Lightning Rod

Don't Starve

DST

“Now I can harness the heavens!”

–Wilson

“All the lightning can come here!”

–Willow

“Is wire in sky!”

–Wolfgang

“Focuses the destruction.”

–Wendy

“SURGE PROTECTION”

–WX-78

“Highly conductive!”

–Wickerbottom

“Weather's not going to get the drop on me now.”

–Woodie

“A little bit of protection.”

–Maxwell

“Attracts the electrostatic discharge of a lightning strike.”

–Wagstaff

“Bring with yöu lightning Dönner!”

–Wigfrid

“This might keep us safe.”

–Webber

“It's powered by electricity.”

–Walani

“I do feel a bit safer now.”

–Warly

“Protectin' me from th' 'eavens.”

–Woodlegs

“'TIS BIG METAL STICK”

–Wilba

“Zzzzt Stick”

–Wormwood

“Does disguising itself like lightning help it do its job?”

–Wheeler

“That's one way to get electricity.”

–Winona

“It's brimming with elemental energy.”

–Wortox

“Scale-less can call down lightning?”

–Wurt

“That's where we keep the lightning.”

–Walter

“Just in case the sky starts getting any funny ideas.”

–Wanda

The Lightning Rod is a Science Structure that attracts Lightning strikes. It requires 4 Gold Nuggets and 1 Cut Stone to craft and a Science Machine to prototype.

Lightning rod protects from Lightning strikes that originate 10 Tiles from the lightning rod's placement spot. Lightning ignites flammable items such as Grass Tufts, and Chest within 1 tile of its target. Lightning can possibly target players 7.5 tiles from its origin, and hence it may originate just outside the lightning rod 10 tiles protection radius and strike a player 2.6 tiles away from the lightning rod. A single lightning rod thus only provides 2.5 tiles radius of lightning-proof coverage for the player. The area between 2.5 and 10 tiles radius has some lightning protection, but it is not 100%.

Placing a lightning rod every 14 Tiles would optimize the number of lightning rods for 100% lightning coverage. However, considering that lightning rods are rather cheap, and that there may be overlapping coverage with Ice Flingomatic to extinguish any fire from lightning, base layout may not need to optimise around lightning rods. 2-4 lightning rods, instead of 1, is still recommended for a base of 1-6 Ice Flingomatics.

The Lightning Rod also provides a small radius of light (but not heat) after absorbing a Lightning bolt, which is just bright enough to prevent Charlie from attacking. The light lasts for up to a 1440 seconds, but the light will darken at daybreak after 960 seconds.

Downloadable Content

In all DLCs the cost to craft a Lightning Rod is increased to 4 Gold Nuggets.

If a Lightning Rod and a Volt Goat are in close vicinity in the Reign of Giants DLC, they both have an equal chance of being struck by Lightning.

In Don't Starve Together WX-78 can use a recently-struck Lightning Rod to receive charge.

Tips

• On a boat, using a Lightning Conductor can save room that would have been taken up by the lightning rod.

Trivia

• The Lightning Rod was added in the Doorway To Adventure update.

Gallery

• 

  A charged Lightning Rod.
• 

  A Lighting Rod can be used as a light source.
• 

  Charged Lightning Rod radiating light and buzzing with electricity.
• 

  Lightning Rod as seen in the poster for the Doorway to Adventure update.
• 

  Reskined Lightning Rod
• 

  Wx - 78 near of two Lighting Rods

Craftable ItemsStructures

DSRoGSWHamDST

DSRoGSWHamDST