How to Get Pre Hardmode NPCs in Terraria

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: February 24, 2020 References

This wikiHow teaches you how to spawn each of the pre-Hardmode NPC characters in Terraria. NPC characters can be spawned through completing specific objectives or meeting certain criteria.

Steps

1
Create a house. A house is crucial to encouraging NPCs to spawn as you unlock them; you will need one house per NPC. To make a suitable NPC house, you will need to do the following:^{[1]
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- Place it well-away from Corruption and Crimson biomes.
- Use at least 60 tiles (but no more than 750 tiles).
- Use side walls made from blocks, Doors, Platforms, and/or Tall Gates.
- Use horizontal walls (floors and ceilings) made from blocks, Trap Doors, and/or Platforms.
- Incorporate at least one solid block (e.g., not a platform) that isn't touching any walls per NPC.
  - Modern console and computer editions also require a 2-by-3 space.
- Use at least one entrance (e.g., a Door).
- Use player-crafted background walls (dirt walls don't count).
- Add some form of lighting.
2
Wait for the Guide to appear. The Guide is the first NPC you'll meet; he will appear by default once you spawn in a new game, but he won't move into your dwelling until it is suitable for NPCs.^{[2]
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- The Guide doesn't sell any items, but he will provide tips for you (as well as crafting recipes on PC and modern console editions).
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3
Obtain the Merchant. In order for the merchant to spawn, you must have at least 50 silver in your inventory. You can gather silver by smashing pots and killing as many enemies as possible.
- The Merchant sells basic tools and items.
4
Get the Nurse. In order to get the Nurse, you must have more than 100 health at some point, which means you must break and consume a Crystal Heart. Crystal Hearts are found sporadically in the Underground layer (e.g., the Underground Jungle); you will need a pickaxe, a drill, or explosives to break them.^{[3]
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- The Nurse will heal you and get rid of negative status effects.
- You cannot find Crystal Hearts in The Underworld or the Dungeon.
5
Acquire the Demolitionist. To prompt the Demolitionist to appear, you merely need to have an Explosive item in your inventory. You can craft Explosives by combining three dynamite with one wire.^{[4]
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- As you might expect, you can buy explosive items from the Demolitionist.
- Explosives can rarely be found in the Underground layer, and Grenades, Bombs, and other explosive items spawn throughout the world.
6
Bring in the Dye Trader. In order to spawn the Dye Trader, you must place a dye item—be it a dye itself or an item used to craft dye—in your inventory after either defeating any pre-Hardmode boss or finding a Strange Plant.^{[5]
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- You can purchase the Dye Vat crafting station from the Dye Trader; additionally, bringing rare plants to him on modern consoles or the PC edition of Terraria will prompt him to reward you with dyes.
- The Dye Trader is not available on the 3DS version of Terraria.
7
Summon the Dryad. You must defeat any boss other than King Slime or the Wall of Flesh (or Lepus on mobile and 3DS) in order for the Dryad to spawn.
- The Dryad sells natural items, including Corruption- and Crimson-themed ones. The Dryad can also tell you how much of the world has been corrupted.
8
Attract the Tavernkeep. You'll have to kill either the Eater of Worlds or the Brain of Cthulu in order for him to appear, but he won't spawn in your house until you find and talk to him; he'll initially spawn as an Unconscious Man somewhere in the world, so talk to him in this state to bring him back to life.
- The Tavernkeep is only available on desktop.
- You can buy from the Tavernkeep several items which will make the Old One's Army boss fight significantly easier.
9
Get the Arms Dealer. The easiest way to unlock the Arms Dealer is by finding and picking up bullets, though obtaining a gun will also prompt him to appear. You can find bullets (and the occasional Musket) by breaking pots.^{[6]
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- The Arms Dealer sells guns and ammunition.
10
Bring in the Stylist. Once you find the Stylist in a Spider Nest, you can talk to her to prompt her to appear in the world.
- The Stylist doesn't appear in the 3DS version of Terraria. Spider Nests are small biomes located in the Cavern.^{[7]
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- You can purchase Hair Dyes and a new hairstyle from the Stylist.
11
Obtain the Painter. The Painter will naturally show up after you've gathered either 7 (desktop, modern console, and legacy console editions) or 4 (3DS and mobile editions) NPCs, so you should be able to obtain him at this point in the game if you've followed the above steps in order.
- The Painter sells paint items and tools. You can also buy wallpaper from him.^{[8]
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12
Wrangle the Angler. You'll find the Angler near an Ocean biome, so travel to an ocean-based area to find him. He is first seen as a "Sleeping Angler", but interacting with him will wake him up and allow him to move to one of your houses.
- The Angler doesn't sell items like the other NPCs, but he does give you fishing quests for which he rewards you upon completion.^{[9]
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13
Acquire the Goblin Tinkerer. The Goblin Tinkerer is randomly found in the Cavern layer, but only after defeating a Goblin Invasion. By speaking to the bound Goblin Tinkerer, you can untie him and prompt him to appear in an empty house.
- Goblin Invasions may occur during the daytime after a Shadow Orb or Crimson Heart has been destroyed, and at least one player in the game must have at least 200 health.^{[10]
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- The Goblin Tinkerer will sell the Tinkerer's Workshop item. He can also reforge broken items.^{[11]
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14
Summon the Witch Doctor. Killing the Queen Bee—a fight which can be triggered by killing the Queen Bee's larvae inside of a Hive in the Underground Jungle biome—will prompt the Witch Doctor to appear in your house as long as the house is suitable.^{[12]
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- The Witch Doctor sells several different items, including the Blowgun, the Imbuing Station, Fountains, and other equipment.
15
Get the Clothier. Beat the Skeletron boss Once you do that, the clothier can spawn in your house.^{[13]
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- The Clothier sells clothes and other vanity items.
- You cannot fight Skeletron during the daytime.
16
Find the Mechanic. You'll find the Mechanic while wandering through the Dungeon after defeating Skeletron; she randomly spawns tied up, and talking to her will prompt her to go to one of your vacant houses.^{[14]
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- The Mechanic sells Mechanism-related items, including the Wrench and Wire Cutters.
17
Get the Party Girl. After you've gathered either 13 other NPCs (desktop, modern console, and 3DS editions) or 8 other NPCs (legacy console and mobile editions), the Party Girl—who sells colorful items and furniture—has a 2.5 percent chance of spawning each morning under the following conditions:^{[15]
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- An empty house is available.
- No NPC is waiting to move into your house.

Community Q&A

Question

Which boss do i have to kill to get Angler?

Community Answer

None, you need to go the ocean and he will be found there, just talk to him and if you have a vacant house he will move in.
Question

How do I get the Star Cannon?

Community Answer

You need 1 Minishark (bought from the arms dealer for 35 gold), 20 Meteorite Bars (made from meteorite - to get a meteor, there is a chance one will fall at midnight after smashing a Shadow Orb or Crimson Heart), and 1 Fallen Star (found during the night). Once you have these items, craft them together at an anvil and you'll have a Star Cannon.
Question

Is there any particular way of noticing the stylist in a spider web?

Community Answer

You mostly have to go where all the spider webs are at and the stylist will appear when she has appeared. Unbind her and she will move in your house when you got enough space in your house.

Warnings

Some natural structures (e.g., trees or caves) may accidentally spawn NPCs if you've placed torches in them. This is because the natural structures can occasionally fulfill the technical requirements for a suitable house.

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