How to Make a Drawbridge in Dwarf Fortress

In Dwarf Fortress, you’ll need your structures protected, or you may need to cross some caverns. In either case, you’ll need a bridge. Thankfully, any bridge in Dwarf Fortress doubles as a drawbridge, so we can pull them up to deny access. Here is how to set up a drawbridge in Dwarf Fortress.

How to make a drawbridge in Dwarf Fortress

Building the bridge

Bridges can be located in the constructions menu in the building tab. They can be made out of pretty much any material, and be built over any gap or ground.

When you go to assemble the bridge, you’ll notice another menu popping up. In that menu, click the direction where you want your drawbridge to pull up to. For example, if you want your drawbridge pulling up to its right, then select the right arrow.

With that done, drag and confirm your bridge. Don’t worry about the length of the bridge, when it is pulled up, no matter how long it is, it will only occupy that elevation level. Your dwarves will make light work of it. The bridge can be walked over once built, but if you want it to retract and deny access, then you will need to hook it up to a lever.

Build a lever nearby. You will need mechanisms for the lever and spare mechanisms for the next step.

Related: How Dwarf Fortress Inspired Minecraft and Other Imitators

Hooking it up

Now with the lever and bridge built, you need to follow these steps to turn it into a functioning drawridge.

Select the lever and click on ‘Link to a building’. As long as you have spare mechanisms, this should be possible. Click on the bridge. A dwarf will come over to connect the mechanisms.

Once they are connected, all you need to do it select the lever again and click ‘pull lever’. Once you do, a dwarf will go over and pull the lever, which will pull up the bridge!

This will deny access and exit, perfect for stopping invasions and reckless dwarves.

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