Skeleton Merchant

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Skeleton Merchant
Skeleton Merchant.png
Statistics
Type
Environment
AI TypePassive AI
Damage10
Max Life250
Defense30
KB Resist50%
Projectile created
  • Bone
    Bone

You would not believe some of the things people throw at me... Wanna buy some of it?

— The Skeleton Merchant

A Skeleton Merchant found lurking in the Cavern.

The Skeleton Merchant is an NPC vendor that randomly spawns in the Cavern layer. He is not a town NPC and will despawn when off-screen, although enemies will not spawn near him.

The Skeleton Merchant's stock changes at dawn (4:30 AM) daily, and he does not need to respawn for it to do so. The majority of the items in his inventory will vary, depending on the current moon phase.

He will throw Bones to fend off nearby non-skeletal enemies, while ignoring most other skeletons.

Unlike other NPCs, the Skeleton Merchant does not have a map icon.

He is one of the few entities that can be detected by the Lifeform Analyzer or its upgrades. His current name will be displayed (e.g. Rattles Magoo) rather than Skeleton Merchant.

Items sold

Note: All item prices can be decreased by equipping a Discount Card or Greedy Ring(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions).
Inventory
Item Cost Availability

Wooden BoomerangWooden Boomerang 1 GC During a Full Moon: Moon phase 1 (Full Moon)
UmbrellaUmbrella 1 GC During a Waning Gibbous: Moon phase 2 (Waning Gibbous)
Wand of SparkingWand of Sparking(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 1 GC During a Third Quarter in any world except Don't dig up and Get fixed boi worlds: Moon phase 3 (Third Quarter)
Magic DaggerMagic Dagger 50 SC During a Third Quarter in Don't dig up and Get fixed boi worlds: Moon phase 3 (Third Quarter)
Step StoolStep Stool(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 2 GC50 SC During a Waning Crescent: Moon phase 4 (Waning Crescent)
AgletAglet 2 GC50 SC During a New Moon: Moon phase 5 (New Moon)
Climbing ClawsClimbing Claws 2 GC50 SC During a Waxing Crescent: Moon phase 6 (Waxing Crescent)
Guide to Plant Fiber CordageGuide to Plant Fiber Cordage(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 2 GC50 SC During a First Quarter: Moon phase 7 (First Quarter)
RadarRadar(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 2 GC50 SC During a Waxing Gibbous: Moon phase 8 (Waxing Gibbous)
Strange BrewStrange Brew(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 5 SC During the following moon phases: Moon phase 1 (Full Moon) Moon phase 3 (Third Quarter) Moon phase 5 (New Moon) Moon phase 7 (First Quarter)
Lesser Healing PotionLesser Healing Potion 3 SC During the following moon phases: Moon phase 2 (Waning Gibbous) Moon phase 4 (Waning Crescent) Moon phase 6 (Waxing Crescent) Moon phase 8 (Waxing Gibbous)
Healing PotionHealing Potion 10 SC In Hardmode, during the following moon phases: Moon phase 2 (Waning Gibbous) Moon phase 4 (Waning Crescent) Moon phase 6 (Waxing Crescent) Moon phase 8 (Waxing Gibbous)
Spelunker GlowstickSpelunker Glowstick(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 1 SC50 CC At night, or all day during a Full Moon: Moon phase 1 (Full Moon)
Spelunker FlareSpelunker Flare(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 1 SC50 CC When the player has a Flare Gun in their inventory at night, or all day during a Full Moon: Moon phase 1 (Full Moon)
GlowstickGlowstick 10 CC At daytime, during the following moon phases: Moon phase 2 (Waning Gibbous) Moon phase 3 (Third Quarter) Moon phase 4 (Waning Crescent) Moon phase 5 (New Moon) Moon phase 6 (Waxing Crescent) Moon phase 7 (First Quarter) Moon phase 8 (Waxing Gibbous)
Bone TorchBone Torch(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 1 SC During the first half of every in game minute (every real life second).
TorchTorch 50 CC During the second half of every in game minute (every real life second).
Bone ArrowBone Arrow(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 15 CC During the following moon phases: Moon phase 1 (Full Moon) Moon phase 2 (Waning Gibbous) Moon phase 5 (New Moon) Moon phase 6 (Waxing Crescent)
Wooden ArrowWooden Arrow 5 CC During the following moon phases: Moon phase 3 (Third Quarter) Moon phase 4 (Waning Crescent) Moon phase 7 (First Quarter) Moon phase 8 (Waxing Gibbous)
Blue CounterweightBlue Counterweight(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 5 GC During the following moon phases: Moon phase 1 (Full Moon) Moon phase 5 (New Moon)
Red CounterweightRed Counterweight(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 5 GC During the following moon phases: Moon phase 2 (Waning Gibbous) Moon phase 6 (Waxing Crescent)
Purple CounterweightPurple Counterweight(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 5 GC During the following moon phases: Moon phase 3 (Third Quarter) Moon phase 7 (First Quarter)
Green CounterweightGreen Counterweight(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 5 GC During the following moon phases: Moon phase 4 (Waning Crescent) Moon phase 8 (Waxing Gibbous)
BombBomb 3 SC Always available.
RopeRope 10 CC Always available.
GradientGradient(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 20 GC In Hardmode, during the following moon phases: Moon phase 1 (Full Moon) Moon phase 2 (Waning Gibbous) Moon phase 3 (Third Quarter) Moon phase 4 (Waning Crescent)
Format:CFormat:C(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 20 GC In Hardmode, during the following moon phases: Moon phase 5 (New Moon) Moon phase 6 (Waxing Crescent) Moon phase 7 (First Quarter) Moon phase 8 (Waxing Gibbous)
Yoyo GloveYoyo Glove(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 50 GC In Hardmode.
Slap HandSlap Hand(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 25 GC In Hardmode, during Blood Moon.
Magic LanternMagic Lantern(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 10 GC At night, during a Full Moon: Moon phase 1 (Full Moon)
Artisan LoafArtisan Loaf(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) 10 GC If the player has not consumed an Artisan Loaf before, during the following moon phases: Moon phase 4 (Waning Crescent) Moon phase 5 (New Moon) Moon phase 6 (Waxing Crescent)

Shimmered form

Skeleton Merchant (Shimmered).png
Shimmered Skeleton Merchant.

When submerged in Shimmer, the Skeleton Merchant will transform into his Shimmered form. This has no impact on gameplay or dialogue and is only a visual change. He can be returned to his classic look by submerging him in Shimmer again.

Notes

  • He cannot be teleported by the Portal Gun or King Statue.
  • He can sometimes spawn in pools of water. However, he is immune to drowning.
  • The Skeleton Merchant does not attack other skeletons listed below, nor will they harm him via contact damage.[1] The Skeleton Merchant can still inadvertently damage other skeletons if they are hit by the bones from the Skeleton Merchant, and he can still be harmed by certain non-contact attacks like Skeleton Archer's arrows.
  • Despite similar mechanics, the Skeleton Merchant is not considered a town NPC in regards to reducing enemy spawns. He does, however, count as seven NPCs for the sake of enemy spawn limits when spawning NPCs, mechanically similar to bosses. In most cases this effectively blocks virtually anything from spawning, including critters. This creates a problem when the player is preparing to farm enemies in the Underground or Cavern layers. It is necessary to have the Flymeal or a strong external damage source (lava, Boulders, Jungle Temple traps) to kill him to continue farming, or just go far enough for him to despawn.
    • The Skeleton Merchant also does not increase the chance for critters to spawn, unlike actual town NPCs.
  • The Skeleton Merchant does not spawn on Jungle grass or evil biome blocks.
  • Despite being a skeleton, the Skeleton Merchant is not immune to the Poisoned debuff.

Names

The Skeleton Merchant may have any of the following names:

  • Billy Marrows
  • Bones McGee
  • Gloomy Mays
  • Jack Sellington
  • Mandible Calavera
  • Mika
  • No-Eyed Wiley
  • Rattles Magoo
  • Skellington
  • Tom
  • Victor

Quotes

    • "Got any spare bones for sale? I'm looking to replace my broken hip... again."
    • "Excellent! Someone's finally come by to take some of these maggots off my hands."
    • "There's no illness or condition that can't be cured by some of my Slime Oil! Trust me, it works, just look at my lively figure!"
    • "You've got a real backbone coming way down here, how 'bout ya buy somethin?"
    • "You would not believe some of the things people throw at me... Wanna buy some of it?"
    • "I'd lend you a hand, but last time I did that, I didn't get it back for a month."
    • "Stay away from the spiders. They'll suck out your insides and leave you a hollow shell of a man. Trust me on this one."
    • "The only things constant in this world are death and taxes, I've got both!"

    During Rain:

    • "Up there? Heard it's pretty wet. Don't want my bones getting soggy and mushy..."

    When in a Graveyard:

    • "As much as you would think I'd belong here, I really don't."
    • "How did I get here!? These are not my friends!"

    During a Thunderstorm:

    • "The surface is overabundant with destructive weather. Singed bones would be bad for my complexion!"

    During a Windy Day:

    • "The world above is turbulent and chaotic. I like my bones to stay attached, as it were!"
  • Tips

    • Using the Hunter Potion helps finding the Skeleton Merchant.
    • Selling items to the Skeleton Merchant can help a player clear out their inventory in the middle of a long caving session.
    • If a player notices a suspiciously low number of enemies on their Radar, it could be a sign that the Skeleton Merchant has spawned.
    • If the Skeleton Merchant spawns in front of a Detonator explosive trap,interacting with him may unwillingly hit the plunger on the detonator trap, killing both him and the player.

    Trivia

    The Skeleton Merchant's scavenging animation in the credits.
    • The names Jack Sellington and Skellington are references to Jack Skellington from the 1993 American animated fantasy Halloween-Christmas film The Nightmare Before Christmas.
    • He can be seen retrieving a Slap Hand from a pile of bones in the credits.
    • The name "Bones McGee" is a reference to Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy, a character in the American science fiction franchise Star Trek.
    • The name "No-Eyed Wiley" is a reference to One-Eyed Willy from the 1985 American adventure comedy film The Goonies.
    • The name "Mandible Calavera" is a reference to Manuel "Manny" Calavera from the adventure game Grim Fandango.
    • The names "Billy Marrows" and "Gloomy Mays" are a reference to the late American television salesperson Billy Mays.
    • The name "Tom" may be a reference to Tom "Bones" Malone, member of the American blues and soul revivalist band The Blues Brothers.
      • "Tom" may also be a reference to the enemy Tim.
    • The quote about Slime Oil is a reference to the "miracle medicine" peddlers of the 1800s, who were commonly called Snake Oil Salesmen.
    • The quote "The only things constant in this world are death and taxes, I've got both!" is a reference to Benjamin Franklin's famous quote "In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."
    • The quote "You would not believe some of the things people throw at me... Wanna buy some of it?" is a reference to a young scavenger named "Squirt the Peddler" in the action role-playing game Diablo III. Squirt periodically asks the player a near-exact variation of this question, but refers to "things people throw away" instead of "things people throw at me".
    • The quote "Stay away from the spiders. They'll suck out your insides and leave you a hollow shell of a man. Trust me on this one." suggests that he came to be after being killed by a Spider.
    • Even though he is not a town NPC, he will throw confetti during a Party.
    • He is one of two NPCs that does not have a map icon, the other being the Old Man.
    • He is the only NPC that always despawns once off-screen. The Traveling Merchant also despawns when off-screen, but only after 6:00 PM.
    • Despite the fact one of his quotes[2] makes a joke on the idea, the Skeleton Merchant does not sell Maggots.
    • If the Skeleton Merchant is slain, no message pops up to announce his death, unlike most NPCs.
    • The counterweights he sells resemble dice used in Dungeons and Dragons. This is a possible reference to weighted dies used for cheating, which may be provided by a disreputable merchant such as the Skeleton Merchant.
    • The Skeleton Merchant's Shimmered form transforms him into a Zombie. This is most likely a reference to the fact that Zombies turn into Skeletons in shimmer.
    • The BestiaryBestiary entry for the Skeleton Merchant: "Most skeletons are out for blood, but not the Skeleton Merchant. He just wants to sell supplies, such as rare torches and yo-yo gear."

    History

    • Desktop 1.4.0.1: Now shows its name in the Lifeform Analyzer rather than "Skeleton Merchant".

    References

    1. Information taken from the Desktop version Desktop 1.4.4.9 source code, method GetHurtByOtherNPCs() in Terraria.NPC.cs and field Sets.Skeletons in Terraria.ID.NPCID.cs.
    2. Excellent! Someone's finally come by to take some of these maggots off my hands.