PSA: For all you new-comers, pacifist mode is a literal game changer when it comes to dealing with griefers.

I realize this is extremely old news for most of us, and while browsing this subreddit and sorting by new, there are a lot of new players who are unaware.

If you leave pacifist mode off you can initiate PVP combat with other players and they can do the same to you. Both players have to "agree" to combat though. If you start attacking another player, you will do teeny tiny bits of damage to them until they return fire and at that point both players have given consent to combat and normal damage and DR applies for all parties.

With pacifist mode on these assholes can't do anything to you (or your C.A.M.P. for that matter) no matter what you or they do UNLESS you are in a public workshop that you or they are trying to claim. Claiming a workshop will immediately make you hostile to all other players inside the workshop even if pacifist mode is on unless they are on the same team as you.

Another common trap these douchebag's pull is running in teams with one extremely low level player in a team with one or more extremely high level player(s). You won't know they're on a team until you return fire on the level 5 who is all up in your face, antagonizing you non-stop.

Lastly, if you leave pacifist mode on you will not be able to kill or harm other players (except for what I mentioned above) even if they're wanted and have a red name/health bar, and they can't do anything to you.

Edit – I am not a fan of PVP so I run with pacifist mode all the time and I do not have issues with my character or my C.A.M.P. being given direct damage by griefers as I am immune to their attacks even if I return fire. There are a few other things said in the comments below that are important to mention even if they are ill intended.

Your C.A.M.P. can still be nuked by anyone at anytime. They only way to save it is to leave the server, and sometimes that doesn't work unless you log all the way out

Players can lead other enemies to your C.A.M.P. and then leave, causing them to hang out there and beat up on all your stuff

You can still be damaged by traps set in the world or in other players C.A.M.P.s

And despite what some are commenting below, you cannot be damaged by being shot at or hit by another player, even if you return the favor with pacifist mode on.

TL;DR go into settings, turn on pacifist mode, lose the griefers.