Status icon

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v50.15 · 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

Status icons (also known as indicators) are symbols that appear over a creature's head when it is under a particular effect, summarised below. When a creature has multiple status icons, they will appear in succession.

Icons

ToggleAll status icons. (Click toggle for older ASCII icons)

With premium graphics, these icons appear above creatures. With classic graphics, they alternate with the ☺ tile.

• (n/a) / ☺ Legendary: The dwarf has a skill that has reached Legendary level - take care of these fellows. Notable historical figures (including megabeasts) also flash, but at a different rate.
• / ☺ On Fire: The dwarf is on fire. In ASCII mode, the tile (as well as the creature's name in the premium version) flashes quickly between red and yellow. Other creatures on fire flash as well. Already-yellow dwarves or creatures such as a carpenter, spearmaster, etc. will flash to red. With graphics enabled, the fire sprite will appear on top of an ignited creature.
• / X Migrant: The dwarf has just arrived at your fortress and is still getting used to the place. They won't do any jobs while in this state, which doesn't last long.
• / ? No Job: The creature has no job and no destination.
• / ? No Destination: The creature has a job, but no destination. They get this when you shut a door on their faces. Also momentarily shows when they first get a job, or momentarily flashes after finishing a task.
• (n/a) / -\│/- () Multiple Creatures: More than one creature is on the same tile. The game will switch between them using this animated line.
• / ↓ Hungry: The dwarf needs food badly, or a grazing animal needs to eat grass.
• / ↓ Thirsty: The dwarf needs water or alcohol.
• / ↓ Drowsy: The dwarf wants sleep.
• / ↓ Stressed: The dwarf is feeling the effects of stress. Not a good sign for a fortress, as it can lead to emotional breakdowns (detailed on the Stress page) and eventual insanity if left to accumulate.
• / ↓ Distracted: The dwarf is distracted by unmet needs.
• / Z Sleeping: This dwarf is not going to be productive, and the object it is sleeping on will have an effect on its mood. A dwarf is considered unconscious while sleeping and has all the effects thereof, but not the unconsciousness icon.
• / ! Fey Mood: The dwarf will find a workshop, get materials, and make an artifact. After this, the dwarf will have a skill increase to Legendary, along with attributes. If the required workshop and items are not available, the dwarf will eventually go insane, berserk, or melancholy.
• / ! Possessed: The same thing as a fey mood, but without the skill increase.
• / ! Secretive Mood: The same thing as a fey mood, though with more cryptic clues.
• / ! Fell Mood: Similar to a fey mood, except the individual will murder a fellow dwarf and use the corpse to make the artifact.
• / ! Macabre Mood: Similar to a fell mood, though not requiring the death of a dwarf.
• / ! Tantrum: The dwarf is throwing a tantrum, this can lead to injuries and damage to buildings. Don't ever ignore a dwarf in this state, however, and take measures to relieve stress for that dwarf.
• / ! Oblivious: The dwarf is stumbling around obliviously. This is a less violent emotional breakdown, but it may be followed by permanent insanity if the stress continues.
• / ! Depression: The dwarf has slipped into depression, and is completely unresponsive to the world. It's temporary, but it may be followed by permanent insanity if the stress continues.
• / ! Madness: Dwarves (and merchants) may eventually go crazy and babble, leading to this icon. Madness may be the result of prolonged unhappiness, failure to complete an artifact, or, for merchants, failure to leave the fortress. Stark raving mad creatures move erratically around while randomly removing and dropping articles of clothing until they die of hunger or thirst. Madness is a form of insanity.
• / ! Melancholy: Dwarves (and merchants) may eventually become unbearably depressed, leading to this icon. Melancholy may be the result of prolonged unhappiness, failure to complete an artifact, or, for merchants, failure to leave the fortress. Melancholy creatures sulk around slowly until they die of hunger or thirst or commit suicide in a lake or chasm. Melancholy is a form of insanity.
• / ! Berserk: Dwarves (and merchants) may eventually enter a homicidal rage, leading to this icon. Berserk rage may be the result of prolonged unhappiness, failure to complete an artifact, or, for merchants, failure to leave the fortress. Berserk creatures attack any creatures in sight until they die of hunger or thirst or are dealt with by the military. Berserk is an extremely dangerous form of insanity.
• / ! Catatonic: Dwarves who cannot cope with stress may suffer a nervous breakdown and simply become unresponsive, staring off into space. Catatonia is a form of insanity.
• / ! Enraged: A creature may become enraged when faced with insurmountable odds, particularly after another creature nearby is killed, or in response to a non-critical strike to the head. An Enraged being strikes more powerfully, but can only perform wild attacks, charges, and wrestling maneuvers. The frequency rate of Enragement is dependent on Anger Propensity.
• / ! Martial Trance: When a single dwarf is being attacked by more than one enemy, it will fall into this state and supposedly focus better. Toady One has said: You have to be a dwarf [to be able to get the martial trance]. It improves all kinds of combat rolls and modifiers (but no direct damage bonus -- 'enraged' does that). Dwarves in this state will seek fights with enemy or neutral creatures.
• / ! Terrified: Scared and probably running away from danger. Also very common with defenseless animals that witness something frightening.
• / ☺ Wrestling: It is grabbing, or attempting to grab, another creature in a fight. Could also be holding on to a part of the opponent as well.
• / + Minor Injury: Any wound that leaves only one hand in working condition, including severings. Minor blood loss (Listed as "Faint" in wounds screen.) will also trigger this status flag.
• / + Major Injury: Loss of the use of a leg, both arms, or a fatal injury to a vital organ that hasn't killed the dwarf yet. Yellow or worse damage to any of the brain, throat, heart, guts, or both lungs are all mortal wounds. Yellow or worse damage to one lung is typically not fatal, but this status flag will remain on the dwarf permanently as he goes about his day. Major blood loss (Listed as "Pale" in wounds screen.) will also trigger this status flag. Commonly seen with undead creatures.
• / ☼ Paralyzed: The creature cannot move or breathe, and may suffocate while in this state. Caused by poison or severe brain damage.
• / XStunned: Dwarves can be stunned because of pain, or from being thrown during wrestling. Cave spider bites also cause periodic stunning. May also occur from a fall, usually from a dodge or a cave-in, or as a result of minor cave adaptation. Stunned creatures suffer major penalties to their skills.
• / X Nausea: Can be caused by cave adaptation, and will cause vomit, or during combat, when one spears another through the vital organs in the abdomen.
• / X Winded: When a dwarf is out of breath, they are winded. This can be caused by being underwater, having a lung pierced or throat torn out.
• / X Unconscious: A bad sign for a dwarf, since (other than sleeping) they usually become unconscious in a fight and will die shortly afterwards. Sometimes, pain or permanent spinal injuries will make a dwarf periodically fall unconscious. Regardless of the cause, any creature that falls unconscious on a trap will trigger it, with messy and/or humorous results.
• / X Fevered: This dwarf has a fever. Exact results of a fever are unknown, but may indicate other health problems. Feverish dwarves appear to have some of the mental attributes lowered. Fevers are commonly caused by syndromes.
• / X Yielding: The creature is attempting to surrender. Adventure mode only.
• / " Playing Make Believe: A dwarven child is playing without the need for a toy.
• / " Telling a Story: Dwarves in taverns will tell stories to their fellows.
• / " Reciting Poetry: A poet is reciting poetry.
• / ♫ Performing: Dwarves and visitors in taverns will sing, dance, and play instruments.
• / ☺ Prone: The creature is lying on the ground. Several prone creatures can be in the same tile; therefore, in tight corridors, dwarves will be constantly lying down and standing so they can go through. Babies who have lost their mother are also in this state. Also happens in combat. As Prone creatures move and work significantly slower, make sure to remember to stand up if this happens in adventure mode.
• / ☺ Airborne: The creature has been thrown by a wrestling move, flung into the air by a raising drawbridge, fallen off a cliff, gone over a waterfall, or gotten smashed by a blunt weapon and is flying backwards from the force of the blow. It's impossible to view a creature in this state (though it is possible to look) – but you'd probably be better off covering your eyes, anyway. Creatures that are flying under their own power are displayed normally.
• / ☺ Webbed: The icon that shows when a creature walks into a giant cave spider's web. Other creatures, such as certain types of megabeasts, can also shoot webs.
• Climbing: The creature is holding on to a tile.

Adventure mode indicators

The prone, airborne, webbed, and climbing indicators above can appear below creatures. Some of the other icons above can appear at the bottom left of the screen above the character portrait, like hungry, thirsty, and drowsy; those statuses will also be listed on the z status screen. Note that those three in particular will keep counting up after they appear, and the counters can get higher than can be easily reduced. If you don't take care of those needs soon after they appear, you can end up having a stomach full of food and still be hungry, and will have to wait before you can eat again, for example. (However, only the counters for the currently controlled character increase, so other party members won't get those statuses.)

The following icons appear at the bottom-right of a creature in Adventure Mode when in combat and indicate which are controlled, allied, or hostile.

• - You: The character currently controlled by the player.
• - Ally: The character is an ally and/or companion during a fight.
• - Brawl: The character is brawling: punches, kicks, scratches and some wrestling moves, but no weapons.
• - Non-lethal: Somewhat similar to brawling, but with more types of wrestling moves. Although there is no lethal intent, a combatant may still receive mortal wounds.
• - Lethal: The character intends to fight to the death, but someone surrendering may also end the fight.

Obscured view indicators

When a creature is behind something that is blocked by the player's view, these icons will appear in place of them.

• - Creature: - According to the memory of the player, a creature was last seen on an obscured tile.
• - Object - According to the memory of the player, an object (including corpses) was last seen on an obscured tile.
• - Blood Sense: - When playing as a vampire, view-obscured creatures with blood will have this graphic appear in their place.

Move indicators

During an altercation, the game will show arrows pointing off of the creature taking action. These arrows tell the player where a creature will advance and the purpose behind it.

• - Normal: The creature is simply intending to move in the following direction.
• - Attack: The creature is intending to attack in the following direction.
• - Dodge: The creature is intending to dodge in the following direction.

Sound indicators

Similar to obscured view indicators, but display when a unit is performing a sound-creating action, where some of them can display even if not obscured from view. After a while, these icons will dim, showing the age of the moment. For example, once a sound is heard, the icon appears, but will turn into after a while.

• - Movement: - The sound of someone or something moving has been heard.
• - Combat: - The sound of combat is heard.
• - Vocalization: - Talking and vocalizations are heard.
• - Mechanics: - A grinding mechanical sound is heard.
• - Storytelling: - A creature is telling a story.
• - Poetry: - A creature reciting poetry.
• - Singing: - A creature is singing.
• - Preaching: - A creature is preaching.

Classic

With classic graphics, in addition to the above symbols, creatures hauling an object will alternate between their usual icon and the icon of the object they are carrying.

The following non-flashing icons are used if classic graphics are enabled:

• ☺ Under Water: The creature is - you guessed it - under water. If a large fish is not in this state, it is air-drowning.
• ☺ Last seen: Indicates a hidden tile that contained a creature when last visible. Adventure mode only.
• ☺ Dead: This dwarf is gone, far away from the horrors of the puppy-cooking, noble-drowning fortress. 'e's an ex-dwarf! Legendary dwarves and foes will still alternate colors after death.

Premium

With premium graphics enabled, unlike with classic graphics, the following statuses do not have their own thought bubble icon: legendary, on fire, multiple creatures standing on the exact same tile, underwater, missing and dead. Many of these statuses are represented in different ways.

• Fortress residents that have legendary skills do not flash; however, their name colors still do when viewing them in lists.
• Creatures on fire will have an animated fire sprite overlapping their icon.
• Multiple creatures do not give the tile a unique animation, instead, the game will simply alternate between the sprites of those standing in that spot.
• Dead creatures instead have their own unique sprite where they lay horizontal and have less color to them.
• There are no unique icons for being missing or being underwater.