According to Terraria's official wiki page on Water Candles:
Holding a Water Candle in your hand will increase the monster spawn probability to 133% and the maximum number of monsters to 150%.
They produce light like a regular torch or candle would. If you have them on tables as props, they produce some lovely spooky lighting. However, they don't increase the spawn rate like this.
To increase the spawn rate with a water candle, hold it in your hand. It can't just be in the top row of your inventory - it must be the currently active and held item.
Keep a weapon handy so that you can swap back and forth between your water candle and weapon as necessary. You can't hold both at the same time, but you can at least run around luring enemies out with your water candle, attack them all, then return to luring enemies out.
Answer from doppelgreener on Stack ExchangeI am currently playing Stoneblock 2 and one of the rewards I've received is a Water Candle from Cyclic, it says that it "Increases nearby spawns when lit" but nothing else. I've looked it up but i can't find anything other than bugs and whatnot. Specifically I'm looking for the range of it, so if anyone knows or could link me a page about it I'd be very thankful
Documentation doesn't seem to have anything saying it can't be automated.
I've tested a few items including Cyclic's fire starter and an automated user right clicking a flint and steel.
So has anyone found a way to automate them being lit? And if so, how?
Videos
According to Terraria's official wiki page on Water Candles:
Holding a Water Candle in your hand will increase the monster spawn probability to 133% and the maximum number of monsters to 150%.
They produce light like a regular torch or candle would. If you have them on tables as props, they produce some lovely spooky lighting. However, they don't increase the spawn rate like this.
To increase the spawn rate with a water candle, hold it in your hand. It can't just be in the top row of your inventory - it must be the currently active and held item.
Keep a weapon handy so that you can swap back and forth between your water candle and weapon as necessary. You can't hold both at the same time, but you can at least run around luring enemies out with your water candle, attack them all, then return to luring enemies out.
Water candles placed in the world and those actively held in your hand increase the spawn rate and maximum number of enemies. As of 1.3.0.1 these effects do not stack, and a maximum of one candle will count at a time.
For versions before 1.3 see the old answer below.
According to the disassembled code (1.2.0.3.1), placed water candles also affect spawnrate and max spawns. This effect is separate from holding the candle in your hand and will stack with it. A single placed water candle is enough and only one matters.
NPC.spawnRate = (int)((double)NPC.spawnRate * 0.75); // Spawns happen 33% more often, spawn interval multiplied by 0.75
NPC.maxSpawns = (int)((float)NPC.maxSpawns * 1.5f); // Spawn limit increased by 50%, multiplied by 1.5
Both effects are the same and when stacked (holding a candle and placed a candle) spawnrate is increased by 78% and maximum spawned enemies is increased by 125%.
I know you need to be close to the candle to get the buff, but is there an exception to it?
Not sure if invasion-event enemies are coded differently than the rest, but is it possible that, in theory, you could use water candles to increase their spawn rate or make them appear?
Going to the space layer and use a water candle to make martian probes appear more often.
Going to map edges and use a water candle to make goblin scouts appear more often.
Does water candle affect spawn rate of ALL the enemies of the game?
I didn't know that they increased mob spawn rates.
I found two.
I placed them both in my house.
Bloodmoon hit.
In my panic of fighting different beasties away from my npcs, i blow up a door...
Pan to a 6'3 combat veteran frantically clicking and screaming like an 8 year old girl as he fights for his Terraria life
Good times.
EDIT: HOLY CRAP so many upvotes! Thank you!
EDIT 2: Doing a charity stream. www.twitch.tv/ackland_
Read more about it on my post https://www.reddit.com/r/Terraria/comments/5yb9f8/charity_stream_every_death_is_1_to_the_total/
Hi All,
New to the sub and wanted to ask for some recommendations.
I'm looking for some nice refreshing water type candles that would be nice in spring / summer. I did see some posts mentioning aquatic but a lot of the recommendations seemed to lean more rain scented, whereas I'm looking more for clean pool or spa types. Happy to take recommendations for cheaper candles too, as being in Australia most of these would have to be a blind buy!
I do know one that fits this vibe very well which is Miami by Scent Australia, however the performance is really weak and you have to use a lot of oil. It has mandarin. ozone and pepper notes, which give it a sort of melon / cucumber vibe almost.
I'm thinking maybe Well-Tipped Pool Boy by Vacation Inc might fit the vibe?