Formally or informally, any other race could be inserted - hammergoblins or spearelves, etc.

Especially in Fortress Mode, Dwarf Fortress is (oddly enough) heavily prejudiced in favour of dwarves, proudly so and unashamed of it, and so often the skills are all informally used in the _-dwarf form. There is absolutely no difference in the skill itself, except that it seems odd to refer to a sword-wielding dwarf as a 'swordsman'. However, whether macedwarf, maceman, macegoblin, mace-elf, or macewombat, they all refer to the same skill - in this case, with a mace or 'mace-type' weapon. These terms, like ' axedwarf' or ' spearman', may vary between Fortress mode and Adventurer mode, but are the same skills except for the race of the creature wielding the weapon. All weapon skills determine in large part the accuracy and the damage inflicted when using a weapon of that type (along with the quality and material of that weapon).ĭifferent races use different but similar terms for identical weapon skills. Defeating one unlocks a slab related to the demon who created the vault.There are several similar terms in Dwarf Fortress that are used to describe both the skill used to wield a weapon and the wielder themselves. A vault only contains one archangel at a time. They possess 'Grand Master' skill levels in most combat skills (which is 14 on a scale of 15), making them an unspeakably difficult foe to take down. Archangel - Represented by a red 'Ä' in gameplay, archangels are the closest thing to a final boss the game can offer.Their weapons and armor are always made of 'divine metals', and clothes of 'divine fabrics'. Soldiers - Represented by a cyan 'Ä' or 'ä' in gameplay, soldiers have a 'Talented' combat skills (which is six on a scale of fifteen).They have low combat skills and no weapons or armor. Vaults contain exactly 50 of them, and are the least threatening variant of all angels. Assistants - Represented by a dark yellow 'Ä' or 'ä' in gameplay, assistants are highly randomized bestial creatures.Killing angels in a vault will eventually have them respawn after an unknown amount of time.

However, dwarves can be sent on missions to recover artifacts in these vaults, which will most likely result in the angel brutally slaughtering anyone who enters. Some angels have access to a syndrome called 'divine sickness', whose effects are randomized, but typically include effects such as vomiting blood, blisters, numbness and nausea.Īngels are usually not encountered in 'Fortress Mode', as they never leave the vaults they are guarding. Assistants and Soldiers are able to equip items and freely open unlocked doors. Unlike their demon counterparts, angels do not seem to be universally immune to fire. They are immune to traps, pain, fear, nausea, stunning, exertion, dizziness, fevers and any sort of poison. Their form is related to the deity and sphere of influence the angel is connected to.ĭrawing of a player's randomly generated vault angel.Īll angels are able to swim and breathe underwater, as well as act as powerful building destroyers. Even forms that make little to no logical or sense can be created.

These vaults are implied to exist from a 'time before time', with the angels themselves also possibly existing during this era.Īngels are represented by a 'Ä' in gameplay, though the color is different depending on which variant it is.īeing randomly generated by the game, angels can take any form, any shape with nearly any form of attack. The detailed history of angels are never greatly expanded upon, though at some point, they were made to guard vaults constructed by demons by any means necessary.

Dwarf fortress skills