Magnetism
| Magnetism | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Mechanic |
Magnetism, written in the game as Magnetic Radius, is the distance at which loose items leap into the farmer's pockets without being stepped on. It sounds like a small convenience and turns into a real one underground, where monsters die several paces away and a bomb throws ore across half a cavern floor. Rings are the main way to widen the radius, and three cooked dishes widen it for a few minutes at a time. The effects add together, so two rings and a meal can pull items in from a surprising distance. The Iridium Band is the finish line, since it carries the magnet effect, a permanent light and an attack bonus in a single slot.
Overview
The radius is measured in tiles around the farmer, and anything lying inside it drifts over and is collected. Walking across a field of forage still works without any magnetism at all, so the statistic never gates content. What it buys is time and safety: a Skull Cavern floor cleared with bombs leaves Iridium Ore scattered where the rocks stood, and a wide radius means one pass down the middle sweeps the lot instead of a careful walk across every crater.
Four rings touch magnetism. The Small Magnet Ring adds a single tile and arrives early, either as the reward for handing in the Adventurer's Bundle at the Community Center or out of a fishing Treasure Chest or a smashed barrel in The Mines. The Magnet Ring adds two tiles and comes off monsters on the middle floors of The Mines, roughly the forties through the seventies, and out of the containers down there as well. Wearing two Magnet Rings doubles the reach, which is the cheapest big upgrade available before Ginger Island.
The two combination rings are the long-term answers. Crafting five Iron Bars with five Solar Essence at the fourth level of Mining makes a Glowstone Ring, which lights the way and pulls items in at the same time, and the Stardew Valley Fair sells one for a thousand star tokens for anyone who would rather spend winnings than materials. Crafting five Iridium Bars with fifty Solar Essence and fifty Void Essence at the ninth level of Combat makes the Iridium Band, which bundles the light, the magnetism and a tenth more weapon damage. The band also turns up rarely in fishing treasure chests, which is how some farms get one long before the recipe unlocks.
The Forge at the foot of the Volcano Dungeon welds two plain rings into one for twenty Cinder Shards, and that is what makes magnetism free rather than expensive. A ring already made of two others cannot be welded again, so the usual answer is to pair an Iridium Band with something situational such as a Burglar's Ring and keep the second slot for the fight itself.
Cooking covers the gaps. Frying a Largemouth Bass with Wheat Flour and Oil makes Crispy Bass, which widens the radius by a full tile for seven minutes, the same as the Small Magnet Ring. Cooking two Cave Carrots with Sugar and Milk makes Miner's Treat, which gives half a tile alongside a solid Mining boost and is the dish most cavern runs actually carry. Two Green Beans make Bean Hotpot, which adds the same half tile and raises maximum energy, which suits a long day of chopping and mining rather than a fight. Kent posts the Crispy Bass recipe once he is a friend, Clint posts Bean Hotpot, and Miner's Treat arrives with the third level of Mining.
Notes
Magnetism pays for itself most clearly on a bomb-heavy Skull Cavern run. Bombs are thrown and then run away from, so the ore they free is often behind the farmer by the time it lands, and a wide radius collects it on the way past instead of asking for a return trip into a monster-filled gap.
The effect also quietly rescues items that would otherwise be awkward to reach, such as drops that land on the far side of a cliff edge or a water tile in the caves. The item still has to be inside the radius, so it helps to stand close to where the fighting happened rather than wander off.
All Mechanics
Every entry in this group, with its key details.
