Summoning and Surviving the Torch God Trial in Terraria

When I first heard about a hidden event triggered by placing a ridiculous number of torches underground, I honestly thought it was a prank. After all, Terraria is packed with obscure secrets, but this one sounded especially bizarre. Yet, there I was, deep below the surface, carefully arranging one hundred torches in a cramped cavern, wondering what exactly I was getting myself into. The Torch God trial is not just a quirky mini-event—it's a test of your dodging skills that rewards you with one of the most convenient quality-of-life items in the game. Let me walk you through every detail so you can claim that reward without getting burned.

The Torch God never appears as a physical boss or enemy. Instead, the trial is a chaotic bullet-hell survival challenge where your own torches turn against you. Why would you subject yourself to this? Because completing it grants the Torch God's Favor, a consumable that permanently changes your character. Once activated, any torch you place will automatically match the biome it's in—regular torches in the Forest, ice torches in the Snow biome, and so on. This might sound trivial, but it directly boosts your Luck stat, a hidden mechanic that affects everything from rare enemy spawns to critical drop rates. If you've ever farmed for a Rod of Discord or a rare painting, you know how valuable every fraction of Luck can be.

So, how do you even start this fiery gauntlet? The setup is surprisingly simple. You need to place at least 100 torches in close proximity anywhere below the Surface layer. Biome and time of day don't matter—Underground, Cavern, or even the Underworld will work. Any torch variant counts: standard torches, colored torches, or even special ones like Bone Torches. The catch is that the torches must be relatively bunched together. A good rule of thumb is to keep them within a screen's width. Once the hundredth torch is placed, the trial begins instantly, with no warning. So make sure you've cleared the area of hazards and prepared yourself mentally for a sudden onslaught of fireballs.

The moment the trial triggers, every torch in that cluster will start shooting flaming projectiles at you. These fireballs travel in straight lines and can pass through blocks, so digging a hiding hole won't save you. On Normal difficulty, each hit deals 40 damage, which climbs to 80 on Expert and a brutal 120 on Master. I learned the hard way that even a full set of endgame armor can melt quickly if you’re not constantly moving. To make things worse, you're afflicted with the Blackout debuff, drastically darkening your screen and making the already deadly projectiles harder to track. Have you ever tried dodging a swarm of glowing missiles while half-blind? It's as panic-inducing as it sounds.

The trial is fundamentally a test of endurance. A maximum of 200 fireballs will be launched before the torches calm down. You don't need to destroy anything or fight back—just survive. Once the assault stops, all torches reignite peacefully, and you automatically receive the Torch God's Favor in your inventory. But if you die, teleport away, or exit the world during the trial, it ends immediately with no reward. Trust me, there are few things more infuriating than getting clipped by the last few fireballs after dodging 190 of them.

To give myself the best chance, I devised an arena that turned the odds in my favor. First, I dug out a large open space around the torch cluster. Extra room is essential for weaving through the fireball patterns. Next, I placed plenty of non-torch light sources—lanterns, campfires, even a Heart Lantern—to offset the Blackout effect without adding to the projectile count. I also avoided using Crimson Torches because their dark red fireballs become nearly invisible in the dim light. Platforms and a few strategically placed ropes gave me quick vertical mobility, and I kept a fast grappling hook equipped for emergency direction changes.

Potions are another layer of safety. A Night Owl Potion increases visibility, which is a godsend when everything is shrouded in darkness. An Ironskin Potion reduces incoming damage, giving you a bit more room for error. Swiftness Potions and movement accessories like the Terraspark Boots make dodging patterns much more forgiving. If you're really struggling, you can even use the game's Autopause feature. By opening your inventory frequently, you essentially freeze time and assess where every fireball is mid-flight. Some might call it cheesing; I call it creative survival.

Here are a few extra tips I wish someone had told me before my first attempt:

• The trial can be done in multiplayer, but each player must contribute their own torches and complete it individually. The Favor can't be shared.

• Fireballs match the color of the torch that fires them. This visual cue can help you identify which torch just attacked and anticipate its next volley.

• If you leave the world midway, any torches that already fired won't relight. You'll need to replace them to restart the trial.

• Torches placed during the trial will also start shooting, so don't try to add more light mid-fight.

• Enemy spawns are disabled during the trial, so you only have the fireballs to worry about.

• Wiring or explosives tampering with the torches ends the trial prematurely, so keep your actuator shenanigans at bay.

After claiming the Torch God's Favor, you activate it just like a potion or a buff item. The effect is permanent for that character, and it can't be toggled off. But honestly, why would you ever want to? Walking into a crimson cavern and watching your torches shift to crimson torches without any manual effort feels like a small luxury that really streamlines exploration and biome-specific builds. Plus, the constant luck boost from proper torch matching is a subtle but powerful advantage that accumulates over hours of gameplay.

If I could go back and do it all over again, I would have attempted the Torch God trial much earlier in my playthrough. It's entirely doable with early mobility accessories and a stack of basic torches. There's no need to wait for Hardmode gear. Just bring patience, a clear arena, and a few supporting potions, and you'll walk away with a favor from a god who never even bothered to show its face. And in Terraria, that's about as close to a divine blessing as you can get.