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[randyshipp]

I could swear I saw someone talking about a way to rig up a cage (say with a goblin an elf in it) to be placed or suspended somehow over a pit, chasm, cliff, or precipice and then remotely opened, dooming its occupant.  Can someone point me to a link or briefly explain the procedure.  Thanks.

[The1stlogman]

1. Build a pillar on top of a support, with a bridge extended to it, such that if the bridge and support were retracted, the pillar would collapse.

2. Build a cage on the pillar.

3. Hook up a lever to the support, bridge, and cage.

4. Pull lever.

[Sphalerite]

1. Build a pillar on top of a support, with a bridge extended to it, such that if the bridge and support were retracted, the pillar would collapse.

Bridges can't support anything.

Instead:

1. Build a wall over the pit.

2. Build a cage on top of the wall.

3. Link a lever to the cage.

4. Deconstruct the wall.  The cage will remain mysteriously floating in midair.

5. Pull the lever.  Goblin, cage, and mechanism will fall into the pit.

[The1stlogman]

1. Build a pillar on top of a support, with a bridge extended to it, such that if the bridge and support were retracted, the pillar would collapse.

Bridges can't support anything.

The bridge is just to get dorfs access to the pillar to build the cage and prevent the prisoner from air-dodging back onto land. Also exactly, they can't support, that is why when the support is pulled out via lever, the cage drops. The support that is being pulled out in my plan is the support.

[Sphalerite]

The bridge is just to get dorfs access to the pillar to build the cage and prevent the prisoner from air-dodging back onto land. Also exactly, they can't support, that is why when the support is pulled out via lever, the cage drops. The support that is being pulled out in my plan is the support.

Right, so then the cage and goblin land on whatever the support was built on.  I suppose if your pit is only one Z-layer deep, and you have safe access to the floor of the pit, this will work, but in that case you could have just built the cage in the pit to begin with.

[NecroRebel]

The bridge is just to get dorfs access to the pillar to build the cage and prevent the prisoner from air-dodging back onto land. Also exactly, they can't support, that is why when the support is pulled out via lever, the cage drops. The support that is being pulled out in my plan is the support.

Right, so then the cage and goblin land on whatever the support was built on.  I suppose if your pit is only one Z-layer deep, and you have safe access to the floor of the pit, this will work, but in that case you could have just built the cage in the pit to begin with.

You're forgetting that the floor, that the cage is on, is supported only by a support which is getting removed. That floor will cave in, possible blasting through the floor the support was sitting on, and then into a deeper pit.

I agree, though, that the floating building trick with constructed walls is the way to go here. It's less dangerous, easier to control, and causes fewer materials to be lost.

[randyshipp]

Hrm.  None of this works as I'd imagined or hoped.  I was looking for a goblin cage emptying mechanism that takes advantage of the very, very high cliffs around my fort.  Guess I'll either let them starve to death or set up an enclosure where my marksdwarves or hammerdwarves can practice on them.  As for that last possibility, it's better if they're armored but unarmed, right?  Any way to re-armor a stripped goblin?

[thegoatgod_pan]

If you're using a natural cliff, it's easy as pie--designate an empty space above a fall as a pit zone i-p (make sure it's pit not pond), then assign goblins to the pit.

Note: this will work flawlessly on all types of goblins except snatchers, thieves and master thieves--they'll usually escape along the way.  The escape can be prevented by constructing the cage containing the Houdini right by the "pit", so they get thrown over the edge immediately, with no chance of escape.

p.s. goblins do not starve or die of old age

[randyshipp]

Oh, that's disappointing.  I like the pit idea.  I'll give it a try.  Thanks!