]]s, [[speech]] and descriptions.
*Two explicit [[unit type token]]s.

Examples of possible references:
* "the end of the former enslavement of"
* "escaped from the slavery of"
* "escaped from the slavery of" / "escaped from the prisons of"
* "was enslaved by" / "was imprisoned by"
* "the enslavement" / "the imprisonment"
* "as a former slave of" / "as a former prisoner of"

==Child enslavement==
Goblins are particularly associated with the abduction of [[children]]. Goblin snatchers can enter settlements and abduct children, who can become part of the goblin civilization, rather than remaining members of their original civilization.
Children can potentially be recovered through a citizen recovery mission, while adventurers can also encounter and rescue captives through quests.
See:
* [[Thief#Goblin_snatchers|Goblin snatchers]]
* [[Mission|Missions]]
* [[Quest|Quests]]

==Troll enslavement / forced domestication / sentient livestock==
[[Goblin]]s can also enslave [[troll]]s. This is mechanically different from human-style war slavery. The troll is treated as an animal-like creature under goblin control, and can be used for purposes such as:
* carrying loads;
* pulling;
* riding;
* combat.
This creates a distinction between sapient creatures that are treated as animals and ordinary domesticated animals.
This form of enslavement is particularly relevant to modding, because the {{token|ANIMAL|entity}} token can cause a creature to be treated mechanically as an animal, even when the creature is otherwise sapient.
The relevant distinction is between:
* a creature being part of the civilization's main race;
* a creature being defined as an animal or special animal caste;
* a creature being treated as a pet;
* a creature being used as a mount, puller or hauler.
This can produce a situation in which a creature is biologically or culturally sapient, but is mechanically handled as livestock or a domesticated animal.

==War slavery==

Civilizations can enslave defeated enemies and take them back to their settlements. This can be described as spoils-of-war slavery or war enslavement.

The ethics value for slavery also affects whether a civilization is willing to accept caged sapient creatures from merchants.

Higher or lower ethical values appear to have relatively limited mechanical consequences, beyond determining whether the civilization permits slavery at all. The ethical value therefore primarily establishes the civilization's attitude toward the practice rather than providing a detailed slavery simulation.

==Undead servitude==
[[Necromancer|Necromancers]] can raise dead creatures as [[undead]]. The resulting undead are generally under the control of the necromancer who created them.
This can be interpreted as another form of forced servitude, although the game does not necessarily classify undead as slaves in the same mechanical sense as enslaved historical figures.

==Modding Slavery==
{{mod}}
There is no dedicated `SLAVE` creature mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress''. A [[Modding|mod]] can simulate slavery through the use of [[Entity token#Animal definitions|ANIMAL entity tokens]], and referencing a creature with specific [[creature token]]s such as {{token|PACK_ANIMAL}} and {{token|PET}}. There are three main approaches, all of which rely on the creature in question being explicitly defined per-civlization (entity).
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Modding approaches
|-
! Method !! Description !! Can be embarked with !! Can be traded !! Has slave-population in worldgen !! Can be trained !! Can have labours !! Can have a specific interaction !! Can have specific traits !! Can have a pet value !! Slave can be married to non-slave and have kids || Graphic modding needed
|-
| Existing creature as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Use <code>ANIMAL</code> tokens within an entity to define an existing creature itself. || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || {{N}}o || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{N}}o
|-
| Special caste as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Add a special caste to an existing creature and use <code>ANIMAL_CASTE_TOKEN</code> to define it within an entity. || {{Y}}es for the special caste, but not the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special caste || Only for the special caste ||{{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es
|-
| Creature copy as <code>ANIMAL</code>|| Create a copy of the original creature and define the copy using <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens. || {{Y}}es for the special creature, but not for the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special creature || Only for the special creature || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es
|}
* Can be embarked with: creatures can be selected as livestock animals
* Can be traded: can be selected in the trade agreement
* Can have a specific interaction: an interaction specifically for this slave-creature can be defined
* Can have specific traits: tokens as desired can be assigned to the slave-creature.

The choice depends on the desired behaviour. A special caste is useful when the enslaved version should remain closely connected to the original creature — i.e. if dwarves should be able to enslave other dwarves. A separate creature provides more freedom when the enslaved version needs substantially different properties — i.e. if there is a specific "House Elf" creature that is expected to always be enslaved.

Notes:
#Intelligent creatures with either {{token|PET}} or {{token|PET_EXOTIC}} ''can'' be trained anyway, albeit training them is [[bug]]gy. For more information, see the article on [[gremlin]]s.

===Sapience and Assigning Tasks===
You can assign tasks to a creature with <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens if they have the creature tokens {{token|CAN_LEARN}} and {{token|CAN_SPEAK}}.

The <code>CAN_LEARN</code> tag will also mean that the game classes a creature as sapient, which comes with certain limitations on how they can be treated and interacted with. For instance, sapient creatures cannot normally be milked or butchered. Either token will allow a creature to have [[Personality value|values]] and [[Personality goal|goals]].

For a more detailed and philosophical analysis on the topic of sapience, within the context of ''Dwarf Fortress'', see [[Person]].

===How to make them show up===
For creatures that do not naturally spawn, you need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PRESENT|entity}}, otherwise, the civ only has them available if they somehow domesticated them. You need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PET|entity}} to make them selectable for embark.

===Other notes about [ANIMAL] sapients===
* They can be assigned a (bed)room
* They can be assigned positions like tavern keeper or priest, but never any of the noble positions
* They cannot be assigned a pond or pit and cannot be tied to a rope
* They cannot be assigned to a trainer
* If an ANIMAL-sapient is brought by the merchants, they will come clothed and the merchants will charge extra for the clothing.
* Their thoughts can be viewed in full detail.
* They can be expelled. They do not seem to form any relationships at all.
* If they cannot speak, they are listed as livestock, but cannot be assigned labours, so they can be assigned labours if they are able to speak.
* If they cannot speak, they are trainable
Whether they will petition for citizenship has yet to be verified.
* If you catch a hostile creature in a war, they cannot be pacified. They can, however, be sold to traders.
* If you attack a site that is inhabited by a sapient creature that is defined as an animal by your civilization, you cannot capture them as livestock.

===Example===
A modder who wants dwarves to have an enslaved caste can add a special `SLAVE` caste to the dwarf creature, making use of the appropriate creature tags detailed above. Setting its population ratio to `0` prevents enslaved dwarves from appearing as a separate natural population, while still allowing the caste to be used for individual enslaved dwarves.

For elves or other races, a separate copy of the creature can instead be used as the enslaved version. This provides more control over its properties, but the game treats it as a different creature.

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
|"Slave" in other '''[[Language|Languages]]''' [[File:Story tell indicator.png|20px]]
{| style="text-align:left;"
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''': noth
|-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''': urepe
|-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''': smanges
|-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''': cubnor
|}
|}

{| style="text-align:left;"
{{#if:{{{english|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[wikipedia:English language|English]]''':
{{!}} {{{english}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{dwarven|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''':
{{!}} {{{dwarven}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{elvish|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''':
{{!}} {{{elvish}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{goblin|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''':
{{!}} {{{goblin}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{human|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''':
{{!}} {{{human}}}
}}
|}

{{V50 entities}}
{{Category|Entities}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}
{{Category|Legends mode}}
{{Category|Lore}}
{{Category|Modding}}

Slavery

2026-10-04T08:35:30Z

DarklingArcher: downsized the big text a little

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
[[Image:necromancer_experiment_slave.png|300px|thumb|right|A [[necromancer]] [[experiment]] with the slave "profession".]]

'''Slavery''' is the concept of a [[creature]] being under the ownership and/or forced employment of another. This article describes slavery only as represented by the game mechanics, world generation and fictional setting of ''Dwarf Fortress''.

==Overview==
Slavery is not a major gameplay mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress'', but the concept occurs in several parts of the game. [[Legends|Historical]] figures can become enslaved during [[world generation]], and slavery can also occur through several distinct game mechanics.
The game represents several forms of enslavement, including:
* Child enslavement — [[Goblin]] snatchers abduct [[children]], who may subsequently become slaves.
* Forced domestication — Goblins can enslave [[troll]]s and use them as mounts, haulers or war animals.
* War slavery — [[Civilization]]s can enslave defeated enemies and bring them back to their settlements.
* Undead servitude — [[Undead]] creatures raised by [[necromancer]]s can be regarded as being under the control of their creator.
* Slaves of Armok — The game's subtitle; '''Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress''', uses slavery as part of the game's fictional terminology.

==Civilizational attitudes==
Slavery is also represented in the game's ethics system, which determines how different civilizations regard the practice.

The vanilla civilization definitions specify the following [[Ethic|ethical attitudes]] toward slavery:
{| class="wikitable"
!Civilization!!Attitude toward slavery
|-
|[[Human]]s||Acceptable
|-
|[[Goblin]]s||Viewed as a personal matter
|-
|[[Elf|Elves]]||Punishable by exile
|-
|[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]||Capital punishment1
|-
|[[Kobold]]s||Unthinkable
|-
|[[Animal person|Subterranean animal peoples]]||Unthinkable
|}
These attitudes primarily determine how a civilization reacts to slavery as an ethical issue. They should not be confused with the separate mechanics through which slavery actually occurs.

Notes:
#Despite being defined by the entity token <code>[[Ethic#PUNISH_CAPITAL|PUNISH_CAPITAL]]</code>, as far as dwarven [[Justice#Punishments|justice]] is concerned, capital punishment is not an intentional death penalty (though it is often an [[Hammerer|unintentional]] one). Dwarf society regards this punishment as 8 months in prison or fifty hammer strikes, falling just short of the greater than fifty hammer strikes needed for a punishment to be specifically considered an execution.

==Slavery in world generation==
During world generation, [[historical figure]]s can become enslaved. In mechanical terms, enslavement is closely related to imprisonment: an enslaved historical figure can potentially escape.

Slavery is unlikely to have a direct impact on the game when playing in [[Adventurer mode|adventure]] or [[Dwarf fortress mode|fortress mode]], where it is most likely to be seen in descriptions of historical events. Specific examples of how slavery is represented or implemented by the game can be seen in:
*A civilization's ethics.
*The various text [[String_dump/raw|strings]] used by the game in [[language]]s, [[speech]] and descriptions.
*Two explicit [[unit type token]]s.

Examples of possible references:
* "the end of the former enslavement of"
* "escaped from the slavery of"
* "escaped from the slavery of" / "escaped from the prisons of"
* "was enslaved by" / "was imprisoned by"
* "the enslavement" / "the imprisonment"
* "as a former slave of" / "as a former prisoner of"

==Child enslavement==
Goblins are particularly associated with the abduction of [[children]]. Goblin snatchers can enter settlements and abduct children, who can become part of the goblin civilization, rather than remaining members of their original civilization.
Children can potentially be recovered through a citizen recovery mission, while adventurers can also encounter and rescue captives through quests.
See:
* [[Thief#Goblin_snatchers|Goblin snatchers]]
* [[Mission|Missions]]
* [[Quest|Quests]]

==Troll enslavement / forced domestication / sentient livestock==
[[Goblin]]s can also enslave [[troll]]s. This is mechanically different from human-style war slavery. The troll is treated as an animal-like creature under goblin control, and can be used for purposes such as:
* carrying loads;
* pulling;
* riding;
* combat.
This creates a distinction between sapient creatures that are treated as animals and ordinary domesticated animals.
This form of enslavement is particularly relevant to modding, because the {{token|ANIMAL|entity}} token can cause a creature to be treated mechanically as an animal, even when the creature is otherwise sapient.
The relevant distinction is between:
* a creature being part of the civilization's main race;
* a creature being defined as an animal or special animal caste;
* a creature being treated as a pet;
* a creature being used as a mount, puller or hauler.
This can produce a situation in which a creature is biologically or culturally sapient, but is mechanically handled as livestock or a domesticated animal.

==War slavery==

Civilizations can enslave defeated enemies and take them back to their settlements. This can be described as spoils-of-war slavery or war enslavement.

The ethics value for slavery also affects whether a civilization is willing to accept caged sapient creatures from merchants.

Higher or lower ethical values appear to have relatively limited mechanical consequences, beyond determining whether the civilization permits slavery at all. The ethical value therefore primarily establishes the civilization's attitude toward the practice rather than providing a detailed slavery simulation.

==Undead servitude==
[[Necromancer|Necromancers]] can raise dead creatures as [[undead]]. The resulting undead are generally under the control of the necromancer who created them.
This can be interpreted as another form of forced servitude, although the game does not necessarily classify undead as slaves in the same mechanical sense as enslaved historical figures.

==Modding Slavery==
There is no dedicated `SLAVE` creature mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress''. A [[Modding|mod]] can simulate slavery through the use of [[Entity token#Animal definitions|ANIMAL entity tokens]], and referencing a creature with specific [[creature token]]s such as {{token|PACK_ANIMAL}} and {{token|PET}}. There are three main approaches, all of which rely on the creature in question being explicitly defined per-civlization (entity).
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Modding approaches
|-
! Method !! Description !! Can be embarked with !! Can be traded !! Has slave-population in worldgen !! Can be trained !! Can have labours !! Can have a specific interaction !! Can have specific traits !! Can have a pet value !! Slave can be married to non-slave and have kids || Graphic modding needed
|-
| Existing creature as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Use <code>ANIMAL</code> tokens within an entity to define an existing creature itself. || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || {{N}}o || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{N}}o
|-
| Special caste as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Add a special caste to an existing creature and use <code>ANIMAL_CASTE_TOKEN</code> to define it within an entity. || {{Y}}es for the special caste, but not the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special caste || Only for the special caste ||{{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es
|-
| Creature copy as <code>ANIMAL</code>|| Create a copy of the original creature and define the copy using <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens. || {{Y}}es for the special creature, but not for the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special creature || Only for the special creature || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es
|}
* Can be embarked with: creatures can be selected as livestock animals
* Can be traded: can be selected in the trade agreement
* Can have a specific interaction: an interaction specifically for this slave-creature can be defined
* Can have specific traits: tokens as desired can be assigned to the slave-creature.

The choice depends on the desired behaviour. A special caste is useful when the enslaved version should remain closely connected to the original creature — i.e. if dwarves should be able to enslave other dwarves. A separate creature provides more freedom when the enslaved version needs substantially different properties — i.e. if there is a specific "House Elf" creature that is expected to always be enslaved.

Notes:
#Intelligent creatures with either {{token|PET}} or {{token|PET_EXOTIC}} ''can'' be trained anyway, albeit training them is [[bug]]gy. For more information, see the article on [[gremlin]]s.

===Sapience and Assigning Tasks===
You can assign tasks to a creature with <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens if they have the creature tokens {{token|CAN_LEARN}} and {{token|CAN_SPEAK}}.

The <code>CAN_LEARN</code> tag will also mean that the game classes a creature as sapient, which comes with certain limitations on how they can be treated and interacted with. For instance, sapient creatures cannot normally be milked or butchered. Either token will allow a creature to have [[Personality value|values]] and [[Personality goal|goals]].

For a more detailed and philosophical analysis on the topic of sapience, within the context of ''Dwarf Fortress'', see [[Person]].

===How to make them show up===
For creatures that do not naturally spawn, you need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PRESENT|entity}}, otherwise, the civ only has them available if they somehow domesticated them. You need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PET|entity}} to make them selectable for embark.

===Other notes about [ANIMAL] sapients===
* They can be assigned a (bed)room
* They can be assigned positions like tavern keeper or priest, but never any of the noble positions
* They cannot be assigned a pond or pit and cannot be tied to a rope
* They cannot be assigned to a trainer
* If an ANIMAL-sapient is brought by the merchants, they will come clothed and the merchants will charge extra for the clothing.
* Their thoughts can be viewed in full detail.
* They can be expelled. They do not seem to form any relationships at all.
* If they cannot speak, they are listed as livestock, but cannot be assigned labours, so they can be assigned labours if they are able to speak.
* If they cannot speak, they are trainable
Whether they will petition for citizenship has yet to be verified.
* If you catch a hostile creature in a war, they cannot be pacified. They can, however, be sold to traders.
* If you attack a site that is inhabited by a sapient creature that is defined as an animal by your civilization, you cannot capture them as livestock.

===Example===
A modder who wants dwarves to have an enslaved caste can add a special `SLAVE` caste to the dwarf creature, making use of the appropriate creature tags detailed above. Setting its population ratio to `0` prevents enslaved dwarves from appearing as a separate natural population, while still allowing the caste to be used for individual enslaved dwarves.

For elves or other races, a separate copy of the creature can instead be used as the enslaved version. This provides more control over its properties, but the game treats it as a different creature.

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
|"Slave" in other '''[[Language|Languages]]''' [[File:Story tell indicator.png|20px]]
{| style="text-align:left;"
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''': noth
|-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''': urepe
|-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''': smanges
|-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''': cubnor
|}
|}

{| style="text-align:left;"
{{#if:{{{english|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[wikipedia:English language|English]]''':
{{!}} {{{english}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{dwarven|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''':
{{!}} {{{dwarven}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{elvish|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''':
{{!}} {{{elvish}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{goblin|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''':
{{!}} {{{goblin}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{human|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''':
{{!}} {{{human}}}
}}
|}

{{V50 entities}}
{{Category|Entities}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}
{{Category|Legends mode}}
{{Category|Lore}}
{{Category|Modding}}

Slavery

2026-10-04T08:25:18Z

DarklingArcher: /* Modding Slavery */ Sentients with [PET] can be trained, albeit training them is buggy

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
[[Image:necromancer_experiment_slave.png|300px|thumb|right|A [[necromancer]] [[experiment]] with the slave "profession".]]

'''Slavery''' is the concept of a [[creature]] being under the ownership and/or forced employment of another. This article describes slavery only as represented by the game mechanics, world generation and fictional setting of ''Dwarf Fortress''.

=Overview=
Slavery is not a major gameplay mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress'', but the concept occurs in several parts of the game. [[Legends|Historical]] figures can become enslaved during [[world generation]], and slavery can also occur through several distinct game mechanics.
The game represents several forms of enslavement, including:
* Child enslavement — [[Goblin]] snatchers abduct [[children]], who may subsequently become slaves.
* Forced domestication — Goblins can enslave [[troll]]s and use them as mounts, haulers or war animals.
* War slavery — [[Civilization]]s can enslave defeated enemies and bring them back to their settlements.
* Undead servitude — [[Undead]] creatures raised by [[necromancer]]s can be regarded as being under the control of their creator.
* Slaves of Armok — The game's subtitle; '''Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress''', uses slavery as part of the game's fictional terminology.

=Civilizational attitudes=
Slavery is also represented in the game's ethics system, which determines how different civilizations regard the practice.

The vanilla civilization definitions specify the following [[Ethic|ethical attitudes]] toward slavery:
{| class="wikitable"
!Civilization!!Attitude toward slavery
|-
|[[Human]]s||Acceptable
|-
|[[Goblin]]s||Viewed as a personal matter
|-
|[[Elf|Elves]]||Punishable by exile
|-
|[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]||Capital punishment1
|-
|[[Kobold]]s||Unthinkable
|-
|[[Animal person|Subterranean animal peoples]]||Unthinkable
|}
These attitudes primarily determine how a civilization reacts to slavery as an ethical issue. They should not be confused with the separate mechanics through which slavery actually occurs.

Notes:
#Despite being defined by the entity token <code>[[Ethic#PUNISH_CAPITAL|PUNISH_CAPITAL]]</code>, as far as dwarven [[Justice#Punishments|justice]] is concerned, capital punishment is not an intentional death penalty (though it is often an [[Hammerer|unintentional]] one). Dwarf society regards this punishment as 8 months in prison or fifty hammer strikes, falling just short of the greater than fifty hammer strikes needed for a punishment to be specifically considered an execution.

=Slavery in world generation=
During world generation, [[historical figure]]s can become enslaved. In mechanical terms, enslavement is closely related to imprisonment: an enslaved historical figure can potentially escape.

Slavery is unlikely to have a direct impact on the game when playing in [[Adventurer mode|adventure]] or [[Dwarf fortress mode|fortress mode]], where it is most likely to be seen in descriptions of historical events. Specific examples of how slavery is represented or implemented by the game can be seen in:
*A civilization's ethics.
*The various text [[String_dump/raw|strings]] used by the game in [[language]]s, [[speech]] and descriptions.
*Two explicit [[unit type token]]s.

Examples of possible references:
* "the end of the former enslavement of"
* "escaped from the slavery of"
* "escaped from the slavery of" / "escaped from the prisons of"
* "was enslaved by" / "was imprisoned by"
* "the enslavement" / "the imprisonment"
* "as a former slave of" / "as a former prisoner of"

=Child enslavement=
Goblins are particularly associated with the abduction of [[children]]. Goblin snatchers can enter settlements and abduct children, who can become part of the goblin civilization, rather than remaining members of their original civilization.
Children can potentially be recovered through a citizen recovery mission, while adventurers can also encounter and rescue captives through quests.
See:
* [[Thief#Goblin_snatchers|Goblin snatchers]]
* [[Mission|Missions]]
* [[Quest|Quests]]

= Troll enslavement / forced domestication / sentient livestock=
[[Goblin]]s can also enslave [[troll]]s. This is mechanically different from human-style war slavery. The troll is treated as an animal-like creature under goblin control and can be used for purposes such as:
* carrying loads;
* pulling;
* riding;
* combat.
This creates a distinction between sapient creatures that are treated as animals and ordinary domesticated animals.
This form of enslavement is particularly relevant to modding, because the {{token|ANIMAL|entity}} token can cause a creature to be treated mechanically as an animal, even when the creature is otherwise sapient.
The relevant distinction is between:
* a creature being part of the civilization's main race;
* a creature being defined as an animal or special animal caste;
* a creature being treated as a pet;
* a creature being used as a mount, puller or hauler.
This can produce a situation in which a creature is biologically or culturally sapient but is mechanically handled as livestock or a domesticated animal.

=War slavery=

Civilizations can enslave defeated enemies and take them back to their settlements. This can be described as spoils-of-war slavery or war enslavement.

The ethics value for slavery also affects whether a civilization is willing to accept caged sapient creatures from merchants.

Higher or lower ethical values appear to have relatively limited mechanical consequences, beyond determining whether the civilization permits slavery at all. The ethical value therefore primarily establishes the civilization's attitude toward the practice rather than providing a detailed slavery simulation.

=Undead servitude=
[[Necromancer|Necromancers]] can raise dead creatures as [[undead]]. The resulting undead are generally under the control of the necromancer who created them.
This can be interpreted as another form of forced servitude, although the game does not necessarily classify undead as slaves in the same mechanical sense as enslaved historical figures.

=Modding Slavery=
There is no dedicated `SLAVE` creature mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress''. A [[Modding|mod]] can simulate slavery through the use of [[Entity token#Animal definitions|ANIMAL entity tokens]], and referencing a creature with specific [[creature token]]s such as {{token|PACK_ANIMAL}} and {{token|PET}}. There are three main approaches, all of which rely on the creature in question being explicitly defined per-civlization (entity).
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Modding approaches
|-
! Method !! Description !! Can be embarked with !! Can be traded !! Has slave-population in worldgen !! Can be trained !! Can have labours !! Can have a specific interaction !! Can have specific traits !! Can have a pet value !! Slave can be married to non-slave and have kids || Graphic modding needed
|-
| Existing creature as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Use <code>ANIMAL</code> tokens within an entity to define an existing creature itself. || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || {{N}}o || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{N}}o
|-
| Special caste as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Add a special caste to an existing creature and use <code>ANIMAL_CASTE_TOKEN</code> to define it within an entity. || {{Y}}es for the special caste, but not the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special caste || Only for the special caste ||{{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es
|-
| Creature copy as <code>ANIMAL</code>|| Create a copy of the original creature and define the copy using <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens. || {{Y}}es for the special creature, but not for the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking1 || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special creature || Only for the special creature || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es
|}
* Can be embarked with: creatures can be selected as livestock animals
* Can be traded: can be selected in the trade agreement
* Can have a specific interaction: an interaction specifically for this slave-creature can be defined
* Can have specific traits: tokens as desired can be assigned to the slave-creature.

The choice depends on the desired behaviour. A special caste is useful when the enslaved version should remain closely connected to the original creature — i.e. if dwarves should be able to enslave other dwarves. A separate creature provides more freedom when the enslaved version needs substantially different properties — i.e. if there is a specific "House Elf" creature that is expected to always be enslaved.

Notes:
#Intelligent creatures with either {{token|PET}} or {{token|PET_EXOTIC}} ''can'' be trained anyway, albeit training them is [[bug]]gy. For more information, see the article on [[gremlin]]s.

==Sapience and Assigning Tasks==
You can assign tasks to a creature with <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens if they have the creature tokens {{token|CAN_LEARN}} and {{token|CAN_SPEAK}}.

The <code>CAN_LEARN</code> tag will also mean that the game classes a creature as sapient, which comes with certain limitations on how they can be treated and interacted with. For instance, sapient creatures cannot normally be milked or butchered. Either token will allow a creature to have [[Personality value|values]] and [[Personality goal|goals]].

For a more detailed and philosophical analysis on the topic of sapience, within the context of ''Dwarf Fortress'', see [[Person]].

==How to make them show up==
For creatures that do not naturally spawn, you need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PRESENT|entity}}, otherwise, the civ only has them available if they somehow domesticated them. You need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PET|entity}} to make them selectable for embark.

==Other notes about [ANIMAL] sapients==
* They can be assigned a (bed)room
* They can be assigned positions like tavern keeper or priest, but never any of the noble positions
* They cannot be assigned a pond or pit and cannot be tied to a rope
* They cannot be assigned to a trainer
* If an ANIMAL-sapient is brought by the merchants, they will come clothed and the merchants will charge extra for the clothing.
* Their thoughts can be viewed in full detail.
* They can be expelled. They do not seem to form any relationships at all.
* If they cannot speak, they are listed as livestock, but cannot be assigned labours, so they can be assigned labours if they are able to speak.
* If they cannot speak, they are trainable
Whether they will petition for citizenship has yet to be verified.
* If you catch a hostile creature in a war, they cannot be pacified. They can, however, be sold to traders.
* If you attack a site that is inhabited by a sapient creature that is defined as an animal by your civilization, you cannot capture them as livestock.

==Example==
A modder who wants dwarves to have an enslaved caste can add a special `SLAVE` caste to the dwarf creature, making use of the appropriate creature tags detailed above. Setting its population ratio to `0` prevents enslaved dwarves from appearing as a separate natural population, while still allowing the caste to be used for individual enslaved dwarves.

For elves or other races, a separate copy of the creature can instead be used as the enslaved version. This provides more control over its properties, but the game treats it as a different creature.

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
|"Slave" in other '''[[Language|Languages]]''' [[File:Story tell indicator.png|20px]]
{| style="text-align:left;"
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''': noth
|-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''': urepe
|-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''': smanges
|-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''': cubnor
|}
|}

{| style="text-align:left;"
{{#if:{{{english|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[wikipedia:English language|English]]''':
{{!}} {{{english}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{dwarven|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''':
{{!}} {{{dwarven}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{elvish|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''':
{{!}} {{{elvish}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{goblin|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''':
{{!}} {{{goblin}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{human|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''':
{{!}} {{{human}}}
}}
|}

{{V50 entities}}
{{Category|Entities}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}
{{Category|Legends mode}}
{{Category|Lore}}
{{Category|Modding}}

Slavery

2026-10-04T07:58:04Z

DarklingArcher: formatting

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
[[Image:necromancer_experiment_slave.png|300px|thumb|right|A [[necromancer]] [[experiment]] with the slave "profession".]]

'''Slavery''' is the concept of a [[creature]] being under the ownership and/or forced employment of another. This article describes slavery only as represented by the game mechanics, world generation and fictional setting of ''Dwarf Fortress''.

=Overview=
Slavery is not a major gameplay mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress'', but the concept occurs in several parts of the game. [[Legends|Historical]] figures can become enslaved during [[world generation]], and slavery can also occur through several distinct game mechanics.
The game represents several forms of enslavement, including:
* Child enslavement — [[Goblin]] snatchers abduct [[children]], who may subsequently become slaves.
* Forced domestication — Goblins can enslave [[troll]]s and use them as mounts, haulers or war animals.
* War slavery — [[Civilization]]s can enslave defeated enemies and bring them back to their settlements.
* Undead servitude — [[Undead]] creatures raised by [[necromancer]]s can be regarded as being under the control of their creator.
* Slaves of Armok — The game's subtitle; '''Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress''', uses slavery as part of the game's fictional terminology.

=Civilizational attitudes=
Slavery is also represented in the game's ethics system, which determines how different civilizations regard the practice.

The vanilla civilization definitions specify the following [[Ethic|ethical attitudes]] toward slavery:
{| class="wikitable"
!Civilization!!Attitude toward slavery
|-
|[[Human]]s||Acceptable
|-
|[[Goblin]]s||Viewed as a personal matter
|-
|[[Elf|Elves]]||Punishable by exile
|-
|[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]||Capital punishment1
|-
|[[Kobold]]s||Unthinkable
|-
|[[Animal person|Subterranean animal peoples]]||Unthinkable
|}
These attitudes primarily determine how a civilization reacts to slavery as an ethical issue. They should not be confused with the separate mechanics through which slavery actually occurs.

Notes:
#Despite being defined by the entity token <code>[[Ethic#PUNISH_CAPITAL|PUNISH_CAPITAL]]</code>, as far as dwarven [[Justice#Punishments|justice]] is concerned, capital punishment is not an intentional death penalty (though it is often an [[Hammerer|unintentional]] one). Dwarf society regards this punishment as 8 months in prison or fifty hammer strikes, falling just short of the greater than fifty hammer strikes needed for a punishment to be specifically considered an execution.

=Slavery in world generation=
During world generation, [[historical figure]]s can become enslaved. In mechanical terms, enslavement is closely related to imprisonment: an enslaved historical figure can potentially escape.

Slavery is unlikely to have a direct impact on the game when playing in [[Adventurer mode|adventure]] or [[Dwarf fortress mode|fortress mode]], where it is most likely to be seen in descriptions of historical events. Specific examples of how slavery is represented or implemented by the game can be seen in:
*A civilization's ethics.
*The various text [[String_dump/raw|strings]] used by the game in [[language]]s, [[speech]] and descriptions.
*Two explicit [[unit type token]]s.

Examples of possible references:
* "the end of the former enslavement of"
* "escaped from the slavery of"
* "escaped from the slavery of" / "escaped from the prisons of"
* "was enslaved by" / "was imprisoned by"
* "the enslavement" / "the imprisonment"
* "as a former slave of" / "as a former prisoner of"

=Child enslavement=
Goblins are particularly associated with the abduction of [[children]]. Goblin snatchers can enter settlements and abduct children, who can become part of the goblin civilization, rather than remaining members of their original civilization.
Children can potentially be recovered through a citizen recovery mission, while adventurers can also encounter and rescue captives through quests.
See:
* [[Thief#Goblin_snatchers|Goblin snatchers]]
* [[Mission|Missions]]
* [[Quest|Quests]]

= Troll enslavement / forced domestication / sentient livestock=
[[Goblin]]s can also enslave [[troll]]s. This is mechanically different from human-style war slavery. The troll is treated as an animal-like creature under goblin control and can be used for purposes such as:
* carrying loads;
* pulling;
* riding;
* combat.
This creates a distinction between sapient creatures that are treated as animals and ordinary domesticated animals.
This form of enslavement is particularly relevant to modding, because the {{token|ANIMAL|entity}} token can cause a creature to be treated mechanically as an animal, even when the creature is otherwise sapient.
The relevant distinction is between:
* a creature being part of the civilization's main race;
* a creature being defined as an animal or special animal caste;
* a creature being treated as a pet;
* a creature being used as a mount, puller or hauler.
This can produce a situation in which a creature is biologically or culturally sapient but is mechanically handled as livestock or a domesticated animal.

=War slavery=

Civilizations can enslave defeated enemies and take them back to their settlements. This can be described as spoils-of-war slavery or war enslavement.

The ethics value for slavery also affects whether a civilization is willing to accept caged sapient creatures from merchants.

Higher or lower ethical values appear to have relatively limited mechanical consequences, beyond determining whether the civilization permits slavery at all. The ethical value therefore primarily establishes the civilization's attitude toward the practice rather than providing a detailed slavery simulation.

=Undead servitude=
[[Necromancer|Necromancers]] can raise dead creatures as [[undead]]. The resulting undead are generally under the control of the necromancer who created them.
This can be interpreted as another form of forced servitude, although the game does not necessarily classify undead as slaves in the same mechanical sense as enslaved historical figures.

=Modding Slavery=
There is no dedicated `SLAVE` creature mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress''. A [[Modding|mod]] can simulate slavery through the use of [[Entity token#Animal definitions|ANIMAL entity tokens]], and referencing a creature with specific [[creature token]]s such as {{token|PACK_ANIMAL}} and {{token|PET}}. There are three main approaches, all of which rely on the creature in question being explicitly defined per-civlization (entity).
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Modding approaches
|-
! Method !! Description !! Can be embarked with !! Can be traded !! Has slave-population in worldgen !! Can be trained !! Can have labours !! Can have a specific interaction !! Can have specific traits !! Can have a pet value !! Slave can be married to non-slave and have kids || Graphic modding needed
|-
| Existing creature as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Use <code>ANIMAL</code> tokens within an entity to define an existing creature itself. || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || {{N}}o || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es || {{N}}o
|-
| Special caste as <code>ANIMAL</code> || Add a special caste to an existing creature and use <code>ANIMAL_CASTE_TOKEN</code> to define it within an entity. || {{Y}}es for the special caste, but not the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || If non-speaking || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special caste || Only for the special caste ||{{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || {{Y}}es
|-
| Creature copy as <code>ANIMAL</code>|| Create a copy of the original creature and define the copy using <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens. || {{Y}}es for the special creature, but not for the main race || {{Y}}es, both || {{Y}}es || If non-speaking || If {{token|CAN_LEARN}} || Only for the special creature || Only for the special creature || {{Y}}es, both || {{N}}o || {{Y}}es
|}
* Can be embarked with: creatures can be selected as livestock animals
* Can be traded: can be selected in the trade agreement
* Can have a specific interaction: an interaction specifically for this slave-creature can be defined
* Can have specific traits: tokens as desired can be assigned to the slave-creature.

The choice depends on the desired behaviour. A special caste is useful when the enslaved version should remain closely connected to the original creature — i.e. if dwarves should be able to enslave other dwarves. A separate creature provides more freedom when the enslaved version needs substantially different properties — i.e. if there is a specific "House Elf" creature that is expected to always be enslaved.

==Sapience and Assigning Tasks==
You can assign tasks to a creature with <code>ANIMAL</code> entity tokens if they have the creature tokens {{token|CAN_LEARN}} and {{token|CAN_SPEAK}}.

The <code>CAN_LEARN</code> tag will also mean that the game classes a creature as sapient, which comes with certain limitations on how they can be treated and interacted with. For instance, sapient creatures cannot normally be milked or butchered. Either token will allow a creature to have [[Personality value|values]] and [[Personality goal|goals]].

For a more detailed and philosophical analysis on the topic of sapience, within the context of ''Dwarf Fortress'', see [[Person]].

==How to make them show up==
For creatures that do not naturally spawn, you need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PRESENT|entity}}, otherwise, the civ only has them available if they somehow domesticated them. You need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PET|entity}} to make them selectable for embark.

==Other notes about [ANIMAL] sapients==
* They can be assigned a (bed)room
* They can be assigned positions like tavern keeper or priest, but never any of the noble positions
* They cannot be assigned a pond or pit and cannot be tied to a rope
* They cannot be assigned to a trainer
* If an ANIMAL-sapient is brought by the merchants, they will come clothed and the merchants will charge extra for the clothing.
* Their thoughts can be viewed in full detail.
* They can be expelled. They do not seem to form any relationships at all.
* If they cannot speak, they are listed as livestock, but cannot be assigned labours, so they can be assigned labours if they are able to speak.
* If they cannot speak, they are trainable
Whether they will petition for citizenship has yet to be verified.
* If you catch a hostile creature in a war, they cannot be pacified. They can, however, be sold to traders.
* If you attack a site that is inhabited by a sapient creature that is defined as an animal by your civilization, you cannot capture them as livestock.

==Example==
A modder who wants dwarves to have an enslaved caste can add a special `SLAVE` caste to the dwarf creature, making use of the appropriate creature tags detailed above. Setting its population ratio to `0` prevents enslaved dwarves from appearing as a separate natural population, while still allowing the caste to be used for individual enslaved dwarves.

For elves or other races, a separate copy of the creature can instead be used as the enslaved version. This provides more control over its properties, but the game treats it as a different creature.

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
|"Slave" in other '''[[Language|Languages]]''' [[File:Story tell indicator.png|20px]]
{| style="text-align:left;"
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''': noth
|-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''': urepe
|-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''': smanges
|-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''': cubnor
|}
|}

{| style="text-align:left;"
{{#if:{{{english|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[wikipedia:English language|English]]''':
{{!}} {{{english}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{dwarven|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''':
{{!}} {{{dwarven}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{elvish|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''':
{{!}} {{{elvish}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{goblin|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''':
{{!}} {{{goblin}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{human|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''':
{{!}} {{{human}}}
}}
|}

{{V50 entities}}
{{Category|Entities}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}
{{Category|Legends mode}}
{{Category|Lore}}
{{Category|Modding}}

Slavery

2026-10-04T07:40:30Z

DarklingArcher: capitalization

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
[[Image:necromancer_experiment_slave.png|300px|thumb|right|A [[necromancer]] [[experiment]] with the slave "profession".]]

'''Slavery''' is the concept of a [[creature]] being under the ownership and/or forced employment of another. This article describes slavery only as represented by the game mechanics, world generation and fictional setting of ''Dwarf Fortress''.

=Overview=
Slavery is not a major gameplay mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress'', but the concept occurs in several parts of the game. [[Legends|Historical]] figures can become enslaved during [[world generation]], and slavery can also occur through several distinct game mechanics.
The game represents several forms of enslavement, including:
* Child enslavement — [[Goblin]] snatchers abduct [[children]], who may subsequently become slaves.
* Forced domestication — Goblins can enslave [[troll]]s and use them as mounts, haulers or war animals.
* War slavery — [[Civilization]]s can enslave defeated enemies and bring them back to their settlements.
* Undead servitude — [[Undead]] creatures raised by [[necromancer]]s can be regarded as being under the control of their creator.
* Slaves of Armok — The game's subtitle; '''Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress''', uses slavery as part of the game's fictional terminology.

=Civilizational attitudes=
Slavery is also represented in the game's ethics system, which determines how different civilizations regard the practice.

The vanilla civilization definitions specify the following [[Ethic|ethical attitudes]] toward slavery:
{| class="wikitable"
!Civilization!!Attitude toward slavery
|-
|[[Human]]s||Acceptable
|-
|[[Goblin]]s||Viewed as a personal matter
|-
|[[Elf|Elves]]||Punishable by exile
|-
|[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]||Capital punishment1
|-
|[[Kobold]]s||Unthinkable
|-
|[[Animal person|Subterranean animal peoples]]||Unthinkable
|}
These attitudes primarily determine how a civilization reacts to slavery as an ethical issue. They should not be confused with the separate mechanics through which slavery actually occurs.

Notes:
#Despite being defined by the entity token [[Ethic#PUNISH_CAPITAL|PUNISH_CAPITAL]], as far as dwarven [[Justice#Punishments|justice]] is concerned, capital punishment is not an intentional death penalty (though it is often an [[Hammerer|unintentional]] one). Dwarf society regards this punishment as 8 months in prison or fifty hammer strikes, falling just short of the greater than fifty hammer strikes needed for a punishment to be specifically considered an execution.

=Slavery in world generation=
During world generation, [[historical figure]]s can become enslaved. In mechanical terms, enslavement is closely related to imprisonment: an enslaved historical figure can potentially escape.

Slavery is unlikely to have a direct impact on the game when playing in [[Adventurer mode|adventure]] or [[Dwarf fortress mode|fortress mode]], where it is most likely to be seen in descriptions of historical events. Specific examples of how slavery is represented or implemented by the game can be seen in:
*A civilization's ethics.
*The various text [[String_dump/raw|strings]] used by the game in [[language]]s, [[speech]] and descriptions.
*Two explicit [[unit type token]]s.

Examples of possible references:
* "the end of the former enslavement of"
* "escaped from the slavery of"
* "escaped from the slavery of" / "escaped from the prisons of"
* "was enslaved by" / "was imprisoned by"
* "the enslavement" / "the imprisonment"
* "as a former slave of" / "as a former prisoner of"

=Child enslavement=
Goblins are particularly associated with the abduction of [[children]]. Goblin snatchers can enter settlements and abduct children, who can become part of the goblin civilization, rather than remaining members of their original civilization.
Children can potentially be recovered through a citizen recovery mission, while adventurers can also encounter and rescue captives through quests.
See:
* [[Thief#Goblin_snatchers|Goblin snatchers]]
* [[Mission|Missions]]
* [[Quest|Quests]]

= Troll enslavement / forced domestication / sentient livestock=
[[Goblin]]s can also enslave [[troll]]s. This is mechanically different from human-style war slavery. The troll is treated as an animal-like creature under goblin control and can be used for purposes such as:
* carrying loads;
* pulling;
* riding;
* combat.
This creates a distinction between sapient creatures that are treated as animals and ordinary domesticated animals.
This form of enslavement is particularly relevant to modding, because the {{token|ANIMAL|entity}} token can cause a creature to be treated mechanically as an animal, even when the creature is otherwise sapient.
The relevant distinction is between:
* a creature being part of the civilization's main race;
* a creature being defined as an animal or special animal caste;
* a creature being treated as a pet;
* a creature being used as a mount, puller or hauler.
This can produce a situation in which a creature is biologically or culturally sapient but is mechanically handled as livestock or a domesticated animal.

=War slavery=

Civilizations can enslave defeated enemies and take them back to their settlements. This can be described as spoils-of-war slavery or war enslavement.

The ethics value for slavery also affects whether a civilization is willing to accept caged sapient creatures from merchants.

Higher or lower ethical values appear to have relatively limited mechanical consequences, beyond determining whether the civilization permits slavery at all. The ethical value therefore primarily establishes the civilization's attitude toward the practice rather than providing a detailed slavery simulation.

=Undead servitude=
[[Necromancer|Necromancers]] can raise dead creatures as [[undead]]. The resulting undead are generally under the control of the necromancer who created them.
This can be interpreted as another form of forced servitude, although the game does not necessarily classify undead as slaves in the same mechanical sense as enslaved historical figures.

=Modding Slavery=
There is no dedicated `SLAVE` creature mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress''. A [[Modding|mod]] can simulate slavery through the use of [[Entity token#Animal definitions|ANIMAL entity tokens]], and referencing a creature with specific [[creature token]]s such as {{token|PACK_ANIMAL}} and {{token|PET}}. There are three main approaches, all of which rely on the creature in question being explicitly defined per-civlization (entity).
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Modding approaches
|-
! Method !! Description !! Can be embarked with !! Can be traded !! Has slave-population in worldgen !! Can be trained !! Can have labours !! Can have a specific interaction !! Can have specific traits !! Can have a pet value !! Slave can be married to non-slave and have kids || Graphic modding needed
|-
| Existing creature as ANIMAL || Use ANIMAL tokens within an entity to define an existing creature itself. || Yes || Yes || Yes || If non-speaking || If [CAN_LEARN]| No || No || Yes || Yes || No
|-
| Special caste as ANIMAL || Add a special caste to an existing creature and use ANIMAL_CASTE_TOKEN to define it within an entity. || Yes for the special caste, but not the main race || both || No || If non-speaking || If [CAN_LEARN] || Only for the special caste || Only for the special caste ||Yes, both || Yes || Yes
|-
| Creature copy as ANIMAL|| Create a copy of the original creature and define the copy using ANIMAL entity tokens. || Yes for the special creature, but not for the main race || both || Yes || If non-speaking || If [CAN_LEARN] || Only for the special creature || Only for the special creature || Yes, both || No || Yes
|}
* Can be embarked with: creatures can be selected as livestock animals
* Can be traded: can be selected in the trade agreement
* Can have a specific interaction: an interaction specifically for this slave-creature can be defined
* Can have specific traits: tokens as desired can be assigned to the slave-creature.

The choice depends on the desired behaviour. A special caste is useful when the enslaved version should remain closely connected to the original creature — i.e. if dwarves should be able to enslave other dwarves. A separate creature provides more freedom when the enslaved version needs substantially different properties — i.e. if there is a specific "House Elf" creature that is expected to always be enslaved.

==Sapience and Assigning Tasks==
You can assign tasks to a creature with ANIMAL entity tokens if they have the creature tokens {{token|CAN_LEARN}} and {{token|CAN_SPEAK}}.

The CAN_LEARN tag will also mean that the game classes a creature as sapient, which comes with certain limitations on how they can be treated and interacted with. For instance, sapient creatures cannot normally be milked or butchered. Either token will allow a creature to have [[Personality value|values]] and [[Personality goal|goals]].

For a more detailed and philosophical analysis on the topic of sapience, within the context of ''Dwarf Fortress'', see [[Person]].

==How to make them show up==
For creatures that do not naturally spawn, you need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PRESENT|entity}}, otherwise, the civ only has them available if they somehow domesticated them. You need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PET|entity}} to make them selectable for embark.

==Other notes about [ANIMAL] sapients==
* They can be assigned a (bed)room
* They can be assigned positions like tavern keeper or priest, but never any of the noble positions
* They cannot be assigned a pond or pit and cannot be tied to a rope
* They cannot be assigned to a trainer
* If an ANIMAL-sapient is brought by the merchants, they will come clothed and the merchants will charge extra for the clothing.
* Their thoughts can be viewed in full detail.
* They can be expelled. They do not seem to form any relationships at all.
* If they cannot speak, they are listed as livestock, but cannot be assigned labours, so they can be assigned labours if they are able to speak.
* If they cannot speak, they are trainable
Whether they will petition for citizenship has yet to be verified.
* If you catch a hostile creature in a war, they cannot be pacified. They can, however, be sold to traders.
* If you attack a site that is inhabited by a sapient creature that is defined as an animal by your civilization, you cannot capture them as livestock.

==Example==
A modder who wants dwarves to have an enslaved caste can add a special `SLAVE` caste to the dwarf creature, making use of the appropriate creature tags detailed above. Setting its population ratio to `0` prevents enslaved dwarves from appearing as a separate natural population, while still allowing the caste to be used for individual enslaved dwarves.

For elves or other races, a separate copy of the creature can instead be used as the enslaved version. This provides more control over its properties, but the game treats it as a different creature.

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
|"Slave" in other '''[[Language|Languages]]''' [[File:Story tell indicator.png|20px]]
{| style="text-align:left;"
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''': noth
|-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''': urepe
|-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''': smanges
|-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''': cubnor
|}
|}

{| style="text-align:left;"
{{#if:{{{english|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[wikipedia:English language|English]]''':
{{!}} {{{english}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{dwarven|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''':
{{!}} {{{dwarven}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{elvish|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''':
{{!}} {{{elvish}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{goblin|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''':
{{!}} {{{goblin}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{human|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''':
{{!}} {{{human}}}
}}
|}

{{V50 entities}}
{{Category|Entities}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}
{{Category|Legends mode}}
{{Category|Lore}}
{{Category|Modding}}

Template:V50 entities

2026-10-04T07:29:22Z

DarklingArcher: added slavery

{{Navbox
| name = v50 entities
| title = [[:Category:Entities|Entities]]
| state = {{{state|}}}
| basestyle = background-color: #a7efef;

| group1 = Groups
| list1 = [[Civilization]] {{*}} [[Site|Site government]] {{*}} [[Religion]]{{*}} [[Army]]{{*}} [[Mercenary|Mercenary order]]{{*}} [[Criminal]]s{{*}} [[Performer|Performance troupe]]{{*}} [[Company|Merchant company]]{{*}} [[Guild]]

| group2 = Laws
| list2 = [[Citizenship]]{{*}} [[Ethic]]s{{*}} [[Insurrection]]{{*}} [[Noble]]s{{*}} [[Slavery]]

| group3 = [[Diplomacy]]
| list3 = [[Alliance]]{{*}} [[Claim]]s{{*}} [[Faction]]s{{*}} [[War]]

}}<includeonly>{{interwiki|{{FULLPAGENAME}}}}{{Category|{{#if: {{{1|}}}|{{{1}}}|Entities}}}}</includeonly><noinclude>[[Category:Navigation templates]]</noinclude>

Slavery

2026-10-04T07:27:38Z

DarklingArcher: added Template:v50 entities

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
[[Image:necromancer_experiment_slave.png|300px|thumb|right|A [[necromancer]] [[experiment]] with the slave "profession".]]

'''Slavery''' is the concept of a [[creature]] being under the ownership and/or forced employment of another. This article describes slavery only as represented by the game mechanics, world generation and fictional setting of ''Dwarf Fortress''.

=Overview=
Slavery is not a major gameplay mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress'', but the concept occurs in several parts of the game. [[Legends|Historical]] figures can become enslaved during [[world generation]], and slavery can also occur through several distinct game mechanics.
The game represents several forms of enslavement, including:
* Child enslavement — [[Goblin]] snatchers abduct [[children]], who may subsequently become slaves.
* Forced domestication — Goblins can enslave [[Troll]]s and use them as mounts, haulers or war animals.
* War slavery — [[Civilization]]s can enslave defeated enemies and bring them back to their settlements.
* Undead servitude — [[Undead]] creatures raised by [[necromancer]]s can be regarded as being under the control of their creator.
* Slaves of Armok — The game's subtitle; '''Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress''', uses slavery as part of the game's fictional terminology.

=Civilizational attitudes=
Slavery is also represented in the game's ethics system, which determines how different civilizations regard the practice.

The vanilla civilization definitions specify the following [[Ethic|ethical attitudes]] toward slavery:
{| class="wikitable"
!Civilization!!Attitude toward slavery
|-
|[[Human]]s||Acceptable
|-
|[[Goblin]]s||Viewed as a personal matter
|-
|[[Elf|Elves]]||Punishable by exile
|-
|[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]||Capital punishment1
|-
|[[Kobold]]s||Unthinkable
|-
|[[Animal person|Subterranean animal peoples]]||Unthinkable
|}
These attitudes primarily determine how a civilization reacts to slavery as an ethical issue. They should not be confused with the separate mechanics through which slavery actually occurs.

Notes:
#Despite being defined by the entity token [[Ethic#PUNISH_CAPITAL|PUNISH_CAPITAL]], as far as Dwarven [[Justice#Punishments|justice]] is concerned, capital punishment is not an intentional death penalty (though it is often an [[Hammerer|unintentional]] one). Dwarf society regards this punishment as 8 months in prison or fifty hammer strikes, falling just short of the greater than fifty hammer strikes needed for a punishment to be specifically considered an execution.

=Slavery in world generation=
During world generation, [[historical figure]]s can become enslaved. In mechanical terms, enslavement is closely related to imprisonment: an enslaved historical figure can potentially escape.

Slavery is unlikely to have a direct impact on the game when playing in [[Adventurer mode|adventure]] or [[Dwarf fortress mode|fortress mode]], where it is most likely to be seen in descriptions of historical events. Specific examples of how slavery is represented or implemented by the game can be seen in:
*A civilization's ethics.
*The various text [[String_dump/raw|strings]] used by the game in [[language]]s, [[speech]] and descriptions.
*Two explicit [[unit type token]]s.

Examples of possible references:
* "the end of the former enslavement of"
* "escaped from the slavery of"
* "escaped from the slavery of" / "escaped from the prisons of"
* "was enslaved by" / "was imprisoned by"
* "the enslavement" / "the imprisonment"
* "as a former slave of" / "as a former prisoner of"

=Child enslavement=
Goblins are particularly associated with the abduction of [[children]]. Goblin snatchers can enter settlements and abduct children, who can become part of the goblin civilization, rather than remaining members of their original civilization.
Children can potentially be recovered through a citizen recovery mission, while adventurers can also encounter and rescue captives through quests.
See:
* [[Thief#Goblin_snatchers|Goblin snatchers]]
* [[Mission|Missions]]
* [[Quest|Quests]]

= Troll enslavement / forced domestication / sentient livestock=
[[Goblin|Goblins]] can also enslave [[Troll|Trolls]]. This is mechanically different from human-style war slavery. The Troll is treated as an animal-like creature under goblin control and can be used for purposes such as:
* carrying loads;
* pulling;
* riding;
* combat.
This creates a distinction between sapient creatures that are treated as animals and ordinary domesticated animals.
This form of enslavement is particularly relevant to modding, because the {{token|ANIMAL|entity}} token can cause a creature to be treated mechanically as an animal, even when the creature is otherwise sapient.
The relevant distinction is between:
* a creature being part of the civilization's main race;
* a creature being defined as an animal or special animal caste;
* a creature being treated as a pet;
* a creature being used as a mount, puller or hauler.
This can produce a situation in which a creature is biologically or culturally sapient but is mechanically handled as livestock or a domesticated animal.

=War slavery=

Civilizations can enslave defeated enemies and take them back to their settlements. This can be described as spoils-of-war slavery or war enslavement.

The ethics value for slavery also affects whether a civilization is willing to accept caged sapient creatures from merchants.

Higher or lower ethical values appear to have relatively limited mechanical consequences, beyond determining whether the civilization permits slavery at all. The ethical value therefore primarily establishes the civilization's attitude toward the practice rather than providing a detailed slavery simulation.

=Undead servitude=
[[Necromancer|Necromancers]] can raise dead creatures as [[Undead]]. The resulting undead are generally under the control of the necromancer who created them.
This can be interpreted as another form of forced servitude, although the game does not necessarily classify undead as slaves in the same mechanical sense as enslaved historical figures.

=Modding Slavery=
There is no dedicated `SLAVE` creature mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress''. A [[Modding|mod]] can simulate slavery through the use of [[Entity token#Animal definitions|ANIMAL entity tokens]], and referencing a creature with specific [[creature token]]s such as {{token|PACK_ANIMAL}} and {{token|PET}}. There are three main approaches, all of which rely on the creature in question being explicitly defined per-civlization (entity).
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Modding approaches
|-
! Method !! Description !! Can be embarked with !! Can be traded !! Has slave-population in worldgen !! Can be trained !! Can have labours !! Can have a specific interaction !! Can have specific traits !! Can have a pet value !! Slave can be married to non-slave and have kids || Graphic modding needed
|-
| Existing creature as ANIMAL || Use ANIMAL tokens within an entity to define an existing creature itself. || Yes || Yes || Yes || If non-speaking || If [CAN_LEARN]| No || No || Yes || Yes || No
|-
| Special caste as ANIMAL || Add a special caste to an existing creature and use ANIMAL_CASTE_TOKEN to define it within an entity. || Yes for the special caste, but not the main race || both || No || If non-speaking || If [CAN_LEARN] || Only for the special caste || Only for the special caste ||Yes, both || Yes || Yes
|-
| Creature copy as ANIMAL|| Create a copy of the original creature and define the copy using ANIMAL entity tokens. || Yes for the special creature, but not for the main race || both || Yes || If non-speaking || If [CAN_LEARN] || Only for the special creature || Only for the special creature || Yes, both || No || Yes
|}
* Can be embarked with: creatures can be selected as livestock animals
* Can be traded: can be selected in the trade agreement
* Can have a specific interaction: an interaction specifically for this slave-creature can be defined
* Can have specific traits: tokens as desired can be assigned to the slave-creature.

The choice depends on the desired behaviour. A special caste is useful when the enslaved version should remain closely connected to the original creature — i.e. if dwarves should be able to enslave other dwarves. A separate creature provides more freedom when the enslaved version needs substantially different properties — i.e. if there is a specific "House Elf" creature that is expected to always be enslaved.

==Sapience and Assigning Tasks==
You can assign tasks to a creature with ANIMAL entity tokens if they have the creature tokens {{token|CAN_LEARN}} and {{token|CAN_SPEAK}}.

The CAN_LEARN tag will also mean that the game classes a creature as sapient, which comes with certain limitations on how they can be treated and interacted with. For instance, sapient creatures cannot normally be milked or butchered. Either token will allow a creature to have [[Personality value|values]] and [[Personality goal|goals]].

For a more detailed and philosophical analysis on the topic of sapience, within the context of ''Dwarf Fortress'', see [[Person]].

==How to make them show up==
For creatures that do not naturally spawn, you need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PRESENT|entity}}, otherwise, the civ only has them available if they somehow domesticated them. You need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PET|entity}} to make them selectable for embark.

==Other notes about [ANIMAL] sapients==
* They can be assigned a (bed)room
* They can be assigned positions like tavern keeper or priest, but never any of the noble positions
* They cannot be assigned a pond or pit and cannot be tied to a rope
* They cannot be assigned to a trainer
* If an ANIMAL-sapient is brought by the merchants, they will come clothed and the merchants will charge extra for the clothing.
* Their thoughts can be viewed in full detail.
* They can be expelled. They do not seem to form any relationships at all.
* If they cannot speak, they are listed as livestock, but cannot be assigned labours, so they can be assigned labours if they are able to speak.
* If they cannot speak, they are trainable
Whether they will petition for citizenship has yet to be verified.
* If you catch a hostile creature in a war, they cannot be pacified. They can, however, be sold to traders.
* If you attack a site that is inhabited by a sapient creature that is defined as an animal by your civilization, you cannot capture them as livestock.

==Example==
A modder who wants dwarves to have an enslaved caste can add a special `SLAVE` caste to the dwarf creature, making use of the appropriate creature tags detailed above. Setting its population ratio to `0` prevents enslaved dwarves from appearing as a separate natural population, while still allowing the caste to be used for individual enslaved dwarves.

For elves or other races, a separate copy of the creature can instead be used as the enslaved version. This provides more control over its properties, but the game treats it as a different creature.

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
|"Slave" in other '''[[Language|Languages]]''' [[File:Story tell indicator.png|20px]]
{| style="text-align:left;"
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''': noth
|-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''': urepe
|-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''': smanges
|-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''': cubnor
|}
|}

{| style="text-align:left;"
{{#if:{{{english|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[wikipedia:English language|English]]''':
{{!}} {{{english}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{dwarven|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''':
{{!}} {{{dwarven}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{elvish|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''':
{{!}} {{{elvish}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{goblin|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''':
{{!}} {{{goblin}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{human|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''':
{{!}} {{{human}}}
}}
|}

{{V50 entities}}
{{Category|Entities}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}
{{Category|Legends mode}}
{{Category|Lore}}
{{Category|Modding}}

Slavery

2026-10-04T07:21:01Z

DarklingArcher: added version header

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{av}}
[[Image:necromancer_experiment_slave.png|300px|thumb|right|A [[necromancer]] [[experiment]] with the slave "profession".]]

'''Slavery''' is the concept of a [[creature]] being under the ownership and/or forced employment of another. This article describes slavery only as represented by the game mechanics, world generation and fictional setting of ''Dwarf Fortress''.

=Overview=
Slavery is not a major gameplay mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress'', but the concept occurs in several parts of the game. [[Legends|Historical]] figures can become enslaved during [[world generation]], and slavery can also occur through several distinct game mechanics.
The game represents several forms of enslavement, including:
* Child enslavement — [[Goblin]] snatchers abduct [[children]], who may subsequently become slaves.
* Forced domestication — Goblins can enslave [[Troll]]s and use them as mounts, haulers or war animals.
* War slavery — [[Civilization]]s can enslave defeated enemies and bring them back to their settlements.
* Undead servitude — [[Undead]] creatures raised by [[necromancer]]s can be regarded as being under the control of their creator.
* Slaves of Armok — The game's subtitle; '''Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress''', uses slavery as part of the game's fictional terminology.

=Civilizational attitudes=
Slavery is also represented in the game's ethics system, which determines how different civilizations regard the practice.

The vanilla civilization definitions specify the following [[Ethic|ethical attitudes]] toward slavery:
{| class="wikitable"
!Civilization!!Attitude toward slavery
|-
|[[Human]]s||Acceptable
|-
|[[Goblin]]s||Viewed as a personal matter
|-
|[[Elf|Elves]]||Punishable by exile
|-
|[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]||Capital punishment1
|-
|[[Kobold]]s||Unthinkable
|-
|[[Animal person|Subterranean animal peoples]]||Unthinkable
|}
These attitudes primarily determine how a civilization reacts to slavery as an ethical issue. They should not be confused with the separate mechanics through which slavery actually occurs.

Notes:
#Despite being defined by the entity token [[Ethic#PUNISH_CAPITAL|PUNISH_CAPITAL]], as far as Dwarven [[Justice#Punishments|justice]] is concerned, capital punishment is not an intentional death penalty (though it is often an [[Hammerer|unintentional]] one). Dwarf society regards this punishment as 8 months in prison or fifty hammer strikes, falling just short of the greater than fifty hammer strikes needed for a punishment to be specifically considered an execution.

=Slavery in world generation=
During world generation, [[historical figure]]s can become enslaved. In mechanical terms, enslavement is closely related to imprisonment: an enslaved historical figure can potentially escape.

Slavery is unlikely to have a direct impact on the game when playing in [[Adventurer mode|adventure]] or [[Dwarf fortress mode|fortress mode]], where it is most likely to be seen in descriptions of historical events. Specific examples of how slavery is represented or implemented by the game can be seen in:
*A civilization's ethics.
*The various text [[String_dump/raw|strings]] used by the game in [[language]]s, [[speech]] and descriptions.
*Two explicit [[unit type token]]s.

Examples of possible references:
* "the end of the former enslavement of"
* "escaped from the slavery of"
* "escaped from the slavery of" / "escaped from the prisons of"
* "was enslaved by" / "was imprisoned by"
* "the enslavement" / "the imprisonment"
* "as a former slave of" / "as a former prisoner of"

=Child enslavement=
Goblins are particularly associated with the abduction of [[children]]. Goblin snatchers can enter settlements and abduct children, who can become part of the goblin civilization, rather than remaining members of their original civilization.
Children can potentially be recovered through a citizen recovery mission, while adventurers can also encounter and rescue captives through quests.
See:
* [[Thief#Goblin_snatchers|Goblin snatchers]]
* [[Mission|Missions]]
* [[Quest|Quests]]

= Troll enslavement / forced domestication / sentient livestock=
[[Goblin|Goblins]] can also enslave [[Troll|Trolls]]. This is mechanically different from human-style war slavery. The Troll is treated as an animal-like creature under goblin control and can be used for purposes such as:
* carrying loads;
* pulling;
* riding;
* combat.
This creates a distinction between sapient creatures that are treated as animals and ordinary domesticated animals.
This form of enslavement is particularly relevant to modding, because the {{token|ANIMAL|entity}} token can cause a creature to be treated mechanically as an animal, even when the creature is otherwise sapient.
The relevant distinction is between:
* a creature being part of the civilization's main race;
* a creature being defined as an animal or special animal caste;
* a creature being treated as a pet;
* a creature being used as a mount, puller or hauler.
This can produce a situation in which a creature is biologically or culturally sapient but is mechanically handled as livestock or a domesticated animal.

=War slavery=

Civilizations can enslave defeated enemies and take them back to their settlements. This can be described as spoils-of-war slavery or war enslavement.

The ethics value for slavery also affects whether a civilization is willing to accept caged sapient creatures from merchants.

Higher or lower ethical values appear to have relatively limited mechanical consequences, beyond determining whether the civilization permits slavery at all. The ethical value therefore primarily establishes the civilization's attitude toward the practice rather than providing a detailed slavery simulation.

=Undead servitude=
[[Necromancer|Necromancers]] can raise dead creatures as [[Undead]]. The resulting undead are generally under the control of the necromancer who created them.
This can be interpreted as another form of forced servitude, although the game does not necessarily classify undead as slaves in the same mechanical sense as enslaved historical figures.

=Modding Slavery=
There is no dedicated `SLAVE` creature mechanic in ''Dwarf Fortress''. A [[Modding|mod]] can simulate slavery through the use of [[Entity token#Animal definitions|ANIMAL entity tokens]], and referencing a creature with specific [[creature token]]s such as {{token|PACK_ANIMAL}} and {{token|PET}}. There are three main approaches, all of which rely on the creature in question being explicitly defined per-civlization (entity).
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Modding approaches
|-
! Method !! Description !! Can be embarked with !! Can be traded !! Has slave-population in worldgen !! Can be trained !! Can have labours !! Can have a specific interaction !! Can have specific traits !! Can have a pet value !! Slave can be married to non-slave and have kids || Graphic modding needed
|-
| Existing creature as ANIMAL || Use ANIMAL tokens within an entity to define an existing creature itself. || Yes || Yes || Yes || If non-speaking || If [CAN_LEARN]| No || No || Yes || Yes || No
|-
| Special caste as ANIMAL || Add a special caste to an existing creature and use ANIMAL_CASTE_TOKEN to define it within an entity. || Yes for the special caste, but not the main race || both || No || If non-speaking || If [CAN_LEARN] || Only for the special caste || Only for the special caste ||Yes, both || Yes || Yes
|-
| Creature copy as ANIMAL|| Create a copy of the original creature and define the copy using ANIMAL entity tokens. || Yes for the special creature, but not for the main race || both || Yes || If non-speaking || If [CAN_LEARN] || Only for the special creature || Only for the special creature || Yes, both || No || Yes
|}
* Can be embarked with: creatures can be selected as livestock animals
* Can be traded: can be selected in the trade agreement
* Can have a specific interaction: an interaction specifically for this slave-creature can be defined
* Can have specific traits: tokens as desired can be assigned to the slave-creature.

The choice depends on the desired behaviour. A special caste is useful when the enslaved version should remain closely connected to the original creature — i.e. if dwarves should be able to enslave other dwarves. A separate creature provides more freedom when the enslaved version needs substantially different properties — i.e. if there is a specific "House Elf" creature that is expected to always be enslaved.

==Sapience and Assigning Tasks==
You can assign tasks to a creature with ANIMAL entity tokens if they have the creature tokens {{token|CAN_LEARN}} and {{token|CAN_SPEAK}}.

The CAN_LEARN tag will also mean that the game classes a creature as sapient, which comes with certain limitations on how they can be treated and interacted with. For instance, sapient creatures cannot normally be milked or butchered. Either token will allow a creature to have [[Personality value|values]] and [[Personality goal|goals]].

For a more detailed and philosophical analysis on the topic of sapience, within the context of ''Dwarf Fortress'', see [[Person]].

==How to make them show up==
For creatures that do not naturally spawn, you need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PRESENT|entity}}, otherwise, the civ only has them available if they somehow domesticated them. You need {{token|ANIMAL_ALWAYS_PET|entity}} to make them selectable for embark.

==Other notes about [ANIMAL] sapients==
* They can be assigned a (bed)room
* They can be assigned positions like tavern keeper or priest, but never any of the noble positions
* They cannot be assigned a pond or pit and cannot be tied to a rope
* They cannot be assigned to a trainer
* If an ANIMAL-sapient is brought by the merchants, they will come clothed and the merchants will charge extra for the clothing.
* Their thoughts can be viewed in full detail.
* They can be expelled. They do not seem to form any relationships at all.
* If they cannot speak, they are listed as livestock, but cannot be assigned labours, so they can be assigned labours if they are able to speak.
* If they cannot speak, they are trainable
Whether they will petition for citizenship has yet to be verified.
* If you catch a hostile creature in a war, they cannot be pacified. They can, however, be sold to traders.
* If you attack a site that is inhabited by a sapient creature that is defined as an animal by your civilization, you cannot capture them as livestock.

==Example==
A modder who wants dwarves to have an enslaved caste can add a special `SLAVE` caste to the dwarf creature, making use of the appropriate creature tags detailed above. Setting its population ratio to `0` prevents enslaved dwarves from appearing as a separate natural population, while still allowing the caste to be used for individual enslaved dwarves.

For elves or other races, a separate copy of the creature can instead be used as the enslaved version. This provides more control over its properties, but the game treats it as a different creature.

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
|"Slave" in other '''[[Language|Languages]]''' [[File:Story tell indicator.png|20px]]
{| style="text-align:left;"
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''': noth
|-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''': urepe
|-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''': smanges
|-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''': cubnor
|}
|}

{| style="text-align:left;"
{{#if:{{{english|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[wikipedia:English language|English]]''':
{{!}} {{{english}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{dwarven|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Dwarven language|Dwarven]]''':
{{!}} {{{dwarven}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{elvish|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Elven language|Elven]]''':
{{!}} {{{elvish}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{goblin|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Goblin language|Goblin]]''':
{{!}} {{{goblin}}}
}}
|-
{{#if:{{{human|}}}|
{{!}}-
! '''[[Human language|Human]]''':
{{!}} {{{human}}}
}}
|}

{{Category|Entities}}
{{Category|Game mechanics}}
{{Category|Legends mode}}
{{Category|Lore}}
{{Category|Modding}}

Missing features

2026-10-03T17:55:19Z

DarklingArcher: grouped gameplay features by game mode, mentioned missing modding features

<div id="test" style="margin-right:10px;">[[File:missing_features_preview.png|right]]</div>This page lists the '''missing features''' of DF version 50, which were present in 0.47. Some of those don't have an alternative yet and are not implemented, which is what this list is about. This list is a work in progress as many discussions are scattered between multiple platforms and new issues are being discovered daily. Some of these were removed due to time constraints and are intended to be brought back in the future. {{cite forum|169696.msg8442542#msg8442542}}

==Missing gameplay features==
*[[Worldgen]] cannot be aborted once it has reached the desired history length.

====In [[Fortress Mode]]:====
*Multipurpose [[zones]] can't be created, and the type of a zone can't be changed after its creation.
*Locations can't be disbanded once they have been created. [[DFHack]] fixes this.
*Workshops can't be restricted to a certain skill level or labor ([[DF2014:Manager#Workshop_profiles|Workshop profiles]]). [[DFHack]] fixes this.
*Labor priorities are not available (aside from prioritizing certain tiles when [[mining]] or [[smoothing]]). [[DFHack]] fixes this.
*Single-tile [[stair]]s cannot be built, and the type of stairs (down, up, up/down) cannot be selected when building. [[DFHack]] fixes this.
*No mass designation of buildings to mark them as to be removed. [[DFHack]] fixes this.
*No mass removal of building foundations (as in the foundations which are created after placing a building). [[DFHack]] fixes this.
*Burrows are only designatable on a layer-by-layer basis. Painting over multiple layers only saves the one you first clicked. [[DFHack]] fixes this.
*Specific mechanisms aren't selectable when linking levers to objects, you need to forbid every other mechanism through the stock screen to have the autoselect choose the one you want. [[DFHack]] fixes this.
*[[Civilian alert]]s are not available. [[DFHack]] fixes this.
*Characters cited among your dwarves' relationships cannot be examined if they're not on the map (i.e. [[deity|gods]]).
*Can't mass bury dwarves in the same room in multiple coffins. (can't select a coffin to be used for burial, that functionality has been moved to a tomb zone requiring multiple tombs for multiple dwarves). [[DFHack]] fixes this.

====In [[Adventure Mode]]:====
*[[Camp]]s cannot be built.
*[[Site]]s cannot be founded.

====In [[Legends]] Mode:====
*The map cannot be viewed. This also leaves Civilizations without icons.
*[[DF2014:Legends#Exporting_World_information|Legends export]] can only produce the XML file, not any of the other files it used to.

==Missing UI features==
*Logs aren't accessible after closing them. There is no combat log available when clicking a creature. [[DFHack]] fixes this.
*No [[health screen]] with an overview of dwarf and livestock health.
*[[Notes]] cannot be created. As an alternative, most buildings, zones, and stockpiles can be renamed. [[DFHack]] fixes this.
*There is no UI to visualize [[trade depot]] accessibility. [[DFHack]] fixes this.
*[[Building]] menu doesn’t show the number of buildings are built; no other way to see this information.

==Missing [[modding]] features==
*[[Raw file]]s of already created worlds cannot be edited.

==Other missing features==
*[[World painter]] is absent.
*[[DF2014:Technical_tricks#Video_Card_Options|PRINT_MODE:TEXT]] is no longer an option.

==Reintroduced features==
* [[Arena mode]] was reintroduced in [[Release information/50.06|50.06]].
* Exporting [[Legends]] content as XML was reintroduced in [[Release information/50.08|50.08]]
* [[Adventure mode]] was reintroduced in [[Release information/51.02|51.02]].
[[Category:Game]]
[[Category:Release information]]
[[ru:Missing features]]