This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.
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Dwarf Fortress uses tilesets and sprite graphics to draw the game, including maps. This map legend explains what the characters and colors represent in the pre-start embark (or adventure) map. This article covers both ASCII tiles and graphic sprites.
Tile colors
The colors of a map tile may give information about that region's predominant biome and surroundings; its temperature, alignment, and other handy things. Generally, cyan and blue means the area is "good" aligned. Purple, gray, brown, and red areas have "evil" alignment. Light grey, brown, and yellow areas usually are dry and have sparse vegetation. Green tiles have vegetation and are usually moist. White and cyan tiles indicate snow or ice. The color of trees that change season to season can tell about a tree's current growth.
In ASCII mode, the characters and their colors offer slightly more information about a biome, such as the temperature mixed with the moral standing of the biome (good, neutral and evil) compared to the graphics of the premium version of the game. With the graphics, the presentation is more simplified, as each biome type is displayed with the following graphical information: neutral, evil, evil savage, good and good savage. Some graphics are displayed the same, regardless of what type of biome or moral surroundings they are part of.
Biome/Region key
Tiles are listed by alignment, with normal tiles first, then good-aligned tiles, and then evil tiles. Snow and ice-covered tiles are included next to their respective alignments.
Hills and mountains/Plains
Yellow hills or plains indicate dry vegetation.
ASCII
Graphics
ASCII
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Normal
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Snow/Ice
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Good
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Evil
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Evil snow/ice
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| Hills
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| Low mountains
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| Medium mountains
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| High mountains
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Graphics
Forests
In normal forests, the color changes with the seasons.
ASCII
| Biome/Region
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Normal
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Snow/Ice
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Good
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Evil
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Evil snow/ice
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| Temperate broadleaf forest
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| Tropical broadleaf forest
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| Coniferous forest
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Graphics
Deserts
In normal sand deserts, the color depends on the type of sand.
ASCII
| Biome/Region
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Normal
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Snow/Ice
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Good
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Evil
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Evil snow/ice
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| Sand desert
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| Rocky wasteland
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| Badlands
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Graphics
Wetlands
ASCII
| Biome/Region
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Normal
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Snow/Ice
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Good
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Evil
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Evil snow/ice
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| Swamp
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| Marsh
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Graphics
Ice regions
ASCII
Graphics
Bodies of water
ASCII
| Biome/Region
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Normal
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Good
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Evil
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| River
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•┬┴ ┬┴ ┬┴ ╦╩◄
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•┬┴ ┬┴ ┬┴ ╦╩◄
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•┬┴ ╦╩◄
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| Ocean
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| Lake
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Graphics
- *Unlike ASCII mode, brooks and rivers will appear the same in good, neutral and evil biomes.
Terrain feature key
ASCII
| Terrain feature
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Normal
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Snow/Ice
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Good
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Evil
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| Peak
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^
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^
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^
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^ ^
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| Volcano
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^
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Graphics
Construction key
ASCII
| Construction
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Normal
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| Road
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•┬┴• •┬┴• •┬┴• •┬┴•
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Graphics
| Name
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Graphic
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| Tunnel
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| Paved road
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| Dirt road
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Site key (ASCII)
Site tiles are organized by columns, from left-to-right: normal populated sites, ruined sites, and sites captured by necromancers or their night creature armies.
Dwarven sites
Elven sites
Forest retreats marked as (¶) are market towns.
Goblin sites
A light magenta dark fortress (Π) indicates the presence of an underworld spire.
Human sites
For towns, the tiles indicate a town's current population (increases from left to right). Hamlet tiles represent the region the hamlet is in (hills, plains, rivers, etc.).
| Site
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Normal
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Ruins
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Night creature
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| Town
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+ * # ☼
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μ
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μ
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| Hamlet
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= ≡ æ Æ
= ≡ æ Æ
= ≡ æ Æ
= ≡ æ Æ
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= ≡ æ Æ
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= ≡ æ Æ
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| Castle
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○
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○
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Other sites
Site key (ASCII and graphics)
Drawn site key (graphics)
This is how sites and landscapes appear on the map when they are out of range and/or undiscovered.
| Sprite
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Name
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Grassland
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Water
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Conifer Forest
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Broadleaf Forest
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Hills
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Mountains
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Marsh
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Glacier
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Site
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Desert Rock
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Desert Badlands
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Desert Sand
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Roads
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Rivers
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Labyrinth
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Shrine
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Lair
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Cave
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Mountain Home
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Hillocks
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Fortress
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Mountain Ruin
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Dark Fortress
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Dark Pits
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Evil Ruin
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Home Tree
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Forest Retreat
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Forest Ruin
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Castle Ruin
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Necromancer Tower
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Fort
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Monastery
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Castle
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Vault
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Tomb
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City
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Town
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City Ruin
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Village
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Village Ruin
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Mythical sites
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Embark assistant added sites
Shown when the DFHack plugin is active, list is from the in game plugin information, see there for details.
| Site
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Symbol
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| Camp
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C
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| Cave
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c
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| Lair
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m b l
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| Labyrinth
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L
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| Monument
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M
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| Shrine
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S
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| Vault
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V
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Fast travel key
| Description
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Symbol
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| Adventurer(s)
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@
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| Other traveling individual or group
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*
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