Forbid

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v50.12 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

An item that is forbidden will never be handled by your dwarves, and will appear surrounded by braces in ASCII or a lock in the premium version -- { } -- to signify that they are forbidden. (In-game, these braces can be difficult to distinguish from parentheses, which are used to signify that the object was manufactured outside the fortress.) Forbidden objects still contribute to fortress value.

It is the opposite of reclaim. For example, stones that have been forbidden will not appear in the construction menu, and will not be used at workshops. If a forbidden object is on a build site, the building will be suspended and an announcement will appear, informing the player that the build site is blocked.

Note: If you query a door or floor hatch, the lock option is to "Forbid Passage". That does not "forbid" the door/hatch itself.

Forbidding items

• In order to forbid a specific loose item, use k and scroll over the item you wish to forbid. Then press f in order to toggle the forbidden state of the item.
• In order to mass forbid entire swathes of items, use the d-b-f keys and designate items with either the keyboard or the mouse.
• With a bookkeeper, specific items and entire classes of items can be forbidden in the stocks screen.
• In order to prevent your dwarves from using a specific workshop or trap, press t and forbid the materials that it is made of.
• Using the standing orders menu, certain items can be automatically forbidden (like fired ammunition and battlefield spoils).

Uses of forbidding items

• Dwarves in strange moods can be directed to materials of your choice by selectively forbidding objects.
• Preventing dwarves from looting the bodies of your enemies (or friends) during a siege by forbidding items on the battlefield is generally a good idea. You can also go to the Forbid orders menu with o-F to make these items forbidden by default.
• You can use the mass designation tool to forbid items in sealed off areas in order to get a more accurate representation of available resources in your stocks screen. Don't forget to reclaim when it's time to go spelunking!
• Forbidding eggs in a nest box keeps them out of dwarven hands long enough for them to hatch.
• Forbidding an item hauled by a dwarf will cause him to drop it once he realizes it is forbidden.
• Forbidding materials clears any in-process hauling jobs; using local materials can allow you to complete constructions much faster than hauling the materials to a central location then back out to the job site.
• Forbidding traps will prevent your mechanics from dashing out in the middle of a battle to reset them.
• You can forbid your good ammunition during peaceful times so that your dwarves instead use wood arrows for target practice and hunting. (But you can also do this by specifying different materials for training and combat bolts and for hunters.)
• Forbidding owned items stored in a dwarf's quarters will clear the ownership after some weeks.

Getting Items Back

• Use f to toggle the forbidden state of the item.
• The mass reclaim functiond-b-c can be used to regain access to forbidden items if needed. This is especially useful if you cannot directly toggle the forbidden setting of items. For example, claiming the weapons of an armed enemy in a cage is possible with mass reclaim (the u-i menu is not accessible for caged creatures).
• With a bookkeeper, specific items and entire classes of items can be reclaimed in the stocks screen.