Floating Islands and Floating Lakes are floating structures located generally well above the world's main land mass and can be found all the way up to Space. Their location makes them susceptible to Harpies in pre-Hardmode and Wyverns and Arch Wyverns in Hardmode. Being at such high altitude, players often experience reduced gravity when navigating them. Both are similar in size and placement, and both rest atop Cloud and Rain Cloud blocks with background Cloud Walls.
Floating Island
A typical Floating Island
A Floating Island contains a mass of isolated Forest land and a house-like structure. Each world will contain at least one Floating Island, up to a possible seven maximum in large worlds.
Two Floating Islands very close to each other
A Floating Island will usually contain a structure constructed from Sunplate Block, Disc Wall, and Glass Wall. It will always contain exactly one Skyware Chest along with other random Skyware furniture. Each Skyware Chest contains one of 3 rare items (the Lucky Horseshoe, Starfury, or Shiny Red Balloon), has a 1/3 chance of containing a Sky Mill, and contains other typical Surface Chest loot. Unique items are chosen at random, with the restriction that all four unique items must be spawned at least once before truly random unique items spawn on any remaining Islands.
| Map Size | Max Islands | Approximate Height |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 3 | 250 - 600 ft. (125 - 300 tiles) |
| Medium | 5 | 450 - 800 ft (225 - 400 tiles) |
| Large | 7 | 650 - 1200 ft. (325 - 600 tiles) |
Contents
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-
Damselfish - Sky Crate
- Azure Crate
(Hardmode only)
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Floating Lake
A typical Floating Lake.
Floating Lakes consist of nothing more than a large body of water, suitable for fishing. There will be relatively few of these in a world. Unlike Floating Islands, they have neither Sunplate Block structures nor any of their contents. Several exclusive catches can be found there, like the Damselfish, Sky Crates/Azure Crates and some quest fish including the sky-exclusive Cloudfish.
Floating Lakes can rarely contain Water Chests.
| Map Size | Max Lakes | Approximate Height |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 1 | 250 - 600 ft. (125 - 300 tiles) |
| Medium | 2 | 450 - 800 ft (225 - 400 tiles) |
| Large | 3 | 650 - 1200 ft. (325 - 600 tiles) |
Notes
A corrupted Floating Island.
- Floating Islands are randomly generated somewhere in the upper sixth of the map.
- Upon entering Hardmode, Floating Islands can become Corrupted, Crimsoned, or Hallowed if they fall within the path of the initial transformation.
- The structures found on some Floating Islands can usually become valid houses for NPCs once a light source is added.
- Meteors may sometimes impact Floating Islands.
- Floating Lakes
are not counted against the spawn limit for Floating Islands, e.g. there can be 5 Floating Islands on a medium-sized world and still more than one Floating Lake in addition.- However Floating lakes can only spawn if every Floating Island has spawned, so if you have at least one Floating Lake in your world, you have 3/5/6 Floating Island in your Small/Medium/Large world. (but they can still be outside of the world accessible area)
- In uncommon occasions, a Floating Island does not contain a house-room, and therefore no chest. Sometimes, a house-room exists but there is no chest present.
- There is an extremely low chance that a world's spawn point may be located on a floating island.
Achievement
Tips
- To protect any Floating Islands or Floating Lakes from meteors, place any chest 25 blocks from either edge of the island.
- There are numerous methods to locate Floating Islands:
- Gravitation Potions (or the Gravity Globe
) facilitate unrestrained movement in the air, without requiring access to flying accessories. - Using a Depth Meter, build a staircase or rope line up to the height where Floating Islands usually spawn. Build a sky bridge to either side until finding an Island. Common blocks like Dirt, Stone, or Hay can be used for the sky bridge.
- Use a long-range weapon with a ricocheting projectile, such as a gun with Meteor Shots. The projectile's return will signify a landmass above.
- Use a bow to shoot straight upwards with a high-velocity arrow. If only some of the arrows return, that signifies that some have hit a solid landmass. This only works on small worlds due to the height of the Islands in larger worlds.
- Using Water Bolt, shoot up and wait. If it returns then there's a Floating Island right above you. (Note: If the island is too high, the Bolt may disappear before it reaching your screen view after hitting the Island. Continue jumping as high as you can while waiting is a good way to make sure the bolt did return)
- Floating Islands will catch Fallen Stars. Areas on the surface in which Fallen Stars rarely or never fall may have a Floating Island above.
Create a Hardcore character, die, and become a Ghost, and then fly around to look for an Island.- Another good, yet tricky method is to summon the Eye of Cthulhu at a spot on the map where a floating island might be, then activate the slimy saddle mount and start jumping onto the Eye of Cthulhu with the mount, making you fly up into the air endlessly until you find a floating island. However, it is recommended to get an Umbrella, because fall damage at that height might kill you.
- If the Golfer NPC has been acquired, using a tee and a Golf Ball and hitting the ball upwards with an Iron or a Wedge can reveal floating islands as the camera travels with the ball.
- Using a Snake Charmer's Flute, found in sandstone chests in the Underground Desert or in Oasis/Mirage Crate by fishing in Oasis is a simple method to get to high elevations at the low cost of some platforms to place down at the top. However, this can be dangerous if a Harpy pushes you off, and you don't have an umbrella.
- Occasionally, Floating Islands spawn low enough to open up other methods of locating them:
- The waterfalls flowing from the Island may be seen when flying.
- Dungeons and Living Trees may be high enough to already see the lower part of the Island when standing atop them.
- Gravitation Potions (or the Gravity Globe
Trivia
A Floating Island prior to 1.2, which revamped Floating Islands.
- Floating Islands were originally made out of Dirt and Stone Blocks. The house was either made of Gold, Silver or Copper Bricks with a single chest inside, causing it to somewhat resemble a Shrine. Grass vines hanging below the island could be used to locate it as projectiles would make noise when destroying them. The chests used to be locked and had to be opened with Golden Keys from the Dungeon.
History
- Desktop 1.3.0.1: Sky Lakes introduced to make sky fishing easier.
- Desktop 1.2: Chests no longer require keys and islands have been revamped.
- Desktop 1.0.6: Gold Chests are now replaced with locked chests.
- Desktop 1.0.5: Common Chests are now replaced with Gold Chests.
- Desktop-Release: Introduced.
- Console-Release: Introduced.
- Switch 1.0.711.6: Introduced.
- Mobile-Release: Introduced.
- 3DS-Release: Introduced.
References
- Chasm
- Enchanted Sword Shrine
- Floating Island
- Jungle Shrine
- Living Tree
- Pyramid
- Ruined House
- Underground Cabin