How to make a cavern entrance that monsters can't get through but dwarves can?

[ThatSwoleGuy]

In older versions I seem to recall being able to change the settings on the doors, so what do we do now?

[Helios]

you cant but placing down 10 traps with giant ironaxeblades wil stop most roaming monsters but not raids.

[Doren]

If you click the door you can select a small button that forbids that door and it makes it impassible. The graphic on the door will change too to make it look barricaded

[ashesofempires04]

What I do to safeguard my fort's cavern entrance is to immediately wall off the point where I breached the cavern, and then plan and dig an alternate entrance down a tunnel. Partway down that tunnel I dig a 3 Z-level deep pit, with a ramp at the far end. I put a bridge down that spawns the pit, and an escape ramp that leads out to the cavern. This makes it so that anything that wants to get to the fort has to cross the bridge. When attackers come, I raise the bridge, and they can't reach it to physically break it, as it's 3 z-levels above them. Bonus points for carving fortifications so that ranged dwarves can fire through them to wound enemies massing at the other end of the bridge.

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by Sir Grievous:

In older versions I seem to recall being able to change the settings on the doors, so what do we do now?

The "close tightly" or whatever switch is not available in this version at the moment, due to it causing a lot of lag. But, that's only to keep "animals" out.

Doors can be "Forbidden" to sort of lock them against all traffic, but door locks can be "picked" by suitable enemies. To Forbid doors, click on the Door and choose the Forbid symbol in the top-right portion of the description.

A Drawbridge is practically indestructible except by dragonfire. But, dragons won't purposefully target it. (IIRC) That can seal an entrance so that no enemy can pass through it. Drawbridges are the most popular way to forbid entry to a Fortress by enemies.

An Artifact Door is indestructible as well, but its lock can be picked.

Not having an entrance from the outside of the Fortress is also a way to protect it. :) (That has its obvious downside, though.)

[ostlandr]

I keep trying to make a one-way door using a pressure plate that will only open the door for citizens. If I can get it working, then my dwarves should be able to get out of the caverns or into the fortress from outside, but not get back out of the fortress. Just lock the regular door/raise the drawbridge. Pressure plates seem to be glitched ATM though.

[Rainbow Jeremy]

Bridges and levers >>>>
Coat it with lava if the neighbors show up.

[ostlandr]

Originally posted by Rainbow Jeremy:

Bridges and levers >>>>
Coat it with lava if the neighbors show up.

Ooh, didn't think of that. Have a magma tank/pool above your doorway blocked off by a magma-proof grate, then when the enemy is at your gates you can trigger a magma proof floodgate to use said magma in lieu of boiling oil.

Would be cool to have some Lords of the Realm 2 style oil pots. Would need a large pot and X amount of oil to build them. They trigger with a lever and dump in the chosen direction. Medieval Napalm.

[MSA75]

I just made a draw bridge.

[ThatSwoleGuy]

Ahh so there really isn't a fix like I'm looking for. I've played for a long time so I have a lot of ways I could close it off but I'm looking for something that I wouldn't have to watch that would keep Dwarves able to move through but not enemies. Maybe cage traps?

[jeetrix]

you can set up pressure plates to only trigger on certain enemy profiles

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by Sir Grievous:

Ahh so there really isn't a fix like I'm looking for. I've played for a long time so I have a lot of ways I could close it off but I'm looking for something that I wouldn't have to watch that would keep Dwarves able to move through but not enemies. Maybe cage traps?

You can't "filter" Dorfs, but Dorfs won't set off traps, so...

If you want to seal your entrance, the Drawbridge is the way to go. But, if you still want Sieges/Raids, you'll need a trap set-up that allows a path from outside to the interior of your fortress. That will let besiegers attack. And, since you know where that path is, you can line it with traps. (Maze-trap, trap filled maze)

At the end of the maze, put your melee Dorfs in full battle-rattle to take care of any survivors that make it through. When the Siege is over, open up the Drawbridge so your Dorfs have easy access to whatever and then clean up and reset the traps in the maze.

(Check the Defenses section in the Wiki)