40d:Body token

Body tokens are one of the fundamental parts of creatures, and determine their bodily structure. There are two major types of body tokens: body templates (BODY) and body parts (BP).

A creature uses the BODY creature token to list all of the body templates it includes. Each part listed in each template is then included in the creature. In other words: a creature lists the body templates it is made of. Each body template contains a set of body parts. Each body part specifies which other body part it is attached to.

Body parts can connect specifically to another body part, or generally to any body part of a certain category. These connections are handled by the CON and CONTYPE body part tokens respectively.

Body parts can be renamed with a bodygloss, allowing someone to reuse an existing template instead of defining a similar template with only the names of the body parts changed.

Convention

The convention in the unmodded raw object data in Dwarf Fortress is to make the centre of mass the core of the creature. All other body parts then attach to this central mass, or to those body parts that attach to this central mass. Creating chains of attachments in this fashion produces limbs.

While it is possible to use the CON token to connect to a specific body part ID even if it is in another template, it is convention within the default raw object data to use a CONTYPE if the connected part is in another template, for safety. Otherwise, a creature must have both templates within its BODY token to prevent unpredictable behaviour when the creature is used during world generation or simulated during gameplay.

Basic Syntax

filename

[OBJECT:BODY]

[BODY:TEMPLATE1]
[BP:CORE][UPPERBODY][...]
[BP:PART1][CONTYPE:UPPERBODY][...]
[BP:PART2][CON:CORE][...]

[BODYGLOSS:FOOBAR:foo:bar]

Body

Token	Arguments	Description
BODY	id	The name of the body template. Each BP token underneath a given Body Token BODY template is added to a creature when the Creature Token BODY specifies this ID.
BODYGLOSS	id match replacement	Replaces all occurrences of "match" in the creature's body parts with "replacement". E.g., the Body Token [BODYGLOSS:TENTACLE:leg:tentacle], used by the Creature Token [BODYGLOSS:TENTACLE], will cause any "right leg" to appear as "right tentacle". Testing required: would "brain legend" appear as "brain tentacleend"?[Verify]

Body Parts

Token	Arguments	Description
APERTURE		Unknown effect. An opening in the body, apparently, but no known purpose.
BP	id	The internal object ID of the body part. Unlike many other tokens in the game, the id of the BP does not need to be unique throughout all of the raw object files, though it does need to be unique within the BODY it is in.
BREATHE		The body part is necessary to breathe. If the body part is destroyed, the creature can suffocate unless it has the NOBREATHE token.
CIRCULATION		If this body part is destroyed, the creature will bleed to death?
CON	id	The specific body part object ID to which this body part attaches.
CONTYPE	type	The body part token type to which this body part attaches.
DIGIT		Is a finger/toe. Unknown effect.
EMBEDDED		The body part is embedded into the body -- it is external, but is not shown until injured. Compare INTERNAL. Can be gouged out?
FLIER		The body part is necessary for the creature to fly, and damage to the body part will ground the creature.
GRASP		The body part can be used to hold items (if the creature has the EQUIPS token) or wrestle.
GUTS		Can be disembowelled?
HEAD		Vital bodypart. If severed, creature dies.
HEAR		Unknown effect. Presumably allows the creature to listen.
INTERNAL		The body part is an internal organ and is not visible until injured.
JOINT		Can be broken by wrestling (possibly falling damage in a future version).
LEFT		The body part is on the left side of the creature and is thus vulnerable to attacks from the left side.
LIMB		The body part is usable for wrestling (i.e. can grab, lock, choke, etc).
LOWERBODY		The body part is another part of the "core" of the creature. When the lowerbody body part is destroyed, the creature is bisected.
MOUTH		Allows the creature to eat?
NERVOUS		Causes pain when destroyed. Other effects?
RIGHT		The body part is on the right side of the creature and is thus vulnerable to attacks from the right side.
SIGHT		Allows creatures to see; creatures without this tag on any part of their bodies cannot see for the purposes of aiming missile weapons (though apparently can find and kill mad adventurers fairly well with melee attacks). May need more testing.
SKELETON		Prevents game code from removing this bodypart when the creature is converted to skeletal undead.
SMALL		Unknown effect. Reduces chance to hit?
SMELL		Unknown effect. Presumably allows creature to smell.
STANCE		The body part is used to keep the creature standing; injury to the body part will cause the creature to collapse. It also makes the body part act like a foot, and adds toes to the body part. This can be problematic as the body part can be armored by a boot.
THOUGHT		Necessary for the creature to think. Without a working brain, the creature dies unless it has the NOTHOUGHT Creature Token.
THROAT		Can be strangled with wrestling to cause winding, unconsciousness, and eventual death.
UPPERBODY		The body part is the "core" of the creature; when the upperbody body part is destroyed, the creature is blown apart.

Body Part Types

Legal token types for use with the Attack Token "BYTYPE" argument or for the Body Token "CONTYPE" argument:

• APERTURE
• BREATHE^[Verify]
• CIRCULATION^[Verify]
• DIGIT^[Verify]
• FLIER^[Verify]
• GRASP
• GUTS^[Verify]
• HEAD^[Verify]
• HEAR^[Verify]
• JOINT^[Verify]
• LIMB^[Verify]
• LOWERBODY^[Verify]
• MOUTH
• NERVOUS^[Verify]
• SMELL
• STANCE
• THOUGHT
• UPPERBODY^[Verify]

Entries suffixed with "Verify" have not yet been tested and are included based on reasonable assumption.

Example

An elephant is comprised of a large number of body parts, but only includes a small list of templates. When an elephant asks for the following 15 templates in its CREATURE:ELEPHANT token:

[BODY:QUADRUPED:TAIL:2EYES:2EARS:TRUNK:2LUNGS:HEART:GUTS:ORGANS:THROAT:NECK:SPINE:BRAIN:MOUTH:2TUSKS]

...it gets all of the following 35 body parts:

QUADRUPED:
  - upper body
  - lower body
  - head
  - right front leg
  - left front leg
  - right front foot
  - left front foot
  - right rear leg
  - left rear leg
  - right rear foot
  - left rear foot
TAIL:
  - tail
2EYES:
  - right eye
  - left eye
2EARS:
  - right ear
  - left ear
TRUNK:
  - trunk
2LUNGS:
  - right lung
  - left lung
HEART:
  - heart
GUTS:
  - guts
ORGANS:
  - liver
  - stomach
  - pancreas
  - spleen
  - right kidney
  - left kidney
THROAT:
  - throat
NECK:
  - neck
SPINE:
  - upper spine
  - lower spine
BRAIN:
  - brain
MOUTH:
  - mouth
2TUSKS:
  - right tusk
  - left tusk

The body part tree of the elephant, after connections are made, is as follows:

+ upper body
  - heart
  - upper spine
  - right lung
  - left lung
  + head
    - brain
    - mouth
    - trunk
    - right tusk
    - left tusk
    - right eye
    - left eye
    - right ear
    - left ear
    - neck
    - throat
  + right front leg
    - right front foot
  + left front leg
    - left front foot
  + lower body
    - lower spine
    - guts
    - tail
    - liver
    - stomach
    - pancreas
    - spleen
    - right kidney
    - left kidney
    + right rear leg
      - right rear foot
    + left rear leg
      - left rear foot