Set Pieces are rare, naturally spawned structures and items in all game modes. They were introduced in the Doorway to Adventure update. Players can usually find valuable Items in the set piece. However, some set pieces function as a trap, forcing players to either bear the risk or disable the trap if possible. On some occasions, the player will have to retrieve the items from the set piece in order to escape the danger.
Players may also find Skeletons lying around, oftentimes with items surrounding them. These are called Failed Survivors. Unlike other Set Pieces, they are never traps. A key way to tell the difference is that Failed Survivors lack structures, floors, walls, etc. Be aware that it is possible to find skeleton and set pieces combined. The spawn frequency of Failed Survivors can be adjusted in the World Customization screen.
- Note: The names of most set pieces are unofficial; they are nicknames invented by the Don't Starve community.
Contagious Rot Trap[]
There are three variations of this set piece, all containing many pieces of Rot which are lying around. One version of the set piece contains a Backpack, two Ropes, two Rot, Straw Hat and a Straw Roll. If the player opens a Chest or a Backpack from the set piece, all food in the player's inventory will spoil. However, the player can avoid this by dropping all perishable items away from the trap and then opening the Chest or picking up the Backpack, though this method may be problematic if there are Pigs or any other kind of Mob nearby that might eat the dropped food. If the set piece contains a Chest, there will be a large amount of Rot and perhaps Blueprints. This set piece can be found in Sandbox Mode.
Imprisoned Pig[]
The Pig Trap set piece can be found in Adventure Mode, Sandbox Mode, and Don't Starve Together. It consists of Basalt on three sides, and Obelisks on the other, with a Pig House in the middle. Players can use the Imprisoned Pig Set Piece in which Basalt spawns to trap any kind of mob, even giants in the Reign of Giants DLC, and hold them prisoner there without fearing their escape. An easy way to trap them is craft a Telelocator Focus inside the "prison" and then use the Telelocator Staff on the desired mob.
Disused Beefalo Pen Trap[]
The disused Beefalo pen trap can be found in Sandbox Mode, Don't Starve Together, and Adventure Mode. It's usually located in a Savanna Biome and consists of a long Wood Wall fencing that curls around a squarish piece of land. Inside the fence are several Bones and Beefalo Wool, conveying the idea of an old Beefalo pen. There is a Chest at the entrance, which contains 1 Fire Staff, 4 Gunpowder, and 4 Logs.
Everything inside the fence can be taken. However, the Chest is trapped and will catch on fire when it's opened. The fire will cause the Gunpowder to explode, light the entire wooden fencing, and destroy the contents of the Chest. A way to prevent burning is to Hammer the nearby wood walls until they're destroyed. You can also extinguish the fire when the chest explodes. The fence can also manually be set on fire using Torch - providing a large amount of Ashes. This will not set the Chest on fire - but will also not disable its explosive trap. Hammering the Chest itself can trigger the trap.
All items can be taken from the Chest before the trap explodes, provided the player is fast enough. There is also a 34% chance for it to be a dud.
Fire Staff Trap[]
This set piece consists of a Fire Staff surrounded by sleeping Red Hounds. Once the staff is retrieved, all Red Hounds will awake, causing the player to lose a large amount of sanity, and it will begin to rain.
The most efficient way to deal with this is to kill the Red Hounds before retrieving the staff, as each can be fought individually without fear of waking the others.
In Don't Starve Together, this set piece can also spawn in the Caves. This (and the one below) is the only way to have hounds legitimately in the Caves. This setpiece can be used with the Bee Queen Crown and pushing the sleeping Hounds close together to passively regenerate close to 200 sanity/minute.
Ice Staff Trap[]
An Ice Staff trap, similar to the Fire Staff trap, is an Ice Staff surrounded by five sleeping Blue Hounds. Once the staff is retrieved, all five Blue Hounds will awake, causing the player to lose a large amount of sanity, and it will begin to rain.
The most efficient way to deal with this is to kill the Blue Hounds before retrieving the staff, as they can be fought individually without fear of waking the others.
In Don't Starve Together, this setpiece can also spawn in the Caves. This (and the one above) is the only way to have hounds legitimately in the Caves. This setpiece can be used with the Bee Queen Crown and pushing the sleeping Hounds close together to passively regenerate close to 200 sanity/minute.
Killer Bee Hayfield[]
A Killer Bee Hayfield is a field of Grass Tufts with 3 Killer Bee Hives concealed within. It can be found in both Sandbox and Adventure Mode. The grass makes it difficult to effectively target the Bees. To handle this, the player may plant a Lureplant nearby, then destroy the Bee Hives and Lureplant once the area has been cleared of Killer Bees. Another way to get around this is to press F (attack) and that will instantly lock on to 1 bee/hive, but is not recommended unless you are tanking it. This Set Piece also has a version including a group of Guardian Pigs.
Wendy may also clear this easily by having Abigail attack and destroy the Bees and Hives.
Note: The Killer Bee Hives are controlled by the sandbox settings. If one has them set to "none," this set piece will simply be a dense field of harmless grass.
Living Forest[]
A highly forested area with a large group of Treeguards roaming around or sleeping, often more than five. The Treeguards are not aggressive to the player unless provoked. The Set Piece can be found in Sandbox Mode.
In Reign of Giants, this set piece is common when nearing a Desert Biome, but doesn't include any Trees.
There is also a Shipwrecked version of this set piece, featuring Palm Treeguards instead of Treeguards.
Pigguard Berry Fields[]
This Set Piece has a large patch of Berry Bushes protected by a number of Guardian Pigs. It appears in Grasslands, Savanna, and Deciduous Forest Biomes. It contains eight Pig Torches and 20 Berry Bushes. There is also a smaller variant containing only one Pig Torch and 22 Berry Bushes. The Berry Bushes may be replaced by Grass Tufts or Juicy Berry Bushes (Don't Starve Together only).
Maxwell's Cemetery[]
Maxwell's Cemetery contains Graves, Marble Pillars, Evil Flowers, Carpeted Flooring, two Maxwell Statues, and a Shovel. The Graves that populate the Cemetery are the same as those found within a Graveyard (i.e. they drop the same items when destroyed, and can spawn Ghosts). It can be found in Sandbox Mode as well as in Adventure Mode.
Each Grave has a different name on it when examined, which correspond with the names of the members of the development team at Klei Entertainment.
Every grave dug within this set piece can spawn a Ghost. Digging the last grave will spawn a group of ghosts (one from each grave).
In Don't Starve Together, this setpiece can also spawn in the Caves. Digging up the graves is one of the few, and non-renewable ways of spawning Ghosts in the Caves. Ghosts do not spawn during a full moon as the DST caves do not feature a mooncycle.
Miner's Camp[]
This set piece consists of a Skeleton, Miner Hat, and Opulent Pickaxe beside a small base camp. Inside the base, there is a Shadow Manipulator and a Tent. Other objects like Berry Bushes, Bee Boxes, Stone Walls, Wooden Flooring, and Crock Pots may also be nearby.
If one manages to find these when starting in a world, this is a rather excellent place to take shelter, as it has a lot of things to keep a player alive, and can be "upgraded" to an even better base.
Queens' Gathering[]
A Queen's Gathering is a ring of Tier 3 Spider Dens with an additional den In the center, commonly found in a forest. There is a good chance for a Spider Queen to appear. An easy way to prevent this from happening is to simply burn down the forest. The Set Piece can be found in Adventure and Sandbox Modes.
This Set Piece appears in Don't Starve Together as well.
Reed Trap[]
This Set Piece is a field of Reeds that conceals a large number of Tentacles around and inside it. It can be found in Sandbox Mode.
The player can attempt to collect the Reeds by wearing armor and carrying a Walking Cane, but it is very risky.
Using a kiting technique, it is possible to slowly and steadily kill all of the Tentacles one by one. It is a good idea to set up a permanent camp nearby, as during the clearing process, the player will get a large supply of Tentacle Spikes and Monster Meat.
Building several Pig Houses near the Reeds will result in a steady supply of Meat and Pig Skin, as well as gradually destroying the Tentacles. Although, any surviving Pigs will likely eat any meat before the player can get to it.
Playing as or with a Wendy in DST can make clearing a reed trap much easier, as a level 3 Abigail can tank the hits of the tentacles while attacking. Since tentacles lock onto a target once they begin to attack, there's little to no risk of losing large amounts of health, and coming prepared with Spectral Cure-Alls can make the process extremely quick.
Alternatively, one can also use Spider Dens to get large amounts of Silk and Spider Glands. However, once the spiders take out the Tentacles, the player(s) will have to deal with a newly grown den, and potentially a Spider Queen.
Once cleared of Tentacles, the area is a steady supply of usually hard-to-come-by Reeds, making items such as Blow Darts much easier to acquire.
Spider Trap[]
There is a Spider Warrior sleeping on a Carpeted Flooring, close to a little Grass and Twigs farm. There are also Bones and a Pig Head around the Carpeted Flooring. If the Spider Warrior is attacked, three more Warriors will spawn around the player. Sometimes there are multiple sleeping Spider Warriors. In Don't Starve Together, some of the twigs are replaced by Twiggy trees.
One way to deal with the Spider Warrior without triggering the trap is to set down a Trap near it, then stand next to the spider until it awakens. When it does, it's better not to attack it, but instead run past the trap and ensure that the Warrior will trigger it. Since spiders die when trapped, and trapping a creature does not count as attacking/killing it, the other three Warriors won't spawn. This method makes this trap a viable starter base if discovered in early game, as all characters can weave a trap without a Science Machine and the farm provides valuable resources, if in a small quantity.
The "Spider Trap" set piece is in both "Don't Starve Together" and it's single player counterpart "Don't Starve"
Tallfort[]
A Tallfort features a patch of rocky terrain with numerous Boulders, Stones, and Tallbird Nests. The Tallbirds there do not help one another out, and like solitary Tallbirds, go to sleep at night.
Using an Old Bell on a Tall Fort is an easy way to gather mass amounts of Rocks, Gold Nuggets, Nitre, Meat, and Tallbird Eggs.
It can also be found on the BFB island in Hamlet worlds.
Lightened Cave Camp[]
This camp has a Science Machine, an Ice Box, a Chest, a Lantern, a Fur Roll, and a Pickaxe. The Ice Box may be empty, or it may contain a random amount of Light Bulbs, Meat, Berries, and Batilisk Wings, if they haven't spoilt or rot by the time the player finds it. The Chest can contain a variety of items, including Silk, Flint, Slurtle Slime, Healing Salves, Rot, Logs, Broken Shells, and a Fur Roll.
Crop Circles[]
This set piece consists of Grass Turf mixed with a pattern of spots of Savanna Turf. This set piece is likely a bug, as it's extremely rare and contains nothing besides turfs.
This set piece appears in both "Don't Starve Together" and "Don't Starve".
Other Set Pieces[]
Don't Starve[]
The following set pieces can only spawn in Don't Starve, but not in Don't Starve Together.
Crock Pot Camp[]
This set piece is a camp found in Adventure Mode. It's usually enclosed by both Hay and Wood Walls. It has Wooden Flooring and some Rocky Turf, a Crock Pot, and a Bee Box or an empty Birdcage nearby. Several Skeletons are within the camp.
Icebox Trap[]
This set piece can be found in any Biome, most often a Forest, and consists of a Chest spawned between a Thermal Measurer and an Ice Box.
The Chest itself contains an assortment of winter-related items, such as an Ice Staff, a Winter Hat, and a Breezy Vest. However, upon opening or Hammering the Chest (even if burnt), there is a 66% chance that Winter will immediately begin, accompanied by the roar of Deerclops (though he will not spawn). Setting the Chest on fire in Reign of Giants drops its loot, without activating the trap. A Krampus can also trigger the trap. It is safe to open or Hammer the Ice Box. Of note, Reign of Giants has an identical set piece found in the desert biome that activates summer instead of winter, and opening its Ice Box is NOT safe.
On trap activation, Wolfgang says 'Whoops.', Wendy will say 'Oh, goodness.', WX-78 will say 'IT'S A TRAP' Wigfrid will say 'Thats nöt a thing planned.', and the rest of the characters say 'Oops'. The trap can be found in both Sandbox Mode and Adventure Mode.
If the player finds an icebox trap, it can be used to their advantage by triggering it during winter (if the trap is triggered on the first day of winter, the players won't have to worry about a longer Winter), thus providing the player with the winter items without the negative effects of immediate winter.
If the player activates the trap while the season preset for the world is "Summer only", the resulting winter will be permanent until restart.
If the player activates the trap while in Adventure Mode, winter will still begin and Deerclops will spawn, but within 1 game day, seasons will revert to the preset for the current level. For example, if activated in A Cold Reception during summer, the player will have 1 day of winter, and then it'll return to summer the next morning. In an Adventure Mode chapter with no seasonal cycle such as Two Worlds the player may need to save, quit, and restart the game after one in-game day to revert the season.
In Reign of Giants, if the player starts in Spring; since Summer is a lot more difficult to survive than Winter, especially without ice to craft the best items to aid survival which melts easily during Spring, another good trick is to change the Summer to Winter with this set piece to delay the season for until the player has ice for a better chance at surviving the Summer by using ice based items.
MacTusk Village[]
MacTusk Village is a group of Walrus Camps surrounded by a wall of Trees on three sides.
This is a dangerous place in daytime during the Winter, as numerous MacTusks, WeeTusks, and Ice Hounds spawn, aggressive to everything. Players are advised to avoid overnight stays at MacTusk Village.
Pig Fortress[]
The Pig Fortress is found only in Adventure Mode. It is surrounded by Wood Walls, with several Pig Torches inside. It serves as a road barrier on the Bridges between continents, as the Guardian Pigs inside are hostile.
Passing through the fortress:
- Wear a Log Suit for minimizing damage from the Guardian Pigs.
- Bring some allied Pigs to distract the Guardian Pigs while you are passing through.
- Wait until after a full moon, when many of the Pig Guardians turn into werepigs. In the morning, the pigs will be asleep, making it easier to pass through. One can also use a Pan Flute to put the Guardian Pigs to sleep.
Destroying the fortress:
- Destroy the Wood Walls by setting the segments on fire with a Torch or Fire Staff.
- Bring some monsters like Deerclops or a Spider Queen to fight the Guardian Pigs. Deerclops will probably destroy many of the structures in the process.
- Use a Hammer to destroy the Pig Torches so that no Guardian Pigs will be spawned from them once they've died. You may want to leave some torches intact so you can utilize those pigs for resources later on.
Maxwell’s Swamp[]
A Maxwell Statue surrounded by Evil Flowers, often at the end of a road. The road is lined with Rundown Houses which spawn Merms. The houses are situated on Rocky and Cobblestone Turfs. However, next to the Rundown Houses is a thin strip of Marsh, containing many Tentacles.
The Merms may proceed to attack either the player or the Tentacles, but reaching the statue without aggravating the Merms is possible. This trap is found in Adventure Mode, during the Two Worlds chapter.
A very similar trap, also in Two Worlds, is a Maxwell Statue surrounded by Flowers and lined by Pig Torches. The layout is identical, but the Rundown Houses are replaced with Pig Torches, Evil Flowers are replaced by normal Flowers, Rocky Turf with Grassland, Marsh with Forest, and Tentacles are replaced by Trees.
Cave Camp[]
This camp is set up on a Grassy area, next to a Pond surrounded by Trees. It offers a Science Machine, a Chest, an Ice Box, a Tent, and two Improved Farms with a Pitchfork and a Straw Hat. Note that the Pond can spawn Frogs, which incidentally may be the reason a Skeleton lays nearby.
The Chest contains some items that can be found in caves (Gold Nuggets, Slurtle Slime, and possibly Gems), while the Ice Box contains some spoiled food (rot if the player finds the set piece long after entering the Cave). During the day, the set piece will be visible without a light source, as it is illuminated by the same spotlight that the Cave and Ruins exits have.
There is also another version that lacks the light, Grass, and Pond, but contains a Drying Rack, a Fire Pit, and Crock Pot.
Ruins Camp Trap[]
Found in the Ruins, this set piece contains a Chest, a Crock Pot, an Ice Box, a Tent, a Science Machine, a Prestihatitator, and a Skeleton. The visitor should pay close attention once approached, as the camp has webbing covering the ground; Dangling Depth Dwellers will descend, making it difficult for players to utilize this set piece safely (unless they are playing as Webber).
Reign of Giants[]
Chess Set Piece[]
There are set pieces based on a small patch of a Chess biome. They are usually filled with Evil Flowers, Marble Trees, Marble Pillars, Maxwell Statues, Harp Statues, Gears, Clockwork Monsters, and sometimes a Spear. These Set Pieces make Marble and Gears more abundant on the surface.
They can sometimes be found partly covered by the surrounding terrain, with only a few flowers, a statue or trees, or a few Clockwork Monsters present. Other times, the set piece is more elaborate. For example, the player may find one with a Maxwell Statue in the center surrounded by Marble Trees.
Summer Icebox Trap[]
There is a Summer version of the Icebox Trap, however it will only spawn in the Desert biome. When the chest is opened, the trap will trigger Summer at the maximum heat instead of Winter, and will contain items to survive Summer instead of Winter, such as the Summer Frest. Instead of hearing the roar of Deerclops, the player will hear the roar of the Dragonfly, which may or may not spawn in the biome. Unlike the winter variation, opening or Hammering the Ice Box will trigger the trap and start Summer as well.
Hound Fortress[]
Found in the Desert biome, this set piece has a dense cluster of Boulders surrounded by Hound Mounds, with Rocky Turf underneath. The layout is very similar to the Tallfort set piece, having Hounds instead of Tallbirds.
It can also be found in the Swamp biome in Adventure Mode.
Homeless Pig/Merm[]
In any Biome, it's possible to find Pigs or Merms in groups of 2-4 that behave normally, but have no homes to which they can return when they would usually sleep. Sometimes both Pigs and Merms spawn in the same location and will begin fighting when the player enters the area. Wandering Merms can pose a threat to an unprepared player, and wandering Pigs can turn into wandering Werepigs during a Full Moon. However, a quick player can take advantage if they spawn together to grab their respective loot during the battle.
Shipwrecked[]
Death Island[]
A Pirate Hat can be found in the middle of a large X on a sandy island. It is a safe Set Piece, and the Pirate Hat can be retrieved without worry of dangers, despite the Skeletons nearby.
The X is made of Rocky Turf, and it is the only place Rocky Turf can be found in a Shipwrecked world outside of the Volcano, or without bringing more via Seaworthy.
This island is also known for being scattered with boons, some containing useful items, however, most not. It is known as many things, most common being death island.
Skull Island[]
The Magma Skull is an arrangement of Magma Turf against a Beach background. The eyes of the skull are made of gold flecked Magma Piles. Around the area many Rocks, Flints, and some Gold Nuggets can be found. If a player finds the correct Message in a Bottle, they can find and excavate a chest in the nose of the Skull, containing extremely valuable loot; namely an Obsidian Armor, an Obsidian Spear, 3 Obsidian Coconades, a Boat Repair Kit and some other items.
This island is less of a set piece, and more of a required island, though it is supposed to appear in every Shipwrecked world there are cases where the island will not spawn due to a glitch. When it does appear it is usually found near the volcano, most likely a couple of islands away.
Venom Gland Trap[]
Three Venom Glands found in the middle of 6 Viney Bushes. Picking up the Venom Glands will cause Poisonous Snakes to spawn from each Viney Bush and attack. If there are Prime Apes around, they can also pick up the Venom Glands and trigger the trap. The trap can be deactivated by hacking down the viney bushes.
Volcano Staff Trap[]
A Volcano Staff sits in the middle of 6 pieces of Obsidian. Upon picking up the Staff, it will trigger the Volcano to erupt and Dragoon Eggs to fall from the sky. It does not change the Season.
Fish Lake[]
A lake can be found inside a Jungle biome. The Lake is surrounded by a small Beach with 3 Palm Trees, and 3 Seashells, along with some Limestone Walls. In the lake 3 Seaweeds, a Shoal and a Fishing Rod can be found.
Cargo Boat Trap[]
A lone Cargo Boat in the Ocean that contains a Spear Gun, a Spear and 3 Morsels. When the players gets on it, 3 Sea Hounds will spawn.
Lonely Raft[]
A lonely Raft and a Spear Gun can be found floating in shallow ocean. It is possible for the Spear Gun to not appear.
Ghost Row Boat[]
A Row Boat equipped with a Boat Lantern and a Cloth Sail in low condition can be found floating in the medium and deep ocean.
Don't Starve Together[]
Dragonfly Nest[]
In the Desert biome, there is a set piece with a bunch of Magma Ponds, Burnt Trees, Burnt Spiky Bushes and a few Crispy Skeletons. You can also see lots of burnt swipes and slashes on the ground. A Dragonfly lives and respawns here, regardless of season.
Moose/Goose Nest[]
In the Grassland Biome, it is possible to find a various amount of set pieces with some Berry Bushes, Carrots, Birchnut Trees, and a Pond. On the ground are some twigs aligned in a circle, these twigs can sometimes spawn without the other parts of the set piece such as the pond and in even rarer cases the nest will spawn by itself. During spring, the Moose/Goose will spawn there and make a nest in the center of the circle, and lay its egg in it. Despite the resources being quickly available, it is not advised to set up a base near this location.
Oasis[]
See also: Lake
The Oasis is a Set Piece in the Desert Biome, introduced in A New Reign. It consists of a large patch of Grass Turf, featuring a Lake that only carries water in Summer, and 12 Birchnut Trees. In Summer, 18 Succulents grow around the Lake. A Skeleton with a Fishing Rod, a Straw Roll and a Straw Hat can be found at the Oasis.
While being in the proximity of the Lake, the players are protected from Sandstorms and will suffer minor sight hindrance, without slowing down their movement speed.
Marble Sculptures Set Piece[]
There are variants of the Reign of Giants Chess Set Pieces, introduced in A New Reign. They feature both Marble Sculptures and Marble Statues, along with a Skeleton, two Marble and a Pickaxe. While the Statues can be mined to obtain Sketches, the Sculptures can be repaired using Suspicious Marble and turned into Shadow Pieces during New Moon.
Bath Bombed Hot Spring[]
This set piece is always present in Lunar Baths. It contains a Hot Spring with a Bath Bomb already tossed in it, a Bath Bomb on the ground, a Skeleton and two Lune Trees.
If the set piece is discovered after the Full Moon the Hot Spring will be glassed.
Moon Tree Hidden Axe[]
This set piece features a square made of lunar trees with a glass axe in the middle. The axe is rather difficult to see, so the player must walk to the center and click around until they pick up the axe.