Terraria: 16 Best Items That Give A Permanent Buff (2024)

When it comes to Terraria, you always have to be on the lookout for ways to boost your stats and gain an advantage in the game. Permanent buffs are a great way to achieve this, and there are plenty of them available as of the Labor of Love update, for those willing to put in the effort to obtain them.

Whether increasing your health, mana, defense, or even your item-selling abilities, permanent buffs can make a big difference. From Life Fruits to Arcane Crystals, these upgrades will give you the edge you need to conquer the game's challenges and emerge victorious.

Updated July 3, 2024, by William Quick: Following the recent Anniversary Celebration of Terraria's long-running activity, it's nice to return to the various elements that make the game fun to play alone or with others. So many bits and pieces come and work together in interesting ways which can reward you in some of the most amazing ways. By doing this, you can unlock powerful permanent buffs that can completely change how the game is played. Here are some of the best ones you can find and the items that grant them.

16 Chlorophyte Armor

Dressed In Plants

When you do multiple runs in Terraria, you'll get to know the Jungle Biome quite well and may want to join it. You can achieve this by beating all the Mechanical Bosses and getting the Chlorophyte Armor in Hardmode. You can do this by crafting it by using Chlorophyte Bars on a Mythril or Orichalcum Anvil. Once you put on the full set, you won't regret it.

On top of getting a pretty sweet armor set, you'll gain a permanent buff, which is the Leaf Crystal. This little thing will follow around you and fire volleys of projectiles at any enemies that dare come into range. It's a great way to increase your damage output while also helping to warn of incoming danger.

15 Merfolk Shells

Become One With Water

Terraria has mastered a lot of mechanics to make the game fun, complex, and challenging, but that doesn't change the fact that swimming is an annoying ordeal. There are things that you can do to make things easier, but you'd have a better time trying to get Neptune's Shell. It has a very small chance to drop from a Creature of the Deep (during a Solar Eclipse), but it has an amazing effect.

By using this mystical shell, swimming struggles and inconveniences become a thing of the past. It allows you to transform into a Merfolk whenever you're in the water, which greatly improves your swimming abilities and lets you breathe underwater indefinitely. It makes any watery adventure much easier and more enjoyable.

14 Stardust Armor

Wear Your Star-Power

Despite how grounded (to a degree) Terraria is, it includes a lot of space and sci-fi themes, the more you explore. The 'final' boss is the Moon Lord, and it is possible to get equipment and gear that's got actual stars in it. Among the most impressive is the Stardust Armor, which you can craft using Stardust Fragments, Luminite Bars, and the Ancient Manipulator (after beating the Moon Lord).

After putting in all the effort to get this armor set, you'll be pleasantly surprised when you put it on. Not only does it make you look cool and shiny, but it summons a giant Stardust Guardian to serve as your bodyguard. It's strong, fast, and doesn't even count towards your total summoned units, meaning it leaves plenty of room to share the stage.

13 Gummy Worm

Fishing With Candy

One of the many single-use consumables that the Shimmer introduced, the Gummy Worm, is a delicious way to improve your Fishing skill forever. Once you've discovered where the Shimmer is (usually on the same side of the map as the Jungle, and deep underground), you've unlocked loads of new ways to permanently buff your character.

For the Gummy Worm, you'll first need a Gold Worm. These have a 0.25 percent chance of spawning in place of a regular Worm, which tends to turn up in the rain, at night, or crawl around underground. To catch it, use a Bug Net, but don't fish with it yet! You can sell it for a decent ten gold, but to increase your Fishing by three, simply chuck it in the Shimmer.

12 Artisan Loaf

Totally Baked

This is another snack to up your stats permanently, but this time without the aid of the Shimmer. The Artisan Loaf is technically available from day two, as long as the Skeleton Merchant decides to stock it. The inventory changes every time you meet, though the best time for this bread is during a Waning Crescent, Waxing Crescent, or New Moon. So make sure you always check in if he pops up while you're mining.

For ten Gold, you can buy an Artisan Loaf once per player. It will never appear again after you've consumed it, but it will grant you increased range when using crafting stations. To start with, you have to be within three blocks of an Anvil, for example, but the Artisan Loaf extends this to seven blocks on every axis.

11 Galaxy Pearl

All Of Space For A Pearl

As in many games, luck is a hidden mechanic in Terraria. There are many secret ways to get more luck, but a fairly reliable one is by fishing up Oysters in the oasis of deserts and shucking them for Pearls. You have about a 20 percent chance of getting a Pearl from an Oyster. However, what you want are the mega-rare Pink Pearls. There's only 1.33 percent of shucking a pink one.

Pearls can be turned into Luck Potions. However, keep the first Pink Pearl you find and throw it into the Shimmer. You'll receive a beautiful Galaxy Pearl, which, upon consuming it, permanently increases your luck by 0.03. Doesn't sound like much, but it all adds up!

10 Life Crystals

Minerals Come Alive

Life Crystals can permanently increase your maximum health by 20 points, up to 400. They are typically found underground and shaped like Hearts, and you can obtain them by mining. In addition to being found underground, Life Crystals can also be obtained by fishing in Titanium or Gold crates.

Life Crystals are a crucial component in your journey toward endgame content because they allow you to survive more hits from enemies and bosses. They are especially important if you prefer melee-oriented builds, as they often require close combat and can take a lot of damage in the process.

9 Mana Crystal

Classic Magic Rocks

Mana Crystals are items that permanently increase your maximum mana by 20 points up to 200. They can be crafted by combining five Fallen Stars at a workbench, and you can find Fallen Stars scattered across the map during nighttime.

Mana Crystals are essential for magic-oriented builds, as they help you to cast more spells before running out of mana. Mana is consumed every time a spell is cast, and having a higher maximum mana pool allows you to cast more spells before needing to wait for mana to regenerate. Mana Crystals are also used in crafting certain items, such as the Band of Star Power or the Arcane Crystal, making them a valuable resource.

8 Life Fruits

Death-Defying Nutrition

Life Fruits are consumable items that permanently increase your maximum health by five points up to 500 and are essentially a Hardmode version of the Life Crystals. They can be found growing in the underground jungle biome and are distinguishable by their bright yellow and green coloring.

Life Fruits are an important resource if you’re looking to increase your survival rate, especially when tackling the game's harder bosses and enemies. A higher health pool allows you to take more damage and can make all the difference in tough battles.

7 Peddler’s Satchel

Carry Your Wares

The Peddler's Satchel is an item that can only be used once per world in Terraria permanently increasing the number of items sold by the Traveling Merchant. Normally, the Traveling Merchant will only sell a limited number of items each day he arrives, but with the Peddler's Satchel, this limit is increased by one.

To obtain a Peddler's Satchel, you need to throw a Peddler's Hat into a Shimmering Liquid pool. The Peddler's Hat can only be obtained by killing the Traveling Merchant. The Peddler’s Satchel is especially useful if you want to purchase rare or hard-to-find items from the Traveling Merchant.

6 Torch God’s Favor

The Light Of The Divine

Torch God's Favor is another highly sought-after permanent buff that you can obtain in Terraria. To get this buff, you must survive The Torch God event, which involves dodging fireballs shot from the torches you place to start the event.

Torch God's Favor permanently grants you the ability to automatically convert regular Torches and Campfires in your hand to the current biome's Torch/Campfire variant. This increases your luck in most areas of the game, including increased chances for rare item drops and critical damage. In addition, the buff also provides a unique aesthetic change, with your torch being themed according to the biome you’re in.

5 Vital Crystal

You Need It

The Vital Crystal is a highly valuable permanent buff that you can find in Terraria. To obtain the Vital Crystal, you must throw a Life Crystal into a Shimmering Liquid pool, a rare and hard-to-find resource in the Aether biome.

Upon using the Vital Crystal, you will gain a permanent boost to your health regeneration. It's worth noting that the Vital Crystal doesn't increase health regeneration directly, instead, it increases regeneration ramping speed by 20 percent. It can be extremely useful in battles especially boss fights, as it also allows you to survive and regenerate your health quickly if your health is low.

4 Aegis Fruit

Very Tough Produce

The Aegis Fruit is a consumable item in Terraria that grants you a permanent buff that increases defense by four. Defense is essential in this game, making you take less damage for every hit. You can get the Aegis Fruit by throwing a Life Fruit into a Shimmering Liquid pool. Once obtained, the Aegis Fruit can be consumed to grant you a permanent defense buff.

It's worth noting that the Aegis Fruit can only be used once per character. This means that it's a good idea to use the Aegis Fruit on a character that you plan on using for a long time, as it can provide a significant and long-lasting benefit to your gameplay.

3 Arcane Crystal

Artifact Rocks

The Arcane Crystal is a rare and powerful consumable item in Terraria for magic enthusiasts that grants you a permanent boost to your mana regeneration. This can be incredibly useful if you rely on magic-based weapons and spells, allowing you to cast more frequently and effectively in combat.

To obtain the Arcane Crystal, you must throw a Mana Crystal into a Shimmering Liquid pool. Just like the Aegis Fruit, the Arcane Crystal can only be used once per character. Use the Arcane Crystal on a character that relies heavily on a Magic Build to make your damage much more devastating.

2 Ambrosia

A Truly Stiff Drink

If you love buildings, then Ambrosia is a must-have consumable in Terraria. It permanently boosts your mining, tile, and wall placement speed by five percent. This can be incredibly useful if you want to mine resources more quickly or build structures more efficiently, making it a highly coveted item in the game.

To obtain Ambrosia, you must throw any type of fruit dropped from shaking trees into a Shimmering Liquid pool. Once obtained, Ambrosia can be consumed to grant you a permanent building boost. While it may be difficult to obtain, the benefits it provides make it well worth the effort.

1 Demon Heart

The Heart Of Darkness

The Demon Heart is an incredibly valuable permanent buff item in Terraria that is obtained by defeating the Wall of Flesh, the final boss of the pre-hard mode world, in Expert Mode. You can then use the Demon Heart to increase your maximum number of accessory slots by one. This can make a significant difference in your effectiveness in combat and exploration, as it allows you to equip an extra accessory, which can provide unique bonuses and abilities.

It's worth noting that the Demon Heart is a one-time-use item, meaning that it can only be used to unlock one additional accessory slot per character. Regardless, it’s an invaluable permanent buff item that provides you with a necessary accessory slot that helps you to take on Hardmode Terraria.