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[Oliolli]

I once had a 27 z-level drop. A goblins arm was found 6 z-levels above the bottom of the pit. (The pit's falling portion has no walls)

[lastofthelight]

The big problem I always have is how to dig the sheer walls. It never ever works. If I build a starcase updown and then channel out each layer, they fall to their death. If I build it on the bottom level and then go up, they fall to their death. If I build it up and go down, they just inevitably get stuck (and if there is ice, fall to their freezing death).

Its a lot of trouble, and always annoying.

Also, how do you position the pit with respect to the pressure plate? I'm assuming these are pits with hatches (for small pits, which seem 10x more annoying to do) or large pits with retractable bridges. Does the pressure plate go before or after? How far before? Do you have repeating pits? What size do you prefer?

[Corneria]

The big problem I always have is how to dig the sheer walls. It never ever works. If I build a starcase updown and then channel out each layer, they fall to their death. If I build it on the bottom level and then go up, they fall to their death. If I build it up and go down, they just inevitably get stuck (and if there is ice, fall to their freezing death).

Its a lot of trouble, and always annoying.

Also, how do you position the pit with respect to the pressure plate? I'm assuming these are pits with hatches (for small pits, which seem 10x more annoying to do) or large pits with retractable bridges. Does the pressure plate go before or after? How far before? Do you have repeating pits? What size do you prefer?

Designate top layer for channeling. Wait until they finish, designate next layer. Repeat until at desired level. Dig an exit, close it up at your leisure (or don't if you want to let them live - let it be the access.)

[ullrich]

12 z levels is the minimum instant death to anything depth, lots of testing has been done, as long as they don't land on another creature (when a creature falls and lands on a creature all the damage is transfered to the creature they land on and not to them [I believe], having piles of bodies may also cushion the fall).

[Sphalerite]

Actually, when a falling creature lands on another creature, both are stunned and take no damage whatsoever.

I've dropped thousands of goblins and trolls 10 Z-levels and never seen one survive.  Nor have a massive pile of bodies on the drop site made any difference, so I don't think you need to worry about a pile of corpses cushioning the fall.

[ullrich]

Actually, when a falling creature lands on another creature, both are stunned and take no damage whatsoever.

I've dropped thousands of goblins and trolls 10 Z-levels and never seen one survive.  Nor have a massive pile of bodies on the drop site made any difference, so I don't think you need to worry about a pile of corpses cushioning the fall.

Ah good to clear that up, but 12 is the minimum to guarantee death, I've had goblins survive with no injuries at 11 levels and even forgotten beasts die at 12 (chain some animals at the end of the walkway and have a statue garden a bit further in, war animals will zerg the FB and it will dodge of the edge [will take some animals with it]).

[franti]

Upright Spikes can be fallen on for the same effect. I, personally, don't use them. I have a pit trap, my signature, that drops them 10 z-levels into a pit of War Naked Mole Dogs. Most die on impact, the lucky ones.

[Gizogin]

I have a pit that goes all the way to the third cavern layer, roughly 60 z-levels down, with 7 copper spears and 3 silver spears, all masterwork.  I sent a few kittens down to test it, and they just disintegrated.

[franti]

I once embarked on a shear cliff overlooking an evil lake. Needless to say, I bulit my fort on it, and would drop prisoners/nobles/weak naked mole dogs 40Zs onto zombie Pike. Nothing survived to get killed by the fish. Disapointed, I rebuilt my fortress lower. 5 z-level drop into the lake. Much more fun.

[Urist Da Vinci]

I tested falling damage from z-levels 1 to 8 in the arena back in version 31.18:
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=72385.msg1777923#msg1777923

The chance of death for humanoids for the falls in this range is about 35%, due to either brain damage or to spine injury/suffocation. The pain from the broken bones keeps the "survivors" essentially helpless if you want train your militia on them.

I am curious to find out how regular fall damage transitions to the "chunky salsa" death. I need to think about the experiment design. Probably I would make a fort where test subjects are put into dropper rooms, and then savescum while making the holes deeper each time.

... A quick test in the arena reveals that neither elephants nor rabbits explode when dropped 8z. So it isn't weight or size-dependant, or if it is, they have to fall further first.

[Rushmik]

My current fort has a 10z-level drop, which kills about 50% of what I drop down there. The ones that die on impact seem to explode, whereas the ones that don't limp halfway up the staircase and bleed out. I used to use upright spikes at the bottom but removed them when I found they stopped enemies from exploding on impact with the smoothstone ground.

I'd recommend a sort of goblin-grinder setup, where anything that survives the fall is forced to walk up a staircase that leads them across the same dodge-this bridge.

[Masta Crouton]

i figured any goblins that survive can either chill down there, or i can remove the wall, and slaughter them.

[Puresowns]

Build a 1 tile wide path into the fortress, each tile trapped with 10 spiked wooden ball(saws make too much of a mess, you want the gobbos to dodge, not be eviscerated). Each tile will generate 30 hits(3 per ball), which guarantees that the gobbos WILL jump. Have ~10-15 tiles set with the balls, the rest with cheap upright spears(for trapavoid enemies), and about 10Z drop. The pit at the bottom is where you want to put all of those masterwork menacing steel spears. This setup(when I've managed to finish it) has eaten 2 simultaneous sieges, one of which was a trapavoid race.

[Noodz]

I have a saved fortress i gave up on with a nearly 100z fall/chute that goes through pillars on the caverns and into the forges stockpile. Granted, it's not meant to hurt invaders, but to execute caged prisioners. It also works wonders to execute untamed caged wildlife.