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Traveling Merchant
Traveling MerchantOld-gen console version and Nintendo 3DS version
Map Icon Traveling Merchant
Map Icon
Statistics
Type
AI TypePassive AI
Damage10
Max Life250
Defense15
KB Resist50%
Drops
This article is about the NPC that occasionally visits temporarily with a random inventory. For the early game NPC unlocked by having 50 or more, see Merchant. For the Underground skeleton-like NPC, see Skeleton Merchant.

The Traveling Merchant is a unique NPC vendor who randomly visits the player's town for one day. His inventory is randomized and different every visit, selling 4–10 / 4–12 (average 5.47 / 5.97; see below for details) different items listed below. This amount is increased by 2 on Celebrationmk10 worlds, and by 1 by using the Peddler's Satchel.

In order for the Traveling Merchant to spawn, at least 2 other NPCs must already be present. The Guide counts as one of these, but the Old Man and Skeleton Merchant do not[1]. He will not spawn during Solar Eclipses, the Goblin Army, Frost Legion, Pirate Invasion, Martian Madness[2] or if the chat is open. He does not require his own house in order to spawn, and will instead spawn next to NPCs, including town pets, spending the day walking around them.

Once the criteria are met, the Traveling Merchant has a 22.12% chance of spawning each day, appearing at a random time between 4:30 AM and 12:00 PM. The chances of him spawning are always the same regardless if the player is sleeping. He leaves the same day at 6:00 PM, but can only do so once he is off-screen. He despawns if the world is vacated any time after he spawns.

If threatened by enemies, the Traveling Merchant will defend himself with a Revolver. Once Hardmode begins, he upgrades to a Pulse Bow.

Quick Answers

What is the average number of items the Traveling Merchant sells in Terraria? toggle section
The Traveling Merchant in Terraria sells an average of 5.47 to 5.97 items per visit. This number can be increased by 2 on Celebrationmk10 worlds, and by 1 by using the Peddler's Satchel.
Provided by: Fandom
What conditions must be met for the Traveling Merchant to spawn in Terraria? toggle section
In Terraria, the Traveling Merchant has a 22.12% chance of spawning each day, appearing at a random time between 4:30 AM and 12:00 PM. The chances of him spawning are always the same regardless if the player is sleeping. He despawns if the world is vacated any time after he spawns. It's important to note that he leaves the same day at 6:00 PM, but can only do so once he is off-screen. If you're wondering how to get the traveling merchant to spawn, it's mostly a matter of luck and time in the game!
Provided by: Fandom
How does the Peddler's Satchel affect the Traveling Merchant's inventory in Terraria? toggle section
In Terraria, the Peddler's Satchel is a consumable item that has a significant impact on the Traveling Merchant's inventory. When used, it permanently increases the number of items that the Traveling Merchant sells at any given time. This means you'll have a wider variety of items to choose from whenever the wandering merchant visits your town. It's a handy tool for those looking to maximize their shopping options with the traveling trader.
Provided by: Fandom
What is the difference between the Traveling Merchant and other NPCs in Terraria? toggle section
The Traveling Merchant in Terraria is a unique NPC vendor who randomly visits the player's town for one day. Unlike other NPCs, his inventory is randomized and different every visit, selling a varying number of items. He also requires at least 2 other NPCs to be present in order for him to spawn. Other NPCs, like the Merchant, have fixed inventories and spawn under different conditions, such as having an empty house and players having more than 50 between them in their inventories.
Provided by: Fandom
How often does the Traveling Merchant visit the player's town in Terraria? toggle section
In Terraria, the Traveling Merchant has a 22.12% chance of visiting the player's town each day. He appears at a random time between 4:30 AM and 12:00 PM and leaves the same day at 6:00 PM. However, he can only leave once he is off-screen. If the world is vacated any time after he spawns, he will despawn. The chances of him visiting are always the same, regardless of whether the player is sleeping or not.
Provided by: Fandom

Items sold[]

Due to elaborate randomizer functions and dependencies upon several variables, it is nearly impossible to state an exact chance of an item being sold by the Traveling Merchant.[3] However, it is possible to group them in six rarity "slots", ranging from "Common" to "Extraordinarily Rare". Note that these slots do not correspond to the Traveling Merchant's shop inventory slots – all sold items may be from only one slot. They are only meant to provide a rough, comparative estimate of an item's rarity. Each shop slot will roll a 1/n chance of being for every possible item where n is 100 × the rarity slot. This chance is affected by the luckiest player currently in the world. Items that are always selected when another item is selected don't have their own chance being selected. All colored team blocks share the same chance of getting selected; if the chance succeeds, the color is randomly chosen. When multiple items pass this chance, the item that was tested, the latest will be the selected.

Within the slots, items higher in the list below have a marginally higher chance of being sold, e.g., the Companion Cube is sold slightly more often than the Water Gun (on average), because it is higher in the list.

The Traveling Merchant solds exactly one painting and has guaranteed slot for it.

Common[]

Inventory – Common items (slot 1/6)
Item Cost Availability

SakeSake 5
Tiger SkinTiger Skin 1
Leopard SkinLeopard Skin 1
Zebra SkinZebra Skin 1
ChaliceChalice 50
Fancy DishesFancy Dishes 20
Dynasty WoodDynasty Wood 50
Red Dynasty ShinglesRed Dynasty Shingles 50 Always when selling Dynasty Wood
Blue Dynasty ShinglesBlue Dynasty Shingles 50 Always when selling Dynasty Wood
White Team BlockWhite Team Block 1 Only selling one color of Team Blocks at maximum
White Team PlatformWhite Team Platform 1 Always when selling White Team Block
Red Team BlockRed Team Block 1 Only selling one color of Team Blocks at maximum
Red Team PlatformRed Team Platform 1 Always when selling Red Team Block
Blue Team BlockBlue Team Block 1 Only selling one color of Team Blocks at maximum
Blue Team PlatformBlue Team Platform 1 Always when selling Blue Team Block
Green Team BlockGreen Team Block 1 Only selling one color of Team Blocks at maximum
Green Team PlatformGreen Team Platform 1 Always when selling Green Team Block
Pink Team BlockPink Team Block 1 Only selling one color of Team Blocks at maximum
Pink Team PlatformPink Team Platform 1 Always when selling Pink Team Block
Lawn FlamingoLawn Flamingo 5
DPS MeterDPS Meter 5
Lifeform AnalyzerLifeform Analyzer 5
StopwatchStopwatch 5

Uncommon[]

Inventory – Uncommon items (slot 2/6)
Item Cost Availability

The Gentleman ScientistThe Gentleman Scientist 1 When in a Constant world
The FirestarterThe Firestarter 1 When in a Constant world
The BereavedThe Bereaved 1 When in a Constant world
The StrongmanThe Strongman 1 When in a Constant world
Kargoh's SummonKargoh's Summon 50
Benny WarholBenny Warhol 50
DualityDuality 50
Cheesy Pizza PosterCheesy Pizza Poster 50
Parsec PalsParsec Pals 50
Do Not Eat the Vile Mushroom!Do Not Eat the Vile Mushroom! 50
Sunshine of IsraponySunshine of Israpony 50
Yuuma, The Blue TigerYuuma, The Blue Tiger 50
Pad ThaiPad Thai 55
Brick LayerBrick Layer 10
Extendo GripExtendo Grip 10
Paint SprayerPaint Sprayer 10
Portable Cement MixerPortable Cement Mixer 10
PresseratorPresserator 10
KatanaKatana 10
4
250
When not in Don't dig up or Get fixed boi worlds
In all worlds
KeybrandKeybrand 20 When in Don't dig up or Get fixed boi worlds
Ultrabright TorchUltrabright Torch 3

Rare[]

Inventory – Rare items (slot 3/6)
Item Cost Availability

Not a Kid, nor a SquidNot a Kid, nor a Squid 3 After defeating Moon Lord, in Hardmode
Moonman & CompanyMoonman & Company 3 After defeating Moon Lord, in Hardmode
Castle MarsbergCastle Marsberg 2 After defeating Martian Madness, in Hardmode
Martia LisaMartia Lisa 2 After defeating Martian Madness, in Hardmode
The Truth Is Up ThereThe Truth Is Up There 2 After defeating Martian Madness, in Hardmode
AcornsAcorns 50 After defeating Frost Legion
Cold SnapCold Snap 50 After defeating Frost Legion
Cursed SaintCursed Saint 50 After defeating Frost Legion
SnowfellasSnowfellas 50 After defeating Frost Legion
The SeasonThe Season 50 After defeating Frost Legion
PhoPho 75
RevolverRevolver 10 After smashing a Shadow Orb or a Crimson Heart
FezFez 350
Magic HatMagic Hat 3
Mystic RobeMystic Robe 350
2
GiGi 2
Chef HatChef Hat 250
Chef UniformChef Uniform 250 Always when selling Chef Hat
Chef PantsChef Pants 250 Always when selling Chef Hat
Master Gamer's JacketMaster Gamer's Jacket 5
Master Gamer's PantsMaster Gamer's Pants 5 Always when selling Master Gamer's Jacket
Star Princess CrownStar Princess Crown 50
Star Princess DressStar Princess Dress 50 Always when selling Star Princess Crown
Celestial WandCelestial Wand 1 Always when selling Star Princess Crown
Raynebro's HoodRaynebro's Hood 1
Raynebro's HoodieRaynebro's Hoodie 1 Always when selling Raynebro's Hood
Raynebro's PantsRaynebro's Pants 1 Always when selling Raynebro's Hood
Demon HornsDemon Horns 250
Devil HornsDevil Horns 250
Panda EarsPanda Ears 250
Vulkelf EarsVulkelf Ears 250
Goblorc EarsGoblorc Ears 250
FedoraFedora 250
Star HairpinStar Hairpin 2
Heart HairpinHeart Hairpin 2
Fake Unicorn HornFake Unicorn Horn 250
Pretty Pink RibbonPretty Pink Ribbon 15
Pretty Pink DressPretty Pink Dress 20 Always when selling Pretty Pink Ribbon
Pretty Pink StockingsPretty Pink Stockings 20 Always when selling Pretty Pink Ribbon
Gray ZapinatorGray Zapinator 17 During pre-Hardmode, after defeating Eye of Cthulhu, Eater of Worlds/Brain of Cthulhu, Queen Bee, or Skeletron
Orange ZapinatorOrange Zapinator 50 Replaced Gray Zapinator in Hardmode
Code 1Code 1 5 After defeating the Eye of Cthulhu
Code 2Code 2 25 After defeating one of the mechanical bosses

Very Rare[]

Inventory – Very rare items (slot 4/6)
Item Cost Availability

The Gentleman ScientistThe Gentleman Scientist 1 When not in a Constant world
The FirestarterThe Firestarter 1 When not in a Constant world
The BereavedThe Bereaved 1 When not in a Constant world
The StrongmanThe Strongman 1 When not in a Constant world
Yellow CounterweightYellow Counterweight 5
Pulse BowPulse Bow 45 After defeating all mechanical bosses
Water GunWater Gun 150
Diamond RingDiamond Ring 2
Crimson CloakCrimson Cloak 5
Mysterious CapeMysterious Cape 5
Red CapeRed Cape 5
Winter CapeWinter Cape 5
Hunter CloakHunter Cloak 15
Sitting Duck's Fishing PoleSitting Duck's Fishing Pole 35 After defeating Skeletron
Companion CubeCompanion Cube 5
Anti-Portal BlockAnti-Portal Block 1 During Hardmode
Birdie RattleBirdie Rattle 1
Exotic Chew ToyExotic Chew Toy 1
Blue Chicken EggBlue Chicken Egg 25
Bedazzled NectarBedazzled Nectar 1
Bamboo LeafBamboo Leaf 1

Extremely Rare[]

Inventory – Extremely rare items (slot 5/6)
Item Cost Availability

Black CounterweightBlack Counterweight 5
KimonoKimono 1
Arcane Rune WallArcane Rune Wall 250
GatligatorGatligator 35 During Hardmode
Sergeant United ShieldSergeant United Shield 35 During Hardmode

Extraordinarily Rare[]

Inventory – Extraordinarily rare items (slot 6/6)
Item Cost Availability

Angel HaloAngel Halo 40

Number of sold items[]

The following tables list the chances of the numbers of items sold by the Traveling Merchant.[3] Only "base" items are counted, i.e., Dynasty Shingles and Team Platforms are excluded from this number, since they are always sold together with their "base" items Dynasty Wood or Team Block, respectively. The selected amount is increased by 2 on Celebrationmk10 worlds.

Number of
"base" items
Chance
(Classic Mode > Expert Mode)
4 19.87*3255/16384 (19.87%) 9.93*3255/32768 (9.93%)
5 31.29*5127/16384 (31.29%) 25.58*4191/16384 (25.58%)
6 33.22*16327/49152 (33.22%) 32.26*7927/24576 (32.26%)
7 13.46*1103/8192 (13.46%) 23.34*22945/98304 (23.34%)
8 2.04*1003/49152 (2.04%) 7.75*7621/98304 (7.75%)
9 0.12*19/16384 (0.12%) 1.08*265/24576 (1.08%)
10 0.002*1/49152 (0.002%) 0.06*29/49152 (0.06%)
11 n/a 0.001*1/98304 (0.001%)

These chances reveal that the average number of sold "base" items is 5.47 / 5.97.

Shimmered form []

Traveling Merchant (Shimmered) Map Icon Traveling Merchant (Shimmered)
Shimmered Traveling Merchant and his Map Icon.

When submerged in Shimmer, the Traveling Merchant will transform into his Shimmered form. This has no impact on gameplay or dialogue and is only a visual change. He can be returned to his classic look by submerging him in Shimmer again.


Notes[]

  • The actual "roll" to spawn the Traveling Merchant is not performed once-per-day like a Goblin Army or how any other events are determined. Instead, the roll is performed every tick[4].
    • For each tick of the first half of each day (4:30 AM – 12:00 PM = 7.5 hours = 27,000 ticks), there is a 1 in 108,000 chance to spawn the Traveling Merchant. Thus, the Traveling Merchant has a: 1-(107999/108000)^27000 = 0.2212001339 ≈ 22.12% chance of arriving each day.
    • This means that if a specific item from the Traveling Merchant is desired, but he arrived without that particular item, and it is before 12:00 PM in-game, he can be killed for a chance of another Traveling Merchant spawning.
  • The Traveling Merchant does not leave during events.
  • The Traveling Merchant can throw a party.
    • Note that this method will still trigger invasions like Goblin Army and Pirate Invasion when the time is set to dawn, making the Traveling Merchant stop "respawning".
  • Killing the Traveling Merchant, and then quickly un-pausing time and pausing it back, will spawn a new Traveling Merchant with a new set of stock.

Tips[]

  • The Traveling Merchant departs by simply disappearing while off-screen. If the player keeps him on-screen when he would normally depart, he will remain until he is off-screen again. If he is kept on-screen until dawn, he will not depart until he is off-screen after 6:00 PM the following evening. This does not, however, change his inventory.

Names[]

The Traveling Merchant may have any of the following names:

  • Abraham
  • Aedan
  • Aphraim
  • Bohemas
  • Eladon
  • Gallius
  • Llewellyn
  • Mercer
  • Rawleigh
  • Riley
  • Romeo
  • Shipton
  • Willy

Quotes[]

    • "Hmm, you look like you could use an Angel Statue! They slice, and dice, and make everything nice!"
    • "I don't refund for "buyer's remorse..." Or for any other reason, really."
    • "Buy now and get free shipping!"
    • "I sell wares from places that might not even exist!"
    • "You want two penny farthings!? Make it one and we have a deal."
    • "Combination hookah and coffee maker! Also makes julienne fries!"
    • "Come and have a look! One pound fish! Very, very good! One pound fish!"
    • "If you're looking for junk, you've come to the wrong place."
    • "A thrift shop? No, I am only selling the highest quality items on the market."

    When Merchant is present:

    • "That <name of Merchant>, he really has no appreciation for a really good deal."

    When Clothier is present:

    • "I sell only what I can get. <name of Clothier> keeps hounding me for exotic clothing."

    When Guide is present:

    • "Meet me behind <name of Guide>'s house in about three hours, I think I have something you will find very appealing."

    During a Party:

    • "Many say that parties give you the richest of memories. So buy something and make this memory rich!"

    During Rain :

    • "Rain or blue skies, I come from afar to serve you! Do you have some coin?"
    • "If my exotic coat shrinks, I will be a tad upset!"

    During a Thunderstorm:

    • "Hurry up and buy!"
    • "Whew! That was close! Brick and mortar sounds like a pretty good investment right now."

    During a Windy Day:

    • "I go where winds take me, but this is ridiculous!"
    • "I would sell you exotic wind socks, but I'm afraid I forgot to stock them!"

    When in a Graveyard:

    • "Whew! Look at my many wares! I totally did NOT take them off the dead buried here, to sell to you."
    • "In my travels, I've never run across anyone living in a dismal place like this! Ah, well, as long as you have coin..."
  • Trivia[]

    • Many of the things he sells are of Asian origin, often from the Qing dynasty.
      • Many of his wares may be a reference to the East India Company, and to the goods that were brought to Europe during the age of discovery in general.
    • The name Willy is most likely a reference to the 1949 play Death of a Salesman written by American playwright Arthur Miller, where the main character is Willy Loman, a traveling salesman.
    • His quote "Come and have a look! One pound fish! Very, very good! One pound fish!" is a reference to the Pakistani trader and recording artist Muhammad Shahid Nazir, also known as One Pound Fish Man, who found fame as an internet sensation for his viral video "One Pound Fish".
    • The quote "Combination hookah and coffee maker! Also makes julienne fries!" is a reference to the 1992 American animated musical fantasy film Aladdin.
    • His quote "Hmm, you look like you could use an Angel Statue! They slice, and dice, and make everything nice!" is a reference to the ongoing joke of how Angel Statues are one of the most useless statues in the game; this is also referenced by a quote from the Merchant.
    • Along with the Cyborg, the Zoologist and the Princess, the Traveling Merchant is one of the only NPCs to sell a new item post-Moon Lord, which is Not a Kid, nor a Squid.
    • When he is submerged in shimmer, he will change sprites to one with blue hair and a red coat.

    The BestiaryBestiary entry for the Traveling Merchant: "The flamboyantly-dressed Traveling Merchant travels far and wide to bring unique, cultural wares from time to time."

    See also[]

    History[]

    • Desktop 1.2.3.1:
      • The Traveling Merchant can no longer spawn in lava.
      • Fixed bug where Queen/King Statues did not teleport the Stylist and Traveling Merchant, respectively.
    • Console 1.0.933.1: Now sells many new items, including yoyos, accessories, and paintings. (Xbox One)
    • Console 1.0.750.0: Now sells many new items, including yoyos, accessories, and paintings. (PlayStation 4)
    • Console 1.08: Added Capes (Winter, Mysterious, and Red Capes and Crimson Cloak) and Diamond Ring.
    • Console 1.07: Introduced with vendor items up to Desktop 1.2.4.1, except the Angel Halo, Capes, and Diamond Ring.

    References[]

    1. Information taken from the PC version PC 1.3.5.3 source code, method UpdateTime() in Terraria.Main.cs. There may be inaccuracies, as the current PC version PC version is 1.4.4.9.
    2. Information taken from the PC version PC 1.3.5.3 source code, method SpawnTravelNPC() in Terraria.WorldGen.cs. There may be inaccuracies, as the current PC version PC version is 1.4.4.9.
    3. 3.0 3.1 Information taken from the PC version PC 1.3.5.3 source code, function SetupTravelShop() in Terraria.Chest.cs There may be inaccuracies, as the current PC version PC version is 1.4.4.9.
    4. A tick is a time unit countable by the software. Most of Terraria's updating logic happens every tick. A tick has the length of 1/60th of a second, hence there are 60 ticks in a second and 3600 ticks in a minute.
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