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[FearfulJesuit]

I know it's possible for flowing water to push creatures through grates sideways. Is it possible for it to push them upwards if pressurised?

I ask because I'm thinking about constructing a defense system in which goblins must move downward into a very low Z-level to get into the fortress. At that point, they will end up in a checkerboard of walls and grates, underneath which is a chamber. When they hit a pressure plate, water from the river will quickly flood the chamber below the grates, but because of water pressure, up, up, up they will fly, up back to ground level as far as the water goes- then when it shuts off, they'll fall back onto the grates to their deaths. Can I do that?

[acetech09]

My instincts tell me no... I've never heard of it done. The dwarfy thing would be to build it for !!SCIENCE!! anyway and find out.

[Sphalerite]

No.  Water can't push creatures or objects upwards.  At best, they might swim up to the surface, if they happen to have a few levels in the swimming skill.  And in that case it wouldn't be the pressure pushing them up, just their swimming skill.

[Girlinhat]

Coincidentally, water cannot push creatures down either.  That's just gravity where applicable.

[SRD]

So if water fell into a pit from ~50z levels above, onto a goblin... nothing would happen?

[xmakina]

So if water fell into a pit from ~50z levels above, onto a goblin... nothing would happen?

Aside from making the goblin wet? No, I don't think so.

[SRD]

Has anyone tested it?

[Loud Whispers]

Yep. Nothing. Try arena mode.

[SRD]

Oh, k.... What about water falling onto the creature, and then magma? >

[Sphalerite]

The magma will turn into obsidian as soon as it hits the water.  If unsupported, the obsidian will instantly cave-in and crush the creature.  If supported, the obsidian will just remain where it formed and block any further magma from falling into the water.

[SRD]

Yeah I sorta guessed that, would it work if say you had 6z levels completely full of water with gobbos at the bottom, then put magma on the top, so that the obsidian floats down and crushes the gobbos?

[miauw62]

That is because water pressure (if im right) is more teleportation then flow.

[zach123b]

i tapped a lake from below and my miner was found up in the lake, i think 1-2 z-levels up which i would assume the water would have pushed him down but pulled him out of my fort, or he somehow swam against that pressure.. nothing but my words to back me up though

it's possible with a big enough cistern from what i've seen, just embark near a lake to find out :p

[Sphalerite]

Yeah I sorta guessed that, would it work if say you had 6z levels completely full of water with gobbos at the bottom, then put magma on the top, so that the obsidian floats down and crushes the gobbos?

The obsidian won't float down.  Cave-ins happen instantaneously, the obsidian be in the air one tick, on the ground having crushed the goblin the next.  Oddly, the water will have teleported upwards to make room - when falling rock passes through liquids, the liquid is displaced upwards to make room.  This is the principle that the magma piston works by.

[Raphite1]

Yeah I sorta guessed that, would it work if say you had 6z levels completely full of water with gobbos at the bottom, then put magma on the top, so that the obsidian floats down and crushes the gobbos?

That should work (if the goblins don't down first). The obsidian won't "float" down, though, it'll crash down in a single instant. [Edit: Ninjaed!]

You'll also end up with a pile of natural obsidian at the bottom of the pit/lake/cistern/whatever, so you'll need to be able to drain the water and mine it away, or else your trap will eventually fill up with obsidian.