40d:Frequently Asked Questions

General

Game Basics FAQ
What is the Z-Axis?
What is the point of the game?
Fun
How quickly does time pass in Dwarf Fortress?
Add a question to this FAQ
Back to the Main FAQ

Game Interface FAQ
Menu interface guide
What do these symbols represent?
What do the flashing icons mean?
How do I make the game run faster?
How do I accomplish tasks with fewer keystrokes?
What are good key bindings if I have a laptop or unusual keyboard?
Where can I get color graphic tiles for this game?
On the z stocks page, why are numbers displayed in yellow such as 10? 20? etc
What do the C H and S in the top left border mean?
What configuration options are available?
Add a question to this FAQ
Back to the Main FAQ

Beginner's guide FAQ
Basic getting started guide
Where in the world should I settle?
What skills and items should I equip my dwarves with?
Where in my area should I build my fort?
What should I build first?
How do I assign tasks to specific dwarves?
How do I get more dwarves?
Add a question to this FAQ
Back to the Main FAQ

Environment

Magma FAQ
Practically everything Magma related
What can I use to make magma-proof items?
How do I channel magma?
Digging designation canceled: Warm stone located
Where can I find magma?
Can magma cremate dead dwarves instead of burying them?
Add a question to this FAQ
Back to the Main FAQ

Wood FAQ
Do I really need wood?
Where can I get wood?
Where can I get even more wood?
Is it possible to grow trees underground?
How long do tower-caps take to grow?
Do dead trees spawn new trees?
How much protection does wood armor provide?
Add a question to this FAQ
Back to the Main FAQ

Water FAQ
How do I move water up levels?
How do I stop water moving up levels?
Can dwarves swim to the surface for air?
How long does it take for a dwarf/goblin/creature to drown?
How deep is the water?
Is it possible to melt ice?
How do I build a well?
How do I channel a path for water?
Will water push items around?
Can I build a dam to stop the water?
Digging designation canceled: Damp stone located
What is the best way to proceed on a map with no rivers? Will my dwarves die of thirst?
How can I divert a river to allow safe(ish) indoor fishing?
How can I dig through an aquifer?
How do I purify my water?
Add a question to this FAQ
Back to the Main FAQ

Fortress

Buildings, Constructions and Rooms FAQ
When I try to build a bed/door/chair why does it say needs bed/door/chair?
How do I make and build chests?
How do I construct a wall from a particular direction?
How do I designate rooms or areas?
Help! My doors are stuck open!
Once placed, can furniture be moved?
How do I increase the value of a room quickly and easily?
Add a question to this FAQ
Back to the Main FAQ

Moods FAQ
What's the easiest way to check dwarves happiness?
How do I get my dwarves to sleep peacefully?
How can I keep my dwarves happy?
What does "taken by mood" mean?
Add a question to this FAQ
Back to the Main FAQ

Workshops FAQ
How do I make steel?
How do I make glass?
How do I make cloth?
How do I make soap?
My items are 'stuck' in a workshop; how do I stop this from happening?
Add a question to this FAQ
Back to the Main FAQ

Error Messages FAQ
Dwarf cancels task: Hunting vermin for food
Dwarf cancels Store Item: Job item misplaced
Dwarf cancels Store Item: Item inaccessible
Dwarf cancels Construct Building: Item blocking site
Dwarf cancels task: Dropoff inaccessible
Dwarf cancels task: Dangerous terrain
Dwarf cancels task: Could not find path
Dwarf cancels task: Forbidden area
Dwarf cancels task: Job item lost or destroyed
Dwarf cancels Pickup Equipment: Equipment mismatch
Dwarf cancels task: Interrupted
Dwarf cancels task: Handling dangerous creature
Diplomacy Stymied - A diplomat has left unhappy
Dwarf cancels construct "Rock object": Needs non-economic rock
Cat cancels Store Item in Stockpile: Too injured
Digging designation canceled: Warm / Damp stone located
Miner cancels dig: Inappropriate dig square
Dwarf cancels fill pond: Inappropriate building
Their wagons have bypassed your inaccessible site
Dwarf cancels Construct Building: cannot reach site
Dwarf cancels construct "Rock short sword": Needs sharpenable rock
Dwarf cancels construction of Wall: Creature occupying site
Needs butcherable unrotten nearby item.
Add a question to this FAQ
Back to the Main FAQ

Skills

Farming FAQ
How do I build a farm?
How large a farm do I need?
What is the best crop?
How do I manage my seeds and crops?
What does "Reserved Barrels" and "Reserved Bins" mean?
Why are crops sometimes displayed with red writing?
What do I do with these inedible crops?
What does the option "Fallow" mean?
My dwarves will only farm on a small part of the fields, why is this?
How do I make absolutely sure my farm plot is all set to produce crops?
If I don't see any dwarves working my farm plot, does that mean there's something wrong?
Can you grow surface crops on multiple z levels in a tower if the floors are glass even though there's soil on the glass?
What is the "seas fert" option for?
How do you create a custom stockpile that accepts only prepared foods?
How do you successfully breed and utilize animals(grazing, non-grazing and poultry)?
How often do you need to irrigate your farm fields?
Having banned seeds from the kitchen, how to prevent dwarves from eating them raw?
Why do my planters keep complaining they have no seeds?
Why won't my animals breed?
Add a question to this FAQ
Back to the Main FAQ

Military FAQ
How do I get my dwarves to fight?
Recruiting, equipping, and managing your military
How do I train my dwarves' martial skills?
How to train civilians into super-soldiers
How do I keep armor from slowing my soldiers down?
How do I train and deploy animals when needed?
Help! My civilians keep running into combat!
How do I remove weapons from caged prisoners?
Why can't I get my dwarves equipped?
How do I stop my marksdwarves from wrestling?
Why do my soldiers keep dropping their equipment?
Add a question to this FAQ
Back to the Main FAQ

Mining FAQ
How do I get my dwarves to haul stones only from certain areas?
How do I find ores to mine?
How do I get my dwarves to haul ores and ignore useless stones?
How do I get rid of all this stone?
How do I stop miners from falling in channels as they dig them?
What causes a cave-in?
Add a question to this FAQ
Back to the Main FAQ

Writing answers policy

If you know of a page on the wiki that answers a question already, Don't just redirect to it. Edit the FAQ and change the link to point to it directly.

Whether you link to a page, or create a new page to answer the question, don't forget to add the template code! That would be:

{{Name of FAQ}}

Add a category

• Create new FAQ category