Guide:Skipping ahead

This guide is titled Skipping Stones because it is about skipping certain stepping stones in game progression in order to progress farther in the game sooner than intended. It is recommended that, if you plan on following this guide, you have experience with Terraria and its combat mechanics. You'll be going into areas with gear far weaker than intended, so unless you know what you're doing, you won't last long.

Getting Started
If you wish to rush into high tiers of equipment as soon as possible, you may choose to simply not build any houses. You will not have to build a house for the Guide, Goblin Tinkerer or Wizard, as they will initially appear even when no houses are available. Keep in mind though, unless you have houses, these NPCs will not respawn after they die for the first time. Additionally, certain items that can prove invaluable later on, such as the Clentaminator or Autohammer, or even Bombs are bought from NPCs that require a house to move in. If you do chose to build houses, make sure they are grouped together and secure from attacks from enemies such as Wraiths or Wyverns.

First Steps
Assuming you're starting with a fresh character in a newly generated world, you have a few options on the first day. Your starting Copper Pickaxe will probably do for now, but the tiny hitbox, slow speed and miniscule damage of your starting Copper Shortsword leaves you woefully underarmed for even the most basic of enemies. It's incredibly easy to chop down a nearby tree and craft a Wooden Sword, but it may not be necessary. Exploring the surface for a short while will eventually lead to the discovery of ordinary brown chests, usually surrounded by breakable Pots as well. These will provide you with Rope and Torches at the very least, which are essential to exploring further underground earlier. However, what you're really looking for in these chests is one of four powerful early-game weapons: Any of these are adequate substitutes for a Wooden Sword, but there's really no reason to not make one anyway. You may also find Shurikens and Throwing Knives which, while limited, will allow you to do some damage from a distance if needed. Grenades are also pretty common, but their use in combat is limited compared to gaining early access to the Demolitionist, which is essential to getting better weapons - potentially before the sun even goes down. Outside of offensive items, the following items may also be found.
 * , a powerful melee weapon that can hit enemies multiple times with a single stab.
 * , a "ranged" melee weapon that can be thrown as often as you can catch it.
 * , an early ranged weapon for which ammunition is plentiful.
 * , an early magic weapon whose fireballs can pierce.
 * Bars of Copper, Tin, Iron or Lead that can be used to upgrade tools or weapons.
 * The Umbrella, which negates fall damage while held. This can be used to go deep underground with little equipment, though getting out will still be complicated.
 * Climbing Claws, which can uncomplicate the task of getting out of a deep hole you've fallen into and remain useful into Hardmode, both alone and combined.
 * Potions, especially Lesser Healing Potions and Recall Potions.
 * Arrows, which are useful if you've built a Wooden Bow.
 * Money. It's not uncommon to have five or more gold before the sun starts to set.

If you can gather ten Cobwebs, a Wooden Yoyo can prove to be very invaluable in your early exploration, as it has more range than any Wooden Sword and can be manoeuvred around corners and through small holes. This makes it useful for dealing with the many monsters you will encounter in your exploration.

If you're expedient then you can begin building shelter, though it's not likely to be finished by nightfall. Try to finish two houses, one for the Guide you start with and another for the Merchant to move into. Buying an Iron Anvil for is much more efficient than building a work bench and a furnace to ultimately burn through fifteen Iron Ore.

All in all, spending the first day exploring and treasure hunting is far more productive than digging holes or chopping wood. What to do when night falls becomes a bit of a bigger question without shelter, but with all things considered, the options are limited. If you spend all night in a shelter waiting for sunrise, there's little difference between a small wooden shack with a chair and a person-sized hole in the ground with some dirt overhead - the Zombies and Demon Eyes will leave at sunrise, of course, so just dig your way out and build your shelter on day two.

If you're a bit more daring, you can opt for the more dangerous page of staying up all night fighting. Bear in mind that your gear and health at this point might make this a daunting task, regardless of skill level (and especially in Expert Mode) - it's easy to get mobbed from all directions, and lighting will generally be poor. However, if you survive the night (or even if you don't and just keep at it) there's more treasure to be had. Zombies drop Shackles, which both increase defence and carry modifiers, as well as Banners that can be sold for 20 silver each. What you're really after in this is the Zombie Arm, a powerful early melee weapon comparable to the much later Tungsten Broadsword.

Even the surface has better options than just regular wooden armor. If you're still on the first or second day, you're unlikely to have the several dozen ingots required to craft metal armours, but "high-tier" wooden armors made from Ebonwood and Shadewood are comparable. While you'll have to deal with attacks from Eaters of Souls, Crimeras and even Face Monsters, it shouldn't take long to chop down a few trees and toss together some armor. If you're feeling daring, or if you've got an Aglet with a particularly good Modifier, you may even choose to skip armor outright - almost all enemies at this stage in the game are melee based and susceptible to knockback, so if you don't get hit then your damage resistance (or lack thereof) doesn't matter.

If your world generated with corruption, and you're feeling particularly patient, you can farm Eaters of Souls to get Ancient Shadow armor, which can provide a nice boost in defense and speed.

Going Underground (the hard way)
Now, on day two, it's time to get a gun.

By now, you should have scouted out where the Corruption or Crimson is located, and now it's time to go there. No pickaxe able to be crafted at this stage has the ability to break Ebonstone or Crimstone and allow the player to reach the Shadow Orbs or Crimson Hearts. Ironically, you have to break them in order to reach them- breaking three hearts or orbs causes a boss to appear, which drops some materials used to craft the pickaxes that can mine through these harder materials. In some sense, every player has to skip a stone in this way, but this is the earliest way to do it.

Note that no boss is going to be fought here yet. You are after something much more interesting. While destroying three of these will cause the biome's representative boss to spawn, each individual one drops a bunch of treasure as well. Most importantly, the first of either, when broken, has a 100% chance to drop 25 to 50 Musket Balls, as well as a specific type of Gun: While there are differences that may affect an individual's preference, either of these guns supersedes any bow available until the moments just before hardmode in terms of raw damage, as well as Musket Balls dealing more damage as ammunition than Arrows while still being cheaper. While they won't be competitive with weapons you'll find later, they'll allow you to prevail over the Goblin Invasion that is certainly coming after you break your first orb or heart.
 * , found in the Corruption, fires slowly but deals high per-hit damage.
 * , found in the Crimson, fires quickly but deals less damage per shot.

Admittedly, this requires a bit of luck to start out - one of those chests or pots you found earlier has to have had some Grenades in it, and hopefully you didn't use them. If you're holding it in your inventory and have a free house, then the Demolitionist will move in, ready to sell you the much more important Bombs (as well as the more destructive but expensive Dynamite, if that's more your speed). These will destroy terrain, including the impenetrable tainted stone of a chasm.

Descending into the chasm itself is easy if you've found an Umbrella or plan to slide down with Climbing Claws, though getting out may still be hard. Using Rope to make a quick way in and out is optimal. Once inside, find one of the hearts or orbs - they glow with the biome's colour, making them hard to miss in the dark underground - and blast a hole to it with bombs. Another bomb will destroy it as well, giving you an ominous system message and a loot drop. In addition to your new firearm, you may find the following:

From Shadow Orbs: From Crimson Hearts:
 * A different type of Shadow Orb that, when used, creates a light-emitting orb that follows you.
 * The Vilethorn is fittingly, very effective against the multi-segmented Eater of Worlds you'll eventually fight in this same biome.
 * The Ball O' Hurt can be handy for fighting large groups of enemies or attacking from range.
 * The Band of Starpower may be less useful than other treasures, but it can still be combined with other accessories later in the game.
 * A different type of Crimson Heart that, when used, creates a light-emitting heart that bounces after you.
 * The Crimson Rod is very efficient for dealing with stronger enemies, as it will continue dealing damage after you flee the spot. It is also effective against the biome's boss, the Brain of Cthulhu, though it's a bit less of a hard counter.
 * The Rotted Fork is a lifesaver, as it is the strongest spear-type weapon you'll get your hands on before The Underworld.
 * The Panic Necklace, while limited in use, can allow for faster escape from dangerous monsters.

Feel free to break a second orb if you can, but avoid breaking a third one unless you want to battle the boss. While you're down here, you may choose to open up paths to other orbs or hearts as well, in preparation for eventually finishing these biomes. Otherwise, you can go home.

Arguably a more important side effect of this process, though, is that Meteors may now fall in your world, potentially providing you with significant amounts of Meteorite. If you can acquire this material, it's possible to essentially skip the Eater of Worlds or Brain of Cthulhu, and proceed directly to Hardmode from there - though you won't exactly have an easy time there without some work, as the meteor set has no pickaxe. At this point you may have to slow it down a bit, as it's possible that your first meteor will fall somewhere totally inaccessible, like the bottom of the Ocean or high on a Floating Island, though more will fall in time. During the wait until you're ready to gather this material, though, you may want to work on your town, building suitable shelters for the NPCs you currently have and to house others you may want - as well as fortifying your settlement against the looming Goblin Invasion, one of the few threats to a player on the surface at this stage. However, at the moment you have a fairly powerful ranged weapon and at least a few other utility items. While you aren't quite ready for the Dungeon yet, you should be able to survive any biome on the surface, as well as freely venture underground to collect ores and treasure with little trouble.

To the Jungle
After getting geared up a bit more (or maybe not, if you're feeling confident), you could head to the Jungle. A ranged weapon is heavily recommended here, as the Hornets can be deadly if taken on with a weak sword. Gather as many Stingers, Jungle Spores, and Vines as you can. Because of the Jungle's large caves, this is the best place to quickly find more gear, such as the Cloud in a Bottle, Magic Mirror, Shoe Spikes and if you're lucky, a Lava Charm. If your expedition is a success, you should make a Blade of Grass, Thorn Chakram, and Ivy Whip. You're almost set for Hardmode already! If you come across a Beehive, it can be a good idea to snag some Honey, or even battle Queen Bee herself. But if you can't seem to find success in the Jungle, or simply want to make your start somewhere else, there are plenty of other options.

Skipping the Eater/Brain
The Eater of Worlds and Brain of Cthulhu are both needed to make a pickaxe strong enough to mine Hellstone, which is a necessity for starting Hardmode. But, technically, they aren't. If you get a Fishing Pole and head to the Ocean, there's a chance you'll find a Reaver Shark. This aquatic creature is as strong as a Molten Pickaxe, so you won't have to bother getting any Hellstone. Even if you skip these grotesque bosses, you'll still want to break Shadow Orbs/Demon Hearts, as they will let meteorites begin falling, as well as giving a chance for Goblin Invasions to happen. (Note: Since 1.3, beating the Eater of Worlds or Brain of Cthulhu is required for the Voodoo Demon to spawn in the Underworld.)

The Goblin Invasion
The Goblin Invasion can be skipped as well, but doing so can be a very large mistake, as beating the invasion will allow the Goblin Tinkerer to appear, and he is needed for combining accessories and improving your gear. He also sells the Rocket Boots, which are very handy for the treacherous lava pits of the underworld that you'll soon be facing.

To the Dungeon... or not
The Dungeon has many items that can prove invaluable... but it's by no means required. If you're feeling bold, feel free to completely ignore the Dungeon. If you're planning on fighting with magical weapons, though, you may want to take a peek at the entrance and see if you can find a Water Bolt. Leaving Skeletron is also a good way to save the Dungeon Guardians for when you have Hardmode gear, to get yourself a Bone Key. Regardless, it's always a good idea to kill Skeletron and delve into the Dungeon, as items such as the Muramasa and Cobalt Shield can almost be too good to give up.

More Preparation
By now you should have a set of Jungle Armor, Shadow Armor, Crimson Armor, or Necro Armor. If any meteorites fell now is a good time to decide if you want Meteor Armor and the Space Gun or not. If you want meteor gear, but haven't had any luck with meteorites, smash Orbs/Hearts between 12:00am and 4:30am for maximum meteor landings, or, if you have a Shadow Key you can try your luck on the many Shadow Chests of the Underworld, as they can contain Meteorite Bars. By now you need a pickaxe strong enough to mine hellstone, as the Hardmode ores are practically impossible to skip, and can't be mined without a Molten Pickaxe or Reaver Shark.

Tying Up Loose Ends
There's absolutely no way to skip the Wall of Flesh, so the skipping frenzy will have to end here. Make sure to get the Frostspark Boots, collect the last of your NPCs, and obtain the Lava Waders. You should also get 400 health and make a surface Mushroom Biome before you go any farther. In the Underworld, you should hunt down and collect a Hellforge and mine a lot of Hellstone. You need enough to make a Molten Pickaxe (if you don't have a Reaver Shark), and (for melee players) a Fiery Greatsword. Anything more is optional. Once you have the Fiery Greatsword, use it to craft Night's Edge. If you're lucky and find an Obsidian Rose or Magma Stone while in the Underworld, they will be of great help in the next battle.

The Wall of Flesh
If you're unprepared and extremely confident, you can choose to battle the Wall of Flesh right away. Death is very, very likely, as the Wall of Flesh is very difficult to defeat (especially in Expert Mode), so as to deter the unprepared from going into Hardmode. If you aren't extremely confident, you should spend a bit more time gearing up.

The Wall of Flesh is both the metaphorical and literal wall in the way of advancing your world into Hardmode, so you'll have to give this battle everything you've got. If you have Lava Waders or an Obsidian Skin Potion, and Rocket Boots, a bridge will be unnecessary; otherwise, it can be a lifesaver. Now, gather your courage, and drop the voodoo doll into the lava... but not before you make sure your Guide is still alive. If he has died and not respawned, the voodoo doll will be completely wasted and you'll have to start looking for another Voodoo Demon.

Hardmode
After you have won, Hardmode will begin. Although Hardmode may seem far more nonlinear, this is an illusion, as you must fight the bosses in a specific order. First, you must take out the Mechanical bosses, and then beat Plantera.

Jungle Temple
The Jungle Temple normally cannot be entered before defeating Plantera, and not without consuming a Temple Key. Some methods exist to circumvent this requirement:
 * It is possible to get inside by placing three Platforms in front of the door and hammering them once. Simply walk towards them while pressing the "down" key.


 * The Holy Hand Grenade is an easy way to break into the Jungle Temple. It destroys the brick walls and can be formed with a combination of Dynamite, Gold Bars, and Bottled Water.
 * The Rod of Discord can be used to teleport to the other side of the door, given the targeted location is free of Lihzahrd Brick Walls. These can be removed with a hammer or Hamaxe while the character is still on the outside.
 * The Rod of Discord can also be used to teleport inside an Underground Cabin that intersects the Temple, given it has Planked Walls.
 * It's possible to place Teleporters on both sides of the door, link them together with Wire, and trigger them with a lever or somesuch. This allows characters to easily get around the door, especially if the trigger is a self-activating Pressure Plate. This will likewise only work if the teleporters' backgrounds are free of Lihzahrd Brick Walls.
 * Creating passages (the bigger the better) from the top of the Temple to the surface allows meteorites to crash into it. This will replace Lihzahrd Bricks with meteorite ore, letting the player dig into the Temple prior to getting the Picksaw. The chance of this happening is somewhat slim, though, but can be increased by placing chests all over the world. With that being done, the meteorite is bound to crash into the temple, since it would be the only place for it to crash into.
 * If the temple spawned protruding into The Underworld, it is possible to get in by fighting the Wall of Flesh, having it pull you inside the Temple and then immediately killing the Wall.
 * Using the Unicorn Mount you can enter the temple early. Seen Here
 * Make the 2 blocks either side of the door half slabs using a hammer, then use a Grappling Hook to attach to the bottom tile of the door. Then hammer the 2nd tile on the outside of the door 3 times. This will flip you to the other side of the door. This works both ways, but ensure that the tile is returned to its half state, else you can get stuck.
 * It is possible, by coincidence and fortunate spawning, that a Jungle Shrine will spawn in the wall, allowing you to enter without using any of the aforementioned methods.
 * Sometimes, albeit very rarely, the temple may generate with holes in the walls that will allow easy access.