New player here. What is this about torches?

[Dikmann]

I initially thought torches, like in Minecraft, were there to decrease the likelihood of monsters spawning. I put them everywhere. Now I heard that there is some mechanic implemented that reduces your item luck and damage if you use the 'wrong' torch in a certain bioms.
Do I now have to remove each and every 'wrong' torch I placed on and under the ground to fix my luck again? I feel royally ♥♥♥♥♥♥ over.

[PeachieOs(spring sem)]

yes, you may need to switch out ur placed torches.
Best part is that the only way to check ur luck is with an npc you don't get until later in the game.

[B1k3r]

Originally posted by Tubster:

I initially thought torches, like in Minecraft, were there to decrease the likelihood of monsters spawning. I put them everywhere. Now I heard that there is some mechanic implemented that reduces your item luck and damage if you use the 'wrong' torch in a certain bioms.
Do I now have to remove each and every 'wrong' torch I placed on and under the ground to fix my luck again? I feel royally ♥♥♥♥ed over.

Well, they don't affect much. Torch luck minimum is -0,4. Maybe that can be high, but not that much.

[KinDraken]

https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Luck

this explains it all

[Warduxe]

wizard will tell u about luck and dont u dare compare minecraft with terraria

[Syncrios]

use walls to get rid of mob spawns

[AlternateEnding]

https://i.imgur.com/qeK5Efo.png
Don't forget it's all because the dev is a manchild who want's to enforce his personal style on everyone else.

[Preoximerianas]

Torches are there to light up an area and I think also stop monsters from spawning, but i'm not entirely sure. The issue is that a new mechanic called Luck has been added to the game with the recent update. Luck goes up and down based on different things and it effects A LOT such as damage output, loot spawns, amount of damage taken, etc.

One of the ways luck can go up or down is based on torches. You see, with the recent update, biome specific torches were added, think of ice or corruption torches. Using an ice torch in the ice biome increases luck, similar to how using a jungle torch in the jungle biome increases luck. But if you use a non-biome specific torch luck goes down. This is bad because the normal default torch that people generally use to light up their entire world is only good for the above ground forest biome, with all the basic trees.

The mechanic is pretty bad as it was not listed in the recent patch notes and to top it all off, the only way to check your luck level is through cryptic wording from an NPC you can only get during Hard Mode. Which is terrible as, at least for me, I do the bulk of my exploring during Pre-Hard Mode.

[Halfshell]

Basically just use all your gems to craft gemtorches. Colored torches have no luck penalty. Gems are pretty useless in this game, maybe ask the guide what the gems can do first but pretty much just need 1 set of gems to make some gear and rest can be torchified. If you care you can get luck bonuses with biome specific torches but its a pain to do so. If you want to go that route, I suggest getting a piggy bank and holding all torch types in it along with stuff to craft the various torch types and keep a spare piggy bank in your inventory otherwise its potentially too annoying. People are upset about this (for whatever reason, its the internet I guess) but if you just take the time to put in the correct torches you get a pretty nice bonus.

Edit: Only thing I don't like is that the game doesn't tell you about it anywhere.

[Dikmann]

Originally posted by KinDraken:

https://terraria.gamepedia.com/Luck

this explains it all

I still do not understand it fully. Holding a correct torch results in good luck but what happens if you are near a normal torch while holding it? How does it work with treasure cheasts?
Guess I have to read the wiki in order to not ♥♥♥♥ myself over.

[Halfshell]

Idk if it works for holding torches, its mostly for placed torches. Basically don't use regular torches except for the caverns. Use ice torches for the snow biome (important). Use jungle torches for jungle, etc. OR just use colored gem torches or special merchant torches and never worry about it again..

[Trip]

Just use the right torches where you plan to farm or fight bosses?

Is it that big a deal?

[VDraconus]

This is stupid...Biome torches, because I really need to carry around like 7+ different types of torches in my inventory so I don't get punished!

What a restrictive way of playing, and feels rather counterintuitive to everything that the Journey's End update is all about

[Dikmann]

If I am in a jungle biom and dig down to 400 depths to some random cave. Do I still have to use the jungle torches? Does that still apply?

[Halfshell]

Originally posted by VDraconus:

This is stupid...Biome torches, because I really need to carry around like 7+ different types of torches in my inventory so I don't get punished!

Or just use gem torches or buy ultrabrights and its just like normal. I really don't get why this part is always ignored, this mechanic is really easy to play around. The part that sucks about it is that its hidden and most people aren't going to see the wiki a week into the update.

Originally posted by Tubster:

If I am in a jungle biom and dig down to 400 depths to some random cave. Do I still have to use the jungle torches? Does that still apply?

Edit: I'd assume no. At least if theres no jungle monsters or music that means you are in caverns biome. Idk how it applies to special biomes though..

[ninjaguyDan]

Originally posted by Trip:

Just use the right torches where you plan to farm or fight bosses?

Is it that big a deal?

Most biome specific torches give off ♥♥♥♥♥♥ colored light that isn't good at illuminating anything. So it's a little bit of a big deal.