Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Malarauko]

So fire is the only thing that has a real effect, they can heal themselves, they're death machines in combat (and potentially highly infectious), they feel no pain, need no sustenance, force you to lock yourself in and can function despite being almost completely pulverised. I give them a week before someone is building a fort with Husk butlers or something.

[DungeonJerk]

In my dealings with Haunted Ash Thrall's I have found that yes, they are pretty much completely unstoppable. I had modded dwarves go up against them. Speed 100, hammers, axe's, spears. A few got hacked up. But they failed to bring them down and just created more. In-fact the soldiers beat them till they were exhausted and it cost most of them their lives.

Also, I've found that when the dust gets spread across the terrain, it doesn't always infect dwarves when they move through it. I'm almost certain it depends on length of exposure, and or how they are moving through it. IE, the dwarves I saw getting turned into Haunted Ash thralls were being chased by Zombie thralls. So, perhaps this kicked the dust up. Where as moving at a normal pace wouldn't?.

Animals however always get turned when passing through the haunted ash trails. Perhaps its because they are not only lower to the ground, but in the way they move.

I've also found that cages do NOT stop the spread of the infection. a cat passed by a caged HA Thrall that had the dust coating, and was infected. Almost had a serious outbreak happen at that time. But I managed to contain it.

So far, the only means I've found in truly dealing with thralls is to catch them in cage traps and lock them up. And or dump the cages into a place they can't escape from.

And for mists, completely seal up your fortress. And pray that your dwarves don't develop sock lust for something outside like mine did at PantsPalace.

[Mekboy]

Dungeon Jerk, how old is your fort? It's possible that some dwarves are lacking boots, therefore are being infected, whereas the rest are fine with it. It would explain why the animals are instantly huskified.

[DungeonJerk]

Dungeon Jerk, how old is your fort? It's possible that some dwarves are lacking boots, therefore are being infected, whereas the rest are fine with it. It would explain why the animals are instantly huskified.

That fort lasted about a year and few months give or take. It would have lasted longer, but a migrant wave showed up, and I stupidly decided to use my emergency entrance to allow them in. And suddenly all my dwarves poured out like morons to gather something for the stockpiles. Even after I forbade everything on the map and removed the stockpiles.

Then it became a game of watching idiots bouncing around like demented pachinko balls and avoiding every single chance they got to run back into the fort because the zombies were 20 feet+ away from the door and they were right next to it.

And the ones that DID run back in, ran back out, cause, y'know, the Zombies were scary as hell.

In the end all but 8 were turned into Zombies. So I decided to cut my loss's and let the zombies in for a snack.

Then I decided to use adventure mode, game crashed, and then every fort I made on that world and tried to save on resulted in a crash. I think that world is corrupted and useless now.

[Frogwarrior]

Found a spot for y'all! Should be a challenge with decent potential for a good fort. I plan on making a serious fort here, build me some nice digs.
Site:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The biome covered in Xs is savage wild forest; the adjacent biome is terrifying forest. Choose your own embark size/shape.

Worldgen:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[WORLD_GEN]
   [TITLE:CREATE WORLD NOW = HUSKLAND]
   [SEED:oqm2MQMq4aOMIuEiCgMK]
   [HISTORY_SEED:kVKvIrJ64X0KYVgEuqBx]
   [NAME_SEED:lWaKbCELhTlKAfxa0uHN]
   [CREATURE_SEED:N639Ztc9WtW2RVWyHwln]
   [DIM:129:129]
   [EMBARK_POINTS:1274]
   [END_YEAR:250]
   [BEAST_END_YEAR:250:-1]
   [REVEAL_ALL_HISTORY:1]
   [CULL_HISTORICAL_FIGURES:0]
   [ELEVATION:1:400:1600:1600]
   [RAINFALL:0:100:200:200]
   [TEMPERATURE:25:75:200:200]
   [DRAINAGE:0:100:200:200]
   [VOLCANISM:0:100:200:200]
   [SAVAGERY:0:100:200:200]
   [ELEVATION_FREQUENCY:4:2:0:1:0:1]
   [RAIN_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
   [DRAINAGE_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
   [TEMPERATURE_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
   [SAVAGERY_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
   [VOLCANISM_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
   [MINERAL_SCARCITY:2500]
   [MEGABEAST_CAP:18]
   [SEMIMEGABEAST_CAP:37]
   [TITAN_NUMBER:9]
   [TITAN_ATTACK_TRIGGER:80:0:100000]
   [DEMON_NUMBER:28]
   [NIGHT_TROLL_NUMBER:14]
   [BOGEYMAN_NUMBER:14]
   [VAMPIRE_NUMBER:14]
   [WEREBEAST_NUMBER:14]
   [SECRET_NUMBER:28]
   [REGIONAL_INTERACTION_NUMBER:28]
   [DISTURBANCE_INTERACTION_NUMBER:28]
   [EVIL_CLOUD_NUMBER:14]
   [EVIL_RAIN_NUMBER:14]
   [GOOD_SQ_COUNTS:6:63:0]
   [EVIL_SQ_COUNTS:6:63:0]
   [PEAK_NUMBER_MIN:3]
   [PARTIAL_OCEAN_EDGE_MIN:0]
   [COMPLETE_OCEAN_EDGE_MIN:4]
   [VOLCANO_MIN:1]
   [REGION_COUNTS:SWAMP:66:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:DESERT:66:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:FOREST:264:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:MOUNTAINS:528:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:OCEAN:528:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:GLACIER:16:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:TUNDRA:33:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:GRASSLAND:528:0:0]
   [REGION_COUNTS:HILLS:528:0:0]
   [EROSION_CYCLE_COUNT:250]
   [RIVER_MINS:25:25]
   [PERIODICALLY_ERODE_EXTREMES:1]
   [OROGRAPHIC_PRECIPITATION:1]
   [SUBREGION_MAX:2750]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_COUNT:3]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_OPENNESS_MIN:0]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_OPENNESS_MAX:100]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_PASSAGE_DENSITY_MIN:0]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_PASSAGE_DENSITY_MAX:100]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_WATER_MIN:0]
   [CAVERN_LAYER_WATER_MAX:100]
   [HAVE_BOTTOM_LAYER_1:1]
   [HAVE_BOTTOM_LAYER_2:1]
   [LEVELS_ABOVE_GROUND:15]
   [LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_1:5]
   [LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_2:1]
   [LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_3:1]
   [LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_4:1]
   [LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_5:2]
   [LEVELS_AT_BOTTOM:1]
   [CAVE_MIN_SIZE:5]
   [CAVE_MAX_SIZE:25]
   [MOUNTAIN_CAVE_MIN:10]
   [NON_MOUNTAIN_CAVE_MIN:15]
   [ALL_CAVES_VISIBLE:0]
   [SHOW_EMBARK_TUNNEL:2]
   [TOTAL_CIV_NUMBER:40]
   [TOTAL_CIV_POPULATION:15000]
   [SITE_CAP:1040]
   [PLAYABLE_CIVILIZATION_REQUIRED:1]
   [ELEVATION_RANGES:8000:1056:528]
   [RAIN_RANGES:528:1056:528]
   [DRAINAGE_RANGES:528:1056:528]
   [SAVAGERY_RANGES:528:1056:528]
   [VOLCANISM_RANGES:528:1056:528]

I generated my world with vanilla raws except the addition of elf diplomats.

FEATURES:
2-layer aquifer on the non-evil part
Shallow limonite and magnetite under the non-evil part
First caverns are about 10 z's down. Second cavern is 56 z's down, and is full of marble. You will be able to make steel.
Lots and lots and lots and lots of trees.
The embark SAYS there's salt water, but I've had dwarves take water from the stream, the murky pools, and the aquifer, and none of it was salty water, so I dunno.
Stream has mussels; no need to worry about shell moods.
White sand and fire clay. I also did an assay when I generated a world with the same seed in .05 and there was plenty rock crystal; there probably is if you generate in .06 as well but no promises.
Lots of nasty critters to sacrifice tamers to.
And... an evil fog that huskifies things. It is fog, so it leaves no residue and is thus not contagious.

Have fun.

Oh, and by the way - decapitation and bisection both kill husks, so much slashing damage is suggested.

[Spinal_Taper]

Let's just buff HFS!

[Urist Da Vinci]

On reading the game raws, I found it odd that all husks and zombies have near-identical stats, yet some are much stronger than others. My proposed explanation follows:

Necromancer/Region/Mummy animated corpses:
- The animating effect doesn't link the original soul, so skills and mental attributes are lost.
- Prone to collapsing at slight damage.
- By definition, has already died at least once.
- Empty inventory, since bodies drop all items.
- Typically somewhat decayed.
- Always named "______ Corpse"

Evil weather "husks":
- Never actually died yet, was simply corrupted.
- Retains equipment that was carried.
- Retains soul, skills, and ability to learn.
- Retains initial health and ability to heal.
- Requires decapitation or bisection to destroy.
- Named "a b c" (see below)

"Husk" Naming convention:

cursed
wicked
evil
creeping
haunting
abominable
devilish
fiendish
heinous
nefarious
profane
vile
accursed
blighted
execrable
infernal
unholy
eerie

dust
soot
fog
gloom
murk
smoke
vapor

husk
zombie
thrall

[ydaraishy]

(Warning: Long post follows!)

After being frustrated with having to resort to cage traps to deal with husks and wanting to find some way to beat them more directly, I decided to test some husks in the arena. You can't normally create husks in arena mode, but with some easy modding you can simulate them.  To simulate husks, use this custom interaction:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

interaction_test

[OBJECT:INTERACTION]

[INTERACTION:HUSKIFICATION]
[I_SOURCE:UNDERGROUND_SPECIAL] this is just a placeholder
[I_TARGET:A:CORPSE]
[IT_LOCATION:CONTEXT_REGION]
[IT_AFFECTED_CLASS:GENERAL_POISON]
[IT_FORBIDDEN:NOT_LIVING]
[I_EFFECT:RESURRECT]
[IE_TARGET:A]
[IE_ARENA_NAME:Husk]
[SYNDROME]
[CE_FLASH_TILE:TILE:165:3:0:0:FREQUENCY:2000:1000:START:0]
[CE_DISPLAY_NAME:NAME:husk:husks:husk]
[CE_SPEED_CHANGE:SPEED_PERC:60:START:0]
[CE_PHYS_ATT_CHANGE:STRENGTH:300:1000:TOUGHNESS:300:1000:START:0]
[CE_ADD_TAG:NO_AGING:NOT_LIVING:OPPOSED_TO_LIFE:STERILE:EXTRAVISION:NOEXERT:NOPAIN:NOBREATHE:NOSTUN:NONAUSEA:NO_DIZZINESS:NO_FEVERS:NOEMOTION:PARALYZEIMMUNE:NOFEAR:NO_EAT:NO_DRINK:NO_SLEEP:NO_PHYS_ATT_GAIN:NO_PHYS_ATT_RUST:NOTHOUGHT:NO_THOUGHT_CENTER_FOR_MOVEMENT:NO_CONNECTIONS_FOR_MOVEMENT:START:0]
[CE_REMOVE_TAG:HAS_BLOOD:TRANCES:LIKES_FIGHTING:MISCHIEVOUS:START:0]

The syndrome is copied from generated husk-clouds in world.dat, and RESURRECT instead of ANIMATE ensures that they'll have no arbitrary damage thresholds like zombies.  I pitted the husks against dwarves first with Competent military skills (what most migrants have), then Great ones, all wearing steel armour and wielding steel weapons of different sorts.

Small husks like cats and foxes easily go down to a single swordsdwarf or an axedwarf.  They do take inordinately more damage than a non-husk would have, and occasionally even land bruises and scratches, obviously because of the huge increase in strength and toughness.  A pack of creatures, which is more usual, is much more challenging.  You might get lucky and get the dwarf into a martial trance, but don't count on it.  Generally it's best to match their numbers at the bare minimum, and outnumber them at least twice whenever you can.

Anything with a blunt attack can give you trouble.  Punches from even a small animal-man can collapse skulls through steel helmets.  Anything the same size or larger than a dwarf will probably kill you, at least one-on-one.  Axe Lords and Swordsmasters fare much better than regular soldiers, of course, and two dwarves fighting one husk are much more likely to win than one fighting one. This is why bringing more soldiers than there are husks in a group is important.

I've found that contrary to what's often said (and my worst fears), it's actually quite possible to beat husks in combat.  You just need lots of dwarves, really good equipment and a bit of luck.  And a danger room.  And something to wash them off if you need to.  I personally like to run Spartan war-fortresses in some husk biomes (with gas, not dust) so every dwarf can defend himself should he need to.  Might be overdoing it, but this is husks we're talking about.  (Of course, if you get something like elephant thralls, or dust in a freezing biome, you're better off not even trying)

Watch out for your soldiers getting tired.  Husks are EXTREMELY durable and especially larger ones will take hits for weeks on end before its head finally gets chopped off.  Sometimes it's better just to walk away from it once it can't stand anymore.

When the dwarf wins, always, the husk is either decapitated or cut in half.  Those are the only ways to directly kill a husk.  This means blunt weapons are completely useless against them, unlike zombies.  Spears aren't very good either.  And, unfortunately, marksdwarves won't even make a tiny scratch on them.

Please bear in mind that I didn't replicate syndrome-causing dust here.  Just to reiterate what many of you might know, you need to make sure there's not a single speck of dust on them before you take them on.  Otherwise dust will rub off on your dwarves, infect them, and leave you with a band of dwarf husks with all its armour and weapons on.  Normal rain will clean it off if it rains, otherwise you need to do drastic things like flood the map from an aquifer.

Some other fun facts about husks:

• Husks indeed heal damage.  It's possible that your squad will beat down on a crippled husk for days straight while it heals all its wounds.  On the plus side, this is a great way to train melee soldiers if it's free of dust.
• Husks keep the combat skills they had in life.  Terrifyingly enough, husks of sentients are still capable of learning.  Any of your dwarves who got enthralled can and will get stronger with each kill.  Watch out.
• Husks can get enraged.
• Trapavoid creatures that get husked are still trapavoid.  Kobold husks are probably the worst of the lot.
• It's quite common to see one husked animal attacking a non-husk of the same species, before they all get turned as well.  There's usually heavy damage which tends to result in crippled husks.  This can make things a lot easier to handle.
• Invaders who turn into husks will break the invasion and leave.  The same goes for merchants.

[blue sam3]

(Warning: Long post follows!)

After being frustrated with having to resort to cage traps to deal with husks and wanting to find some way to beat them more directly, I decided to test some husks in the arena. You can't normally create husks in arena mode, but with some easy modding you can simulate them.  To simulate husks, use this custom interaction:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

interaction_test

[OBJECT:INTERACTION]

[INTERACTION:HUSKIFICATION]
[I_SOURCE:UNDERGROUND_SPECIAL] this is just a placeholder
[I_TARGET:A:CORPSE]
[IT_LOCATION:CONTEXT_REGION]
[IT_AFFECTED_CLASS:GENERAL_POISON]
[IT_FORBIDDEN:NOT_LIVING]
[I_EFFECT:RESURRECT]
[IE_TARGET:A]
[IE_ARENA_NAME:Husk]
[SYNDROME]
[CE_FLASH_TILE:TILE:165:3:0:0:FREQUENCY:2000:1000:START:0]
[CE_DISPLAY_NAME:NAME:husk:husks:husk]
[CE_SPEED_CHANGE:SPEED_PERC:60:START:0]
[CE_PHYS_ATT_CHANGE:STRENGTH:300:1000:TOUGHNESS:300:1000:START:0]
[CE_ADD_TAG:NO_AGING:NOT_LIVING:OPPOSED_TO_LIFE:STERILE:EXTRAVISION:NOEXERT:NOPAIN:NOBREATHE:NOSTUN:NONAUSEA:NO_DIZZINESS:NO_FEVERS:NOEMOTION:PARALYZEIMMUNE:NOFEAR:NO_EAT:NO_DRINK:NO_SLEEP:NO_PHYS_ATT_GAIN:NO_PHYS_ATT_RUST:NOTHOUGHT:NO_THOUGHT_CENTER_FOR_MOVEMENT:NO_CONNECTIONS_FOR_MOVEMENT:START:0]
[CE_REMOVE_TAG:HAS_BLOOD:TRANCES:LIKES_FIGHTING:MISCHIEVOUS:START:0]

The syndrome is copied from generated husk-clouds in world.dat, and RESURRECT instead of ANIMATE ensures that they'll have no arbitrary damage thresholds like zombies.  I pitted the husks against dwarves first with Competent military skills (what most migrants have), then Great ones, all wearing steel armour and wielding steel weapons of different sorts.

Small husks like cats and foxes easily go down to a single swordsdwarf or an axedwarf.  They do take inordinately more damage than a non-husk would have, and occasionally even land bruises and scratches, obviously because of the huge increase in strength and toughness.  A pack of creatures, which is more usual, is much more challenging.  You might get lucky and get the dwarf into a martial trance, but don't count on it.  Generally it's best to match their numbers at the bare minimum, and outnumber them at least twice whenever you can.

Anything with a blunt attack can give you trouble.  Punches from even a small animal-man can collapse skulls through steel helmets.  Anything the same size or larger than a dwarf will probably kill you, at least one-on-one.  Axe Lords and Swordsmasters fare much better than regular soldiers, of course, and two dwarves fighting one husk are much more likely to win than one fighting one. This is why bringing more soldiers than there are husks in a group is important.

I've found that contrary to what's often said (and my worst fears), it's actually quite possible to beat husks in combat.  You just need lots of dwarves, really good equipment and a bit of luck.  And a danger room.  I personally like to run Spartan war-fortresses in some husk biomes so every dwarf can defend himself should he need to.  Might be overdoing it, but this is husks we're talking about.  (Of course, if you get something like elephant thralls, or dust in a freezing biome, you're better off not even trying)

Watch out for your soldiers getting tired.  Husks are EXTREMELY durable and especially larger ones will take hits for weeks on end before its head finally gets chopped off.  Sometimes it's better just to walk away from it once it can't stand anymore.

When the dwarf wins, always, the husk is either decapitated or cut in half.  Those are the only ways to directly kill a husk.  This means blunt weapons are completely useless against them, unlike zombies.  Spears aren't very good either.  And, unfortunately, marksdwarves won't even make a tiny scratch on them.

Please bear in mind that I didn't replicate syndrome-causing dust here.  Just to reiterate what many of you might know, you need to makes sure there's not a single speck of dust on them before you take them on.  Normal rain will clean it off if it rains, otherwise you need to do drastic things like flood the map from an aquifer.

Some other fun facts about husks:

• Husks indeed heal damage.  It's possible that your squad will beat down on a crippled husk for days straight while it heals all its wounds.  On the plus side, this is a great way to train melee soldiers.
• Husks keep the combat skills they had in life.  Terrifyingly enough, husks of sentients are still capable of learning.  Any of your dwarves who got enthralled can and will get stronger with each kill.  Watch out.
• Husks can get enraged.
• Trapavoid creatures that get husked are still trapavoid.  Kobold husks are probably the worst of the lot.
• It's quite common to see one husked animal attacking a non-husk of the same species, before they all get turned as well.  There's usually heavy damage which tends to result in crippled husks.  This can make things a lot easier to handle.
• Invaders who turn into husks will break the invasion and leave.  The same goes for merchants.

There is something enormously problematic that you've neglected here. Dusk husks are infectious. Attacking them just makes you have a load of dwarf husks attacking you.

[ydaraishy]

There is something enormously problematic that you've neglected here. Dusk husks are infectious. Attacking them just makes you have a load of dwarf husks attacking you.

I thought I had mentioned syndrome dust already?  I'll clarify that and mention the infection danger.

It's better of course to wait inside until the rain washes the dust away.

[TheStratovarian]

Can you use a bait animal to lure them through points like saw traps by opening and closing a floor grate with a glass wall set? So they get a peep show of the next meal, rush to it, and not see the things hacking them to bits below?

[GuyInCorner]

The following is a page from the journal of Thoram Gravespine, a famous explorer from the Restful Plains. His body was found washed up onto the shores of the River of Squelching, just outside of his hometown. The search party that found him saw no noticeable wounds on the body, save for those that came from it being tossed downriver. We have assumed suicide. This is the final entry:
My name is Thoram Gravespine. I have been to thousands of holds across the Eternal Dimension, I have explored the icebergs to the north, the forgotten woods far west. I thought I had seen the secrets of this world of ours. I thought I had. Voidbreach was our destination, and to Voidbreach I traveled. My closest friends were with me; it was to be another routine investigation of an abandoned fortress, just to make sure that all of the undead or dangerous beasts had been exterminated. Upon arriving, we new the place was deserted by our gods. The winds howled and bit at our covered faces, and all life seemed to be gone. At the entrance was evidence of some great struggle. We thought that perhaps some goblin raid had killed off most of Voidreach's inhabitants, and that untold ages of rot and desert wind had reduced the limbs to withered...husks. Upon closer inspection, however, we discovered the corpse of creatures the likes of which I have never seen. One such creature was a massive fire demon, surrounded by charred and forgotten bodies. We agreed that now we absolutely had to explore the fortress in its entirety. I should have said no. The signs were so obvious, how could I not have seen...
It's all hopeless now. We entered the fortress you can never leave. We entered Voidbreach.

From this point onward the entries get progressively more...disturbing. I don't want your impression of the man to be tainted by these final pages, overseer, as I know how much pride Thoram gave you. Besides, you wouldn't want to read these horrid rants anyways. He talks of "invincible horrors of the dark" and "ancient clawing monstrosities." The last page is just a bunch of drawings and scribbles on the verge of illegibility. I can make out one sentence, thought, sire, it's written practically all over the page.
"Can't save them. Can't save ourselves."
I promise this wont interrupt the progress of our fortress in the evil lands to the east, sire, even if we have lost contact with them temporarily. Our scouts seem to think it is due to an odd sandstorm that hit them recently.

[Sting_Auer]

Can husks be strangled to death? I have 5 guys all stranging a snowy owl husk at once and I want to know if it will ever die that way.

EDIT: In other news, they are all up to legendary fighter/wrestler, but I can't get any of them to stop fighting and come inside. Going to attempt removing them from the military.

[Broseph Stalin]

Can husks be strangled to death? I have 5 guys all stranging a snowy owl husk at once and I want to know if it will ever die that way.

EDIT: In other news, they are all up to legendary fighter/wrestler, but I can't get any of them to stop fighting and come inside. Going to attempt removing them from the military.

If it doesn't pass out it doesn't need to breathe and they're wasting their time.

[Sting_Auer]

Can husks be strangled to death? I have 5 guys all stranging a snowy owl husk at once and I want to know if it will ever die that way.

EDIT: In other news, they are all up to legendary fighter/wrestler, but I can't get any of them to stop fighting and come inside. Going to attempt removing them from the military.

If it doesn't pass out it doesn't need to breathe and they're wasting their time.

Well, balls. How do I get them back inside my fort?

EDIT: Doesn't matter, a cloud came by and they're all husks now.

****