Does the number of spears/spikes in an upright spike trap make a difference on its effectiveness

dwarf-fortress

As you know, you can place anywhere between 1 and 10 spears or spikes in an upright spear/spike trap. Does the number of used items affect the trap in any way?

Best Answer

Yes. When the trap is triggered (either via a switch or pressure plate, or when someone falls on it), the game makes a separate tohit roll for every weapon in the trap, then calculates damage the same way -- so a pit trap with 10 spikes will have ten separate chances to hit, and each successful hit will inflict damage.

The downside is that a trap that successfully kills rather than wounds an enemy becomes stuck with the enemy's corpse, spawning a "Clean trap" job that your dorfs are by default too stupid not to immediately try to fulfill. Keeping civilians out of the kill zone during large scale attacks is a trick in and of itself.

For more handy pointers (sorry, had to), check the Dwarf Fortress Wiki.