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- For a complete list of NPC names, see NPC names.
An NPC is an automated Non Player Character. While NPCs technically include enemies/monsters, passive critters, and friendly characters, this wiki differentiates between the three classes of NPCs with the labels "enemy", "critter", and "NPC", and each have their own separate page on this wiki. This page is about the friendly automated characters who provide a service to players.
Players can utilize NPCs by standing near them and using the ⚷ Interact button on them. Most NPCs are vendors, selling items to players in exchange for coins, and can be sold items by a player in order to obtain coins. Some NPCs also perform other functions.
Most NPCs are "Town" NPCs, appearing after various milestones are achieved in game advancement (details below). They move into structures the player must generally build, known as Houses, which are generally required for Town NPCs to remain available. Each NPC will need its own house.
Town NPCs that have moved into Houses reduce enemy spawn rates in the area, an effect that increases the more of them are present. With four or more Town NPCs in close proximity, enemies generally stop spawning on or near the visible screen altogether. Players tend to utilize this effect by building large structures ("Towns" or "Bases") with several integrated Houses, to serve as their safe haven. These reductions are usually overridden by Events like Blood Moons or Goblin Invasions, during which spawn rates return to normal, or are elevated, and enemies will once again attack players and NPCs in the area.
Town NPCs generally walk around during the day. They remain still in their assigned Houses at night. NPCs have limited health and can take damage, and ultimately die from enemies, Traps, Lava, or by drowning in Water; though they cannot be attacked directly by players (outside of special Voodoo Doll accessories or Rotten Eggs). Their health regenerates over time, and if killed, they will also respawn following a delay, as long as a suitable vacant House is still available.
Template:Pc icon Occasionally, NPCs sit in Chairs. They also randomly "talk" to each other, or to the player (shown as mouth movement and speech bubbles). Most NPCs also have an attack method, which they will use to defend themselves against enemies in the vicinity.
There are currently 23 Template:Pc icon / 21 Template:Console iconTemplate:Mobile icon Town NPCs, 7 Template:Pc icon / 6 Template:Console iconTemplate:Mobile icon of whom normally appear in Hardmode. An additional 3 Template:Pc icon / 2 Template:Console iconTemplate:Mobile icon NPCs can be encountered that don't move into Houses.
Housing
Each Town NPC requires a suitable, vacant House. A House is a room enclosed by a frame of blocks, with user-placed background walls, along with a valid light source, flat surface item, and comfort item (see House->Furniture). Certain room dimensions are also required (see House for full details). Houses must not be located near Corruption or Crimson, and if those biomes spread too close to an occupied House, the NPC living there may move out.
Town NPC home assignments can be rearranged using NPC Flags from the Housing Menu, where players can also check whether a room is a suitable House (Template:Mobile iconThere is no housing menu on the Mobile version).
The Guide and Old Man are unique in that they always spawn upon creating a world. The Guide will usually move into the first House built. The Old Man does not move into a House, but rather remains near the Dungeon's entrance, and respawns the following day if killed (while Skeletron hasn't yet been defeated).
If a House occupied by an NPC is damaged in a way that makes it invalid, the NPC will move out and walk around the area until a suitable House is restored.
Buying and selling
Items can be bought simply by right-clicking an NPC and taking items from their inventory while their cost in coins is available in the player's inventory. (Or, in the desktop version, when the required number of coins is in the players savings.) Holding the right mouse button on stackable items allows the player to buy the item in bulk. The buy speed increases the longer the right-click button is held.
Some NPCs sell biome-specific items when they are located in certain biomes; this can be done by housing them there, or by teleporting them with a King or Queen Statue.
All NPC vendors can also be used to sell unwanted or surplus items to gain coins. The unwanted item(s) must be in the player's inventory. Hovering over the item while the NPC's inventory screen is open will display its sell value. Items are always sold to vendors at one-fifth their purchase price. Not all items have a sell value (very common items such as Dirt or Wood have no value). To sell the item, move it into the NPC's inventory.
Sales to NPCs can be canceled while the NPC's inventory screen is still open: Sold items can be taken back in exchange for the amount they were sold for. This does not hold true for returning bought items, which must be sold back at their standard sell rate of one-fifth the purchase price.
All NPC vendors buy and sell at the same price. Many item prices can be decreased by equipping a Discount Card, which is a rare drop from Pirate Invasions.
Town NPCs
Listed in the order in which they are generally likely to be acquired.
Pre-Hardmode
NPC | Acquired When | Description | Drops | Defending Weapon Template:Pc icon | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Template:Il2c | Starting a new world. | Provides tips, Template:Desktop icon Template:Console icon crafting recipes, and a general guide on how to get other NPCs. | Green Cap (100% when named Andrew) |
Wooden Bow (with Wooden Arrows) Hardmode: Wooden Bow (with Flaming Arrows) (Ranged) | |
Template:Il2c | All players combined have more than 50 in their inventories. | Sells basic tools and supplies. | n/a | Throwing Knife (Ranged) | |
Template:Il2c | A player has more than 100 health. | Heals players and cancels debuffs in exchange for coins. | n/a | Syringes (Ranged, targets NPCs and players, Heals) | |
Template:Il2c | A player has an explosive in their inventory. | Sells explosive items. | n/a | Grenades (Ranged, Explodes) | |
Template:Il2c | A player acquires a Dye item, or any item used to craft Dye, in addition to either defeating a pre-Hardmode boss or acquiring one Strange Plant Template:Desktop icon. | Sells the Dye Vat crafting station, and Template:Pc iconprovides reward dyes in exchange for rare plants. | Exotic Scimitar (12.5% chance) |
Exotic Scimitar (Melee) | |
Template:Il2c | A Boss is defeated other than King Slime, Lepus or Wall of Flesh. | Sells nature/Corruption/Crimson items, and can report the percentage of Corruption/Crimson and Hallow in the world. | n/a | Dryad's Blessing (Area Effect, Buffs Players & Harms Enemies) | |
Template:Il2c | Eater of Worlds or Brain of Cthulhu is defeated, and he is found and spoken to. | Sells items that summon and help fight the Old One's Army. Most cost Defender Medals, except for Eternia Crystals, the Eternia Crystal Stand, and Ale, which cost ordinary coins. | Ale Tosser (12.5% chance) |
Ale (Throwing) | |
Template:Il2c | A player has bullets, or a gun that shoots bullets, in their inventory. | Sells guns, bullets, and other ammunition. | n/a | Flintlock Pistol Hardmode: Minishark (Ranged) | |
Template:Il2c | Found and spoken to in a Spider Nest. | Can change the player's hair style, and sells Hair Dyes. | Stylish Scissors (12.5% chance) |
Stylish Scissors (Melee) | |
Template:Il2c | After 7 (4 Template:Mobile iconTemplate:3DS icon) other town NPCs are acquired including the guide. | Sells paints, painting tools, and Paintings. | Paintball Gun (10% chance) |
Paintball Gun (Ranged) | |
Template:Il2c | Found and spoken to in an Ocean Biome. | Gives Fishing quests and rewards players for completing them. | n/a | Frost Daggerfish (Throwing) | |
Template:Il2c | Found and spoken to in the cavern layer, after defeating a Goblin Invasion. | Sells items such as the Tinkerer's Workshop, and can reforge items. | n/a | Spiky Balls (Ranged) | |
Template:Il2c | Queen Bee is defeated. | Sells the Blowgun, the Imbuing Station, summoner equipment and Fountains. | n/a | Blowgun (Ranged) | |
Template:Il2c | Skeletron is defeated. | Sells some Vanity items, including the Familiar clothes. | Red Hat (100% chance) |
Book of Skulls (Ranged Shadowflame version) | |
Template:Il2c | Found and spoken to in the Dungeon. | Sells the Wrench, Wire, and other Mechanism-related items, in addition to the Mechanic's Rod under certain conditions. | n/a | Wrench (Ranged) | |
Template:Il2c | Chance of spawning after acquiring 13 town NPCs. (or as few as eight in the console/mobile versions). | Sells items that create colorful visual effects. If killed, she does not always respawn the following day as other NPCs do, rather starting over with a random chance of re-spawning each dawn. | Happy Grenade (30-60, 25% chance) |
Happy Grenade (Ranged) |
Hardmode
NPC | Acquired When | Description | Drops | Defending Weapon Template:Pc icon | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Template:Il2c | Found and spoken to in the Cavern layer in Hardmode. | Sells magical items. | n/a | Flower of Fire (Magic, inflicts On Fire!) | |
Template:Il2c | A Tortured Soul is transformed with Purification Powder in the Underworld. | Collects property taxes from other NPCs. Earns 50 per NPC present, collectible by the player. | Classy Cane (12.5% chance) |
Classy Cane (Melee) | |
Template:Il2c | A House is built in an above-ground Mushroom Biome during Hardmode. | Sells the Autohammer, Mushroom Spear, and other mushroom-themed items. | n/a | Mushroom Spore (Stationary until touched) | |
Template:Il2c | A Pirate Invasion is defeated. | Sells the Cannon and other Pirate-related items. | n/a | Gun and Cannon (Ranged) | |
Template:Il2c | Once a Mechanical Boss is defeated. | Sells the Clentaminator, Teleporter, Jetpack, and other items. | n/a | Clockwork Assault Rifle (Ranged) | |
Template:Il2c | Plantera is defeated. | Sells the Proximity Mine Launcher, Rockets and Nanites. | n/a | Rocket (Ranged) | |
Template:Il2c | The Frost Legion is defeated, appearing only from December 15-31. | Sells the Santa costume, colored lights, Christmas trees and their decorations. | n/a | Bauble (Ranged) |
Other NPCs
The following NPCs are not considered town NPCs because they do not move into houses.
NPC | Acquired When | Description | Drops | Defending Weapon Template:Pc icon | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Template:Il2c | 22% spawn chance during morning hours (04:30-12:00 in-game time) once two other NPCs are present. | Stays for one day, sells a random selection of unique items each day. | Peddler's Hat (100% chance) |
Revolver Hardmode: Pulse Bow (Both Ranged & Damaging) | |
Template:Il2c | Starting a new world. | Found at the entrance to the Dungeon. Summons Skeletron, but only at night. Once Skeletron is defeated, the Old Man moves into town as the Clothier. | n/a | n/a | |
Template:Il2c | Found randomly underground | Sells Counterweights, Spelunker Glowsticks, Magic Lanterns, the Yoyo Glove and some other items based on the lunar cycle. Some items such as the Slap Hand can only be obtained from him. | n/a | Bone (Ranged, Damaging) |
Notes
- Template:Desktop icon All NPCs have an attack damage stat of 10.
- NPCs will not spawn during an active Event or at night.
- An NPC takes about 2 minutes to spawn after another NPC has spawned or dawn passes.
- If valid housing is offscreen during spawning, the NPC will spawn directly into its house.
- NPCs will teleport home during the night if the NPC and their home are off-screen.
- Unlike chests and structures generated on world creation, bound NPCs spawn around the player's position on-the-fly, similar to enemy spawns. They are temporary, and can respawn elsewhere if missed (see NPC spawning).
- NPCs who have an inventory requirement to spawn (Merchant, Demolitionist, Arms Dealer, Dye Trader) still need to have the respective requirement fulfilled again in order to respawn after they die.
- Template:Desktop icon NPCs are known to "visit" other NPCs, talk, and play a form of rock paper scissors.
- Template:Desktop icon NPCs can drown in water 2 tiles deep, whereas players require 3 tiles of water depth in order to drown.
- Template:Mobile icon As the mobile version currently has no housing interface, it is not possible to assign NPCs to certain houses.
Tips
- Each time the Traveling Merchant spawns, he will have a random shop inventory. If the player leaves the world during 4:30-12:00 in-game time, and enters again, there is a 22% chance he will re-spawn (with a new shop inventory).
- Bound NPCs found underground can be freed by talking to them, after which they will always respawn whenever a vacant house is available. Having an empty room ready for them beforehand will cause them to move in as soon as they are off-screen.
- Bound NPCs can be found by listening to their "hurt" sounds, especially the Mechanic, as the Dungeon is teeming with enemies.
- A Housing area can be created where all the NPCs can have their biome-specific items: 300 Pink Ice Block, 100 mushroom grass, and 80 Lihzahrd brick in one screen where the Houses are located.
- Drowning an NPC in water is an easy way to get NPC drops (safer than lava, and quicker than Rotten Eggs).
Emotes
- Although it may seem to be random, NPCs "emote" about things depending on their environment.
Achievements
Trivia
- During a Blood Moon, most female NPCs use more irritable or aggressive dialogue than normal.
- The Mechanic is only one block wide while bound, whereas she is two blocks wide once talked to. This can be used to force her into a one block wide space. You can also find her on a 2 block space.
History
- 1.3.5: NPCs who are manually assigned to a room will have their successor attempt to move in when the original is killed.
- 1.3.4: Tavernkeep added.
- 1.3.0.1:
- 2 new NPCs added: Skeleton Merchant and Tax Collector.
- Improved the sprites of some NPCs.
- NPCs now avoid enemies and fight back if necessary.
- NPCs now talk to each other, sit in chairs, and avoid blocking chests.
- Having all possible NPCs living in your world now unlocks the Real Estate Agent achievement.
- Changed the spawn order for Town NPCs so that the more important ones spawn first.
- NPCs can now drown in water.
- 1.2.4:
- Added the Angler NPC.
- Fixed bugs with the sign / NPC chat display again.
- Fixed exploit where you could buy and sell stackable items for profit.
- 1.2.3.1: Fixed problems with rescued NPCs not having any names.
- 1.2.3:
- 2 new NPCs added: Stylist and Traveling Merchant.
- Names are now decided on spawn rather than World Creation.
- Fixed a bug where numerous NPCs could spawn if you beat a hardmode boss in a non-hardmode world.
- Invasions can now spawn enemies anywhere near friendly NPCs instead of just the middle of the world.
- Enemy attacks no longer trigger Spectre set healing from hitting friendly NPCs.
- 1.2.1.2: Added some checks to ensure multiple NPCs of the same type don’t spawn.
- 1.2.1.1: Rotten Eggs now correctly damage friendly NPCs.
- 1.2.1: Several friendly NPCs will sell costumes.
- 1.2.0.3:
- NPCs that require Plantera to be defeated to sell things now do so correctly in multiplayer.
- King and Queen Statues will correctly summon the new NPCs.
- 1.2:
- 8 new NPCs added: Steampunker, Truffle, Cyborg, Pirate, Witch Doctor, Party Girl, Dye Trader and Painter.
- Fixed bug where attempting to move NPCs with reverse gravity used the opposite screen height position.
- Increased speed at which you can buy stacks of things.
- 1.1.1:
- Bound NPCs now can be untied with Autopause enabled.
- Santa Claus added.
- 1.1:
- 3 new NPCs added: Goblin Tinkerer, Mechanic and Wizard.
- NPCs now have random names given to them on World Creation. Their deaths will be reported with these names. Also other NPCs will use them in their quotes. Upon respawning after Death will be given a new random name.
- NPCs now may be told where to live using the new Housing Menu feature.
- Two NPCs of the same type can no longer spawn, even in a multiplayer world. (Previously that was two additional merchants and second nurse. They had multiplayer conditions.)
- 1.0.6.1: NPCs now look at the character.
- 1.0.6:
- Shops now sell items back to you. Shift-clicking items will automatically sell them.
- New sound for initiating a conversation to an NPC.
- 1.0.4: Added an option that will pause the game while talking to an NPC in single player. It defaults to off.
- Pre-Release: Introduced.
zh-cn:NPC Template:Translation project