v50 Steam/Premium information for editors
  • v50 information can now be added to pages in the main namespace. v0.47 information can still be found in the DF2014 namespace. See here for more details on the new versioning policy.
  • Use this page to report any issues related to the migration.
This notice may be cached—the current version can be found here.

Night creature

From Dwarf Fortress Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼
v50.15 · v0.47.05
This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.
Now you will know why you fear the night.
Night creatures sprites preview.png

A night creature is a member of a class of hostile creatures. Many of them are generated procedurally, whether as a full creature, through an interaction changing a normal creature, or a mixture of both. Night trolls, which are themselves only a type of night creature, are sometimes also referred to as night creatures.

Types[edit]

Most types of night creature are depicted in the game as either a ñ or Ñ of a different color. Some night creatures flash between the Ñ and a basic creature tile, especially undead. The currently existing night creatures are the following:

Magical beings[edit]

  • Necromancer sprite.png / Ñ Necromancers are historical figures that have found the secrets of life and death, becoming immortal and gaining the ability to animate the dead.
  • Nightmare sprite preview.png / Ñ Nightmares are frightening monsters who do not occur naturally, but can be summoned by necromancers and demons[Verify] in battle.

Monsters[edit]

  • Bogeyman sprite.png / ñ Bogeymen, which ambush lone travellers in regions dominated by nightmares or darkness at night, chasing them relentlessly until the victim can retreat indoors or manages to survive until daylight. Unlike other night creatures, bogeymen do not have individual histories—rather, they are generated when needed in adventure mode.
  • Experiment sprite.png / A–Z Experiments are a variety of transformations originating from necromancers' experimentation on captured citizens and livestock - they sometimes escape to the wild, and intelligent ones can rejoin civilization. Unlike other night creatures, they are represented by regular alphabet letters. Intelligent experiments are colored red, while failed creations and others are colored green.
  • Night troll sprite.png / Ñ Night trolls, which abduct certain civilized creatures of the opposite gender, transform them into a spouse, and mate with them.
  • Werebeast sprite.png / Ñ Werebeasts are former worshipers cursed by their patron deities for profaning their temples, or those to whom they transferred that curse. At the full moon, they will transform into a ravenous monster based off a random creature.

Undead[edit]

  • Animated dead example anim.gif / Ñ Animated dead are the walking corpses and corpse parts that arise in evil regions or under the thrall of a necromancer or mummy. Particularly evil regions may also transform living creatures into thralls or husks via their unusual weather. They flash between their night creature tile and their basic creature tile.
  • Ghost sprite.png / Ñ Ghosts, the restless spirits of the dead that weren't properly memorialized. Depending on circumstances, they can interact with the living in various ways.
  • Infected ghoul sprite.png / Ñ Infected ghouls are undead who were infected with contagious ghoulish conditions by necromancers. They flash between their night creature tile and their basic creature tile.
  • Intelligent undead sprite.png / Ñ Intelligent undead - independent, intelligent corporeal undead that do not fit into other categories. They are raised by necromancers, mummies, and demons to help with their plots of conquering the world. They have special powers, such as syndrome attacks, controlling the weather, and repelling other creatures.
  • Mummy preview sprite.png / Ñ Mummies are the dead rulers of civilizations, interred in tombs or, occasionally. in catacombs. They will arise if disturbed and lay curses (of misfortune, so far) on the trespasser.
  • Vampire sprite.png / Ñ Vampires are undead blood-drinkers (usually spawned by divine wrath, as with werebeasts) that can pass for living humanoids, moving on when suspicion of them grows too much. Occasionally they might start immortality cults instead, and might make a bid to seize power over a whole civilization.

Planned night creatures[edit]

In addition to the existing night creatures, and plans to expand them, Dwarf Fortress Talk #14 reveals future plans for other types of night creatures, which are as follows:

  • Ñ Stalkers, undead that rise from brutal killings and executions, taking on aspects related to their death.
  • Ñ Constructed creatures, like Frankenstein's monster, with mismatched limbs, sutures, and grafted weapons. Experiments seem to at least partly be an implementation of this.
  • Ñ Animated furniture, to be found in certain haunted houses, making sounds, moving about, and attacking the unwitting souls entering them. They will flash between their night creature tile and their basic item tile.
  • Ñ Various sorts of evil beasts, such as evil rotten capybaras or evil animated trees.
  • Ñ Monsters of the sea, including aquatic hags and trolls such as Grendel, as well as monstrous sea creatures such as evil carp.
  • Ñ Cursed people of the sea, such as undead pirates or seafarers.
When the night comes, they can wait forever.
"Night creature" in other Languages Books-aj.svg aj ashton 01.svg
Dwarven: anan mes
Elven: lithéme amu
Goblin: anu los
Human: kulur mos
Retrieved from "https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php?title=Night_creature&oldid=302463"