Dumbwaiter

Dumbwaiter

A medieval-style lift for moving between vertically-separated floors. Step onto a station, pull the lever, and ride a brief, atmospheric transition — chain rattle, pulley squeal, wood groan, and a fade — to its paired station above or below. Perfect for cliff-side bases, multi-floor towers, mineshafts, and deep cellars.

How it works

Place a Dumbwaiter Station at each end of your shaft, link them with a Rope Link, and you have a working lift. Activating one station whisks you to the other through a short immersive sequence whose length scales with the distance traveled.

New "Labels" section covering the sneak + right-click label mechanic with ink & quill (reusable) or charcoal (consumed with a return chance), and noting that each station displays the other end's label so you know where the ride goes.

Crafting

Dumbwaiter Station (3×3 grid) — craft two, one for each end:

 

[Board] [      ] [Board]
[Nails] [ Slab ] [Nails]
[Board] [      ] [Board]

• Board (any wood) ×2 per corner — 8 total
• Metal nails & strips (any metal) ×2 each — 4 total
• Plank slab (any wood) ×1 in the center

Dumbwaiter Rope Link (1×2 grid) — the pairing tool:

 

[ Rusty Gear x2 ]
[   Rope x12    ]

Consumed when a link is successfully made.

Linking two stations

1. Place one station at the bottom of your shaft, one at the top.
2. Right-click the first station with the Rope Link → "Dumbwaiter anchor set."
3. Right-click the second station with the Rope Link → "Dumbwaiter linked! Distance: N blocks."

Both ends now remember each other, and the link item is consumed.

Sending a container with the Dumbwaiter

1. Have a linked pair of stations. The dumbwaiter must already be linked with a Rope Link — look at the station and the info box will say something like "Linked to a station 31 blocks below."
2. Put a container on top of the station. Stand beside the station (not on the platform) and place a chest, basket, or storage vessel on top of the hoist frame — aim at the top of the frame and sneak + right-click to place it, exactly like placing on any other block. If you use CarryOn, you can carry a full vessel over on your shoulder and set it down on the frame the same way (sneak + right-click, empty hands). It can be full — contents come along.
3. Send it. Still standing beside the station, right-click the station (no sneak). You'll hear the chain rattle and pulley squeal — at the end of it, the container is gone from your end and sitting on top of the station at the other end, with everything inside untouched. Chest labels survive too.
4. Collect it at the far end. Break it loose, open it in place, or CarryOn it off the frame. The landing spot must be collected before the next delivery can arrive there.

Things that will stop a send: a blocked landing spot at the far end, a walled-off shaft, a trunk (too bulky), or a reinforced/locked container. If anything changes mid-trip — someone breaks the container or fills the landing spot — the mechanism jams safely and the container stays where it was. Nothing is ever lost.

 

Limits & behavior

• Max vertical distance: 192 blocks
• Max horizontal offset: 4 blocks (allows slightly angled shafts)
• Transition time: ~1–3 seconds, scaling with trip distance
• Cooldown after arrival: ~0.5–2 seconds, scaling with trip distance
• The destination must be loaded and unobstructed — the lift will not drop you into a wall.
• One rider at a time per station (prevents double-activation).

Configurable

A dumbwaiter.json config file (auto-generated in ModConfig) lets you tune max distance, horizontal offset, transition and cooldown timing, sound volume, and an optional toggle for the screen-fade effect.

Compatibility

• Built for Vintage Story 1.22+
• Universal (required on client and server); safe for multiplayer.