The Torch God



The Torch God is a mini-event where the player is put through a short trial by fire, initiated by clustering 100–200 Torches underground. Survivors are rewarded with the Torch God's Favor, 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 Torch Luck in most areas. The trial can begin once at least 100 Torches are placed in close proximity, at a depth of at least 200 tiles (400 feet) below the Surface layer in any biome. The event might start with fewer Torches only if the player is moving, thanks to the game's calculation counting some Torches more than once. The Torch God will not begin the trial for any character who already has the Torch God's Favor – whether the character consumed the reward item or they have one in their inventory.

As the trial begins, Torch flames shoot off at the player as projectiles, one at a time. The fireballs deal 40 / /  damage, move in straight lines, and pass through blocks to reach the player. Meanwhile, the player is inflicted with the Blackout debuff, significantly reducing their vision. The player passes by surviving. The trial 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 trial area, the event ends early and nothing is awarded.

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

Tips

 * Digging or blasting out an open area offers the player more room to dodge.
 * Only proper Torches become part of the trial. Non-Torch light sources like Lanterns can provide light to the area without becoming fireballs.
 * The Rod of Discord or the Hook of Dissonance makes dodging easier.
 * Items that give the player a dodge chance, such as the Black Belt or the Brain of Confusion, work against torch fire.
 * Taken as an agility challenge, having mobility items like wings or grappling hooks is preferred to help dodge the torch fireballs.
 * Taken as an endurance challenge, having armor, buffs, and accessories that offer high defense and damage resistance 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. A player can use this to repeat the trial.

Arena ideas
These are some brief ideas for creating a favorable environment to take the Torch God's trial 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 100 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 100 Torches. Hammer the rails so that the Minecart rides circles around the torches, and make use of bumpers and rail intersections as necessary. Done well, this can allow for a cheap, flawless victory.

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). See Redigit's statement on people using "wrong torches".
 * The Torch God was initially discussed on live stream by Pedguin on May 24th, 2020, as a way for Redigit to punish players for placing the wrong torch, with Redigit commenting in the chat that he liked the idea.
 * The Torch God event is called  in the game's source code.
 * The Torch God is one of the few things in the bestiary that has a 5 star rating, making it one of the only 4 bosses with a 5 star rarity.

History
Le Dieu des torches O Deus da Tocha 火把神