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How to Get Every NPC in Terraria: A Comprehensive Guide

The vibrant world of Terraria isn’t just about digging deep and battling monstrous creatures. It’s also about building a thriving town populated by a diverse cast of characters, each offering unique items and services. So, how do you entice these valuable NPCs to move into your painstakingly crafted abodes? The answer lies in meeting specific requirements, often involving crafting certain items, defeating bosses, or simply progressing through the game. This guide details the steps required to unlock every single NPC in Terraria, ensuring your town is bustling with life and trade.

Unlocking the NPCs: A Step-by-Step Guide

The core concept is simple: provide a suitable home and meet their specific criteria. A suitable home consists of:

Enclosed Room: A fully enclosed space of a certain size, typically around 10×6 blocks.
Background Walls: Player-placed walls to seal the room.
Light Source: A torch, candle, chandelier, or similar.
Flat Surface Item: A table, workbench, or dresser.
Comfort Item: A chair, stool, or bench.
Door: A door or platforms for entry and exit.

Once you have these prerequisites covered, it’s time to fulfill the individual requirements of each NPC. Note that the Guide starts the game with you, the Old Man is related to Skeletron and does not need a home and the Travelling Merchant needs no home and will visit occasionally. Here’s the comprehensive list:

Merchant: Have at least 50 Silver Coins in your inventory.
Nurse: Have more than 120 health, which is achieved by using Life Crystals.
Dryad: Defeat any Boss (e.g., the Eye of Cthulhu, the Eater of Worlds, etc.).
Arms Dealer: Have a Gun in your inventory. This is usually found in a chest underground or bought from the Travelling Merchant.
Demolitionist: Have Explosives (Bombs, Grenades, Dynamite) in your inventory.
Clothier: Defeat Skeletron in the Dungeon.
Goblin Tinkerer: Rescue him from the Goblin Army event in the underground caverns. He will be bound and require you to speak to him to release him.
Wizard: Rescue him from the Dungeon after defeating Skeletron. He is bound and requires you to speak to him to release him.
Mechanic: Rescue her from the Dungeon after defeating Skeletron. She is bound and requires you to speak to her to release her.
Tavernkeep: Defeat the Eater of Worlds/Brain of Cthulhu or Skeletron and then find him unconscious in your world.
Stylist: Rescue her from the Underground Caverns. She is bound and requires you to speak to her to release her.
Painter: Have at least 8 other NPCs residing in your town (not counting the Old Man, Traveling Merchant, or pets).
Zoologist: Fill at least 10% of the Bestiary.
Angler: Find him sleeping on the beach. Speak to him to release him.
Party Girl: Have at least 14 other NPCs residing in your town (not counting the Old Man, Traveling Merchant, or pets).
Tax Collector: Purify a Tortured Soul in the Underworld by throwing Purification Powder on them.
Dye Trader: Have at least one Dye or dye ingredient in your inventory.
Toolboxer: Have at least 2 other NPCs in your town and unlocked the Tinkerer’s Workbench and Anvil.
Steampunker: Defeat any Mechanical Boss (The Destroyer, The Twins, Skeletron Prime).
Cyborg: Defeat Plantera in the Jungle Temple.
Pirate: Defeat the Pirate Invasion.
Witch Doctor: Defeat the Queen Bee in the Jungle.
Trufffle: Build a suitable house in an Underground Mushroom Biome.
Santa Claus: Defeat the Frost Legion during the Christmas season (December 15th to December 31st).
Princess: Have all other Town NPCs (excluding pets, Santa Claus, and the Traveling Merchant) already residing in your town.

Important Considerations:

Chronological Order: NPCs generally arrive in chronological order based on the game’s progression.
Corruption/Crimson: Too much Corruption or Crimson near a house can prevent NPCs from moving in.
Happiness: NPCs have preferences for biomes and neighbors. Unhappy NPCs will charge higher prices.
Housing Query: Use the housing query tool (accessed through the inventory) to ensure a house is suitable.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How many NPCs are there in total?

There are 28 NPCs and 3 pets in Terraria, not counting special NPCs like the Old Man or the Travelling Merchant, or event-specific NPCs like Santa Claus.

2. Why won’t my NPC move in even though I have a house?

Double-check that the house meets all the requirements: enclosed space, background walls, light source, flat surface item, and comfort item. Also, ensure there’s no excessive Corruption or Crimson nearby, and that you’ve met the specific criteria for that NPC. The housing query tool is your friend!

3. Can NPCs share a house?

No, two NPCs cannot live in the same house at the same time. Each NPC requires their own separate, suitable dwelling.

4. How often do NPCs spawn?

Once their requirements are met and a suitable house is available, NPCs typically move in during the daytime. If they don’t arrive immediately, be patient; it can sometimes take a full in-game day.

5. How do I attract the Truffle NPC?

The Truffle NPC requires a house built within an Underground Mushroom Biome. This biome must be naturally occurring or artificially created. The surface mushroom biome will not work.

6. What happens if an NPC dies?

Don’t worry! A killed NPC will respawn the following day and move back into its house, provided the housing requirements are still met.

7. How do I make my NPCs happy?

NPC happiness is influenced by biome, neighbors, and crowding. Place NPCs in their preferred biomes and next to their preferred neighbors. Avoid overcrowding by giving them plenty of space. You can find what biomes your npcs like on the wiki.

8. What are the preferred biomes and neighbors of the NPCs?

Each NPC has preferred biomes and neighbors which affects the prices they sell items for. A list of the npcs’ preferred biomes can be found on the wiki or here on the Terraria Wiki.

9. How do I summon the Pirate Invasion to get the Pirate NPC?

The Pirate Invasion is a random event that can occur after breaking a Shadow Orb or Crimson Heart. You can also summon the invasion manually by using a Pirate Map, which can be found by defeating enemies in the Ocean biome.

10. How do I get the Goblin Tinkerer if the Goblin Army has already been defeated?

The Goblin Tinkerer can be found in the Underground caverns after the Goblin Army event has occurred. Search thoroughly, as he can be located far from the surface.

11. Can I move NPCs to different houses after they’ve moved in?

Yes! Simply destroy the comfort item (chair, stool, bench) in their current house. They will relocate to the next available suitable house.

12. What happens if Corruption/Crimson spreads too close to my NPCs’ houses?

If the Corruption or Crimson spreads too close, NPCs may refuse to move in or even move out. It’s crucial to protect your town with barriers like sunflowers or by creating a gap of non-corruptible blocks.

13. Does the Traveling Merchant need a house?

No, the Traveling Merchant does not require a house. He will appear randomly during the day and leave after a certain amount of time.

14. Do pets count towards the NPC requirement for the Painter or Party Girl?

No, pets do not count towards the NPC requirement for the Painter or Party Girl. Only town NPCs that reside in houses count.

15. Where can I learn more about the game and game design?

The world of video games is deeply connected to education, innovation, and community. Organizations like the Games Learning Society, at GamesLearningSociety.org, explore the intersection of learning and gaming. These types of societies help educators and researchers connect, collaborate, and share their work.

How to get every single NPC?