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Server-Side Characters (SSC) is a TShock feature that makes a Terraria server maintain each player’s character instead of accepting the inventory and progression from a local character file. Enable it in tshock/sscconfig.json, protect the character database, and test with an account that does not have tshock.ignore.ssc. The result is a separate character for that server: a player’s ordinary single-player character remains unchanged, while the server controls the inventory, health, mana and progression used online.
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What Server-Side Characters do
In an ordinary Terraria multiplayer setup, a player can select a character stored on their own device. That character may already contain endgame equipment, large quantities of materials or progression earned elsewhere. TShock’s SSC mechanism changes that trust model. When SSC is enabled, a normal player joins with a character held by the server and cannot use a local character to import unrelated items or statistics.
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SSC is supplied by TShock, the server-side modification for Terraria. The vanilla dedicated server does not expose the TShock SSC configuration model described here. If a panel or host offers only an unmodified Terraria server, it will not have tshock/sscconfig.json or TShock’s SSC permissions and commands.
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When SSC is useful—and what it does not solve
- Controlled progression: everyone starts with the inventory and statistics defined by the server instead of arriving with a completed local character.
- Consistent co-op rules: a world intended for gradual progression is less vulnerable to accidental or deliberate item imports.
- Independent saves: players can continue using their normal single-player characters outside the server without those files being overwritten.
- Administrative control: permissions determine who can bypass SSC, while operators can use dedicated commands for approved recovery or migration.
SSC is not an anti-cheat system in isolation. An account with the bypass permission can avoid the normal SSC path, and operators with database or command access can deliberately change server-side data. Treat permissions, logs and backups as part of the protection model.
Prerequisites before changing the server
You need a running TShock installation and access to its server files or a hosting panel that exposes them. Start the server once before looking for the configuration file; TShock normally creates its tshock directory and supporting files during the first launch.
- Confirm which Terraria and TShock versions your installation supports. A host’s control panel can lag behind current game versions, so verify compatibility for the version your players will use.
- Identify the TShock character database used by this server. A second server or a restored copy can have a different database even when the world name and player names look identical.
- Make a copy of
tshock/sscconfig.jsonand the TShock character database before enabling SSC or changing permissions. - Decide how you will stop and restart the server. Some deployments reload configuration on a restart only; others provide a safe configuration workflow. Do not assume that saving a file while the process is running applies immediately.
Backups are operational protection, not an SSC setting. Include both the configuration and character database in the routine used to back up the world and server files. A world backup alone cannot restore a player’s SSC inventory.
Enable SSC in TShock
- Launch TShock once. Start the server and allow it to generate the
tshockdirectory. Shut it down normally, or use the provider’s documented safe-edit procedure. - Open the configuration file. Navigate to
tshock/sscconfig.json. Use a text editor that preserves plain JSON; do not paste the file into a word processor. - Change the flag. Find the
Enabledproperty and set it to the JSON Booleantrue, without quotation marks. The essential change is:
{"Enabled": true}Keep the rest of the generated file unless you intentionally want to change another SSC behavior. Do not replace the entire file with a short fragment if your build has additional properties; edit the existing value so TShock retains its complete schema.
- Save valid JSON. Preserve commas, braces and quotation marks. A syntax error can prevent the configuration from loading.
- Restart when required. Stop and start the server if your deployment does not hot-reload TShock configuration. Have every player disconnect and reconnect after the change so the login path is evaluated again.
- Create or load the server character. A normal account should receive the SSC character associated with that account and server. Test this before inviting players.
Enabling SSC does not automatically merge an existing local character into the server database. The server character is the authoritative state for a normal account; any import or replacement should be an explicit, privileged operation.
Understand the SSC configuration fields
The generated file contains more than the enable switch. The following values and meanings are the documented controls that matter most to administrators. Example numbers are configuration examples, not universal requirements.
| Field | Purpose | Documented example or caution |
|---|---|---|
Enabled |
Turns Server-Side Characters on or off. | Set to true to enforce SSC for accounts that do not have the bypass permission. |
ServerSideCharacterSave |
Controls the automatic save interval for SSC character data. | The documentation example is 5 minutes. Treat the value as an interval in minutes for the TShock build in use. |
LogonDiscardThreshold |
Controls the post-login period represented by the configured threshold, used when TShock decides how login data should be discarded. | Verify the exact unit and behavior against the documentation for your TShock build before changing it; do not infer a unit from the field name alone. |
StartingHealth |
Sets the health given to a new SSC character. | The documented example is 100 health. |
StartingMana |
Sets the mana given to a new SSC character. | The documented example is 20 mana. |
StartingInventory |
Defines the items placed in a new SSC character’s starting inventory. | Each entry uses an item netID, prefix and stack. The default example supplies copper tools; change it only with the Terraria item IDs and quantities you intend to allow. |
Health, mana and inventory settings apply to a new server-side character. They are not a general reset switch for an account that already has saved SSC data. Changing a starting value should therefore be tested with a fresh test account or a deliberately reset character, rather than assumed to rewrite every existing player.
Editing the starting inventory safely
Inventory entries are manifests, not names. The netID identifies the Terraria item, prefix identifies its modifier, and stack sets the quantity. Keep the structure generated by your TShock version and change only entries you understand. If you do not need starter items, an empty list is clearer than an accidental high-value loadout; if you do need tools, retain or adapt the generated copper-tool entries.
Do not guess an ID from an item name, and do not use a stack size that exceeds what the game accepts. A malformed entry can produce an invalid configuration or an unexpected starting kit. Make one change at a time, restart if necessary, and verify with a disposable account.
How login, saving and local characters interact
For a normal account, TShock takes the server-side character path during login and associates the account with its stored character data. The local character selected on the player’s device is not the authority for that session. This is why a local character containing unrelated weapons or materials should not appear when SSC is working correctly.
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During play, TShock saves the server character according to the configured automatic interval and the server’s normal save behavior. With the documented example of five minutes, a disconnect immediately after an item change can fall before the next scheduled save. Players should allow a save opportunity before intentionally testing persistence, and administrators should use logs and backups when investigating a rollback rather than immediately overwriting the database.
When SSC is disabled, the server no longer enforces this mechanism for ordinary accounts, but existing server-side data is not a reason to delete the database. Decide whether the server is changing policy temporarily or permanently, and preserve a backup before making that decision.
Permissions: why an administrator may still bring items in
The permission tshock.ignore.ssc bypasses SSC. TShock commonly grants this permission to the SuperAdmin group by default. A SuperAdmin can therefore appear to join with a local character while ordinary players are forced onto server-side characters. This difference is intentional permission behavior, not evidence that SSC is broken.
If an administrator needs broad administrative capabilities but must still use SSC, create or use a dedicated group that has the permissions it needs while explicitly denying the bypass permission. TShock’s documented pattern is:
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/group addperm <group name> * !tshock.ignore.sscReplace the group-name placeholder with the actual group name in your server; the angle-bracket text is not a command literal. Test the resulting account after reconnecting. Permission inheritance can make a broad group or an inherited SuperAdmin role retain the bypass, so inspect the effective permissions rather than relying on the group label.
Use the least-privilege approach for daily play. TShock’s own guidance discourages playing as superadmin routinely. A separate operator account or group reduces the chance that a normal play session silently bypasses SSC.
Import, reset and recovery commands
TShock provides two intentionally powerful SSC commands:
/uploadsscuploads the player’s data from when they joined./overridesscsaves the player’s current state to the server-side character database.
These commands alter authoritative character data. Restrict them to trusted operators and record why they were used. They are appropriate for a controlled migration or an approved recovery, not as a routine way for players to move items between local and server characters.
A cautious recovery sequence
- Stop making changes. Ask the player not to continue playing on the affected account while you establish what happened.
- Confirm identity and destination. Verify the account, server address and database are the ones the player normally uses. A similarly named world on another instance can have entirely separate character data.
- Check SSC state. Confirm that
Enabledis stilltrueand that the account has not unexpectedly receivedtshock.ignore.ssc. - Inspect logs and backups. Look for a failed save, restart, database replacement or account mismatch. Preserve the current database before attempting a restoration.
- Choose the least destructive action. Restore a known-good database copy when the evidence supports it. Use
/uploadsscor/overridessconly when you understand which character state each command will write. - Reconnect and verify. Test with the affected account and confirm inventory, health, mana and progression before reopening the server to everyone.
Do not use /overridessc merely because a player says that a local character is correct. The command deliberately makes the current state authoritative and can overwrite recoverable server data.
Validation checklist for a new SSC deployment
Use a test account that does not have tshock.ignore.ssc. Run the checks below after enabling SSC and again after significant configuration or permission changes:
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- Join with a fresh account and confirm the configured starting health, mana and inventory.
- Place distinctive items in the server-side inventory, wait through the configured save interval, disconnect and reconnect. Confirm that the items persist.
- Attempt to join with a local character containing unrelated items. The session should present the server character instead.
- Test a separate account with the bypass permission so administrators can see the intentional difference between the two permission paths.
- Change a harmless configuration value in a test environment and verify whether your deployment requires a restart before relying on the new value.
- Confirm that
sscconfig.json, the character database and relevant logs are included in the backup routine.
This is a validation plan, not a guarantee that every TShock build behaves identically. Terraria and TShock versions, hosting panels and permission inheritance can affect the exact workflow.
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A player still sees a local character
Check the account’s effective permissions first. tshock.ignore.ssc bypasses the system, and SuperAdmin commonly has it. If the account should not bypass SSC, remove the permission or use a dedicated administrator group with an explicit !tshock.ignore.ssc denial, then disconnect and reconnect.
Next, confirm that the server actually loaded the intended tshock/sscconfig.json. Verify the path, spelling and JSON syntax, and restart the process when the deployment does not hot-reload configuration. Make sure the player is connected to the expected TShock instance rather than a second server using another configuration.
Progress disappeared after reconnecting
Verify that the player returned to the same server and database, not a restored or parallel instance. Check whether the change occurred before the automatic save interval elapsed, and inspect logs for a restart or database error. Preserve the current files before restoring a backup. Do not run /overridessc until you know which state is correct.
Starting health, mana or items did not change
Starting values are for a new SSC character; they do not necessarily rewrite an account’s existing server-side character. Test with a fresh account, confirm the field names and value types in the generated file, and restart if required. For inventory, validate each netID, prefix and stack entry and keep the JSON structure expected by your TShock version.
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The configuration will not load
Restore the last known-good copy, then make one edit. Common causes are a missing comma, an extra comma, mismatched braces or quotation marks, and replacing a complete generated file with an incomplete fragment. Keep a backup before each production edit so you can return to a valid configuration quickly.
Choosing a hosting arrangement for SSC
Whether you self-host or use a managed Terraria service, the decision is about operational access rather than a special SSC edition. Confirm these capabilities before committing to a deployment:
- TShock compatibility: the host must support the TShock version that matches your Terraria version and update policy.
- Configuration access: you need a way to edit
tshock/sscconfig.json, either through file access or a documented panel workflow. - Permission and group control: operators must be able to inspect effective permissions and remove accidental
tshock.ignore.sscgrants. - Character-database backups: backups must include SSC character data, not just the world file, with a practical restore process.
- Log access: troubleshooting a rollback or account mismatch requires server logs.
- Restart or reload control: the deployment should provide a safe way to apply configuration changes.
- Version support: confirm that the host supports the Terraria release your players actually use; hosting documentation can become outdated.
If a provider hides the TShock directory, does not expose the character database or cannot explain how backups are restored, you cannot administer SSC reliably even if the provider advertises Terraria support.
Operational practices that prevent avoidable data loss
- Keep a dated copy of
sscconfig.jsonbefore changing enablement, starting values or login thresholds. - Back up the TShock character database alongside the world and server configuration.
- Document which groups have
tshock.ignore.sscand review inherited permissions after staff changes. - Use a disposable test account for configuration and permission tests; do not experiment with a SuperAdmin’s personal character.
- Tell players that a save interval exists and that an immediate disconnect after a major change may precede the next automatic save.
- Record every deliberate use of
/uploadsscor/overridessc, including the account, reason and backup used.
Key takeaways for administrators
SSC is a server-enforced character boundary, not a change to a player’s local Terraria save. Enable it through tshock/sscconfig.json, give ordinary players no bypass permission, and treat the TShock character database as essential game data. Configure starting health, mana, inventory and save behavior deliberately, then validate with a non-bypass account. When something goes wrong, check the server, account, permission and database before using an override command.
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