There isn't a class system in Terraria in the traditional sense, but by focusing on just one weapon or combat type players naturally fall into that kind of role. There are four "classes" in Terraria – melee, ranged, magic, and summoning.
While Terraria players can get through the game just fine without dedicating themselves to a class, multi-classing players are just not as powerful as players who've spent their time building towards more specific playstyles. Classes aren't something just for the later game, either, as weapons and items for each of the four are available from the get-go.
The Melee Class
Melee characters spend most of their time in close combat using swords, flails, and other weapons that don't require ammo or mana. They tend to go for high-defense armor so they can stay in the fray, and in multiplayer they usually take on the role of the tank.
Melee is generally players' first class they try unintentionally as the game spawns you with a basic melee set. That's not to say it's not powerful, because it can be devastating when built properly.
Before First Boss: The Ball O' Hurt, Ancient Shadow Armor, Feral Claws
- The Ball O' Hurt is a flail that can be found from destroying Shadow Orbs (or by fishing in the Corruption) that deals great constant touch damage as well as decent knockback.
- The Ancient Shadow Armor is found at a low drop rate from Eaters of Souls in the Corruption, but gives increased movement speed and increased melee speed.
- The Feral Claws are found in Jungle Shrines and in the Underground Jungle and give a 12 percent boost to attack speed. They also grant Auto Swing to every melee weapon.
Before Hardmode: Sunfury, Molten Armor, Magma Stone
- The Sunfury is like an upgraded version of the Ball O' Hurt with nearly twice the damage and knockback. Plus, it has a good chance to set enemies on fire.
- The Molten Armor is a set of armor requiring 45 Hellstone to craft (which requires 135 Hellstone and 45 Obsidian). It gives extra melee damage and fire immunity.
- The Magma Stone is found at a low drop rate from Lava Bats and Hell Bats, and it gives all melee weapons the Hellfire debuff, which is a stronger version of normal fire.
The Ranged Class
Ranged characters in Terraria have a few options available to them. They can choose to go for guns, bows, and even throwable items like knives and grenades. In the early game it can be hard to find or craft decent ranged items, and they almost always require ammo too.
Ranged characters have an advantage over melee characters, though, as they can stay far away from incoming damage without sacrificing their own damage output. It requires a bit more inventory management, but it's a class well worth trying out.
Before First Boss: The Minishark, Fossil Armor, Tungsten Bullet
- The Minishark is a costly gun at 35 Gold grom the Arms Dealer, but its "insanely fast" shot speed and chance to not consume ammo makes it well worth the price.
- The Fossil Armor is crafted with 60 Sturdy Fossils and gives higher critical strike chance, ranged damage, and a greater chance to not consume ammo.
- The Tungsten Bullet is the best early-game bullet as it can be found out in the world, can be crafted with Tungsten, and deals pretty great damage for its rarity.
Before Hardmode: Molten Fury, Necro Armor, The Ammo Box
- The Molten Fury is a bow that turns all normal Wooden Arrows into Flaming Arrows when shot, and requires 15 Hellstone Bars to craft.
- The Necro Armor can be crafted with Cobwebs and Bones and gives increased ranged damage, increased critical strike chance, and a chance to not use any ammo.
- The Ammo Box is not an accessory but a furniture item that, when used, gives the player a 10-minute-long buff that greatly increases the chance to not use ammo.
The Magic Class
One of the most interesting and diverse classes to play in Terraria is the Mage. Mages have the elements at their disposal through the use of staffs and other magical items (even some in the ranged and melee category), though all of their abilities rely on Mana.
Mana can be increased by combining fallen stars that can be collected each night. They're not particularly rare, and it's easy to max out the mana gauge early on.
Before First Boss: The Crimson Rod, Jungle Armor, Mana Flower
- The Crimson Rod is found by destroying Crimson Hearts (or by fishing in the Crimson) and deals lasting damage in an area over time.
- The Jungle Armor can be crafted for 10 Stingers, 2 Vines, and 32 Jungle Spores, and the set increases total mana, magical critical strike chance, and decreases mana usage.
- The Mana Flower reduces mana usage by 8 percent across the board and also makes players auto-consume mana potions when mana is depleted.
Before Hardmode: Magic Missile, Meteor Armor (and Space Gun), Celestial Cuffs
- The Magic Missile staff creates an explosive spell that can be controlled with the mouse cursor, and is found in the Dungeon chests and crates.
- The Meteor Armor pieces increase magical damage by 9 percent each, but a full set makes the Space Gun cost no mana. It's crafted with a total of 45 Meteorite Bars.
- The Celestial Cuffs restore a bit of mana upon taking damage and also increase maximum mana, and can be crafted by combining a Celestial Magnet and Magic Cuffs together.
The Summoning Class
The Summoning class is, for the most part, an offshoot of the Mage class. Having said that, though, it also works really well when fused with a bit of melee, as summons don't require constant mana consumption to be maintained as they last forever.
It's hard to build into a proper Summoning archetype early in the game thanks to a lack of options. However, there are a few staffs that are necessary to pick up for anyone who wants to seriously pursue the Summoner path after defeating the Wall of Flesh.
Before First Boss: The Leather Whip, Vampire Frog Staff, Flinx Fur Coat
- The Leather Whip directs summons to attack the last hit target. This version can be bought from the Zoologist for 15 gold once 80 entries have been added to the Bestiary.
- The Vampire Frog Staff summons a deadly frog who deals 11 damage that ticks on contact. It's found by killing Mermen or Wandering Eye Fish while fishing during a Blood Moon.
- The Flinx Fur Coat is crafted with 10 Silk, 8 Flinx Fur, and either 8 Gold or Platinum bars at a Loom. It increases minion damage by 5% and lets players summon an extra minion.
Before Hardmode: The Imp Staff, Obsidian armor, Spinal Tap
- The Imp Staff summons a flying imp who shoots fireballs at enemies constantly and can be crafted with 17 Hellstone bars
- The Obsidian Armor increases whip range and speed, minion damage, number of summons, and a full set further increases minion damage. It's crafted for 60 Obsidian, 30 Silk, and 20 Shadow Scales.
- The Spinal Tap is a whip that makes summons attack targeted enemies and is especially good at targeting multiple enemies at once. It's crafted for 90 Bone and 55 Cobwebs.