Highlights

• Permanent buffs in Terraria, such as Life Fruits and Mana Crystals, can greatly enhance your stats and abilities.
• Consumables like Gummy Worms and Artisan Loafs can also provide permanent buffs to your character, improving skills like fishing and crafting.
• Unique items like the Peddler's Satchel and Torch God's Favor offer special benefits and can be obtained through specific actions or events in the game.

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 it's increasing your health, mana, defense, or even your item-selling capabilities, 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 December 20, 2023 by Rosa Baumgartl: We came across a few more items that are one-time use consumables that grant a permanent buff. A lot of these items came about during the 1.4.4 update, where the Aether biome was added, along with the Shimmer liquid. There are still plenty of things you can use prior to finding the Aether that will boost your character.

13 Gummy Worm

Gummy Worms are accessible once you've unlocked the Merchant, from whom you can buy a Bug Net, and found the Shimmer. At that point, you just have to wait for the worm of your dreams.

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% chance of spawning in place of a regular Worm, which tend to turn up in the rain, at night, or crawling around underground. To catch it, use any 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

If you're having trouble bumping into a Skeleton Merchant, try drinking a Hunter Potion or carrying a Lifeform Analyser. These will let you know when he's nearby. Alternatively, capture him in the Underground layer and wait until 4:30am. His stock will change as long as he doesn't despawn.

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. His 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

Having a Luck Potion active will actually make finding more Pearls easier. So, if you're struggling to find an elusive Pink Pearl, capture some Ladybugs and make Lesser Luck Potions with any White Pearls you find to make it more likely.

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% chance of getting a Pearl from an Osyter, however, what you really want are the mega rare Pink Pearls. There's only a 1.33% 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, permanently increases your luck by 0.03. Doesn't sound like much, but it all adds up!

10 Life Crystals

Once you've collected enough to max out your health, keep any others you find. Not only are they worth quite a bit of money when sold to happy NPCs, but they can be crafted into Heart Lanterns to decorate your boss arena.

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 since 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

Similar to Heart Crystals, if you find that you can't consume any more, continue to pick up Fallen Stars and sell the Mana Crystals to NPCs. A Fallen Star can be popped in a Bottle to increase mana regeneration when they're placed, too.

Mana Crystals are items that permanently increase the player's 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

The Underground Jungle is a super dangerous biome, and wandering through it can be scary. Drink a Spelunker Potion before heading down, and Life Fruits will be much more visible. You can then safely mine through the Mud to get to them.

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 survivability, 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

To kill the Traveling Merchant, you'll need to set up a basic trap. This can involve placing him in a small area with Pressure Plates and Dart Traps, or tipping Lava onto him. You can get fancy with it, and have a whole arena with Boulder Traps and Spikes for hat-acquiring purposes.

The Peddler's Satchel is an item that can only be used once per world in Terraria that permanently increases 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 the 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

In order to start this event, you'll need to place 100 Torches underground, all within the bounds of your screen. As soon as you set the 100th, the gauntlet will begin, though each fireball doesn't do too much damage, it does add up!

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

The same effect can be acquired when wielding the Life Drain, which is a magic weapon dropped only by Crimson Mimics 20% of the time. When used in proximity to enemies, the weapon gradually causes more health regeneration based on the number of victims in the vicinity.

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

This consumable provides the same amount of Defense as the Ankh Shield accessory, which is one of the most challenging accessories to craft in the game.

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

To collect Fallen Stars more efficiently in order to max out your Mana, or to create Jester Arrows, build a very long platform in the sky. When night falls, run across this path from one end to the other, picking up as you go.

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

Strangely enough, Grapes don't count as a Fruit item in Terraria. They won't drop from shaking trees, and instead come from killing Derplings and Giant Flying Foxes. They also can't be turned into Fruit Juice, but do make Grape Juice, a unique consumable that grants the Exquisitely Stuffed buff.

If you love building, then Ambrosia is a must-have consumable for you 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

If you move your character from an Expert or Master world into a Classic one, while having the Demon Heart slot filled, the accessory in that slot will be darkened and unusable. However, if there are Wings in that unusable slot, your character will still be immune to fall damage in Classic worlds.

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.