The Torch God



The Torch God is an event that is initiated by clustering a large number of Torches underground. It consists of dodging projectiles, and survivors are rewarded with the Torch God's Favor, an item which gives the player the option for their Torches to automatically match the biome they are in. Making sure Torches match the biome type they are in will positively influence the player's luck in most areas.

The event can begin once at least 101 Torches of any type are placed in close proximity below the Surface layer in any biome. It is possible for the event to start with less than 101 torches placed if the player is moving, due to the game's calculation incorrectly counting some Torches more than once. The Torch God will not begin for any character who has already consumed the Torch God's Favor or has one in their inventory.

As the Torch God begins, Torch flames shoot off at the player as projectiles, one at a time. They are fired in a random order, at a rate of three per second. The fireballs deal 40 / /  base damage,and pass through blocks to reach the player. After passing the player, they do collide with blocks, however. Each Torch shoots one fireball and extinguishes itself afterward, as if it was switched off via wire. For the entire duration of the event, the player is inflicted with the Blackout debuff, significantly reducing their vision.

The Torch God ends once all nearby Torches have been spent, to a maximum of 200 attacks. If at least 95 Torches fired, the player is rewarded with the Torch God's Favor item. All Torches re-light when the event ends. If the player dies or leaves the area, the event ends early and nothing is awarded.

While the event is active, the music will play. When Otherworldly music is enabled, the track will play instead.

Tips

 * Starting the event in an open area offers the player more room to dodge.
 * Only proper Torches become part of the Torch God. Non-Torch light sources like lanterns can provide light to the area without becoming fireballs.
 * Items that give the player a dodge chance, such as the Brain of Confusion, work against Torch fireballs.
 * Taken as an agility challenge, having mobility items like grappling hooks is preferred to help dodge the Torch fireballs.
 * Taken as an endurance challenge, having armor, buffs, and accessories that offer high defense is preferred to reduce the damage from the Torch fireballs.
 * The player can lessen enemy spawns using a Calming Potion and Peace Candle to reduce dangerous distractions from enemies, allowing the player to focus on dodging the fireballs.
 * Crimson Torches make the event harder. The fireballs they shoot are black and hard to see with the Blackout debuff applied. Conversely, Ultrabright Torches make the fireballs (and the arena) easy to see.
 * Ultrabright Torches are only sold by the Traveling Merchant. Fireballs from regular Torches should be easy enough to see, so it might not be worth going out of the way to wait for the right Traveling Merchant to come around.
 * The Torch God's Favor does not count as being in the inventory if it is in the trash slot, in a storage item like a Chest, or tossed to the ground. A player can use this to repeat the event.

Arena ideas
These are some brief ideas for creating a favorable environment to take the event in:
 * Create a large open area and line Torches around one edge to provide maximum dodging time.
 * Build a small, square arena with the Torches clustered in the center. Lay down Ropes and walkways to be able to circle the Torches.
 * Make a hellevator with a rope line and a Torch every 10 tiles, then place 101 Torches at the top and head down the rope line. By the time the player reaches the bottom, they should obtain Torch God's Favor.
 * Lay down a loop of Minecart Tracks around a cluster of 101 Torches. Hammer the rails so that the Minecart rides in circles around the Torches, and make use of bumpers and rail intersections as necessary.

Trivia

 * The Torch God, as well as its reward, was most likely introduced as a response to the controversial "bad torch luck" feature introduced in 1.4.0.1 and removed in 1.4.0.3, which would punish players for using the wrong torch type in a given biome (e.g. using Ice Torches in the Underground Jungle as opposed to Jungle Torches).
 * The Torch God was initially discussed on live stream by Terraria streamer Pedguin on May 24th, 2020, as a way for Redigit to punish players for placing the wrong Torch. Redigit commented in the chat that he liked the idea.
 * The Torch God event is called  in the game's source code.
 * When shot, each fireball emits the used by several casters and magic weapons.
 * The Torch God is one of the few entities in the Bestiary that has a 5-star rating, making it one of the only 4 bosses with a 5-star rarity.