Hooks



Hooks are a class of tools that aid the player in traversing terrain. When used, a chain is fired that latches a surface and hoists the player towards it. A Hook becomes an essential tool, as it offers significant freedom from terrain height restrictions, and will often be the first major mobility aid a player acquires. Hooks are acquired in various ways depending on their type (see table below).

The hotkey activates the equipped Hook in the player's equipment slot, or the first Hook from the inventory (reading it from left→right, top→bottom) without requiring that the Hook be in the player's hotbar. On the mobile version, dragging quickly from the player outwards casts the Hook in the drag direction.

Several higher-tier Hooks, like the Ivy Whip, allow the player to grapple multiple surfaces simultaneously. If the character grapples one surface, then fires the Hook a second time, another chain extends from the player without dislodging the first. Upon grappling a second surface, the player will be suspended in midair at a point midway between the two surfaces. This allows players more freedom during construction, or for navigating hazardous areas, such as those above lava.

Types
Hooks vary in their range, velocity, number of deployable hooks, and number of hooks that can remain latched simultaneously.


 * All crafted Hooks are crafted at the Iron Anvil or Lead Anvil, with the exception of the Lunar Hook, crafted at the Ancient Manipulator.
 * Single Hooks dislodge immediately when firing again while already latched to a surface.
 * Multi-Hooks without simultaneous latching (Dual Hook; also the Fish Hook prior to 1.3) can fire a second chain, but will dislodge the first chain when the second latches a surface.
 * A Multi-Hook can be fired again only after the previous chain latched a surface or fully retracted. The Dual Hook and Web Slinger are exceptions, and can be fired very rapidly &mdash; nearly as fast as the player can hit the button.

Tips

 * When sprinting accessories are equipped, the burst of speed provided by a Hook upon latching a surface can be used to accelerate a player to sprinting speed instantly.
 * The Ice Rod can provide blocks to grapple while flying with Wings, repeatedly resetting flight time in midair.
 * Characters that have hooked a block are immune to gravity and knockback. Grappling the ground in dangerous locations, such as near lava, can ensure you don't fall in when taking damage from an enemy.
 * Players can also exploit immunity to gravity by "grappling the ground" to prevent fall damage.
 * Simultaneous-latch multi-hooks are more useful for intricate maneuvers. When fast travel is preferred, individually-latching multi-hooks allow faster transit, since they immediately sling the player across gaps, rather than automatically suspending them midway first.
 * Hooks that can be fired in rapid succession (Dual Hook, Web Slinger) provide more security during falls: In case the first firing fails to latch a surface, another chain can be fired immediately to try again.
 * If a player grapples onto the middle of a door, and opens it while still grappled, the player will fly out with immense speed in the direction that he or she grapples onto the door with. The same effect can be achieved with Actuators. When there are Frozen Slime Blocks on the other side of the door, this speed will be kept and can be used for very rapid transportation in a skybridge etc.
 * The Candy Cane Hook has the same sell value as the Hardmode hooks, although it can be obtained Pre-Hardmode. It is also one of the few items with Lime rarity that can be obtained Pre-Hardmode.
 * Moving whilst latched with the Anti-Gravity Hook doesn't count as movement for the purpose of mana regeneration. It also provides a simple way to dodge quickly even when under the effects of reduced movement speed (such as from the Vortex armor's special ability).

Trivia

 * The Fish Hook is a play on words, using the term for the real-life fishing tool for a grappling hook with the same appearance.
 * The tooltip for the Grappling Hook, "Get over here!", is a reference to Scorpion's catch phrase in Mortal Kombat.
 * The tooltip for the Lunar Hook "You want the moon? Just grapple it and pull it down!" is a possible reference to It's a Wonderful Life's famous quote from George Bailey: "You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down."
 * The Bat Hook is most likely a reference to DC's Batman, who uses a grappling hook that reels in very quickly, usually launching him up onto ledges.
 * The Web Slinger is a reference to Marvel's Spider-Man, who is often referred to as the "Web Slinger" due to his ability to sling webs.

History
Grappins