Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

40d:Magma

2007-12-11T19:34:56Z

Fingle: Grammar, punc.

Magma serves as an energy source, powering [[magma forge]]s and [[magma smelter]]s. It is extremely dangerous.

== Finding magma ==

While in previous versions of Dwarf Fortress, every map was guaranteed to have magma, since v0.27.169.32a magma is now a feature of terrain and may or may not be present.

Magma that reaches all the way to the surface is visible on the "local" screen in the starting location chooser. It is represented as a red ≈ mark (a double tilde) - essentially it looks like red water. Note that red ≈ marks in the "region" screen mean something different entirely (e.g. red sand). However, it IS actually possible for a volcano that shows up on the "local" and region screen in the starting location chooser to be entirely underground - Although you could see it in the starting location chooser, it would not be visible from the surface once your dwarves have arrived at the fort's site.

While picking a starting location, the easiest place to look for magma is on or near a [[volcano]] (a red ^ mark in the "region" screen). There are often volcanic islands (easy to find, since they are the sole land in the middle of oceans), but since sea travel is not yet implemented. trade with other races may not be possible on such islands. Instead, find a volcano on land, and (optionally) start looking for a vent in nearby squares. "Nearby squares" can mean anything from literally on top of the volcano, to adjacent, to quite a long distance away indeed. The placement of magma seems to be related to the distance from volcanoes, but is still essentially random.

Magma vents occur exclusively in world map tiles that are primarily igneous extrusive. That is to say, if you select an entire tile on the embarkation screen and press F1 to highlight the most common terrain, the tile will only have magma if the top stone is dark gray, signifying igneous extrusive rock. Magma does not necessarily form in this geological zone/biome, rather anywhere in the tile. Even if magma is not evident on the surface, it's almost certain to be underground somewhere, though the chances of finding it without reveal.exe are still slim.

Much harder than simply finding a magma vent is finding a magma vent that is also near suitable terrain for building. Depending on your requirements - you may be looking for a source of running water, or a mountain for minerals, or a healthy tree population, or even all three - suitable building sites can be extremely scarce.

Since volcanos show up on the region finder, and magma vents do not, you may find it easier to simply check all volcanos on a map for suitability, and generate a new world if none are suitable, rather than scouring tile after tile for magma vents.

If you're willing to search exhaustively, you might want to consider finding magma vents that are not near volcanoes at all. Very occasionally, magma will be visible in the middle of forests, plains, or other terrain nowhere near a volcano or even mountains. There is no way to spot these on the region map, so the only way to identify them is to scroll past hundreds of local maps while keeping an eye out for the distinctive red ≈ symbol.

You can also occasionally find magma that does not extend all the way to the surface, and therefore is not visible on the local map. It is almost impossible to find without cheating via one of the [[utilities]] like "reveal.exe", since unlike proper magma vents these smaller deposits will only be on a few levels, and must be almost literally mined into to see (you will get a warning about "warm stone" before you actually breach the deposit). Presumably, small magma deposits are also most common near volcanoes.

== Using magma ==

On a map with a magma vent, the magma will be clearly visible from every level ground and below, unless the map is in a Freezing area. In Freezing areas, the top few levels of the vent will have cooled to form an obsidian "cap". This should still be readily recognizable however, as it will comprise a circular area. The minerals directly adjacent to the magma vent will also be immediately visible, even at the lowest level of the map, which can give some hints about where to prospect for ores.

The vent has a similar, circular shape on each level. However, it is not identical from one level to the next; some levels will have a larger or somewhat misshapen circle of magma.

The primary use for magma is to power magma smelters and forges. (There are other uses, including defense and possibly even garbage disposal.) To build forges, etc on magma, at least one of the external eight squares must be above a square of magma.

This can be done most easily by simply building on ground level. The magma is visible from ground level but is actually contained one level below ground level, just like any ground-level water source.

To build underground, you will need to dig at least one tile of a [[channel]] above the location you wish to build the smelter or forge. Underneath this channel there must be magma, either directly from the vent or channeled from the vent. Use channels to tap into the magma on the level below safely (this is easier if there is more magma on the lower level than the level you wish to build on. Actually tapping into magma directly, on the same level, instead of using channels, is likely to result in the death of your miner.

To build far away from the magma vent, a long channel will be needed to funnel the magma. Note that magma that is cut off from the vent will harden into obsidian, preventing the use of [[floodgates]] to seal the flow. Buildings that come in contact with the magma (such as forges) need not be built of steel - only bridges, which are conceptually submerged in magma, require steel items.

It is also important to note that at this time Toady has stated that magma doesn't replenish.[http://www.bay12games.com/cgi-local/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=7&t=001504] Therefore depending on the amount of magma available it may be inadvisable to attempt to move it across too great a distance or use it in any form of defense that consumes it in the process e.g. steam.

== Temperature settings ==

Magma is almost harmless if temperature is disabled in the Dwarf Fortress init file. It can still trap and suffocate or simply starve your dwarves in some situations. It will not melt floodgates, etc. constructed of non-[[magma-proof]] materials.

== Magma reactions ==

*Water: If magma happens to contact water it produces some steam and obsidian. This means there is no chance of using a prolonged contact between the two to create a steam trap.
*Rocks: [[stone|Rock]]s left over from mining will melt if magma covers them.
*Speed: Magma moves relatively slowly. While it is impossible to try to seal off water let loose, magma is slow enough for your dwarves to build a floodgate or door, or even wall of the flooding area, if you happen to let magma loose by mistake.

[[Category:Physics]]

40d:Legendary

2007-12-11T19:23:14Z

Fingle: Grammar.

Legendary is the highest ranking any dwarf can achieve in a skill. Dwarves with legendary skill(s) often have very high [[toughness]], [[agility]], and [[strength]].

In fortress mode, whenever a [[strange mood]] occurs, and a dwarf succeeds in creating his [[Legendary artifact|artifact]] item, the [[skill]] related to the item made will be legendary. A [[possessed]] dwarf will not gain legendary skill after creating an artifact.

Example: Dwarf has claimed the carpenter's [[workshop]], and created a wooden artifact. He is now a Legendary [[Carpenter]].

40d:Legendary artifact

2007-12-11T19:22:45Z

Fingle: Typo.

Dwarves in [[strange mood]]s will create '''legendary artifacts''': unique, "named" items which are of unsurpassable quality (and usually cost). An artifact is the ultimate expression of a dwarf's desires, fears, memories and hopes in art form, and each dwarf will produce only one in their lives (or die trying). Dwarves that create artifact are often granted the status of [[legendary]].

Dwarves will normally carry the artifacts they create until they die, lose the limb in which it is held, or throw it away in a tantrum. A dwarf carrying a job item artifact, such as a pick or an axe, will use it to perform that job. A dwarf with an artifact weapon will use it to great effect in battle if drafted or forced to engage in combat. Drafting them into the military can sometimes have the effect of causing them to drop the artifact, this may be related to weapon assignment [need further research into this]. Once it has been dropped, they will not pick it up again under any circumstances, except for hauling purposes. Any dwarf that creates a heavy artifact (such as a [[floodgate]]) will inevitably be slowed down by the burden.

Artifacts were originally set to have a 5 year timer (possibly varying as much as a few years). When reached, an event will happen (also reported to go down in history), and the dwarf will either drop the artifact, become obsessed with it and carry it around as normal, or become nervous and hide it. The timer is currently bugged and is a great deal longer than normal, so much so that most fortresses may never see such an event unless they have been running a very long time and have managed to keep their artifact-wielding dwarves alive.

Artifacts cannot be destroyed unless lost in a chasm. They ''can'' be stolen by marauding parties; an artifact lost to you will have a note to that effect in the Artifacts screen.

Artifact items have a [[Quality|quality modifier]] of 120×. This is applied on top of the item's [[Quality|base value]], its [[decoration]]s and the value of all [[material]]s used in its construction. Dwarves will use anywhere from one to ten items in their construction. If you view (['''q''']) the [[workshop]] a dwarf has seized while the dwarf is in it, you can see what materials he or she plans to use (see [[strange mood]]s for further details).

Artifacts will automatically have one "free" decoration of the same type as its base material. For instance, a "Perfect Ruby" might have "Images of mangrove trees in Ruby". This decoration doesn't consume additional materials: in the above example, only one ruby was used.

Artifacts can range in value from 2,400☼ to well over 100,000☼ (for the curious, the limit is 648,000☼ if adamantine isn't used). Since [[immigration]] totals are based on your fortress's "Created Wealth" (and held/worn items count double in the total), expensive artifacts are commonly the driving factor behind how many immigrants show up each year.

[[Category:Items]]

40d:Carp

2007-12-11T19:21:26Z

Fingle: Grammar, punc.

'' "I think I made fish too hardcore" ''--[[Toady One]]

These little monsters are challenging [[elephant]]s for the post of King of Beasts. Not only because they can drag a fully grown dwarf into the water and nibble him to death, but also because they can stare at your fisherdwarf and send them staggering back into a cliff. To make things worse, [[Ambusher|hunters]] will unload their whole quivers on them, oblivious to nearby animals walking on land. Carps will however die after the first winter if you are lucky enough to have a map which freezes. Alternatively, try draining all the rivers and lakes to air-drown the fish (but be wary not to water-drown your dwarves in the process).

==Explanation==

The carp's status as a cold-blooded dwarf killer is no doubt due to the fact that [[Toady One]] simply used a default bite attack for the carp (as with most of the new beings in v0.27.169.33a). The carp, half the size of a dwarf, has a bite attack which inflicts 1-6 damage points. Compared to the strength of a dwarven punch (1-2 damage points), it is easy to see that it is simply an oversight and will be fixed some time in the future.

The carp's propensity to attack creatures outside of its element and its ability to scare away dwarves it could never really reach is better classifiable as a bug. The same could be said about the hunters ability to target and attack them.

Carp also used to gain attributes from skill increases. Previously, innate swimmers gained attributes as they gained swim skill. This has been changed, and innate swimmers no longer gain swimming skill (or stat increases) as of 0.27.169.33b.

{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Animals]]

40d:Tantrum

2007-12-11T19:20:33Z

Fingle: I do not think that word means what you think it means :-).

Dwarves are fickle creatures, and when pressed to the breaking point of their [[happiness]], they will '''tantrum'''. A tantruming dwarf may attack people and animals, destroy buildings, or throw things. The dwarf will receive happy thoughts from doing this. Those acts are generally considered a [[justice|crime]].

Dwarves will tantrum if they are at the "very unhappy" level of happiness or worse. If a dwarf has created a masterpiece-level item, they will also throw a tantrum if it rots, or is ever destroyed or stolen. Masterpiece engravings can be destroyed by miners digging out walls or floors.

However, dwarves will not tantrum if a masterwork item is sold to foreigners, or if a masterpiece building is dismantled.