Reputation

v50.14 · v0.47.05

This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.

Reputation, or fame, is an invisible metric that tracks how well-known or fearsome your adventurer is. Reputation directly impacts the quality and difficulty of quests you will receive, the number of companions willing to join you, or whether bandits will directly attempt to target you.

Increasing your reputation

Quests

The most straightforward way is to perform quests, and report back to whoever sent you off. These range from killing some mundane animal (like a dingo), neutralizing a bandit camp or outing a vampire in hiding. As your reputation increases, you will be tasked to complete more serious quests, such as slaying a megabeast on the other side of the world. If you are a hearthperson or a subordinate to some kind of lord, you may repeatedly ask for quests to your superior and build up a reputation as a loyal soldier.

Rumors

If you are not a subordinate to anybody and don't wish to be, you can simply use rumors to brag about your feats. Simply slay some beast, bandit or night creature and bring up the incident in a conversation, and let the rumor system do the work. Alternatively, you may tell the story of your feats in a performance, and spectators will spread the story for you.

Types of reputation

Depending on the feats you've accomplished, your type of reputation may differ: slaying bandits will earn you the title of "protector of the weak", while doing your hearthperson duty will make you known as a "loyal soldier". On the other hand, if you become known as a thief or a murderer who indiscriminately massacres citizens, people will refuse to speak to you and spit on you. Therefore, it may be desirable to avoid, or at least control rumor spreading.

Controlling your reputation

You may assume multiple identities as an adventurer. Starting over with a fresh identity will reset your reputation if people don't know you under your previous name. Alternatively, if witnesses see you murder someone, you may try to kill all of them before the site is offloaded (which is a requirement for the rumor system to start working). Or you may move to another civilization entity entirely where your reputation does not follow you.

Trivia

If your reputation becomes exceptionally high, bandits trying to ambush you will say "H-h-h-h-halt!" instead of the normal announcement message, presumably stammering in front of such a fearsome figure.