Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

40d:Wound

2008-07-31T00:07:20Z

Naminator5: /* On organs */

{{old|0.23.130.23a|, the 2D version}}

Creatures with severe '''wounds''' will flash with a yellow or red + icon; see [[status icons]] for a full list of status and injury indicators. A creature's injuries can be seen by pressing {{key|w}} while {{key|v}}iewing creature info in [[Fortress Mode]], or by {{key|l}}ooking at a creature and selecting their letter in [[Adventure Mode]]. Wounds are listed by body part and described by color, as displayed in the following table.

{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}

== Wounding ==

This section is incomplete; much about the [[Combat| combat system]] is unknown.

If an attack connects, the target will be wounded in some part of the body. The severity of the wound depends on 1) the strength of the attack, 2) the protective value of any armor or other protection available for that body part, and 3) a (large) random factor. Wounds are cumulative: when an already wounded body part is hit the wound will worsen, even if in adventure mode it produces the same message about the condition of the body part more than once.

The mathematics are at present pure guesswork. However, we do know that armor value does not simply subtract from damage; you can be wounded (usually lightly) by an attack substantially weaker than the protective value of your armor. Armor is vital to survivability, but it can't make you immune. Creature size is also vital; larger creatures hit harder and can endure more base damage. Attacks, especially piercing attacks with critical boosts (e.g. arrows), can damage vital internal organs located in the area of that body part.

== Effects of wounds ==

When a wound is inflicted, no matter how lightly, it will usually bleed (even if only for one turn). In [[Fortress Mode]], wounded dwarves receive various unhappy [[thoughts]], but also some positive thoughts from the rescue and recovery process (see next section).

A wounded limb or organ becomes less effective. A severe wound to an arm or hand causes held items (weapons, shields) to be dropped from that hand. Wounds to either leg often cause the target to topple over, greatly slowing it down. Pierced lungs make it easier to become Winded. Damaged internal organs often cause the victim to periodically become stunned or unconscious until they heal (which in some cases never happens).

Death from [[Blood|blood]] loss will happen quickly whenever wounds to major internal organs occur, like the heart being pierced or "entrails shooting out through the wound". In [[Adventure Mode]], a "Mortal Wound" status indicator will appear when this happens to your adventurer. There is no way to avoid this. A pierced lung doesn't always result in bleeding to death, but it may eventually cause suffocation, or dying of thirst due to Drink actions being interrupted by falling unconscious. [[Attributes#Toughness|Toughness]] may be a factor in helping to prevent this.

Other effects of wounding (for most creatures) include pain, which can cause temporary paralysis due to fainting ("giving in to pain"), [[vomit]]ing, and stunning (slowing), especially if the creature is not very Tough.

Arrows and bolts can become stuck in limbs, showing up in the wounded dwarf's inventory. This seems to prevent the dwarf from resting and the wound from healing. It is unclear what is necessary to remove the item from the limb; like other shot ammo, it will initially be in forbidden state, so claiming it may help, as may marking it to be dumped{{verify}}.

=== On organs ===

When a creature is attacked with a piercing weapon or projectile, organs might take damage. This table shows most major organs, their functions, and what happens when they are damaged.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: grey; color: black;"
! Organ !! Function !! Lightly/moderately wounded effects !! Broken/mangled effects !! Lopped off effects
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Heart || Circulatory Organ || Not possible || Fatal Heavy Bleeding when pierced, death can occur fast. ''Can only be mangled.'' || Not possible
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Brain || Movement || Bleeding, possibly becoming Winded. Usually not fatal || Paralysis. Weapons get dropped, limbs become useless, inability to stand. The only attack possible is 'Push' || Decapitation, or other gory head explosion effects, naturally, cause instant death.
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Throat || Breathing || Bleeding, possibly becoming Winded || Heavy Bleeding and becoming Winded. Lethality depends on Toughness || Fatal Heavy Bleeding and/or suffocation, no chance of survival.
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Lung(s) || Respiratory Organ(s) || Not possible || Heavy Bleeding and becoming Winded. Possible suffocation depending on toughness and number of lungs pierced. ''Can only be mangled.'' || Not possible
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Eye(s) || Visuals || Bleeding, vision is impaired if all eyes are effected. || Not possible || Heavy Bleeding. Possible extreme pain depending on Toughness and number of eyes removed. Destroys accuracy and lessens vision permanently. If all eyes are removed, the creature is completely blind, and can only "see" what's next to it (other words, 3x3 vision).
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Guts || Not known || Not possible || Fatal Heavy Bleeding (on and off) as entrails spill out, extreme pain, and nausea. Can be a slow, painful death. ''Can only be mangled.'' || The entire lower body is severed from the rest of the body or it is completely destroyed. Instant death.
|}

== Wounds in Fortress Mode ==

=== Healing ===
Dwarves with yellow or red wounds will attempt to get to a bed to [[rest]], if possible. Civilian dwarves with the [[health care]] labor will drag severely wounded dwarves to a bed and bring them [[food]] and [[bucket]]s of [[water]] as they recover. A severely injured dwarf will stay in bed, and occasionally cancel tasks to rest their injury. [[Toady]] has stated that beds which are not in any defined [[room]] are considered hospital beds, and dwarves will recover faster when sleeping on them. Dwarves with light or moderate (medium grey to brown) wounds do not need to rest.

In the current version (39c), wounded dwarves who rest are automatically labelled as "unconscious". Unlike the previous versions, this does not prevent the other dwarves from bringing them food and water.

Generally, light or moderate wounds will be healed in a week at most, usually much faster. Broken body parts will likely take some months of bed rest to recover, and a mangled part can take years. Severed limbs do not grow back.

Yellow or red wounds have a chance to heal on [[season]] changes. The likelihood of yellow or red wounds making a recovery is quite variable. Limbs are more likely to eventually heal than internal organs. In some cases, a badly wounded dwarf will not recover at all.

Wounds to the nervous system (the neck, brain, or spine) will never heal. If these wounds are not too severe the dwarf will be able to continue his daily routine without any problems. Military dwarves with nervous wounds will never spar, however. Melee dwarves with nervous injuries may still be valulable as a Marksdwarf. If a dwarf has yellow or red nervous damage, he will be a permanent invalid, and you may wish to arrange for his demise so as to prevent him from forever requiring your other dwarves to bring him food and water.

Dwarves have various [[thoughts]] from injury, unconciousness, and the healing process. Injuries cause unhappy thoughts, but these are offset by happy thoughts from getting rescued, being able to rest and recuperate (i.e. stay in bed), and being given water and food. Check for unhappy patients, as wounded dwarves have been known to go berserk when unhappy thoughts accumulate (see below). If you cannot ensure their happiness, you may have to station armed guards nearby as a precaution, or even lock the wounded dwarf in his bedroom and write him off.

Since losing consciousness due to pain can be resisted by dwarves with high Toughness, very Tough dwarves tend to survive injuries more easily. Toughness also greatly speeds up the healing process, a superdwarvenly tough (super-)dwarf can heal yellow injuries in days. Losing a Limb, however, can make even the toughest creatures give in to pain.

== Wounds in Adventure Mode ==

Healing is much simpler in [[Adventure Mode]]; walking one space on the overland map will heal everything but severed limbs, including hunger and thirst. Your <strike>friends</strike> spear-catchers will also be healed, as long as they were reasonably close to you when you left the map. If you leave them bleeding and crawling in the cave below, however, they won't come with you.

In the current version, it is observed that beginning to freeze to death during a cold night will produce blood spatters on every surface of your body and inflict minor wounds to every organ and surface possible. This includes your eyes, limiting your vision to a single square around you. This is almost certainly because of wounds in the eyes, as if you {{k|T}}ravel away you will retain the blood in your eyes but regain normal vision. A similar effect is observed if you manage to set yourself on fire, although you are also blinded and suffocated by the smoke in this case.

== Descriptions ==

In Adventure Mode, wounds will generate messages when they are inflicted. The following table lists the various messages you'll see when a wound is received. Messages corresponding to immediately fatal blows to the three major body parts (head, upper body, and lower body) are also provided. Most of these messages are displayed for organic beings only, not for skeletal, mechanical, etc. creatures.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: grey; color: black;"
! Damage type !! Lightly wounded !! Moderately wounded !! Broken !! Mangled !! Instantly fatal (head) !! Instantly fatal (upper body) !! Instantly fatal (lower body)
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Pierce || "It is pierced!" || "It is badly pierced!" || "It is broken!" || "It is mangled!" || "It is pierced through entirely!" || "It is pierced through completely!" || "It is run through!"
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Bludgeon || "It is bruised!" || "It is battered!" || "It is broken!" || "It is mangled!" || "It is smashed into the body, an unrecognizable mass!" || "It collapses into a lump of gore!" || "It explodes in gore!"
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Slash || "It is cut!" || "It is badly gashed!" || "It is broken!" || "It is mangled!" || "It is split in half from the crown to the chin!" || "It is cloven asunder!" || "It is mostly cut away from the rest of the torso!"
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Gore || "It is torn!" || "It is badly ripped!" || "It is broken!" || "It is mangled!" || "It is torn apart!" || "It is torn into pieces!" || "It is ripped into loose shreds!"
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Burn || "It is singed!" || "It is burned!" || "It is cracked by the heat!" || "It is partially incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!"
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Cold || "It is chilled!" || "It is frostbitten!" || "It is cracked by the cold!" || "It is frozen through!" || "It is shattered!" || "It is shattered!" || "It is shattered!"
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Heat || "It is blistered!" || "It is charred!" || "It is cracked by the heat!" || "It is partially incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!"
|}

If the major body part was "lopped off", which is different than just having an instantly fatal wound, the message would say "The *Body part* flies off in a bloody arc!"

A creature inflicted with a fatal blow 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:Dwarves]]
[[Category:Military]]

40d:Giant desert scorpion

2008-04-17T17:17:43Z

Naminator5:

This giant arachnid is commonly found in [[desert]]s, although they aren't found in large numbers, they are dangerous combatants. Like [[Giant cave spider]]s, they are capable of using a paralyzing poison. They also can't feel pain.

However, they don't attack with their tail that often, which is their main poisonous attack, as they attack with their pincers mostly (which can latch). When they do latch with their pincers, that's when they will sting with their tails.

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:SCORPION_DESERT_GIANT]
[NAME:giant desert scorpion:giant desert scorpions:giant desert scorpion]
[TILE:'S'][COLOR:6:0:0]
[MODVALUE:10]
[LARGE_ROAMING][FREQUENCY:5][DIFFICULTY:3]
[EXTRACT:giant desert scorpion venom:7:0:1]
[EXTRACT_VALUE:100]
[EXTRACT_PARALYZE]
[EXTRACT_ANTIDOTE:giant desert scorpion antivenin:7:0:0:100]
[NATURAL][PET_EXOTIC]
[PARALYZEIMMUNE]
[GENPOWER:4]
[BLOODTYPE:W][CHITIN]
[PETVALUE:2500]
[GRASSTRAMPLE:10]
[LARGE_PREDATOR][SAVAGE]
[CARNIVORE]
[NOPAIN][EXTRAVISION][NOSTUN][NOEMOTION][NOSKULL][NOBONES]
[BUILDINGDESTROYER:1]
[NOFEAR]
[PREFSTRING:enormous tails]
[BODY:SPIDER:2EYES:HEART:GUTS:BRAIN:TAIL:TAIL_STINGER:UPPERBODY_PINCERS]
[SIZE:10]
[MAXAGE:20:30]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:TAIL_STINGER:sting:stings:1:6:PIERCE][SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT:50:100]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:GRASP:snatch:snatches:1:6:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[FAT:1]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[BIOME:DESERT_BADLAND]
[BIOME:DESERT_ROCK]
[BIOME:DESERT_SAND]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10067]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Animals]]

40d:Giant desert scorpion

2008-04-17T17:16:59Z

Naminator5:

This giant arachnid is commonly found in [[desert]]s, although they aren't found in large numbers, they are dangerous combatants. Like [[Giant cave spider]]s, they are capable of using a paralyzing poison. They also can't feel pain.

However, they don't attack with their tail that often, which is their main poisonous attack, as they attack with their pincers mostly (which can latch). When they do latch with their pincers, that's when they usually sting.

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:SCORPION_DESERT_GIANT]
[NAME:giant desert scorpion:giant desert scorpions:giant desert scorpion]
[TILE:'S'][COLOR:6:0:0]
[MODVALUE:10]
[LARGE_ROAMING][FREQUENCY:5][DIFFICULTY:3]
[EXTRACT:giant desert scorpion venom:7:0:1]
[EXTRACT_VALUE:100]
[EXTRACT_PARALYZE]
[EXTRACT_ANTIDOTE:giant desert scorpion antivenin:7:0:0:100]
[NATURAL][PET_EXOTIC]
[PARALYZEIMMUNE]
[GENPOWER:4]
[BLOODTYPE:W][CHITIN]
[PETVALUE:2500]
[GRASSTRAMPLE:10]
[LARGE_PREDATOR][SAVAGE]
[CARNIVORE]
[NOPAIN][EXTRAVISION][NOSTUN][NOEMOTION][NOSKULL][NOBONES]
[BUILDINGDESTROYER:1]
[NOFEAR]
[PREFSTRING:enormous tails]
[BODY:SPIDER:2EYES:HEART:GUTS:BRAIN:TAIL:TAIL_STINGER:UPPERBODY_PINCERS]
[SIZE:10]
[MAXAGE:20:30]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:TAIL_STINGER:sting:stings:1:6:PIERCE][SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT:50:100]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:GRASP:snatch:snatches:1:6:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[FAT:1]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[BIOME:DESERT_BADLAND]
[BIOME:DESERT_ROCK]
[BIOME:DESERT_SAND]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10067]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Animals]]

40d:Giant cave swallow

2008-04-17T17:16:22Z

Naminator5:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Giant Cave Swallow|symbol=C|color=rgb(128, 128, 128)|bones=8|chunks=8|meat=8|fat=3|skulls=1|skin=Yes}}

Giant cave swallows are giant colorful birds which commonly live in caves. They are two sizes smaller than [[Giant bat]]s but have the same attack power.

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:BIRD_SWALLOW_CAVE_GIANT]
[NAME:giant cave swallow:giant cave swallows:giant cave swallow]
[TILE:'C'][COLOR:0:0:1]
[MODVALUE:5]
[LARGE_ROAMING][DIFFICULTY:2]
[FLIER]
[GENPOWER:3][NATURAL][PET_EXOTIC][MOUNT_EXOTIC]
[PETVALUE:700]
[PREFSTRING:coloration]
[BODY:HUMANOID_ARMLESS:2WINGS:2EYES:2LUNGS:
HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:HUMANOID_JOINTS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:4TOES:BEAK]
[SIZE:8]
[MAXAGE:10:20]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:BEAK:bite:bites:1:6:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
[CHILD:1][CHILDNAME:giant cave swallow hatchling:giant cave swallow hatchlings]
[FAT:3]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[BIOME_SUBTERRANEAN_CHASM]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10067]
[LAYERING:100]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
[POPULATION_NUMBER:15:30]
[BENIGN]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Animals]]

40d:Giant bat

2008-04-17T17:15:43Z

Naminator5:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Giant Bat|symbol=B|color=rgb(128, 128, 128)|bones=10|chunks=10|meat=10|fat=3|skulls=1|skin=Yes}}

'''Giant bats''' often live in [[cave]]s. They are one size bigger than a [[minotaur]] and can live in caves that have one. They are deadly combatants and can easily kill unskilled adventurers and dwarves.

They also tend to run away, and only attack when threatened.

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:BAT_GIANT]
[NAME:giant bat:giant bats:giant bat]
[TILE:'B'][COLOR:0:0:1]
[MODVALUE:5]
[LARGE_ROAMING][DIFFICULTY:2]
[FLIER]
[BENIGN]
[GENPOWER:3][NATURAL][PET_EXOTIC][MOUNT_EXOTIC]
[PETVALUE:750]
[PREFSTRING:terrifying features]
[BODY:HUMANOID_FLIER:2EYES:2EARS:NOSE:2LUNGS:
HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:MOUTH]
[SIZE:10]
[MAXAGE:10:20]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:MOUTH:bite:bites:1:6:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
[CHILD:1][CHILDNAME:giant bat pup:giant bat pups]
[FAT:3]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[POPULATION_NUMBER:10:20]
[BIOME_SUBTERRANEAN_CHASM]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10067]
[LAYERING:100]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Animals]]

40d:Wizard

2008-04-17T17:13:47Z

Naminator5: New page: A wizard is basically a character with all of the human's stats, but different preferences. They don't appear anywhere, and even if they did, they don't cast magic as it hasn't been imple...

A wizard is basically a character with all of the human's stats, but different preferences.

They don't appear anywhere, and even if they did, they don't cast magic as it hasn't been implemented yet.

40d:Combat

2008-02-08T19:28:43Z

Naminator5: /* Poison */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the body parts, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

Lopped off limbs are gone forever. They do not grow back, even in Adventure Mode.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.

====Slamming Into Obstacles====
If a creature is hit hard and is slammed into an obstacle (like a wall, tree, or any other stationary object), the creature may take additional bludgeoning damage as well. Falling off a cliff also counts as slamming into an obstacle.

If the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

In adventure mode, sometimes creatures smashing into obstacles will produce the "instantly fatal" death message more than once on the same major body part. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

====Paralysis====
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

===Skill Modifiers===
{{verify}}

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves, humans, and goblins; bows are used by elves, humans, and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, and are unlikly to remove limbs, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject poison into other creatures. There are two types of poison, one that stuns, and one that paralyzes (which is most common).

When a creature is inflicted by a paralyzing poison in adventure mode, there will be a message where it says that it "feels numb". As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

There are no ways to cure poison {{v|0.27.169.33g}}. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

Lastly, creatures who are immune to paralysis are immune to that kind of poison.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). Blood suckers may feed or regain health while doing this. {{verify}}

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. Only NPCs can use this special attack. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. Only NPCs can use this ability. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

[[Category:Military]]

40d:Combat

2008-02-08T19:28:09Z

Naminator5: /* Poison */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the body parts, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

Lopped off limbs are gone forever. They do not grow back, even in Adventure Mode.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.

====Slamming Into Obstacles====
If a creature is hit hard and is slammed into an obstacle (like a wall, tree, or any other stationary object), the creature may take additional bludgeoning damage as well. Falling off a cliff also counts as slamming into an obstacle.

If the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

In adventure mode, sometimes creatures smashing into obstacles will produce the "instantly fatal" death message more than once on the same major body part. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

====Paralysis====
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

===Skill Modifiers===
{{verify}}

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves, humans, and goblins; bows are used by elves, humans, and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, and are unlikly to remove limbs, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject poison into other creatures. There are two types of poison, one that stuns, and one that paralyzes (which is most common).

When a creature is inflicted by a paralyzing poison in adventure mode, there will be a message where it says that it "feels numb". As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

There are no ways to cure poison {{v|0.27.169.33g}}. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

Lastly, creatures who are immune to paralysis are immune to the that kind of poison.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). Blood suckers may feed or regain health while doing this. {{verify}}

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. Only NPCs can use this special attack. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. Only NPCs can use this ability. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

[[Category:Military]]

40d:Demon

2008-02-07T13:54:34Z

Naminator5: /* Types of Demons */

{{spoiler}}

[[Image:Mountain_air_pocket.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Here, demons appear as red and green ampersands.]]

A Demon is an evil fast moving creature that will either severely wound or kill your dwarves and animals. Their attacks include projectile fireballs and hand to hand combat. Most are living and as such are especially vulnerable to weapons with high critical boost such as [[Spear|spears]] and [[Crossbow|crossbow]] bolts.

Demons are immune to [[Trap#Stone-fall_Trap|stone-fall traps]], [[Trap#Weapon_Trap|weapon traps]], [[Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps]] and will destroy your doors and floodgates. At least some of them are able to fly and survive under [[Water|water]] and [[Magma|magma]].

==Defenses against Demons==

==Types of Demons==
'''Frog Demon''': Arguably the easiest demon. Powerful combatant and can swim.

'''Spirit of Fire''': Arguably the hardest demon. Cannot swim, launches fireballs, is surrounded by fire, a powerful combatant, and can fly. Limbs sever when broken.

[[Category:Creatures]]

40d:Demon

2008-02-07T13:53:45Z

Naminator5: /* Types of Demons */

{{spoiler}}

[[Image:Mountain_air_pocket.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Here, demons appear as red and green ampersands.]]

A Demon is an evil fast moving creature that will either severely wound or kill your dwarves and animals. Their attacks include projectile fireballs and hand to hand combat. Most are living and as such are especially vulnerable to weapons with high critical boost such as [[Spear|spears]] and [[Crossbow|crossbow]] bolts.

Demons are immune to [[Trap#Stone-fall_Trap|stone-fall traps]], [[Trap#Weapon_Trap|weapon traps]], [[Trap#Cage_Trap|cage traps]] and will destroy your doors and floodgates. At least some of them are able to fly and survive under [[Water|water]] and [[Magma|magma]].

==Defenses against Demons==

==Types of Demons==
'''Frog Demon''': Arguably the easiest demon. Powerful combatant and can swim.

'''Spirit of Fire''': Arguably the hardest demon. Cannot swim, launches fireballs, powerful combatant, and can fly. Limbs sever when broken.

[[Category:Creatures]]

40d:Giant desert scorpion

2008-02-07T09:43:23Z

Naminator5:

This giant arachnid is commonly found in deserts, although they aren't found in large numbers, they are dangerous combatants. Like [[Giant cave spider]]s, they are capable of using a paralyzing poison. They also can't feel pain.

However, they don't attack with their tail that often, which is their main poisonous attack, as they attack with their pincers mostly (which can latch).

40d:Giant desert scorpion

2008-02-07T09:42:29Z

Naminator5: - they can't feel pain.

This giant arachnid is commonly found in deserts, although they aren't found in large numbers, they are dangerous combatants. Like [[Giant cave spider]]s, they are capable of using a paralyzing poison.

However, they don't attack with their tail that often, which is their main poisonous attack, as they attack with their pincers mostly (which can latch).

40d:Wound

2008-01-25T19:18:33Z

Naminator5: /* On organs */

{{old|DF 0.23.130.23a}}

Creatures with severe '''wounds''' will flash with a yellow or red + icon; see [[status icons]] for a full list of status and injury indicators. A creature's injuries can be seen by pressing {{key|w}} while {{key|v}}iewing creature info in [[Fortress Mode]], or by {{key|l}}ooking at a creature and selecting their letter in [[Adventure Mode]]. Wounds are listed by body part and described by color, as displayed in the following table.

{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}

== Wounding ==

This section is incomplete; much about the [[Combat| combat system]] is unknown.

If an attack connects, the target will be wounded in some part of the body. The severity of the wound depends on 1) the strength of the attack, 2) the protective value of any armor or other protection available for that body part, and 3) a (large) random factor. Wounds are cumulative: when an already wounded body part is hit the wound will worsen, even if in adventure mode it produces the same message about the condition of the body part more than once.

The mathematics are at present pure guesswork. However, we do know that armor value does not simply subtract from damage; you can be wounded (usually lightly) by an attack substantially weaker than the protective value of your armor. Armor is vital to survivability, but it can't make you immune. Creature size is also vital; larger creatures hit harder and can endure more base damage. Attacks, especially piercing attacks with critical boosts (e.g. arrows), can damage vital internal organs located in the area of that body part.

== Effects of wounds ==

When a wound is inflicted, no matter how lightly, it will usually bleed (even if only for one turn). In [[Fortress Mode]], wounded dwarves receive various unhappy [[thoughts]], but also some positive thoughts from the rescue and recovery process (see next section).

A wounded limb or organ becomes less effective. A severe wound to an arm or hand causes held items (weapons, shields) to be dropped from that hand. Wounds to either leg often cause the target to topple over, greatly slowing it down. Pierced lungs make it easier to become Winded. Damaged internal organs often cause the victim to periodically become stunned or unconscious until they heal (which in some cases never happens).

Death from [[Blood|blood]] loss will happen quickly whenever wounds to major internal organs occur, like the heart being pierced or "entrails shooting out through the wound". In [[Adventure Mode]], a "Mortal Wound" status indicator will appear when this happens to your adventurer. There is no way to avoid this. A pierced lung doesn't always result in bleeding to death, but it may eventually cause suffocation. [[Attributes#Toughness|Toughness]] may be a factor in helping to prevent this.

Other effects of wounding (for most creatures) include pain, which can cause temporary paralyzation due to fainting ("giving in to pain"), [[vomit]]ing, and stunning (slowing), especially if the creature is not very Tough.

=== On organs ===

When a creature is attacked with a piercing weapon or projectile, organs might take damage. This table shows most major organs, their functions, and what happens when they are damaged.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: grey; color: black;"
! Organ !! Function !! Lightly/moderately wounded effects !! Broken/mangled effects !! Lopped off effects
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Heart || Circulatory Organ || Not possible || Fatal Heavy Bleeding when pierced, death can occur fast. ''Can only be mangled.'' || Not possible
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Brain || Movement || Bleeding, possibly becoming Winded. Usually not fatal || Paralysis. Weapons get dropped, limbs become useless, inability to stand. The only attack possible is 'Push' || Decapitation, naturally, causes instant death.
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Throat || Breathing || Bleeding, possibly becoming Winded || Heavy Bleeding and becoming Winded. Lethality depends on Toughness || Fatal Heavy Bleeding and/or suffocation, no chance of survival.
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Lung(s) || Respiratory Organ(s) || Not possible || Heavy Bleeding and becoming Winded. Possible suffocation depending on toughness and number of lungs pierced. ''Can only be mangled.'' || Not possible
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Eye(s) || Visuals || Bleeding || Not possible || Heavy Bleeding. Possible extreme pain depending on Toughness and number of eyes removed. Destroys accuracy and lessens vision permanently. If all eyes are removed, the creature is completely blind, and can only "see" what's next to it (other words, 3x3 vision).
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Guts || Not known || Not possible || Fatal Heavy Bleeding (on and off) as entrails spill out, extreme pain, and nausea. Can be a slow, painful death. ''Can only be mangled.'' || The entire lower body is severed from the rest of the body or it is completely destroyed. Instant death.
|}

== Wounds in Fortress Mode ==

Dwarves with yellow or red wounds will attempt to get to a bed to [[rest]], if possible. Civilian dwarves with the [[health care]] labor will drag severely wounded dwarves to a bed and bring them [[food]] and [[bucket]]s of [[water]] as they recover. A severely injured dwarf will stay in bed, and occasionally cancel tasks to rest their injury. Dwarves with light or moderate (medium grey to brown) wounds do not need to rest.

Generally, light or moderate wounds will heal in about a week. Broken body parts will likely take some months of bed rest to recover, and a mangled part takes an indeterminate amount of time to heal. Severed limbs will not grow back.

Yellow or red wounds have a chance to heal on [[season]] changes. The likelihood of yellow or red wounds making a recovery is quite variable, and the process appears to be somewhat buggy (although it has improved in recent versions). Limbs are more likely to eventually heal than internal organs. It may take several seasons to recover - in some cases, a badly wounded dwarf will not recover at all.

Wounds to the nervous system, meaning the neck, brain, or spine, will never heal. If these wounds are not too severe the dwarf will be able to continue his daily routine without any problems. Military dwarves with nervous wounds will never spar, however. If a dwarf has yellow or red nervous damage, he will be a permanent invalid, and you may wish to arrange for his demise so as to prevent him from forever requiring your other dwarves to bring him food and water.

Dwarves have various [[thoughts]] from injury, unconciousness, and the healing process. Injuries cause unhappy thoughts, but these are offset by happy thoughts from getting rescued, being able to rest and recuperate (i.e. stay in bed), and being given water and food. Check for unhappy patients, as wounded dwarves have been known to go berserk when unhappy thoughts accumulate (see below). If you cannot insure their happiness, you may have to station armed guards nearby as a precaution, or even lock the wounded dwarf in his bedroom and write him off.

Most emotional breakdowns in injured dwarves are caused by the breaking of the "Rest" task (which prevents an injured dwarf from entering the exhaustion states, e.g. Tired and counts as sleeping preventing Drowsy state) by falling unconscious due to pain. Once an injured dwarf regains consciousness he will not automatically begin resting again; he will therefore quickly become exhausted or very drowsy, and eventually fall into a [[Strange mood|melancholy mood]], since he cannot sleep normally while injured. You can work around this by either drafting the dwarf, since [[military]] dwarves are sometimes able to reinitialize the Rest task on their own, or by forbidding the bed the dwarf is on{{version|0.27.169.33f}}. He'll be re-rescued off of the "floor" and can reinstate his Rest task. This behavior is likely a bug.

Since losing consciousness due to pain can be resisted by dwarves with high Toughness, very Tough dwarves tend to survive injuries more easily. Limbs that are severed, however, can make even the toughest creatures give in to pain.

== Wounds in Adventure Mode ==

Healing is much simpler in [[Adventure Mode]]; walking one space on the overland map will heal everything but severed limbs, including hunger and thirst. Your <strike>friends</strike> spear-catchers will also be healed, as long as they were reasonably close to you when you left the map. If you leave them bleeding and crawling in the cave below, however, they won't come with you.

In the current version, it is observed that beginning to freeze to death during a cold night will produce blood spatters on every surface of your body and inflict minor wounds to every organ and surface possible. This includes your eyes, limiting your vision to a single square around you. This is almost certainly because of wounds in the eyes, as if you [T]ravel away you will retain the blood in your eyes but regain normal vision.

== Descriptions ==

In Adventure Mode, wounds will generate messages when they are inflicted. The following table lists the various messages you'll see when a wound is received. Messages corresponding to immediately fatal blows to the three major body parts (head, upper body, and lower body) are also provided. Most of these messages are displayed for organic beings only, not for skeletal, mechanical, etc. creatures.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: grey; color: black;"
! Damage type !! Lightly wounded !! Moderately wounded !! Broken !! Mangled !! Instantly fatal (head) !! Instantly fatal (upper body) !! Instantly fatal (lower body)
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Pierce || "It is pierced!" || "It is badly pierced!" || "It is broken!" || "It is mangled!" || "It is pierced through entirely!" || "It is pierced through completely!" || "It is run through!"
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Bludgeon || "It is bruised!" || "It is battered!" || "It is broken!" || "It is mangled!" || "It is smashed into the body, an unrecognizable mass!" || "It collapses into a lump of gore!" || "It explodes in gore!"
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Slash || "It is cut!" || "It is badly gashed!" || "It is broken!" || "It is mangled!" || "It is split in half from the crown to the chin!" || "It is cloven asunder!" || "It is mostly cut away from the rest of the torso!"
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Gore || "It is torn!" || "It is badly ripped!" || "It is broken!" || "It is mangled!" || "It is torn apart!" || "It is torn into pieces!" || "It is ripped into loose shreds!"
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Burn || "It is singed!" || "It is burned!" || "It is cracked by the heat!" || "It is partially incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!"
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Cold || "It is chilled!" || "It is frostbitten!" || "It is cracked by the cold!" || "It is frozen through!" || "It is shattered!" || "It is shattered!" || "It is shattered!"
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Heat || "It is blistered!" || "It is charred!" || "It is cracked by the heat!" || "It is partially incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!" || "It is incinerated!"
|}

If the major body part was "lopped off", which is different than just having an instantly fatal wound, the message would say "The *Body part* flies off in a bloody arc!"

A creature inflicted with a fatal blow 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:Dwarves]]
[[Category:Military]]

40d:Whale

2008-01-25T19:04:16Z

Naminator5:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Whale|symbol=W|color=rgb(192, 192, 192)|bones=16|chunks=16|meat=16|fat=20|skulls=1|skin=Yes|biome=
* Any ocean
}}

A '''whale''' is a large aquatic creature, found in oceans.

They are the same size as a [[elephant]].

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:WHALE]
[NAME:whale:whales:whale]
[TILE:'W'][COLOR:7:0:0]
[LARGE_ROAMING]
[AQUATIC][UNDERSWIM][IMMOBILE_LAND][BEACH_FREQUENCY:10]
[MODVALUE:3]
[GENPOWER:3]
[PREFSTRING:majesty]
[IVORY]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[POPULATION_NUMBER:15:30]
[CLUSTER_NUMBER:3:7]
[BENIGN][MEANDERER][NATURAL]
[PETVALUE:1000]
[BODY:BASIC_2PARTBODY:BASIC_HEAD:SIDE_FLIPPERS:TAIL:2EYES:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:MOUTH]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTOKEN:TAIL:slap:slaps:1:2:BLUDGEON][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[SIZE:16]
[MAXAGE:20:30]
[NO_DRINK]
[CHILD:1][CHILDNAME:whale calf:baby calves]
[FAT:20]
[BIOME_ANY_OCEAN]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[HOMEOTHERM:10067]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:500]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Animals]]

40d:Bronze colossus

2008-01-24T19:04:26Z

Naminator5:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Bronze Colossus|symbol=C|color=rgb(255, 255, 0)|
bones=-|chunks=-|meat=-|fat=-|skulls=-|skin=-|
biome=
* Any land
}}

A '''bronze colossus''' is a [[:Category:Megabeasts|megabeast]] that can rapidly heal its wounds imposed by one's traps, destroy buildings from 1 space away (symbolizing its long reach perhaps), and toss around the defenders of a fort as if they were toy anvils.

Strangely, these creatures do have eyes, but removing won't do much as they can't bleed or feel pain.

Upon its death it becomes a masterwork bronze statue, great decoration for a grand entrance hall.

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:COLOSSUS_BRONZE]
[NAME:bronze colossus:bronze colossuses:bronze colossus]
[TILE:'C'][COLOR:6:0:0]
[MEGABEAST]
[GENPOWER:5]
[BUTCHERABLE_NONSTANDARD]
[FANCIFUL]
[CANOPENDOORS]
[PREFSTRING:height]
[BODY:HUMANOID:2EYES:2EARS:NOSE:HUMANOID_JOINTS:5FINGERS:5TOES]
[NOT_BUTCHERABLE]
[NOPAIN][EXTRAVISION][NOBREATHE][NOBLEED][NOSTUN][NONAUSEA][NOEMOTION][RECKLESS]
[NOSTUCKINS][SEVERONBREAKS][NOSKULL][NOSKIN][NOBONES][NOMEAT][NOTHOUGHT][NOEXERT]
[BUILDINGDESTROYER:2]
[DAMBLOCK:8]
[NOFEAR]
[SIZE:20]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:GRASP:punch:punches:1:2:BLUDGEON][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
[EQUIPS]
[DIURNAL]
[BIOME_ANY_LAND]
[ITEMCORPSE:STATUE:NO_SUBTYPE:METAL:BRONZE]
[ITEMCORPSE_QUALITY:5]
[NO_DRINK][NO_EAT][NO_SLEEP]
[NO_GENDER]
[MATERIAL:METAL:BRONZE]
[SWIMS_LEARNED][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Megabeasts]]

40d:Hydra

2008-01-24T13:54:52Z

Naminator5:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Hydra|symbol=H|color=rgb(0, 128, 0)|
bones=20|chunks=20|meat=20|fat=10|skulls=1|skin=Yes|biome=* Any land}}
Seven necks, seven heads, seven mouths, one skull.

Strangely, only one head is needed to be lopped off or destroyed to kill it. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:HYDRA]
[NAME:hydra:hydras:hydra]
[TILE:'H'][COLOR:2:0:0]
[MODVALUE:50]
[FANCIFUL]
[MEGABEAST]
[GENPOWER:5]
[FREQUENCY:5]
[PETVALUE:10000]
[GRASSTRAMPLE:50]
[BONECARN][PET_EXOTIC]
[BUILDINGDESTROYER:2]
[NOFEAR]
[LIKES_FIGHTING]
[PREFSTRING:seven heads]
[BODY:BASIC_2PARTBODY:7HEADNECKS:BASIC_FRONTLEGS:BASIC_REARLEGS:TAIL:2EYES:NOSE:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:MOUTH]
[BODYGLOSS:CLAW_FOOT]
[SIZE:20]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:MOUTH:bite:bites:1:6:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
[FAT:10]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[BIOME_ANY_LAND]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
[HOMEOTHERM:10040]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Megabeasts]]

40d:Hydra

2008-01-24T13:54:14Z

Naminator5:

{{CreatureInfo|name=Hydra|symbol=H|color=rgb(0, 128, 0)|
bones=20|chunks=20|meat=20|fat=10|skulls=1|skin=Yes|biome=* Any land}}
Seven necks, seven heads, seven mouths, one skull.

Strangely, only one head is needed to be lopped off to kill it. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

{{Game_Data|[CREATURE:HYDRA]
[NAME:hydra:hydras:hydra]
[TILE:'H'][COLOR:2:0:0]
[MODVALUE:50]
[FANCIFUL]
[MEGABEAST]
[GENPOWER:5]
[FREQUENCY:5]
[PETVALUE:10000]
[GRASSTRAMPLE:50]
[BONECARN][PET_EXOTIC]
[BUILDINGDESTROYER:2]
[NOFEAR]
[LIKES_FIGHTING]
[PREFSTRING:seven heads]
[BODY:BASIC_2PARTBODY:7HEADNECKS:BASIC_FRONTLEGS:BASIC_REARLEGS:TAIL:2EYES:NOSE:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:MOUTH]
[BODYGLOSS:CLAW_FOOT]
[SIZE:20]
[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:MOUTH:bite:bites:1:6:GORE][ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
[FAT:10]
[ALL_ACTIVE]
[BIOME_ANY_LAND]
[STANDARD_FLESH]
[SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
[HOMEOTHERM:10040]
}}
{{Creatures}}
[[Category:Megabeasts]]

40d:Minotaur

2008-01-24T13:50:53Z

Naminator5:

Half man, half bull. These creatures mainly live in caves. Town leaders may want these creatures dead in quests.

These creatures use wrestling to attack. They have two horns on their head that can do some serious damage if they attack with them.

They aren't very tall, they are two sizes bigger than humans, but they are smaller than few of the possible creatures in their den, like [[giant bat]]s.

40d:Minotaur

2008-01-24T13:49:37Z

Naminator5:

Half man, half bull. These creatures mainly live in caves. Town leaders may want these creatures dead in quests.

These creatures use wrestling to attack. They have two horns on their head that can do some serious damage if they attack with them.

They aren't very tall, they are two sizes bigger than humans, but they are smaller than some of the possible creatures in their den, like [[giant bat]]s.

40d:Minotaur

2008-01-24T13:47:46Z

Naminator5:

Half man, half bull. These creatures mainly live in caves. Town leaders may want these creatures dead in quests.

These creatures use wrestling to attack. They have two horns on their head that can do some serious damage if they attack with them.

They aren't very tall, they are one size bigger than humans, but they are smaller than some of the possible creatures in their den, like [[giant bat]]s.

40d:Minotaur

2008-01-24T13:47:06Z

Naminator5: New page: Half man, half bull. These creatures mainly live in caves. Town leaders may want these creatures dead in quests. These creatures use wrestling to attack. They aren't very tall, they ar...

Half man, half bull. These creatures mainly live in caves. Town leaders may want these creatures dead in quests.

These creatures use wrestling to attack. They aren't very tall, they are one size bigger than humans, but they are smaller than some of the possible creatures in their den, like [[giant bat]]s. They do have two horns on their head that can do some serious damage if they attack with them.

40d:Cyclops

2008-01-24T13:33:46Z

Naminator5:

A giant one-eyed monster. Found mainly in caves. Town leaders may want them slained in quests.

They attack with wrestling, and due to their size, they are capable of doing serious damage.

Since they only have one eye, skillful wrestlers may be able to gouge it and completely blind the monster, destroying its accuracy.

40d:Ettin

2008-01-24T13:32:44Z

Naminator5:

A giant two headed monster. Found mainly in caves. Mayors or other town leaders may want them slain in quests.

They attack with wrestling, and due to their size, they are capable of doing some serious damage.

Dispite having two heads, lopping off one of them will kill it.

40d:Cyclops

2008-01-24T13:32:25Z

Naminator5:

40d:Cyclops

2008-01-24T13:32:06Z

Naminator5: New page: A giant one-eyed monster. Found mainly in caves. Town leaders may want them slained in quests. They attack with their fists, and due to their size, they are capable of doing serious dam...

A giant one-eyed monster. Found mainly in caves. Town leaders may want them slained in quests.

They attack with their fists, and due to their size, they are capable of doing serious damage.

Since they only have one eye, skillful wrestlers may be able to gouge it and completely blind the monster, destroying their accuracy.

40d:Ettin

2008-01-24T13:26:31Z

Naminator5: New page: A giant two headed monster. Found mainly in caves. Mayors or other town leaders may want them slain in quests. They attack with their fists, and due to their size, they are capable of d...

A giant two headed monster. Found mainly in caves. Mayors or other town leaders may want them slain in quests.

They attack with their fists, and due to their size, they are capable of doing some serious damage.

Dispite having two heads, lopping off one of them will kill it.

40d:Giant desert scorpion

2008-01-22T19:14:31Z

Naminator5:

This giant arachnid is commonly found in deserts, although they aren't found in large numbers, they are dangerous combatants. Like [[Giant cave spider]]s, they are capable of using a paralyzing poison.

However, they don't attack with their tail that often, which is their main poisonous attack, as they attack with their pincers mostly (which can latch). Also, unlike giant cave spiders, they can feel pain.

40d:Giant desert scorpion

2008-01-22T19:14:01Z

Naminator5: New page: This giant arachnid is commonly found in deserts, although they aren't found in large numbers, they are dangerous combatants. Like giant cave spiders, they are capable of using a para...

This giant arachnid is commonly found in deserts, although they aren't found in large numbers, they are dangerous combatants. Like [[giant cave spiders]], they are capable of using a paralyzing poison.

However, they don't attack with their tail that often, which is their main poisonous attack, as they attack with their pincers mostly (which can latch). Also, unlike giant cave spiders, they can feel pain.

40d:Batman

2008-01-18T13:52:33Z

Naminator5:

Half man, half bat. These weak creatures are commonly found around chasm areas.

They can fly and are sometimes armed with weapons.

40d:Batman

2008-01-18T13:52:08Z

Naminator5: New page: Half man, half bat. This weak creatures are commonly found around chasm areas. They can fly and are sometimes armed with weapons.

Half man, half bat. This weak creatures are commonly found around chasm areas.

They can fly and are sometimes armed with weapons.

40d:Leechman

2008-01-14T13:42:49Z

Naminator5: New page: Half man, half leech. Although weak, these creatures have the ability to suck blood.

Half man, half leech.

Although weak, these creatures have the ability to suck blood.

40d:Spirit of fire

2008-01-11T19:30:48Z

Naminator5: New page: One or many of the possible creatures that will attack your dwarves when you discover demon pits in Fortress Mode. This creature is very hot, can breath fire, can destroy buildings, and i...

One or many of the possible creatures that will attack your dwarves when you discover demon pits in Fortress Mode.

This creature is very hot, can breath fire, can destroy buildings, and is constantly surrounded by fire. Up close, it has burning punches, and is a dangerous combatant. It also has the ability to fly.

This creature feels no pain and cannot bleed to death. It's weakness is that it's limbs sever when broken.

40d:Magma man

2008-01-11T19:17:21Z

Naminator5:

A creature made entirely of magma. Usually found in magma areas. They are very hot and they have burning punches. They feel no pain and cannot bleed to death.

Leaves obsidian when it dies.

40d:Mud man

2008-01-11T19:16:53Z

Naminator5: New page: A creature made entirely of mud. They are commonly found in dungeons. They feel no pain and cannot bleed to death. Leaves a glob of mud when it dies.

A creature made entirely of mud. They are commonly found in dungeons. They feel no pain and cannot bleed to death.

Leaves a glob of mud when it dies.

40d:Magma man

2008-01-11T19:13:53Z

Naminator5: New page: A creature made entirely of magma. Usually found in magma areas. They are very hot and they have burning punches. They feel no pain. Leaves obsidian when it dies.

A creature made entirely of magma. Usually found in magma areas. They are very hot and they have burning punches. They feel no pain.

Leaves obsidian when it dies.

40d:Snakeman

2008-01-11T19:10:40Z

Naminator5: New page: Half man, half snake. They are common in underground dungeons with water sources. They are weak creatures, but can be a serious threat if they manage to bite someone, as they are poisono...

Half man, half snake. They are common in underground dungeons with water sources. They are weak creatures, but can be a serious threat if they manage to bite someone, as they are poisonous.

40d:Creature token

2008-01-11T18:59:43Z

Naminator5: /* R */

{{Old|0.23.130.23a}}

Everything here can be applied to all creature files, e.g. creature_domestic, creature_standard, even creature_equipment.

Since the game is in the Alpha stage, consider everything '''tentative'''.

See [[Adding New Civilization]] for related modding information and examples.

__TOC__
=Tokens=
==A==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| ADD_VERSION
| version
| In which version of the game said creature was introduced.
[ADD_VERSION:1069]

|-
| ALCOHOL_DEPENDENT
|
| Creature needs alcohol to get through the working day.

|-
| ALL_ACTIVE
|
| Sets if the creature is active in day, night, and twilight. Seems to be a separate value from DIURNAL/NOCTURNAL/CREPUSCULAR, rather than implying them.

|-
| ALTTILE
| [[Character Table|CP437 ordinal]] or 'character'
| If set, the creature will blink between its [TILE] and its [ALTTILE].
[ALTTILE:157] or [ALTTILE:'&']

|-
| AMBUSHPREDATOR
|
|

|-
| AMPHIBIOUS
|
| Allows a creature to swim.

|-
| AQUATIC
|
| Implies AMPHIBIOUS.

|-
| ATTACK
|
| See the [[#Attacks|Attacks section]].

|}

==B==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| BABY
| age
| Age at which a baby becomes a child.
[BABY:1]

|-
| BENIGN
|
| Determines whether creature can show up on "tame" maps (includes [[Elephants|elephants]]), which will generally avoid dwarves, although they may chase and/or attack them if they get too close).

|-
| BIOME_*
|
| See [[Biome Tokens|biome tokens]].

|-
| BLOODTYPE
| type
| Sets the creatures' blood type (default red):
*R - Red blood
*G - Green blood
*B - Blue blood
*M - Magenta blood
*C - Cyan blood
*Y - Yellow pus
*W - White ichor
*0 - Black goo
*VOMIT
*SLIME
[BLOODTYPE:0]

|-
| BODY
| parts[:...]
| Sets the body parts a creature has. Can supply as many as you want.
[BODY:HUMANOID:2EYES:2EARS]

|-
| BODYGLOSS
| gloss
| A body_default.txt function. It replaces a part's description with another. e.g. feet with hooves.
[BODYGLOSS:HOOF]

|-
| BOILING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature boils into goo.

|-
| BONE_BOILING_POINT
| temperature
| The boiling point of the creature's bones.

|-
| BONE_COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The low temperature at which the creature's bones start getting damaged.

|-
| BONE_FIXED_TEMP
| temperature
| The temperature that the creature's bones give off.

|-
| BONE_HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The high temperature where the bones start taking damage.

|-
| BONE_IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which point the creature's bones burst into flame.

|-
| BONE_MELTING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's bones melt.

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|BONE_SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
|

|-
| BONECARN
|
| Creature 'eats' bones. Eating bones makes their happiness go up, but can cause death (suffocation).

|-
| BUILDINGDESTROYER
| value
| Allows a creature to destroy furniture and buildings. (Giant Cave Spiders have this at 1, but most other creatures have it at 2. The difference between these values is unknown.)
[BUILDINGDESTROYER:2]

|-
| BUTCHERABLE_NONSTANDARD
|
| If a creature has this tag, it may only be slaughtered (that is, the live creature is taken to the [[Butcher's Shop]] and slain). If it dies of any other cause, the corpse cannot be butchered.

|}

==C==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| CAN_CIV
|
| Can create civilizations. This tag may activate hunger and thirst. Needs confirmation.

|-
| CAN_LEARN
|
| A creature with this tag can gain skill experience.

|-
| CAN_SPEAK
|
| Can talk.

|-
| CARNIVORE
|
| Creature only eats meat.

|-
| CANOPENDOORS
|
| Allows the creature to open doors.

|-
| CAVE_ADAPT
|
| Gives the creature a bonus in caves. Also causes [[Cave adaptation]].

|-
| CHEESE_BOILING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's cheese (if any) boils away.

|-
| CHEESE_COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's cheese (if any) starts taking cold damage.

|-
| CHEESE_FIXED_TEMP
| temperature
| The temperature emitted by one unit of the creature's cheese (if any).

|-
| CHEESE_HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the cheese made from the creature's milk starts taking damage.

|-
| CHEESE_IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's cheese bursts into flame.

|-
| CHEESE_MELTING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's cheese melts into goo.

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|CHEESE_SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
|

|-
| CHEESE_VALUE
| value
| The value per unit of cheese made from the creature's milk (if applicable). Note that only vermin as of current can be milked.

|-
| CHILD
| age
| Age at which a child becomes an adult.
[CHILD:12]

|-
| CHILDNAME
|
* singular
* plural
| Gives the child a special name, eg "hippo calf" instead of "hippo child".
[CHILDNAME:hippo calf:hippo calves]

|-
| CHITIN
|
| When the creature is butchered, it drops chitin, which is similar in function to turtle shells.

|-
| CRAFTSMAN_NAME
|
* singular
* plural
| Sets the name of the craftsman profession.
[CRAFTSMAN_NAME:craftsdwarf:craftsdwarves]

|-
| CREPUSCULAR
|
| Sets if the creature is active in twilight.

|-
| CLUSTER_NUMBER
|
* minimum
* maximum
| The minimum/maximum numbers of how many creatures per spawned cluster.
[CLUSTER_NUMBER:1:3]

|-
| COLOR
|
* fg (foreground)
* bg (background)
* br (brightness)
| [[Color]] of the creature's tile.
[COLOR:3:0:0]

|-
| COOKABLE_LIVE
|
| Set this to allow the creature to be cooked in meals without having to butcher it first.

|-
| CREATURE
| name
| What the game looks for when generating creatures.
[CREATURE:DWARF]

|-
| COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The minimum temperature limit before the creature starts taking damage from freezing.

|-
| COMMON_DOMESTIC
|
| Allows the creature to be brought with immigrants and when creating a new fortress.

|-
| CURIOUSBEAST
|
|

|-
| CURIOUSBEAST_ITEM
|
| Allows a creature to steal things (usually [[food]]?). Implies CURIOUSBEAST.

|-
| CURIOUSBEAST_GUZZLER
|
| Will steal [[alcohol]]? Implies CURIOUSBEAST.

|}

==D==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| DAMBLOCK
| value
| How much natural armor a creature has. Can be set to negative numbers, so the creature takes more damage than usual.
[DAMBLOCK:1]

|-
| DEFENDER
|
| Appears from the glowing pits after the magma river.

|-
| DIFFICULTY
| number
| [[Toady]]: ''"Difficulty determines how deep it places them in adventure mode/reclaim caves, and the chance that they are wounded the first few river attacks."''
[DIFFICULTY:2]

|-
| DIURNAL
|
| Sets if the creature is active in day.

|-
| DRAGONFIREBREATH
|
| Creature breathes dragon level fire.

|-
| DRINK_BOILING_POINT
| temperature
|

|-
| DRINK_COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
|

|-
| DRINK_FIXED_TEMP
| temperature

|-
| DRINK_HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
|

|-
| DRINK_IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
|

|-
| DRINK_MELTING_POINT
| temperature
|

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|DRINK_SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
|

|}

==E==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| ENDING
|
| Will show up after your fortress went 'Too Deep'. (confirm)

|-
| EQUIPMENT_WAGON
|
| Implies two unknown flags, NOSTUN, NONAUSEA, NOBLEED, NOEMOTION, RECKLESS, NOSTUCKINS, SEVERONBREAKS, NOSKULL, NOSKIN, NOBONES, NOMEAT, PARALYZEIMMUNE, NOFEAR, NOSMELLYROT, NOTHOUGHT, NO_GENDER.

|-
| EQUIPS
|
| Allows the creature to wear or wield items.

|-
| EVIL
|
| Determines whether creature can show up on "evil" maps (see [[Creatures#Threat Matrix|Threat Matrix]]).

|-
| EXTRACT
|
* name
* value
* ?
* ?
| Determines what can be extracted from the creature, what it's called, how valuable it is, and what you can make from it. Note, it appears that the extraction process is hardcoded into the game, and can't be altered from objects/raw.
[EXTRACT:cow's milk:7:0:1]

|-
| EXTRACT_ANTIDOTE
|
* name
* value
* ?
* ?
* ?
| [EXTRACT_ANTIDOTE:cave spider antivenin:7:0:0:50]

|-
| EXTRACT_BOILING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature value at which a unit of the creature's extract boils away.

|-
| EXTRACT_CHEESE
|
* name
* value
* ?
* ?
| The extract gotten from the creature is a unit of cheese.
[EXTRACT_CHEESE:cow cheese:6:0:1]

|-
| EXTRACT_COOKABLE
|
| Extract is cookable.

|-
| EXTRACT_COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The low temperature value at which the creature's extract starts to take damage.

|-
| EXTRACT_FIXED_TEMP
| temperature
| The temperature that the creature's extract generates on its own.

|-
| EXTRACT_HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The high temperature value at which the creature's extract starts to take damage.

|-
| EXTRACT_IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's extract bursts into flame (NOT the container it's in).

|-
| EXTRACT_MELTING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's extract melts into goo.

|-
| EXTRACT_PARALYZE
|
| (conjectural) Extract is poisonous, causing paralysis that lasts until the extract wears off. Can be delivered by SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT.

|-
| EXTRACT_PARALYZE_INTERMITTENT
|
| (conjectural) Extract is poisonous, causing paralysis on occasional intervals until the extract wears off. Can be delivered by SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT.

|-
| EXTRACT_PERMANENT
|
| (conjectural) The effects of the creature's extract are permanent once applied and do not wear off naturally.

|-
| EXTRACT_SIZE
| size
|
[EXTRACT_SIZE:10]

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|EXTRACT_SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
|

|-
| EXTRACT_STUN
|
| (conjectural) Extract is poisonous, causing a permanent stun effect until the extract wears off. Can be delivered by SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT.

|-
| EXTRACT_STUN_INTERMITTENT
|
| (verified) Extract is poisonous, causing temporary stuns on semi-occasional intervals. Can be delivered by SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT.

|-
| EXTRACT_VALUE
| value
| The value per unit of the creature's extract.
[EXTRACT_VALUE:20]

|-
| EXTRAVISION
|
| Creature has enhanced vision (longer vision range, ie. at night).

|}

==F==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| FANCIFUL
|
| Makes every civilization know about the creature. The creature won't occur in regular material preference lists. The tag also adds some art value modifiers. Used for things like dragons and other legendary creatures.

|-
| FAT
| value
| How much fat a creature has when it is butchered. And maybe affects warmth? (Requires confirmation)
[FAT:3]

|-
| FEMALE
|
| The creature is always female.

|-
| FIREBREATH
|
| The creature breathes fire.

|-
| FIREIMMUNE
|
| The creature is immune to all forms of fire, except DRAGONFIREBREATH.

|-
| FIREIMMUNE_SUPER
|
| The creature is immune to DRAGONFIREBREATH. Implies FIREIMMUNE.

|-
| FISHITEM
|
| Needs to be cleaned at a fishery.

|-
| FIXED_TEMP
| temperature
| The natural heat generated by the creature.

|-
| FLEEQUICK
|
| Determines how soon a creature flees in a losing battle.

|-
| FLIER
|
| Allows a creature to fly.

|-
| FREQUENCY
| time
| Determines the time between creature spawns in Fortress Mode. Higher is more occurences per time unit (needs confirmation). Creatures without a frequency statement appear to be on the map at all times. Almost all others have [FREQUENCY:5].
[FREQUENCY:42]

|}

==G==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| GENPOWER
| rate?
| Not used anymore. Was related to magic.
[GENPOWER:3]

|-
| GLOWCOLOR
|
* fg
* bg
* br
| The colour of the GLOWTILE of the creature (see below).

[GLOWCOLOR:4:0:1]

|-
| GLOWTILE
| ascii
'character'
| If present, the being glows in the dark (generally used for Adventure 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.

[GLOWTILE:'"']

|-
| GNAWER
|
| The creature chews on food storage containers.

|-
| GOOD
|
| Determines whether creature can show up on "good" maps (see [[Creatures#Threat Matrix|Threat Matrix]]).

|-
| GRASSTRAMPLE
| amount
| Determines how much grass is trampled when they walk on it. Set [GRASSTRAMPLE:0] to make grass never trampled by the creature.
[GRASSTRAMPLE:42]

|}

==H==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| HAS_RACEGLOSS
| gloss
| Links a material glossary to the entity, located in the file "matgloss_[name].txt"; in this example, matgloss_wood.txt
[HAS_RACEGLOSS:WOOD]

|-
| HASSHELL
|
| Creature will leave behind a shell when eaten.

|-
| HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The maximum temperature limit before the creature will start recieving damage from heat.

|-
| HOMEOTHERM
| value
| Default 'NONE'. The creature's normal body temperature. Combined with LAYERING, sets the temperature range under which it can live.

|-
| HORN
|
|

|}

==I==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature will burst into flames.

|-
| INTELLIGENT
|
| Implies CAN_CIV, CAN_SPEAK, CAN_TALK.

|-
| ITEMCORPSE
|
* [[Item Tokens|item token]]
* subtype
NO_SUBTYPE
* [[Material_Tokens|material token]]
* NO_RACEGLOSS
USE_RACEGLOSS
USE_SHARPSTONE
| Determines if the creature leaves behind a non-standard corpse (i.e. wood, statue, bars, etc). The first parameter determines the item type; the second parameter is the subtype indicated in the raw file (such as WEAPON_WHIP); the third indicates the material type if the item type takes a specific material (e.g. "IRON" if the corpse type is "STATUE"). USE_RACEGLOSS applies if the creature has a material glossary assigned by the "HAS_RACEGLOSS:" flag and will select neccesary adjectives and material from that glossary.
[ITEMCORPSE:[[Tokens#Item_Tokens|WOOD]]:NO_SUBTYPE:[[Tokens#Material_Tokens|WOOD]]:USE_RACEGLOSS]

|-
| ITEMCORPSE_QUALITY
| quality
| The quality of an item-type corpse left behind; 5 is masterpiece-level.
[ITEMCORPSE_QUALITY:5]

|-
| IMMOLATE
|
|

|-
| IVORY
|
|

|}

==L==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| LARGE_CAVERIVER
|
| In Fortress Mode, spawns from/near the cave river.

|-
| LARGE_CHASM
|
| In Fortress Mode, spawns from/near the chasm.

|-
| LARGE_LAVA
|
| In Fortress Mode, spawns from/near the magma.

|-
| LARGE_PREDATOR
|
| Will attack things that are smaller than it (like dwarves). Only one group of "large predators" will appear on any given map (possibly two groups on "savage" maps). In adventure mode, large predators will try to ambush and attack you (and your party will attack them back).

|-
| LARGE_ROAMING
|
| In Fortress Mode, spawns outdoors and is not a vermin creature.

|-
| LAYERING
| value
| How well-protected the creature is from low temperatures.

|-
| LEATHER_BOILING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which leather made from the creature's skins will boil away.

|-
| LEATHER_COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which leather made from the creature's skins will take damage.

|-
| LEATHER_FIXED_TEMP
| temperature
| The temperature that leather made from the creature's skins generates.

|-
| LEATHER_HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which leather made from the creature's skins will take damage.

|-
| LEATHER_IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which leather made from the creature's skins will burst into flames.

|-
| LEATHER_MELTING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which leather made from the creature's skins will melt away.

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|LEATHER_SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
|

|-
| LIGHT_GEN
|
| The creature will generate light, such as in adventurer mode at night.

|-
| LIKES_FIGHTING
|
| Determines whether creature "takes pleasure in slaughter" (after killing something in battle).

|-
| LISP
|
| Creature multiplies 'S' when talking. Ex: "My name isss Recisssiz."

|-
| LITTERSIZE
|
* minumum?
* maximum?
| Untested: possibly determines the random chance of how many creatures are generated when giving birth.

|-
| LOCKPICKER
|
| Lets a creature open doors that are set to forbidden in Fortress Mode.

|-
| LOOSE_CLUSTERS
|
| The creatures will scatter if they have this tag, or form tight packs if they don't.

|}

==M==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| MAGICAL
|
| Allows a creature to use magic? (Requires confirmation)

|-
| MAGMA_VISION
|
|Creature's able to see while covered in magma.

|-
| MALE
|
| The creature is always male.

|-
| MATERIAL
|
* [[Material Tokens|Material token]]
* USE_RACEGLOSS
|

|-
| MATUTINAL
|
| Sets if the creature is active in dawn.

|-
| MAXAGE
|
* minimum
* maximum
| Sets the Min Max age for a creature. Used in world generating and Fortress Mode.
[MAXAGE:150:170]

|-
| MEANDERER
|
| Gives a creature random movement.

|-
| MEGABEAST
|
| Appears on fortress territory in Fortress Mode occasionally. Implies SEMIMEGABEAST.

|-
| MELTING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature will melt into goo.

|-
| MILKABLE
| frequency?
| Allows the creature to be milked. Currently only works with vermin creatures.

|-
| MISCHIEVIOUS
|
| Will pull any levers it comes across. (requires confirmation)

|-
| MODVALUE
| number
| Multiplies the value of items made from the creature by the number in the tag.
[MODVALUE:2]

|-
| MOUNT
|
| Allows the creature to be mounted.

|-
| MOUNT_EXOTIC
|
| You need the [[Dungeon master]] noble to mount the creature.

|-
| MULTIPLE_LITTER_RARE
|
| Makes litters with more than one offspring rare.

|}

==N==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| NAME
|
* singular noun
* plural noun
* adjective
| What the creature is actually called in game. Make sure there is no space around the ":".
[NAME:dwarf:dwarves:dwarven]

|-
| NARROW
|
| The creature can only wear things that have the narrow tag on it.

|-
| NATURAL
|
| Animal

|-
| NO_AUTUMN
|
| Will not show up during the Autumn season.

|-
| NO_DRINK
|
| Creature does not need to drink.

|-
| NO_EAT
|
| Creature does not need to eat.

|-
| NO_GENDER
|
| No gender will be selected for the creature.

|-
| NO_SLEEP
|
| Creature does not need to sleep.

|-
| NO_SPRING
|
| Will not show up during the Spring season.

|-
| NO_SUMMER
|
| Will not show up during the Summer season.

|-
| NO_WINTER
|
| Will not show up during the Winter season.

|-
| NOBREATHE
|
| Creature doesn't need to breathe or have [BREATHE] parts in body. Cannot drown or be strangled.

|-
| NOBLEED
|
| Creature doesn't bleed.

|-
| NOBONES
|
| Creature will not drop bones on death.

|-
| NOCTURNAL
|
| Sets if the creature is active in night.

|-
| NOEMOTION
|
| The creature has no emotions, and does not rage.

|-
| NOEXERT
|
| Creature can't become tired or over-exerted.

|-
| NOFEAR
|
| Creature doesn't feel fear and will never run away from battle.

|-
| NOMEAT
|
| Creature will not drop meat on death.

|-
| NONAUSEA
|
| Creature can't vomit.

|-
| NOPAIN
|
| Creature doesn't feel pain.

|-
| NOSKIN
|
| Creature will not drop skin on death.

|-
| NOSKULL
|
| Creature will not drop skull on death.

|-
| NOSMELLYROT
|
| Creatures' corpse does not create miasma.

|-
| NOSTUCKINS
|
| Weapons can't be stuck in creature.

|-
| NOSTUN
|
| Creature can't be stunned.

|-
| NOTHOUGHT
|
| Creature doesn't think, or doesn't require a [BRAIN] body part.

|-
| NOT_BUTCHERABLE
|
| Creature can't be butchered.

|}

==P==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| PARALYZEIMMUNE
|
| The creature is immune to all paralyzing special attacks.

|-
| PATTERNFLIER
|
|

|-
| PEARL
|
| Creature will generate pearls.

|-
| PENETRATEPOWER
| value
|Controls the ability of vermin to find a way into containers when they are eating food from your stockpiles. Wood and cloth objects roll a 0-9 and if it greater than the penetrate power, their contents escape for the time being. Other objects roll a 0-99.

|-
| PERSONALITY
|
* token
* lowest % chance
* median
* highest % chance
| Determines chance of personality traits. Standard is 0:50:100.
[PERSONALITY:IMAGINATION:0:55:100]

|-
| PET
|
| Allows the creature to be tamed.

|-
| PET_EXOTIC
|
| You need the [[Dungeon master]] noble to tame the creature.

|-
| PETVALUE
| value
| How valuable a tamed animal/pet is. Actual cost in points in the embarking screen is (PETVALUE/2)+1 for an untrained animal, PETVALUE+1 for a trained(War or Hunting) one. Note that for an animal to be selectable in this screen, it must have the COMMON_DOMESTIC token.
[PETVALUE:42]

|-
| POPULATION_NUMBER
|
* minimum
* maximum
| The minimum/maximum numbers of how many of these creatures can show up on a map per year.
[POPULATION_NUMBER:42:42]

|-
| PREFSTRING
| object
| Sets what other creatures like about this creature. "Blarghh likes dwarves for their beards."
[PREFSTRING:beards]
Multiple entries will be chosen from at random.

|}

==R==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| RECKLESS
|
| Will not flee battles. Will fight to the death.

|-
| REMAINS_COLOR
|
* fg
* bg
* br
| [REMAINS_COLOR:6:0:0]

|-
| REMAINS_UNDETERMINED
|
|

|-
| RIVERATTACK
|
* 1st minimum
* 1st maximum
* 2nd minimum
* 2nd maximum
* 3rd minimum
* 3rd maximum
| Number of groups (of RIVERATTACK_GROUP size) that appear during attacks. Each pair of min/max numbers is used at a different time, starting with the first pair and moving to the 2nd and 3rd pair later in the game.
[RIVERATTACK:1:1:1:2:1:3]

|-
| RIVERATTACK_CANUSEWELL
|
| Allows the creature to ambush through wells.

|-
| RIVERATTACK_GROUP
|
* minimum
* maximum
| Number (min/max) of creatures that appear in each group when attacking from river, chasm, or lava.
[RIVERATTACK_GROUP:1:2]

|-
| RIVERATTACK_RESIDENT
|
| Unknown.

|}

==S==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| SAVAGE
|
| Determines whether creature can show up on "savage" maps.

|-
| SEMIMEGABEAST
|
| Appears as boss creature in quests.

|-
| SESSILE_LAND
|
| Cannot move on land.

|-
| SEVERONBREAKS
|
| Limbs and body parts sever on breakage.

|-
| SILK_BOILING_POINT
| temperature
| Temperature at which silk made from this creature's webs boils away.

|-
| SILK_COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
| Temperature at which silk made from this creature's webs takes damage.

|-
| SILK_FIXED_TEMP
| temperature
| Temperature generated by the creature's web silk.

|-
| SILK_HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
| Temperature at which silk made from this creature's webs takes damage.

|-
| SILK_IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
| Temperature at which silk made from this creature's webs bursts into flame.

|-
| SILK_MELTING_POINT
| temperature
| Temperature at which silk made from this creature's webs melts away.

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|SILK_SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
|

|-
| SIZE
| value
| How big a creature is. 6 is for dwarf like creatures, 7 is for human like creatures. 16 is for giants. Larger creatures are far more dangerous in combat. Also equals the amount of Meat/Chunks/Bones you get from the beast.
[SIZE:6]

|-
| SMALLAQUATIC_CAVERIVER
|
|

|-
| SMALLAQUATIC_OCEAN
|
|

|-
| SMALLAQUATIC_RIVER
|
|

|-
| SMALLAQUATIC_SWAMP
|
|

|-
| SMALL_REMAINS
|
| If a creature has this tag, it'll leave a small corpse that only rots once, such as vermin.

|-
| SPECNAME
|
*token
*singular noun
*plural noun
*adjective
| Sets a special name for certain instances.
[SPECNAME:MALE:bull:bulls:bull]

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
| [SPEC_HEAT:409]

|-
| SPEECH
| filename
| Sets what speech.txt do use for the creature.
[SPEECH:dwarf.txt]

|-
| SPEED
| value
| Sets the creatures' movement and work speed, 1000/[SPEED X] is the resulting effect on creatures movement and workrates from default. See [[Speed]] for more information.
[SPEED:400]

|-
| STOUT
|
| Creature has a resistance to being knocked over.

|-
| STANDARD_FLESH
|
|

|-
| SWIMS_LEARNED
|
| The creature must learn to swim (via. dabbling swimmer, novice, etc) rather than knowing how naturally.

|-
| SWIM_SPEED
| value
| How fast the creature swims.

|}

==T==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| THICKWEB
|
| The creature's webs can catch larger creatures.

|-
| TILE
| CP437 ordinal or 'character'
| The graphical representation of the creature.
[TILE:157] or [TILE:'&']

|-
| TRAINABLE
|
| Allows a tame creature to be trained into a "War" or "Hunting" variation by way of [[Kennels]].

|-
| TRANCES
|
| Allows the creature to go into martial trances, and to create artifacts via moods.

|-
| TRAPAVOID
|
| The creature is immune to traps.

|-
| TRIGGERABLE_GROUP
|
* minimum?
* maximum?
| [TRIGGERABLE_GROUP:5:50]

|}

==U==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| UNDERSWIM
|
| Creature swims under the water and can't be seen.
|-
|UTTERANCES

|}

==V==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| VEGETATION
|
|

|-
| VERMINHUNTER
|
| A creature with this tag will hunt down vermin and kill them. Sometimes they will eat the vermin, but most of the time they will bring it to their owner. This tag also makes impossible to assign an owner to the animal. The animal chooses it's own owner instead (like a cat).

|-
| VERMIN_BITE
|
* amount injected?
* name
* effect (USE_EXTRACT)
| [VERMIN_BITE:10:bitten:USE_EXTRACT]
On very rare occasions, someone who remains in the same tile as this creature will be bitten by that creature, and the effect will be applied to the offender. Used by (tiny) cave spiders to inject their venom into the occasional dwarf.

|-
| VERMIN_CAVERIVER
|
| The creature randomly appears near the cave river.

|-
| VERMIN_CHASM
|
| The creature randomly appears near the chasm.

|-
| VERMIN_EATER
|
| The creature can be eaten.

|-
| VERMIN_FLIES
|
| The vermin can fly around in the air, and tends to hop up and down Z-levels in the sky.

|-
| VERMIN_GROUNDER
|
| The creature can be picked up if you stand over it. (Requires confirmation)
:I think this is a habitat flag like VERMIN_SOIL, VERMIN_CHASM, etc. It seems to appear on creatures that don't otherwise have one. – [[User:Peristarkawan|Peristarkawan]] 17:27, 24 May 2007 (EDT)

|-
| VERMIN_HATEABLE
|
| Some dwarves will hate the creature and get unhappy thoughts when around it.

|-
| VERMIN_LAVA
|
| The creature randomly appears near the magma river.

|-
| VERMIN_NOFISH
|
| The creature cannot be caught by fishing.

|-
| VERMIN_NOROAM
|
| The creature will not be observed randomly roaming about the map.

|-
| VERMIN_NOTRAP
|
| The creature cannot be caught by trappers or animal traps.

|-
| VERMIN_SOIL
|
| The creature randomly appears near dirt or mud.

|-
| VERMIN_SOIL_COLONY
|
| The vermin will appear in a single tile cluster of many vermin, such as a colony of ants.

|-
| VERMIN_SWAMPER
|
| The creature randomly appears near the swamps.

|-
| VESPERTINE
|
| Sets if the creature is active in evening.

|-
| VIEWRANGE
| value
| How far the creature can see?

|}

==W==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| WAGON_PULLER
|
| Allows the creature to pull caravan wagons.

|-
| WEBBER
|
| The creature will create webs. It also seems to make creatures flying. More testing is needed.

|-
| WEBIMMUNE
|
| The creature will not get caught in webs.

|}

=Attacks=
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
!width="50"|Tag
!width="225"|What It Does

|-
|[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:GRASP:punch:punches:1:2:BLUDGEON][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]

''Format:''
[ATTACK:''priority'':(BYTYPE:''type'' || BYTOKEN:''bodypart''):''"verb"'':''"conjugate verb"'':''min dmg'':''max dmg'':''dmg type'']([(ATTACKFLAG_WITH || ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH)])([SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT:''min'':''max''])
|Sets what natural attacks a creature has.

|-
|MAIN
SECOND
|''MAIN'': Sets the attack to act as the creatures' main attack.
''SECOND'': The creature will only use this attack if it can't use the MAIN attack(s).

|-
|BYTYPE:GRASP
BYTOKEN:TAIL_STINGER
|''BYTYPE'': Sets what body part type to use for the attack. Possible values for "type" are GRASP, MOUTH, STANCE, THOUGHT, BREATHE, and the like. See [[Body Tokens]].
''BYTOKEN'': Sets the explicit body part ID to use for the attack. The token must exist as part of the creature's [[Creature Tokens#B|BODY]] token.

|-
|punch:punches
|Sets the verb for the attack.

|-
|1:2
|Sets the Min Max for the damage.

|-
|BLUDGEON, PIERCE, SLASH, GORE, BURN, HEAT, COLD
|Sets the damage type for the attack.

|-
|[ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
|Allows the creature to use weapons with the attack if they have one in a limb that can hold items.

|-
|[ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
|Allows the creature to latch on with the attack. "Crocodile latches on Blargg's head firmly."

|-
|[SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT:50:100]
|The creature injects an amount of its extract into a victim upon successfully using this attack. The significance of the amount is unknown (but probably determines duration before the extract wears off).

|-
|[SPECIALATTACK_SUCK_BLOOD:50:100]
|When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). It's unknown if blood suckers feed or regain health while doing this. (Numbers affect amount of blood drawn?)
|}

[[Category:Modding]]

40d:Creature token

2008-01-11T18:57:09Z

Naminator5: /* M */

{{Old|0.23.130.23a}}

Everything here can be applied to all creature files, e.g. creature_domestic, creature_standard, even creature_equipment.

Since the game is in the Alpha stage, consider everything '''tentative'''.

See [[Adding New Civilization]] for related modding information and examples.

__TOC__
=Tokens=
==A==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| ADD_VERSION
| version
| In which version of the game said creature was introduced.
[ADD_VERSION:1069]

|-
| ALCOHOL_DEPENDENT
|
| Creature needs alcohol to get through the working day.

|-
| ALL_ACTIVE
|
| Sets if the creature is active in day, night, and twilight. Seems to be a separate value from DIURNAL/NOCTURNAL/CREPUSCULAR, rather than implying them.

|-
| ALTTILE
| [[Character Table|CP437 ordinal]] or 'character'
| If set, the creature will blink between its [TILE] and its [ALTTILE].
[ALTTILE:157] or [ALTTILE:'&']

|-
| AMBUSHPREDATOR
|
|

|-
| AMPHIBIOUS
|
| Allows a creature to swim.

|-
| AQUATIC
|
| Implies AMPHIBIOUS.

|-
| ATTACK
|
| See the [[#Attacks|Attacks section]].

|}

==B==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| BABY
| age
| Age at which a baby becomes a child.
[BABY:1]

|-
| BENIGN
|
| Determines whether creature can show up on "tame" maps (includes [[Elephants|elephants]]), which will generally avoid dwarves, although they may chase and/or attack them if they get too close).

|-
| BIOME_*
|
| See [[Biome Tokens|biome tokens]].

|-
| BLOODTYPE
| type
| Sets the creatures' blood type (default red):
*R - Red blood
*G - Green blood
*B - Blue blood
*M - Magenta blood
*C - Cyan blood
*Y - Yellow pus
*W - White ichor
*0 - Black goo
*VOMIT
*SLIME
[BLOODTYPE:0]

|-
| BODY
| parts[:...]
| Sets the body parts a creature has. Can supply as many as you want.
[BODY:HUMANOID:2EYES:2EARS]

|-
| BODYGLOSS
| gloss
| A body_default.txt function. It replaces a part's description with another. e.g. feet with hooves.
[BODYGLOSS:HOOF]

|-
| BOILING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature boils into goo.

|-
| BONE_BOILING_POINT
| temperature
| The boiling point of the creature's bones.

|-
| BONE_COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The low temperature at which the creature's bones start getting damaged.

|-
| BONE_FIXED_TEMP
| temperature
| The temperature that the creature's bones give off.

|-
| BONE_HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The high temperature where the bones start taking damage.

|-
| BONE_IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which point the creature's bones burst into flame.

|-
| BONE_MELTING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's bones melt.

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|BONE_SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
|

|-
| BONECARN
|
| Creature 'eats' bones. Eating bones makes their happiness go up, but can cause death (suffocation).

|-
| BUILDINGDESTROYER
| value
| Allows a creature to destroy furniture and buildings. (Giant Cave Spiders have this at 1, but most other creatures have it at 2. The difference between these values is unknown.)
[BUILDINGDESTROYER:2]

|-
| BUTCHERABLE_NONSTANDARD
|
| If a creature has this tag, it may only be slaughtered (that is, the live creature is taken to the [[Butcher's Shop]] and slain). If it dies of any other cause, the corpse cannot be butchered.

|}

==C==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| CAN_CIV
|
| Can create civilizations. This tag may activate hunger and thirst. Needs confirmation.

|-
| CAN_LEARN
|
| A creature with this tag can gain skill experience.

|-
| CAN_SPEAK
|
| Can talk.

|-
| CARNIVORE
|
| Creature only eats meat.

|-
| CANOPENDOORS
|
| Allows the creature to open doors.

|-
| CAVE_ADAPT
|
| Gives the creature a bonus in caves. Also causes [[Cave adaptation]].

|-
| CHEESE_BOILING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's cheese (if any) boils away.

|-
| CHEESE_COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's cheese (if any) starts taking cold damage.

|-
| CHEESE_FIXED_TEMP
| temperature
| The temperature emitted by one unit of the creature's cheese (if any).

|-
| CHEESE_HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the cheese made from the creature's milk starts taking damage.

|-
| CHEESE_IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's cheese bursts into flame.

|-
| CHEESE_MELTING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's cheese melts into goo.

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|CHEESE_SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
|

|-
| CHEESE_VALUE
| value
| The value per unit of cheese made from the creature's milk (if applicable). Note that only vermin as of current can be milked.

|-
| CHILD
| age
| Age at which a child becomes an adult.
[CHILD:12]

|-
| CHILDNAME
|
* singular
* plural
| Gives the child a special name, eg "hippo calf" instead of "hippo child".
[CHILDNAME:hippo calf:hippo calves]

|-
| CHITIN
|
| When the creature is butchered, it drops chitin, which is similar in function to turtle shells.

|-
| CRAFTSMAN_NAME
|
* singular
* plural
| Sets the name of the craftsman profession.
[CRAFTSMAN_NAME:craftsdwarf:craftsdwarves]

|-
| CREPUSCULAR
|
| Sets if the creature is active in twilight.

|-
| CLUSTER_NUMBER
|
* minimum
* maximum
| The minimum/maximum numbers of how many creatures per spawned cluster.
[CLUSTER_NUMBER:1:3]

|-
| COLOR
|
* fg (foreground)
* bg (background)
* br (brightness)
| [[Color]] of the creature's tile.
[COLOR:3:0:0]

|-
| COOKABLE_LIVE
|
| Set this to allow the creature to be cooked in meals without having to butcher it first.

|-
| CREATURE
| name
| What the game looks for when generating creatures.
[CREATURE:DWARF]

|-
| COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The minimum temperature limit before the creature starts taking damage from freezing.

|-
| COMMON_DOMESTIC
|
| Allows the creature to be brought with immigrants and when creating a new fortress.

|-
| CURIOUSBEAST
|
|

|-
| CURIOUSBEAST_ITEM
|
| Allows a creature to steal things (usually [[food]]?). Implies CURIOUSBEAST.

|-
| CURIOUSBEAST_GUZZLER
|
| Will steal [[alcohol]]? Implies CURIOUSBEAST.

|}

==D==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| DAMBLOCK
| value
| How much natural armor a creature has. Can be set to negative numbers, so the creature takes more damage than usual.
[DAMBLOCK:1]

|-
| DEFENDER
|
| Appears from the glowing pits after the magma river.

|-
| DIFFICULTY
| number
| [[Toady]]: ''"Difficulty determines how deep it places them in adventure mode/reclaim caves, and the chance that they are wounded the first few river attacks."''
[DIFFICULTY:2]

|-
| DIURNAL
|
| Sets if the creature is active in day.

|-
| DRAGONFIREBREATH
|
| Creature breathes dragon level fire.

|-
| DRINK_BOILING_POINT
| temperature
|

|-
| DRINK_COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
|

|-
| DRINK_FIXED_TEMP
| temperature

|-
| DRINK_HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
|

|-
| DRINK_IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
|

|-
| DRINK_MELTING_POINT
| temperature
|

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|DRINK_SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
|

|}

==E==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| ENDING
|
| Will show up after your fortress went 'Too Deep'. (confirm)

|-
| EQUIPMENT_WAGON
|
| Implies two unknown flags, NOSTUN, NONAUSEA, NOBLEED, NOEMOTION, RECKLESS, NOSTUCKINS, SEVERONBREAKS, NOSKULL, NOSKIN, NOBONES, NOMEAT, PARALYZEIMMUNE, NOFEAR, NOSMELLYROT, NOTHOUGHT, NO_GENDER.

|-
| EQUIPS
|
| Allows the creature to wear or wield items.

|-
| EVIL
|
| Determines whether creature can show up on "evil" maps (see [[Creatures#Threat Matrix|Threat Matrix]]).

|-
| EXTRACT
|
* name
* value
* ?
* ?
| Determines what can be extracted from the creature, what it's called, how valuable it is, and what you can make from it. Note, it appears that the extraction process is hardcoded into the game, and can't be altered from objects/raw.
[EXTRACT:cow's milk:7:0:1]

|-
| EXTRACT_ANTIDOTE
|
* name
* value
* ?
* ?
* ?
| [EXTRACT_ANTIDOTE:cave spider antivenin:7:0:0:50]

|-
| EXTRACT_BOILING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature value at which a unit of the creature's extract boils away.

|-
| EXTRACT_CHEESE
|
* name
* value
* ?
* ?
| The extract gotten from the creature is a unit of cheese.
[EXTRACT_CHEESE:cow cheese:6:0:1]

|-
| EXTRACT_COOKABLE
|
| Extract is cookable.

|-
| EXTRACT_COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The low temperature value at which the creature's extract starts to take damage.

|-
| EXTRACT_FIXED_TEMP
| temperature
| The temperature that the creature's extract generates on its own.

|-
| EXTRACT_HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The high temperature value at which the creature's extract starts to take damage.

|-
| EXTRACT_IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's extract bursts into flame (NOT the container it's in).

|-
| EXTRACT_MELTING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature's extract melts into goo.

|-
| EXTRACT_PARALYZE
|
| (conjectural) Extract is poisonous, causing paralysis that lasts until the extract wears off. Can be delivered by SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT.

|-
| EXTRACT_PARALYZE_INTERMITTENT
|
| (conjectural) Extract is poisonous, causing paralysis on occasional intervals until the extract wears off. Can be delivered by SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT.

|-
| EXTRACT_PERMANENT
|
| (conjectural) The effects of the creature's extract are permanent once applied and do not wear off naturally.

|-
| EXTRACT_SIZE
| size
|
[EXTRACT_SIZE:10]

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|EXTRACT_SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
|

|-
| EXTRACT_STUN
|
| (conjectural) Extract is poisonous, causing a permanent stun effect until the extract wears off. Can be delivered by SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT.

|-
| EXTRACT_STUN_INTERMITTENT
|
| (verified) Extract is poisonous, causing temporary stuns on semi-occasional intervals. Can be delivered by SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT.

|-
| EXTRACT_VALUE
| value
| The value per unit of the creature's extract.
[EXTRACT_VALUE:20]

|-
| EXTRAVISION
|
| Creature has enhanced vision (longer vision range, ie. at night).

|}

==F==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| FANCIFUL
|
| Makes every civilization know about the creature. The creature won't occur in regular material preference lists. The tag also adds some art value modifiers. Used for things like dragons and other legendary creatures.

|-
| FAT
| value
| How much fat a creature has when it is butchered. And maybe affects warmth? (Requires confirmation)
[FAT:3]

|-
| FEMALE
|
| The creature is always female.

|-
| FIREBREATH
|
| The creature breathes fire.

|-
| FIREIMMUNE
|
| The creature is immune to all forms of fire, except DRAGONFIREBREATH.

|-
| FIREIMMUNE_SUPER
|
| The creature is immune to DRAGONFIREBREATH. Implies FIREIMMUNE.

|-
| FISHITEM
|
| Needs to be cleaned at a fishery.

|-
| FIXED_TEMP
| temperature
| The natural heat generated by the creature.

|-
| FLEEQUICK
|
| Determines how soon a creature flees in a losing battle.

|-
| FLIER
|
| Allows a creature to fly.

|-
| FREQUENCY
| time
| Determines the time between creature spawns in Fortress Mode. Higher is more occurences per time unit (needs confirmation). Creatures without a frequency statement appear to be on the map at all times. Almost all others have [FREQUENCY:5].
[FREQUENCY:42]

|}

==G==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| GENPOWER
| rate?
| Not used anymore. Was related to magic.
[GENPOWER:3]

|-
| GLOWCOLOR
|
* fg
* bg
* br
| The colour of the GLOWTILE of the creature (see below).

[GLOWCOLOR:4:0:1]

|-
| GLOWTILE
| ascii
'character'
| If present, the being glows in the dark (generally used for Adventure 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.

[GLOWTILE:'"']

|-
| GNAWER
|
| The creature chews on food storage containers.

|-
| GOOD
|
| Determines whether creature can show up on "good" maps (see [[Creatures#Threat Matrix|Threat Matrix]]).

|-
| GRASSTRAMPLE
| amount
| Determines how much grass is trampled when they walk on it. Set [GRASSTRAMPLE:0] to make grass never trampled by the creature.
[GRASSTRAMPLE:42]

|}

==H==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| HAS_RACEGLOSS
| gloss
| Links a material glossary to the entity, located in the file "matgloss_[name].txt"; in this example, matgloss_wood.txt
[HAS_RACEGLOSS:WOOD]

|-
| HASSHELL
|
| Creature will leave behind a shell when eaten.

|-
| HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The maximum temperature limit before the creature will start recieving damage from heat.

|-
| HOMEOTHERM
| value
| Default 'NONE'. The creature's normal body temperature. Combined with LAYERING, sets the temperature range under which it can live.

|-
| HORN
|
|

|}

==I==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature will burst into flames.

|-
| INTELLIGENT
|
| Implies CAN_CIV, CAN_SPEAK, CAN_TALK.

|-
| ITEMCORPSE
|
* [[Item Tokens|item token]]
* subtype
NO_SUBTYPE
* [[Material_Tokens|material token]]
* NO_RACEGLOSS
USE_RACEGLOSS
USE_SHARPSTONE
| Determines if the creature leaves behind a non-standard corpse (i.e. wood, statue, bars, etc). The first parameter determines the item type; the second parameter is the subtype indicated in the raw file (such as WEAPON_WHIP); the third indicates the material type if the item type takes a specific material (e.g. "IRON" if the corpse type is "STATUE"). USE_RACEGLOSS applies if the creature has a material glossary assigned by the "HAS_RACEGLOSS:" flag and will select neccesary adjectives and material from that glossary.
[ITEMCORPSE:[[Tokens#Item_Tokens|WOOD]]:NO_SUBTYPE:[[Tokens#Material_Tokens|WOOD]]:USE_RACEGLOSS]

|-
| ITEMCORPSE_QUALITY
| quality
| The quality of an item-type corpse left behind; 5 is masterpiece-level.
[ITEMCORPSE_QUALITY:5]

|-
| IMMOLATE
|
|

|-
| IVORY
|
|

|}

==L==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| LARGE_CAVERIVER
|
| In Fortress Mode, spawns from/near the cave river.

|-
| LARGE_CHASM
|
| In Fortress Mode, spawns from/near the chasm.

|-
| LARGE_LAVA
|
| In Fortress Mode, spawns from/near the magma.

|-
| LARGE_PREDATOR
|
| Will attack things that are smaller than it (like dwarves). Only one group of "large predators" will appear on any given map (possibly two groups on "savage" maps). In adventure mode, large predators will try to ambush and attack you (and your party will attack them back).

|-
| LARGE_ROAMING
|
| In Fortress Mode, spawns outdoors and is not a vermin creature.

|-
| LAYERING
| value
| How well-protected the creature is from low temperatures.

|-
| LEATHER_BOILING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which leather made from the creature's skins will boil away.

|-
| LEATHER_COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which leather made from the creature's skins will take damage.

|-
| LEATHER_FIXED_TEMP
| temperature
| The temperature that leather made from the creature's skins generates.

|-
| LEATHER_HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which leather made from the creature's skins will take damage.

|-
| LEATHER_IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which leather made from the creature's skins will burst into flames.

|-
| LEATHER_MELTING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which leather made from the creature's skins will melt away.

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|LEATHER_SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
|

|-
| LIGHT_GEN
|
| The creature will generate light, such as in adventurer mode at night.

|-
| LIKES_FIGHTING
|
| Determines whether creature "takes pleasure in slaughter" (after killing something in battle).

|-
| LISP
|
| Creature multiplies 'S' when talking. Ex: "My name isss Recisssiz."

|-
| LITTERSIZE
|
* minumum?
* maximum?
| Untested: possibly determines the random chance of how many creatures are generated when giving birth.

|-
| LOCKPICKER
|
| Lets a creature open doors that are set to forbidden in Fortress Mode.

|-
| LOOSE_CLUSTERS
|
| The creatures will scatter if they have this tag, or form tight packs if they don't.

|}

==M==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| MAGICAL
|
| Allows a creature to use magic? (Requires confirmation)

|-
| MAGMA_VISION
|
|Creature's able to see while covered in magma.

|-
| MALE
|
| The creature is always male.

|-
| MATERIAL
|
* [[Material Tokens|Material token]]
* USE_RACEGLOSS
|

|-
| MATUTINAL
|
| Sets if the creature is active in dawn.

|-
| MAXAGE
|
* minimum
* maximum
| Sets the Min Max age for a creature. Used in world generating and Fortress Mode.
[MAXAGE:150:170]

|-
| MEANDERER
|
| Gives a creature random movement.

|-
| MEGABEAST
|
| Appears on fortress territory in Fortress Mode occasionally. Implies SEMIMEGABEAST.

|-
| MELTING_POINT
| temperature
| The temperature at which the creature will melt into goo.

|-
| MILKABLE
| frequency?
| Allows the creature to be milked. Currently only works with vermin creatures.

|-
| MISCHIEVIOUS
|
| Will pull any levers it comes across. (requires confirmation)

|-
| MODVALUE
| number
| Multiplies the value of items made from the creature by the number in the tag.
[MODVALUE:2]

|-
| MOUNT
|
| Allows the creature to be mounted.

|-
| MOUNT_EXOTIC
|
| You need the [[Dungeon master]] noble to mount the creature.

|-
| MULTIPLE_LITTER_RARE
|
| Makes litters with more than one offspring rare.

|}

==N==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| NAME
|
* singular noun
* plural noun
* adjective
| What the creature is actually called in game. Make sure there is no space around the ":".
[NAME:dwarf:dwarves:dwarven]

|-
| NARROW
|
| The creature can only wear things that have the narrow tag on it.

|-
| NATURAL
|
| Animal

|-
| NO_AUTUMN
|
| Will not show up during the Autumn season.

|-
| NO_DRINK
|
| Creature does not need to drink.

|-
| NO_EAT
|
| Creature does not need to eat.

|-
| NO_GENDER
|
| No gender will be selected for the creature.

|-
| NO_SLEEP
|
| Creature does not need to sleep.

|-
| NO_SPRING
|
| Will not show up during the Spring season.

|-
| NO_SUMMER
|
| Will not show up during the Summer season.

|-
| NO_WINTER
|
| Will not show up during the Winter season.

|-
| NOBREATHE
|
| Creature doesn't need to breathe or have [BREATHE] parts in body. Cannot drown or be strangled.

|-
| NOBLEED
|
| Creature doesn't bleed.

|-
| NOBONES
|
| Creature will not drop bones on death.

|-
| NOCTURNAL
|
| Sets if the creature is active in night.

|-
| NOEMOTION
|
| The creature has no emotions, and does not rage.

|-
| NOEXERT
|
| Creature can't become tired or over-exerted.

|-
| NOFEAR
|
| Creature doesn't feel fear and will never run away from battle.

|-
| NOMEAT
|
| Creature will not drop meat on death.

|-
| NONAUSEA
|
| Creature can't vomit.

|-
| NOPAIN
|
| Creature doesn't feel pain.

|-
| NOSKIN
|
| Creature will not drop skin on death.

|-
| NOSKULL
|
| Creature will not drop skull on death.

|-
| NOSMELLYROT
|
| Creatures' corpse does not create miasma.

|-
| NOSTUCKINS
|
| Weapons can't be stuck in creature.

|-
| NOSTUN
|
| Creature can't be stunned.

|-
| NOTHOUGHT
|
| Creature doesn't think, or doesn't require a [BRAIN] body part.

|-
| NOT_BUTCHERABLE
|
| Creature can't be butchered.

|}

==P==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| PARALYZEIMMUNE
|
| The creature is immune to all paralyzing special attacks.

|-
| PATTERNFLIER
|
|

|-
| PEARL
|
| Creature will generate pearls.

|-
| PENETRATEPOWER
| value
|Controls the ability of vermin to find a way into containers when they are eating food from your stockpiles. Wood and cloth objects roll a 0-9 and if it greater than the penetrate power, their contents escape for the time being. Other objects roll a 0-99.

|-
| PERSONALITY
|
* token
* lowest % chance
* median
* highest % chance
| Determines chance of personality traits. Standard is 0:50:100.
[PERSONALITY:IMAGINATION:0:55:100]

|-
| PET
|
| Allows the creature to be tamed.

|-
| PET_EXOTIC
|
| You need the [[Dungeon master]] noble to tame the creature.

|-
| PETVALUE
| value
| How valuable a tamed animal/pet is. Actual cost in points in the embarking screen is (PETVALUE/2)+1 for an untrained animal, PETVALUE+1 for a trained(War or Hunting) one. Note that for an animal to be selectable in this screen, it must have the COMMON_DOMESTIC token.
[PETVALUE:42]

|-
| POPULATION_NUMBER
|
* minimum
* maximum
| The minimum/maximum numbers of how many of these creatures can show up on a map per year.
[POPULATION_NUMBER:42:42]

|-
| PREFSTRING
| object
| Sets what other creatures like about this creature. "Blarghh likes dwarves for their beards."
[PREFSTRING:beards]
Multiple entries will be chosen from at random.

|}

==R==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| RECKLESS
|
| Will not flee battles (?).

|-
| REMAINS_COLOR
|
* fg
* bg
* br
| [REMAINS_COLOR:6:0:0]

|-
| REMAINS_UNDETERMINED
|
|

|-
| RIVERATTACK
|
* 1st minimum
* 1st maximum
* 2nd minimum
* 2nd maximum
* 3rd minimum
* 3rd maximum
| Number of groups (of RIVERATTACK_GROUP size) that appear during attacks. Each pair of min/max numbers is used at a different time, starting with the first pair and moving to the 2nd and 3rd pair later in the game.
[RIVERATTACK:1:1:1:2:1:3]

|-
| RIVERATTACK_CANUSEWELL
|
| Allows the creature to ambush through wells.

|-
| RIVERATTACK_GROUP
|
* minimum
* maximum
| Number (min/max) of creatures that appear in each group when attacking from river, chasm, or lava.
[RIVERATTACK_GROUP:1:2]

|-
| RIVERATTACK_RESIDENT
|
| Unknown.

|}

==S==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| SAVAGE
|
| Determines whether creature can show up on "savage" maps.

|-
| SEMIMEGABEAST
|
| Appears as boss creature in quests.

|-
| SESSILE_LAND
|
| Cannot move on land.

|-
| SEVERONBREAKS
|
| Limbs and body parts sever on breakage.

|-
| SILK_BOILING_POINT
| temperature
| Temperature at which silk made from this creature's webs boils away.

|-
| SILK_COLDDAM_POINT
| temperature
| Temperature at which silk made from this creature's webs takes damage.

|-
| SILK_FIXED_TEMP
| temperature
| Temperature generated by the creature's web silk.

|-
| SILK_HEATDAM_POINT
| temperature
| Temperature at which silk made from this creature's webs takes damage.

|-
| SILK_IGNITE_POINT
| temperature
| Temperature at which silk made from this creature's webs bursts into flame.

|-
| SILK_MELTING_POINT
| temperature
| Temperature at which silk made from this creature's webs melts away.

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|SILK_SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
|

|-
| SIZE
| value
| How big a creature is. 6 is for dwarf like creatures, 7 is for human like creatures. 16 is for giants. Larger creatures are far more dangerous in combat. Also equals the amount of Meat/Chunks/Bones you get from the beast.
[SIZE:6]

|-
| SMALLAQUATIC_CAVERIVER
|
|

|-
| SMALLAQUATIC_OCEAN
|
|

|-
| SMALLAQUATIC_RIVER
|
|

|-
| SMALLAQUATIC_SWAMP
|
|

|-
| SMALL_REMAINS
|
| If a creature has this tag, it'll leave a small corpse that only rots once, such as vermin.

|-
| SPECNAME
|
*token
*singular noun
*plural noun
*adjective
| Sets a special name for certain instances.
[SPECNAME:MALE:bull:bulls:bull]

|-
| [[Creature_Tokens/SPEC_HEAT|SPEC_HEAT]]
| not a temperature
| [SPEC_HEAT:409]

|-
| SPEECH
| filename
| Sets what speech.txt do use for the creature.
[SPEECH:dwarf.txt]

|-
| SPEED
| value
| Sets the creatures' movement and work speed, 1000/[SPEED X] is the resulting effect on creatures movement and workrates from default. See [[Speed]] for more information.
[SPEED:400]

|-
| STOUT
|
| Creature has a resistance to being knocked over.

|-
| STANDARD_FLESH
|
|

|-
| SWIMS_LEARNED
|
| The creature must learn to swim (via. dabbling swimmer, novice, etc) rather than knowing how naturally.

|-
| SWIM_SPEED
| value
| How fast the creature swims.

|}

==T==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| THICKWEB
|
| The creature's webs can catch larger creatures.

|-
| TILE
| CP437 ordinal or 'character'
| The graphical representation of the creature.
[TILE:157] or [TILE:'&']

|-
| TRAINABLE
|
| Allows a tame creature to be trained into a "War" or "Hunting" variation by way of [[Kennels]].

|-
| TRANCES
|
| Allows the creature to go into martial trances, and to create artifacts via moods.

|-
| TRAPAVOID
|
| The creature is immune to traps.

|-
| TRIGGERABLE_GROUP
|
* minimum?
* maximum?
| [TRIGGERABLE_GROUP:5:50]

|}

==U==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| UNDERSWIM
|
| Creature swims under the water and can't be seen.
|-
|UTTERANCES

|}

==V==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| VEGETATION
|
|

|-
| VERMINHUNTER
|
| A creature with this tag will hunt down vermin and kill them. Sometimes they will eat the vermin, but most of the time they will bring it to their owner. This tag also makes impossible to assign an owner to the animal. The animal chooses it's own owner instead (like a cat).

|-
| VERMIN_BITE
|
* amount injected?
* name
* effect (USE_EXTRACT)
| [VERMIN_BITE:10:bitten:USE_EXTRACT]
On very rare occasions, someone who remains in the same tile as this creature will be bitten by that creature, and the effect will be applied to the offender. Used by (tiny) cave spiders to inject their venom into the occasional dwarf.

|-
| VERMIN_CAVERIVER
|
| The creature randomly appears near the cave river.

|-
| VERMIN_CHASM
|
| The creature randomly appears near the chasm.

|-
| VERMIN_EATER
|
| The creature can be eaten.

|-
| VERMIN_FLIES
|
| The vermin can fly around in the air, and tends to hop up and down Z-levels in the sky.

|-
| VERMIN_GROUNDER
|
| The creature can be picked up if you stand over it. (Requires confirmation)
:I think this is a habitat flag like VERMIN_SOIL, VERMIN_CHASM, etc. It seems to appear on creatures that don't otherwise have one. – [[User:Peristarkawan|Peristarkawan]] 17:27, 24 May 2007 (EDT)

|-
| VERMIN_HATEABLE
|
| Some dwarves will hate the creature and get unhappy thoughts when around it.

|-
| VERMIN_LAVA
|
| The creature randomly appears near the magma river.

|-
| VERMIN_NOFISH
|
| The creature cannot be caught by fishing.

|-
| VERMIN_NOROAM
|
| The creature will not be observed randomly roaming about the map.

|-
| VERMIN_NOTRAP
|
| The creature cannot be caught by trappers or animal traps.

|-
| VERMIN_SOIL
|
| The creature randomly appears near dirt or mud.

|-
| VERMIN_SOIL_COLONY
|
| The vermin will appear in a single tile cluster of many vermin, such as a colony of ants.

|-
| VERMIN_SWAMPER
|
| The creature randomly appears near the swamps.

|-
| VESPERTINE
|
| Sets if the creature is active in evening.

|-
| VIEWRANGE
| value
| How far the creature can see?

|}

==W==
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
! width="20%" | Token
! width="20%" | Arguments
! width="60%" | Description

|-
| WAGON_PULLER
|
| Allows the creature to pull caravan wagons.

|-
| WEBBER
|
| The creature will create webs. It also seems to make creatures flying. More testing is needed.

|-
| WEBIMMUNE
|
| The creature will not get caught in webs.

|}

=Attacks=
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" width="100%"
!width="50"|Tag
!width="225"|What It Does

|-
|[ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:GRASP:punch:punches:1:2:BLUDGEON][ATTACKFLAG_WITH]

''Format:''
[ATTACK:''priority'':(BYTYPE:''type'' || BYTOKEN:''bodypart''):''"verb"'':''"conjugate verb"'':''min dmg'':''max dmg'':''dmg type'']([(ATTACKFLAG_WITH || ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH)])([SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT:''min'':''max''])
|Sets what natural attacks a creature has.

|-
|MAIN
SECOND
|''MAIN'': Sets the attack to act as the creatures' main attack.
''SECOND'': The creature will only use this attack if it can't use the MAIN attack(s).

|-
|BYTYPE:GRASP
BYTOKEN:TAIL_STINGER
|''BYTYPE'': Sets what body part type to use for the attack. Possible values for "type" are GRASP, MOUTH, STANCE, THOUGHT, BREATHE, and the like. See [[Body Tokens]].
''BYTOKEN'': Sets the explicit body part ID to use for the attack. The token must exist as part of the creature's [[Creature Tokens#B|BODY]] token.

|-
|punch:punches
|Sets the verb for the attack.

|-
|1:2
|Sets the Min Max for the damage.

|-
|BLUDGEON, PIERCE, SLASH, GORE, BURN, HEAT, COLD
|Sets the damage type for the attack.

|-
|[ATTACKFLAG_WITH]
|Allows the creature to use weapons with the attack if they have one in a limb that can hold items.

|-
|[ATTACKFLAG_CANLATCH]
|Allows the creature to latch on with the attack. "Crocodile latches on Blargg's head firmly."

|-
|[SPECIALATTACK_INJECT_EXTRACT:50:100]
|The creature injects an amount of its extract into a victim upon successfully using this attack. The significance of the amount is unknown (but probably determines duration before the extract wears off).

|-
|[SPECIALATTACK_SUCK_BLOOD:50:100]
|When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). It's unknown if blood suckers feed or regain health while doing this. (Numbers affect amount of blood drawn?)
|}

[[Category:Modding]]

40d:Combat

2008-01-10T19:28:09Z

Naminator5: /* Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the body parts, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

Lopped off limbs are gone forever. They do not grow back, even in Adventure Mode.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.

====Slamming Into Obstacles====
If a creature is hit hard and is slammed into an obstacle (like a wall, tree, or any other stationary object), the creature may take additional bludgeoning damage as well. Falling off cliffs also count as slamming into obstacles as well.

If the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

In adventure mode, sometimes creatures smashing into obstacles will produce the "instantly fatal" death message more than once on the same major body part. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

====Paralysis====
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

===Skill Modifiers===
{{verify}}

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves and humans; bows are used by elves, humans and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, and don't decapitate body parts, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject a paralyzing poison into other creatures. When this happens to you in Adventure Mode, you'll usually receive the first warning, "You feel numb!". When you receive this warning, it's best that you deal with any threat very quickly.

As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

There are no ways to cure poison {{v|0.27.169.33g}}. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). Blood suckers may feed or regain health while doing this. {{verify}}

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. Only NPCs can use this special attack. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. Only NPCs can use this ability. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

[[Category:Military]]

40d:Combat

2008-01-10T19:26:23Z

Naminator5: /* Slamming Into Obstacles */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the body parts, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

Lopped off limbs are gone forever. They do not grow back, even in Adventure Mode.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.

====Slamming Into Obstacles====
If a creature is hit hard and is slammed into an obstacle (like a wall, tree, or any other stationary object), the creature may take additional bludgeoning damage as well. Falling off cliffs also count as slamming into obstacles as well.

If the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

In adventure mode, sometimes creatures smashing into obstacles will produce the "instantly fatal" death message more than once on the same major body part. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

====Paralysis====
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

===Skill Modifiers===
{{verify}}

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves and humans; bows are used by elves, humans and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject a paralyzing poison into other creatures. When this happens to you in Adventure Mode, you'll usually receive the first warning, "You feel numb!". When you receive this warning, it's best that you deal with any threat very quickly.

As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

There are no ways to cure poison {{v|0.27.169.33g}}. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). Blood suckers may feed or regain health while doing this. {{verify}}

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. Only NPCs can use this special attack. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. Only NPCs can use this ability. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

[[Category:Military]]

40d:Combat

2008-01-10T19:22:45Z

Naminator5: /* Body Part Damage */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the body parts, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

Lopped off limbs are gone forever. They do not grow back, even in Adventure Mode.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.

====Slamming Into Obstacles====
If a creature is hit hard and is slammed into an obstacle (like a wall, tree, or any other stationary object), the creature may take additional bludgeoning as well. Falling off cliffs also count as slamming into obstacles as well.

If the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

In adventure mode, sometimes creatures smashing into obstacles will produce the "instantly fatal" death message more than once on the same major body part. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

====Paralysis====
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

===Skill Modifiers===
{{verify}}

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves and humans; bows are used by elves, humans and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject a paralyzing poison into other creatures. When this happens to you in Adventure Mode, you'll usually receive the first warning, "You feel numb!". When you receive this warning, it's best that you deal with any threat very quickly.

As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

There are no ways to cure poison {{v|0.27.169.33g}}. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). Blood suckers may feed or regain health while doing this. {{verify}}

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. Only NPCs can use this special attack. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. Only NPCs can use this ability. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

[[Category:Military]]

40d:Combat

2008-01-10T19:20:43Z

Naminator5: /* Body Part Damage */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the body parts, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.

====Slamming Into Obstacles====
If a creature is hit hard and is slammed into an obstacle (like a wall, tree, or any other stationary object), the creature may take additional bludgeoning as well. Falling off cliffs also count as slamming into obstacles as well.

If the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

In adventure mode, sometimes creatures smashing into obstacles will produce the "instantly fatal" death message more than once on the same major body part. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

====Paralysis====
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

===Skill Modifiers===
{{verify}}

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves and humans; bows are used by elves, humans and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject a paralyzing poison into other creatures. When this happens to you in Adventure Mode, you'll usually receive the first warning, "You feel numb!". When you receive this warning, it's best that you deal with any threat very quickly.

As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

There are no ways to cure poison {{v|0.27.169.33g}}. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). Blood suckers may feed or regain health while doing this. {{verify}}

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. Only NPCs can use this special attack. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. Only NPCs can use this ability. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

[[Category:Military]]

40d:Combat

2008-01-10T19:10:12Z

Naminator5: /* Slamming Into Obstacles */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the limbs, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.

====Slamming Into Obstacles====
If a creature is hit hard and is slammed into an obstacle (like a wall, tree, or any other stationary object), the creature may take additional bludgeoning as well. Falling off cliffs also count as slamming into obstacles as well.

If the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

In adventure mode, sometimes creatures smashing into obstacles will produce the "instantly fatal" death message more than once on the same major body part. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

====Paralysis====
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

===Skill Modifiers===
{{verify}}

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves and humans; bows are used by elves, humans and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject a paralyzing poison into other creatures. When this happens to you in Adventure Mode, you'll usually receive the first warning, "You feel numb!". When you receive this warning, it's best that you deal with any threat very quickly.

As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

There are no ways to cure poison {{v|0.27.169.33g}}. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). Blood suckers may feed or regain health while doing this. {{verify}}

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. Only NPCs can use this special attack. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. Only NPCs can use this ability. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

[[Category:Military]]

40d:Combat

2008-01-10T19:09:07Z

Naminator5: /* Slamming Into Obstacles */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the limbs, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.

====Slamming Into Obstacles====
If a creature is hit hard and is slammed into an obstacle (like a wall, tree, or any other stationary object), the creature may take additional bludgeoning as well. Falling off cliffs also count as slamming into obstacles as well.

If the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

In adventure mode, sometimes creatures smashing into obstacles will produce the "instantly fatal" death message more than once on the same body part. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

====Paralysis====
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

===Skill Modifiers===
{{verify}}

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves and humans; bows are used by elves, humans and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject a paralyzing poison into other creatures. When this happens to you in Adventure Mode, you'll usually receive the first warning, "You feel numb!". When you receive this warning, it's best that you deal with any threat very quickly.

As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

There are no ways to cure poison {{v|0.27.169.33g}}. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). Blood suckers may feed or regain health while doing this. {{verify}}

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. Only NPCs can use this special attack. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. Only NPCs can use this ability. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

[[Category:Military]]

40d:Combat

2008-01-10T19:08:16Z

Naminator5: /* Slamming Into Obstacles */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the limbs, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.

====Slamming Into Obstacles====
If a creature is hit hard and is slammed into an obstacle (like a wall, tree, or any other stationary object), the creature may take additional bludgeoning as well. Falling off cliffs also count as slamming into obstacles as well.

If the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

In adventure mode, sometimes creatures smashing into obstacles will produce the "instantly fatal" death message more than once. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

====Paralysis====
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

===Skill Modifiers===
{{verify}}

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves and humans; bows are used by elves, humans and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject a paralyzing poison into other creatures. When this happens to you in Adventure Mode, you'll usually receive the first warning, "You feel numb!". When you receive this warning, it's best that you deal with any threat very quickly.

As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

There are no ways to cure poison {{v|0.27.169.33g}}. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). Blood suckers may feed or regain health while doing this. {{verify}}

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. Only NPCs can use this special attack. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. Only NPCs can use this ability. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

[[Category:Military]]

40d:Combat

2008-01-10T19:04:33Z

Naminator5: /* Damage */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the limbs, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.

====Slamming Into Obstacles====
If a creature is hit hard and is slammed into an obstacle (like a wall, tree, or any other stationary object), the creature may take additional bludgeoning as well. Falling off cliffs also count as slamming into obstacles as well.

If the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

====Paralysis====
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

===Skill Modifiers===
{{verify}}

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves and humans; bows are used by elves, humans and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject a paralyzing poison into other creatures. When this happens to you in Adventure Mode, you'll usually receive the first warning, "You feel numb!". When you receive this warning, it's best that you deal with any threat very quickly.

As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

There are no ways to cure poison {{v|0.27.169.33g}}. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). Blood suckers may feed or regain health while doing this. {{verify}}

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. Only NPCs can use this special attack. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. Only NPCs can use this ability. {{v|0.27.169.33g}}

[[Category:Military]]

40d:Wrestling

2008-01-10T13:15:55Z

Naminator5: /* What grabs do */

The text below applies to using wrestling in [[Adventure Mode]]. Wrestling in [[Fortress Mode]] is presumed to use the same mechanics, although the player has no direct control over how the wrestling is performed.

== Initiating wrestling ==

While standing next to an opponent, the "Attack" key ['''shift-a'''] by default will give you a list of targets, and allow you to switch modes by pressing ['''enter'''].
Press enter until you are in wrestling mode, then chose your opponent as you would for a normal attack.
You should now be on the wrestling screen ready to initiate a wrestle.

== Wrestling screen ==

The wrestling screen is divided into the current holds at the top of the screen and the wrestling options at the bottom.

== Current holds ==

The current holds are displayed at the top of the screen in the following format

You <Your Limb> <direction> <Hold Type> <direction> <Their Limb> Them

the two direction symbols are always either pointing from you toward them to indicate that you are holding them, or from them toward you, indicating that they are holding you.

The Hold Type progresses from holds to locks, and the limbs includes all sorts of limbs appendages, and also weapons.

== Wrestling technique ==

Wrestling generally progresses over a number of actions.

The first step to wrestling is to get a grip on your opponent.

From here, you can either attempt to throw or "take down" your opponent (take down means put on the floor by the way) or progress to a lock.

From a lock you can attempt to do some serious damage.

== Training strategies ==

You can train up quickly by breaking a zombie's limbs, then choking it repeatedly. Take a break from time to time, because you will get tired. (Oddly enough, walking will cause you to become less tired.)
Alternatively you can train wrestling along with your weapon skill by doing a single takedown, or breaking a single joint before finishing an enemy.

== Wrestling strategies ==

If your enemy is wielding a weapon, it is a good idea to break his weapon arm.

Knocking them down without breaking their legs is rather sneaky, as you can wait for them to get up, then charge at them again and keep alternating moves.

You can also use it to grab worn items (including weapons) to prevent them being used against you, and even snatch them away. Beating an [[undead]] pike master with his own weapon is always fun. (Press "shift + i". It displays the inventory. Select the object written in red : It is the one that both you and your opponent are holding)

== What grabs do ==

Breaking joints disables limbs.
* Arm will stop the opponent from using that arm to attack (at least effectively)
* Leg will cause the opponent to fall to the floor and dramatically reduce their movement speed
* Strangling an opponent damages the throat location. A red throat injury is a mortal wound which will inevitably cause the victim to bleed to death. Also makes them winded, which lowers movement speed and may cause suffocation.
* Gouging eyes out will cause incredible pain as well as blinding opponents or at least greatly reducing accuracy and vision. (also causes heavy bleeding)
* Pinching will cause pain/unconsiousness to an opponent without wounding them.

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"
|+ '''How To Hurt People Limb By Limb'''
|- style="background: grey; color: black;"
! Limb !! Held By !! Grip Actions !! Lock Actions
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Head || Hand || Pinch, Gouge,Take down || None
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Neck || Any || None || Strangle
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Upper Arm || Any || Throw, Take Down || Break Shoulder
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Lower Arm || Any || None || Break Elbow
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Hand || Any || None || Break Wrist
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Upper Body || Any || Take Down, Throw || None
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Lower Body || Any || Take Down, Throw || None
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Upper Leg || Any || None || Break Hip
|- style="background: #eee; padding: 1px;"
|| Lower Leg || Hand || None || Break Knee
|- style="padding: 1px;"
|| Foot || Hand || None || Break Ankle
|}

== Changes in the future ==

[[Toady One]]'s mentioned that the system's going to be changed at some point, that, without looking at his dev/bloat lists, I can only assume means that the menu will be changed so have you work by the limb you want to use and the part you want to grab. in turn, not all in a list at once. And there's the promise of 'dirty' moves, he mentioned too, such as slitting your foes throat. That one I’m looking forward to most. I mean... err...

I hope that helps you some.

[[Category:Guides]]

40d:Combat

2008-01-09T15:29:37Z

Naminator5: /* Damage */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the limbs, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.
Additionally, if the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

====Paralysis====
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

===Skill Modifiers{{verify}}===

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves and humans; bows are used by elves, humans and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject a paralyzing poison into other creatures. When this happens to you in Adventure Mode, you'll usually receive the first warning, "You feel numb!". When you receive this warning, it's best that you deal with any threat very quickly.

As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

As for right now, there are currently no ways to cure poison. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). It's unknown if blood suckers feed or regain health while doing this.

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. As for right now, only NPCs can use this special attack.

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. As for right now, only NPCs can use this ability.

[[Category:Military]]

40d:Combat

2008-01-09T15:28:24Z

Naminator5: /* Paralysis */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the limbs, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Skill Modifiers{{verify}}====

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.
Additionally, if the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

====Paralysis====
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves and humans; bows are used by elves, humans and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject a paralyzing poison into other creatures. When this happens to you in Adventure Mode, you'll usually receive the first warning, "You feel numb!". When you receive this warning, it's best that you deal with any threat very quickly.

As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

As for right now, there are currently no ways to cure poison. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). It's unknown if blood suckers feed or regain health while doing this.

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. As for right now, only NPCs can use this special attack.

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. As for right now, only NPCs can use this ability.

[[Category:Military]]

40d:Combat

2008-01-09T15:28:15Z

Naminator5: /* Knock Away */

This guide relates to soldier-level combat, whether applied to military units in Dwarf Fortress mode or the character in Adventurer mode. For organizing your troops, and managing the warfare aspect of Dwarf Fortress, see [[Military]].

==Combat Mechanics==
===Attacking===
As an Adventurer, you can attack your opponent by running into him, or by pressing ['''shift-a'''] and selecting your target. If you're standing in the same square as your opponent or fighting him across a stairway, you can attack him by pressing 5 on the numpad. In Dwarf Fortress mode, all combat is automatic, but see [[squads]] for controlling where your [[soldier]]s go.

The attacker rolls to hit, and the defender rolls to parry, block, and/or dodge. If the attack is parried or blocked, the defender attempts a single counter-strike on the attacker. If the counter-strike is blocked, the attacker does not get a counter-counter strike.

If the attacker hits, a random location is struck. It is unclear whether each individual part of a limb (say, upper arm, lower arm, and hand) each have the same chance of being struck as the head, but due to the greater number of limbs, it is more likely to hit a limb than the torso or head. In this light, weapons with critical boost are less effective, because a leg does not have any internal organs to injure.

===Damage===
====Calculation====
The amount of damage done by a weapon is affected by nine factors: [[weapon damage|weapon]] type, weapon [[Weapon Damage#Material Damage Effects|material]], weapon [[quality]], weapon [[quality|wear]], attacker [[attributes|strength]] (presumably), the "degree of success" of the attack roll, the [[armor]] worn by the defender, and the [[attributes|toughness]] of the defender.

Weapon quality can increase your skill by up to double. Each level of quality grants a 20% bonus to skill, plus one skill level.

The exact effects of armor are vague. From the numbers (70 for plate, 40 for chain, vs. about 100 damage for most weapons), we can guess that armor simply subtracts from damage.

Linking damage to the degree of success of an attack roll means that higher skill will usually deal more damage. (It's also possible that damage is linked directly to skill.)

Damage to any particular body part is cumulative; if you attack with a badly worn, wooden mace with no skill for long enough (and your blows aren't simply "glancing off"), you will eventually break somebody's arm, even if the victim thinks it feels like being slowly whipped to death by scented shoelaces. (or, more likely, kills you first.)

====Body Part Damage====
Damage to a body part comes in six flavors:
{| border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=1 style="background: black"
|-
| unhurt
|-
| lightly wounded
|-
| moderately wounded
|-
| broken
|-
| mangled
|-
| lopped off
|}
Each weapon causes the "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" levels using different messages. For example, a blunt weapon causes bruises and sprains, respectively, while a sword causes cuts and bad gashes. Although these indicators tell you the condition of the limbs, they don't tell you the exact amount of health they have. (ex: A body part can still stay "lightly wounded" sometimes if hit again, if the shot doesn't simply "glance away").

Broken or mangled limbs are useless. Breaking an arm or hand will cause a creature to drop his weapon/shield, or make it unable to attack with that limb. Breaking a leg will cause a two-legged creature to fall, making his extinction much easier. (Oddly, cutting off both arms and both legs of a bipedal creature won't make them fully immobile. Maybe they crawl around with their jaws.) It also takes two broken limbs to make a 4 legged creature fall.

For further information, see [[Wound]].

====Falling Down====
In a word, don't. A creature's speed will drop to 1/3 of normal while on the ground. Use ['''s'''] to stand up again in Adventure Mode. If the creature has a broken or mangled leg(s), or a condition that disables the legs, it cannot stand back up.

====Bleeding and Pain====
In addition to body part damage, weapons also cause bleeding and pain.

Heavy bleeding has three effects: First effect of constant heavy bleeding is that the creature will become faint; the second effect would be that the creature will become pale; lastly, if bleeding still continues, the creature will bleed to death.

Pain causes three effects, in increasing amounts: less combat effective (damage? odds of hitting? slower?) and nausea (even less effective?). If creature is under extreme pain they could also fall unconscious (give into pain). More toughness the creature has, the more damage they can take before giving into pain.

====Skill Modifiers{{verify}}====

The combat skills are modified by dynamic events. The following algorithm seems to be used (please note that some creatures are unaffected by some modifiers):
* get the appropriate combat skill level
* if the creature is nauseous, divide per two
* if the creature is drowning, divide per two
* if the creature is stunned, divide per two
* if unknown test, divide per four
* if pain > 100, divide per two
* if exhaustion >= 2000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 4000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if exhaustion >= 6000, lvl = lvl*3/4
* if thirst >= 25000, divide per two
* if hunger >= 50000, divide per two
* if drowsiness >= 57600, divide per two

A creature with high exhaustion, for example 6500, will have its skill modified that way:
new level = level * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4 * 3 / 4

====Getting Weapons Stuck====
A piercing or slashing weapon can become stuck in an opponent. There are two things you can do when this happens: twist the weapon in the wound, or try to retrieve your weapon. Walking away, or pressing ['''shift-i'''] and selecting your weapon (which is red) will attempt to pull the weapon from the wound. Presumably, your strength is compared to your opponent, and grasping the weapon with additional hands/limbs will improve your odds of success. If you fail to [[wrestling|wrestle]] the weapon from your opponent, you will lose hold of it. To try again, grab the weapon (via wrestling) with a hand, and you will again have the option to regain control on the ['''shift-i'''] menu.

If you attack a creature while your weapon is stuck in them, you twist the weapon: it causes additional bleeding and pain, but has no other effect (even if stuck in the head!). The advantage to twisting a weapon, on the other hand, is that you never miss. This is often the fastest way to take down a large living creature; they often have great armor, and ignore the majority of your attacks, but twisting a weapon five times will knock them unconscious with heavy bleeding. At this point, you can continue to twist your weapon to ensure death, or retrieve your weapon with no contest in order to attack other creatures. If your opponent has no [[Blood|blood]], and is immune to pain (e.g., undead), then twisting your weapon will have no effect.

====Knock Away====
Occasionally when fighting, a weapon strike will connect with enough force to propel the victim several tiles away. This is a fairly common occurrence on killing blows, but can happen during normal combat as well. That can prove to be an advantage, especially in adventure mode, since that creature will be out of commission for a short time while you deal with his friends.

Blunt weapons (maces and hammers) are supreme at causing this effect. With enough strength and a good weapon it'll be common even during normal combat, and upon killing blow, the creature may fly up to 20 tiles away. Unless there is something in the way, of course.

Swords and axes can also cause this if the weapon is of high enough quality, and the attacker is skilled enough. However, it never happens to the degree it does with blunt weaponry.

Once in the air, the victim is surrounded by a blue background to signify that is flying. It will fly at a very rapid pace until it hits an object, a creature, or the ground. If a creature is hit by the flying victim, he'll be stunned and knocked prone, but uninjured.
Additionally, if the victim hits an obstacle with enough force, he will blow apart and disassemble into a pile of body parts, some of which might fly a couple tiles away from the impact zone.

===Paralysis===
Paralysis is a condition where a creature cannot move for a long time. It's about the same as being unconsious, but the creature is still awake, however can't feel anything (maybe). In adventure mode, time passes quickly when your adventurer is paralyzed.

Paralysis can be caused by being poisoned or by severe brain damage (which may lead to permanent paralysis).

==Weapon Analysis==
====Bows and Crossbows====
These weapons have a significant critical boost (single attacks have been seen to injure 3 different organs), but their main advantage is that they have range. Much as the common availability of rifles allowed every soldier to attack simultaneously (as opposed to merely the front rank of a unit actually attacking the enemy), a legion of bowmen will all strike at once. The poor performance of crossbows, and especially bows, in close combat suggests that ranged weapons are better with a "skirmish screen" of melee troops.

The effectiveness of ranged weapons is greatly affected by the geometry of the area: an Adventurer is walking around blind corners on a regular basis, but a fortress can easily set up a corridor where enemies must face a long, unobstructed march through withering fire. Ideally, this corridor should occur right after a blind corner the invading force must follow.

Crossbows are used by dwarves and humans; bows are used by elves, humans and goblins.

====Maces, Hammers, Flails, Mauls, and Morningstars====
Considering that you're going to be hitting limbs most of the time, blunt weapons do the most damage and are most likely to break or mangle a limb, reducing the creature's ability to carve you a second throat. Blunt weapons don't hurt internal organs much, so they're less ideal for getting a quick kill on large or heavily-armored enemies, but their high damage makes them perfect for killing weak or small enemies. 
Blunt weapons are also supreme at causing enemies to fly away when struck with enough force.

The maul, despite being a heavy two handed blunt weapon for humans, is the highest damaging weapon in the game.

Dwarves cannot build flails, morningstars, or mauls. The maul is a human weapon, and dwarves cannot wield it, as it is two-handed even for a human. Morningstars and flails can be wielded by dwarves.

====Swords and Axes====
Slashing damage causes more bleeding (presumably), but does less damage than blunt weapons. Slashing weapons are more likely to cut off limbs, though the exact mechanics are unclear. Removing a limb means you can't hit it again, so if you are cutting off limbs, the odds of hitting the torso or head increase. Axes do slightly more damage, while swords have a slight critical boost, causing more internal damage on the head and torso. Thus, swords are slightly geared more towards large creatures, while axes are slightly better for small creatures. Axes weigh more than swords, but it is unclear if this has any effect on the combat mechanics.

Only humans can wield two-handed swords or halberds, and dwarves cannot build scimitars, even though they can wield them.

====Spears and Pikes====
Piercing damage appears to remove limbs only rarely; it is better for torso and head hits. Since torso and head hits are uncommon, due to the number of limbs that can be hit instead, a spear is somewhat of a luck-based weapon. It gets stuck on a fairly regular basis, (again, usually in a limb where it can't do as much), but when it hits a torso or head, the victim usually takes organ damage. In this light, a spear is best when fighting large creatures, who are best killed via organectomies rather than cumulative damage.

Dwarves cannot wield a pike; it is a two-handed weapon, even for a human.
====Whips====
Whips do, by far, the least damage, and do "gore" type damage, which inflicts more bleeding and pain. Whips are rarely used, but presumably they're good against unarmored, small, living creatures. These kind of weapons are pointless against the undead and other non-living creatures.

====Burn, Heat, and Cold Attacks====
BURN, HEAT, and COLD are possible damage tokens. There are no weapons that do these kind of attacks, but can be modded in. There are creatures that can do burning attacks. It's unknown whether any creatures have heat or cold attacks.

Burn attacks aren't really directly related to temperature or fire, and creatures with fire-immunity can get harmed by them. This kind of attack inflicts great pain.

Heat has attack messages almost similar to burn. This attack is more related to temperature than burn attacks. When a creature is struck down by heat attacks, its body ignites. It's unknown whether fire-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

Cold attacks are pretty much like burn attacks, but with different attack messages. This attack does freezing damage, but nothing else special. It's unknown whether cold-immune creatures are affected by this attack.

==Special Attacks==
====Web====
Some creatures particularly [[giant cave spider|giant cave spiders]] shoot webbing. Webs will be left behind in the tiles the webbing passes over. If you are in a tile with webbing you are completely immobilized until you can break free of the web. Currently in the time you take to escape the web you can be attacked a few times, and possibly webbed again. This makes giant cave spiders the most dangerous critters in adventure mode at this time.

===Poison===
Some creatures have special attacks that can inject a paralyzing poison into other creatures. When this happens to you in Adventure Mode, you'll usually receive the first warning, "You feel numb!". When you receive this warning, it's best that you deal with any threat very quickly.

As time passes, the creature slows down. Eventually it'll become completely paralyzed, unable to move for a long time (depending on toughness). If there are enemies still around, it would be most likely the end of the creature. After a while, if the paralyzed creature is still alive, it would recover from paralysis.

As for right now, there are currently no ways to cure poison. Also, it can be modded so that player characters can use poison attacks.

===Blood Sucking===
There are VERY few creatures that have the ability to suck blood. Encountering them is rare. These creatures have special biting attacks that latch and can suck blood.

When blood is drained from a creature, it causes heavy bleeding (depending on the attacking creatures ability to suck blood). It's unknown if blood suckers feed or regain health while doing this.

Modding this ability to a playable creature of your choice won't do anything. As for right now, only NPCs can use this special attack.

===Fire Breath===
Some creatures have the ability to attack by breathing fire at their enemies. Fire breath does damage to creatures that are in the fire and may ignite any equipment it's wearing. Fire breathers normally have immunities to fire.

Dragons breathe dragon fire, which is more powerful than just regular fire breath. Creatures with just normal fire immunities can be effected by it.

Modded player characters cannot breathe fire. As for right now, only NPCs can use this ability.

[[Category:Military]]