DFHack and Dwarf Fortress Utilities Guide

Safe, useful, and up-to-date enhancement tools

Table of Contents

What is DFHack? Is it Safe? Must-have Tools (2024) Setup in Minutes Quality-of-Life Scripts Troubleshooting Safety & Ethics

What is DFHack? Is it Safe?

DFHack in 30 Seconds

DFHack is a memory modification tool that adds quality-of-life features to Dwarf Fortress without changing core gameplay. Think "better UI" rather than "cheats."

Three Main Categories

Quality-of-Life

  • Better search and sorting
  • Enhanced menus
  • Workflow automation
  • UI improvements

Automation

  • Auto-hauling
  • Job management
  • Stockpile links
  • Repetitive task helpers

Visualization

  • Prospect tool (see ores)
  • Better legends viewer
  • Unit status display
  • Map annotations

Safety & Compatibility

✅ Safe DFHack is actively maintained and widely used by the DF community
✅ Reversible All changes can be undone by removing DFHack
✅ Save-compatible Your saves work with and without DFHack
⚠️ Version-dependent Must match your DF version exactly
💾 Backup recommended Always backup saves before major changes

Must-have Tools (2024)

Essential Quality-of-Life Tools

These tools provide the biggest quality-of-life improvements with minimal risk, designed for both new and experienced players.

✅ SAFE

1. Dwarf Therapist Integration

Enhanced labor management directly in DF interface with intelligent assignment suggestions.

Version: Compatible with Steam v50.13
Risk: None
Undo: Disable in DFHack settings
✅ CORE

2. Workflow Management

Automatically queue jobs when materials are available, preventing resource shortages.

Version: Core DFHack feature
Risk: None
Undo: Clear all workflow jobs
✅ BUILT-IN

3. Search Enhancements

Find items, units, and stockpiles quickly with advanced filtering and sorting options.

Version: Built into DFHack
Risk: None
Undo: Always available
⚠️ SPOILER-LITE

4. Prospect Tool

See what ores and gems are available on your map without revealing exact locations.

Version: Core DFHack
Risk: Spoiler-lite
Undo: Don't use command
🔧 LOW RISK

5. Auto-hauling Scripts

Reduce micromanagement of stone and wood hauling with intelligent automation.

Version: DFHack Scripts collection
Risk: Low
Undo: Disable auto-hauling
✅ SAFE

6. Enhanced Stockpiles

Better stockpile management and quantum stockpile setup for space optimization.

Version: DFHack Scripts
Risk: None
Undo: Remove stockpile links
🏥 MEDICAL

7. Medical Enhancements

Better hospital management and injury visualization for comprehensive healthcare.

Version: DFHack Healthcare scripts
Risk: None
Undo: Manual hospital management

Setup in Minutes

⚠️ Version Matching is Critical

DFHack versions must match your DF version exactly. Check your DF version first: Main Menu → Options → About.

5-Step Installation Process

Check DF Version

In Dwarf Fortress: Main Menu → Options → About. Note the exact version (e.g., "50.13")

Download DFHack

Visit GitHub releases page (link in Official Links section). Download the version matching your DF.

github.com/DFHack/dfhack/releases

Backup Your Save

Copy your save folder before installation. Usually in Documents/My Games/Dwarf Fortress/save/

cp -r "Documents/My Games/Dwarf Fortress/save" "save_backup"

Extract & Install

Extract DFHack to your DF installation folder. For Steam: Right-click DF → Properties → Local Files → Browse

Steam Path: Usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Dwarf Fortress\

Test Installation

Launch DF. You should see DFHack messages during startup. Press Ctrl+Shift+D to open DFHack console.

Ctrl + Shift + D (opens DFHack console)

Success Indicators

DFHack startup messages appear when launching DF
Ctrl+Shift+D opens the DFHack console
Enhanced menus and search boxes appear in-game
No error messages about version mismatches

Quality-of-Life Scripts

Essential Scripts Collection

Essential scripts that enhance gameplay without breaking immersion or core mechanics.

autolabor

Automatically assigns dwarfs to jobs based on need

✅ SAFE

When to use:

When managing 20+ dwarfs becomes tedious and you need intelligent labor distribution.

What it does:

Assigns mining when ore is found, hauling when items need moving, farming when crops are ready.

How to enable:

enable autolabor

How to undo:

disable autolabor

workflow

Maintains minimum quantities of items automatically

✅ SAFE

When to use:

To maintain stockpiles of beds, barrels, food without constant micromanagement.

What it does:

Queues "make wooden barrel" when you have <5 barrels and wood is available.

How to enable:

enable workflow

How to undo:

workflow clear-all

prospect

Shows what ores and gems are available on your map

⚠️ SPOILER-LITE

When to use:

When planning mining operations or checking metal availability for industries.

What it does:

Lists all minerals present without showing exact locations on the map.

Command:

prospect all

Risks:

Removes the discovery aspect of finding new ores through exploration.

seedwatch

Prevents cooking seeds needed for farming

✅ ESSENTIAL

When to use:

Always - prevents accidentally cooking your last plump helmet spawn and starving.

What it does:

Keeps minimum seed stocks for sustainable farming and food production.

How to enable:

enable seedwatch

How to undo:

disable seedwatch

manipulator

Enhanced dwarf labor and skill management interface

📋 INTERFACE

When to use:

Managing labor assignments for large populations with complex skill requirements.

What it does:

Provides spreadsheet-like view of all dwarf skills, labors, and attributes.

How to access:

Press 'u' → 'l' → Ctrl+L

How to undo:

Just close the interface - no permanent changes are made.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues & Solutions

Quick fixes for the most common DFHack installation and runtime problems.

❌ "Version mismatch" error

Most common installation issue

🚨 CRITICAL

Cause:

DFHack version doesn't match your DF version exactly. This happens when game updates but you're using old DFHack.

Solution Steps:

  1. Check your DF version: Main Menu → Options → About
  2. Download matching DFHack from GitHub releases
  3. Remove old DFHack files completely before installing

⚠️ Game crashes on startup

Installation corruption issues

⚠️ CORRUPTED

Cause:

Corrupted installation, conflicting files, or antivirus interference during installation.

Solution Steps:

  1. Delete all DFHack files from DF directory
  2. Verify DF integrity through Steam
  3. Fresh DFHack installation with matching version
  4. Disable antivirus temporarily during installation

🔧 Scripts not working

Configuration and dependency issues

🔧 CONFIG

Cause:

Scripts not enabled, missing dependencies, or incorrect configuration settings.

Solution Steps:

  1. Open DFHack console (Ctrl+Shift+D)
  2. Type "enable [script-name]" to activate
  3. Check script requirements in DFHack docs
  4. Restart DF if scripts still don't respond

🔍 Performance issues

Lag and slowdown with DFHack

⚡ PERFORMANCE

Cause:

Resource-intensive scripts, large fortress populations, or multiple automation scripts running simultaneously.

Optimization Steps:

  1. Disable auto-scripts like autolabor temporarily
  2. Reduce DFHack script frequency in settings
  3. Use lighter alternatives (workflow vs autolabor)
  4. Consider fortress optimization strategies

💾 Save compatibility concerns

Worried about save file corruption

💾 SAFE

The Reality:

DFHack generally doesn't modify save structure. Your saves are safe and will work with vanilla DF.

Best Practices:

  1. Always backup saves before major DFHack changes
  2. Test new scripts on test fortresses first
  3. You can remove DFHack anytime safely
  4. Saves will load perfectly in vanilla DF

Safety & Ethics

Our Philosophy

DFHack should enhance the experience, not replace the game's core challenge. We recommend "assistance and visualization" over "automation and cheats."

✅ Recommended Use

Better UI and information display
Reducing repetitive micromanagement
Quality-of-life improvements
Labor assignment helpers
Enhanced visualization tools
Workflow automation for basic items

⚠️ Use with Caution

Revealing hidden map information
Instant creation/teleportation
Mood/thought manipulation
Skip siege consequences
Automatic military management
Resource generation from nothing

How to Undo/Rollback

Disable individual scripts:

disable [script-name]

Clear workflow jobs:

workflow clear-all

Reset all DFHack settings:

die

(Stops DFHack safely - restart DF to re-enable)

Complete removal:

Delete DFHack files from DF directory, verify game files through Steam

Continue Learning

Back to Basics

Start with the fundamentals before diving into advanced tools and automation.

Beginner's Guide →

Advanced Planning

Efficient fortress layouts and production chains that work great with DFHack automation.

Fortress Planner →