NPCs

An NPC (non-player character) is an automated character that provides some service to players. Players can utilize NPCs by standing near them and right-clicking on them.

Most NPCs are vendors, providing items in exchange for coins (and coins in exchange for items). Exceptions are the Guide, who provides information; the Old Man, who is used to summon Skeletron; and the Nurse, who provides Health restoration in exchange for coins instead. As well as selling items, the Goblin Tinkerer provides the Reforge function, and the Dryad tells you the percentage of the world occupied by Corruption/Crimson and Hallow.

As of the 1.2.3 update, there can be up to 21 NPCs total at one time in one world. The Old Man and the Clothier may not be present in the same world at the same time without the use of a map editor.

Conditions
Most NPCs require a suitable, vacant Home built by the player. This is a confined room (completely enclosed by walls, wooden platforms or doors) with background walls, and certain furniture and space requirements. See Home for details.

Most NPCs also require that their specific conditions be met, usually meaning the player must achieve a certain level of advancement in the game. Examples include acquiring 50 silver coins for the Merchant to spawn, or beating your first Boss for the Dryad to appear. See the specific NPC requirements in the table below.

NPCs can be assigned to suitable homes using NPC Flags from the Housing Menu, where you can also check whether a room is a suitable home. Currently though, the Housing Menu checking tool is glitchy, reporting suitable homes even when some conditions are not met. Refer to Home for more extensive details.

The Guide and Old Man are unique in that they always spawn upon creating a world. The Guide will also move into the first home you build. If he dies, he will need a proper home to respawn. The Old Man does not move into built homes, but always appears near the Dungeon's entrance, and respawns the following day if killed. He despawns permanently once Skeletron is defeated.

It appears that NPCs will sometimes move out of their houses if there is Corruption nearby. NPCs will not move back in until the Corruption is cleared.

NPCs will take about 2 minutes to spawn after another NPC has spawned or dawn passes.

Selling
All NPC vendors can be used to sell your unwanted or surplus items to gain coins, simply by placing your unwanted item(s) in their inventory. Not all items have a sell value (very common items such as Dirt or Wood have no value). Hovering over your item while the NPC's inventory is open will show its sell value. All NPC vendors offer the same coin value, at all times, for any given item.

Should you change your mind about a sale, sold items can be taken back in exchange for the amount you sold them for, as long you haven't yet closed the NPC's inventory screen. This does not hold true for items you purchase from an NPC's inventory, as purchases are permanent, and re-selling will not get you back the full amount you paid (sell value is always one fifth of its buy value).

Buying
Holding the right mouse button will allow the player to buy the item in bulk, at an increasing speed, the longer you hold it. This is sometimes faster than pressing the left mouse button repeatedly, but it's easy to go over the amount you initially intended.

Biome Specific Items
As of the 1.2 update, certain NPC's will sell special items if their house is located within a specific biome.

Multiple NPCs
Note: This relates to a feature that has now been removed.

It WAS possible (before version 1.1) to have up to two additional Merchants in a multiplayer server, as well as another Nurse.(This no longer works since 1.1)

History

 * Stylist Introduced
 * Traveling Merchant Introduced
 * Steampunker Introduced
 * Truffle Introduced
 * Cyborg Introduced
 * Pirate Introduced
 * Witch Doctor Introduced
 * Party Girl Introduced
 * Dye Trader Introduced
 * Painter Introduced
 * Santa Claus Introduced