Stress

xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼

v50.14 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

Stress is a condition that is similar to unhappiness in earlier versions. It will cause the dwarf to flash with a downward red arrow, and Over the long term, Urist McStressed has been under a great deal of stress will show on their thoughts and preferences tab.

Dwarves under stress for long periods of time will develop worse symptoms of stress level: Urist McStressed has become haggard and drawn due to the tremendous amounts of stresses placed upon him. In the short term, excessive levels of stress will lead to temporary emotional breakdowns - throwing tantrums, slipping into depression, or stumbling around obliviously. In the long term, excessive levels of stress will lead to insanity.

Animals can also be stressed, which seems to happen when an animal has been constrained for a long time.

Stress levels are given as a number, where a negative number is good, and a positive number is bad.

You may want to check on keeping your dwarves unstressed

Stress factors

Stress is affected by the emotions a dwarf experiences upon encountering certain circumstances; these encounters are temporarily shown as thoughts in the dwarf's profile, though the resulting stress can linger long after the thoughts are gone. The strength of the emotions (and the resulting stress values) vary based on the dwarf's personality. Controlled testing has shown that these sources of stress build up less in dwarves with high Bravery and low Stress Vulnerability. Anxiety Propensity affects the rate at which dwarves dissipate stress.

Being out in the sun seems to affect dwarves quite strongly in terms of stress.

Emotions and the level of stress or stress relief they cause are detailed in the table of emotions. Note that in many instances the same things cause different emotions. The exact mechanisms of how it's decided what emotions are to follow are as of yet unclear, but there's a general consensus that it depends on both severity of factors and the personality of the dwarf in question.

Here is a partial table of emotions and what they can be caused by:

Emotion	Cause
adoration	Giving birth to a baby, becoming a parent
admiration	Being next to completely sublime furniture, watching a performancev0.42.01
affection	Interacting with pet, adopting a new pet, forming a bond with the trained animal, talking with a friend, making a new friend
aroused	Talking with spouse, watching a performancev0.42.01
caring	Giving somebody food
empathy	Being yelled at/cried on by an unhappy citizen
enraptured	Communing with a deityv0.42.01
fondness	Making a new friend, talking with a friend or a sibling, interacting with pet
gratitude	Being rescued, receiving water or food, being granted residencyv0.42.01, being elected as mayor, sparring
lustful	Talking with the spouse
love	Talking with parent, spouse, or child, gaining a sibling
passionate	Talking with the spouse
pleasure	Being next to fine/very fine/splendid/completely sublime furniture, acquiring well-crafted items, putting on a well-crafted/exceptional item, performingv0.42.01, viewing something on displayv0.44.01
proud	Owning a high quality furniture, being elected as a mayor, bringing somebody to rest in bed
repentant	Being confined
sympathy	Giving somebody water or food, bringing somebody to rest in bed
tenderness	Talking with the spouse, bringing somebody to rest in bed
amused	Watching a performancev0.42.01
blissful	Dining in a legendary dining room, sleeping in a good bedroom/great bedroom/bedroom like a personal palace, having a bath, becoming a parent, performingv0.42.01
content	Being able to rest and recuperate, eating a fine/pretty decent meal, having a fine/pretty decent drink, putting on a well-crafted/finely-crafted/superior item, sleeping in a bedroom like a personal palace, having a bath, being near to a waterfall, discussing or pondering a topicv0.42.01
delighted	Eating a truly decent/legendary meal, putting on an exceptional item, being near to a waterfall, watching a performancev0.42.01
elated	Committing a crime and having punishment delayed, being elected as mayor
enjoyment	Being near to favourite animal in a cage, performingv0.42.01, watching a performancev0.42.01, playing with toysv0.42.01, playing make believev0.42.01
euphoric	Drinkingv0.42.01
expectant	Discussing or pondering a topicv0.42.01
free	Being released from confinement
gaiety	Performingv0.42.01
happy	Adopting a new pet, being granted residencyv0.42.01
hope	Being released from confinement
jovial	Having a mandate deadline met
joy	Performingv0.42.01
relieved	Being rescued, bringing somebody to rest in bed, eating vermin to survive, committing a crime and having punishment delayed, being near to a waterfall, being released from confinement, yelling at/crying on somebody in charge
satisfied	Receiving water or food, being successful at work, mastering a skill, teaching a skill, producing a masterwork, creating an artifact, improving a skillv0.42.01, reading a bookv0.42.01, learning a bookv0.42.01, felling a treev0.42.01, slaughtering an animalv0.42.01, getting into an argumentv0.42.01, caging a creaturev0.42.01, being granted residencyv0.42.01, realizing the value of leisure timev0.42.01, realizing the value of naturev0.42.01, realizing nuances of independencev0.42.01, realizing nuances of fairnessv0.42.01, realizing nuances of loyaltyv0.42.01, realizing nuances of lawv0.42.01, realizing nuances of leisure timev0.42.01, realizing nuances of friendshipv0.42.01, realizing the value of knowledgev0.42.01, realizing the worthlessness of eloquencev0.42.01, realizing the worthlessness of powerv0.42.01
triumph	Killing somebody, being elected/re-elected as a mayor
optimistic	Being able to rest and recuperate, having a mandate deadline met
astonished	Being sentenced by dwarven justice and having punishment reduced, having punishment delayed, being elected as mayor
awe	Being next to completely sublime furniture
excited	Performingv0.42.01
eager	Being elected/re-elected as mayor
exhilarated	Being attacked, getting into an argument, a sparring session, performingv0.42.01
interested	Being next to fine/very fine/splendid/completely sublime furniture, learning the secrets of life and death, watching a performancev0.42.01, being taught a skill, reading a bookv0.42.01, learning a bookv0.42.01, realizing the value of naturev0.42.01, realizing nuances of perseverancev0.42.01, realizing nuances of craftsmanshipv0.42.01, realizing the worthlessness of fairnessv0.42.01, viewing something on displayv0.44.01
wonder	Being taught a skill, learning a bookv0.42.01, communing with a deityv0.42.01, realizing the worthlessness of perseverancev0.42.01, realizing the value of familyv0.42.01, realizing the value of competitionv0.42.01, realizing the value of cooperationv0.42.01, realizing the value of loyaltyv0.42.01
accepting	Seeing somebody's dead body, having a mandate ignored, being caught in the rain, being forced to dring vomit, being forced to endure the decay of a pet, retching on a miasma, having to conduct an official meeting in a bedroom
ambivalent	Delayed punishment of a criminal, putting on a well-crafted/finely-crafted item
grim satisfaction	Somebody's death
suspicious	Having a mandate ignored
aggravated	Being pestered by flies
agitated	Being utterly sleep-deprived
annoyed	Being caught in a rain, being caught in a snow storm, being out in the sun, eating without a table or chair, eating without a proper dining room, sleeping on dirt/rocks/cave floor/in the grass, drinking water without a well, suffering a minor injury, choking on cave-in dust, choking on smoke, being accosted by hated vermin, being pestered by flies, drinking without a goblet, cup or mugv0.42.01
anxious	Discussing/pondering (topic)v0.42.01
bitter	Wearing tattered clothes, getting into an argumentv0.42.01
bored	Watching a performancev0.42.01, being unoccupiedv0.42.01, being unable to practice a craftv0.42.01, being unable to practice a martial artv0.42.01, not learning anythingv0.42.01, being unable to use abstract thinkingv0.42.01, being unable to wanderv0.42.01, being unable to fightv0.42.01, being unable to hear eloquent speechv0.42.01, lack of trouble-makingv0.42.01, doing nothing creativev0.42.01, generally leading an unexciting lifev0.42.01
confused	Being knocked out during cave-in
contemptuous	Getting into an argumentv0.42.01
dejected	Being caught in a rain, being caught in a snow storm, wearing tattered clothes, lack of decent mealsv0.42.01, being unable to pray to deityv0.42.01, being kept from alcoholv0.42.01, being unable to admire artv0.42.01, being unable to acquire somethingv0.42.01, being unable to be extravagantv0.42.01, lack of introspectionv0.42.01, generally being unable to take it easyv0.42.01
disappointed	Having a mandate deadline missed
disillutioned	An animal was convicted of a crime
dislike	Talking to somebody annoying
embarrassed	Sleeping without a proper room, sleeping on a dirt/rocks/cave floor/in the grass, wearing tattered clothes, having no shirt, having no shoes, being uncovered, watching a performancev0.42.01
exasperated	Being caught in a rain, being caught in a snow storm, getting into an argument
frustrated	Considering the scarcity of cages and chains, having a mandate ignored, nobody could be punished for a mandate failure, getting into an argumentv0.42.01, lack of decent mealsv0.42.01, being unable to practice a skillv0.42.01, being unable to practice a craftv0.42.01, being unable to practice a martial artv0.42.01, being unable to pray to a deityv0.42.01, being kept from alcoholv0.42.01, being unable to acquire somethingv0.42.01, being unable to wanderv0.42.01, being unable to fightv0.42.01, being unable to admire artv0.42.01, lack of abstract thinkingv0.42.01, lack of trouble-makingv0.42.01, generally leading an unexciting lifev0.42.01
gloomy	Being out in the sun
glum	Getting into an argumentv0.42.01
grouchy	Being caught in a rain, being caught in a snow storm, being out in the sun, eating the same old food, drinking the same old booze
guilty	Being confined, being able to rest and recuperate, being rescued
indignant	Being forced to endure the decay of a dead friend, delayed punishment of a criminal
insulted	Being forced to endure the decay of a dead friend, getting into an argument
irritated	Being out in the sun, being hungry/thirsty/drowsy for a long time, eating at crowded table, wearing old/tattered clothes, sleeping uneasily due to noise
isolated	Being unable to find somebody in charge to yell at
lonely	Being away from familyv0.42.01, being away from friendsv0.42.01, being away from peoplev0.42.01, being unable to make merryv0.42.01, being unable to make romancev0.42.01
regretful	Toppling something over, starting a fist fight, throwing something
resentful	Giving somebody water, experiencing trauma, getting into an argumentv0.42.01
restless	Being able to rest and recuperate, being unable to practice a craftv0.42.01, being unable to practice a martial artv0.42.01, being unable to learnv0.42.01, being unable to use abstract thinkingv0.42.01, being unable to arguev0.42.01, lack of trouble-makingv0.42.01, doing nothing creativev0.42.01, generally leading an unexciting lifev0.42.01
self-pity	Being away from familyv0.42.01, being away from friendsv0.42.01, being unable to arguev0.42.01, being unable to fightv0.42.01, being unable to make merryv0.42.01, being unable to practice a craftv0.42.01, being unable to practice a martial artv0.42.01, being unable to wanderv0.42.01, lack of abstract thinkingv0.42.01, being unoccupiedv0.42.01, doing nothing creativev0.42.01, not learning anythingv0.42.01, generally leading an unexciting lifev0.42.01
uneasy	Being near to hated vermin in cage, being caught in a freakish weather, seeing somebody's dead body, being uncovered, retching on a miasma, being attacked, being attacked by the dead, giving birth to a baby, being unable to pray to deityv0.42.01, lack of decent mealsv0.42.01, being kept from alcoholv0.42.01, being unable to be extravagantv0.42.01, being unable to help anybodyv0.42.01, being unable to admire artv0.42.01, being unable to acquire somethingv0.42.01, generally being unable to take it easyv0.42.01
worried	Lack of decent mealsv0.42.01, being kept from alcoholv0.42.01, being unable to pray to deityv0.42.01, being unable to be extravagantv0.42.01
anguish	Experiencing a miscarriage
ashamed	Eating without a chair
despair	Being caught in a freakish weather
disgusted	Retching on a miasma, being nauseated by the sun, drinking water from murky pool, being caught in a freakish weather, being forced to eat vermin, being forced to drink vomit, being forced to endure the decay of a dead pet, being accosted by hated vermin
distressed	Being pestered by flies
empty	Having a masterwork destroyed
existential crisis	Being unable to advance the study of (topic)v0.42.01
frightened	Being haunted by the dead
grieved	Unexpected death of somebody
hopeless	Suffering a major injury, being nauseated by the sun
humiliated	Eating without a table or chair, wearing tattered clothes, being uncovered, not having any rooms, having a mandate ignored
mortified	Being forced to eat vermin
panicked	Being attacked, being starving/dehydrated
sad	Being separated from a loved one/loved ones, retching on a miasma
shaken	Suffering a major injury, being knocked out during cave-in, being forced to endure the decay of a dead friend
shocked	Being attacked, unexpected death of somebody, having a masterwork destroyed or stolen
alarmed	Seeing somebody's dead body
afraid	Experiencing trauma
angry	Getting into an argument, being forced to endure the decay of a dead friend
ferocity	Being attacked
horrified	Seeing somebody die, seeing somebody's dead body, being caught in a freakish weather, being haunted by the dead, being attacked by the dead
loathing	Being out in the sun, being beaten up in the course of dwarven justice or otherwise
outraged	Being forced to endure the decay of a dead child/spouse
terrified	Being in conflict
vengeful	Joining an existing conflict

Bug

• Dwarves can quickly become stressed by exposure to corpses and body parts. ^Bug:7435