Dwarf Fortress Bug Tracker - Dwarf Fortress
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0007427Dwarf FortressUndeathpublic2014-07-17 14:152014-08-17 13:31
Tharwen 
Toady One 
normalmajorhave not tried
resolvedfixed 
WindowsWindows 88.1
0.40.03 
0.40.09 
0007427: Unslabbable invader ghost acts like a living invader
I got besieged by a vile force of darkness made up of dwarves with goblin names (?). Afterwards, one of them came back as a ghost, but I couldn't memorialise him, and my dwarves wouldn't put his body in the tomb I made for him.

Since then, he's spent the entirety of his undeath following people around as if attacking them, but not actually hurting them or even producing combat logs. My dwarves all react to him as if he's a living invader (civilians run away, soldiers attack), and when too many soldiers attack him at once he enters a martial trance (The last time this happened, the game crashed).
Save file: http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=9041 [^] (0.40.03)
From 0007721: http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=9202 [^] (0.40.05)
No tags attached.
related to 0005755resolved Toady One Caravan Guard Ghosts are still not appearing for slabs 
has duplicate 0007721resolved Footkerchief Cannot lay non-fortress member ghost to rest. Ghost causes all dwarves to abandon all tasks resulting in death of fortress. 
related to 0001156confirmed Footkerchief Dead berserk dwarves are treated like outsiders, don't get burial 
Issue History
2014-07-17 14:15TharwenNew Issue
2014-07-17 14:17thvazNote Added: 0026777
2014-07-29 20:13FootkerchiefRelationship addedhas duplicate 0007721
2014-07-29 20:16TalvienoIssue Monitored: Talvieno
2014-07-29 20:17GanjaBossIssue Monitored: GanjaBoss
2014-07-29 20:38lethosorNote Added: 0027926
2014-07-29 20:39lethosorAdditional Information Updatedbug_revision_view_page.php?rev_id=10534#r10534
2014-07-29 21:00imagioNote Added: 0027927
2014-07-29 21:33FootkerchiefRelationship addedrelated to 0005755
2014-07-29 21:35FootkerchiefRelationship addedrelated to 0001156
2014-07-30 05:42imagioIssue Monitored: imagio
2014-07-30 05:52DwarfuRelationship addedhas duplicate 0007735
2014-07-30 05:54DwarfuRelationship deletedhas duplicate 0007735
2014-07-30 06:31SymmetryNote Added: 0027940
2014-07-30 06:34SymmetryIssue Monitored: Symmetry
2014-08-11 15:35NumeriusNote Added: 0028837
2014-08-11 22:56Olith McHumanNote Added: 0028865
2014-08-11 23:04Olith McHumanNote Edited: 0028865bug_revision_view_page.php?bugnote_id=0028865#r11087
2014-08-12 08:14FootkerchiefAssigned To => Footkerchief
2014-08-12 08:14FootkerchiefStatusnew => confirmed
2014-08-12 09:18DungApeNote Added: 0028876
2014-08-12 19:04Olith McHumanIssue Monitored: Olith McHuman
2014-08-13 11:52NailNote Added: 0028964
2014-08-13 12:38Toady OneStatusconfirmed => resolved
2014-08-13 12:38Toady OneFixed in Version => Next Version
2014-08-13 12:38Toady OneResolutionopen => fixed
2014-08-13 12:38Toady OneAssigned ToFootkerchief => Toady One
2014-08-13 13:09TalvienoIssue End Monitor: Talvieno
2014-08-17 13:31Olith McHumanIssue End Monitor: Olith McHuman

Notes
(0026777)
thvaz   
2014-07-17 14:17   
This game is awesome.
(0027926)
lethosor   
2014-07-29 20:38   
Imagio posted http://dffd.wimbli.com/file.php?id=9202 [^] at 0007721 - adding a link above.
(0027927)
imagio   
2014-07-29 21:00   
Is there a way to prevent this from happening? It destroyed my very first fortress and there was nothing I could do about it which was very frustrating.
(0027940)
Symmetry   
2014-07-30 06:31   
when dfhack works again you can use it to remove ghosts. Until then it's just a game ender I guess.

I'd thought he was a poltergeist when it happened to me but your idea about him being an invader ghost actually makes more sense.
(0028837)
Numerius   
2014-08-11 15:35   
I've had this same problem with the same disastrous effects. With DFhack this would be no problem but, of course, the new versions don't have that.

I have managed to make a very temporary fix. In my current fort I had an unslabbable ghost spawn and chase around one of my dwarves at the edge of the map until the dwarf died of starvation. So, for the survival of the fort, I sacrifice one dwarf to be chased by the ghost for the rest of its dwarfy life. It makes for some nice role-playing, but its by no means preferable to fixing this bug outright.
(0028865)
Olith McHuman   
2014-08-11 22:56   
(edited on: 2014-08-11 23:04)
I've had this happen twice now? (0.40.08, world gen in .06, lost to tantrum spiral in .07, reclaimed in .07) Anyway, in my case I was able to slab the ghost. Also, it looked like he sent a dwarf flying a few times when attacking him (the dwarf was never injured and I never got a combat report.)

Interestingly, while their names were on the engrave slab menu, they were not listed as being a ghost and were not at the top. His slab claims that he "Went missing in the year 92".

(0028876)
DungApe   
2014-08-12 09:18   
I can confirm that issue appeared in my 0.40.08 game. Save continued since 0.40.03/04 (can't remember).
(0028964)
Nail   
2014-08-13 11:52   
I've had the problem twice now, the first time in 0.40.06, then in 0.40.08.
The ghost appeared in the slab menu in .08, but not as a ghost and not in the top spot, and disappeared after slabbing.
In the earlier instance, the ghost didn't appear in the slab menu.