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[Gus Smedstad]

Or, more specifically, drowning chambers.

I had a dozen caged goblins and trolls, and rather than build a pit, I decided it would be interesting to build a drowning chamber.  Things did not, as you might expect, go as planned.

Version one was a 4x4 room with two lever-controlled doors, one for water input, one for a drain.  I put six cages in there and filled the room with water.  Apparently cages come with snorkles, since none of the prisoners drowned after a full season underwater.  I then emptied the room, and attached lever-releases to the cages.  I opened the cages remotely, and then started the water.  However, a troll broke both doors, giving me an uncontrolled flood.

I sent a squad down there and killed the monsters, and then spent considerable time trying to build an emergency wall to contain the flood.  Eventually this succeeded, though it was touchy.

Version two had the cages on a 4x4 block surrounded by a ditch, with all ramps removed, and a lever-controlled bridge crossing the ditch.  Since the first version did not go as planned, I tried a single cage this time.  I filled the room with water before opening the cage.  The troll inside swam across the moat - apparently moats don't work if the room is flooded.  He swam up the water tunnel and climbed out.  I killed him with my military, and then drained the room.

Well, somewhat.  A dwarf decided it would be a good time to retrieve the mechanism left behind by opening the cage, slipped and fell off the platform, and fell in the water-filled ditch.  Whereupon he drowned.  My drowning chamber was better at killing dwarves than trolls.

I just don't see any easy way to make a safe, re-usable drowning chamber.  The fact that the trolls can swim around at the level of the water, regardless of where the floor is, means they'll always be able to get to the door unless I wall the cages in, rather than using a bridge or a door.  And in that case there's really no easy way to drain the camber.  The whole exercise seems slightly pointless, since the process of filling the chamber is quite slow.

 - Gus

[Eric Blank]

v3: make a large pit that extends from the surface to the magma sea. Place a platform or bridge over it that collapses/retracts/is destroyed by the troll and subsequently sends them to their fiery doom. Be sure to use a retractable bridge to secure the platform from the entryway, and you should probably fill the entryway with traps as well.

If you really want a drowning chamber for trolls, you absolutely will have to wall it off every time, and use a collapse or something similar to open the drain. Reusable simply isn't going to happen with building destroyers.

[Skorpion]

Flood the place to 7/7, THEN open the cages.

[Gus Smedstad]

Flood the place to 7/7, THEN open the cages.

That's what I did for the second version.  Apparently trolls swim well.

 - Gus

[Dorf3000]

From what I've heard, building destroyers don't break things from underneath.  I've built a drowning trap on this premise where the exits are ramps up that get covered by bridges when the trap is in use.  The only problem is I haven't been able to test it with anything dangerous yet, and I've built it right outside my depot/entrance..

[bdog]

From what I've heard, building destroyers don't break things from underneath.  I've built a drowning trap on this premise where the exits are ramps up that get covered by bridges when the trap is in use.  The only problem is I haven't been able to test it with anything dangerous yet, and I've built it right outside my depot/entrance..

It works (at least in 40d), I had 4+ building destroyers in [dry] moat with only one upward stairs closed with retracting bridge... for months... then I got bored and sent squad there.
All they did was changing tiles like pets in meeting zone.

[BigD145]

If you really want to drown something, have a ceiling.

[Lord Darkstar]

Option 4: build 4 x 4 chamber. Use floodgates for doors. Put grates in any water feed line you leave open. Make sure you fill the chamber from the uppermost level of your drowning chamber. Place captive cage in chamber. Link to lever outside chamber. Fill chamber to 7/7 with water. Flip lever.

It's a lot of work, but the only safe watery death dealer I know about.

It is actually easier to build a death maze--- build a small maze. Line it with weapon traps, mostly large serrated discs made of iron, bronze, or steel. At the end of the maze, place the captive cage. Link it by lever. Flip lever. Watch enemy die in maze.

[gtmattz]

If you really want to drown something, have a ceiling.

This.  This is a very important feature for a drowning chamber.

[ReverseWill]

Having a ceiling is essential, as previously stated. As far as your building destroyer problem, try digging fortifications for the water to drain out of.

[Gus Smedstad]

Ah.  Yes, fortifications do solve the drain and inlet problems.  There's still the issue of how the dwarves get in and out, but I suppose the retractable-bridge "hatch" is a solution to that.

As far as ceilings go, you'd rather have to go out of your way not to have a ceiling, unless the trap is outdoors or something.

 - Gus

[derekiv]

Some creatures can stand in 7/7 of water. 

[Satarus]

That is why you have a ceiling.  With a ceiling, they are forced to the drowning state unless they have AQUATIC, AMPHIBIOUS or NOBREATH tags.  Also always use fortifications in front of your flood gates to prevent your BUILDINGDESTROYER tagged critters from messing up your plumbing. 

[Jhoosier]

Some creatures can stand in 7/7 of water. 

And then climb out.  It's not good.

For the OP, construct a fortification just after your input floodgate.  Fortifications and water flow, two great tastes that go great together.

[Metroid]

If you really want to drown something, have a ceiling.

What if you build walls all the way around the open chamber and an access from the top of the walls to drop things in from?