Body token

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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

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.

Token	Arguments	Description
APERTURE		Marks body part as an opening in the body. It cannot be severed from its parent body. If it is also EMBEDDED, it cannot be gouged.
BP	ID name pluralized name	"STP stands for "Standard Plural" and it just adds an 's' to the singular word to save some typing. If you don't add something in that slot, the body part won't even load." --Toady. Note that this can cause confusing issues when porting from 40d to 2010. Make sure you add your pluralizations!
BREATHE		Body part is used to breathe. If all body parts with [BREATHE] are damaged or destroyed, the creature will suffocate unless it has the NOBREATHE tag. Note that bruising counts as (fast-healing) damage.
CATEGORY	ID	Assigns the body part to a user-defined category. Used by CON_CAT to attach to other body parts.
CON	value	Connects the body part to a specific other body part.
CON_CAT	value	Connects the body part to all other body parts having the specified CATEGORY.
CONTYPE	value	Connects the body part to all other body parts having the specified type token. Valid values are UPPERBODY, LOWERBODY, HEAD, GRASP, or STANCE.
CIRCULATION		Body part is responsible for blood circulation. Exact effects not known.
CONNECTOR		Body part is used to connect other body parts together. Used for the neck and lower spine.
DEFAULT_RELSIZE	Size	This command establishes the relative size of body parts within a creature. The numbers have no absolute meaning or units.
DIGIT		Defines part as digit. Body parts that are digits or have them as direct sub-parts can perform gouging attacks within a wrestling hold.
EMBEDDED		Body part with this tag is on the surface of parent body part. i.e.: eye and mouth on head. It can be gouged.
FLIER		Flags the body part as being need for flight. Damage to a certain number of FLIER body parts will prevent the creature from flying. Note that a creature can only fly if the creature has the FLIER tag in its creature definition, and that a flying creature does not actually need any FLIER body parts. This tag's only purpose is to identify body parts which will cause a creature to lose the ability to fly when damaged.
GRASP		Creature can wield a picked-up weapon with body part, and can use the part to initiate almost all wrestling moves. When creatures are spawned with a weapon and shield, one GRASP part will hold a weapon while all others will hold shields.
GUTS		Body part is susceptible to low blows. Used for guts. Damage to this body part causes nausea and may make the creature lose turns, vomiting uncontrollably.
HEAD		Flags the body part as being able to wear head clothing like hats, helms, etc. If all heads are chopped off, the creature dies. Multiple heads are redundant - for example, hydras can survive with several missing heads.
HEAR		Body part is used to hear. No known effects.
INDIVIDUAL_NAME	name plural	Adding individual names tells the game what to call each individual part in a NUMBERed bodypart. This command replaces "first upper front tooth" for example.
INTERNAL		Marks the body part as being inside the body. It is behind all the other tissues of the body part and cannot be severed. Adding SMALL makes it untargetable in combat.
JOINT		Body part is a joint. If the limb it's in is grabbed in a wrestling hold, it can be broken with bending force. This disables the parent limb. If the joint is modded to sit outside the body, grabbing and breaking it snaps the entire limb right off.
LIMB		Body part is a limb. It can be used to initiate most wrestling moves. If it is located between an UPPERBODY part and a GRASP body part, it is eligible to be covered by certain types of armor (body armors and gauntlets). If it is located between a LOWERBODY part and a STANCE body part, it is eligible to be covered by other types of armor (Leg armors like pants, etc.; trailing body armors like mail shirts and robes; and high boots).
LOWERBODY		Flags the body part as being able to wear lower body clothing like skirts, pants, etc. If a lower body is chopped off, the creature dies. Full stop. Having multiple lower bodies does not stop this.
LEFT		Marks body part as on the left side of the body and vulnerable to attacks from the left. Used in conjunction with tags in the b_detail_plan_default raw.
MOUTH		Body part is a mouth. No idea what special things it implies.
NUMBER	value	The number lets you stack identical body parts. These can be individually damaged by wounds, but you don't have to define them explicitly one by one. If you don't give them individual names (see teeth) they'll be preceded by ordinal numbers (first, second, etc.). In practice, though, they cannot be individually damaged - if you knock out one tooth, the entire group will be knocked out at once (and will be scattered across the area). Butchering doesn't respect this and produces only a single body part per group.
NERVOUS		Body part is the hub of nervous function. Used for the parts of the spine. Damage disables everything in the parent bodypart and what's below it, causing death by suffocation in most cases.
RIGHT		Marks body part as on the right side of the body and vulnerable to attacks from the right. Used in conjunction with tags in the b_detail_plan_default raw.
SKELETON		Body part is part of the creature's skeleton.
STANCE		Allows the creature to stand. Damage or loss of these body parts will cause creature to fall over. Loss of one STANCE part can be substituted with a crutch. Does not give the body part an ability to initiate wrestling moves, unlike GRASP or LIMB.
SIGHT		Body part is used to see with. If the creature has no SIGHT body parts, or if all its sight body parts are damaged or destroyed, it can't see unless it has the EXTRAVISION tag in its creature def.
SMELL		Body part is used to smell. No known function. (could possibly control reactions to miasma in fortress mode?)
SMALL		"SMALL means that the part isn't displayed as part of the overall displayed body part lists. They can't be splinted. They are more often targeted for torture (although those situations might not occur anymore). They are removed in skeletons if they aren't specifically skeletons/joints/digits/apertures. They are more easily lost in world gen duels. They are the only gougable/pinchable parts (note: at least this is no longer the case.). SMALL is an old tag, so it has accumulated some weird functions which'll get split off over time. " --Toady
SOCKET		Body part breaks off and goes flying if broken, even with blunt force. Used on teeth to make them easy to knock out. Rendered invalid by INTERNAL.
THROAT		Body part can be strangled. Latching bites that hit the head have a chance to target this instead. Note: this tag doesn't control any bleeding behavior.
THOUGHT		The central core of the body. Used with the brain. Damage causes instant death unless the creature has NO_THOUGHT_CENTER_FOR_MOVEMENT/NOTHOUGHT.[Verify]
TOTEMABLE		This bodypart can be turned into a totem by craftsmen. Always drops from slaughtered creatures, no matter how small.
UPPERBODY		Flags the body part as being able to wear upper body clothing like coats, breastplates etc. If an upper body is chopped off, the creature dies. Multiple UPPERBODY parts aren't redundant. All default creatures with bodies have the upperbody as the root of the body tree, making it impossible to chop off.
UNDER_PRESSURE		Makes the body part pop out of the body when cut through. Used on guts. Body part shows up as "~" and drags behind the victim when spilled.
VERMIN_BUTCHER_ITEM		Allows the item to be obtained from butchered or rotted vermin. Used with shells.