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Bat man

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xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼
Bat man
Bat man sprite.png
b

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Urist likes bat men for their haunting cries.
Portrait
Bat man portrait.png
Biome

Variations

Bat - Bat man - Giant bat

Attributes
Alignment: Savage

· Flying · Learns · Humanoid

Cannot be tamed 
Size
Max: 35,050 cm3

Age
Adult at: Birth
Max age: 20-30
Cannot be butchered
v50.14 · v0.47.05
This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.
A humanoid with the head of a bat and wings stretching from wrist to ankle.

Bat men are humanoid versions of the common bat and are one of the many races of underground tribal animal people found living in small groups on any cavern level. They may also be found on the surface living in savage biomes, though these bat men will not live in tribes and will behave like the usual mindless animal people.

Despite being labelled as hostile in the unit list, bat men initially found in the caverns will ignore your citizens unless provoked. They will usually be observed carrying wooden spears, blowguns and shields, although they are sometimes seen using metal items instead. These can range from copper to steel, and are presumably caused by a bug. Depending on which other subterranean creatures they have access to, their blowdarts will be covered in different poisons, which can vary from mildly annoying cave spider venom to highly dangerous giant cave spider toxins. You can preemptively check for poisons by selecting a blowgunner, looking in their items tab and viewing their blowdarts.

Bat men may launch group attacks on your fort. When this happens, all tribesmen on the map will become hostile, even if they were peaceful minutes prior to the invasion. They may arrive with pets and mounts, some of which will be able to fly or easily catch up to your fleeing civilians. These invaders, unlike their above-ground counterparts, will not leave after some time has passed, even if your fort is completely sealed off from the caverns, nor will they prevent migrants, caravans or other invaders from arriving; including more waves of bat men. Because of this, several unchallenged assaults from them can quickly cause your game's FPS to drop to single-digit levels, thus making your fort completely unplayable.

Bat men can fly, meaning that they will be able to fly over your walls, or through gaps in your floors and ceilings, so plan your defenses accordingly. It can also make them marginally harder to hit than other creatures their size.

Some dwarves like bat men for their haunting cries.

Anatomy[edit]

Despite the depictions, a bat man does not have separate arms and wings. A bat man's arms are his wings that he uses to fly. He has a thumb and three other fingers attached to the hand of each arm/wing. Like a bat, a bat man does not use echolocation. Unlike a bat, a bat man has no tail.

An interpretation of a bat man if he had a tail and separated arms and wings. You can see his wings stretching from his wrists to his ankles like in the description.
Art by Devilingo
D4Dwarf.png This article or section has been rated D for Dwarf. It may include witty humour, not-so-witty humour, bad humour, in-jokes, pop culture references, and references to the Bay12 forums. Don't believe everything you read, and if you miss some of the references, don't worry. It was inevitable.


Some things to watch out for when dealing with bat men:

  • They show a preference for working individually, paired up with a different bird man of some type or with nightwings.
  • They are most likely to target the dwarf whose "comedian" attribute is at the highest level.
  • They are exceptional detectives: given enough preparation time, they can defeat any foe.
  • Their default identities are a secret. If you turn this off, their chasm will flood your fortress with human nobles instead.
  • They can breathe in space.
  • They are vengeance. They are the night.
  • Their parents are DEEAAAAAAAD!!!
  • Bat men DO NOT eat nachos. They prefer hotdogs instead.
  • Bat men believe in the absolute sacredness of sapient life, and as such will never kill their enemies.


Urist McGordon Jr.: Why's he running, Dad?

Urist McGordon: Because we have to chase him.

Urist McGordon Jr.: He didn't do anything wrong.

Urist McGordon: Because he's the hero our Fortress deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark champion.

Now you will know why you fear the night.

In the legendary tournament Splatterface, it is customary for fans to emit shrieking sounds for the sponsored and popular bat woman gladiator Shrieking Sounds.

Possibly due to a bug, batmen will sometimes become stuck in a constant loop of crashing into an obstacle until put out of their misery. The screeching cries of a batman stuck in a cycle of forever stubbing their toe has been known to drive dwarves to madness, with some scholars saying that if they were able to weaponize this power, they would be able to fend off a siege of clowns a hundred times over.

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