To heal dwarves in dwarf fortress, build a hospital and assign a dwarf as a chief medical dwarf. Dwarf fortress is a complex game that requires players to manage various aspects of a dwarven society, including health.
Keeping your dwarves healthy and happy is essential for maintaining a functional fortress. Injuries and diseases can affect individual dwarves and spread throughout the fortress if left untreated. To heal dwarves, players must build and assign a chief medical dwarf to oversee a hospital.
Medical supplies and beds must be available in the hospital for the chief medical dwarf to use. Additionally, players can assign individual dwarves with the “diagnosis” and “surgeon” labor skills to assist in the healing process. With the proper care, injured or sick dwarves can recover and return to their daily activities.

Credit: gameoutonline.com
Common Injuries And Ailments Among Dwarves
Dwarves in dwarf fortress are prone to injuries and ailments, just like humans. However, it can be challenging to diagnose and treat them since they can’t communicate with the player directly. Therefore, it’s essential to understand the common types of injuries and illnesses that could occur among dwarves.
Types Of Injuries Or Ailments:
Physical Injuries
- Broken bones: Dwarf’s bones can break due to several reasons such as falling, combat, and trap mechanisms. These injuries can be identified through the pain sensation, difficulty in movement, and bandaged body parts.
- Cuts and lacerations: Dwarves can get cut or lacerated while handling sharp objects, such as weapons or tools. You can identify these injuries through the bloodstains on clothes or visible wounds.
- Burns: Dwarf’s can get burnt by magma, lava, or fire. These injuries could lead to tissue damage and even death in severe cases. It can be identified through blackened or charred body parts.
Mental Health Issues
- Dwarven tantrums: If a dwarf’s needs are unmet for a long time, or they’ve gone through a traumatic experience, they may have a ‘tantrum spiral.’ Tantrums can cause injuries to the dwarf itself and others around it. This behavior is a clear indicator of underlying mental health problems.
- Melancholy: Dwarves can get melancholic due to the death of their loved ones, which negatively impacts their overall productivity and morale. This issue can be identified through their social interactions or by monitoring their thoughts.
Explanation On How Each Injury Can Be Monitored And Diagnosed:
Physical Injuries
- Broken bones: You can monitor broken bones through the hospital’s health screen. Dwarves with broken bones will have ‘bruising’ and ‘swelling’ indicators, causing them to move slower than usual. To diagnose, you can set up a hospital with a traction bench, cast, and crutch to immobilize and heal the broken bone.
- Cuts and lacerations: Similar to broken bones, you can monitor cuts and laceration injuries through the ‘health screen.’ You can diagnose and treat these injuries by setting up a hospital with ‘suture’ and ‘dressing’ options.
- Burns: Burnt dwarves can be identified through their ‘blackened’ body part indicator and severe pain. You can diagnose and treat burns by having a hospital set up with ‘soap,’ ‘water,’ and ‘thread’ to clean the wound and bandage it.
Mental Health Issues
- Dwarven tantrums: Tantrums can be identified through ‘thoughts’ section, where you can monitor their level of stress, anger and how it’s affecting their general mental health. The ‘hospital’ could act as a place for the dwarves to seek mental health treatment by providing comfortable rooms, including everything they need, such as beds, doors, chairs, and other amenities.
- Melancholy: You could identify dwarves’ melancholic behavior through the ‘thoughts’ section, where they express their sadness, grief, or worries. Giving dwarves enough time to mourn and providing them with enough amenities, such as food, alcohol, bedrooms, and social interactions, could help them recover their morale.
A Brief Approach On Identifying Illnesses:
Physical Illnesses
- Food poisoning: Dwarves can get food poisoning if they consume rotten, spoiled, or contaminated food. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. You can identify food poisoning by monitoring the ‘sick’ indicator in the ‘health’ section.
- Infection: Dwarves can get infected by coming in contact with dirty water, diseased animals, or wounds. Symptoms include fever, chills, and pus discharge. You could diagnose and treat infections by setting up a hospital with a diagnosis bed, crutches, and antibiotics.
Mental Illnesses
- Berserk: Dwarves can go berserk due to advanced stages of stress, hunger, or a traumatic event. Behaviors include attacking other dwarves around them, leading to more injuries. You could identify this behavior from the ‘thoughts’ section. Providing a safe place with enough amenities and counseling could help the dwarf manage their stress.
- Depression: Dwarves can become depressed due to the death of their loved ones, isolation, or being overworked. Symptoms include ‘unmotivated’ thoughts and reduced productivity. You could identify depression through the ‘thoughts’ section and provide them with more rest, comfort, entertainment, and social interaction to recover.
Monitoring, diagnosing, and treating dwarves’ injuries and illnesses are crucial for the fortress’s survival. By following these tips, you can improve the overall health and morale of your dwarves.
How To Heal Physical Injuries Among Dwarves
Dwarf fortress is a game that requires careful management of your dwarfs’ well-being. If your dwarfs suffer from physical injuries, it’s imperative to attend to them promptly and efficiently. In this section, we’ll cover the essentials of healing physical injuries among dwarves in dwarf fortress.
How To Set Up A Hospital In Dwarf Fortress
Setting up a hospital in dwarf fortress is crucial for treating dwarfs who suffer physical injuries. Here are the key steps for setting up a hospital:
- On the hospital level, designate the rooms you want to use as hospital wards and ensure they have the necessary furnishings. You can place beds, traction benches, and containers for patients’ personal belongings.
- Assign dwarfs to work in the hospital, making sure they are skilled in medical care and appropriate for the work.
- Stock the hospital with medical supplies like thread, cloth, splints, and crutches, ensuring that an adequate supply is available.
- Set up a hospital zone and enable the setting for “from outside only,” ensuring the dwarfs are only allowed in if they need medical attention.
How To Train Dwarfs As Doctors
To provide medical treatment for the wounded dwarfs, you must have one or more doctors. Here are the key steps for training dwarfs as doctors:
- Navigate to the dwarf profile who you want to train as a doctor, select “preferences,” and designate the doctor’s labor.
- Assign the dwarf medical tasks, like diagnosing patients using the “diagnose” labor.
- Designate a doctor’s room with a bed and a bookcase stocked with medical books so the assigned doctor can read them and improve their medical knowledge.
Steps To Follow When Treating Physical Injuries
When treating physical injuries, follow these steps to ensure successful recovery:
- Send the injured dwarf to the hospital, and ensure the doctor has diagnosed the wounds’ severity.
- Have the doctor perform first aid treatment, like cleaning the wounds and administering sutures.
- If the wound requires further treatment, such as setting a bone, have the doctor perform surgery.
- Finally, keep the injured dwarf in the hospital’s care until they’re fully recovered.
Understanding how to heal physical injuries is crucial for keeping your dwarfs healthy in dwarf fortress. By following these steps, you’ll be able to set up a hospital, train doctors, and provide your dwarfs with the quality medical care they deserve.
Healing Mental Ailments Among Dwarves
Dwarves are known for their hardy nature, but they are not immune to mental stress. Unfortunately, mental stress can have severe and long-lasting effects on the health and happiness of dwarves. In this section, we will explore the causes of mental stress among dwarves, how to identify the signs of mental stress, and the steps to follow when treating it.
Causes Of Mental Stress
Mental stress among dwarves can have many causes. Here are a few reasons your dwarves might be experiencing mental stress:
- Overcrowding – dwarves prefer to have their personal space. If they are crowded, they may feel claustrophobic, anxious, or angry.
- Death – losing a friend or family member can be challenging for anyone, especially for dwarves. They have a strong sense of community and grieve deeply.
- Low morale – dwarves thrive in an upbeat and productive environment. When morale is low, dwarves can feel unmotivated or resentful.
Identifying The Signs Of Mental Stress
Identifying mental stress in your dwarves is not always easy. Here are a few signs to look out for:
- Isolation – dwarves who are going through a tough time may isolate themselves from the rest of their community.
- Lack of productivity – when dwarves are struggling with mental stress, they may become unproductive and unable to complete tasks.
- Aggressive behavior – dwarves who feel angry, frustrated, or overwhelmed may act out in aggressive or destructive ways.
Steps To Follow When Treating Mental Stress
If you notice any of the signs of mental stress in your dwarves, it’s essential to act quickly. Here are a few steps you can follow when treating mental stress:
- Identify the root cause – before you can treat a problem, you need to understand the root cause. Talk to your dwarves to find out what is causing the stress.
- Create space – sometimes, all dwarves need is a little space to decompress and clear their heads. Provide areas where dwarves can go to be alone or relax.
- Encourage community support – dwarves are social creatures and often find great comfort in community support. Encourage your dwarves to talk to one another and provide opportunities for them to bond and connect.
Mental stress among dwarves is a serious issue that should not be ignored. By understanding its causes and identifying its signs, you can take steps to create a supportive and healthy community for your dwarves.
Preventing Injuries And Ailments
Factors That Contribute To Frequent Injuries:
Dwarf fortress can be a challenging game to play, especially when you have to manage injuries and illnesses that can affect your dwarves. Here are some factors that can contribute to the emergence of frequent injuries:
- Poorly designed fortresses: Dwarves can trip and fall if the path design of the fortress is not optimized. Multiple levels connected by a staircase, for example, can create bottlenecks where dwarves can easily bump into each other, potentially causing injuries.
- Untrained dwarves: If dwarves have not been trained in combat or other skills, they will be more vulnerable to injury when performing dangerous tasks such as mining and hunting.
- Weather conditions: Severe weather such as rainstorms or snow can cause injuries or illnesses if dwarves are not well equipped or if they stay in areas without proper shelter.
- Handling of dangerous animals: If dwarves are not careful when dealing with animals, they may get injured. Some animals are more dangerous than others, so it’s important to know their behavior and how to handle them.
Preventive Measures:
There are several measures you can take to prevent your dwarves from getting injured. Here are some of them:
- Design a safe fortress: Optimize the design of your fortress by incorporating wider hallways, avoiding bottlenecks, installing smooth stone floors, and designing bridges with adequate railings. Also, consider creating a hospital in your fortress to care for injured dwarves.
- Train your dwarves: Train your dwarves in the necessary skills to perform their jobs safely. If you need miners, for example, train dwarves in mining skills to avoid injuries. You can also train your dwarves in combat skills to protect the fortress from hostile creatures.
- Equip your dwarves: Equip your dwarves with suitable clothing and gear for the tasks they perform. Protect them from the weather with appropriate clothing and provide armor and weapons for those who need them.
- Handle animals safely: Learn animal behavior before handling them and handle them appropriately. Consider building animal pens or using cages to keep dangerous animals away from dwarves. You can also designate trained dwarves to deal with the animals.
- Keep your dwarves healthy: Provide a balanced diet with access to clean water and medical attention. Avoid overworking the dwarves and allow them enough rest, especially after a challenging job.
By implementing these preventive measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of injuries and illnesses to your dwarf in dwarf fortress.
Frequently Asked Questions Of Dwarf Fortress How To Heal Dwarves
How Do You Heal Injured Dwarves In Dwarf Fortress?
To heal injured dwarves in dwarf fortress, assign a hospital zone and set the beds as “medical. ” Then, assign a dwarf to be a chief medical dwarf and they will diagnose and care for wounded dwarves.
How Do You Prevent Injuries In Dwarf Fortress?
Preventing injuries in dwarf fortress involves careful planning. Designate safe areas for dwarves to work in and avoid placing them in danger. It’s also a good idea to train them in martial arts.
Can Injured Dwarves Die In Dwarf Fortress?
Yes, injured dwarves can die in dwarf fortress if not treated promptly. A lack of healthcare will lead to infections and other worsening of the injury, eventually leading to death.
How Do You Cure Infections In Dwarf Fortress?
To cure infections in dwarf fortress, you need to have a skilled diagnostics and/or medic dwarf. They will identify the type of infection and prescribe the appropriate medication.
How Do You Increase The Medical Skills Of Dwarves?
To increase the medical skills of dwarves, assign them to the hospital and have them take care of injured dwarves. They will slowly acquire the necessary medical skills through experience. It’s also possible to train them in healthcare skills through martial training.
Conclusion
Overall, healing dwarves in dwarf fortress can be a tricky but rewarding task. From setting up a well-stocked hospital to assigning skilled doctors, there are many ways to ensure your dwarves stay healthy and happy. Proper planning and strategy are paramount to success, but don’t forget about the little things like keeping your dwarves well-fed and hydrated.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to creating a thriving fortress filled with healthy, happy dwarves. Remember, healing is not only important for survival in the game, but also for creating a vibrant community that can thrive and prosper.
So go forth and heal your dwarves, and may your fortress prosper for years to come.