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[LeoLeonardoIII]

First off, punishments should be scaled based on a variety of factors. This requires that the criminal store data on what active crimes he has and what past (punished or expired) crimes he has.

1: What is the criminal's worst crime ever?
(People who have committed heinous crimes are more likely to suffer severe punishments)
2: What is the criminal's total crime level to date?
(Repeat offender?)
3: What is the crime level being punished at this moment?
(How bad is the current crime?)
4: How many times has he escaped punishment?
(Is this guy slippery?)
5: What is the criminal's profession?

Furthermore, the nature of the noble demanding punishment would modify the importance of these. For example, a noble who really hated the lower classes or hated cheese would give a harsher punishment to cheesemakers.

Crimes that are not punished expire eventually. Maybe the criminal runs off and hides. Maybe the Hammerer isn't around. Point is, it still counts against him later because he has a criminal record, but the punishment just doesn't come.

Punishments are meted out as Money, Jail, and/or Pain. All crimes are sentenced before any punishment comes. You suffer the Money punishments, then all the Jail punishments, then all the Pain punishments. If you cannot pay all your Money punishment, you have added Jail time instead. Any death penalty is given out immediately following Money punishments but before Jail time.

Now we come to the reason for my post.

The Hammerer is not just an executioner, he gives all punishments even if they don't involve death. One hammering might not be fatal, after all. So he gains the task of giving someone a Pain punishment. The punishment will be specific:

Lose a Finger
Lose a Hand
Death

Like that. So he doesn't give a number of hammerings all the time, sometimes he is told just to break a few fingers. But if the penalty is Death, the Hammerer has a little leeway.

He can choose to just hammer the guy into a pulp. Or he can "escort" the criminal to lava and dump him in. He could bring him to a trap and throw him into it (and the trap would affect the dwarf even though normally it wouldn't). Maybe throw him into the chasm. If the dwarf can't swim, throwing him into the river or the ocean works too. If a nearby cliff has a drop of at least 6-7 z-levels, the hammerer could toss the criminal off that.

But if you have a special Execution activity zone, the Hammerer will drag criminals there in preference, and look around the immediate area for fun things to do to him.

[Skizelo]

At the moment, dwarfs can't specify where they'd like to attack, it's just a matter of chance if the hammer strikes the head or a hand. Since at the moment, a beatings just a job to melee that guy x times, then either the combat system would have to be changed or a new process invented for justice. As for fleeing from justice, that'd be difficult too, as you'd have to create a high-priority job (run away!) and even then I'm not sure how pathfinding would pan out (keep x steps away from the hammerer?).
But yes, it would be nice to see justice get fleshed out (if a noble grudges a dwarf they'll select him for punishment etc).

[1138]

As for fleeing from justice, that'd be difficult too, as you'd have to create a high-priority job (run away!) and even then I'm not sure how pathfinding would pan out (keep x steps away from the hammerer?).
But yes, it would be nice to see justice get fleshed out (if a noble grudges a dwarf they'll select him for punishment etc).

Maybe he could "go into exile," that is, have a "stay outside" order automatically set on him and, if he manages to get out before he's caught, have to hunt vermin, drink water, and brave the wildlife until the statute of limitations (whatever that is) runs out.

But isn't there already an arc dedicated to making punishment more realistic?

[Moron]

How about, for some kinds of crime - trial by combat...

The hammerer, instead of just being an executioner/torturer would also become a kind of judicial champion, fighting for the honour of the king/baron or whatever.

This may be particularly appropriate for military/fortress guard dwarves accused of crimes, and maybe if the criminal wins the duel, he or she gets to become the new hammerer.

[Jamuk]

That seems like something a "Champion" would do.  You could set up an arena and have them fight the champion.  If somebody can kill the champion, then they don't die. And, it's a way of practicing for experienced people without killing other soldiers.

[Awayfarer]

Definitely would like to see more varied punishments. As it stands there are really only two sentences that the hammerer can dole out: severe beating or death.

Hmmmm, maybe the mechanics could build torture devices. For that matter, maybe it could be a workshop with some kind of tie to the dungeon master. 

[Techhead]

I would be happy if mandates never warranted a beating, only fine and/or imprisonment.
A slap on the wrist could very well mean a crippled arm.

[Coriantumr]

Punishments are a little over the top at the moment.

My mayor had been upset by the failure of my dwarves to meet a demand, and assigned a beating to my wood burner. However, I had not assigned a Captain of the Guard ... and I didn't assign one for nearly twenty years after that.

I finally got around to building a jail, and chose a relatively weak dwarf to be the Captain of the Guard. Upon being promoted to Captain, he promptly sought out the wood burner who had escaped justice for nearly twenty years, and beat them so badly that when hauled to a bed they promptly choked to death on their own blood.

By that point I doubt the mayor even remembered why they wanted the wood burner beat in the first place. I certainly didn't.

Maybe my definition of "beating" is too weak? When I think beating I think 10 lashes from a cat-o-nine-tails ... not being pile-driven on a hard obsidian floor, and then pummeled 20 times until their face is pulp.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

At least they aren't throwing coins by firing squad.

Also, even though a Dwarf's life seems to be eternal labor, doesn't it make sense that undesirable labor could be a punishment?

For example, stone hauling could be turned off on everyone manually, and then you could add stone hauling to the list of punishment labors. This way no normal dwarves woudl haul stone on their own, and prison laborers would have all labors disabled except stone hauling (just like drafted dwarves don't perform any labors besides wrestling each other to death and sleeping during seiges).

[Footkerchief]

Targeted punishments like smashed hands or whatever would be cool.  I'm not sure targeted attacks are even possible in the game at the moment, though.  (aside from wrestling)

[Joseph Miles]

Targeted punishments like smashed hands or whatever would be cool.  I'm not sure targeted attacks are even possible in the game at the moment, though.  (aside from wrestling)

I think there's the answer, make the hammerer a wrestler.

[Eater of Vermin]

What about the concept of a scale of fines?

Have imprisonment for those who can't pay the fines (and before the economy kicks in, of course) and hammerings only for the more severe crimes - like kicking/throwing furniture when there are kittens handy.

Come to that, I reckon having a Champion walk away from a critical chokepoint during a siege just to get some munchies or have a powernap should be a hammerable offence!   

[Goran]

Meh, is it just me or do Hammerer quarters have to include several floodgates, pumps and a few levers attached to them from somewhere else?

As for sadistic punishments... I don't really see them as a priority for dwarves. I would prefer a bit better management of untameable caged creatures. As it stands now, drowning is the only practical way to dispose of them.

[Neonivek]

Well here are some other forms punishment:

1) Beard Shaving (which I believe Toady plans to do)
2) Naked: The Dwarf has his clothes removed
3) Tar and Feathered
4) Stock (ehh)
5) Ducking (The process in which someone is dunked underwater... It ISN'T supposed to be harmful... it is supposed to be embarassing)
6) Poisoned with Emetic and/or Laxative
7) Tied down and having Animals lick them (No Innuendo)
Made to eat mud or dirt
9) Enslaved to those who he/she did wrong
10) Forced to eat their pet / Pet slain / Child Slain / Wife or husband slain / Forced to eat Child
11) Forced to drink or eat extreme amounts
12) Itch causing substance
13) Forced to pretend to be a statue
14) Corpse no longer allowed to be burried
15) No longer allowed to eat prepared food / Only allowed to eat one type of food
16) Forced to wear heavy or impeeding object (Ball and Chain, Chasity Belt, Mask) for a time or even forever
17) Mud Slinging / Stoning
18) Poisoned and given Antidote
19) Given Amnesia with drugs
20) No longer allowed to sleep on a bed / Not allowed to sleep
21) Armor Weilded to Dwarf / Weapon attached to dwarf

If magic ever came out here are some magical punishments!
1) Made into magical Object: Either their soul or body
2) Transformed: they are transformed into another creature... Type of creature and time increases with how extreme it is.
3) Experiement use: They are hereby subject to be used as an experiment for magical purposes
4) Memory Wipe
5) Deformed/mutated
6) Mind Switch with animal/beast
7) Mind Control / Body control
Turned into a living fountain

Yahn... I should sleep... I think I am evil.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

Okay Cheesemaker, you've had 400 counts of "failed to produce adamantine hatch covers". Your punishment is thus:

You will be tarred and feathered, and tied down to be perpetually licked by your many cats. At this time you'll be given a laxative and forced to eat excessive amounts of captured purring maggots. All this will happen on the floor - no more bed for you!

Your mind will be switched with one of your many cats. Then your body with the cat mind will eat you in the cat body.

Oh, one more thing. You just violated a mandate to gather the necessary purring maggots, so we'll also be welding a hatch cover to your junk.