I often assign patrol routes to my fortress guard, and during one such watch, three of my brave sentinels met their fate: an ambush by a horde of 34 Amphibian Men. Among the guards stood two seasoned speardwarves, their skills honed to deadly precision, and a novice—a mere boy, the mayor’s youngest son. He had joined the militia to learn the art of war and was under the tutelage of his elders, who guided him through the fortress’s labyrinth and its unseen vulnerabilities.

That day, they marched unaware of the danger lurking in the depths. The ambush unfolded like a storm, sudden and unrelenting. The creatures swarmed and surrounded them, their guttural cries echoing in the cavern. The two veterans formed a living shield around the boy, their weapons singing with each strike. Yet it was the novice, with untamed ferocity, who carved his name into the annals of our fortress. Nearly ten of those wretched Amphibian Men fell to his spear, fists, and nails. He fought as though possessed, his spear an extension of his will, a dancer’s grace in the chaos of battle.

But youth is fragile, and though his spirit burned bright, his body could not match its fury. Fatigue gripped him, and his footing faltered. Overexertion dulled his stance, leaving cracks in his defense that the enemy sought to exploit. Death hovered close, its scythe poised, and for a moment, it seemed the boy would fall.

Yet the speardwarves did not waver. They held their ground, unwavering pillars against the tide. Even as the boy collapsed, his legs failing him, tears streaking his face, they stood sentinel. The last of the ambushers were slain in a final, desperate surge of will. They did not leave his side, even as the doctors came to stitch his wounds. Their loyalty was a fortress unto itself.

This is the tale of Dodok Rashlogem, who faced the abyss and lived to see another dawn. May fate smile upon him and guide his hand in battles yet to come. Praise be to Amok.

https://preview.redd.it/xuxmg9h3ci4e1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c59c17992aef7253c2e1935f51d5c29c12cbee61

As you can see, towards the end, he tend to miss a lot his targets because of his exhaustion.

This has probably been asked a thousand times but my dwarves refuse to dump corpses. I've checked all standing orders/forbidding have multiple corpse stockpiles, multiple garbage dumps. A pit. Nothing works.

Ask about anything related to Dwarf Fortress - including the game, DFHack, utilities, bugs, problems you're having, mods, etc. You will get fast and friendly responses in this thread.

Read the sidebar before posting! It has information on a range of game packages for new players, and links to all the best tutorials and quick-start guides. If you have read it and that hasn't helped, mention that!

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Im trying to load Blind's "I followed a single Dwarf for 10 Years." video fort but I cant get it to work

I download it straight from his link https://dffd.bay12games.com/file.php?id=17217

And then extract it to my steam save folder. However the save doesnt show up on my list

Since the announcement that some new content will only be available for new world creations, I decided that maybe it's time to retire my 250 years world that I'm playing since the Steam release (starting at year 5). On this world I created more than 50 forts and that was a fun experience to learn the game.

During this time, I compiled a list of many ideas for forts that I plan to create or already recreated. I want to use them all in this new world that will be created and I'd like to share here, as well as hear about suggestions of other ideas and modifications on these ones. Also is important to comment that some of these ideas were not created by me, I just got them on other posts here, on the DF forum and Steam forum - and maybe did some small changes.

Library fort: all your dwarves start out as academics, with no practical skills. build the most magnificent book filled library. can make several variations of this for the different things, such as tavern forts. The defenses should be weak (only one academic themed squad, for example) and use gates/bridges in a defensive way.

• Conditions to fort retiring: Create at least 10 goal-objects (10 books, 10 kinds of brews, etc)
• DF-hack commands: create item for the necessary seeds (to make paper)

• The great farm: A lot of simple farms. No strong industry, choose a place with river/lake. Avoid cave to deep.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: 75% of land covered by crop. Giving preferences to different types of crops (as much as possible). Stablish crops negotiation with at least 5 different cities.
  • DF-hack commands: create item for the necessary seeds.

• The Big refugee of animal people: A lot of animal people from the same biological family (example.: All felines in on a city, another city for of canines, etc.) working together to keep a fortress working.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: all basic industries (wood, metal, food producing, etc) working. At least 3 military squads.
  • DF-hack commands: sandbox to create animal people, makeown to make then citizens and create item to provide some specific initial resources that some animal civilizations don’t have access to.

• Zombie fort: Choose evil biome. No military dwarves, defend yourself from every threat using hordes of undead.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: At least 10 chained zombies protecting the path for the fort and a lever system to let merchants pass through.
  • DF-hack commands: not identified.

• The holy hole: carve stairs around a very big/large/deep hole in the center of the map. Each X levels you should create 1 industry, or dormitory, market, etc. In the beginning of the hole, create a place to toss enemies/criminals. Extra: Platinum floor at the end of the hole to create extra gore when someone is tossed or falls on the great hole. Alternatively, put an atomic smasher to clean the mess.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: All basic industries working and 50 sacrifices to the holy hole.
  • DF-hack commands: tiletype to massively dig 100 Z levels. Then use this same command to fix the gaps on the wall.

• The labyrinth of endless death: make an elaborate labyrinth, fully automated, utilizing every known method of killing invaders, from obsidian casting to releasing mega beasts. The labyrinth must have one safe path, and whoever makes it through has access to your fort and all your artifacts. A small minotaur family can protect the last step of the labyrinth.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: Labyrinth built and a small family of minotaurs stablished.
  • DF-hack commands: tiletype to terraform the terrain and create the labyrinth. Sandbox to create minotaurs. Makeown to control them. Family-affairs to build the family.  

• The great spirals: make great spiraling glass towers rising out of the ocean, with glass tunnels connecting them undersea.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: Starting on the caves, be able to access the surface on glass structures.
  • DF-hack commands: deepembark to start on cavern 1 or 2. tiletype to Moses-like open the sea and build the towers.

• Segregated forts: segregate your population into distinct forts. link them up with tunnels that only open occasionally (like every winter) for trade between forts. At the end of the opening, sound the alarm with the burrows and close all the gates at once. If someone gets behind, it should be considered a sacrifice to Armok.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: Minimum 3 Maximum 4 Segregated fortress. Automate the stockpiles in a way that open the gates are opened, some important resources are redistributed between the forts. If you miscalculate here, you’ll only have the chance to fix it next year.
  • DF-hack commands: not identified.

• Natural cavern forts: you are only allowed to dig in the structures that exist in the caverns. each structure becomes a building, so you can use larger areas for a tavern or workshop and little stalactites for bedrooms, with the connection between structures being open cavern.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: 100 population and 2 squads.
  • DF-hack commands: not identified.

• The great pyramid: Bonus points if you build it out of gold. but admittance to the pyramid is a luxury, all migrants must pass by a corridor filled with chained beasts, monsters and invaders to reach paradise.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: pyramid built. At least one noble (baron/count/etc) living on the top.
  • DF-hack commands: tiletype to create a small portion of dirty on the top of the pyramid. Then gui/aquifer to create an artificial waterfall that becomes a river on the base of the pyramid.

• The endless tower of God: One 1x1 map, stretching from the top z-level to the depths of candy land as one single tower structure. Each Z level has one goal (farming, beds, industry, etc) and the surface level is the only connection with the borders of the map, done by 4 retractable bridges. Once in danger, the tower endless tower of God can simply close the bridges.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: building connection build between underworld and surface by a 10x10 construction, accessible by stairs. The tower can have some flaws, some shortcuts and some secret passages controlled by levers. Hide all artifacts on the lower levels.
  • DF-hack commands: tiletype to massively dig all Z levels at once.

• The pond: fill the world with water or magma, make little islands connect by 1 tile bridge, one building per island. Only the market island can have a 3-tile bridge. Only one island can have underground access, and this should only be used by resource collecting.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: One of each workshop and meeting area created in unique islands. At least 50 population.
  • DF-hack commands: embark anywhere to choose a full water body place. Tiletype to terraform a bunch of islands.

• Animal defense: no military, no traps, just hordes of your cute murder machine of choosing. Aly with elves on megafauna regions to recruit more animals through market.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: 50 war animals. At least 10 giant animals.
  • DF-hack commands: sandbox and makeown for impossible to access animals.

• I’m a pirate: your fortress is a boat, made of wood, on water. bonus points for using ballistae and catapults for defense.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: 4 deep levels boat. Farming system and cattle space.  
  • DF-hack commands: embark anywhere to start on the ocean and tiletype to terraform some water space in an opened area for a giant boat.

• The Zoo: Collect as many different animals as you can. You can't leave them in cages though. You must put them in proper enclosures. Bonus points if you build the enclosures so they can be open/closed with a lever.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: 20 zoo spaces with different animals in it.
  • DF-hack commands: sandbox and makeown for the impossible to access animals.

• The Temple to Titans: Like above but you trap a Titan or Forgotten Beast at the center. Bonus points for every room that has a clear glass window into the center room to watch your new god.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: 5 different titans/FB enclosure.
  • DF-hack commands: teleport since no trap works with Forgotten Beast.

• The Quarry: build a giant clear glass roofed chamber through the middle of your fort. The chamber must be at least twice as big as any rooms in the fort. Rooms must be built in a spiral pattern with a road connected by ramps. Build the trade depot at the bottom and for bonus points each wall can only have one function and each z-level can only have one occupied wall.

• The Arboretum: same steps as The Quarry but build a garden on the ground floor around your trade depot. Extra bonus points if you build a flowing river through the center.

• The Forge: same steps as The Quarry but build a giant forge into the chamber around the trade depot instead. Bonus points for lava forges powered by a lavafall.

• The King Under the Lake: Same as The Quarry but instead of building the fort into the walls of the chamber build it inside the chamber. Doing so out of clear glass for bonus points. Then when the fort is complete, flood the chamber. The trade depot should still be on the chamber floor.

• Panamá: A fort connects 2 different landmasses/continents. Wall the whole passage with balistas and crossbows. A small river near the walls for bonus points. For more bonus points, tame some crocodiles.

• The colossus defense: a small fort only protected by a colossus.

  • Conditions to fort retiring: None.
  • DF-hack commands: sandbox to create the colossus and makeown to tame it.

• Atlântida: Create a fortress with all that matters - industry, market, army, noblesse. Then flood everything with a lever. Create it in a way that, if an adventurer come back in the future, it's possible to deflood it by a lever using.

• Isolated: Create a rich isolated fort on an island and retire it. After 100 years, create a small fort bridge that connects the island with the continent.

• The outer city: build a city without caving deep. Create a Sewer system and a well on all buildings. Bonus points if the complex sewer system can give access to underground secrets and antique treasures long forgotten. Bonus points if the dungeons are on the sewer system as well. Remember to not cave too deep, but do it in a complex exploring way.
  • Conditions to fort retiring: All industries and meeting areas as separated buildings on the surface.
  • DF-hack commands: gui/aquifer to make the well system work correctly, as well as to create a small influx of water that will run through the sewer system, keeping it with at least 2/7 water level.

• Fort of bird collaboration: Create a ground fort with a small access to a very high Z-level bird-people fortress. They can trade resources and live in a cooperative way. Use burrows to limit the access between the two species. Keep a passage to the adventurer be able to explore both forts.
  • DF-hack commands: tiletype to terraform a mountain cliff. Sandbox to create animal people tribe.

• Ice fort: Just a normal fort, but that only uses ice blocks for everything.

I've got DFversion 51.01 on my windows, I'm not playing through steam, just running off of windows. I downloaded the latest available version of DF Hack I could find (I believe 50.14) and extracted the contents from the Hack's zip folder to my DF directory. However, it doesn't recognize my version of DF and closes DF hack.

Is DF 51.01 considered Beta and thus DFHack 50.14 is not yet compatible ? I have a feeling this isn't the case, but I can't get it working. Currently removing DF altogether and will restart fresh, I just want to make sure I'm using correct versions.

plan: make my op adventurer king of a civ and let him join during fort mode

problem: somewhere's stated that you can wrestle a king to take his title, but there's very little info about that. I need more info to know what I'm going into, how it works etc

My current fortress is very large in volume, though the population is only 120. I have three taverns, soon to be four, to make sure my dwarves do not have to travel far to access food and drink. Observing the behavior of my dwarves in this multi-tavern fortress and reading through the wiki, I have been thinking about the pros and cons of building a single mega-tavern vs building multiple taverns.

Single Tavern Pros

• Less resource intensive to make a single legendary tavern (though it's not really that difficult)
• Dwarves are more likely to encounter their friends and family if there is one central meeting place, producing more positive thoughts
• Dwarves are more likely to have repeat encounters with other dwarves, increasing the number of relationships they make
• Aesthetically, bigger social gatherings make the fortress feel more lively
• Performers can reach a bigger audience, producing more happy thoughts
• It is easier to bring food/drink to a single tavern. To avoid long hauling jobs, multiple taverns either require their own nearby food production or (as I do) a complicated minecart system.

Multiple Tavern Pros

• Smaller gatherings can improve fps. Social checks are supposedly one of the bigger drains on fps.
• Dwarves do not have to travel as far to reach food and drink.
• Smaller crowds means smaller death count from tavern brawls
• Smaller taverns may produce fewer dwarf relationships, which can be an advantage in fortresses with high rates of death (like my own!). Dwarves get strong negative thoughts from the death of family and friends.

Further Considerations

• I do not know which strategy is better for fps re: pathfinding. Multiple taverns might improve pathfinding because dwarves do not have to travel as far to meet their needs. On the other hand, it might be "easier" for dwarves to path to a single tavern rather than having to figure out which tavern is closest.
• In terms of mood/stress levels, I am not sure which is better. As discussed above, it might depend on how much conflict and death there is in a particular fortress. As alluded to above, happier, more stable fortresses might benefit more from a single tavern, while more dangerous fortresses might benefit from multiple taverns.

I would be grateful for any other thoughts, observations, or critiques you might have about this issue.

My dwarfs immediately throw away weapons, tools and clothes in the dump zone ( If clothes can wear out, why do they throw away tools and weapons? Moreover, they scatter tools all over the fort.

I'm really new to this game, followed a couple tutorials and played a fort out to a few years in a calm environment. Started off a new fort deep in goblin territory since I wanted to experience some "action". During my first migrant wave this dude showed up and I have no idea what to do with him or if he's dangerous or if he's going to start a cult or raise any dead animals he sees in the fort etc.

The issue is. I really want to keep him since he's a legendary weaponsmith and I only have 12 dwarfs right now. He has the potential to make all the weapons of war I need but also the potential to completely destroy my fort. I'm also wondering if there are any shenanigans I can do with him. I expect there to be goblin raids any day now and I wonder if I could use him to summon an army of dead to guard the entrance of my fort and have him live on the outside or something.

I used DFhack to coax two Fly Folk into joining my fortress, and was very happy when they married and she gave birth to triplets. I learned that Fly People are born fully grown and also seemingly spend time in the fly womb leveling up all manner of skills!

https://preview.redd.it/r7zj42lmq84e1.png?width=611&format=png&auto=webp&s=f25360c343e119eefbd81b11c65a730b72196fb3

Hello Urists,

I saw that Legends Viewer has been made compatible with the steam version recently and wanted to check it out. However it seems I can't get it to work. I created a new world and followed all the steps on the forum page:

1. Copy save file
2. In the game load up legends mode from that save file
3. Export to .XML and include DFHack
4. Open legendsviewer and "explore new world"
5. Locate .XML file and open it

But it just keeps loading once I select the .XML file in the "Explore a new world" field. Maybe I'm doing something wrong? I do have mods installed but I doubt they'd affect legendsviewer. 2 mods are QoL - more burrow/squad icons and visible keybinds The other is to remove aquifers.

I'd love to get this to work. Thanks in advance!

Edit: I may have accidentally discovered what was giving me trouble. It seems the mod to not have any aquifers was interfering with LV. Just tested it without on a small world and it worked instantly.

So I'm not even a year into my first fort... I've got 9 dwarves, and my expedition leader recently nominated himself king.

I saw that he needed a royal throne room and so I mined out an area, smoothed and engraved the walls, added a stone throne, a dinner table and a statue but apparently it's still not good enough?

Granted, there is some dirt in the room, it's not entirely smooth and engraved stone, but I thought this would be austentatious enough. What else do I need to do?

Also, I've got bedrooms for all of my dwarves, a tavern, stockpiles and workshops, what should be my next priority from here?

I was watching my dwarves when I noticed one of them seemed a little upset. One of their unmet needs was "martial training," so I thought, "Well, I'll put him in a squad and set up constant training." After that, my game crashed. I tried four more times, but every time I tried to put Stokus into constant training, the game crashed. I’m not sure what’s causing it, but it keeps happening, lol.

Basically, I'm curious as to how many Z levels you've dug down and if there is a limit to how deep you can go. What kinds of things do you find deeper down? What's the absolute deepest you guys have gotten in a fortress? Just random questions I can't seem to find a solid answer for myself and genuine curiosity.