Can You Drown Terraria NPCs? A Deep Dive into NPC Mortality
Yes, you absolutely can drown Terraria NPCs. While they are generally quite resilient, if an NPC becomes stuck or forced underwater, they will eventually succumb to the lack of oxygen and perish. This method, while perhaps a bit morbid, is an effective way to temporarily remove an NPC from your town. This article delves into the specifics of NPC drowning and addresses related questions you might have about NPC death and mechanics in Terraria.
How Drowning Works in Terraria
The Breath Meter
In Terraria, all characters, including NPCs, have a breath meter that depletes while submerged. The standard breath meter duration without any special equipment lasts for 23.33 seconds. This is enough time for a character, player or NPC, to drown if they remain underwater.
Lengthening Breath Time
The time a character can hold their breath underwater can be increased using specific items:
- Breathing Reed: Doubles breathing time to 46.67 seconds.
- Diving Gear: Increases breath time to 93.33 seconds or 1 minute and 33.33 seconds.
However, these items do not affect NPCs. Thus, their drowning time will always be dictated by the base breath meter duration.
Effective Drowning Techniques
To effectively drown an NPC, you will need to create a scenario where they are completely submerged and unable to surface. Common ways to achieve this include:
- Creating a Water Trap: Build an enclosed space filled with water, luring an NPC inside and trapping them.
- Using the Environment: Guide or push an NPC into a body of water and create an obstacle to prevent them from escaping.
- Manipulating Terrain: Modify the terrain to create deep pools of water that an NPC can fall into and be unable to climb out.
Remember, once the breath meter is depleted, the NPC will die. This method might be slow, but it’s effective for the task.
What Happens When an NPC Dies?
Respawning Mechanics
When an NPC dies, whether by drowning, combat, or any other means, they will respawn after a delay, provided certain conditions are met. The primary requirement for respawn is that there must be a suitable vacant house available in your town.
Requirements for Initial Spawns
Some NPCs have specific inventory or population requirements that must be met again for their respawn. For example:
- Merchant: Requires 50 silver coins to initially spawn and will need to have this requirement met for every respawn.
If these initial spawning conditions are not met, the NPC will not return until they are.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How long does it take for an NPC to drown in Terraria?
Without any buffs or special conditions, an NPC will drown in 23.33 seconds.
2. Besides drowning, what are other ways to kill NPCs in Terraria?
You can kill NPCs using several methods:
- Monster Statues: Using statues that spawn monsters near NPCs (Skeleton or Mimic statues) is a very efficient method.
- Rotten Eggs: These are a unique item that can damage friendly NPCs.
- Enemy Attacks: Lure monsters into town and let them attack the NPCs.
- Voodoo Dolls: Some items, like the Clothier and Guide Voodoo Dolls, allow players to directly damage their respective NPCs.
3. Does NPC happiness affect anything in Terraria?
Yes, NPC happiness significantly impacts vendor prices. Happy NPCs will offer lower buying prices but will buy your items at higher prices. Unhappy NPCs increase their sell prices but offer less for your items. It also affects the Nurse’s healing fees and Goblin Tinkerer’s reforging costs.
4. What is the rarest enemy in Terraria?
The Nymph is one of the rarest enemies, often overlooked due to her passive behavior.
5. What is the hardest-hitting enemy in Terraria?
Among non-boss enemies, the Hoplite is considered one of the hardest-hitting. Other difficult enemies include the Medusa and the Crawltipede.
6. What is the easiest boss you can fight in Terraria?
The Slime King is considered the easiest boss, being entirely optional and having lower health than most other bosses.
7. Can you drain the ocean in Terraria?
Yes, by tunneling down to the Underworld, the water can be drained because it evaporates there. Upgrades like the Neptune’s Shell remove the need for breathing and allows this.
8. How long does one in-game day last in real-world time?
A full Terraria day lasts 24 real-world minutes (15 minutes day and 9 minutes night).
9. Is there an infinite water source in Terraria?
Yes, the Bottomless Water Bucket provides an infinite source of water.
10. Can the Guide defend himself against enemies?
In some legacy versions of Terraria, the Guide uses a Wooden Bow to defend himself, upgrading to Flaming Arrows in Hardmode.
11. How many NPCs can live in Terraria?
There are 18 regular town NPCs, 3 purchasable pets, 7 hardmode NPCs, and 3 NPCs that don’t live in the town.
12. Which is harder, the Eater of Worlds or the Brain of Cthulhu?
The Brain of Cthulhu is considered more difficult due to its ability to inflict debuffs, especially in Expert mode.
13. What are some of the most difficult events in Terraria?
Some of the toughest events include the Solar Eclipse, Lunar Events, Frost Moon, and Pumpkin Moon.
14. What is the hardest item to obtain in Terraria?
The Slime Staff is the rarest item with the lowest drop rate.
15. Is the Empress of Light harder during the day?
Yes, the Empress of Light is significantly harder during the day, becoming “enraged” with greatly increased damage.
Conclusion
Drowning NPCs is certainly a viable strategy in Terraria, although a tad ruthless. By understanding the mechanics of how they breathe (and don’t), combined with creative terrain manipulation, you can effectively and temporarily remove NPCs from your town. However, remember that they will return if you have available housing and any necessary conditions for their spawning. Knowing these details enhances your understanding of Terraria’s intricate world and provides you with more options during your play-through.