Stardew Valley: How to get ectoplasm

If you’re actively playing Stardew Valley, there’s a high chance that you are stuck with the Wizard NPC quest that asks you to fetch him some ectoplasm. Don’t worry - we are going to provide all the ways you can collect ectoplasm and give it to the Wizard for some juicy rewards. Firstly, you must understand that you will need to collect ectoplasm only once in the game to give it to the Wizard. It has no other purpose in the game as it is not used in any crafting recipe.

What is ectoplasm?

Here’s an accurate description of the material - “A thick, slimy goop that the Wizard wants for some reason.” Ectoplasm was first added to the game with the Version 1.5 update, a major upgrade for Stardew Valley as it brought a slew of items and quests.

You will require ectoplasm when you take up the quest titled “A Curious Substance”. Keep in mind that this item is specifically made for this quest and once you hand it over to the Wizard, it cannot be obtained again. Further, any left ectoplasm will disappear from your inventory once the quest is complete or expired. Getting ectoplasm is not that difficult, and we will show you how you can collect it in under an hour.

How to get ectoplasm in Stardew Valley?

To put it bluntly, there is only one way to get ectoplasm - you need to defeat ghosts and hope for one of them to drop a batch of ectoplasm when they are defeated. For a silver lining, the drop rate of ectoplasm is at a mediocre 9.5% - not the worst of probabilities. Ghosts come in 3 different types - Plain ghosts, Carbon ghosts, and Putrid Ghosts. Each type of ghost has the same probability (at 9.5%) of dropping ectoplasm.

We would highly recommend to try and defeat the Plain Ghosts first as not only they are easier to fight but they are also easier to find as a relatively new player. Plain Ghosts appear first-hand when you reach Floor 51 of the Mines. Thereafter, you can find them spawning on each floor of the Mine up to Floor 79. Carbon ghosts and Putrid ghosts appear in the harder version of the Mines. They also appear in higher-level locations such as Skull Cavern.

How to defeat ghosts in Stardew Valley?

Ghosts are one of the more difficult enemies in Stardew Valley. This is due to the inherent tricky nature that allows them to pass through walls, dodge hits, and have a bulk of HP. One thing to note is that they are relatively easy to chase since their movement speed is slower than bats. As previously mentioned, try to hunt Plain ghosts as they are easier to defeat than the other varieties of ghosts due to them having a little bit lesser amount of HP. Don’t get disheartened even if 1 or 2 flies away, as it’s only a matter of time before you will be defeating them once you get used to the mechanics.

One interesting point to note is that ghosts have a very short attack range, and you cannot run away from them too far as they will lose interest. We would recommend using a Club to fight ghosts, as a Club is a slow-moving yet heavy-hitting weapon suited for hunting down ghosts.

Looking for more guides for Stardew Valley? Take a look at how to use bait and all you need to know about Pale Ale.