How to Make Charcoal in Dwarf Fortress

In the world of Dwarf Fortress, mastering the art of resource management is key to a thriving fortress. Among these resources, charcoal plays a pivotal role in various industries, from metalworking to pottery. This guide aims to provide a step-by-step walkthrough for creating a reliable source of charcoal, ensuring your fortress operates at peak efficiency.

Getting Wood

First things first, you need wood – lots of it. And find a sweet spot for your charcoal-making setup. It’s like choosing a cozy corner for your favorite chair, but, you know, for burning stuff. To get wood:

1. Start by assessing the area around your fortress. Look for zones with trees, which are your primary source of wood. These areas are typically labeled as “Forest” on the map.
2. Once you’ve identified a suitable wooded area, use the designation tool (‘d’ key) to designate a zone for wood cutting. Press ‘d’, then ‘t’ to select trees. Drag a rectangle over the trees you want to designate for cutting.
3. Now that you’ve designated the trees to be chopped down, you need dwarves to do the work. Press ‘u’ to access the ‘Units’ menu, find the dwarves you want to assign to wood cutting, and enable the “Wood Cutting” labor for them.
4. Your assigned dwarves will start heading to the designated area and chop down the trees you’ve selected. Be patient; it takes a bit of time. You’ll see logs scattered around as they work.
5. After the dwarves have chopped down the trees, they’ll start hauling the logs to your fortress’s stockpile. Ensure you have a designated wood stockpile (‘p’ key) to store the logs. This stockpile will be the storage area for your acquired wood.

How to Build a Charcoal Wood Furnace

Alright, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of setting up your charcoal-making operation. Think of this section like building your own little BBQ joint for your dwarves.

1. Find a sweet spot for your charcoal-making HQ, ideally near your wood stockpile. Dwarves are great, but they’re not known for enjoying long walks with heavy logs.
2. Build some walls and put a roof on it. You want it snug, but not too snug – it’s going to get hot in there.
3. Now, the magic spot – add a wood furnace inside your cozy cabin. This is where the logs will turn into the precious charcoal. You’ll find the wood furnace in the building menu. It’s like installing the grill in your BBQ joint – the heart of the operation.

How to Craft Charcoal at the Wood Furnace

Now that we have a wood furnace we are able to tell the dwarves to start making charcoal there. To do this:

1. Access the Interface: Click on the workshop, navigate to the orders tab.
2. Set ’em Up: Tell your dwarves to turn those logs into charcoal. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the numbers – you don’t want to run out mid-smithing session.

That’s it! With this guide, your fortress will be cranking out charcoal like it’s going out of style. Now go, build those forges, create legendary artifacts, and let your dwarves bask in the warm glow of a well-fueled fortress. Happy dwarfing!