How to Get the Pygmy Necklace in Terraria (2026 Guide)
In current mainline Terraria versions, buy the Pygmy Necklace from the Witch Doctor for 20 gold at night. First defeat Queen Bee and provide a vacant, valid house so the Witch Doctor can move in. You do not need to reach Hardmode or defeat Plantera for the current PC, console, and mobile versions. The accessory adds one minion slot. The Official Terraria Wiki’s Pygmy Necklace page lists it as a pre-Hardmode item sold by the Witch Doctor at night.
Quick answer: price, seller, and unlock
| What to check | Current requirement |
|---|---|
| Seller | Witch Doctor |
| Unlock | Defeat Queen Bee and have a valid, vacant NPC house |
| Shop time | Night, from 7:30 p.m. until 4:30 a.m. in the in-game clock |
| Listed price | 20 gold |
| Effect | Increases maximum minion capacity by 1 |
Older guides often say you must beat Plantera first, or that the item costs 4 gold. Those details do not match the current mainline version: the 4-gold figure is not the current purchase price, and the Plantera gate is outdated. Terraria’s version history records the progression change; the 1.4.1 notes and the current item page clarify the newer behavior. Old-gen console and Nintendo 3DS editions follow legacy rules, so check the legacy item page if you play one of those versions.
How to get the Pygmy Necklace step by step
Step 1: Check which Terraria edition you are playing
Use the steps below for the current Desktop, Console, or Mobile editions. In those versions, the necklace is available before Hardmode once the Witch Doctor is unlocked. If you are playing an old-gen console or Nintendo 3DS edition, the shop requirements are different; the legacy rules include Plantera progression and a Pygmy Staff condition. Mods can also change vendor inventories, so vanilla rules may not apply to a modded world.
Step 2: Defeat Queen Bee
Queen Bee is the boss that unlocks the Witch Doctor as a town NPC. Find a Larva in a Bee Hive in the Jungle and break it to start the fight, or use an Abeemination in the Jungle. You only need to defeat her once in the world for the NPC requirement. See the Queen Bee entry for the encounter details.
Defeating Queen Bee unlocks the Witch Doctor, which is the first step toward buying the necklace. Step 3: Provide a vacant, valid house for the Witch Doctor
Make a suitable empty town-NPC room with background walls, light, a flat surface, seating, and an entrance. Once Queen Bee is defeated and the room is available, the Witch Doctor can move in. The room does not have to be in the Jungle to buy the Pygmy Necklace; a Jungle home matters for some of his other stock, not this night-only sale. Confirm the room is valid with the in-game housing query if he does not arrive.
A free, valid town-NPC room lets the Witch Doctor settle in after Queen Bee is defeated. Step 4: Visit the Witch Doctor after night begins
Open his shop during nighttime. In Terraria’s normal clock, night starts at 7:30 p.m. and ends at 4:30 a.m. If you arrive during the day, the Pygmy Necklace will not appear in his inventory. The night condition is separate from Plantera progression in current versions. The Terraria day-and-night cycle reference lists the in-game times.
Wait until the in-game clock reaches 7:30 p.m.; the item remains unavailable during daytime. Step 5: Buy the Pygmy Necklace for 20 gold
Talk to the Witch Doctor, choose Shop, and purchase the Pygmy Necklace. Its listed price is 20 gold. If you have an NPC happiness discount or a price-changing accessory, the number shown in your shop can differ. No rare drop or random shop rotation is involved once the required time and NPC conditions are met.
The Pygmy Necklace is a direct purchase from the Witch Doctor, not a boss drop. Step 6: Equip it and summon into the extra slot
Move the necklace from your inventory into an accessory slot. Its effect raises your maximum minion capacity by one, but it does not summon the extra minion automatically. Use a summon weapon again to fill the new slot. The bonus increases minion capacity; it does not add a sentry slot. It can help a summoner at any point in progression, including before Hardmode.
Equip the necklace in an accessory slot to gain its additional minion capacity. 
After equipping the necklace, summon again to make use of the added minion slot.
Why the Witch Doctor may not sell it
- It is daytime: return after 7:30 p.m. in the game.
- The Witch Doctor is missing: confirm Queen Bee is defeated and a vacant valid house is available.
- You are following an older guide: Plantera is not required in the current mainline versions, but the legacy 3DS and old-gen console editions have different rules.
- You are using mods: check the mod’s vendor conditions because mods can change progression and shop inventories.
The necklace does not require the Witch Doctor to live in a Jungle biome. If you have met the NPC and time requirements but still cannot see it, re-check your game edition and whether you are using a modded world.
Is the Pygmy Necklace part of the Papyrus Scarab recipe?
No. The Pygmy Necklace is not crafted into the Papyrus Scarab. The Scarab is a separate accessory made at a Tinkerer’s Workshop from a Hercules Beetle and a Necromantic Scroll. It combines those ingredients’ summoner benefits and also grants one minion slot, summon damage, and minion knockback. You can keep the Pygmy Necklace as its own accessory; it is not consumed by that recipe. See the Papyrus Scarab recipe and Tinkerer’s Workshop references.
In short: for current Terraria editions, defeat Queen Bee, house the Witch Doctor, shop at night, and bring 20 gold. Equip the necklace and summon once more to use its extra minion slot.
