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To enable Server-Side Characters (SSC), run a TShock server, open tshock/sscconfig.json, set "Enabled" to true, save the file, and restart or reload the server using your host’s supported method. SSC then stores each player’s server character separately from local Terraria characters. Players cannot bring ordinary single-player inventory or progression into that server unless their account has the tshock.ignore.ssc permission.
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What TShock SSC changes
Server-Side Characters is a TShock mechanism that makes a server use its own character records. When a player joins an SSC-enabled server, TShock presents a character associated with that server and account rather than trusting the inventory, equipment, health, mana, or progression in the player’s local Terraria file. The player’s ordinary single-player character remains unchanged on the client.
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This separation is useful for cooperative worlds that need a consistent progression path. A player can keep a highly developed local character for another world while the SSC server gives them a new, controlled starting state. It also limits a common form of item importing: joining with a local character that already contains equipment, currency, or materials obtained elsewhere.
SSC is supplied by TShock, the server-side Terraria modification. The vanilla dedicated server does not provide the TShock configuration model described in this guide, including sscconfig.json, the SSC permission, or the SSC management commands.
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Before enabling SSC
Use a TShock installation that matches your Terraria build
Confirm that the TShock release you plan to use supports the Terraria version running on the server and on your players’ clients. TShock and Terraria version compatibility can change, so check the release documentation for your exact build instead of copying an old configuration from an unrelated installation.
Generate the server files once
Install or launch TShock and allow it to complete its first startup. TShock creates a tshock directory and its configuration and database files during this process. If the directory does not exist, shut the server down cleanly and verify that you started TShock rather than an unmodified vanilla server.
Secure access to configuration and data
You need permission to edit server files, restart the process, and inspect logs. On managed hosting, the panel may expose a file manager and restart button, or it may require the host to make configuration changes. Do not assume that every panel supports live editing or hot reload.
Make a copy of tshock/sscconfig.json and the TShock character database before changing a production server. The database contains the server-side character state; backing up only the configuration file will not restore player inventories or progression.
Enable SSC in TShock
- Stop the server or use its documented safe configuration workflow. Editing while the process is writing files can leave a partial or overwritten configuration. If your host explicitly supports online configuration changes, follow that procedure instead.
- Open the file. Navigate to
tshock/sscconfig.jsonin the server’s TShock directory. - Set the flag. Change the
Enabledproperty totrue. The essential setting is:
{ "Enabled": true }- Review the other SSC properties. Keep valid JSON syntax and retain any fields generated by your TShock build. The available fields and their defaults can differ between releases, so use the file generated by your installation as the authoritative template.
- Save the file and restart when required. Some deployments read the file only at startup. If your host does not document hot reload, restart the server after saving.
- Reconnect with a test account. A normal player should receive the server-side character. The first character should use the configured starting health, mana, and inventory rather than the contents of an unrelated local character.
Understand every SSC configuration field
TShock’s documentation describes the following settings. Example numbers are documentation examples, not universal requirements; keep the values that fit your world and verify the exact behavior of your TShock release.
| Field | Purpose | Documented example or caution |
|---|---|---|
Enabled |
Turns Server-Side Characters on or off. | Set to true to enforce SSC. |
ServerSideCharacterSave |
Controls the automatic save interval, expressed in minutes. | The documentation example is 5 minutes. This is an interval, not a guarantee that a save occurs immediately after every action. |
LogonDiscardThreshold |
Controls the post-login period represented by the configured threshold, during which login character data may be discarded according to TShock’s SSC logic. | Verify the unit and interpretation in the documentation for your installed build before changing it. Do not infer a unit from the field name alone. |
StartingHealth |
Sets health for a newly created SSC character. | The documentation example is 100 health. |
StartingMana |
Sets mana for a newly created SSC character. | The documentation example is 20 mana. |
StartingInventory |
Defines the items placed in a new server-side character’s inventory. | Each entry uses an item netID, a prefix, and a stack. The default example supplies copper tools and can be changed with Terraria item IDs. |
Design a fair starting inventory
Starting inventory applies to a new SSC character, so treat it as part of your server’s progression design. Use the item’s Terraria numeric ID in netID, set the desired modifier in prefix, and specify the quantity with stack. Keep quantities within the limits accepted by the game and your TShock build. A malformed entry can prevent the configuration from loading correctly or produce an unexpected starting character.
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The copper-tool manifest shown in TShock’s example is only a baseline. If you give players weapons, ammunition, building materials, or large stacks, document that policy for your moderators and test it with a fresh account. Changing the starting inventory does not retroactively replace items on an existing server-side character.
Choose a save interval deliberately
A shorter interval reduces the amount of progress that can be lost after a crash, but it causes more frequent database writes. A longer interval reduces write frequency but increases the possible rollback window. The documented five-minute value is an example; monitor your server’s actual behavior and keep the character database in the backup schedule.
Permissions: why an administrator may still import items
The permission tshock.ignore.ssc bypasses SSC. TShock documentation notes that SuperAdmin commonly receives this permission by default. A SuperAdmin who joins with a local character can therefore appear to ignore the server-side character rules, while an ordinary account is forced through SSC.
TShock’s API behavior distinguishes the two cases: a player with the bypass permission skips SSC saving, while a normal player’s character data is copied and inserted into the server character database. This is why checking only the global Enabled flag will not explain every administrator exception.
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If an administrator needs broad command access but must still use a server-side character, create a dedicated group and explicitly deny the bypass permission. TShock documents the following pattern:
/group addperm <group name> * !tshock.ignore.sscReplace <group name> with the group you created. Test the resulting group with a non-production account before moving real staff into it. The explicit negation matters: a wildcard grants broad permissions, and the exception prevents that wildcard from including the SSC bypass.
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Avoid using the SuperAdmin identity for routine play. TShock’s own guidance warns against playing as superadmin; a narrower group makes it easier to audit commands and prevents accidental testing with an account that is exempt from SSC.
Importing, overriding, and resetting a server character
SSC deliberately prevents casual imports, but TShock provides privileged tools for recovery and administration.
/uploadssc
The TShock wiki describes /uploadssc as uploading the player’s data from when they joined. It is useful when the server-side record needs to be populated from the character state captured at login, but it changes persistent character data. Restrict it to trusted operators and confirm the target account before running it.
/overridessc
/overridessc saves the player’s current state to the server-side character database. This is an intentional overwrite, not a harmless refresh. Use it only after confirming which inventory, equipment, health, mana, and progression should become authoritative. Take a database backup first when the existing record may still be recoverable.
What these commands do not do
Neither command is a general undo button. They can replace the server record with an unwanted state if used against the wrong player or at the wrong time. Record the operator, account, time, and reason in your administration notes, and inspect logs after execution.
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Do not immediately run an override command. First determine whether the player is seeing a different server character, a newly created record, or an account that is bypassing SSC.
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- Confirm the server identity. Check that the player joined the same server and that the server is using the same TShock character database as before. A different world directory, container, or host can point to a new database.
- Check SSC configuration. Verify that
tshock/sscconfig.jsonstill hasEnabledset totrueand that the server actually loaded that file after its last restart. - Check permissions. Inspect the player’s groups for an unexpected
tshock.ignore.sscgrant. A permission change can make the player appear to switch between local and server-side behavior. - Inspect logs. Look for startup errors, database errors, character-load messages, and command use around the time the progress disappeared.
- Check backups before changing data. Compare the active character database with the most recent known-good copy. Preserve the current files before restoring anything.
- Use an import or override only after identifying the authoritative state. If the old server-side record is correct, restore or repair that record instead of overwriting it with the player’s current, possibly empty state.
Validate SSC with a controlled test
Run these checks with a test account that does not have tshock.ignore.ssc. Perform them after every TShock upgrade, permission redesign, or host migration.
- Join the server with a fresh account and confirm the configured starting health, mana, and inventory.
- Place distinctive items in the server-side inventory, disconnect normally, and reconnect. Confirm that the items persist.
- Prepare a local character containing unrelated items, then join the SSC server. The server should present the server character rather than importing those local items.
- Leave the character, wait beyond the configured save interval, and reconnect again to check persistence across an automatic save.
- Separately test an account with the bypass permission. This demonstrates the exact difference administrators will see and prevents confusion when staff accounts behave differently.
- Review the server logs and confirm that the SSC configuration and character database are included in your backup routine.
This procedure validates your deployment; it is not a claim that every TShock installation behaves identically. Terraria and TShock versions, database state, permissions, and host restart behavior can all affect the result.
Common failure modes and fixes
SSC appears to be disabled
- Check that the file path is exactly
tshock/sscconfig.json, not a similarly named file in the world or server root. - Confirm the JSON is valid and that
Enabledis a Booleantrue, not the quoted text"true". - Restart the server if the deployment does not support hot reload.
- Read startup logs for a parse error or a message indicating that another configuration directory is being used.
An administrator can bring in local items
- Inspect the account’s groups for
tshock.ignore.ssc. - Remember that SuperAdmin commonly has the bypass by default.
- Move the player to a dedicated administrative group that grants needed commands while denying the bypass, using the documented negated permission pattern.
- Retest with a fresh connection; changing a group while the player is online may not explain behavior until permissions are reloaded or the player reconnects.
A player receives a fresh character every time
- Verify that the server can write to the character database and that its storage is not read-only or being replaced on restart.
- Check whether the player is connecting to a different server instance or database than the one used previously.
- Review save-interval and database errors in logs.
- Do not use
/overridesscuntil you know which copy contains the correct progress.
Starting items or statistics are wrong
- Confirm whether the player is genuinely new to SSC; starting values apply to a new server-side character, not every login.
- Review
StartingHealth,StartingMana, and everyStartingInventoryentry for valid IDs, prefixes, and stack counts. - Check the TShock build’s generated configuration because field names or accepted values can change between releases.
Deployment and hosting checks
Whether you self-host or use managed infrastructure, evaluate the operational controls rather than assuming that “TShock support” includes every SSC feature.
| Capability to verify | Why it matters | Questions to ask the host or operator |
|---|---|---|
| TShock and Terraria version compatibility | An incompatible pair can prevent startup or produce inconsistent character behavior. | Which exact TShock and Terraria builds are supported, and how are updates handled? |
Access to sscconfig.json |
SSC requires the Enabled flag and may require tuning of starting values. |
Can you edit the file directly, and are changes preserved across restarts? |
| Permission and group controls | The SSC bypass is a permission, so broad administrator roles can defeat enforcement. | Can groups grant and explicitly deny tshock.ignore.ssc? |
| Character-database backup and restore | The database contains player progress that the configuration file does not. | Are backups automatic, retained, downloadable, and restorable to the same TShock build? |
| Log access | Startup, permission, save, and database messages are essential for diagnosis. | Can operators inspect logs for the relevant time period? |
| Restart or reload workflow | Many deployments read SSC settings only at startup. | Is there a safe restart, and does the panel document hot reload? |
| Storage persistence | A disposable container or incorrect mount can erase characters on restart. | Which directory contains the TShock database, and is it persistent? |
Hosting documentation can become outdated. Verify the current panel behavior, file access, backup policy, and supported Terraria version before moving an established world.
Recommended production checklist
- Run a TShock build compatible with the Terraria version your players use.
- Start TShock once so the
tshockdirectory and generated files exist. - Back up
sscconfig.jsonand the character database. - Set
Enabledtotrueand restart through the supported workflow. - Choose starting health, mana, inventory, save interval, and login-discard behavior deliberately.
- Keep routine administrators out of the SSC bypass permission unless the exception is intentional.
- Limit
/uploadsscand/overridesscto trusted operators. - Test a normal account, a local character carrying unrelated items, and a bypass account.
- Monitor logs and confirm that database backups can actually be restored.
SSC works when three pieces remain aligned: the TShock configuration enables it, permissions do not unintentionally bypass it, and the server-side character database is persistent and backed up. Treat those pieces as one system and players will receive a predictable server-only progression path without altering their ordinary local Terraria characters.
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