Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

v0.31:Metalsmith's forge

2010-08-15T04:31:45Z

Rmunn: Linked "chain" to the chain page, rather than restraint

{{quality|Exceptional|08:00, 22 May 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}

{{Workshop|name=Metalsmith's forge|key=f
|job=
* {{L|Weaponsmith|Weaponsmithing}}
* {{L|Armorsmith|Armoring}}
* {{L|Blacksmith|Blacksmithing}}
* {{L|Metal crafter|Metalcrafting}}
|construction=
* {{L|Fire-safe}} material
* {{L|Anvil}}
|construction_job=
* {{L|Weaponsmith|Weaponsmithing}}
* {{L|Armorsmith|Armoring}}
* {{L|Blacksmith|Blacksmithing}}
* {{L|Metal crafter|Metalcrafting}}
|use=
* {{L|metal|Metal bars}}
|production=
*{{L|Armor}}
*{{L|Weapon}}
*{{L|Chain}}
*{{L|Crafts}} - X3 from one metal bar.
*{{L|Furniture}}
}}

The '''metalsmith's forge''' is a {{L|workshop}} used by {{L|dwarf|dwarves}} to turn {{L|metal|metal bars}} into useful objects such as {{L|weapon|weapons}}, {{L|armor}}, {{L|furniture}}, {{L|coins}}, {{L|ammunition}} for {{L|siege}} equipment and {{L|crossbow|crossbows}}, {{L|trap component|trap components}}, and other {{L|finished goods}}. To build a forge, you must have {{L|fire-safe}} materials and an {{L|anvil}}.

==Workshop labors and skills==
Several different types of items can be created at a metalsmith's forge; dwarves will need the correct type of {{L|labor}} enabled for each. The labors used at a forge are:

*{{L|Weaponsmith|Weaponsmithing}} -- {{L|weapon|weapons}}, {{L|trap}} components, {{L|bolt|bolts}}, and {{L|ballista arrowhead|ballista arrowheads}}
*{{L|Armorsmith|Armoring}} (armorer) -- {{L|armor}}
*{{L|Metal crafter|Metalcrafting}} -- {{L|chain|chains}}, and everything in the "Other Objects" category ({{L|craft|crafts}}, {{L|coins}}, {{L|goblet|goblets}}, {{L|stud|studding}}, etc.), except anvils
*{{L|Blacksmith|Blacksmithing}} -- Anvils, {{L|block}}s, and all {{L|furniture}} except chains.

==See also==
*{{L|Magma forge}}

{{Workshops}}

v0.31:Starting build

2010-08-01T08:05:56Z

Rmunn: Play Now! seems to have increased the skills your doctor gets - as of v0.31.12, s/he's now Competent (lvl 3) in all medical skills, not level 2

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

A '''starting build''' is a personal ''strategy'' for choosing the initial supplies, equipment, and {{l|skill}}s of your initial seven dwarves when starting a new game in {{l|fortress mode}}. These skills and items which you assign to your dwarves will have a large impact on life in your new fortress, especially in its first year.

This page attempts to give advice on some of the many gameplay elements which influence the flow of your game based on your goals. These include: choosing a ''fortress site'', the ''starting build'' itself, as well as ''challenge builds'' aimed at providing new or unusual challenges to advanced players.

But one thing should be made clear - there is no "best" build, no "perfect" or "clearly superior" final mix of skills and items. There are too many variables to connect, not the least of which is... you! Your play style, what you, as an individual player, consider preferable for the proper mix of fun and challenge. And then there is the environment, where your dwarves will arrive, the creatures, the resources available, and so forth.

Items are tied to starting skills, and starting skills are tied to the expected environment for your chosen embark, and all are tied to your preferences for playing the game - not all sites require (or invite) the same approach, and no two players would take the same approach to the same environment.

So while suggestions can be made, and new ideas presented for your consideration, ultimately the final "best" mix for you will have to come from your experience, which will begin to grow during your first game. Without understanding "everything", some decisions will just have to be guesswork - and even later you never know "everything".

__TOC__

== Components of a Starting Build ==
A starting build must be seen as a whole - the embark location affects the needed supplies, and influences what skills may be most needed or useful. Along with this is player preferences - if you wish an economy based on {{l|prepared meal}}s, {{l|glass}}, or {{l|steel}}, each of those have very different requirements. Likewise, if you want to play a military game, fighting off sieges with huge battles, that's a very different mix (and different site requirements) than if you want a calm location to build your perfect {{l|mega construction}}.

=== Skills ===
With only 7 dwarves, you can't take every {{l|skill}}, so you have to balance what you do take. At this starting phase, each dwarf can only be assigned a maximum total of 10 skill levels, with no single skill starting higher than "5". With 7 starting dwarves, you could take no skills at all, or take 70 skills all at level 1, or 14 skills all at level 5* (2 per dwarf), the highest allowed at embark, or (most likely) something in between the last two, but closer to that last.

:''(* Note that an unskilled dwarf starts with all Skills at Level '''0'''. Adding +5 Levels is then Level '''5'''. This is true regardless of how many "points" a level costs when first buying skills at embark.)''

Once play starts, dwarves can learn any and all skills - these choices only determine what sort of "head start" they have, what they are good at when they first hit the ground. See {{l|experience}} for a discussion of increasing skills during game play.

The considerations are several:

:* Maximizing starting skill ranks vs. generalizing and having more skills covered at lower levels.
:* Balancing multiple skills for a single dwarf, so they aren't constantly needed for two different tasks at critical periods
:* Military vs economic needs
:* Your goals vs "basic survival needs" to keep your fortress healthy and happy.
:* Speed that a skill can be trained in game
:* Demand for a skill during a game
:* Whether quality or speed are significant considerations for tasks/final product
:* Balancing the desire to create {{l|wealth}} ''(with high-value products)'' with the need to maintain {{l|thought|morale}} ''(with low-value but commonly used products, like {{l|bed}}s, which normally are made from {{l|wood}})''.
:* & most importantly - ''your playstyle'' - what '''you''' think is "fun"!

While there are some arguable "no-brainer" choices (or are for each player, according to their playstyle), the final few selections are often a coin toss, or close to. And there is often more than one way to skin a cat - in fact, while many players recommend ''never'' starting with more than one cat, starting with many cats (breeding them for leather, bones and meat) and a skilled {{l|leatherworker}} and/or {{l|bone carver}} is one way to go with (part of) a starting build. Until you have some personal experience, the various suggestions and advice may mean little, but will have more meaning after your first fortress inevitably fails - {{l|Losing|losing is fun}}.

So don't over-think it at first - you'll make a good guess, dive in, and learn far more than we can explain here.

=== Items ===
The starting items are what is needed for your dwarves to survive until they are self-sufficient, or at least until the first yearly {{l|caravan}}s will keep them afloat. The first won't show up until Autumn, so that's more than 2 seasons your dwarves are on their own.

A dwarf eats about 2 meals a season, and drinks a little more than 4 drinks in that same time. If you add your expected {{L|migrant}}s, multiply that by the number of seasons, you can estimate how much food and booze will be needed to get you safely through to the first {{L|caravan}} - barring {{L|losing|the unforeseen}}. In your starting build, you can bring all of that, or your {{l|hunter}}s, {{l|Plant gathering|plant gatherers}}, {{l|fisherdwarf}}s, {{l|grower}}s and {{l|brewer}}s can provide some or most of it.

Similarly, most of the finished products are expensive to buy pre-embark, and so a minimum is recommended - maybe a pick or two for immediate mining and basic defense, maybe a (cheap?) axe* or two for better defense and cutting wood, thread, cloth or a rope for a {{l|well}}, maybe a few leather to make bags, and call it good.

:''(* "Wooden practice axes" cost only 17P, and cut down wood just fine. They will be significantly weaker than metal axes in combat, but still far superior to {{L|wrestling}}, and you can {{l|Make your own weapons|DIY}} quickly enough.)''

You can produce any and all of those from scratch if you are willing to wait - and your {{l|surroundings}} don't kill you first. Raw materials are much cheaper, in the form of {{l|ore}}s, {{l|wood}}, {{l|leather}} and so forth, but whether you want to take the time at the start of the game is the question. The trade-off is always a balance of cost savings vs. time savings when you first strike the earth. Everything else depends on your strategy and on how tough or leisurely a challenge you want the game to be.

====Your civilization====
On the map menu, if you hit {{k|Tab}} twice, you will see a list of possible {{l |Civilization}}s that your dwarves can start from, if there is more than one. Each can have access to different starting equipment and material to offer you - some will be significantly better or worse supplied, and some may be lacking one key item you desire, while another will lack something else equally critical to your plan. Unfortunately you will only find out when selecting your items, after selecting a {{l|location}}. To chose another Civilization requires a start-over. Another important difference is whether your civilization is at {{l|war}} with one of the neighbours; This results in early attacks on your fort and, obviously, no trade {{l|caravan}}s from them.

If you don't like the civilization you chose, or wish to compare what each has to offer, you must either finish the embark, "abandon" the fortress and then re-embark in the same location (using a '''saved''' copy of the game world!), or use {{k|Ctl}}+{{k|Alt}}+{{k|Del}} (or the equiv for your OS), shut down the game and restart it from scratch, then Start again, reload the game world, and find the same embark site - this is not difficult if you made careful notes, but is still a pain, no doubt.

Every such re-start gives you a different mix of dwarves with different names, {{L |attribute|attributes}}, {{L |personality|personalities}} and {{L |preferences}}, but the civilizations are part of the map and stay constant. The default civilization chosen for you will vary, however.

===Saving a starting mix===
Once you have the mix of items and skills that you like, you can hit {{k|s}} and save it to a template with a custom name. In a later game, you can pick that profile when you embark. If your selected civilization does not have some of the desired items in your template, this is announced clearly, and a different civilization can be tried as described above, or you can continue and change your mix.

If you match skills to the {{l|preferences}} and {{L |personality|personalities}} of your dwarves, it may be an idea not to include any skills in such a template, as they will simply be applied in the original order to the current dwarves as they appear on the list.

If you find additional items that you wish to add (perhaps another type of cheap meat, or an ore not previously available), you can edit those in by hitting {{k|s}}, overwriting your old template.

:''(You can also go into the .txt file, located at data/init/embark_profiles, and edit in the SKILLS or ITEMS as you want - the syntax is fairly straightforward.)''

= "Play Now!" =
This option gives you an automatic, low-powered and generalized starting mix with no thinking involved. If you select this option, you are ''immediately'' advanced to the game map with no chance to alter your starting skills or items.

When you pick this option, you currently{{version|0.31.12}} start with:

'''Dwarves'''
:* Adequate {{l|Miner}} (+2 {{l|Experience|skill levels}})
:* Novice {{l|Carpenter}}/ {{l|Bowyer}} (+1 skill level in each skill)
:* Novice {{l|Engraver}}/ {{l|Mason}}/ {{l|Mechanic}}/ {{l|Building designer|Building Designer}}
:* Novice {{l|Gem cutter|Gem Cutter}}/ {{l|Gem setter|Gem Setter}}/ {{l|Wood crafter}}/ {{l|Stone crafter}}/ {{l|Bone carver|Bone Carver}}
:* Novice {{l|Fisherdwarf}}
:* Novice {{l|Fish cleaner|Fish Cleaner}}/ {{l|Butcher}}/ {{l|Tanner}}/ {{l|Weaver}}/ {{l|Clothier}}/ {{l|Leatherworker}}
:And one "Leader", with Novice in:
:* {{l|Wood cutter|Wood Cutter}}/ {{l|Brewer}}/ {{l|Cook}}/ {{l|Grower}}/ {{l|Herbalist}}/ {{l|Wood burner|Wood Burner}}/ {{l|Furnace operator|Furnace Operator}}/ {{l|Lye maker|Lye Maker}}/ {{l|Potash maker|Potash Maker}}
:''plus'' Competent in:
:* {{l|Wound dresser|Wound Dresser}}, {{l|Diagnostician}}, {{l|Surgeon}}, {{l|Bone doctor|Bone Doctor}}, {{l|Suturer}}.

:''(Note that that last dwarf has far more "levels" in starting skills (by twice!) for a single dwarf than are allowed by "Planning Carefully", below!)''

'''Items'''
:* 2 Copper {{l|pick}}s
:* 2 Copper battle {{l|axe}}s
:* 1 Iron {{l|anvil}}
:* 60 units alcohol (20 each of 3 random types1, 12 free barrels)
:* 5 ''each'' {{l|seed}}s2 (& 6 bags)
:* 15 units of meat (one random type, 10 + 5 units in 2 barrels3)
:* 15 units of fish (one random type, 10 + 5 units in 2 barrels3)
:* 15 units of plump helmets (10 + 5 units in 2 barrels3)
:* 5 pig tail fiber thread
:* 5 pig tail fiber cloth
:* 5 pig tail fiber bag
:* 3 pig tail fiber ropes
:* 3 wooden4 buckets
:* 3 wooden4 splints
:* 3 wooden4 crutch
:* 2 dogs (random sex)
:* 2 cats (random sex)
:* 1 random cow/ox/mule/horse (random sex)

::''Notes:''
:::1. ''There are only 4 different {{L |alcohol}}s possible at this stage, so if two or three of the same are randomly chosen, it's quite possible to start with 40 or 60 of the same type. (A wider variety is usually better.)''
:::2. ''The six underground crops are: dimple cup, cave wheat, plump helmet, sweet pods, pig tail, quarry bush.''
:::3. ''A barrel can hold up to 10 dry items (or 5 wet). One of these barrels is only half full. ''
:::4. ''All wooden items will be of 1 type of wood.''

As a challenge for an experienced player, this is not an uncommon choice. But even as a starting player you can do much better if you choose the "'''Prepare for the journey carefully'''" option and do just that - prepare carefully, as described below...

="Prepare for the Journey Carefully"=
Good advice. This option allows you complete control over your starting mix of skills and beginning items. By default, your dwarves start with no skills, and you are offered the following items, which are very similar to the "Play Now" mix, but all are optional and can be sold back and changed according to your preferences. Each item costs a number of "points" - you will buy ''both'' your starting items ''and'' the starting {{L |skills}} for your dwarves with one pool of combined points, 1274 total.

(This choice also allows you to select/create the {{l|Fortress name}} yourself, rather than have it randomly generated.)

The point costs for the default items are listed below.

::{|cellpadding="2" border="1"
! Default Items !! Cost (in "points") !! Comments
|-
| 2 Copper {{l|pick}}s || 88 (44 each) || for {{l|mining}}
|-
| 2 Copper battle {{l|axe}}s || 136 (68 each) || weapons and {{l|woodcutting}}
|-
| 1 Iron {{l|anvil}} || 100 || required for any metal working
|-
| 20 alcohol, random1 || 40 (2 each) || 4 free barrels
|-
| 20 alcohol, random1 || 40 (2 each) || 4 free barrels
|-
| 20 alcohol, random1 || 40 (2 each) || 4 free barrels
|-
| 5 of each underground seed2 || | 30 6*5 (1 each) || 6 free bags
|-
| 15 meat of one random (cheap) type || 30 (2 each) || 2 free barrels3
|-
| 15 fish of one random (cheap) type || 30 (2 each) || 2 free barrels3
|-
| 15 {{l|Plump helmet}}s || 60 (4 each) || 2 free barrels3
|-
| 5 pig tail fiber thread || 60 (12 each) ||
|-
| 5 pig tail fiber cloth || 70 (14 each) ||
|-
| 5 pig tail fiber bag || 100 (20 each) ||
|-
| 3 pig tail fiber ropes || 60 (20 each) ||
|-
| 3 wooden4 buckets || 30 (10 each) || medical
|-
| 3 wooden4 splints || 30 (10 each) || medical
|-
| 3 wooden4 crutch || 30 (10 each) || medical
|-
| No dogs, no cats || ||
|-
|}
:1. There are only 4 different {{L|alcohol}}s possible at this stage, so if two or three of the same are randomly chosen, it's quite possible to start with 40 or 60 of the same type. (A wider variety is usually better.)
:2. The six underground crops are: dimple cup, cave wheat, plump helmet, sweet pods, pig tail, and quarry bush.
:3. A barrel can hold up to 10 dry items (or 5 wet). One of these barrels is only half full.
:4. All wooden items will be of 1 type of wood.

With the above items, your point pool starts at '''300''' (visible in the lower right corner). This is not ''close'' to enough points to buy full skills for all your dwarves, but you can sell back any or all of the above items that you choose and recover the points, spending them as you prefer. There is no quick and easy solution to this, but the possible options are infinite*. Returning all equipment is worth 1274 points total, but unused points are of no use after embark, once the actual gameplay starts, so spend now or waste them.

:''(* Note that an anvil is needed to do any metalworking, and in turn cannot be created without another anvil. Selling your anvil back means you will not do any metalworking at least until the Autumn {{L |caravan}}, and then only if they bring one - which they 'usually' do, but not always. Next dwarven caravan is a year after that, and so on.)''

=====Using the menu=====
Use {{k|Tab}} to switch between selecting Skills and Items. Use the 4 directional keys or number pad to navigate to highlight the different choices/columns, and {{k|+}} or {{k|-}} to choose more or less of the highlighted item or skill. When viewing items, hit {{k|n}} to go to a menu for any "new" items, that are not currently listed, including any you removed by reducing the number to 0; select the item, hit {{k|Enter}}, then increase the number desired as above ({{k|+}} or {{k|-}}) in the main menu.

If you cannot buy additional skill levels, you are out of points and must return some items for additional points. Higher-priced items will automatically be removed from viewable new items if you do not have enough points for those selections, showing only what you can afford with your current points.

=== Skills ===
At this stage, pre-embark, skills cost a number of starting points, equaling monetary value. Later, during fortress mode, all skills will be trained by practice, and "cost" is no longer a concern. All dwarves start with "No Skill" and the first additional skill level (Novice) costs 5 points. To buy the next level would cost 6, and so on. To buy up Proficient (the max allowed to start with), costs 5+6+7+8+9, or 35 points.

A dwarf can start with up to 10 additional levels, regardless whether that's 10 skills at Novice, or 2 skills at Proficient. So, if you are going to buy the maximum skills allowed (highly recommended), that can cost from between 50 to 70 points each, but is usually around 400-450+ for all 7 dwarves.

Any dwarf can have any labor designated, and they will perform that task and learn or improve that skill, even if they have no skill related to that labor when they start. Dwarves with little experience in a skill will work slowly and ineffectively, while dwarves with higher skill work faster and/or produce a significantly higher quality product. Some skills are not used often, and/or produce no "quality" in the final product, or produce qualities that have little impact on the game - for these it's questionable whether investing in high starting levels is worthwhile, but that's often a judgment call. Other skills might be very easy to level and as such, investing to them is fairly pointless headstart.

{{l|Quality}} is a central concept in the game - it affects {{l|food}}, {{l|alcohol}}, and almost anything you will have your dwarves create in the game: {{l|trading}} goods, {{l|barrel}}s, {{l|clothing}}, {{l|armor}}, {{l|furniture}}, {{l|weapon|weapons}}, and so on. Quality also has a large effect on the worth of an item while {{l|trading}}. Using and seeing high-quality items gives dwarves happy {{l|thought}}s. This tends to decrease the incidences of {{l|tantrum}}s, increasing a fortress's longevity.

Some skills are also trained up fairly quickly or cheaply, especially where the task consumes no (valuable) materials, or doesn't matter in the final product - mining, furnace operator, wood cutting, butcher, tanner, glass making and (especially) {{l|administrator}} skills being only a few examples.

==== Which skills do I need, really? ====

The only thing that you absolutely must do in the first year is get your food supplies into a food stockpile, preferably inside, otherwise your food will rot on the ground and your dwarves will starve. Anything else you want to do can be accommodated by sufficient investment in initial food supplies and/or skills. This means the options for possible starting builds are vast because virtually any set of starting skills for your dwarves is viable (and that's before you even think about equipment, which adds more variables). So the short answer is: none.

That said, there are some skills which will be '''used''', to one extent or another, by virtually every fortress - but that doesn't mean you '''need''' or even want to invest points in them to start. You could even manipulate the fortress (see {{l|challenge}}) to completely avoid one or more of the following, but these are the skills you will find it exceptionally hard to avoid creating jobs for:
:{{l|Mining}} - to dig your fortress, and gain stone for projects. Only possible to avoid using if you're secretly an elf.
:* Inexperienced {{l|miner}}s work very slowly and are less likely to recover mined gems or valuable ores. Mining can be leveled up quite quickly by mining {{l|soil#soil|soil}}, but taking two dwarves with at least some points in mining is recommended in many cases.
:{{l|Carpentry}} - {{l|bed}}s can only be produced from {{l|wood}} (rare {{l|mood}}s aside)
:*Carpentry is used, but opinions differ - on one hand, wood items are just not worth that much {{l|value}}-wise ''(10's of dwarfbucks vs 100's for stone furniture or 1000's for armor or prepared foods, for instance)'', so the difference in monetary value between high-quality and no-quality is minor for wood products. However, high-quality {{l|bed}}s are one of the easiest ways to help make and keep your dwarves {{l|thought|happy}} (since every dwarf will encounter a bed regularly), so some players swear by it.
:{{l|Masonry}} - to build walls and stairs, and fashion dwarven furniture from stone. Possible to work around, but incredibly hard and annoying to do.
:{{l|Grower|Growing}} - your farmers' work echoes throughout so many other tasks, it's stunning
:* While its possible to feed your fortress on nothing but caravan goods, you'll never come by enough alcohol that way, so you'll eventually need to grow crops for brewing, and dwarves will literally go crazy if forced to drink nothing but water for long periods. Thus you'll want to plan for farming eventually - not that you need to bring a highly skilled {{l|Grower}}, but it'll certainly be ''very'' helpful. Likewise, a skilled {{l|brewer}} produces higher quality {{l|alcohol}} (''though the quality is hidden!)'', which improves your dwarves' mood, as does a skilled {{l|cook}} with the foods they prepare. However, most food can be eaten raw, and so long as they are not starving there is life.
:{{l|Brewing}} - all dwarves "need alcohol to get through the working day"
:{{l|Mechanics}} - if you want traps, and most people will. Also needed for most machinery, now more essential than ever since irrigating is no longer optional.
:{{l|Architecture|Building Designer}} - mandatory for some buildings and constructions, but skill only improves speed a tad and increases structure {{l|value}}
:{{L|Herbalist}} - Herbalism is good early source of food and more importantly, seeds you can plant in your outside farm plots.
:* Inexperienced {{l|herbalist|herbalists}} will gather stacks of only one or two {{l|plant}}s, and often nothing at all, and inexperienced {{l|farming|farmers}} will often plant stacks of only one or two plants. This results in a small overall output which takes many {{l|container#container|containers}} to store in, less effective {{l|food}} preparation in the {{l|kitchen}}, and more space needed for {{l|stockpiles}}.
:{{l|Broker skills}} - most importantly {{l|appraiser}} - a minimum of Broker skills are highly recommended to start with at the Novice (1 pt) level - it'll make your life much easier (especially Novice level of {{l|Appraiser}}, at least, as it greatly facilitates trading).
:{{L|Record keeper}} - Lets you be able to see the exact amount of things you have much faster than training one, and is necessary to view the stocks screen.

Of the above, Masonry, Growing, Brewing, Cooking, and Mechanics are generally worth considering as "highly desirable" starting skills for your dwarves.

Remember, '''any skill can be used untrained, and/or get trained on the job''' - it just means a slower process and/or average lower quality product than if done by a dwarf with a higher {{l|experience|skill level}}.

Ultimately the answer to "What skills do I need?" is "Whichever ''you'' want". Choosing a mixture of these commonly used skills and your desired specialized skills will make starting up your fortress easier and more efficient.

==== What considerations could inform my skill selection?====

You will often want some optional skills, often vastly more than something as useful and desirable as even masonry. For example, any player intending to do more than dabble in the metal industry may well want to start with multiple dwarves each highly skilled in at least one metal industry skill, especially those that produce goods with {{L|Quality|quality}}.

The following may influence your choices of skills:

#Some skills are harder to gain experience in than others - requiring valuable resources or taking an extended period of time, and thus inconvenient to train from the ground up. Investing in some of these extensively in your initial dwarves can make those industries much less painful to start. For example, metal-related skills generally eat metal bars, and thus the less time you spend training metal workers up to a decent level, the faster they'll be churning out high-quality items for you, and the fewer bars they'll waste becoming skilled. On the other hand, despite its importance, skills like mining train relatively quickly and barring extenuating circumstances (expected need to accomplish particular digging projects in the first month or you'll get mauled by a Giant for example) there's little need to actually invest your starting skills in it - they can learn on the job.
#Keep in mind that some skills are used to make {{l|legendary artifact}}s, and successfully making an artifact will give the dwarf a lot of experience in the used skill. It can be worth investing in some skills solely to bias your artifact skill pool in the hopes of getting a legendary dwarf in an industry you want to really get working on a year or two in. (See {{l|Strange mood}}s for more info.)
#If you plan on settling in a dangerous area, consider including at least some military skills, if not a dedicated {{l|soldier}}, or several. The nature of the environment should dictate the military skills chosen (for example, marksdwarves will be an ineffective counter to expected roving hordes of {{l|skeletal}} wildlife).
#Migrants can and will arrive with a wide selection of decently trained skills. While it is a gamble, chances are pretty decent that migrants will arrive with a highly trained skill that is also highly desirable and would usurp the job of one of the four starting ones. The first few migration waves are likely to give you a much better talent pool than what you can assign at embark.
#Skills rust if not used and they can eventually de-level. Consider that skills which you will use years after embark are going to be rusty or even deleveled.



==== Combining Skills ====
Some {{l|skills}} are highly time-consuming, and working at different jobs levels up specific {{l|attribute}}s. One could level up a miner until he becomes mighty and ultra-tough - and then turn him into a soldier, or retire him to haul stone. If you plan on doing so, it may not be a good idea to give this guy a second critical job that will demand a lot of time away from their focus. There are many parts to a suit of armour, so armoursmithing will take more time than weaponsmithing - once you have one weapon per soldier, he's done. Masons, miners, growers, and any craft that your fortress will base their economy off of (glass, stonecrafts, armour, etc) will take a lot of time.

Since tasks will take place in specific areas, another approach is to combine tasks into dwarves who will take care of a specific industry, or spend all their time in one generally narrow part of the fortress - the forges, or the kitchens, or outdoors, for instance. So combining Farming with cooking, rather than mining, for example, and turn on only Haul Food, not Haul Stone. Woodcutter/Herbalist/Mason/Axedwarf (for outdoor walls/projects) might be another combination - the possibilities are endless.

Some combinations follow naturally in sequence to each other, but also can conflict with each other. One animal is butchered, then the leather is tanned, and the meat is cooked. But if you have 5 animals, several will rot before one dwarf can process all of those. A highly skilled craftsdwarf is often better suited at sitting in their {{l|workshop}} and having others deliver raw materials to them, than going out and obtaining their own raw materials themselves.

Many builds recommend combinations such as:

* '''Outdoors''': Woodcutter/Plant Gatherer. Add {{l|axeman|Axedwarf}} for added security.
* '''Mason+____''' : In many fortresses, the Mason is a very busy dwarf. He could be a spare miner, have abilities that are only rarely needed, or do tasks that can be accomplished quickly like {{l|building designer}}.
* '''Farmer/Cook, Farmer/Brewer'''. Basic two-person food team.
* '''Farmer/Herbalist, Farmer/Brewer/Cook'''. One bold dwarf to farm and venture outside looking for wild plants, the other to keep busy in the {{l|still}}, kitchen, and indoor farms.
* '''Boss''': Novice {{l|Negotiator}}/Novice {{l|Judge of intent}}/Novice {{l|Appraiser}}. This guy will be your {{l|Leader}} and {{l|Trader}}; you can make him {{l|record keeper}} too (the default), at least to start with. Combine this with a single time-intensive task such as {{l|Masonry}} and optionally turn off all hauling tasks right at the start of the game. Or keep him a generalist, or combine with one of the other options.
* '''Weaponsmith/Leatherworker''': If they're not arming your military, they're making leather armor for them.
* '''{{l|Craftsdwarf}}''', depending on your strategy - e.g. {{l|glass}} maker, {{l|weaponsmith}} or {{l|armorsmith}}, sometimes combined with related tasks from that industry ({{l|furnace operating}}, {{l|wood burner|wood burning}}). Typically an item hauler in the initial months of your fortress, this dwarf may become one of your most valuable dwarves later.

Not all combinations have to "look right" together. A weaponsmith will most probably not spend nearly 100% of their time creating weapons - what they do with the other part of their time may have nothing at all to do with forges or smithing.

* '''Grower/GemCutter''' (or Grower/x-Craft): When gems are found, he's there, otherwise he's outstanding in his fields.
* '''Mechanic/Brewer''': usually produces the mechanized defenses, but does moonshining when it's called for.
* '''Miner/______''': This dwarf will quickly become legendary in mining, and then retire to pursue something else full time. On call for important veins of high-value ore.
* '''Brewer/Appraiser/Leatherworker''': several typically low-demand skills
* '''StoneCrafter/Herbalist''' - after quickly finding above-ground plants for seeds for the first season, they never go back unless something goes wrong.
* '''(x-Craft)/Armor User''': Plan for the future - armor using is slow to train in if this dwarf is ever going to join the military.

You can max out one skill and have several lower-level skills additionally, or just several skills that are not maxed out - the combinations are (almost) infinite.

Combinations like these often have one {{l|moodable}} skill and one non-moodable (or a less desired moodable skill at lower level), so any mood will improve the desired one.

==== Combining Skills for Moods ====

{{l|Strange mood}}s will create a Legendary skill of the "moodable" skill with the highest level, and moods take hold of dwarves with different professions at different rates. Some skills are "moodable" where others are not. Another consideration is to place desired moodable skills with non-moodable, to ensure that both the professions and highest skills stay as preferred. Usually this involves one "craft" skill and one "farmer" type skill, such as Armor/Cook, or Weapon/Brewer. This can take some manipulation, and is not of primary concern to many players.

=====Matching skills to a dwarf's personal profile=====
Once you have your optimal skill mix for all 7 starting dwarves, you can, if you wish, take the time to {{k|v}}iew each of your individual dwarves and match skills to their {{l|preference}}s. This can be very advantageous: if you have a dwarf who likes {{l|steel}}, {{l|clear glass}}, {{l|crossbow}}s, {{l|siege engine}} parts, or something else equally interesting, they're an ideal candidate for matching skills (specifically for these examples, {{l|armorsmith}}, {{l|glassmaker}}, {{l|bowyer}}, or {{l|siege engineer}}).

Likewise, if they have any obviously relevant {{l|personality}} strengths or weaknesses, those should be factored in. Some are obscure or ambiguous, but some ("Is constantly active and energetic") are a clear sign.

=== Items ===

An experienced player can start out with no skills for their starting dwarves, 1 copper nugget and an anvil - and nothing else - and have {{l|Make_your_own_weapons#Minimalist_challenge_build|everything they need}}. So what is "needed" is up to what you think is "fun" vs. "too hard" etc. etc. etc.

Some basics are recommended for all builds. Unless you plan to {{l|Make your own weapons|DIY}}, you definitely need to bring one {{l|pick}} for each {{l|miner}}, and if you plan to gather wood, you need an {{l|axe}}, which will become a weapon in wartime. Also a minimum of about 25-30* {{l|food}} and about 55-60* {{l|alcohol}}, which should get 7 dwarves through to the first {{l|caravan}} in Fall. Everything else depends on your strategy and on how tough or leisurely a challenge you want the game to be.

::''(* A single dwarf eats about 2x/season, and drinks about 4x/season. With 7 dwarves that's ~approximately~ 14 meals per season and 28 alcohol per season, or ~28 meals and ~56 alcohol until the end of Summer. The Caravan is due sometime in Autumn, usually early Autumn, in the second week or so, but the first won't have enough to keep you going until whenever the next one arrives. Hopefully you'll have some food and brewing industry going by the first, or soon after.)''

Note: Many builds recommend that you bring many different cheap foods, in quantities ending in a "1" (1, 11, 21, etc.), and alcohols in amounts ending in a "1" or "6". This is to maximize the number of free {{l|barrel|barrels}} you start with; dry foodstuffs fit 10/barrel, and (pre-embark) alcohol fits 5/barrel. More barrels will let you build a larger stockpile for your first winter and conserves the {{l|wood}} you need to cut and shape in the early game for beds and other necessities. (Seeds are 100/bag, and you don't need near that many of any one type, so 6 bags max with this approach. Even if you don't plan on growing much {{l|cave wheat}}, starting with 1 seed and getting the free bag, and planting that one seed later and dumping the result could be worth it.) Also note that multiple types of meat taken from the same animal (warthog meat and warthog tripe, for example) will be packed into a single barrel on embark, instead of separate barrels (as of version 31.04).

===== Items for moods =====
When a dwarf is taken by a {{l|strange mood}}, he often needs obscure material or he will go insane and die, possibly with severe consequences to an entire fortress. Bringing along some of the harder-to-find ores ({{l|cassiterite}}, {{l|sphalerite}}, {{l|bismuthinite}}, {{l|garnierite}}) and shells ({{l|cave lobster}}, {{l|turtle}}), and putting those aside, forbidding their use "just in case", is spending a few points on an insurance policy. Bringing along a few bits of cloth thread is also a good idea. Just in case.

===== Free Equipment =====

Dwarves who start with the ambusher skill may get some leather {{l|armor}}, a crossbow and some bolts for free.





====Different starting cultures====
Before actually hitting "embark", you often have the option to choose one of several starting dwarven cultures (one of the options shown when you {{k|Tab}} through the various sub-screens). Different cultures will have different meats, fish, stones and etc to offer, and occasionally even different types of armour. The only way to know which is "best" is to remember ''exactly'' where on the 3 maps your embark site is, select one culture, embark and see what they have to offer, then hit {{k|Esc}} and "abandon game", and try it again with a different culture and compare. A real pain, sometimes. (Make a note about your exact starting location, don't trust it to memory.) In general, civilizations that occupy more world-map tiles offer more types of goods, both for embark and for trade. 

= Site considerations =
Each fortress {{l|location}} offers particular challenges and opportunities, and can make different demands on your starting build. The starting builds below should be adjusted depending on the {{l|region}} your fort occupies, the specific vision you have of your fortress, and what it will take to {{l|losing|stay alive}} where you're going!

The differences include what {{l|biome}}s, {{l|region}}s and stone {{l|layer}}s are present in your chosen embark site, as viewable on the starting menu.

=== General Surroundings ===
Simply put, if your {{l|surroundings}} are {{l|evil}} or {{l|savage}}, your dwarves have a higher risk of suddenly facing personal combat before they are safely behind their defenses. Consider bringing extra weaponry, in the form of axes, picks or crossbows (see {{l|Starting_builds#Free_Equipment|free equipment}}). Hand in hand with those, consider skill mixes that include {{l|axedwarf}}, {{l|mining}} (the skill used to wield a pick), {{l|marksdwarf}}, or {{l|wrestling}} (a solid unarmed-combat skill).

The same is true if you are embarking near an exposed magma vent or an open chasm - these features can be seen on the embark map, but it's impossible to tell if they are "open" to the surface or not, until you are there in person.

Be sure to include some source of {{l|water}} on the map, preferably running {{l|water}}. Water is (almost) essential for any fortress. In Cold and Freezing climates streams and {{l|lake}}s will often be frozen year-round and your dwarves may quickly die of exposure, in Hot climates {{l|murky pool}}s will dry up, and in Dry ones rain will only rarely re-fill them, if ever. Choose Temperate or tropical zones for an easier game.

===Aquifers===
If an {{l|aquifer}} is present in the first soil or stone layers (visible on the pre-embark menu), it may bar all access to {{l|stone}} and {{l|ore}} until you find a way through the water barrier. Consider bringing some stone for building, and ore for your first basic needs. This may be critical to getting your fortress running smoothly.

=== Mountains ===
Mountains often have abundant {{l|ore}}s, but at the loss of trees and plants. In previous versions lacking {{L|cavern}}s, this was a serious drawback. In DF2010, brave pioneers can dig down into the caverns to find essentials like water, mud, and plants. However, players should be aware that above-ground crops will not grow in mountain biomes, no matter how muddy you may make the surface.

Depending on the exact layers, it's common to find exposed {{l|vein}}s of useful {{l|ore}}s that can be immediately mined for {{l|Make your own weapons|DIY}} weapons and tools.

=== Wooded/Plains ===
Flatlands with at least some trees and gatherable plants can also make for highly successful fortresses. Advantages over mountain zones include abundant trees and plants and (unless frozen) more abundant water. There are even (rare) magma vents. More water also means a high likelyhood of an {{l|aquifer}} being present. Make sure to check on embark.

The greatest disadvantage is the potential lack of exposed {{l|stone}} to mine. The first level(s) below the surface is often {{l|soil}} of some type, which offers no building materials. However, soil is mined much more quickly than stone (x3-x4 faster), and expansive accommodations (rooms) can be achieved quickly even by untrained miners. You will find stone, you just have to go down a bit for it - but that's what dwarves do, isn't it?

{{l|Experience|Training}} a {{l|Miner}} from No Skill to Proficient takes <NEED NEW TIME> in soil, and to Legendary in less than <DITTO>.

=== Oceanside ===
With many features in common with some of the above locations, {{l|beach}}es are often a mix of ease intermingled with bouts of extreme difficulty. Minerals and trees are often abundant, as well as farmland and sand, but there is often no drinking water unless the biome has a flowing {{l|water}} of some sort.

By definition, the settlement will fall between (at least) two {{l|biome}}s (one land, one water), potentially hazardous if the player expects a peaceful oceanside meadow, without realizing the {{l|terrifying}} ocean is full of amphibious zombie {{l|whale}}s.

=== Desert, Glaciers, and Barren ===
Treeless (or near-treeless) {{l|biome}}s are challenging sites for a fortress: you get most of the disadvantages of a flatland site without having access to nearly as many trees and plants. However, near-lifeless zones such as {{l|glacier}}s are wonderful for those with slower machines, as there's little to burden the CPU but your dwarves and livestock. {{l|Desert}}s and barren areas often have sand; with a sufficient source of energy (preferably magma), you can build almost anything out of unlimited glass.

Hunters should be replaced with fisherdwarves and a fish cleaner (although the latter can be easily trained). Depending how much water vs. land, more starting wood and ores might be helpful. Swimming is rarely useful in Fortress mode, even at the beach, and can be trained.

==Sample starting builds==
To use an example starting build, open data/init/embark_profiles.txt and paste the text into it. Next time you embark, the profile will appear as a possible group to take. Using embark profiles is faster than planning carefully, but totally skips dwarf personality. Dwarves are simply assigned first come, first served.
=== BillyBob and the Rock Nuts ===
{| class="wikitable" cellspacing="0" border="1" cellpadding="5"
!Profession
!Skills
|-
|FarmerBrewer
|Grower-5, Brewer-5
|-
|MinerMason
|Mining-5, Masonry-3, Engraving-2
|-
|MinerJeweller
|Mining-5, Masonry-2, GemCutting-4
|-
|LumberjackHerbalist
|Woodcutting-4,Herbalism-4, Axedwarf, Armor, Carpentry
|-
|CookDoctor
|Cook-3, Threshing-2, Diagnose, DressWounds, Suture, SetBones, Surgery
|-
|CarpenterLeader
|Carpentry-4, Leadership-3, Negotiate, Appraisal, Record Keeper
|-
|CrafterArchitect
|Stonecraft-5, Building Designer-3, Mechanic
|}
The lumberjack is the only one that _has_ to go outside, and all the rest can work indoors. Two main sources of income are farming (Sweet Pods->Dwarven Syrup) and Rock Crafting (to buy elven wood/barrels).

<pre>
[PROFILE]
[TITLE:BillyBob and the Rock Nuts]
[SKILL:1:MINING:5]
[SKILL:1:DETAILSTONE:3]
[SKILL:1:MASONRY:2]
[SKILL:2:MINING:5]
[SKILL:2:MASONRY:1]
[SKILL:2:CUTGEM:4]
[SKILL:3:WOODCUTTING:4]
[SKILL:3:CARPENTRY:1]
[SKILL:3:HERBALISM:3]
[SKILL:3:AXE:1]
[SKILL:3:ARMOR:1]
[SKILL:4:CARPENTRY:4]
[SKILL:4:NEGOTIATION:1]
[SKILL:4:APPRAISAL:1]
[SKILL:4:RECORD_KEEPING:1]
[SKILL:4:LEADERSHIP:3]
[SKILL:5:BREWING:5]
[SKILL:5:PLANT:5]
[SKILL:6:PROCESSPLANTS:2]
[SKILL:6:COOK:3]
[SKILL:6:DRESS_WOUNDS:1]
[SKILL:6:DIAGNOSE:1]
[SKILL:6:SURGERY:1]
[SKILL:6:SET_BONE:1]
[SKILL:6:SUTURE:1]
[SKILL:7:STONECRAFT:5]
[SKILL:7:MECHANICS:1]
[SKILL:7:DESIGNBUILDING:4]
[ITEM:2:WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_PICK:INORGANIC:COPPER]
[ITEM:2:WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_AXE_BATTLE:INORGANIC:COPPER]
[ITEM:1:ANVIL:NONE:INORGANIC:IRON]
[ITEM:11:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_WHEAT_CAVE:DRINK]
[ITEM:11:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:DRINK]
[ITEM:11:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:DRINK]
[ITEM:5:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:SEED]
[ITEM:12:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:SEED]
[ITEM:11:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:POD_SWEET:SEED]
[ITEM:11:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:MARMOT_HOARY:STOMACH]
[ITEM:11:PLANT:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:STRUCTURAL]
[ITEM:1:THREAD:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD]
[ITEM:1:CLOTH:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD]
[ITEM:3:BOX:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD]
[ITEM:2:CHAIN:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD]
[ITEM:3:BUCKET:NONE:PLANT_MAT:ALDER:WOOD]
[ITEM:2:SPLINT:NONE:PLANT_MAT:ALDER:WOOD]
[ITEM:2:CRUTCH:NONE:PLANT_MAT:ALDER:WOOD]
[ITEM:15:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:WARTHOG:MUSCLE]
[PET:2:DOG:FEMALE:TRAINED_WAR]
[PET:1:DOG:MALE:TRAINED_WAR]
[PET:2:CAT:FEMALE:STANDARD]
[PET:1:CAT:MALE:STANDARD]
</pre>

===Tatter's Ragtime Band===

Designed to pair important time-consuming skills with important but quickly completed skills, moodable skills with non-moodable skills, and generally embark only with skills that can't be trained from "unskilled" quickly (for example, no mining skills). Tailored to minimize bugs in versions 31.01 - 31.04.
*Boss: 5 points in Armor User, 1 point in Appraiser, Negotiator, Judge of Intent, Record Keeper, and Organizer. Will be your chief miner, militia commander, and all-around noble early on, and almost certainly will become expedition leader as well (sending your expedition leader out to fight is near-suicidal due to the bugs that occur in versions 31.01 through .04 if he dies, but the Armor User skill will minimize that risk). As other dwarves arrive with mining and/or noble skills (even if they aren't as high-level as the Boss's), replace the Boss with them as soon as possible, to relieve his workload. Keep the Boss as your militia commander and broker, mining mostly to train his skill with a pick (the official training methods are also bugged in versions 31.01 through 31.04 and will prevent your dwarf from ever performing other tasks), until a dwarf with better skills for these tasks arrives. If you embark with dogs, give the Boss the Animal Trainer labor as well and have him train them into War Dogs for extra protection. (Moodable skill: Mining)
*Doc: 5 points in Carpentry, 1 point in Diagnostician, Bone Doctor, Surgeon, Suturer, and Wound Dresser. A doctor that can make his own beds, splints, and crutches (and tables and cabinets, if you have an excess of wood). Make him Chief Medical Dwarf right away, but replace him as soon as a better Diagnostician comes along. Make him a Plant Gatherer and Wood Cutter as well (until immigrants with better skills arrive), to give him something to do when he has nothing to build and nobody to heal. (Moodable skill: Carpentry)
*Rock Farmer: 5 points in Grower, 5 points in Gem Cutting. Farming is more difficult to set up than it used to be, but no less time consuming. Gem Cutting takes little time and provides the fortress with the highest-value, lowest-weight trade items you're likely to find early on. You can also make him a Plant Processor and/or Miller if you need the materials for emergency mood satisfaction and/or cooking, but these skills should be provided at higher levels by immigrants fairly quickly, and cloth isn't critical for an early fortress (hunt and butcher wildlife with your militia instead, and make bags/clothes out of leather). Give him the Mining labor at least, though, as all dwarves who aren't Wood Cutting or Hunting should be available as backup miners and emergency militia. (Moodable skill: Gem Cutting)
*Embalmer: 5 points in Brewing, 5 points in Leatherworking. Makes leather bags and armor early in the game, alcohol later. Assign him the Tanner and Butcher labors as well, until immigrants with better skills arrive, and the Miner labor, for the reasons stated above. (Moodable skill: Leatherworker)
*Iron Chef: 5 points in Cooking, 5 points in Weaponsmithing. Makes the steel when he isn't making a meal. Assign him the Furnace Operator and Wood Burner labors, until immigrants with better skills arrive, and the Miner labor on general principles. If you're unlucky with immigrants, or determined to make additional forges or metal armor right away, you can give him the Armorer and Blacksmith labors as well. (Moodable skill: Weaponsmith)
*Architect: 5 points in Mason, 5 points in Building Designer. Unlocks all buildings from the start, and will build nice ones that improve dwarven moods. The sheer amount of construction needed to build a secure and functional initial fort quickly may make it a good idea to turn OFF all labors for the Architect except Mason and Building Designer, at least until everyone and everything is safely underground. If you ever do finish building everthing you need, give him back any labors you turned off, and add Engraver (train him by smoothing stone first) and Miner labors as well. (Moodable skill: Mason)
*Mech Pilot: 5 points in Mechanic, 5 points in Siege Operator. If you ever plan on using siege engines to defend your fort (and you will eventually need them when Titans and/or Demons show up), then having at least one high-skill Siege Operator is vital. Unfortunately, it can take years of practice to raise Siege Operator skill to the level you can embark with, if you're unlucky enough to only get unskilled or novice Siege Operators as immigrants. This way, you're guaranteed to have at least one good Siege Operator (assuming he's still alive) when the large-sized foes show up, and until then, you have a Mechanic that will build your best defenses against anything else. Give him the Siege Engineer labor until more skilled immigrants arrive, and the Miner labor for good measure. (Moodable skill: Mechanic)
Crafting and Gem Setter skills should be available through immigrants, but the Stonecraft skill can be trained up easily and cheaply from nothing by any dwarf that spends much time idle, if you absolutely must have something quickly. Fishing and Hunting can likewise usually wait until immigrants arrive with these skills. Chasing wolves around with your militia can be frustrating, but eventually one of them will make the mistake of trying to stand and fight, and even simple clothes can deflect most animals' teeth, claws, and horns (just don't go after bears without metal armor!). Note that the official method of hunting has been reported bugged in versions 31.01 through 31.03, but in 31.04 I have had no problem as long as I remember to use the Military -> Ammunition screen to assign bolts to the "Hunter" squad, and use the Order command to make dwarves gather dead bodies from outside.

Recommended embark items:
*1+ copper picks (use any leftover embark points to buy up to 5 spares)
*1 iron anvil, to guarantee you can make more picks quickly.
*1 wooden training axe, or battle axe if the "training axes can chop down trees" exploit is ever fixed. This will keep you from being left without fuel for the forge if you run out of wood, but can be skipped if you're embarking to an area where there are no trees (or if you're going to DIY it).
*1+ of each type of seed, mostly for the bags, as you will probably be surface farming with gathered plants until the caravans arrive anyhow. Note that quarry bush seeds are edible, and dwarves will often consume your whole initial stockpile before you can plant them.
*25-30 units of meat/fish, one from each different animal or fish that is available to your culture for 2 embark points per unit. This will give you enough meat to keep your dwarves fed until the first caravan arrives, and the maximum number of free barrels as well. Meat is generally preferred by dwarves over organs that aren't prepared in a kitchen first (meaning the barrels will be empty and available for other uses faster). Note that some animals may not have meat available (vermin like cave spiders, for example), in which case organs are preferable to nothing at all.
*21 each of dwarven ale, dwarven beer, and dwarven rum. Dwarven wine will be produced in large quantities on site once subterranean farming is ready to grow Plump Helmets, and this should be enough alcohol to keep your dwarves happy until a caravan arrives with more if you need it.
*Anything else that you may need more of than the site can provide right away:
**Wood, if the biomes are devoid of trees (glacier, mountain, desert, etc.).
**Metal ore, if you have plenty of trees but may need more/better metal than you are likely to find immediately (savage/evil biomes).
**Metal bars, if you need metal but trees are scarce.
**Weapons and armor, if you are mad enough to take on a Terrifying biome.
**Flux stone, if you want to make steel quickly but the embark site lacks chalk, limestone, or dolomite (marble and calcite are normally only found far too deep to be of much early use).
**Dogs, if you want a decent "militia" fairly quickly. Build a kennel and have the Boss train them into War Dogs. One male and the rest females will produce more dogs as quickly as possible.
**Plaster bags, for the hospital. You can usually find some plaster-making stones on site, but turning them into bags of plaster powder for setting bones is a difficult, time consuming, and fuel burning process, until you can build magma kilns. On the other hand, if you aren't expecting serious combat before the caravans arrive, you can usually buy more than you will ever use from them fairly cheap.
**Sand bags, for the bags. Dump the sand, keep the bag. Only 1 point each, but you probably won't need very many bags quickly after embark, so don't go overboard.
**Plump Helmets, as an emergency food/alcohol supply if you anticipate problems making a subterranean farm. Buy in quantities ending in 1, for the maximum number of free barrels.

===Elfhater's "Start With Steel Without Paying (Much) For It" Strategy===

This is a strategy for a component of a starting build. It shows you how to get a steel axe/pick for 75 points. The steel axe is a very good weapon, and the pick is useful itself.

'''Before Embark'''
*No picks or axes
*2 iron ore (hematite, limonite, or magnetite)
*2 flux stones (calcite, chalk, dolomite, limtestone, or marble)
*5 logs

'''After Embark'''
*Deconstruct wagon (this gets you three wood)

*Build a wood furnace with a flux stone
**Make '''one''' ash
**Make '''seven''' charcoal
**Deconstruct the furnace

*Build a smelter using the ash
**Smelt both iron ores into iron bars
**Smelt '''one''' iron bar into pig iron
**Smelt iron bar and pig iron bar into steel
**Deconstruct the smelter

*Build a metalsmith's forge using the ash
**Make '''one''' steel axe
**Cut down (at least) one tree
**Deconstruct forge

*Build a wood furnace using the ash
**Burn wood
**Deconstruct wood furnace

*Build a metalsmith's forge using the ash
**Make '''one''' steel pick.

*End with One Steel pick and one Steel Axe for less Embark points then a copper pick and copper axe.

{{Starting FAQ}}
[[Category:Guides]]

v0.31:Magma

2010-07-28T17:57:12Z

Rmunn:

{{av}}{{Quality|Exceptional|21:13, 6 July 2010 (UTC)}}
'''Magma''' is a red-hot liquid that wells up from deep within the earth - but not too deep to be found by dwarves. Magma that is above the ground is called '''Lava''' but is still the same exact substance.

Magma serves as an energy source, powering {{L|magma smelter}}s, {{L|magma forge}}s, {{L|magma glass furnace}}s, and {{L|magma kiln}}s. Magma is ''extremely'' hot which can lead to a lot of {{L|fun}}. In the current version magma seems a bit slower to burn things, allowing things to "fall to the bottom" of a magma pipe before finally burning to death. Also workers that dig into a magma reservoir are not instantly killed as the magma touches them and can often scramble to safety as long as they are not fully immersed in 7/7 magma. It's worth noting that magma never seems to blink with {{l|flow}} now either.

The list of materials that are '''{{l|magma-safe}}''' has been expanded considerably in this version. Magma never cools, but can {{L|evaporation|evaporate}} if left at a depth of 1/7 for long enough. When magma is mixed with water it forms {{L|obsidian}}.

=={{L|Magma sea}}==
The Magma sea is located at the bottom of every map, forming an (almost) impenetrable barrier. They also provide a great source of magma. {{l|Semi-molten rock}} can also be found around the magma sea, and cannot be dug through.

Pumping magma up from the magma sea via a conventional {{L|pump|pump stack}} is a lot of work, requiring hundreds of pumps and vast amounts of power. It is possible to do a lot less work through the "piston method", a clever abuse of {{L|cave-in}} {{L|physics}}. The basic principle involves channelling out an area around a huge stone pillar, hundreds of z-levels tall, which will become the "piston" that drives magma to the top. Rest the piston on a single support, then carve out a tank at its base which will be filled with magma pumped from the magma sea. ('''Beware:''' building the piston directly over the magma sea will '''NOT''' work!) Once the tank has been filled, drop the piston by removing its support. Liquids displaced by a cave-in will "teleport" straight up to the nearest available space; here, the nearest available space will be the catchment area you thoughtfully prepared earlier atop the piston. A full discussion of this trick, including how to make the piston reusable, can be found in [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=59894.0 this forum thread].

==Magma pools==
Although the name suggests them as pools, they are actually pipes (Unknown why Toady changed the name). They can be found underground, however they rarely reach the upper z-levels (40+). Most end just a few z-levels above the magma sea, though some span up to more than 100 z-levels.
Magma pools seem to be always connected to a magma sea, and the sea and pipe can occasionally reach up to the same level, making them hard to separate. However, magma pools can be identified by the obsidian walls which surround them.
Magma pools will slowly refill themselves, giving the player an infinite source of magma.

==Volcanoes==
Volcanoes can be found which extend all the way to the surface, but on a standard map they are exceedingly rare. If you want a volcano it is probably best to specify it when creating your world. Volcanoes are an endless source of magma so they will always refill themselves.

==Properties of magma==
Magma behaves the same way as water with the exception of not being affected by {{l|pressure}}, unless pressurized by a {{l|pump}}, and apparently not showing {{l|flow}}. Magma will turn into {{l|obsidian}} if it touches {{l|water}}. In the game, magma's temperature is exactly 2,032°F, or about 1,111°C. This is also 12,000° {{l|Temperature scale|Urist}}. The list of '''{{l|magma-safe}}''' materials has changed considerably in this version.
*Modding information: The rock that is used when magma mixes with water is the first rock encountered to have the [LAVA] tag ''during worldgen''.

==Dangers of magma==
Magma is not immediately fatal when first touched. It is dangerous to stand in magma, but dwarves will generally only suffer minor burns when running from a flow. Most creatures can survive standing on even a completely filled magma tile for a single turn, but any more and they will likely die.

{{Category|Physics}}

v0.31:Prison

2010-07-28T16:25:48Z

Rmunn: Redirected page to Jail

#REDIRECT [[Jail]]

v0.31:Record keeper

2010-07-26T13:32:18Z

Rmunn:

{{av}}
{{Skill
| color = 5:0
| skill = Record keeper
| specialty = {{L|Clerk}}
| profession = {{L|Administrator}}
| job name = Noble/Admin
| tasks =
* Update Stockpile Records
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
* Memory
* Focus
}}
{{Quality|Exceptional|21:25, 9 June 2010 (UTC)}}

'''Record keeper''' is a skill associated with the {{L|Bookkeeper}} appointed {{L|noble}}. It is used to determine how quickly the bookkeeper can take an {{L|stocks|inventory}} of the fortress and update the records to reflect any changes. It is trained by a bookkeeper doing the '''update stockpile records''' administrative {{L|labor}}.

==Notes==
*As wealth and items are created or lost, e.g. by dwarves drinking up all your booze, the records will gradually deteriorate in precision, eventually ending up at the lowest precision rating. An assigned bookkeeper will therefore periodically update the records. How often depends on what precision he is trying to maintain, with the highest precision requiring the most work.
{{Skills}}
{{Category|Skills}}

v0.31:Organizer

2010-07-26T13:31:46Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Fine}}
{{Skill
| color = 5:0
| skill = Organizer
| specialty = Administrator
| profession = {{L|Administrator}}
| job name = Noble/Admin
| tasks =
* Manage Work Orders
* Prepare and Update Equipment
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
* Creativity
* Social Awareness
}}
{{av}}

The '''organizer''' {{L|skill}} is used by two {{L|noble}}s:
* By the {{L|Manager}} to manage work orders in the Manager menu
* By the {{L|Arsenal Dwarf}} to prepare and update military equipment

{{Skills}}
{{Category|Noble Skills}}

v0.31:Building designer

2010-07-26T13:31:22Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|21:17, 9 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 5:0
| skill = Building Designer
| specialty = Architect
| profession = {{L|Administrator}}
| job name = Architecture
| tasks =
* Construct Building
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
* Creativity
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

The '''building designer''' {{L|skill}} is used in the construction of certain {{L|building}}s. Its corresponding {{L|labor}} is '''architecture'''. Building designer has no influence on the speed with which such buildings are constructed; its only effect is to influence the {{L|quality}} of designed buildings, which has only modest benefits.

== Using architecture ==

When building structures that require architecture, it is the architect who carries the building materials to the site and clears it of debris. The architect's time can be minimized by placing appropriate {{L|stockpiles}} near the selected location and by designating debris for {{L|dump}}ing in advance. The building is then built in two stages: the first performed by the architect, and the second by a {{L|mason}} (if the building built from {{L|stone}}, stone {{L|block}}s, or {{L|glass}} blocks), a {{L|carpenter}} (if it is built from {{L|log}}s or wood blocks), or a {{L|metalsmith}} (if it is built from metal {{L|bar}}s, {{L|block}}s, or metal ores).

== Building quality ==

Building designer skill influences the {{L|quality}} of "designed" buildings (those listed above). The quality of the building is determined by the skill of the architect ''and'' the skill of the builder (mason/etc.). The game assigns two values that can be viewed with the {{L|building list}}. When determining the overall value of the building, these two values are simply added together to form an overall value multiplier ranging from 2 to 24.

Buildings that do not involve an architect do not have any quality (aside from "built" {{L|furniture}} -- tables, statues, doors, etc.).

Building quality has only two effects in-game: high-quality buildings can occasionally trigger a happy {{L|thought}} in dwarves who notice them, and higher-quality buildings will boost your fort's overall architectural wealth (as displayed in the "created wealth" section of the {{L|status}} screen). The first effect is usually easy to achieve by using high-quality furniture, however, and the second effect is minimal unless you make your buildings out of high-value materials (such as {{L|platinum}} or {{L|artifact}} components).

Destroying a masterwork structure (whether via {{L|cave-in}} or {{L|building destroyer}}) will give an unhappy {{L|thought}} to its designer and/or builder (depending on whether the design or construction are masterful), though dismantling it will not.

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Appraiser

2010-07-26T13:30:50Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|21:13, 9 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 5:0
| skill = Appraiser
| specialty = {{L|Trader}}
| profession = {{L|Administrator}}
| job name = Admin/Noble
| tasks =
* Value all items
* Trade at Depot
| workshop = {{L|Trade depot}}
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
}}
{{av}}

The '''Appraiser''' skill relates to {{L|trading}} and item {{L|value}} estimation. It is gained by trading, but has no associated assignable {{L|labor}}. Note that the skill will increase the first time the trading screen is opened for each caravan visit - a good way to train another dwarf is to assign him as broker, make him go to the trade depot and (T)rade, exit and assign the "main" broker again and make him do the actual trading.

In order to have access to the monetary fortress value estimates in the {{k|z}}-{{L|status}} menu, as well as individual item values, a dwarf with the Appraiser skill must be appointed as broker in the {{L|nobles screen}}. (Note that this is not necessary for the display of item {{L|quality}} - the indicators near the item names - which will always appear.)

{{Skills}}
{{Category|Noble Skills}}

v0.31:Siege operator

2010-07-26T13:30:35Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{Skill
| color = 4:1
| skill = Siege operator
| profession = {{L|Engineer}}
| job name = Siege Operating
| tasks =
* Load siege weapons
* Fire siege weapons
| workshop = * {{L|Siege engine}}
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
* Focus
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

A Siege Operator is responsible for manning {{L|Siege engine|siege weapons}}, loading them with any available ammunition, and firing on command or at will.

This is a task sometimes delegated to peasants as a cheap labor, as it can get them skilled swiftly. Catapults are also sometimes used to destroy unwanted stone.

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Siege engineer

2010-07-26T13:30:03Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|00:54, 12 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 4:1
| skill = Siege Engineer
| profession = {{L|Engineer}}
| job name = Siege Engineering
| tasks =
* Make siege weapons
| workshop = * {{L|Siege workshop}}
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
}}
{{av}}

'''Siege Engineer''' is the skill associated with the '''siege engineering''' {{L|labor}}. Siege engineers make {{L|ballista}} and {{L|catapult}} parts in a {{L|siege workshop}}, and assemble those parts into stationary siege weapons, to be loaded and fired by {{L|Siege operator}}s.

==See Also==
*{{L|Defense design}}

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Pump operator

2010-07-26T13:29:25Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|00:52, 12 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 4:1
| skill = Pump Operator
| profession = {{L|Engineer}}
| job name = Pump Operating
| tasks =
* Operate a Pump
| workshop = * {{L|Screw pump}}
| attributes =
* Willpower
}}
{{av}}

'''Pump operator''' is the skill related to the '''pump operating''' {{L|labor}}. Pump operators use {{L|screw pump|screw pumps}} to pump liquids manually. In order to use the pump, simply {{k|q}}uery the pump, and hit {{k|Enter}} to "Start pump manually". When you want the pumping stopped, simply repeat the process.

This is useful for starting a {{L|Water wheel#perpetual motion|perpetual motion}} power plant, and the job can also be used to get dwarves without specialized {{L|skills}} (such as haulers) experience for {{L|attributes|stat}} gains{{verify}}. However, it's not recommended to put fortress critical pumps on manual labor, as pump operation requires continuous dwarven labour, which is often better used for other tasks, such as {{L|hauling}} and building objects.

{{skills}}

v0.31:Mechanic

2010-07-26T13:29:00Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|00:48, 12 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 4:1
| skill = Mechanic
| profession = {{L|Engineer}}
| job name = Mechanics
| tasks =
* Construct Mechanisms
* Machine construction
* Trap construction
* Link up lever/pressure plate
* Load Trap
| workshop = {{L|Mechanic's workshop}}
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
}}
{{av}}

'''Mechanic''' is the skill associated with the '''mechanics''' {{L|labor}}. Mechanics can work at a {{L|mechanic's workshop}} to manufacture {{L|mechanism}}s, and place any {{L|building}}s that require mechanisms such as {{L|lever}}s, {{L|Gear assembly|gear}}s, {{L|traps}}, and {{L|menacing spike}}s. They are also responsible for linking up {{L|lever}}s or {{L|pressure plate}}s to objects such as {{L|bridge}}s, {{L|floodgate}}s and other {{L|trap design|contraptions}}.

A dwarf will gain mechanics skill by manufacturing {{L|mechanism}}s in the {{L|mechanic's workshop}}. A dwarf with a high skill in mechanics will typically produce higher quality mechanisms, and can link up objects faster than a novice.

==See Also==
*{{L|Trap design}}
*{{L|Machine component}}

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Wood crafter

2010-07-26T13:28:26Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|00:44, 12 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 1:1
| skill = Wood Crafter
| specialty = Woodcrafter
| profession = {{L|Craftsdwarf}}
| job name = Woodcrafting
| tasks =
* Make Wooden {{L|Craft}}s
* Make Wooden {{L|Toy}}
* Make Wooden {{L|Instrument}}
* Make Wooden {{L|goblet|Cup}}
* Make Wooden {{L|Bolt}}s
| workshop = {{L|Craftsdwarf's workshop}}
| attributes =
* Creativity
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

'''Wood crafter''' is the skill associated with the '''woodcrafting''' {{L|labor}}. Woodcrafters make {{L|wood}}en {{L|bolt}}s, {{L|crafts}}, {{L|cup}}s, {{L|instrument}}s and {{L|toy}}s at a {{L|craftsdwarf's workshop}}. As with other crafting skills, higher skill means faster performance and higher {{L|item quality}}.

Because wood has a low material {{L|value}}, and is very useful for other purposes, a woodcrafter is somewhat less useful than a stonecrafter or bone carver. However, if wood is plentiful, then wooden bolts can be a useful supplement to bone for training purposes.

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Weaver

2010-07-26T13:28:05Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Fine}}
{{Skill
| color = 1:1
| skill = Weaver
| profession = {{L|Craftsdwarf}}
| job name = Weaving
| tasks =
* Weave {{L|Cloth}}
| workshop = *{{L|Loom}}
| attributes =
* Creativity
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

'''Weaver''' uses a {{L|Loom}} to weave {{L|cloth}} from {{L|cave spider}} {{L|silk}} {{L|thread}}, {{L|Giant cave spider}} silk thread, {{L|phantom spider}} silk thread,{{verify}} {{L|rope reed}} thread and {{L|pig tail}} thread. Unlike most intermediate goods, cloth has a quality value, so {{L|dwarves}} with high skill in weaving do higher quality cloth. Collecting spider webs also requires the weaving skill, and trains the weaving skill.

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Stone crafter

2010-07-26T13:27:43Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|00:42, 12 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 1:1
| skill = Stone crafter
| specialty = Stonecrafter
| profession = {{L|Craftsdwarf}}
| job name = Stonecrafting
| tasks =
* make rock {{L|short sword}}
* make rock {{L|craft}}s
* make rock {{L|toy}}
* make rock {{L|instrument}}
* make rock {{L|mug}}
| workshop =
* {{L|Craftsdwarf's workshop}}
| attributes =
* Creativity
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

'''Stone crafter''' is the skill associated with the '''stonecrafting''' {{L|labor}}. Stonecrafters make {{L|stone}} {{L|craft}} {{L|finished goods|goods}}, such as mugs, crafts, {{L|instrument}}s, and {{L|toy}}s as well as {{L|short sword}}s at a {{L|craftsdwarf's workshop}}. On maps with an {{L|obsidian}} layer, embarking with a Proficient stonecrafter can produce more valuable {{L|obsidian}} trade goods for your early exchanges with the {{L|caravan}}s and also provide short swords for your military and any weapon traps you choose to build.

Because stone exists in abundance and is rather a nuisance than a valuable resource in most fortresses, turning some unemployed dwarfs into stonecrafters and have them creating rock goods is a good way to get rid of some stone while also creating some value and providing some jobs when the {{L|economy}} becomes active. See {{L|stone management}} for other ways to control your stone production.

==Notes==
*Rock Short Swords in 2010 work differently from prior versions. Many stones can be used to make 'Rock Short Swords', but the end result seems to only be a wooden short sword of higher quality than what would be expected for the craftsdwarf's skill.

*Skilled stone crafters can produce up to 3 objects at a time from a single stone.
{{Skills}}

v0.31:Leatherworker

2010-07-26T13:27:21Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|00:40, 12 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 1:1
| skill = Leatherworker
| profession = {{L|Craftsdwarf}}
| job name = Leatherworking
| tasks =
* Make {{L|Leather}} {{L|Craft}}s
* Make {{L|Leather}} {{L|Armor}}
* Make {{L|Leather}} {{L|clothes}}
* Construct {{L|Leather}} {{L|Bag}}
* Make {{L|Leather}} {{L|Waterskin}}
* Make {{L|Leather}} {{L|Backpack}}
* Make {{L|Leather}} {{L|Quiver}}
* Sew {{L|Leather}} {{L|Image}}
| workshop = {{L|Leather works|Leather Works}}
| attributes =
* Creativity
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

'''Leatherworker''' is the skill associated with the '''leatherworking''' {{L|labor}}. Leatherworking is used to make all of the leather goods at a {{L|Leather works}}. It is also used to sew {{L|leather images}} onto objects.

The leatherworker skill is also used to make leather craft goods at a {{L|craftsdwarf's workshop}} and {{L|armor}} at a leather works.

Leather bags may also be buggy right now. {{verify}}

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Glassmaker

2010-07-26T13:26:54Z

Rmunn:

{{quality|Exceptional|08:00, 22 May 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 1:1
| skill = Glassmaker
| profession = {{L|Craftsdwarf}}
| job name = Glassmaking
| tasks =
* Make {{L|gem|raw glass}}
* Construct glass {{L|furniture}}
* Make glass {{L|goblet}}
* Make glass {{L|toy}}
* Make glass {{L|instrument}}
* Make glass {{L|vial}}
* Make glass {{L|pipe section|tube}}
* Make glass {{L|window}}
* Make glass {{L|trap}} component
| workshop = * {{L|Glass furnace}}
| attributes =
* Creativity
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

The '''glassmaking''' skill is required to make {{L|green glass}}, {{L|clear glass}} or {{L|crystal glass}} items at a {{L|glass furnace}}.

See the {{L|Glass industry}} page for more information about using Glassmakers.

==Glassmaking vs. masonry==
There is considerable overlap between items produced from {{L|stone}} at a {{L|Mason's workshop}}, and items produced from glass at glass furnaces. {{L|Mason}}ry is easier to get running and will {{L|stone management|clear excess stone}} from your fortress. Glass produces items with a higher base {{L|value}} (unless you make your masons use flux or {{L|obsidian}}), and using a {{L|magma glass furnace}} allows you to make green glass objects without consuming anything but dwarven labor.

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Clothier

2010-07-26T13:26:41Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|06:03, 12 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 1:1
| skill = Clothier
| profession = {{L|Craftsdwarf}}
| job name = Clothesmaking
| tasks =
* Make {{L|Clothing|Clothes}}
* Construct {{L|Bag}}
* Make {{L|Rope}}
* Sew {{L|Image}}
* Make {{L|Craft}}s
| workshop = * {{L|Clothier's shop}}
* {{L|Craftsdwarf's workshop}}
| attributes =
* Creativity
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

'''Clothier''' is the skill associated with the '''clothesmaking''' {{L|labor}}. Clothiers make {{L|cloth|plant fiber}} and {{L|silk}} clothing items at the {{L|clothier's shop}}, and can sew plant fiber images and silk images onto items.

Clothier {{L|skill|skill level}} is used to determine the {{L|quality}} of the created {{L|finished goods|good}}. The quality of the cloth and {{L|dye}} used adds to the value of the final product.

Clothiers also make plant fiber and silk crafts at the {{L|craftsdwarf's workshop}}.

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Bone carver

2010-07-26T13:25:35Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|00:35, 12 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 1:1
| skill = Bone Carver
| profession = {{L|Craftsdwarf}}
| job name = Bone Carving
| tasks =
* Decorate with {{L|Bone}}
* Decorate with {{L|Shell}}
* Make {{L|Bone}} {{L|Craft}}s
* Make {{L|Shell}} {{L|Craft}}s
* Make {{L|Bone}} {{L|Bolt}}s
* Make {{L|Bone}} {{L|Armor}}
* Make {{L|Totem}}
| workshop =
* {{L|Craftsdwarf's workshop}}
| attributes =
* Creativity
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

'''Bone carver''' is the skill related to the '''bone carving''' {{L|labor}}. Bone carvers make {{L|bone}}, {{L|shell}}, {{L|ivory}}, {{L|horn}} and {{L|pearl}} {{L|finished goods|goods}} at a {{L|craftsdwarf's workshop}}. Bone carvers also {{L|decorate}} objects with these materials. This includes making bone {{L|bolt}}s for {{L|crossbow}}s and {{L|totem}}s from {{L|skull}}s.

==Notes==
*Hooves are considered by the craftsdwarf's workshop to be horn.

{{skills}}

v0.31:Gem cutter

2010-07-26T13:25:06Z

Rmunn:

{{quality|Exceptional|08:00, 22 May 2010 (UTC)}}{{Skill
| color = 2:1
| skill = Gem Cutter
| specialty = Gem Cutter
| profession = {{L|Jeweler}}
| job name = Gem Cutting
| tasks =
* Cut ''gem name''
| workshop = {{L|Jeweler's workshop}}
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
}}
{{av}}

A '''gem cutter''' is the profession of a dwarf whose highest skill is in gem cutting. If they also have a high skill in {{L|gem setting}}, they will be known as a Jeweler.

Cutting a {{L|gem}} can result in a cut gem, a large gem, or a gem craft. Cut gems are used by a gem setter, and are the most likely result. Large gems and gem crafts are only created occasionally, but are valuable trade goods. The skill level of a gem cutter does affect the production speed, but only affects the quality of large gems and gem crafts because small cut gems have no quality levels.

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Furnace operator

2010-07-26T13:24:28Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{Skill
| color = 0:1
| skill = Furnace Operator
| profession = {{L|Metalsmith}}
| job name = Furnace Operating
| tasks =
* Make {{L|Pearlash}}
* Make {{L|Plaster powder}}
* {{L|Melt}} {{L|metal}} object
* Smelt {{L|Ore}} and {{L|metal#Alloys|alloys}}
| workshop =
* {{L|Smelter}}
* {{L|Magma smelter}}
* {{L|Kiln}}
* {{L|Magma kiln}}
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
}}
{{av}}

The '''furnace operator''' skill is used for the furnace tasks, such as melting metal ores into bars, {{L|Melt|melting}} metal items and creating metal {{L|metal#Alloys|alloys}}. It is also used at the {{L|Kiln}} for creating {{L|pearlash}} and {{L|plaster powder}}. Having a higher skill levels does not improve the output in any way. It only allows the task to be performed faster.

Note that a separate labour, {{L|wood burner|wood burning}}, is used to make fuel from wood.

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Fisherdwarf

2010-07-26T13:23:55Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|23:50, 11 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 1:0
| skill = Fisherdwarf
| profession = {{L|Fishery Worker}}
| job name = {{L|Fishing}}
| tasks =
* Fishing
| attributes =
* Focus
* Patience
}}
{{av}}

'''Fisherdwarves''' is the skill associated with the '''fishing''' {{L|labor}}. Fisherdwarves catch {{L|Fish|fish}} from available {{L|Water|water}} sources: ponds, {{L|Brook|brook}}s, {{L|River|river}}s, {{L|Lake|lake}}s and the {{L|Ocean|ocean}}. The higher the fisherdwarf skill, the faster they catch fish. Unfortunately they also deplete the stocks of fish in the water faster.

In order to have fisherdwarves catch fish, a {{L|zone}}({{k|i}}) must be created, and if there is any fish-bearing water inside, it can be set to be used for {{K|f}}ishing. Once this is done, any {{L|dwarf}} with the fishing labor enabled will occasionally go to a fishing zone to catch fish.

{{skills}}

v0.31:Herbalist

2010-07-26T13:22:45Z

Rmunn:

{{quality|Exceptional|08:00, 22 May 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 6:0
| skill = Herbalist
| profession = {{L|Farmer}}
| job name = Plant Gathering
| tasks =
* Gather plants
* Extract Plant Essence
| workshop = {{L|Still}}
| attributes =
* Memory
}}
{{av}}

The '''herbalist''' skill is used by dwarves with the '''plant gathering''' {{l|labor}}. They will gather from designated {{L|shrub|shrubs}} and harvest {{L|plant|plants}}.

== Uses ==

=== Food production ===

Herbalists are often used to help with food production in an early fortress as they do not require farm plots or other setup. Above ground, this skill works best in areas with thick vegetation like {{L|forest}}s and is nearly useless in sparsely vegetated biomes like {{L|desert}}s or {{L|badlands}}. Under ground, plant gathering can be a high risk activity in the caverns and production can be easily outstripped by farms. While plant gathering is less efficient than {{l|farming}} and significantly less reliable, it also requires minimal space and provides a relatively immediate payoff in comparison.

=== Gathering seeds ===
Plants gathered by herbalists can be eaten or processed to provide {{l|seed|seeds}} which can then be {{L|crop|planted}} in farms. For this reason, it is popular (if not necessary) to gather outdoor plants early in a fort's existence if one wants to grow outdoor crops.

==Speed of training==

Dwarves gain {{L|experience}} in plant gathering every time they pick over a shrub whether they are successful at harvesting anything or not. Training a completely unskilled dwarf to legendary status in this skill requires the harvesting of 600 plants, and can be done in less than a couple years. A legendary herbalist not suffering from any {{L|Skill#Skill_penalties|skill penalties}} will never fail to harvest a stack of four or five {{L|crop|plant}}s.

{{skills}}

v0.31:Cook

2010-07-26T13:21:38Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional}}
{{Skill
| color = 6:0
| skill = Cook
| profession = {{L|Farmer}}
| job name = Cooking
| workshop = {{L|Kitchen}}
| tasks =
* Prepare Easy Meal
* Prepare Fine Meal
* Prepare Lavish Meal
* Render Fat
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
* Creativity
}}
{{av}}

A '''Cook''' is a dwarf whose highest skill is in cooking. Cooks will prepare meals at the {{L|kitchen}} workshop using ingredients available in your fortress. They will also render {{L|fat}} into {{L|tallow}} at the kitchen. Both of these fall under the Cooking labor.

There are three kinds of meals- easy, fine, and lavish. An easy meal uses two components; a fine meal three components, and a lavish meal four components. The result is a stack of prepared food with the same size as the sum of the stack sizes of its components. Prepared meals can rot, but do so much more slowly than raw food, especially [[meat]].

Although some kinds of [[food]] can be eaten raw, other food resources are ingredients which are only edible when cooked into a meal. Cooking thus increases the number of food sources available to your fortress. Eating high quality prepared food also gives your dwarves happy [[thought]]s; a dwarf will also receive a happy thought if the meal contains one of their favorite foods. It is not precisely known how a cook's skill and the quality of ingredients affect the happiness generated by a meal, but as a general rule there's no such thing as "too good".

== Recipes ==
See also [[DF2010:Crop|List of Crops]] for ingredients.

Meals are prepared with a primary ingredient and 1~3 other ingredients. The primary ingredient determines what the meal will be called, and the remaining ingredients appear to be a random assortment of whatever is on hand. The result will be a stack of meals. The stack size is equal to the sum of the stack sizes of the ingredients.

Easy meals require two ingredients, and will be named "{last ingredient} biscuit". 
Fine meals require three ingredients, and will be named "{last ingredient} stew". 
Lavish meals require four ingredients, and will be named "{last ingredient} roast".

This table begins to show the interaction between preparation quality, and ingredient quality. The 'Value' column in the table is the total value of the stack divided by the number of portions in the stack, so that it is per portion.
{| class="wikitable" cellspacing="0" border="1" cellpadding="5"
|-
! Preparation
! Recipe
! Type
! Ingredients
! Value
|-
|(normal)
|Plump Helmet
|Biscuits
|2x minced Plump Helmet
|18
|-
|Well-Prepared
|Plump Helmet
|Biscuits
|2x minced Plump Helmet
|28
|-
|Well-Prepared
|Plump Helmet
|Biscuits
|1x minced Plump Helmet, 1x well-minced Plump Helmet
|32
|-
|Well-Prepared
|Plump Helmet
|Biscuits
|2x well-minced Plump Helmet
|36
|-
|Well-Prepared
|Plump Helmet
|Biscuits
|1x well-minced Plump Helmet, 1x finely minced Plump Helmet
|40
|}

== Boozecooking==
Currently0.31.08, a cook will first look for a solid ingredient and then consider liquid ingredients to cook with. This fixes a previous bug that surfaced when you cook only alcohol (or other liquid items like dwarven syrup).
{{skills}}

v0.31:Cheese maker

2010-07-26T13:21:05Z

Rmunn:

{{quality|Exceptional|23:21, 11 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 6:0
| skill = Cheese Maker
| profession = {{L|Farmer}}
| job name = Cheese Making
| workshop = {{L|Farmer's workshop}}
| tasks =
* Make cheese
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
* Creativity
}}
{{av}}

'''Cheese maker''' is the skill associated with the '''cheese making''' {{L|labor}}. Cheese makers turn {{L|milk}} into {{L|cheese}} at the {{L|farmer's workshop}}. Since {{L|skill}} does not produce higher quality cheese, a highly skilled cheese maker is not particularly valuable.{{verify}}

[[File:DF_Cheese.jpg|208px|thumb|right|A dwarf eating cheese]]

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Wound dresser

2010-07-26T13:19:54Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Fine}}
{{Skill
| color = 3:0
| skill = Wound Dresser
| specialty = Peasant
| profession = None
| job name = Dressing Wounds
| tasks =
* Applying bandages and casts{{verify}}
| attributes =
* Spatial Sense
* Empathy
}}
{{av}}

This skill is part of {{L|Healthcare}}, but dwarves having this skill are '''not''' classified as {{L|doctor}}s.

'''See also:'''

*{{L|Healthcare}}

{{skills}}

v0.31:Suturer

2010-07-26T13:19:28Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Fine}}
{{Skill
| color = 5:0
| skill = Suturer
| profession = Doctor
| job name = Suturing
| tasks =
* Stitch up cut?
| attributes =
* Focus
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

This dwarf is a member of the {{L|Healthcare}} Industry.

'''See also:'''

*{{L|Healthcare}}

{{skills}}

v0.31:Surgeon

2010-07-26T13:18:58Z

Rmunn:

{{buggy}}
{{Skill
| color = 5:0
| skill = Surgeon
| profession = Doctor
| job name = Surgery
| tasks =
* Surgery on injured dwarfs
| attributes =
* Focus
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

A dwarf with the '''surgery''' skill is called a '''surgeon'''.

The patient must be at rest to perform surgery. If patient is not at rest, surgeon will cancel surgery. The patient will stop resting when he gets too hungry or thirsty.

==Bugs==
Surgery still has a few bugs that occasionally result in surgery never being finished. Historically, surgery was a "useless" skill that would perform no function in versions prior to 0.31.04, but many of these have been fixed. Surgery is essential for treating badly wounded dwarves and is an essential part of Dwarven Healthcare. {{version|0.31.06}}

'''See also:'''

*{{L|Healthcare}}

{{skills}}

v0.31:Diagnostician

2010-07-26T13:18:17Z

Rmunn:

{{Skill
| color = 5:0
| skill = Diagnostician
| specialty = Diagnoser
| profession = Doctor
| job name = Diagnosis
| tasks =
* Diagnose wounded dwarves
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
* Memory
* Intuition
}}
{{av}}

The '''diagnostician''' skill is used in the {{L|Healthcare}} Industry, with the corresponding {{L|labor}} '''diagnosis'''. It is used in deciding how a dwarf is hurt and how to fix him.

'''See also:'''

*{{L|Healthcare}}

{{skills}}

v0.31:Crutch-walker

2010-07-26T13:17:47Z

Rmunn:

{{quality|Fine|08:00, 22 May 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 3:0
| skill = Crutch-walker
| specialty = Peasant
| profession = None
| job name = None
| tasks =
* Automatic, use crutch to walk after injury
| attributes =
* Willpower
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

Crutch walker is a skill, usually thought of as in the Healthcare Industry. It cannot be turned off and will be used by any dwarf that needs to use crutches. It is also attainable in Adventurer Mode by having a crutch in your possession.

'''See also:'''

*{{L|Healthcare}}

{{skills}}

v0.31:Bone doctor

2010-07-26T13:17:07Z

Rmunn:

{{Skill
| color = 5:0
| skill = Bone Doctor
| profession = Doctor
| job name = Setting Bones
| tasks =
* Fixing bone injuries
| attributes =
* Focus
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

This dwarf is a member of the {{L|Healthcare}} Industry, and is responsible for fixing and setting bone injuries.

Note that the healthcare industry is currently bugged.

'''See also:'''

*{{L|Healthcare}}

{{skills}}

v0.31:Trapper

2010-07-26T13:16:04Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|23:17, 11 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = #080
| skill = Trapper
| profession = {{L|Ranger}}
| job name = Trapping
| tasks =
* Capture a live land animal
* Trap construction
* Bait trap
| workshop =
* {{L|Kennel}}
* {{L|Butcher's shop}}
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
* Creativity
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

'''Trapper''' is the skill associated with the '''trapping''' labor. Trappers are involved in trapping small types of creatures, mainly {{l|vermin}}, through the use of {{l|animal trap|animal traps}}. Trapper dwarves automatically gather creatures caught by an animal trap, and are prepared to tame, however, should a dwarf come across it, it will be eaten, regardless if the dwarf detests it or not.

To trap an animal, either {{k|q}}uery a {{L|kennel}} or {{L|Butcher's shop}} and {{k|a}}dd a Capture {{k|s}}mall land animal task. The animal can then, if it is trainable, be {{L|animal training|trained}}.

{{skills}}

v0.31:Animal trainer

2010-07-26T13:15:16Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|23:12, 11 June 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Skill
| color = 2:0
| skill = Animal Trainer
| profession = {{L|Ranger}}
| job name = Animal Training
| tasks =
* Train {{L|dog|war animal}}
* Train {{L|dog|hunting animal}}
* Tame large animal
* Tame small animal
| workshop = {{L|Kennel}}
| attributes =
* Intuition
* Patience
* Empathy
}}
{{av}}

'''Animal trainer''' is the skill associated with the '''animal training''' {{L|labor}}. An animal trainer works at {{l|kennel}}, taming certain animals and turning some {{l|tame animals}} into war or hunting animals.

==Notes==

While the kennel's menu only offers the option 'train a war dog', in fact a wide range of animals can be trained. Also note that the queued task indeed is named 'train war animal'. The same goes for 'train a hunting dog'. Also, many exotic animals (signified by the {{L|Creature tokens#P|[PET_EXOTIC]}} tag in their {{L|raw file}}) require a {{L|Dungeon master}} in the fortress to allow animal trainers to train them.

== Trainable Animals ==

- {{L|Dog}} 
- {{L|Leopard}} 
- {{L|Lion}} 
- {{L|Tiger}} 
- {{L|Jaguar}} 
- {{L|Cheetah}} 
- {{L|Mandrill}} 
- {{L|Gorilla}} 
- {{L|Grizzly bear}} 
- {{L|Polar bear}} 
- {{L|Giant eagle}} 
- {{L|Elephant}} 
- {{L|Giant bat}} (hunting only) 
- {{L|Giant cave swallow}} (hunting only) 
- {{L|Dragon}} 

{{skills}}

v0.31:Animal caretaker

2010-07-26T13:14:01Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Fine|08:20, 31 May 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Buggy}}
{{Skill
| color = 2:0
| skill = Animal Caretaker
| profession = {{L|Ranger}}
| job name = Animal Caretaking
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
* Memory
* Empathy
}}
{{av}}

{{L|Dwarves}} with the '''Animal Caretaking''' labor enabled should attempt to treat any injured {{L|pet}} assigned to them. This is either not implemented yet or bugged. Animals will heal on their own or not at all.

{{skills}}

v0.31:Animal caretaker

2010-07-26T13:12:43Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Fine|08:20, 31 May 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Buggy}}
{{Skill
| color = 2:0
| skill = Animal Caretaker
| profession = {{L|Ranger}}
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
* Memory
* Empathy
}}
{{av}}

{{L|Dwarves}} with the '''Animal Caretaking''' labor enabled should attempt to treat any injured {{L|pet}} assigned to them. This is either not implemented yet or bugged. Animals will heal on their own or not at all.

{{skills}}

v0.31:Animal caretaker

2010-07-26T13:12:27Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Fine|08:20, 31 May 2010 (UTC)}}
{{Buggy}}
{{Skill
| color = 2:0
| skill = Animal Caretaker
| profession = {{L|Ranger}}
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
* Memory
* Empathy
{{av}}

{{L|Dwarves}} with the '''Animal Caretaking''' labor enabled should attempt to treat any injured {{L|pet}} assigned to them. This is either not implemented yet or bugged. Animals will heal on their own or not at all.

{{skills}}

v0.31:Ambusher

2010-07-26T13:08:50Z

Rmunn:

{{Quality|Exceptional|10:50, 12 July 2010 (UTC)}}
{{buggy|bugsection=Bugs}}
{{Skill
| color = 2:0
| skill = Ambusher
| specialty = Hunter
| profession = {{L|Ranger}}
| job name = Hunting
| tasks =
* Hunt
| attributes =
* Focus
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}

{{L|Dwarves}} with the '''hunting''' {{L|labor}} enabled automatically use the '''ambusher''' skill while hunting outside of the fortress, which allows them to sneak up on their prey. The ambusher skill is listed among the 'misc' skills. Dwarves using the ambush skill move more slowly, but, if successful, cannot be seen by enemies. Once close enough, the ambusher skill is no longer relevant, and the hunter will engage in standard {{L|combat}} with their prey using their crossbow.

Since hunting is employed by players with varying success and your military will go after any game that looks at them funny anyway, you might be better off doing the good old 'hunt with your military'. After all, your military can be told to pick a specific target, and, more convenient, to ''stop'', too.

==Caveats==
A dwarf with the hunting labor enabled will sleep outside and drink water{{verify}}, causing unhappy thoughts{{verify}}. It may thus be necessary to watch the mood of a full-time hunter and take him off the job in time.

Animals will appear randomly on the edge of a map, especially once the map is cleared of all wildlife. This can result in your {{L|hoary marmot|marmot}} hunter suddenly having an unpleasant chitchat with an {{L|elephant}}, {{L|giant eagle}}, or worse.

==Adventurer mode {{verify}} ==
In {{L|adventurer mode}}, ambusher skill is gained by moving around while {{key|S}}neaking. This will greatly reduce your speed just as it does in dwarf mode, but will cause hostile {{L|creatures}} to not attack you. Until you un{{key|S}}neak or someone spots you, you will gain a small amount of {{L|experience}} in ambushing with every step. Presently, smashing a creature's skull in with your bare hands does not count as being spotted, so the best way to tell if you're still sneaking is to check your speed in the bottom right of the screen. Ambusher also helps prevent encounters from enemies while travelling on the world map{{verify}}.

== Hunting ==
A hunter picks a mark at random, which he then pursues, ignoring other animals and enemies{{verify}}. Hunters seem to switch marks under certain circumstances. As an ambusher gets closer to his prey, there is a greater and greater chance he or she will be spotted by the animal and stop ambushing. Higher skill allows dwarves to get closer before being spotted, and also increases the speed at which a dwarf can move while sneaking.

Generally, when the dwarf is within shooting range she will move to engage. From there, the ambusher skill has no effect, and only combat skills are used.

Upon killing the prey, a hunter will usually carry it home to the {{L|butcher's shop}}. A hunter may kill other {{L|creatures}} that are closer to them than the fleeing mark he is intent on catching{{verify}}. They will ignore the accidental carcass and only bring home a carcass they have marked beforehand. This means that sometimes multiple dead critters per hunt will be lying about and start rotting around the map if you do not set the refuse orders to 'gather refuse from outside' ({{L|corpse}}s count as refuse). If you do this and have a good system of {{L|stockpile}}s, available dwarf haulers and a map free of menacing critters (like with calm {{L|surroundings}}), then you should have the outside of your fort just as tidy as the inside, and will be able to salvage the corpses. If you do that on the wrong map, you will see some dwarf carcasses added instead.

==Postprocessing==
The same caution is advised to the slaughtering process. Hunters will drop carcasses directly into the butchery{{verify}}, which will make it cluttered very fast. Animals upon being butchered explode into many many parts, and the clutter will make the {{L|butcher}} work many times slower. {{L|Stockpiles}} and {{L|haulers}} are required, or your animal corpses will rot even while in the butchery and you will lose the {{L|skin}}, {{L|meat}}, {{L|fat}} and ({{L|food}}). Bones and skulls can be salvaged even from rotting corpses{{verify}}. It can also happen that your butcher is not fast enough and some hauler takes a corpse from the butchery and puts it on a refuse pile{{verify}}. Usually this shouldn't be a problem as your butcher will pick it up from there - if the refuse pile is close by.

If you don't have a good stocking and hauling system, you will not get all of the kill, and the {{L|craftsdwarf}} unfortunate enough to need the bones from the rotted critters will have to go out alone several times to get them every time which places a huge strain on production speed and safety.

==Dogs==
You can assign {{L|Dog#Hunting_Dogs|hunting dog}}s to your {{L|hunter|hunter}}s, which can sneak alongside their masters and attack the hunter's prey. You can also assign {{L|Dog#War_Dogs|War dog}}s, which are much stronger and can help take down bigger game, but cannot sneak and may rush into combat early.

== Weapons and Tactics ==
You should consider training hunters in wrestling in order for them to defend themselves. Wrestling will help them to break the jaw-grips that the enemy critter places on him, and will help the dwarf wrestle on his own and even place his own jaw grips if both of his hands are incapacitated, and is the only option if a weapon is dropped or stuck in the animal. You should also consider training them in the {{L|Weapon skill|hammerdwarf}} skill, as a crossbow is used with this skill if an animal engages in melee against a marksdwarf, and hunters will fight to the death even if they run out of {{L|bolt}}s{{verify}}. Without bolts, he must fight with the butt of the crossbow, which functions similarly to a {{L|Dwarven_weapon#War_hammer|hammer}}.

Using your military to hunt can be safer and more efficient than using hunters, particularly if they are agile enough to simply outrun the creatures.

Be warned that hunters will not stop their current hunt if you disable their hunting labor; hence, your dwarf may end up hunting whatever creatures spawn next, with potentially suicidal results. This may be avoidable by disabling the labor while hunting or returning the kill.

== Free equipment ==
Any dwarf given ambusher skill at Novice level or better before embarking will get a free set of leather armor (leather armor, leather leggings, leather low or high boots, and leather helm or steel cap); a crossbow (made of copper, bronze, bismuth bronze, iron, or steel); and a quiver with 30-40 steel bolts. All of these items will be of ordinary {{L|quality|quality}}.

This equipment will only be given if ambusher is the dwarf's highest skill; a Proficient Ambusher/Proficient Cook will have {{L|farmer}} as a profession, and will not receive any equipment. However, ambushers with other {{L|ranger}} skills, even ones higher than their ambusher skill, will still receive this equipment{{verify}}, as will ambushers with {{L|military}} skills at any level{{verify}}. (Separately, military skills will not influence what equipment is given: speardwarves will arrive at the site carrying nothing, and speardwarf/ambushers will arrive with the crossbow given to all ambushers. {{L|Armor user|Armor user}} and {{L|shield user|shield user}} have no effect either.)

You can also get the freebies by giving a social/administration skilled dwarf a point in ambusher{{verify}}.

Any {{L|immigration|immigrating}} hunters will receive a full set of proper equipment.

A hunter armed with a {{L|crossbow}} will increase both his {{L|Marksman|marksdwarf}} and ambusher {{L|skill}}s.

==Bugs==
As of 31.01 there are several severe bugs logged in the bug tracker associated with the hunting labor.
* Hunters refuse to wear armor [http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=76] {{verify}}
* Migrant hunters sometimes arrive with the hunting labor turned off, causing them to drop their equipment at the edge of the map [http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=110]

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Wood cutter

2010-07-26T13:06:51Z

Rmunn:

{{Skill
| color = 6:1
| skill = Wood Cutter
| specialty = Woodcutter
| profession = {{L|Woodworker}}
| job name = Wood Cutting
| tasks =
* Chop down trees
| workshop =
* None, but needs {{L|axe}}
| attributes =
* Willpower
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{Quality|Exceptional|22:57, 11 June 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}

{| style="border-spacing: 0" margin="1" align="left"
|{{RT0|,|2:0}}
|{{RT0|.|2:0}}
|{{RT0|'|2:0}}
|{{RT0|,|2:0}}
|{{RT0|`|2:0}}
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|{{RT0|♣|2:0}}
|{{RT0|,|2:0}}
|{{RT0|,|2:0}}
|-
|{{RT0|.|2:0}}
|{{RT0|`|2:0}}
|{{RT0|☺|6:1}}
|{{RT|♣|0:6:0}}
|{{RT0|,|2:0}}
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|-
|{{RT0|▬|6:0}}
|{{RT0|,|2:0}}
|{{RT0|▬|6:0}}
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|{{RT0|.|2:0}}
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|{{RT|♣|0:6:0}}
|{{RT0|,|2:0}}
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|{{RT0|,|2:0}}
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|{{RT0|♣|2:0}}
|}

'''Wood cutter''' is the skill associated with the '''wood cutting''' {{L|labor}}. Wood cutters cut down {{L|tree}}s to create {{L|wood}} logs. Wood cutters need a {{L|battle axe}} to perform this labor.

To designate trees to be cut, you can {{L|Designations|designate}} some trees for logging using the keys {{key|d}}-{{key|t}}, then define a rectangle using the {{k|enter}} key, as with all designations. Any trees within the rectangle will then be cut down.

A wood cutter also requires an available {{L|axe}}. The quality or material of the axe appears to have no effect on any aspect of wood cutting - a {{L|quality|no-quality}} {{L|copper}} axe is the same as a {{L|quality|masterwork}} {{L|steel}}, {{L|adamantine}} or even wooden {{L|Training Axe}}. (The same is not true for axes in {{L|weapon|combat}}.)

Immigrant wood cutters will not bring an axe with them.{{verify}} (carpenters will, though){{version|0.31.08}}

{{Skills}}

v0.31:Miner

2010-07-26T13:04:50Z

Rmunn:

{{Skill
| color = 7:0
| skill = Miner
| profession = Miner
| job name = {{L|Mining}}
| tasks =
* {{L|Dig}}
| attributes =
* Willpower
* Spatial Sense
}}
{{av}}{{Quality|Exceptional|22:35, 11 June 2010 (UTC)}}

'''Miner''' is the skill associated with the '''mining''' {{L|labor}}. It is also the associated profession. Miners are necessary to build any kind of {{L|fortress}} involving {{L|stone}}, or that is {{L|underground}}.

Skill level increases the speed of mining and also increases the chance of leaving behind {{L|stone}}, {{L|ore}} or {{L|gem|gems}} depending on the material mined. High skill can actually be undesirable, since excess stone can be a nuisance. However, miners gain skill extremely quickly so some amount of stone is unavoidable. Miners are required to dig tunnels, {{L|channel|channels}}, {{L|stair|stairs}}, and {{L|ramp|ramps}}, as well as remove said stairs and ramps. Miners require a {{L|pick}} to do any work.

In order for any mining to be done the {{L|Designations}} menu must be used.

If valuable gems or ores are being mined, it is best to use a Legendary miner. {{L|Burrow|Burrows}} can be used to restrict a certain mining expedition to only certain dwarves.

=== Mining behaviour ===
{{Main|Mining}}

If a large area is designated for mining, miners will all tend to clear out the left side first, working from the top down as much as possible. This is not an absolute, but a strong tendency.

Once mining, a dwarf will automatically continue on to mine any connected tiles (on the same level) designated for mining, even diagonally, rather than shift to mine a discontinuous tile.

Dwarves do not tend to see tiles on different levels as "connected" (for instance, an {{L|stairs|up-stair}} below a {{L|stairs|down-stair}}), and will tend to clear one level before moving on to another, even to the point of moving far across a map to do so. They seem to mine top levels over lower ones.

If no mining-designated tile is connected, they will then shift, seeking to mine a top-left designated tile on a top-most level.

{{Skills}}
{{Category|Professions}}

Template:Skill

2010-07-26T12:58:25Z

Rmunn: Added place in skills template to put the attributes affecting that skill

<includeonly>{| style='border: 1px solid #000; width: 17em; border-spacing: 0; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; float: right'
|+ '''{{{skill|Skill}}}'''
|-
! colspan="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa; background: #eee; padding: 0.1em 0.25em" | Association
| style='width: 0.5em; background: {{fgcolor|{{{color|5:1}}}}}; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa; border-left: 1px solid #aaa' rowspan='0'|  
|-
! style="text-align: left; white-space: nowrap; font-weight: normal; padding: 0.1em 0.25em" | Profession
| style="padding: 0.1em 0.25em" | {{{profession|<div style='text-align: right'>—</div>}}}
{{#ifeq:{{NAMESPACE}}|23a||
{{!-}}
! style="text-align: left; white-space: nowrap; font-weight: normal; padding: 0.1em 0.25em" {{!}} Job Title
{{!}} style="padding: 0.1em 0.25em" {{!}} {{{specialty|{{{skill|<div style='text-align: right'>—</div>}}}}}}
}}
|-
! style="text-align: left; white-space: nowrap; font-weight: normal; padding: 0.1em 0.25em" | {{L|Labor}}
| style="padding: 0.1em 0.25em" | {{{job name|<div style='text-align: right'>—</div>}}}
|-
! colspan="3" style="border-top: 1px solid #aaa; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa; background: #eee; padding: 0.1em 0.25em" | Tasks
|-
| colspan="3" |
{{{tasks|<div style='text-align: center; padding: 0.2em 0'>''None''</div>}}}
|-
! colspan="3" style="border-top: 1px solid #aaa; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa; background: #eee; padding: 0.1em 0.25em" | Workshop
|-
| colspan="3" |
{{{workshop|<div style='text-align: center; padding: 0.2em 0'>''None''</div>}}}
|-
! colspan="3" style="border-top: 1px solid #aaa; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa; background: #eee; padding: 0.1em 0.25em" | Attributes
|-
| colspan="3" |
{{{attributes|<div style='text-align: center; padding: 0.2em 0'>''None''</div>}}}
|}{{#ifeq:{{NAMESPACE}}|Template||{{Category|Skills}}}}</includeonly><noinclude>
{{Skill
| color = 5:0
| skill = Building Designer
| specialty = Architect
| profession = {{L|Administrator}}
| job name = Architecture
| tasks =
* Design buildings
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
* Creativity
* Spatial Sense
}}
Usage:
<pre><nowiki>
{{Skill
| color = 5:0
| skill = Building Designer
| specialty = Architect
| profession = {{L|Administrator}}
| job name = Architecture
| tasks =
* Design buildings
| attributes =
* Analytical Ability
* Creativity
* Spatial Sense
}}
</nowiki></pre>
[[Category:Templates]]</noinclude>

v0.31:Aquifer

2010-07-26T12:24:36Z

Rmunn: Fixed link target to jump to correct location

{{quality|Masterwork|08:00, 22 May 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}
An '''aquifer''' is a subterranean layer of {{l|water}}-bearing rock or {{l|soil}}. Attempts to mine through them will result in the mined-out squares immediately filling with {{l|water}}, effectively halting excavation at or below their level. This, in conjunction with the fact that they are often located in areas rich in {{l|loam}}, and {{l|sand}}, makes it difficult to find great quantities of {{l|stone}} in areas with aquifers, making for more challenging gameplay.

Aquifers can't be drained - they are infinite. {{l|stone detailing|Smoothed}} aquifer stone stops producing water. Aquifers located in {{l|water#Salt_Water|saltwater}} areas will produce salty water. Aquifers do not only produce water - if the water is pressurized, an aquifer tile may instead absorb it. Just like with water production, this ability will not be disabled no matter how much water it absorbs.

== Where they are found ==
Aquifers are found in most {{L|soil}} layers and some porous rock layers. They often span several rock layers. They are recognizable at the embark screen by the {{Tile|≈≈≈≈≈|1:0:1}} to the right of that layer.

Layers which CAN contain aquifers:
*{{L|sandy clay loam}}
*{{L|silty clay loam}}
*{{L|loam}}
*{{L|sandy loam}}
*{{L|silt loam}}
*{{L|loamy sand}}
*{{L|silt}}
*{{L|sand (tan)|sand}}
*{{L|yellow sand}}
*{{L|white sand}}
*{{L|black sand}}
*{{L|red sand}}
*{{L|peat}}
*{{L|pelagic clay}}
*{{L|calcareous ooze}}
*{{L|siliceous ooze}}
*{{L|sandstone}}
*{{L|conglomerate}}
*{{L|puddingstone}}
Layers which CAN'T contain aquifers
*{{L|clay}}
*{{L|silty clay}}
*{{L|sandy clay}}
*{{L|clay loam}}
*{{L|siltstone}}
*{{L|mudstone}}

== Dealing with aquifers ==

===The ore method===
On maps where the aquifer is not held in a layer of soil, but instead is held in a {{L|sedimentary layer|sedimentary layer}} such as sandstone, it may be possible to tunnel down through deposits of ore such as magnetite. For this to work you have to find a spot where there is coincidentally an ore deposit on each Z-level you need to dig through. This is only possible through tiresome trial and error, or through the use of a utility like reveal.exe.

===The magma/obsidian method===
If you have access to a supply of magma, you can create your own obsidian caissons. By channeling into the aquifer layer and then filling these channels with magma, it is possible to create a wall of obsidian between your working area and the {{l|water}}-bearing rock or {{l|soil}}. However, changes to world generation with the last version have made this method more difficult than it once was, as it is now harder to find magma vents that extend above the aquifer level.

===The cave-in method===
If there are enough layers above the aquifer, then letting non aquifer rock fall into the aquifer layer gives an area of dig-able rock. This requires at least 2 natural dry layers. If multiple aquifer layers are to be breached, things get more complicated. First {{l| channel}} out the area of aquifer that will be replaced. Then dig out all connecting floors and walls to the block that will fall (build a support to hold it until you are ready for collision). A {{l| burrow}} may be useful to assign unnecessary dwarves to a safe area. When everyone is clear, de-construct the support with a lever. (If you forgot to bring stone, then you may instead build a constructed floor to support it, designate it to be destroyed, and have a {{l|hospital}} standing ready in case the unlucky one survives.)

After the collapse, do not dig out the outer edge of the fallen rock.

This does not work with {{l| wood}} walls since they deconstruct on cave-in.

If you build many rings inside one another in your top drop layer, you can breach multi-level aquifers with as little as 2 natural layers of dry soil above it. Drop the rings from the outside to the inside using constructed arms to hold the center rings in place. Once a ring drops into the water below it, pump out the water in the center and dig down another layer. When that is complete, drop the next ring and continue the process until you are through. Since you start dropping rings from the outside it is necessary to know how many levels deep the aquifer is before you begin.

'''Note:'''There is a bug that may prevent this method from working, collapsed layers may turn into the aquifer layer type that the layer lands on.

===The freezing method===

If you are playing in a freezing or very cold landscape, where it snows in winter and instantly freezes water on the map, you can dig out a 3x3 hole in the ground using {{l|channel}}s, and make it deeper and deeper until you reach the aquifer level. Once you reach the damp rock, tunnel into it with an up/down staircase - the incoming water will freeze after a few moments. The central square of the 3x3 hole should be tunnelable ice, so you can get to the rock beneath. If there are two aquifer levels, for example, you can just make a larger initial hole, and make a smaller one for the level after.

If your fortress is in a zone that gets warm, build walls around the inside of the hole to stop the water coming in once the ice melts.

Note: There is a bug that may prevent this from working, sometimes ice walls don't produce an ice floor tile above them, instead leaving it as "open space" which prevents the player from digging downwards. <s>To correct that, set the tile 1 z-level '''ABOVE''' your missing ice floor tile as a {{l|pond}}, and '''FILL IT'''. The first {{l|bucket}} of water that goes on it will create that missing ice floor tile the instant the water is dumped on it, and you will receive a cancellation message that the pond has gone away. Dezone the pond {{l|activity zone}}, and get back to work breaching that ice. Keep in mind that you will need an '''unfrozen water source''' to use to fill your bucket, so have a working {{l|well}} or underground pond ready beforehand for this to work.</s>
While the above will work, a much better method is to construct a wooden (or stone, if you have any) floor and then remove it. After the floor is removed, a natural ice floor will remain.

===The pump method===

The pumping method uses multiple {{L|screw pump|pumps}} to keep an area dry long enough to smooth or {{l|wall}} off the edges, stopping the flow of water. It requires no special environment or resources, other than wood and dwarves (and patience). Most commonly, a moderately sized section of the aquifer layer is channeled out and several screw pumps are built facing it. Directly behind each of the screw pumps a few tiles are channeled out to receive and dispose of the pumped water. When the pumps are activated, they should pump water faster than the aquifer can produce it, allowing masons to smooth or build walls around your future staircase. You ''will'' get job cancellations during this process, as stray 2/7's of water interrupt the building process. Just unsuspend construction when this happens, as long a dwarf manages to touch the wall before canceling, it will move incrementally toward completion and eventually finish. Depending on the availability of screw pumps and dwarves, you may need to wall off one corner or side at a time, then move the pumps and repeat. When drilling through more than one aquifer layer, be sure to leave yourself enough room to build additional layers of pumps and water disposal channels on lower levels.

Things to consider:
* Flowing water will cause parents to drop their infants, leading to job cancellations and occasionally <s>hilarity</s> <s>tragedy</s> hilarity.
* Mechanical {{l|power}} may come in handy, but dwarf power works just fine and is much more portable.
* Channels can sometimes be used in place of walls, causing water produced by by the aquifer on one level to immediately fall and be consumed by the aquifer on the level below.
* This method may take a while.
* Aquifers do not create water in diagonal tiles, but do create water in hollow tiles directly below them. Therefore, you will want to dig two z-levels below the lowest aquifer layer before continuing with your fortress.

===The modding method===

By editing the the raws and removing the [AQUIFER] tag from all of the appropriate entries in inorganic_stone_layer.txt and inorganic_stone_soil.txt it is possible to remove all aquifers from the world. Make sure you do this before creating a new world to play on. ''(Then again, why not just embark on a place that isn't all aquifer... what are you looking for, [[adamantine]]?)'' Some might regard this method as cheating, however, so use it at your own risk.

===Breaking through to an existing space===

With a typical double-layer aquifer (with an unsafe layer beneath it that fills from above) it is not easy to push through a stairwell where you'd like, even if you have access to the space beneath. Start by ensuring 24 building materials (wood or stone) are available close by on the layer above the top aquifer, and that a ''large'' space (at least 25x25 or so, preferably larger) is available on the top safe layer under the aquifer, four layers beneath the first. Dig or build an up-down stair at the same position on the upper and lower safe levels, and surround the top up-down stair with 8 down-stairs for better access. Have at least three legendary diggers and half a dozen moderately skilled masons close by and idle. It also helps to have a stairway or open space leading down from the lower level to relieve water buildup at the point you'll make the hole.

Start by digging an up/down stairway upward from the bottom safe stairway into the bottom (third) layer. Water will start pouring out into the bottom level. Designate the next two squares up (on the aquifer levels) as up-down stairs to link the two, and wait until the diggers get started on them. Then designate a 3x3x3 block around these as up-down stairs on the two aquifer levels and the unsafe level beneath. Once they're built very large amounts of water will be pouring down into the lower space. ''Warning:'' unlike in the previous version, diggers now make a habit of cancelling designations that they feel they can't get to, such as if the lower level is too flooded for them to approach. Make sure all 27 up-down stairs are dug out ASAP. Then wall six squares on the top level (leaving two to be walled once the corners are filled in), and proceed downward from completed walls until you've walled squares on all three levels. After you finish, I'm not sure if it's technically necessary to construct up-down stairs in the space you dug out by designation in order to stop all water leakage.

===Going around===

If your embark site is covered by multiple biomes, there is a good chance the aquifer is not present in every biome. You might be able to dig down through a biome that doesn't have an aquifer, to a Z-level below the aquifer, and then (if you wish) tunnel beneath the aquifer to the previously inaccessible region.

Even if all the biomes of your site contain aquifers, they might not all be at the same Z-level. So you still might be able to dig down in one biome, reaching a Z-level beneath the aquifer in another biome.

{{World}}

[[Category:World]]

v0.31:Thought

2010-07-23T13:04:58Z

Rmunn:

{{quality|Fine|08:00, 22 May 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}

Over time dwarves will have different thoughts. In the latest version of DF, the rate at which a dwarf gains certain thoughts is controlled by personality modifiers. Thoughts have effects on the dwarf's happiness.

The change in {{L|Status icon|status}} that triggers bad thoughts about thirst, hunger, and fatigue can also slow the speed at which a dwarf works and moves.

To view a dwarf's thoughts, press {{key|k}}, move the cursor to the dwarf, and press {{key|enter}} twice.
Now you will see a page describing the dwarf's feelings and thoughts, physical description, and a set of phrases describing personality traits.

==Happy Thoughts==
{| border = "1"
|-
!Thought
!Triggered by
|-
|Slept in a (good quality) {{L|bedroom}} recently
|self-explaining
|-
|Dined in a (good quality) {{L|dining room}} lately
|self-explaining
|-
|Admired a (good quality) (object) lately
|Was near (how near?) a constructed piece of {{L|furniture}} and noticed it (what are the chances of noticing an object?)
|-
|Talked with a spouse lately
|(when do dwarfs talk with each other?) (Both need to be idle and in the same room. Applies to the one below too.)
|-
|Talked with a friend lately
|(when do dwarfs talk with each other?)
|-
|Made a friend recently
|(how do dwarfs make friends?) (Idle, same room, dorf that likes socializing)
|-
|Had a {{L|soap|nice bath}} recently
|self-explaining
|-
|Was comforted by a lovely {{L|waterfall}} lately
|Saw a waterfall.
|-
|Was glad to have {{L|justice|punishment}} delayed recently
|When the dwarf isn't punished.
|-
|Satisfied at work lately
|When the dwarf works with materials, items or animals he/she likes.
|-
|Took someone to {{L|hospital|bed}} recently
|Moved an unconscious (usually injured) dwarf to a bed.
|-
|Enjoyed throwing something recently
|Threw an item during a {{L|tantrum}}
|-
|Enjoyed smashing a building recently
|Destroyed a building or piece of furniture during a {{L|tantrum}}
|-
|Enjoyed starting a fist fight recently
|Attacked another dwarf during a {{L|tantrum}}
|-
|is quite pleased with making an {{L|artifact}}
|made an artifact
|-
|Took joy in slaughter lately
|Had a fight with an enemy
|-
|Adopted a new pet recently
|self-explaining
|}

==Unhappy Thoughts==
{| border = "1"
|-
!Thought
!Triggered by
|-
|Dummy|Has complained of (hunger|thirst) lately
|Got hungry/thirsty and didn't reach food immediately (how long?)
|-
|Has been starved recently
|Got hungry and didn't reach food for a long (how long?) time
|-
|Has complained of the nasty water lately
|Got thirsty and had to drink from open water because no alcohol or at least a well was available
|-
|Has been tired lately
|Became sleepy but wasn't able to sleep because a task had to be completed
|-
|Complained of the lack of chairs lately
|Was eating and couldn't find an unoccupied {{L|chair}}
|-
|Complained of the lack of dining tables lately
|Was eating and couldn't find an unused {{L|table}} next to the chair it sat on while eating
|-
|Slept uneasily due to noise lately
|Was sleeping in the zone of influence of a {{L|noise}} source
|-
|Slept without a proper room recently
|Was sleeping and couldn't find a bed designated as a {{L|bedroom}} not assigned to someone else
|-
|Slept in the mud recently
|Could not find any {{L|bed}} for sleeping
|-
|Was caught in the rain recently
|Went outside while it was {{L|weather|raining}}
|-
|Was irritated by the sun lately
|Is suffering from {{L|cave adaptation}} and went outside
|-
|Was annoyed by flies
|Exposed to {{L|vermin}}
|-
|Has a miscarriage recently
|pregnant dwarfs that lose their baby before birth (like female military getting to much into the lower body)
|-
|Has witnessed death
|Present while another dwarf died.
|-
|Lost a friend to tragedy recently
|A dwarf with relationship status "Friend" died
|-
|Forced to endure the decay of a friend/pet
|The body of a dead friend/pet wasn't buried in a {{L|coffin}} fast enough (how fast do bodies need to be buried?) (Before generating miasma (rotting))
|-
|}

==Negative Thought Modifiers==
* "is quick to tire"

==Positive Thought Modifiers==

==Effects of Thoughts==

{{Category|Thoughts}}

v0.31 Talk:Swimmer

2010-07-23T12:43:09Z

Rmunn: Created page with '== Swimming training == The page text says that "[t]raining your little ones just requires a place of constantly or temporarily 4-6/7 water. To keep them there you can use milit…'

== Swimming training ==

The page text says that "[t]raining your little ones just requires a place of constantly or temporarily 4-6/7 water. To keep them there you can use military orders or make rooms like a meeting hall." However, I have found that filling a room with water and then making it a meeting hall does ''not'' work for swimming training -- dwarves with no swimming skill refuse to enter the room. And I don't want to draft my initial 7 dwarves into the military yet, since they have so much civilian work to do getting my fortress built.

One approach that should work, though I have not yet tested it, would be to get idle dwarves into a meeting hall, lock the doors, and then have Urist McLeverpuller empty a carefully-measured reservoir into the room.

v0.31:Sock

2010-07-23T12:16:47Z

Rmunn: Redirected page to Clothing

#REDIRECT [[Clothing]]

v0.31:Siege

2010-07-22T00:07:23Z

Rmunn: Fix some grammar mistakes left behind by an earlier large-scale edit

{{quality|Fine|08:00, 22 May 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}

'''Sieges''' are large scale assaults on your fortress by other {{L|civilization}}s. They are announced with the message screen "''A vile force of darkness has arrived!''", and the main screen shows "SIEGE" tag along the top for the duration.

=== Structure of a siege ===

Siege forces usually consist of several unit groups. Using the {{L|goblin}}s as an example, they typically attack with several 'squads', each consisting of several goblins of one military class (ex swordsman, lasher, etc) and often one 'squad leader' (typically an Elite or better, which need not be the same class as the squad it leads). Occasionally, a squad will be mounted - this means each of its members will be riding a suitable {{L|creature}}, though the creatures typically vary between members. These mounts can change the combat dynamics, since some can fly, are {{L|building destroyer}}s, or have substantially different combat traits than a goblin (for example a {{L|Jabberer}} tends to grab {{L|bodyparts}} and tear them off).

After being sufficiently "successful" at defending against the siege (killing sufficient attackers, waiting them out, or some combination thereof), the attackers will retreat. All of the remaining squads and groups will head for the map edges and leave, typically favoring the edge they entered from. Once the last of the siegers leave, the "SIEGE" tag will go away.

Different races will favor different styles of attack during sieges. The following attack styles were observed in 40d; it remains to be seen if these traits are still present in 31.

=== {{L|Goblin}} sieges ===

Sometimes goblins will charge blindly toward your fortress and attempt kill your {{L|dwarves}}. 
Goblins sieges often include groups of {{L|Troll}}s, that can {{L|Building destroyer|break buildings}}. Unlike the squads, however, the troll 'groups' usually enter the map in single file, somewhat akin to arriving {{L|migrants}}, usually possess random civilian classes, and show little of the organized behavior of the squads. 
Sometimes goblins come with {{L|cave crocodile}}s or {{L|giant olm}}s. Giant olms and crocodiles can breath under water, which means they might be able to swim through your moat. Goblins can also ride {{L|Kennel|tamed}} {{L|giant bat}}s or {{L|Giant cave swallow}}s making them able to fly over you fortress {{L|wall}}s.

=== {{L|Elf|Elven}} sieges ===

It is possible to have elven attacks as well, but that usually requires some effort on part of the player. If you don't want to be attacked by elves, you should not offer them goods made of wood. You might also avoid to clear too much woodland, since elves can feel offended by that. 
Elves use stealthed squads, ala goblin ambushes, to hide their numbers and locations. {{verify}}

=== {{L|Human}} sieges ===

Humans may also siege you should their {{L|diplomat}} die while visiting your fortress or if too many of their trade wagons get destroyed. 
Humans would sometimes set up a camp near the map edge they arrived on, harassing wandering dwarves and waiting for you to come to them instead of blindly charging toward your fortress.{{verify}}

{{Expand Topic}}

{{Military v0.31}}

v0.31:Known bugs and issues

2010-07-19T17:05:44Z

Rmunn:

{{AV}}
'''PLEASE SUBMIT BUGS TO THE OFFICIAL BUG TRACKER - THEY WON'T GET FIXED IF THEY ARE ONLY LISTED HERE.''' 
'''[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/ Dwarf Fortress Bug Tracker]'''

'''Please link to the mantis tracker issue as well as the forum post if possible.'''

'''This page recently underwent a major cleanup edit. See the talk page for more info.'''

:As the version is new, and we're still discovering bugs, a lot of unverifiable information is going to get added to this thread. It is recommended that new entries be added with "'''(confirmation needed)'''", and that others can discuss and document each bug on the discussion page. Following confirmation of a bug with a specific description of what's occurring, the parenthetical can be removed.

:Please also read the 'Not Actually Bugs' section before adding bug reports!

==Not Actually Bugs==
*When choosing material for a squad item, there are hundreds of "forgotten beast leather" to choose from.
:This is because there are hundreds of different forgotten beasts.

*Making adamantine items sometimes results in "Urist McArmorer, Armorer cancels Forge adamantine cloak: Needs 10000 adamantine cloth." Likewise making pearlash can yield "...cancels Make pearlash. Needs 150 pearlash."
:This happens if you don't have enough cloth/wafers/strands, if you have enough it works nicely. This is probably due to the fact that cloth can be consumed "in pieces" now for medical purposes.

*Animals are listed twice on the embark screen.
:They're listed twice because they separately list males and females.

*Weird red C in top left corner
:"''' C '''" means new combat report
:"''' H '''" means new hunting message
:"''' S '''" means new sparring message
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=52514.0 Forum Link]

*No option for magma in the finder
:[[Magma]] is guaranteed everywhere now.

*Unable to add items or skill points on the embarking screen.
:Check your keybindings! By default the keys to add and remove items and skills are + and - on the numpad.

*{{L|Wrestling}} will take much longer than combat using any kind of weapon (unlike in 40d.)

*When iron men and Bronze Colossuses die, the statues that make up their corpses adopt images of creatures (I.e: Statue of a dwarf 1) and events. The molten metal falling from them will make statues out of any corpses below where they died.

*All fish are mentioned twice.
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123220#msg1123220 Forum Link]
:Not a bug. Each creature has a male and a female caste, and each caste shows up on embark.
== Embarking ==

*You can embark with some rather unrealistic prepared foods (such as fly brains, which in real life go at about 900 thousand brains to the pound). These unrealistic foods have also been seen in trading. This may be related to further issues involving vermin's organs. (Each 'Unit' of Food is representative of enough food to feed a dwarf for just over a month.)

*No easy way to quit from the embark screen. You cannot quit once you press "Dwarf Fortress" until you've actually embarked unless you kill the process. (You also cannot redefine keys, and as before laptop +-*/ don't work by default)
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=20 Bug Tracker] --'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.07}}

*You may get a "Cavern Collapse" announcement as soon as you arrive. (Perhaps many times, if you have a volcano in your ocean...)
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=51 Bug Tracker]

*Trying to reclaim for some sites causes df to crash (noticed with a site that had dug into hell, may be the cause)

== Sites ==

*Magma pipes in volcanoes extend to the top of the map, past the mountain itself.
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=52412.0 Forum Link]

*Magma tubes remain the same shape and size the whole way down and may be square.
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=52412.0 Forum Link]

*There are currently very few or even no fish. This includes brooks, rivers, oceans, ponds, lakes (underground and otherwise). You may get a few turtles sometimes.
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=52217.0 Forum Link]
:[http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=232 Bug Tracker] --'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.04}}

== Buildings and Zones ==

*Can't farm on dry soil underground.
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51951.msg1123336#msg1123336 Forum Link]

*Construction and/or deconstruction can occasionally force some dwarves to idle.
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123250#msg1123250 Forum Link]

*When linking buildings to levers/pressure plates, the view may center on a different building than the one that is currently selected. (However, the view switches to the correct building after it is selected)
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=1915 Bug Tracker] --'''Open'''

*Setting workshop profiles according to minimum and maximum skill levels does not work, typically resulting in no one being able to use the workshop. Setting a profile for individual dwarves still works.
:[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=61051.0 Forum Link]

== Combat ==

*Some combat maneuvers have no effect.
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123104#msg1123104 Forum Link]

*Attempting to grab a bodypart with a weapon leads to "you grab *** by *** with your *weapon* but nothing is grabbed

*Attempting to "pinch" various body parts shows "you adjust you grip on***" and nothing else.

*Alligators can wear armor
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123104#msg1123104 Forum Link]

*Non-alive creatures (like bronze colossuses, zombies and blizzard men) cannot be destroyed (possibly because they can't bleed to death nor have their brain destroyed). Arena testing has revealed that [[dragonfire]] and [[magma]] can melt bronze colossuses, and falling from very high up may kill some undead creatures.
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123220#msg1123220 Forum Link]
: Fixed in .10

*Shield-bashing has no effect with a wooden shield
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123499#msg1123499 Forum Link]

*Ballistae have been nerfed considerably: They now easily glance off normal clothing and are very unlikely to kill anything with armour.
:Fixed in .10

*Animals with teeth do nearly no damage. Don't count on your wardogs to help defend your fortress.
:[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=55798.0 Workaround]
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=744 Bug Tracker] -'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.06}}

== Labors ==

*Hunting Issues
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123228#msg1123228 Forum Link]

*Miners now cancel mining designations when they can't reach them
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123272#msg1123272 Forum Link]
:'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.03}}

*Metal goblets are sometimes iron, regardless of input
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123533#msg1123533 Forum Link]

*Manager screen doesn't show you materials for traction benches
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123533#msg1123533 Forum Link]

*Workers are too dedicated, dehydrate themselves. This was intended as a helpful feature, as dwarves will try to finish what they are doing before running off to eat. However, many players view it as a bug, because it can cause dwarves that are far from food to begin with to starve to death. Working while hungry or thirsty also causes unhappy thoughts, slower work, and worse quality work.
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123599#msg1123599 Forum Link]
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=8 Bug Tracker] --'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.07}}

*Cooking with alcohol is buggy
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123702#msg1123702 Forum Link]

*When crafting shell crafts, craftsdwarves never actually produce a shell craft, but instead sit forever with the same shell, with their skills increasing.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=206 Bug Tracker]

*Dwarves take orders to prepare meals with liquid ingredients like dwarven syrup, wine, and rum, but almost never do it and instead dump the liquid inside the kitchen where it sits cluttering it up and can't be moved... Because it's liquid.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=138 Bug Tracker]
:Workaround: Using dwarven syrup works just fine for me, but my cook always grabs at least one solid ingredient. Ie, 3 stacks of syrup + one stack of cheese -> finished and edible meal.
:Workaround: The liquid seems to be underneath the kitchen. If you remove the kitchen, some dwarf will come along and clean the spill. Then you can remake the kitchen. I'd recommend simply disabling all cooking of booze.

*Making Rock Short Sword results in a wooden short sword. Especially annoying when making an adamantine sword! (multiple reports)
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=256 Bug Tracker]
:Bug is display only. Stats are based on the rock used.

*Metal items may require fewer bars/wafers than announcements lead you to believe. Since price of items is affected by what went into creating it, this can lead to your adamantine armor being worth far less than it would otherwise.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=130 Bug Tracker]

*Wood cutter. Tried to upgrade his axe to a steel one, never cut another tree in his life after being forced to dump his copper battle axe. It's like wood cutting had a seperate profile and he was the only one excluded; Sure enough, turned one of my jewelers into wood cutter and it worked fine for him.

*Woodcutters can chop down trees with (wooden) training axes.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=712 Bug Tracker]

*Immigrants can arrive with only peasant labors enabled, even if they are legendary jewelers. They may sometimes have weird labors enabled. (Stonecrafting master lye makers.)
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=110 Bug Tracker]

*In the {{k|o}}rders menu, there are options (in {{k|W}}orkshops) for auto {{k|b}}utcher, auto {{k|k}}itchen and auto {{k|f}}ishery. All three of these respond to {{k|b}} only, {{k|k}} and {{k|f}} do nothing.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=68 Bug Tracker]

*Parties never end, sometimes eating up half the labor force.
:Workaround: Undesignate whatever the party is gathered around and it will end.

*Soap-making task is missing from the workshop. Issuing work order through the manager does work. Also with cutting clear and crystal glass.
:The soap making task has two reagents, one of which is a barrel that [CONTAINS_LYE]. The bucket the lye is produced in doesn't count, since it's a bucket, not a barrel. Make sure you have 1) a dwarf with the appropriate hauling task enabled, 2) an empty, usable barrel, and 3) a food stockpile with lye allowed that accepts barreled inventory. Once the lye is in the barrel in the stockpile, check the soap shop again. Don't know why the glass is wonky, though. -[[Special:Contributions/76.102.26.49|76.102.26.49]] 06:27, 13 May 2010 (UTC)

*Making waterskin in leather works results in a weird item called "flask" (simply that, no mention of leather or whatever) that is never used and stays forever in the workshop. Those don't seem to cause clutter in the workshop either. (A metal variant (Ex. Iron) is now capable of being created at a metal smith, probably causing this bug. Soldiers will carry an Metal Flask).
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=93 Bug Tracker]
: "Flask" can be traded, but isn't automatically moved to stockpiles (It's neither a leather good nor a finished good). They do seem to clutter leatherworkers shops, which must then be destroyed and rebuilt (0.31.06). ~Neftaly Hernandez
: You can also use the View Items in Buildings command {{k|t}} to mark the Flasks for {{k|d}}umping to remove the clutter (0.31.06). ~mk
::More on metal flasks- a friend of mine noticed that when he assigned the job "make iron flask", in would go iron bars and charcoal, and out would come 3 ''gold'' flasks. I did the same thing, except I used coke instead of charcoal, and got 3 gypsum plaster flasks.
:::Making adamantine flasks results in iron flasks.

*Dwarves will occasionally go exceptionally out of their way to get a material while a giant stockpile is sitting beside them (I saw my carpenter travel half the map to get a log while there was a stockpile of 20 logs beside him)
:This will happen if the stockpiled items are already reserved for another task (sometimes happens en masse if you're designating constructions from the material). If this still functions as it did in 40d, dwarves will count the number of tiles to an item 'as the crow flies' rather than checking the actual pathfinding distance, meaning that they regard items above or below their workshop as being very nearby even if the travel distance to reach them is substantial. [[User:Oddtwang of Dork|Oddtwang of Dork]] 16:20, 8 April 2010 (UTC)
:True, but I wasn't using wood for anything, only had 2 carpenters active and the wood was on the same Z plane as my workshops. The usual explanation doesn't fly for the one event I saw.
::Perhaps they had the wood hauling labor enabled and were going to haul it?

*Canceling a job at the metalsmith can jam the shop if the item was being actively produced at that time (Cancelled job to stop untrained armorer from working on an adamantium plate armor, shop jammed and no other orders ever went through. Ordered deconstruction and then halted deconstruction to clear this up.)

== Moods ==

*Fey moods can request body parts (!!!)
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123573#msg1123573 Forum Link]

*Fey moods can request "rock bars." Has been seen to ignore all metal bars, ores, other rock, and rock. (Confirmed)
:I've had the same situation, but my dwarf made due with bars of [[Coke]].

*Fey mood; Dwarf took only dog bones into the craftsdwarf's shop. Produced an iron figurine with an image of waves in dog bone on it.
:Seconded Most if not all figurines made in Fey moods become iron, despite the material used.

*Glass Makers will not use a Magma Glass Furnace to manufacture their artifact. A traditional Glass Furnace is needed. (0.31.04; Unconfirmed)

== Creature Data ==

*Descriptions sometimes take strange objects: "She likes to consume she"
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123533#msg1123533 Forum Link]
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=582 Bug Tracker]

*Giants and giantesses are mapped to the wrong gender.
:Fixed
*Unicorns give birth to elk fawns.
:Fixed
*Mountain goat fawns are called "Stray Horse foal", although having all the features of a mountain goat.
:This is due to what is assumed to be a copy/paste error in the raws - The raws list "Mountain goat kid" as well as "Horse foal" as possible child names, so it randomly picks one.
:Fixed
*In BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_HEAD_POSITIONS both eyelids are around the right eye and clean the left eye
:Fixed
== Stockpiles ==
*Problems with categorization. (Stone is considered metal)
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123178#msg1123178 Forum Link]
:[http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=157 Bug Tracker]

*Custom stockpile options don't seem to always work
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123474#msg1123474 Forum Link]

<s>*Dead vermin never rot</s>
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=51953.msg1123731#msg1123731 Forum Link]
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=161 Bug Tracker] --'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.04}}

*<s>"Take from stockpile" is broken</s>
:[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=52126.0 Forum Link]
: Fixed in .10
*There is no category for wood blocks. As such, wood blocks can not be removed from carpentry workshops.
:[http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=439 Bug Tracker]

== Military ==
'''{{L|Military|Main Military Page}}'''
'''[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=535 Main Military Equipment Bug Tracker Page]'''
*Dwarves who are assigned to squads seem to be permanently affixed to the soldier life - changing schedules, training options, switching out dwarves, disbanding the squad: nothing works. All they do is eat, drink, sleep, Individual Combat Drill and take Kill orders. (Multiple reports, bug incidence is somewhat inconsistent, deconstructing assigned barracks sometimes helps.)
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=605 Bug Tracker] --'''Acknowledged''' (There may be several duplicate bug reports.)

*The [[arsenal dwarf]] may assign weapons/armor that do not belong to you.
:[http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=1290 Bug Tracker-Goblins] --'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.06}}
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=1526 Bug Tracker-Caravans] --'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.06}}
:Arsenal dwarf position deleted in .10
*Squads can get into a "permanent civilian life" and will never go into "recruit mode" unless ordered to "station" or "Kill a target", upon canceling this order they will go back to civilian mode. (Although they will perform individual combat drills, but in civilian garbs unless you replaced their equipment) [[User:Kenji 03|Kenji 03]] 11:54, 5 April 2010 (UTC).
:You mean they're supposed to not be civilians while training? Oh... yeah maybe that is a bug, never seen anything else personally - foarl 10:19, 09 April, 2010
::This bug is different - not civilian clothing, but civilian jobs. They'll work in workshops, haul goods, sit idle with "No Job", etc, and never attempt "Individual Combat Training". They do appear to equip assigned gear, though. -- 5:50, 10 June, 2010

*Bolts assigned to a squad that is then disbanded do not free up for use by other squads automatically.

*The default settings are such that your military dwarfs will train, train, train, and possibly starve in the process. [[Thirsty]] and [[Hungry]] tags are guaranteed to appear for any soldier (as they are when a dwarf does anything else in this release) because Dwarves will now try to complete a task before they eat/drink.
:{{L|Military/Guide}}

*Dwarves will continue to train in barracks even after being removed from a squad. (Because they are completing the task they started before they will move on to something else, changing your alert helps here as well).

*Dwarves will sometimes use many weapons and armor at once. When they have two weapons in the same hand, they seem to be unable to attack with either weapon.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=648 Bug Tracker]

*Dwarves who die are still listed in the military screen in their squad without any notification of their death. This could lead to a user assigning the best equipment to a squad leader without knowledge of his demise.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=182 Bug Tracker]

*When [[Reclaim]]ing a lost fortress, soldiers will not use any armour or weapons assigned to them, insisting on training and fighting unarmoured and barehanded. This behaviour seems related to the [[arsenal dwarf]] position - when the fortress population becomes high enough and a dwarf is assigned to the position, soldiers will finally use the equipment they have been assigned. It seems that, on reclaiming, the game acts as if you need to have an arsenal dwarf right from the start, despite there not being any way to assign one.

*Copying an empty order causes an immediate crash.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=35 Bug Tracker] --'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.03}}

*Going to the schedule grid of the inactive group causes an immediate crash.
:[http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=156 Bug Tracker] --'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.03}}

== Medicine ==
*<s>Surgeons may endlessly perform surgery on dwarves with no effect.</s>
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=318 Bug Tracker]
: Fixed
*<s>Surgeon provided constant "suturing," each time using up thread. May be related to above problem.</s>
:Fixed
*Any blood smear or pool can spread indefinitely. The most common problem is a pool of blood in a high-traffic area. This causes every dwarf that touches it to get blood on them. Each dwarf will then eventually wash it off, creating another pool of blood by the well, which is likely another high-traffic area. Eventually you end up with the dining room and food stockpiles all coated with several dozen different creatures' blood.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=296 Bug Tracker]

*<s>Dwarves raid caravans for cloth (maybe thread as well) for the hospital zone.</s>
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=66 Bug tracker]

== Items ==

*Eating a masterwork meal will cause the cook to suffer art defacement.

*Quarry bush leaves might not appear in the kitchen menu, and dwarves might not cook them, rendering them useless except for trading.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=47 Bug Tracker] --'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.02}}

*Obsidian does not appear in the accounting stone menu.
: Workaround: Remove edge tags from raws.
*Reclaim mode, some items recovered become immobile, even when claimed instead of forbidden. Buidling on the area they occupy is impossible, as dwarves won't move the item.
:Workaround: Make water wash the item into a river, or somewhere it will be destroyed.

*Dwarves will frequently abandon meals they've claimed for eating, resulting in rotting food scattered about the fortress that can't be stored, hauled, or dumped by any dwarf, including the one who claimed it.

==Nobles==

*<s>When the mayor dies, all nobles are removed until a new mayor is elected.</s>
:Workaround: To speed up this process, set the population required for mayors to '1' in the raws (raw>objects>entity_default.txt).
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=141 Bug Tracker] --'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.05}}

*Former mayors continue to demand accomodations and make mandates. You can check their mandates by going to that specific dwarf's thoughts. This can cause [[fun]] as dwarves are arrested for not fufilling demands.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=814 Bug Tracker] --'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.05}}

== Graphics ==
*Arena does not work for graphics mode.
:[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=53505.0 Forum Link]
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=42 Bug Tracker] --'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.02}}

*After generating a world and embarking, you may notice missing tiles.
:Workaround: Restart Dwarf Fortress.

*In the 'z'-status menu, there is no image for nobles/administrators. Instead, there is an empty space where the purple dwarf should be.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=375 Bug Tracker] --'''Open'''

== Saves ==
*Renaming a save (ex. "Region2-spr-1050" to "Region2") may invalidate the save, even if you give the save its original name back. ((Confirmation needed))

==Trading and Depot==

*Elf traders may stay a long time.
:This is because creatures that the elves come with do not have pack animal values set on them, yet elves are able to use any creature as a pack animal. Check what is carrying their goods when they arrive. Often it will be warthogs, which do not have trade capacity values. Which apparently makes them carry enormous, ridiculous loads and take forever to load/unpack.
:Workaround: A fix is to go into the creature_large_topical.txt file and add in [TRADE_CAPACITY:XXXX] under the warthog's [PACK_ANIMAL] entry (where XXXX is the weight you want them to carry). Or just remove the [PACK_ANIMAL] tag altogether. Be forewarned, you may or may not have to make a new world for the fix to take effect.
:Workaround: with the game paused and the depot in view, designate treecutting {{k|d}} - {{k|t}}, and just hold down the mouse button until the depot display no longer flashes between items very quickly.
::Why this works: it has been known that certain parts of the game engine keep running while the game is paused. These include cat-dwarf adoptions and the trade liaison conversation. It appears to also apply to traders loading up their goods, and probably to unloading goods as well.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=325 Bug Tracker] --'''Fixed''' {{version|0.31.06}}

*No one brings wagons, even if there is a clear path to your depot.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=197 Bug Tracker]

*Dwarves may try to eat unowned food at the Depot, but realize their mistake halfway and stop... then try again... you can see where this is going.
:[http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=237 Bug Tracker]

== Program Lockup ==
*The DF process sometimes locks up (freezes) when alt-tabbing to another window and back.
:Workaround: That happened to me fairly often in the 40d# series. Try hitting the Alt key (I think it was Alt anyway) before you give up. [[Special:Contributions/75.210.204.237|75.210.204.237]] 04:42, 2 June 2010 (UTC)
::Alt did not work, neither did control, shift, enter or any combination of those--[[Special:Contributions/208.81.12.34|208.81.12.34]] 18:22, 9 June 2010 (UTC)
:::My lockup issue seems to be related to Lotus Notes. I only get the lockup when running Notes, and I don't get locked up when not running Notes.--[[Special:Contributions/208.81.12.34|208.81.12.34]] 17:12, 14 July 2010 (UTC)

v0.31:Starting build

2010-07-19T12:55:45Z

Rmunn:

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

A '''starting build''' is a personal ''strategy'' for choosing the initial supplies, equipment, and {{l|skill}}s of your initial seven dwarves when starting a new game in {{l|fortress mode}}. These skills and items which you assign to your dwarves will have a large impact on life in your new fortress, especially in its first year.

This page attempts to give advice on some of the many gameplay elements which influence the flow of your game based on your goals. These include: choosing a ''fortress site'', the ''starting build'' itself, as well as ''challenge builds'' aimed at providing new or unusual challenges to advanced players.

But one thing should be made clear - there is no "best" build, no "perfect" or "clearly superior" final mix of skills and items. There are too many variables to connect, not the least of which is... you! Your play style, what you, as an individual player, consider preferable for the proper mix of fun and challenge. And then there is the environment, where your dwarves will arrive, the creatures, the resources available, and so forth.

Items are tied to starting skills, and starting skills are tied to the expected environment for your chosen embark, and all are tied to your preferences for playing the game - not all sites require (or invite) the same approach, and no two players would take the same approach to the same environment.

So while suggestions can be made, and new ideas presented for your consideration, ultimately the final "best" mix for you will have to come from your experience, which will begin to grow during your first game. Without understanding "everything", some decisions will just have to be guesswork - and even later you never know "everything".

__TOC__

== Components of a Starting Build ==
A starting build must be seen as a whole - the embark location affects the needed supplies, and influences what skills may be most needed or useful. Along with this is player preferences - if you wish an economy based on {{l|prepared meal}}s, {{l|glass}}, or {{l|steel}}, each of those have very different requirements. Likewise, if you want to play a military game, fighting off sieges with huge battles, that's a very different mix (and different site requirements) than if you want a calm location to build your perfect {{l|mega construction}}.

=== Skills ===
With only 7 dwarves, you can't take every {{l|skill}}, so you have to balance what you do take. At this starting phase, each dwarf can only be assigned a maximum total of 10 skill levels, with no single skill starting higher than "5". With 7 starting dwarves, you could take no skills at all, or take 70 skills all at level 1, or 14 skills all at level 5* (2 per dwarf), the highest allowed at embark, or (most likely) something in between the last two, but closer to that last.

:''(* Note that an unskilled dwarf starts with all Skills at Level '''0'''. Adding +5 Levels is then Level '''5'''. This is true regardless of how many "points" a level costs when first buying skills at embark.)''

Once play starts, dwarves can learn any and all skills - these choices only determine what sort of "head start" they have, what they are good at when they first hit the ground. See {{l|experience}} for a discussion of increasing skills during game play.

The considerations are several:

:* Maximizing starting skill ranks vs. generalizing and having more skills covered at lower levels.
:* Balancing multiple skills for a single dwarf, so they aren't constantly needed for two different tasks at critical periods
:* Military vs economic needs
:* Your goals vs "basic survival needs" to keep your fortress healthy and happy.
:* Speed that a skill can be trained in game
:* Demand for a skill during a game
:* Whether quality or speed are significant considerations for tasks/final product
:* Balancing the desire to create {{l|wealth}} ''(with high-value products)'' with the need to maintain {{l|thought|morale}} ''(with low-value but commonly used products, like {{l|bed}}s, which normally are made from {{l|wood}})''.
:* & most importantly - ''your playstyle'' - what '''you''' think is "fun"!

While there are some arguable "no-brainer" choices (or are for each player, according to their playstyle), the final few selections are often a coin toss, or close to. And there is often more than one way to skin a cat - in fact, while many players recommend ''never'' starting with more than one cat, starting with many cats (breeding them for leather, bones and meat) and a skilled {{l|leatherworker}} and/or {{l|bone carver}} is one way to go with (part of) a starting build. Until you have some personal experience, the various suggestions and advice may mean little, but will have more meaning after your first fortress inevitably fails - {{l|Losing|losing is fun}}.

So don't over-think it at first - you'll make a good guess, dive in, and learn far more than we can explain here.

=== Items ===
The starting items are what is needed for your dwarves to survive until they are self-sufficient, or at least until the first yearly {{l|caravan}}s will keep them afloat. The first won't show up until Autumn, so that's more than 2 seasons your dwarves are on their own.

A dwarf eats about 2 meals a season, and drinks a little more than 4 drinks in that same time. If you add your expected {{L|migrant}}s, multiply that by the number of seasons, you can estimate how much food and booze will be needed to get you safely through to the first {{L|caravan}} - barring {{L|losing|the unforeseen}}. In your starting build, you can bring all of that, or your {{l|hunter}}s, {{l|Plant gathering|plant gatherers}}, {{l|fisherdwarf}}s, {{l|grower}}s and {{l|brewer}}s can provide some or most of it.

Similarly, most of the finished products are expensive to buy pre-embark, and so a minimum is recommended - maybe a pick or two for immediate mining and basic defense, maybe a (cheap?) axe* or two for better defense and cutting wood, thread, cloth or a rope for a {{l|well}}, maybe a few leather to make bags, and call it good.

:''(* "Wooden practice axes" cost only 17P, and cut down wood just fine. They will be significantly weaker than metal axes in combat, but still far superior to {{L|wrestling}}, and you can {{l|Make your own weapons|DIY}} quickly enough.)''

You can produce any and all of those from scratch if you are willing to wait - and your {{l|surroundings}} don't kill you first. Raw materials are much cheaper, in the form of {{l|ore}}s, {{l|wood}}, {{l|leather}} and so forth, but whether you want to take the time at the start of the game is the question. The trade-off is always a balance of cost savings vs. time savings when you first strike the earth. Everything else depends on your strategy and on how tough or leisurely a challenge you want the game to be.

====Your civilization====
On the map menu, if you hit {{k|Tab}} twice, you will see a list of possible {{l |Civilization}}s that your dwarves can start from, if there is more than one. Each can have access to different starting equipment and material to offer you - some will be significantly better or worse supplied, and some may be lacking one key item you desire, while another will lack something else equally critical to your plan. Unfortunately you will only find out when selecting your items, after selecting a {{l|location}}. To chose another Civilization requires a start-over. Another important difference is whether your civilization is at {{l|war}} with one of the neighbours; This results in early attacks on your fort and, obviously, no trade {{l|caravan}}s from them.

If you don't like the civilization you chose, or wish to compare what each has to offer, you must either finish the embark, "abandon" the fortress and then re-embark in the same location (using a '''saved''' copy of the game world!), or use {{k|Ctl}}+{{k|Alt}}+{{k|Del}} (or the equiv for your OS), shut down the game and restart it from scratch, then Start again, reload the game world, and find the same embark site - this is not difficult if you made careful notes, but is still a pain, no doubt.

Every such re-start gives you a different mix of dwarves with different names, {{L |attribute|attributes}}, {{L |personality|personalities}} and {{L |preferences}}, but the civilizations are part of the map and stay constant. The default civilization chosen for you will vary, however.

===Saving a starting mix===
Once you have the mix of items and skills that you like, you can hit {{k|s}} and save it to a template with a custom name. In a later game, you can pick that profile when you embark. If your selected civilization does not have some of the desired items in your template, this is announced clearly, and a different civilization can be tried as described above, or you can continue and change your mix.

If you match skills to the {{l|preferences}} and {{L |personality|personalities}} of your dwarves, it may be an idea not to include any skills in such a template, as they will simply be applied in the original order to the current dwarves as they appear on the list.

If you find additional items that you wish to add (perhaps another type of cheap meat, or an ore not previously available), you can edit those in by hitting {{k|s}}, overwriting your old template.

:''(You can also go into the .txt file, located at data/init/embark_profiles, and edit in the SKILLS or ITEMS as you want - the syntax is fairly straightforward.)''

= "Play Now!" =
This option gives you an automatic, low-powered and generalized starting mix with no thinking involved. If you select this option, you are ''immediately'' advanced to the game map with no chance to alter your starting skills or items.

When you pick this option, you currently{{version|0.31.01}} start with:

'''Dwarves'''
:* Adequate {{l|Miner}} (+2 {{l|Experience|skill levels}})
:* Novice {{l|Carpenter}}/ {{l|Bowyer}} (+1 skill level in each skill)
:* Novice {{l|Engraver}}/ {{l|Mason}}/ {{l|Mechanic}}/ {{l|Building designer|Building Designer}}
:* Novice {{l|Gem cutter|Gem Cutter}}/ {{l|Gem setter|Gem Setter}}/ {{l|Wood crafter}}/ {{l|Stone crafter}}/ {{l|Bone carver|Bone Carver}}
:* Novice {{l|Fisherdwarf}}
:* Novice {{l|Fish cleaner|Fish Cleaner}}/ {{l|Butcher}}/ {{l|Tanner}}/ {{l|Weaver}}/ {{l|Clothier}}/ {{l|Leatherworker}}
:And one "Leader", with Novice in:
:* {{l|Wood cutter|Wood Cutter}}/ {{l|Brewer}}/ {{l|Cook}}/ {{l|Grower}}/ {{l|Herbalist}}/ {{l|Wood burner|Wood Burner}}/ {{l|Furnace operator|Furnace Operator}}/ {{l|Lye maker|Lye Maker}}/ {{l|Potash maker|Potash Maker}}
:''plus'' Adequate in:
:* {{l|Wound dresser|Wound Dresser}}, {{l|Diagnostician}}, {{l|Surgeon}}, {{l|Bone doctor|Bone Doctor}}, {{l|Suturer}}.

:''(Note that that last dwarf has far more "levels" in starting skills (by twice!) for a single dwarf than are allowed by "Planning Carefully", below!)''

'''Items'''
:* 2 Copper {{l|pick}}s
:* 2 Copper battle {{l|axe}}s
:* 1 Iron {{l|anvil}}
:* 60 units alcohol (20 each of 3 random types1, 12 free barrels)
:* 5 ''each'' {{l|seed}}s2 (& 6 bags)
:* 15 units of meat (one random type, 10 + 5 units in 2 barrels3)
:* 15 units of fish (one random type, 10 + 5 units in 2 barrels3)
:* 15 units of plump helmets (10 + 5 units in 2 barrels3)
:* 5 pig tail fiber thread
:* 5 pig tail fiber cloth
:* 5 pig tail fiber bag
:* 3 pig tail fiber ropes
:* 3 wooden4 buckets
:* 3 wooden4 splints
:* 3 wooden4 crutch
:* 2 dogs (random sex)
:* 2 cats (random sex)
:* 1 random cow/ox/mule/horse (random sex)

::''Notes:''
:::1. ''There are only 4 different {{L |alcohol}}s possible at this stage, so if two or three of the same are randomly chosen, it's quite possible to start with 40 or 60 of the same type. (A wider variety is usually better.)''
:::2. ''The six underground crops are: dimple cup, cave wheat, plump helmet, sweet pods, pig tail, quarry bush.''
:::3. ''A barrel can hold up to 10 dry items (or 5 wet). One of these barrels is only half full. ''
:::4. ''All wooden items will be of 1 type of wood.''

As a challenge for an experienced player, this is not an uncommon choice. But even as a starting player you can do much better if you choose the "'''Prepare for the journey carefully'''" option and do just that - prepare carefully, as described below...

="Prepare for the Journey Carefully"=
Good advice. This option allows you complete control over your starting mix of skills and beginning items. By default, your dwarves start with no skills, and you are offered the following items, which are very similar to the "Play Now" mix, but all are optional and can be sold back and changed according to your preferences. Each item costs a number of "points" - you will buy ''both'' your starting items ''and'' the starting {{L |skills}} for your dwarves with one pool of combined points, 1274 total.

(This choice also allows you to select/create the {{l|Fortress name}} yourself, rather than have it randomly generated.)

The point costs for the default items are listed below.

::{|cellpadding="2" border="1"
! Default Items !! Cost (in "points") !! Comments
|-
| 2 Copper {{l|pick}}s || 88 (44 each) || for {{l|mining}}
|-
| 2 Copper battle {{l|axe}}s || 136 (68 each) || weapons and {{l|woodcutting}}
|-
| 1 Iron {{l|anvil}} || 100 || required for any metal working
|-
| 20 alcohol, random1 || 40 (2 each) || 4 free barrels
|-
| 20 alcohol, random1 || 40 (2 each) || 4 free barrels
|-
| 20 alcohol, random1 || 40 (2 each) || 4 free barrels
|-
| 5 of each underground seed2 || | 30 6*5 (1 each) || 6 free bags
|-
| 15 meat of one random (cheap) type || 30 (2 each) || 2 free barrels3
|-
| 15 fish of one random (cheap) type || 30 (2 each) || 2 free barrels3
|-
| 15 {{l|Plump helmet}}s || 60 (4 each) || 2 free barrels3
|-
| 5 pig tail fiber thread || 60 (12 each) ||
|-
| 5 pig tail fiber cloth || 70 (14 each) ||
|-
| 5 pig tail fiber bag || 100 (20 each) ||
|-
| 3 pig tail fiber ropes || 60 (20 each) ||
|-
| 3 wooden4 buckets || 30 (10 each) || medical
|-
| 3 wooden4 splints || 30 (10 each) || medical
|-
| 3 wooden4 crutch || 30 (10 each) || medical
|-
| No dogs, no cats || ||
|-
|}
:1. There are only 4 different {{L|alcohol}}s possible at this stage, so if two or three of the same are randomly chosen, it's quite possible to start with 40 or 60 of the same type. (A wider variety is usually better.)
:2. The six underground crops are: dimple cup, cave wheat, plump helmet, sweet pods, pig tail, and quarry bush.
:3. A barrel can hold up to 10 dry items (or 5 wet). One of these barrels is only half full.
:4. All wooden items will be of 1 type of wood.

With the above items, your point pool starts at '''300''' (visible in the lower right corner). This is not ''close'' to enough points to buy full skills for all your dwarves, but you can sell back any or all of the above items that you choose and recover the points, spending them as you prefer. There is no quick and easy solution to this, but the possible options are infinite*. Returning all equipment is worth 1274 points total, but unused points are of no use after embark, once the actual gameplay starts, so spend now or waste them.

:''(* Note that an anvil is needed to do any metalworking, and in turn cannot be created without another anvil. Selling your anvil back means you will not do any metalworking at least until the Autumn {{L |caravan}}, and then only if they bring one - which they 'usually' do, but not always. Next dwarven caravan is a year after that, and so on.)''

=====Using the menu=====
Use {{k|Tab}} to switch between selecting Skills and Items. Use the 4 directional keys or number pad to navigate to highlight the different choices/columns, and {{k|+}} or {{k|-}} to choose more or less of the highlighted item or skill. When viewing items, hit {{k|n}} to go to a menu for any "new" items, that are not currently listed, including any you removed by reducing the number to 0; select the item, hit {{k|Enter}}, then increase the number desired as above ({{k|+}} or {{k|-}}) in the main menu.

If you cannot buy additional skill levels, you are out of points and must return some items for additional points. Higher-priced items will automatically be removed from viewable new items if you do not have enough points for those selections, showing only what you can afford with your current points.

=== Skills ===
At this stage, pre-embark, skills cost a number of starting points, equaling monetary value. Later, during fortress mode, all skills will be trained by practice, and "cost" is no longer a concern. All dwarves start with "No Skill" and the first additional skill level (Novice) costs 5 points. To buy the next level would cost 6, and so on. To buy up Proficient (the max allowed to start with), costs 5+6+7+8+9, or 35 points.

A dwarf can start with up to 10 additional levels, regardless whether that's 10 skills at Novice, or 2 skills at Proficient. So, if you are going to buy the maximum skills allowed (highly recommended), that can cost from between 50 to 70 points each, but is usually around 400-450+ for all 7 dwarves.

Any dwarf can have any labor designated, and they will perform that task and learn or improve that skill, even if they have no skill related to that labor when they start. Dwarves with little experience in a skill will work slowly and ineffectively, while dwarves with higher skill work faster and/or produce a significantly higher quality product. Some skills are not used often, and/or produce no "quality" in the final product, or produce qualities that have little impact on the game - for these it's questionable whether investing in high starting levels is worthwhile, but that's often a judgment call. Other skills might be very easy to level and as such, investing to them is fairly pointless headstart.

{{l|Quality}} is a central concept in the game - it affects {{l|food}}, {{l|alcohol}}, and almost anything you will have your dwarves create in the game: {{l|trading}} goods, {{l|barrel}}s, {{l|clothing}}, {{l|armor}}, {{l|furniture}}, {{l|weapon|weapons}}, and so on. Quality also has a large effect on the worth of an item while {{l|trading}}. Using and seeing high-quality items gives dwarves happy {{l|thought}}s. This tends to decrease the incidences of {{l|tantrum}}s, increasing a fortress's longevity.

Some skills are also trained up fairly quickly or cheaply, especially where the task consumes no (valuable) materials, or doesn't matter in the final product - mining, furnace operator, wood cutting, butcher, tanner, glass making and (especially) {{l|administrator}} skills being only a few examples.

==== Which skills do I need, really? ====

The only thing that you absolutely must do in the first year is get your food supplies into a food stockpile, preferably inside, otherwise your food will rot on the ground and your dwarves will starve. Anything else you want to do can be accommodated by sufficient investment in initial food supplies and/or skills. This means the options for possible starting builds are vast because virtually any set of starting skills for your dwarves is viable (and that's before you even think about equipment, which adds more variables). So the short answer is: none.

That said, there are some skills which will be '''used''', to one extent or another, by virtually every fortress - but that doesn't mean you '''need''' or even want to invest points in them to start. You could even manipulate the fortress (see {{l|challenge}}) to completely avoid one or more of the following, but these are the skills you will find it exceptionally hard to avoid creating jobs for:
:{{l|Mining}} - to dig your fortress, and gain stone for projects. Only possible to avoid using if you're secretly an elf.
* Inexperienced {{l|miner}}s work very slowly and are less likely to recover mined gems or valuable ores. Mining can be leveled up quite quickly by mining {{l|soil#soil|soil}}, but taking two dwarves with at least some points in mining is recommended in many cases.
:{{l|Carpentry}} - {{l|bed}}s can only be produced from {{l|wood}} (rare {{l|mood}}s aside)
*Carpentry is used, but opinions differ - on one hand, wood items are just not worth that much {{l|value}}-wise ''(10's of dwarfbucks vs 100's for stone furniture or 1000's for armor or prepared foods, for instance)'', so the difference in monetary value between high-quality and no-quality is minor for wood products. However, high-quality {{l|bed}}s are one of the easiest ways to help make and keep your dwarves {{l|thought|happy}} (since every dwarf will encounter a bed regularly), so some players swear by it.
:{{l|Masonry}} - to build walls and stairs, and fashion dwarven furniture from stone. Possible to work around, but incredibly hard and annoying to do.
:{{l|Grower|Growing}} - your farmers' work echoes throughout so many other tasks, it's stunning
* While its possible to feed your fortress on nothing but caravan goods, you'll never come by enough alcohol that way, so you'll eventually need to grow crops for brewing, and dwarves will literally go crazy if forced to drink nothing but water for long periods. Thus you'll want to plan for farming eventually - not that you need to bring a highly skilled {{l|Grower}}, but it'll certainly be ''very'' helpful. Likewise, a skilled {{l|brewer}} produces higher quality {{l|alcohol}} (''though the quality is hidden!)'', which improves your dwarves' mood, as does a skilled {{l|cook}} with the foods they prepare. However, most food can be eaten raw, and so long as they are not starving there is life.
:{{l|Brewing}} - all dwarves "need alcohol to get through the working day"
:{{l|Mechanics}} - if you want traps, and most people will. Also needed for most machinery, now more essential than ever since irrigating is no longer optional.
:{{l|Architecture|Building Designer}} - mandatory for some buildings and constructions, but skill only improves speed a tad and increases structure {{l|value}}
:{{L|Herbalist}} - Herbalism is good early source of food and more importantly, seeds you can plant in your outside farm plots.
* Inexperienced {{l|herbalist|herbalists}} will gather stacks of only one or two {{l|plant}}s, and often nothing at all, and inexperienced {{l|farming|farmers}} will often plant stacks of only one or two plants. This results in a small overall output which takes many {{l|container#container|containers}} to store in, less effective {{l|food}} preparation in the {{l|kitchen}}, and more space needed for {{l|stockpiles}}.
:{{l|Broker skills}} - most importantly {{l|appraiser}} - a minimum of Broker skills are highly recommended to start with at the Novice (1 pt) level - it'll make your life much easier (especially Novice level of {{l|Appraiser}}, at least, as it greatly facilitates trading).
:{{L|Record keeper}} - Lets you be able to see the exact amount of things you have much faster than training one, and is necessary to view the stocks screen.

Of the above, Masonry, Growing, Brewing, Cooking, and Mechanics are generally worth considering as "highly desirable" starting skills for your dwarves.

Remember, '''any skill can be used untrained, and/or get trained on the job''' - it just means a slower process and/or average lower quality product than if done by a dwarf with a higher {{l|experience|skill level}}.

Ultimately the answer to "What skills do I need?" is "Whichever ''you'' want". Choosing a mixture of these commonly used skills and your desired specialized skills will make starting up your fortress easier and more efficient.

==== What considerations could inform my skill selection?====

You will often want some optional skills, often vastly more than something as useful and desirable as even masonry. For example, any player intending to do more than dabble in the metal industry may well want to start with multiple dwarves each highly skilled in at least one metal industry skill, especially those that produce goods with {{L|Quality|quality}}.

The following may influence your choices of skills:

#Some skills are harder to gain experience in than others - requiring valuable resources or taking an extended period of time, and thus inconvenient to train from the ground up. Investing in some of these extensively in your initial dwarves can make those industries much less painful to start. For example, metal-related skills generally eat metal bars, and thus the less time you spend training metal workers up to a decent level, the faster they'll be churning out high-quality items for you, and the fewer bars they'll waste becoming skilled. On the other hand, despite its importance, skills like mining train relatively quickly and barring extenuating circumstances (expected need to accomplish particular digging projects in the first month or you'll get mauled by a Giant for example) there's little need to actually invest your starting skills in it - they can learn on the job.
#Keep in mind that some skills are used to make {{l|legendary artifact}}s, and successfully making an artifact will give the dwarf a lot of experience in the used skill. It can be worth investing in some skills solely to bias your artifact skill pool in the hopes of getting a legendary dwarf in an industry you want to really get working on a year or two in. (See {{l|Strange mood}}s for more info.)
#If you plan on settling in a dangerous area, consider including at least some military skills, if not a dedicated {{l|soldier}}, or several. The nature of the environment should dictate the military skills chosen (for example, marksdwarves will be an ineffective counter to expected roving hordes of {{l|skeletal}} wildlife).
#Migrants can and will arrive with a wide selection of decently trained skills. While it is a gamble, chances are pretty decent that migrants will arrive with a highly trained skill that is also highly desirable and would usurp the job of one of the four starting ones. The first few migration waves are likely to give you a much better talent pool than what you can assign at embark.
#Skills rust if not used and they can eventually de-level. Consider that skills which you will use years after embark are going to be rusty or even deleveled.



==== Combining Skills ====
Some {{l|skills}} are highly time-consuming, and working at different jobs levels up specific {{l|attribute}}s. One could level up a miner until he becomes mighty and ultra-tough - and then turn him into a soldier, or retire him to haul stone. If you plan on doing so, it may not be a good idea to give this guy a second critical job that will demand a lot of time away from their focus. There are many parts to a suit of armour, so armoursmithing will take more time than weaponsmithing - once you have one weapon per soldier, he's done. Masons, miners, growers, and any craft that your fortress will base their economy off of (glass, stonecrafts, armour, etc) will take a lot of time.

Since tasks will take place in specific areas, another approach is to combine tasks into dwarves who will take care of a specific industry, or spend all their time in one generally narrow part of the fortress - the forges, or the kitchens, or outdoors, for instance. So combining Farming with cooking, rather than mining, for example, and turn on only Haul Food, not Haul Stone. Woodcutter/Herbalist/Mason/Axedwarf (for outdoor walls/projects) might be another combination - the possibilities are endless.

Some combinations follow naturally in sequence to each other, but also can conflict with each other. One animal is butchered, then the leather is tanned, and the meat is cooked. But if you have 5 animals, several will rot before one dwarf can process all of those. A highly skilled craftsdwarf is often better suited at sitting in their {{l|workshop}} and having others deliver raw materials to them, than going out and obtaining their own raw materials themselves.

Many builds recommend combinations such as:

* '''Outdoors''': Woodcutter/Plant Gatherer. Add {{l|axeman|Axedwarf}} for added security.
* '''Mason+____''' : In many fortresses, the Mason is a very busy dwarf. He could be a spare miner, have abilities that are only rarely needed, or do tasks that can be accomplished quickly like {{l|building designer}}.
* '''Farmer/Cook, Farmer/Brewer'''. Basic two-person food team.
* '''Farmer/Herbalist, Farmer/Brewer/Cook'''. One bold dwarf to farm and venture outside looking for wild plants, the other to keep busy in the {{l|still}}, kitchen, and indoor farms.
* '''Boss''': Novice {{l|Negotiator}}/Novice {{l|Judge of intent}}/Novice {{l|Appraiser}}. This guy will be your {{l|Leader}} and {{l|Trader}}; you can make him {{l|record keeper}} too (the default), at least to start with. Combine this with a single time-intensive task such as {{l|Masonry}} and optionally turn off all hauling tasks right at the start of the game. Or keep him a generalist, or combine with one of the other options.
* '''Weaponsmith/Leatherworker''': If they're not arming your military, they're making leather armor for them.
* '''{{l|Craftsdwarf}}''', depending on your strategy - e.g. {{l|glass}} maker, {{l|weaponsmith}} or {{l|armorsmith}}, sometimes combined with related tasks from that industry ({{l|furnace operating}}, {{l|wood burner|wood burning}}). Typically an item hauler in the initial months of your fortress, this dwarf may become one of your most valuable dwarves later.

Not all combinations have to "look right" together. A weaponsmith will most probably not spend nearly 100% of their time creating weapons - what they do with the other part of their time may have nothing at all to do with forges or smithing.

* '''Grower/GemCutter''' (or Grower/x-Craft): When gems are found, he's there, otherwise he's outstanding in his fields.
* '''Mechanic/Brewer''': usually produces the mechanized defenses, but does moonshining when it's called for.
* '''Miner/______''': This dwarf will quickly become legendary in mining, and then retire to pursue something else full time. On call for important veins of high-value ore.
* '''Brewer/Appraiser/Leatherworker''': several typically low-demand skills
* '''StoneCrafter/Herbalist''' - after quickly finding above-ground plants for seeds for the first season, they never go back unless something goes wrong.
* '''(x-Craft)/Armor User''': Plan for the future - armor using is slow to train in if this dwarf is ever going to join the military.

You can max out one skill and have several lower-level skills additionally, or just several skills that are not maxed out - the combinations are (almost) infinite.

Combinations like these often have one {{l|moodable}} skill and one non-moodable (or a less desired moodable skill at lower level), so any mood will improve the desired one.

==== Combining Skills for Moods ====

{{l|Strange mood}}s will create a Legendary skill of the "moodable" skill with the highest level, and moods take hold of dwarves with different professions at different rates. Some skills are "moodable" where others are not. Another consideration is to place desired moodable skills with non-moodable, to ensure that both the professions and highest skills stay as preferred. Usually this involves one "craft" skill and one "farmer" type skill, such as Armor/Cook, or Weapon/Brewer. This can take some manipulation, and is not of primary concern to many players.

=====Matching skills to a dwarf's personal profile=====
Once you have your optimal skill mix for all 7 starting dwarves, you can, if you wish, take the time to {{k|v}}iew each of your individual dwarves and match skills to their {{l|preference}}s. This can be very advantageous: if you have a dwarf who likes {{l|steel}}, {{l|clear glass}}, {{l|crossbow}}s, {{l|siege engine}} parts, or something else equally interesting, they're an ideal candidate for matching skills (specifically for these examples, {{l|armorsmith}}, {{l|glassmaker}}, {{l|bowyer}}, or {{l|siege engineer}}).

Likewise, if they have any obviously relevant {{l|personality}} strengths or weaknesses, those should be factored in. Some are obscure or ambiguous, but some ("Is constantly active and energetic") are a clear sign.

=== Items ===

An experienced player can start out with no skills for their starting dwarves, 1 copper nugget and an anvil - and nothing else - and have {{l|Make_your_own_weapons#Minimalist_challenge_build|everything they need}}. So what is "needed" is up to what you think is "fun" vs. "too hard" etc. etc. etc.

Some basics are recommended for all builds. Unless you plan to {{l|Make your own weapons|DIY}}, you definitely need to bring one {{l|pick}} for each {{l|miner}}, and if you plan to gather wood, you need an {{l|axe}}, which will become a weapon in wartime. Also a minimum of about 25-30* {{l|food}} and about 55-60* {{l|alcohol}}, which should get 7 dwarves through to the first {{l|caravan}} in Fall. Everything else depends on your strategy and on how tough or leisurely a challenge you want the game to be.

::''(* A single dwarf eats about 2x/season, and drinks about 4x/season. With 7 dwarves that's ~approximately~ 14 meals per season and 28 alcohol per season, or ~28 meals and ~56 alcohol until the end of Summer. The Caravan is due sometime in Autumn, usually early Autumn, in the second week or so, but the first won't have enough to keep you going until whenever the next one arrives. Hopefully you'll have some food and brewing industry going by the first, or soon after.)''

Note: Many builds recommend that you bring many different cheap foods, in quantities ending in a "1" (1, 11, 21, etc.), and alcohols in amounts ending in a "1" or "6". This is to maximize the number of free {{l|barrel|barrels}} you start with; dry foodstuffs fit 10/barrel, and (pre-embark) alcohol fits 5/barrel. More barrels will let you build a larger stockpile for your first winter and conserves the {{l|wood}} you need to cut and shape in the early game for beds and other necessities. (Seeds are 100/bag, and you don't need near that many of any one type, so 6 bags max with this approach. Even if you don't plan on growing much {{l|cave wheat}}, starting with 1 seed and getting the free bag, and planting that one seed later and dumping the result could be worth it.) Also note that multiple types of meat taken from the same animal (warthog meat and warthog tripe, for example) will be packed into a single barrel on embark, instead of separate barrels (as of version 31.04).

===== Items for moods =====
When a dwarf is taken by a {{l|strange mood}}, he often needs obscure material or he will go insane and die, possibly with severe consequences to an entire fortress. Bringing along some of the harder-to-find ores ({{l|cassiterite}}, {{l|sphalerite}}, {{l|bismuthinite}}, {{l|garnierite}}) and shells ({{l|cave lobster}}, {{l|turtle}}), and putting those aside, forbidding their use "just in case", is spending a few points on an insurance policy. Bringing along a few bits of cloth thread is also a good idea. Just in case.

===== Free Equipment =====

Dwarves who start with the ambusher skill may get some leather {{l|armor}}, a crossbow and some bolts for free.





====Different starting cultures====
Before actually hitting "embark", you often have the option to choose one of several starting dwarven cultures (one of the options shown when you {{k|Tab}} through the various sub-screens). Different cultures will have different meats, fish, stones and etc to offer, and occasionally even different types of armour. The only way to know which is "best" is to remember ''exactly'' where on the 3 maps your embark site is, select one culture, embark and see what they have to offer, then hit {{k|Esc}} and "abandon game", and try it again with a different culture and compare. A real pain, sometimes. (Make a note about your exact starting location, don't trust it to memory.) In general, civilizations that occupy more world-map tiles offer more types of goods, both for embark and for trade. 

= Site considerations =
Each fortress {{l|location}} offers particular challenges and opportunities, and can make different demands on your starting build. The starting builds below should be adjusted depending on the {{l|region}} your fort occupies, the specific vision you have of your fortress, and what it will take to {{l|losing|stay alive}} where you're going!

The differences include what {{l|biome}}s, {{l|region}}s and stone {{l|layer}}s are present in your chosen embark site, as viewable on the starting menu.

=== General Surroundings ===
Simply put, if your {{l|surroundings}} are {{l|evil}} or {{l|savage}}, your dwarves have a higher risk of suddenly facing personal combat before they are safely behind their defenses. Consider bringing extra weaponry, in the form of axes, picks or crossbows (see {{l|Starting_builds#Free_Equipment|free equipment}}). Hand in hand with those, consider skill mixes that include {{l|axedwarf}}, {{l|mining}} (the skill used to wield a pick), {{l|marksdwarf}}, or {{l|wrestling}} (a solid unarmed-combat skill).

The same is true if you are embarking near an exposed magma vent or an open chasm - these features can be seen on the embark map, but it's impossible to tell if they are "open" to the surface or not, until you are there in person.

Be sure to include some source of {{l|water}} on the map, preferably running {{l|water}}. Water is (almost) essential for any fortress. In Cold and Freezing climates streams and {{l|lake}}s will often be frozen year-round and your dwarves may quickly die of exposure, in Hot climates {{l|murky pool}}s will dry up, and in Dry ones rain will only rarely re-fill them, if ever. Choose Temperate or tropical zones for an easier game.

===Aquifers===
If an {{l|aquifer}} is present in the first soil or stone layers (visible on the pre-embark menu), it may bar all access to {{l|stone}} and {{l|ore}} until you find a way through the water barrier. Consider bringing some stone for building, and ore for your first basic needs. This may be critical to getting your fortress running smoothly.

=== Mountains ===
Mountains often have abundant {{l|ore}}s, but at the loss of trees and plants. In previous versions lacking {{L|cavern}}s, this was a serious drawback. In DF2010, brave pioneers can dig down into the caverns to find essentials like water, mud, and plants. However, players should be aware that above-ground crops will not grow in mountain biomes, no matter how muddy you may make the surface.

Depending on the exact layers, it's common to find exposed {{l|vein}}s of useful {{l|ore}}s that can be immediately mined for {{l|Make your own weapons|DIY}} weapons and tools.

=== Wooded/Plains ===
Flatlands with at least some trees and gatherable plants can also make for highly successful fortresses. Advantages over mountain zones include abundant trees and plants and (unless frozen) more abundant water. There are even (rare) magma vents. More water also means a high likelyhood of an {{l|aquifer}} being present. Make sure to check on embark.

The greatest disadvantage is the potential lack of exposed {{l|stone}} to mine. The first level(s) below the surface is often {{l|soil}} of some type, which offers no building materials. However, soil is mined much more quickly than stone (x3-x4 faster), and expansive accommodations (rooms) can be achieved quickly even by untrained miners. You will find stone, you just have to go down a bit for it - but that's what dwarves do, isn't it?

{{l|Experience|Training}} a {{l|Miner}} from No Skill to Proficient takes <NEED NEW TIME> in soil, and to Legendary in less than <DITTO>.

=== Oceanside ===
With many features in common with some of the above locations, {{l|beach}}es are often a mix of ease intermingled with bouts of extreme difficulty. Minerals and trees are often abundant, as well as farmland and sand, but there is often no drinking water unless the biome has a flowing {{l|water}} of some sort.

By definition, the settlement will fall between (at least) two {{l|biome}}s (one land, one water), potentially hazardous if the player expects a peaceful oceanside meadow, without realizing the {{l|terrifying}} ocean is full of amphibious zombie {{l|whale}}s.

=== Desert, Glaciers, and Barren ===
Treeless (or near-treeless) {{l|biome}}s are challenging sites for a fortress: you get most of the disadvantages of a flatland site without having access to nearly as many trees and plants. However, near-lifeless zones such as {{l|glacier}}s are wonderful for those with slower machines, as there's little to burden the CPU but your dwarves and livestock. {{l|Desert}}s and barren areas often have sand; with a sufficient source of energy (preferably magma), you can build almost anything out of unlimited glass.

Hunters should be replaced with fisherdwarves and a fish cleaner (although the latter can be easily trained). Depending how much water vs. land, more starting wood and ores might be helpful. Swimming is rarely useful in Fortress mode, even at the beach, and can be trained.

==Sample starting builds==
To use an example starting build, open data/init/embark_profiles.txt and paste the text into it. Next time you embark, the profile will appear as a possible group to take. Using embark profiles is faster than planning carefully, but totally skips dwarf personality. Dwarves are simply assigned first come, first served.
=== BillyBob and the Rock Nuts ===
{| class="wikitable" cellspacing="0" border="1" cellpadding="5"
!Profession
!Skills
|-
|FarmerBrewer
|Grower-5, Brewer-5
|-
|MinerMason
|Mining-5, Masonry-3, Engraving-2
|-
|MinerJeweller
|Mining-5, Masonry-2, GemCutting-4
|-
|LumberjackHerbalist
|Woodcutting-4,Herbalism-4, Axedwarf, Armor, Carpentry
|-
|CookDoctor
|Cook-3, Threshing-2, Diagnose, DressWounds, Suture, SetBones, Surgery
|-
|CarpenterLeader
|Carpentry-4, Leadership-3, Negotiate, Appraisal, Record Keeper
|-
|CrafterArchitect
|Stonecraft-5, Building Designer-3, Mechanic
|}
The lumberjack is the only one that _has_ to go outside, and all the rest can work indoors. Two main sources of income are farming (Sweet Pods->Dwarven Syrup) and Rock Crafting (to buy elven wood/barrels).

<pre>
[PROFILE]
[TITLE:BillyBob and the Rock Nuts]
[SKILL:1:MINING:5]
[SKILL:1:DETAILSTONE:3]
[SKILL:1:MASONRY:2]
[SKILL:2:MINING:5]
[SKILL:2:MASONRY:1]
[SKILL:2:CUTGEM:4]
[SKILL:3:WOODCUTTING:4]
[SKILL:3:CARPENTRY:1]
[SKILL:3:HERBALISM:3]
[SKILL:3:AXE:1]
[SKILL:3:ARMOR:1]
[SKILL:4:CARPENTRY:4]
[SKILL:4:NEGOTIATION:1]
[SKILL:4:APPRAISAL:1]
[SKILL:4:RECORD_KEEPING:1]
[SKILL:4:LEADERSHIP:3]
[SKILL:5:BREWING:5]
[SKILL:5:PLANT:5]
[SKILL:6:PROCESSPLANTS:2]
[SKILL:6:COOK:3]
[SKILL:6:DRESS_WOUNDS:1]
[SKILL:6:DIAGNOSE:1]
[SKILL:6:SURGERY:1]
[SKILL:6:SET_BONE:1]
[SKILL:6:SUTURE:1]
[SKILL:7:STONECRAFT:5]
[SKILL:7:MECHANICS:1]
[SKILL:7:DESIGNBUILDING:4]
[ITEM:2:WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_PICK:INORGANIC:COPPER]
[ITEM:2:WEAPON:ITEM_WEAPON_AXE_BATTLE:INORGANIC:COPPER]
[ITEM:1:ANVIL:NONE:INORGANIC:IRON]
[ITEM:11:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_WHEAT_CAVE:DRINK]
[ITEM:11:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:DRINK]
[ITEM:11:DRINK:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:DRINK]
[ITEM:5:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:SEED]
[ITEM:12:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:SEED]
[ITEM:11:SEEDS:NONE:PLANT_MAT:POD_SWEET:SEED]
[ITEM:11:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:MARMOT_HOARY:STOMACH]
[ITEM:11:PLANT:NONE:PLANT_MAT:MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP:STRUCTURAL]
[ITEM:1:THREAD:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD]
[ITEM:1:CLOTH:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD]
[ITEM:3:BOX:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD]
[ITEM:2:CHAIN:NONE:PLANT_MAT:GRASS_TAIL_PIG:THREAD]
[ITEM:3:BUCKET:NONE:PLANT_MAT:ALDER:WOOD]
[ITEM:2:SPLINT:NONE:PLANT_MAT:ALDER:WOOD]
[ITEM:2:CRUTCH:NONE:PLANT_MAT:ALDER:WOOD]
[ITEM:15:MEAT:NONE:CREATURE_MAT:WARTHOG:MUSCLE]
[PET:2:DOG:FEMALE:TRAINED_WAR]
[PET:1:DOG:MALE:TRAINED_WAR]
[PET:2:CAT:FEMALE:STANDARD]
[PET:1:CAT:MALE:STANDARD]
</pre>

===Tatter's Ragtime Band===

Designed to pair important time-consuming skills with important but quickly completed skills, moodable skills with non-moodable skills, and generally embark only with skills that can't be trained from "unskilled" quickly (for example, no mining skills). Tailored to minimize bugs in versions 31.01 - 31.04.
*Boss: 5 points in Armor User, 1 point in Appraiser, Negotiator, Judge of Intent, Record Keeper, and Organizer. Will be your chief miner, militia commander, and all-around noble early on, and almost certainly will become expedition leader as well (sending your expedition leader out to fight is near-suicidal due to the bugs that occur in versions 31.01 through .04 if he dies, but the Armor User skill will minimize that risk). As other dwarves arrive with mining and/or noble skills (even if they aren't as high-level as the Boss's), replace the Boss with them as soon as possible, to relieve his workload. Keep the Boss as your militia commander and broker, mining mostly to train his skill with a pick (the official training methods are also bugged in versions 31.01 through 31.04 and will prevent your dwarf from ever performing other tasks), until a dwarf with better skills for these tasks arrives. If you embark with dogs, give the Boss the Animal Trainer labor as well and have him train them into War Dogs for extra protection. (Moodable skill: Mining)
*Doc: 5 points in Carpentry, 1 point in Diagnostician, Bone Doctor, Surgeon, Suturer, and Wound Dresser. A doctor that can make his own beds, splints, and crutches (and tables and cabinets, if you have an excess of wood). Make him Chief Medical Dwarf right away, but replace him as soon as a better Diagnostician comes along. Make him a Plant Gatherer and Wood Cutter as well (until immigrants with better skills arrive), to give him something to do when he has nothing to build and nobody to heal. (Moodable skill: Carpentry)
*Rock Farmer: 5 points in Grower, 5 points in Gem Cutting. Farming is more difficult to set up than it used to be, but no less time consuming. Gem Cutting takes little time and provides the fortress with the highest-value, lowest-weight trade items you're likely to find early on. You can also make him a Plant Processor and/or Miller if you need the materials for emergency mood satisfaction and/or cooking, but these skills should be provided at higher levels by immigrants fairly quickly, and cloth isn't critical for an early fortress (hunt and butcher wildlife with your militia instead, and make bags/clothes out of leather). Give him the Mining labor at least, though, as all dwarves who aren't Wood Cutting or Hunting should be available as backup miners and emergency militia. (Moodable skill: Gem Cutting)
*Embalmer: 5 points in Brewing, 5 points in Leatherworking. Makes leather bags and armor early in the game, alcohol later. Assign him the Tanner and Butcher labors as well, until immigrants with better skills arrive, and the Miner labor, for the reasons stated above. (Moodable skill: Leatherworker)
*Iron Chef: 5 points in Cooking, 5 points in Weaponsmithing. Makes the steel when he isn't making a meal. Assign him the Furnace Operator and Wood Burner labors, until immigrants with better skills arrive, and the Miner labor on general principles. If you're unlucky with immigrants, or determined to make additional forges or metal armor right away, you can give him the Armorer and Blacksmith labors as well. (Moodable skill: Weaponsmith)
*Architect: 5 points in Mason, 5 points in Building Designer. Unlocks all buildings from the start, and will build nice ones that improve dwarven moods. The sheer amount of construction needed to build a secure and functional initial fort quickly may make it a good idea to turn OFF all labors for the Architect except Mason and Building Designer, at least until everyone and everything is safely underground. If you ever do finish building everthing you need, give him back any labors you turned off, and add Engraver (train him by smoothing stone first) and Miner labors as well. (Moodable skill: Mason)
*Mech Pilot: 5 points in Mechanic, 5 points in Siege Operator. If you ever plan on using siege engines to defend your fort (and you will eventually need them when Titans and/or Demons show up), then having at least one high-skill Siege Operator is vital. Unfortunately, it can take years of practice to raise Siege Operator skill to the level you can embark with, if you're unlucky enough to only get unskilled or novice Siege Operators as immigrants. This way, you're guaranteed to have at least one good Siege Operator (assuming he's still alive) when the large-sized foes show up, and until then, you have a Mechanic that will build your best defenses against anything else. Give him the Siege Engineer labor until more skilled immigrants arrive, and the Miner labor for good measure. (Moodable skill: Mechanic)
Crafting and Gem Setter skills should be available through immigrants, but the Stonecraft skill can be trained up easily and cheaply from nothing by any dwarf that spends much time idle, if you absolutely must have something quickly. Fishing and Hunting can likewise usually wait until immigrants arrive with these skills. Chasing wolves around with your militia can be frustrating, but eventually one of them will make the mistake of trying to stand and fight, and even simple clothes can deflect most animals' teeth, claws, and horns (just don't go after bears without metal armor!). Note that the official method of hunting has been reported bugged in versions 31.01 through 31.03, but in 31.04 I have had no problem as long as I remember to use the Military -> Ammunition screen to assign bolts to the "Hunter" squad, and use the Order command to make dwarves gather dead bodies from outside.

Recommended embark items:
*1+ copper picks (use any leftover embark points to buy up to 5 spares)
*1 iron anvil, to guarantee you can make more picks quickly.
*1 wooden training axe, or battle axe if the "training axes can chop down trees" exploit is ever fixed. This will keep you from being left without fuel for the forge if you run out of wood, but can be skipped if you're embarking to an area where there are no trees (or if you're going to DIY it).
*1+ of each type of seed, mostly for the bags, as you will probably be surface farming with gathered plants until the caravans arrive anyhow. Note that quarry bush seeds are edible, and dwarves will often consume your whole initial stockpile before you can plant them.
*25-30 units of meat/fish, one from each different animal or fish that is available to your culture for 2 embark points per unit. This will give you enough meat to keep your dwarves fed until the first caravan arrives, and the maximum number of free barrels as well. Meat is generally preferred by dwarves over organs that aren't prepared in a kitchen first (meaning the barrels will be empty and available for other uses faster). Note that some animals may not have meat available (vermin like cave spiders, for example), in which case organs are preferable to nothing at all.
*21 each of dwarven ale, dwarven beer, and dwarven rum. Dwarven wine will be produced in large quantities on site once subterranean farming is ready to grow Plump Helmets, and this should be enough alcohol to keep your dwarves happy until a caravan arrives with more if you need it.
*Anything else that you may need more of than the site can provide right away:
**Wood, if the biomes are devoid of trees (glacier, mountain, desert, etc.).
**Metal ore, if you have plenty of trees but may need more/better metal than you are likely to find immediately (savage/evil biomes).
**Metal bars, if you need metal but trees are scarce.
**Weapons and armor, if you are mad enough to take on a Terrifying biome.
**Flux stone, if you want to make steel quickly but the embark site lacks chalk, limestone, or dolomite (marble and calcite are normally only found far too deep to be of much early use).
**Dogs, if you want a decent "militia" fairly quickly. Build a kennel and have the Boss train them into War Dogs. One male and the rest females will produce more dogs as quickly as possible.
**Plaster bags, for the hospital. You can usually find some plaster-making stones on site, but turning them into bags of plaster powder for setting bones is a difficult, time consuming, and fuel burning process, until you can build magma kilns. On the other hand, if you aren't expecting serious combat before the caravans arrive, you can usually buy more than you will ever use from them fairly cheap.
**Sand bags, for the bags. Dump the sand, keep the bag. Only 1 point each, but you probably won't need very many bags quickly after embark, so don't go overboard.
**Plump Helmets, as an emergency food/alcohol supply if you anticipate problems making a subterranean farm. Buy in quantities ending in 1, for the maximum number of free barrels.

===Elfhater's "Start With Steel Without Paying (Much) For It" Strategy===

This is a strategy for a component of a starting build. It shows you how to get a steel axe/pick for 75 points. The steel axe is a very good weapon, and the pick is useful itself.

'''Before Embark'''
*No picks or axes
*2 iron ore (hematite, limonite, or magnetite)
*2 flux stones (calcite, chalk, dolomite, limtestone, or marble)
*5 logs

'''After Embark'''
*Deconstruct wagon (this gets you three wood)

*Build a wood furnace with a flux stone
**Make '''one''' ash
**Make '''seven''' charcoal
**Deconstruct the furnace

*Build a smelter using the ash
**Smelt both iron ores into iron bars
**Smelt '''one''' iron bar into pig iron
**Smelt iron bar and pig iron bar into steel
**Deconstruct the smelter

*Build a metalsmith's forge using the ash
**Make '''one''' steel axe
**Cut down (at least) one tree
**Deconstruct forge

*Build a wood furnace using the ash
**Burn wood
**Deconstruct wood furnace

*Build a metalsmith's forge using the ash
**Make '''one''' steel pick.

*End with One Steel pick and one Steel Axe for less Embark points then a copper pick and copper axe.

{{Starting FAQ}}
[[Category:Guides]]

v0.31:Strange mood

2010-07-19T11:08:10Z

Rmunn:

{{quality|Fine|08:00, 22 May 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}

{{buggy|bugsection=Bugs}}
Periodically, individual dwarves are struck with an idea for a [[legendary artifact]] and enter a '''strange mood'''. Dwarves which enter a strange mood will stop whatever they are doing and pursue the construction of this artifact to the exclusion of all else. They will not stop to eat, drink, sleep, or even run away from dangerous creatures. If they do not manage to begin construction of the artifact within a handful of months, they will go [[#Failure|insane]] and die soon afterward.

==Overview==

# The conditions necessary for a strange mood to occur: '''''fill in here''''' Comment: Strange mood may possess even dwarf children
# The game will pause, center on a dwarf, and announce that the dwarf has entered one of five different types of strange moods. The [[#Types|types of mood]] are listed below. While in a mood, a dwarf will display a blinking exclamation point (see [[status icons]]).
# For the duration of the mood, the dwarf will claim a workshop related to the skill that the mood affects (not all skills are eligible), kick out any dwarf who was using it, and render it otherwise unusable until the mood has been resolved. If a moody dwarf does not claim a workshop, it is because the appropriate workshop does not exist. (See [[#Skills and workshops|skills and workshops]] below to determine which workshop(s) might be required.) A moody dwarf will ''not'' be available to build a needed workshop; another dwarf with the appropriate [[labor]] designation must do so for them, if one is necessary.
# After claiming a workshop, the dwarf will set about collecting the required materials for their artifact. If the dwarf remains idle inside the workshop, it's because they cannot find the right material. Reference the [[#Demands|demands]] section to determine what may be required. Important Note: They will only collect these materials IN THE ORDER THAT THEY REQUIRE THEM. In other words, you have to determine where they are on the list of required materials and then provide the next one before they will continue collecting other materials.
# Once all materials have been gathered, the game will once again pause and center, and the moody dwarf will begin construction. Upon completion the dwarf will create a semi-random artifact related to the skill affected and gain [[legendary]] (or higher) status in that skill (unless the mood type is [[#Possessed|possessed]]). See the [[#Skills and workshops|skills and workshops]] for information on which skills can be gained, or the [[#Artifacts created|artifacts created]] section for more details on the artifacts themselves.

== Types of moods ==
For each of the following types of moods, the first message is how the mood is [[Announcement|announced]]; the second message appears in the dwarf's profile when he or she is viewed with the {{K|v}} key. All moody dwarves will have "Strange Mood" listed as their active task.

=== Fey ===
* {{Gametext|<dwarf> is taken by a fey mood!|7:1}}
: ''Has the aspect of one fey!''

This is the most basic strange mood. Fey dwarves will clearly state their demands when the workshop they are in is examined.

A fey dwarf's happiness is automatically set to 'quite content'.

=== Secretive ===
* {{Gametext|<dwarf> withdraws from society...|7:0}}
: ''Peculiarly secretive...''

Secretive moods are the same as fey moods, except a secretive dwarf will sketch pictures of their required materials instead of clearly stating their demands if they cannot find what they need. Descriptions of all these [[#Demands|secretive requirements]] can be seen only by viewing the workshop that the moody dwarf has claimed, with {{k|q}}, and then only while the dwarf is waiting inside it. More than one "picture" is likely; these will cycle through the entire list automatically if any one is not available. (Since materials are gathered ''in order'', it's quite possible that only one of a long list is needed to allow the moody dwarf to continue on their project. If the dwarf has gathered some of the materials (seen as "tasked" when looking at the workshop with {{k|t}}), then the next in the list is what they are looking for.)

A secretive dwarf's happiness is automatically set to 'quite content'.

=== Possessed ===
* {{Gametext|<dwarf> has been possessed!|5:1}}
: ''Possessed by unknown forces!''

Possessed dwarves have cryptic material requests, and have the unfortunate distinction of not receiving any experience upon successful construction of an artifact. It is unknown if controllable circumstances lead to a possessed mood instead of one of the more desirable fey or secretive moods. Possessed dwarves will mutter the name of the artifact they are working on once they have all the materials they need.

A possession is the only mood that does ''not'' result in a jump in [[experience]].

A possessed dwarf's happiness is automatically set to 'quite content'.

=== Fell {{verify}} ===
* {{Gametext|<dwarf> looses a roaring laughter, fell and terrible!|5:0}}
: ''Has a horrible fell look!''

A dwarf that goes into a fell mood will always take over a [[40d:butcher's shop|butcher's shop]] or a [[40d:tanner's shop|tanner's shop]]. If neither are available, any other workshop will be used instead. The dwarf will then ''murder'' the nearest dwarf, drag the corpse into the shop and make some sort of object out of dwarf [[40d:leather|leather]] or [[40d:bone|bone]]. Once the artifact is completed, the fell dwarf will become a legendary [[40d:bone carver|bone carver]] or [[40d:leatherworker|leatherworker]]. Strangely, none of the other dwarves seem to mind the murder. Only unhappy dwarves may enter a fell mood.

Aside from the potential loss of an important dwarf in the wrong place at the wrong time, there doesn't seem to be any downside to a fell mood. The end result is always an artifact and a legendary craftsdwarf. Since the only ingredient used (a dwarf) is available in abundance, a fell mood will only fail if the fell dwarf is completely isolated from other dwarves, or if the proper workshop does not exist.

=== Macabre ===
* {{Gametext|<dwarf> begins to stalk and brood...|0:1}}
: ''Brooding darkly...''

Macabre moods are similar to fell moods, but the dwarf will not murder a fellow dwarf. A macabre dwarf may require bones{{verify}}, skulls{{verify}} or remains; if you do not happen to have any, you will have to make some, e.g. by butchering an animal{{verify}}, or let the moody dwarf go insane. Like fell moods, only unhappy dwarves can enter macabre moods.

==Caveats==
* Shells are a common request in moods and are only produced from preparing raw turtles, mussels, or lobsters at a fishery. That is, you must be able to fish them at your site, there is no way of trading for them.
* Should the claimed workshop be a {{L|magma forge}} and loses power due to insufficient magma beneath it, the mood will fail immediately and the dwarf will turn {{L|insane}}. Should the forge be in danger of getting unpowered soon you should better forbid it before it is claimed and construct a conventional forge for the dwarf to use (the dwarf won't require fuel).

==Bugs==
{{version|0.31.03}}
* There are bugs reported related to moody dwarves. As has been the case in 40d, most turned out to be (understandable) failures of the player to grasp the mechanics of artifact creation and demands. Bug tracker: [http://bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view_all_bug_page.php]
* Children can experience moods. With the correct mood, they will become Legendary (Stone, Wood, Rock) Craftsdwarfs. However, when they become adults, they produce products as if they are of skill Dabbling only.
* Dwarves may request "rock bars" -- This is satisfied by metal bars.
* Glassmaker Dwarves will not use Magma Glass Furnaces, only regular glass furnaces. may not be bug
{{Spoiler}}

== Demands ==
Once a workshop is claimed, the dwarf will begin collecting materials. Each artifact will require between one and ten materials to complete. If the moody dwarf remains idle, then the necessary materials are not available. [[Forbidden]] items must be reclaimed ({{K|d}} - {{K|b}} - {{K|c}}) before they may be used, but moody dwarves will ignore settings regarding [[economic stone]]. Press {{K|q}} and highlight the workshop to receive a series of clues about what the dwarf needs. Hints that stay active for longer than 2 seconds mean that multiple pieces of that material will be required; each single demand will be displayed for 2 seconds, so if it says "gems... shining" for 6 seconds, 3 gems are demanded. Materials will always be fetched ''in order'', so if at least one item has already been retrieved (the items will show up with "TSK" ("task") next to them when the workshop is viewed with the {{K|t}} context menu), it will usually be possible to tell what item is required next.

If you want your dwarves to construct their artifacts out of valuable materials instead of whatever useless thing happens to be close at hand, you can selectively forbid types of material through the stocks screen so that only the material you want them to use is available; though this might interfere with the normal crafting operations of your fortress, the disruption is generally short-lived (as long as you remember to unforbid them again afterwards!). You can even forbid something a moody dwarf is carrying (which may be necessary sometimes, since while they are not waiting in the workshop they will not tell you what they need); the dwarf will finish hauling it to the workshop, but then immediately go searching for another. This trick can mean the difference between a bauxite statue decorated with moss agates and a native platinum statue encrusted with diamonds.

As of DF2010, burrows seem to allow even better control over moody dwarfs' material usage. Simply by creating a burrow around claimed workshop and another part over desired material, moody dwarf can be controlled without forbidding every single stone in fortress.
Moody dwarf will follow the burrow-definitions just like a regular worker.

The various demands are translated here:

:{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;width:90%;"
|-
! Material
! Fey
! Secretive
! Possessed
|-
|
| <dwarf> screams "I must have <demand>!"
| <dwarf> sketches pictures of <demand>.
| <dwarf> mutters "<artifact> needs <demand>..."
|-
| [[Stone]]
| rock
| a quarry
| stone... rock
|-
| Stone [[block]]
| rock blocks
| square blocks
| blocks... bricks
|-
| [[Wood]]
| wood logs
| a forest
| tree... life
|-
| Metal [[bar]]
| metal bars
| shining bars of metal
| bars... metal
|-
| [[Gem]]s (cut)
| cut gems
| cut gems
| gems... shining
|-
| [[Gem]]s (raw)
| rough gems
| rough gems
| rough... color
|-
| [[Glass]] (green)
| raw green glass
| glass
| raw... green
|-
| [[Glass]] (clear)
| clear glass{{verify}}
| glass and burning wood
| raw... clear
|-
| [[Glass]] (crystal)
| crystal glass{{verify}}
| rough gems and glass
| raw... crystal
|-
| [[Bone]]
| bones
| skeletons
| bones... yes
|-
| [[Shell]]
| shells
| a shell
| a shell...
|-
| [[Leather]]
| tanned hides
| stacked leather
| leather... skin
|-
| [[Cloth]] (plant)
| plant fiber cloth
| stacked cloth
| cloth... thread
|-
| [[Cloth]] (silk)
| silk cloth
| stacked cloth
| cloth... thread
|-
| [[Bones]] or [[Shell]]
| body parts
|
|
|}

Fey dwarves will sometimes ask for rock bars. This is just a typographical error, and they are actually asking for one of several objects. (Disputed -- [[DF2010 Talk:Strange mood|Discuss]])

=== Skills and workshops ===

{| class="wikitable" cellpadding="4" style="border:1px solid black;border-collapse:collapse;text-align:left;float:right;margin:0 0 20px 30px;"
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color:#eee;border-bottom:1px solid black;text-align:center;" | Artifact Skill Rewards
|-
! Highest skill
! Workshop used
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Armorsmith}}
| {{L|Magma forge}} or {{L|Metalsmith's forge}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Bone carver}}
| {{L|Craftsdwarf's workshop}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Bowyer}}
| {{L|Bowyer's workshop}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Carpenter}}
| {{L|Carpenter's workshop}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Clothier}}
| {{L|Clothier's shop}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Engraver}}
| {{L|Craftsdwarf's workshop}} or {{L|Mason's workshop}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Gem cutter}}
| {{L|Jeweler's workshop}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Gem setter}}
| {{L|Jeweler's workshop}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Glassmaker}}
| {{L|Glass furnace}} or {{L|Magma glass furnace}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Leatherworker}}
| {{L|Leatherworks}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Mason}}
| {{L|Mason's workshop}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Mechanic}}
| {{L|Mechanic's workshop}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Metal crafter}}
| {{L|Magma forge}} or {{L|Metalsmith's forge}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Metalsmith}}
| {{L|Magma forge}} or {{L|Metalsmith's forge}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Miner}}
| {{L|Craftsdwarf's workshop}} or {{L|Mason's workshop}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Stone crafter}}
| {{L|Craftsdwarf's workshop}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Tanner}}
| {{L|Tanner's shop}} or {{L|Leather works}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Weaponsmith}}
| {{L|Magma forge}} or {{L|Metalsmith's forge}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Weaver}}
| {{L|Clothier's shop}}
|- style="border-top:1px solid #aaa;vertical-align:top;"
| {{L|Wood crafter}}
| {{L|Craftsdwarf's workshop}}
|}

== Artifacts created ==
The type of artifact created will depend on the dwarf's highest skill. Masons will always create some kind of stone object, usually furniture; bone Carvers, a bone or shell object; carpenters, a wood object, etc. Miners and engravers will usually turn out a stone craft or piece of furniture; metalworkers, metal crafts, weapons, or armor (depending on the type of metalworker); weavers, an article of clothing; tanners, a leather armor or object. If a dwarf has no moodable skills, they will take over a [[craftsdwarf's workshop]] and create a bone, stone or wood craft of some type. The precise type of craft created is usually somewhat random but if a dwarf has a personality preference for a particular thing, such as gauntlets or floodgates or crowns, and that thing is an available choice given the dwarf's profession, they will generally create an object of that type.

The first object grabbed by the dwarf will be the "primary" substance; all other materials will be used to decorate the artifact. If a dwarf grabs a piece of [[chalk]] and makes a statue, for instance, it will be a "chalk statue", but an artifact can potentially be composed of bone, cloth, gems, leather, metal, shell, stone, and wood all at once. In some cases, a moody dwarf will produce an item which normally cannot be made from that material, leading to such odd constructions as an [[obsidian]] [[bed]], [[ruby]] [[floodgate]], or turtle [[shell]] [[cage]].

Once created, most [[artifact]]s will be available for use just like a normal item of its type. Artifact furniture is useful for high value [[noble]] rooms. Artifact weapons in [[weapon trap]]s can also boost a room's value considerably, as in the case of artifact trap components and mechanisms.

== Failure ==
If you can't provide the desired workshop and all the required component materials within a couple of months, the dwarf will go {{L|insanity|insane}}, which cancels the mood and the artifact. As if that's not bad enough, any dwarf who goes insane will soon die, one way or another.

A dwarf who is '''stark raving mad''' or '''melancholy''' is harmless to others (until they die and start a {{L|tantrum}} spiral), but a '''berserk''' dwarf will attack other dwarfs and possibly pull levers at random. You may want to station a squad nearby or assign a few war dogs to the dwarf on the chance that they will lash out. If you build your workshops inside enclosed rooms with doors you can also lock the moody dwarf in the room until he or she starves. In extreme cases, building a wall around an open workshop is the best precaution.

v0.31:Immigration

2010-07-17T00:50:45Z

Rmunn:

{{quality|Exceptional|08:00, 22 May 2010 (UTC)}}{{av}}

Immigration can occur once per season, and can happen at any time throughout (both early and late season immigrations have been reported)

Smaller migrant waves (2 to 10) seem typical in early seasons, followed by a large wave (low double digits) in the second Spring (one year after embark). Be prepared with adequate {{l|food}}, {{l|alcohol|drink}}, and {{l|bed}}s, among other things. Max wave size reported to date is 25{{verify}}.

Migrants also often bring animals with them. These are often not pets of the migrants, but will always be domestic animals.

Immigrant waves will not exceed the maximum number of dwarves you have specified in d_init.txt, but instead will match up exactly.{{verify}} (or, of course, stay below)

== Labour preference bug ==

Migrants each can arrive with a wide collection of (often unrelated) skills, far greater than possible with one of the {{L|starting build|starting 7 dwarves}}, and {{L|experience}} levels as high as Legendary.
Any and all skills might be represented, including obscure military skills (like {{l|blowgunner}}), high levels of one or more {{l|social skill}}s, {{l|crutch walker}}, {{l|concentration}} and others.

Immigrants may have high skills in certain {{l|labor|labors}} without actually having them enabled in their labor preferences. This leads to dwarves either doing jobs from an area they are not labeled for or no work at all. For example, an adequate cheese maker (with the cheese making labor turned on) may also have the skill bonecrafting on "high master", albeit turned off in his preferences. The dwarf in question is listed as a bonecrafter on screen and in the {{l|status}} tab, but will only perform the cheese making labor. Individually checking each immigrant for skills and labor preferences is the only workaround so far. But the use of programs such as {{l|utilities|Dwarf Therapist}} can greatly decrease the time taken to check each dwarfs skills.

==Military Immigrants==
Any immigrant, with (apparently) any collection of skills, may also arrive with some {{L|combat skill}}s, all of the same {{L|experience}} level. These appear consistently to be:

:* Armor User
:* Fighter
:* Dodger
...''and one of either''...
::* Wrestler, Striker, Kicker, or Biter
::...''or''...
::* 1 (or more*) weapon skill
:::''and''
::* Shield user

*If more than 1, then the total experience divided between the skills seems to be approximately equal to that of any of the other skills.{{verify}}