Health

Health is the character's life count, represented by a meter of heart icons at the top-right of the screen. Each red heart shown represents 20 health. Taking damage causes health to drop, signified by the meter fading from right to left. Life regenerates when the character stops taking damage, and occurs at ever-increasing rates the longer the character avoids further damage, with a further rate boost if the character stands still. Regeneration can also be boosted using various equippable items, potions, and placed furniture items that cause area-effect buffs (Heart Lantern, Campfire).

New characters begin with 5 red hearts, or 100 health. Maximum health can be increased using Life Crystals, which add a single red heart each to the health meter permanently, increasing maximum health by 20 each. This can be done until the health meter reaches 20 red hearts (400 health).

Later in the game, the character can use Life Fruit to increase the capacity of their hearts to 25 health each, signified by permanently turning the color of each heart yellow. With 15 Life Crystals and 20 Life Fruits used, a character can reach 20 yellow hearts, which equals 500 maximum health. A further temporary boost to 600 maximum health can be achieved using a Lifeforce Potion.

Taking damage
Damage occurs from enemy attacks, environmental hazards, falling, or drowning. Taking damage causes a brief period of invulnerability while the character visually "flashes". When a character's life reaches 0 and all hearts are completely faded, death occurs.


 * Enemies, such as Slimes, Zombies and Skeletons typically deal damage by touching the character. Other more powerful enemies like Fire Imps or Harpies can also damage the character via projectiles. Damage from enemies typically inflicts knockback on the character in addition, sending them flying through the air away from the source of the damage.


 * Environment objects can cause damage, such as Spikes and thorns that grow in Corruption and Jungle areas, which hurt the character when touched. Hellstone and Meteorite blocks also deal damage via Burning, and Lava causes a high rate of damage via the On Fire! debuff.


 * Fall damage occurs from falling more than 25 tiles (50 feet) onto blocks, and causes more damage the further the fall. A single fall from an extreme height can kill a character.


 * Drowning occurs when the character's Breath Meter is depleted form remaining under water or other liquids for too long.

Preventing damage
Main articles: Defense and Armor

By wearing armor and equipping certain accessories, characters can increase their defense which decreases damage taken. In addition to simply decreasing damage, some items can mitigate or eliminate certain forms of damage. All accessories can have mods that grant up to 4 defense in addition to their other bonuses and functions.

Preventing Drowning
These items are specifically for the purpose of avoiding getting stuck and drowning in water/other liquids.

Lava safety
These accessories are specifically for the purpose of mitigating or negating the effects of falling into lava.

Restoring health
Lost health can be regained in many ways. If the character has access to a Nurse then they can ask her to heal them to full by paying her a fee based on how much damage has been taken. There are also several items that can be used to heal the character. The character will automatically start regenerating health after a short period if no damage has been taken, and it will do it faster while standing still or when near a regeneration aiding block (Heart Lantern or Campfire).

Note that healing effects will not exceed your maximum health and any healing beyond the maximum is lost. It is advisable to avoid overhealing when healing items are scarce.

Almost all consumable restoration items are affected by a shared consumable healing item cooldown, excluding the Regeneration Potion. The cooldown is 60 seconds long and begins when a consumable healing item is used. During this period the character is not allowed to consume any more consumable healing items. This prevents characters from bypassing hazardous areas, enemies, or surviving long, difficult battles through constant item consumption.