I've been messing about trying to use caged necromancers as zombie generators by build the cage in a refuse pile room, releasing the necromancer, and then capturing anything that tries to leave the room with cage traps. It seems like I can only get one zombie at a time like this, even when i reload the cage with a different necromancer. Any idea how to get around this? Or are mine capable of raising more and just not cooperating, maybe they need a kitten present to trigger the fight response?
General method I've heard discussed: Pin the necromancer behind fortifications that separate him from the bottom of a pit. Dump unsorted zombie chunks (whole and partial) into the pit. Fortifications do not block LOS. Necromancer should raise them for you, eventually, and the pit keeps them contained. Make the pit deep, and most critters landing initially will have massive injuries (or explode) and be easily overwhelmed by your undead doormen, then brought back to serve forever (or until Urist fixes the atom smasher).
General discussion goes like this:
- Will scare your dwarves if they're close by, so take precautions to keep dwarves and zombies (And necromancer) separate, for easier handling.
- Will readily convert new pit occupants, such as if a retracting bridge 'gives out' under some goblins or a 'dodge trap' is suspended over the zombification pit.
- Makes good use of disc traps on an overhead bridge - severed parts are also raised and sheer numbers will overwhelm most new arrivals with fatigue, then splat.
- Consider cleanup: Magma and atom smashing are both potentially good for culling too-large zombie numbers. (Note that the necromancer will need to be protected from magma, if his room is on the same floor as the zombie housing.)
- Avoid flyers. Flyer corpses dropped into the pit should be incinerated immediately. Flying zombies are not a good look.