What are bad thoughts in Dwarf Fortress and how to avoid

In Dwarf Fortress, you will have to make sure your hardy dwarves are happy and healthy, to ensure the future of your fortress and to prevent any shenanigans. However, they are fickle creatures and are very prone to letting their moods and thoughts get the better of them. If your dwarves are having bad thoughts, then you’ll need to improve or change something before it is too late.

What are bad thoughts in Dwarf Fortress?

Bad thoughts, in Dwarf Fortress, is a generic term for bad moods infiltrating a dwarf’s mind. If there is something to complain about, or something negative happening, then it will dampen their mood and produce a bad thought. These bad thoughts are harmless mostly, but they will serve to bring that dwarf’s mood down and can spur to disastrous problems if they are already feeling very down.

A bad thought can be spurred by not drinking with nice mugs, or being caught in the rain, or witnessing a bloody murder. Anything remotely bad could spur a bad thought. Again, they are mostly harmless, but if a dwarf is already feeling down, one bad thought is all it could take to push them into insanity, or into a fell mood.

Most bad thoughts can’t really be directly helped with and are inconsequential, but there are things you can do stop them for the safety of your fortress.

Related: What to Do if Your Dwarf has a Fell Mood in Dwarf Fortress

How to stop bad thoughts in Dwarf Fortress

Bad thoughts can be stopped by improving the environment and making sure there is adequate resources, equipment, safety and shelter. Of course, when you are starting out you will be less prepared, and even advanced players will hit random events that knock them off their feet. Don’t expect yourself to solve all the bad thoughts as soon as the game begins. It is a process, afterall.

The best thing you can do is listening to your dwarves and improving elements of the fortress as they complain about them. Their individual profiles will tell you why they had a bad mood, so read them and put in place any necessary fixes. This is very important for any fortress with dwarves that are very unhappy. Being caught in the rain one more time could be all it takes to push them over the line and cause disaster.

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