After a lethal incident during plump helmet spawn pummeling, and for general dislike of it's grindiness, I decided to forego that method of toughening up my general population en masse.
So it's time to find a new method of toughening up my dwarves, without needing to micromanage it too much.
I have been periodically (say, every caravan season) ignoring export bans on a large scale, to give my dwarves extra happy thoughts from being released by a frustraded, but harmless hammerless hammerer.
Perhaps I can combine the happy to be free thought, with some seasonal hammertime to toughen up my civilian population. Ideally, some minor injuries would be good for my medics.
I just made me a +candy warhammer+, and started the testing carefully, with only 4 tables exported to the elves. Did I mention my Duke *likes* tables?
The result was 121 days jailtime for one dwarf, and 5 hammerstrikes each for the other 3 dwarves.
In eager anticipation, I watched as my hammerer first chained up 2 criminals, and then proceeded to his office to grab his candy hammer, with an execute criminal job.
He dealt 5 strikes, and each of the strikes managed to bruise the convict through clothing, but no more than that.
He then proceeded to chain up the third convict, that was still walking free, and continued to give him a beating. I thought.
Then came the cancellation job I've grown so fond of the past decades: "Hammerer cancels exectue criminal: No suitable weapon for execution"
He couldn't find the hammer.
Because he was still hauling it.After he had released the prisoner, he immediatly proceeded to free the other prisoner as well. After that, he dropped the hauled hammer in his office (stockpile).
I have made a second candy hammer. Now I have to wait for the next caravan. I hope that he will drop the first hauled hammer to pick up the second. In that case, 2 hammers are enough. If not, I'm afraid I'll need another 25 hammers at the least.
!!SCIENCE!! LOG:
The hammerer is mighty and agile. He is still only a dabbling hammerdwarf.
Quality of warhammer (if applicable) used will be noted per test, just after the convict name.
My civilian dwarves are wearing hoods, cloaks, trousers, dress/shirt, shoes. No gloves.
Test 1
Number of hammerstrikes issued: 5
convicts: 3
Convict 1 (+): all 5 strikes caused light bruising through clothing
Convict 2: no hammer available
Convict 3: no hammer available
Test 2
Ah, thank goodness. The hammerer drops the hauled hammer as soon as he goes to pick up another available one. I need more than 2 hammers though, cause the second hammer was being hauled by another dwarf this time, when it was needed. My Duke decided to drop the export ban on tables 5 seconds before the traders left the map. I have only 3 convicts, where I planned on 20 this time. The 3 remaining convicts exported coffers, banned by the mayor.
number of hammerstrikes issued: 4
convicts: 3
Convict 1 (-): all 4 strikes caused bruising through clothing
Convict 2 (+): all 4 strikes caused bruising through clothing
Convict 3: released, 2nd hammer was not available, being hauled to stockpile by another dwarf
Test 3
Highlights: 1 missing upper front tooth.
Test 4
Test 5
Dwarves sleep through hammering. More medic training granted.
Test 6
EDIT: will update this post with test result highlights. More results can be read further down.