Terraria Pumpkin Moon Event Guide: How to Start, All Enemies, & Loot Table

Are you scared of the things that go bump in the night? Fight back against the denizens of the dark during Pumpkin Moon in Terraria. But what does this invasion have in store for you? Continue reading as we take a deep dive into this event.

Terraria Pumpkin Moon Event: An Overview

Introduced in patch 1.2.1, also called the Terraria Halloween Update, Pumpkin Moon is one of the game’s various events and invasions. It features different Halloween-themed enemies and items arriving in waves.

How to Start the Pumpin Moon Event

Pumpkin Moon is a Hardmode event. Players can only craft the item to activate the invasion after defeating Plantera. Starting the Pumpkin Moon event in Terraria requires a player to use the Pumpkin Moon Medallion any time at night. Be near a Mythril or Orichalcum Anvil to craft this event-triggering item, and combine the following materials:

• 30x Pumpkin
• 5x Ectoplasm
• 10x Hallowed Bar

Pumpkins drop from pumpkin plants on the Halloween and Oktoberfest seasonal events. Ectoplasms drop from Dungeon Spirits in the Dungeon. Finally, the three Mechanical bosses (The Destroyer, The Twins, and Skeletron Prime) drop Hallowed Bars when defeated. Note that the Pumpkin Moon event will end at dawn (4:30 AM) regardless of its starting time. Also, using the Pumpkin Moon Medallion during the daytime won’t trigger the event. However, the item will remain in the user’s inventory. Note: Completing the event will trigger a message saying, “The spirit of Halloween penetrates the air…,” signifying the start of a one-day Halloween event.

Waves and Point System

Similar to the Frost Moon event, Pumpkin Moon in Terraria requires players to defeat waves of enemies of increasing difficulty. Each wave requires a specific amount of points before triggering the next group. Each enemy killed rewards the event with a specific number of points. The invasion’s enemies and their points are the following:

• Scarecrow: 1
• Splinterling: 2
• Hellhound: 4
• Poltergeist: 8
• Headless Horseman: 25
• Mourning Wood: 75
• Pumpking: 150

Note: All acquired points double when running the event in Expert Mode. Next, here are the enemies players will encounter for each wave:

Wave	Points Required	Enemies
1	0	Scarecrow
2	25	Scarecrow and Splinterling
3	40	Scarecrow, Splinterling, and Hellhound
4	50	Scarecrow, Splinterling, Hellhound, and Mourning Wood
5	80	Scarecrow, Splinterling, Hellhound, Poltergeist, and Mourning Wood
6	100	Splinterling, Hellhound, Poltergeist, and Mourning Wood
7	160	Scarecrow, Hellhound, Poltergeist, and Pumpking
8	180	Splinterling, Hellhound, Poltergeist, and Pumpking
9	200	Scarecrow, Headless Horseman, Mourning Wood, and Pumpking
10	250	Splinterling, Hellhound, Poltergeist, Headless Horseman, Mourning Wood, and Pumpking
11	300	Scarecrow, Splinterling, Hellhound, Poltergeist, Headless Horseman, Mourning Wood, and Pumpking
12	375	Hellhound, Poltergeist, Headless Horseman, Mourning Wood, and Pumpking
13	450	Hellhound, Poltergeist, Headless Horseman, Mourning Wood, and Pumpking
14	525	Headless Horseman, Mourning Wood, and Pumpking
15	675	Mourning Wood and Pumpking
16	850	Pumpking, Headless Horseman, Poltergeist, Hellhound, and Splinterling
17	1,025	Pumpking, Mourning Wood, Headless Horseman, Poltergeist, and Hellhound
18	1,325	Pumpking, Mourning Wood, Headless Horseman, and Poltergeist
19	1,550	Pumpking, Mourning Wood, and Headless Horseman
20	2,000	Pumpking, Mourning Wood, and Headless Horseman

Note: Reaching Wave 20 before 4:30 AM results in an endless wave, wherein players must survive until the event ends.

Enemies and Loot Table

Prepare for various Halloween-themed creatures and items as you play through Pumpkin Moon in Terraria. The following are the enemies you’ll encounter during the event (in Classic Mode) and the items you can receive when defeating them:

• Scarecrow: Scarecrow Hat, Scarecrow Shirt, and Scarecrow Pants
• Splinterling: Spooky Wood
• Hellhound: Coins and Hearts
• Poltergeist: Coins and Hearts
• Headless Horseman: Jack ‘O Lantern Mask
• Mourning Wood: Stake Launcher, Stake, Necromantic Scroll, Spooky Hook, Spooky Twig, Cursed Sapling, and Mourning Wood Trophy
• Pumpking: The Horseman’s Blade, Raven Staff, Bat Scepter, Candy Corn Rifle, Jack ‘O Lantern Launcher, Black Fairy Dust, Spider Egg, Dark Harvest, and Pumpking Trophy

Tips and Tricks to Complete the Pumpkin Moon Event

Those who underestimate the ruthlessness of Pumpkin Moon in Terraria can receive a swift death. The invasion’s difficulty rises with each wave completed. So, here are some tips and tricks to help you survive, and win, this Hardmode Terraria event:

• Since the event happens at night, wear accessories with nighttime perks like the Moon Charm and Moon Stone.
• Prepare an arena with Campfires, Heart Lanterns, and Stars in Bottles before starting the event.
• If you’re struggling with the number of attacking enemies, plant Sunflowers to help reduce the enemy spawn rate.
• Bring the Dryad and Nurse NPCs near your arena to heal and buff you during the event.
• Avoid using debuff-applying weapons, as most enemies in this event are immune to all debuffs. Focus on increasing DPS instead.