Forbidden & Arcanus

Overview

Forbidden & Arcanus adds a wealth of arcane content to Minecraft, spanning new ores, three unique wood types, multiple armor and tool tiers, special items with unique mechanics, and a corruption system that punishes reckless behavior. The mod introduces materials like Arcane Crystals, Obsidian Ingots, Arcane Gold, and Dragon Scales, each feeding into progressively more powerful equipment. Along the way you will encounter Pixies, explore Nipa structures, brew new potions, and work with Edelwood Buckets that can hold multiple units of liquid.

You can browse every item and recipe this mod adds using the tabs at the top of this page. The Recipes tab has full crafting grids with search and filters, and the Items tab lists all 225+ blocks and items. This guide focuses on how everything connects and the best order to approach the mod's content.

Ores and Natural Resources

Forbidden & Arcanus adds several new ores and natural features to world generation. Understanding where to find them is the first step to progression.

Underground Ores

Arcane Crystal Ore spawns below Y=25 in veins of up to 5 blocks, with 3 veins per chunk. It requires a harvest level 2 pickaxe (Iron or better) and drops Arcane Crystals when mined. Runestone generates below Y=20 in veins of 3, also at harvest level 3. Smelting Runestone in a Furnace yields Runes, which are used in Runic Glass and the powerful Runic Chiseled Polished Darkstone. Dark Runestone appears below Y=8 in veins of 3 and smelts into Dark Runes, needed for advanced recipes like the Mystical Dagger.

Darkstone is the mod's deep-layer stone variant, generating below Y=8 in large veins of 20 with 20 veins per chunk. It replaces Stone and serves as a full decorative stone set with Polished, Brick, Chiseled, and Arcane variants. Arcane Gilded Darkstone spawns within Darkstone veins below Y=8 and is a decorative ore block. Stella Arcanum is a rare ore found below Y=50 in veins of 3; mining it with the wrong tool causes an explosion (radius 3, configurable), so always use a harvest level 3 pickaxe. Xpetrified Ore replaces individual Stone blocks and drops Xpetrified Orbs used in crafting the Eternal Stella.

Trees and Plants

Three new wood types each come with a full set of planks, slabs, stairs, fences, doors, trapdoors, buttons, pressure plates, and signs. Cherrywood Trees generate in various biomes and have an Acacia-like forking trunk shape with pink-toned wood. Mysterywood Trees are tall, fancy-shaped trees with unique log textures that shimmer with arcane energy. Edelwood Logs generate underground as short stumps; they are the mod's most important wood since their planks are used in Edelwood Sticks and Edelwood Buckets, and smelting them produces Dark Matter.

Yellow Orchids are a new flower that generates in grassland biomes and can be crafted into Golden Orchid Seeds when combined with an Arcane Gold Ingot. Petrified Roots generate underground and can be found while mining. Fungyss is a mushroom-type block found in the Nether with its own wood set (Fungyss Planks, Stems, Hyphae) and giant mushroom variants.

Key Materials and Crafting Chains

Arcane Crystal Dust

Arcane Crystal Dust is the foundation of nearly every recipe in the mod. Obtain it by smelting Arcane Crystals in a Furnace or Blast Furnace. You can also craft it from 9 Arcane Crystal Dust Specks. It is used directly in Mundabitur Dust, Corrupti Dust, Purifying Soap, Golden Orchid Seeds, Arcane Gold Ingots, and many more recipes. Always keep a healthy supply.

Arcane Gold

Arcane Gold Ingots are crafted by surrounding a Gold Ingot with Charcoal, Arcane Crystal Dust, and Mundabitur Dust. This material is the backbone of mid-game progression, used for Arcane Gold tools and armor, decorative blocks like Arcane Glass and Arcane Polished Darkstone, and as a component in many advanced items. Arcane Gold tools have 1861 durability, 9.0 mining speed, and harvest level 3, making them comparable to Diamond.

Obsidian Ingots

To make Obsidian Ingots, first craft Obsidian With Iron by surrounding Obsidian with Iron Nuggets, then smelt it in a Furnace or Blast Furnace. Obsidian Ingots are used for tools, armor, and critically for the Draco Arcanus Staff and Dark Nether Star. Obsidian tools trade mining speed (5.5) for extreme durability (2861).

Dragon Scales

Dragon Scales are obtained by using the Mystical Dagger on a Dragon Head, yielding 3 scales. From there, you can upgrade them into Silver Dragon Scales (with Iron and Arcane Crystal Dust), Golden Dragon Scales (with Arcane Gold), or Aquatic Dragon Scales (with Prismarine and Arcane Crystal Dust). These scale variants are used for the Draco Arcanus and Tyr armor sets, the most powerful in the mod.

Tools and Weapons

The mod adds seven tool material tiers, each with distinct strengths. Standard tool sets (Pickaxe, Axe, Shovel, Sword, Hoe) are available for Bone, Arcane Golden, Reinforced Arcane Golden, Obsidian, and Draco Arcanus tiers. Several unique tools fill specialized roles.

Special Weapons and Tools

The Mystical Dagger has 561 durability and a 20% chance to inflict the Darkened effect on hit for 5 seconds. Its primary purpose is extracting Dragon Scales from Dragon Heads. The Slimec Pickaxe comes pre-enchanted with Efficiency I and boasts the highest mining speed of any tool in the mod at 13.0, with 2061 durability. Its recipe requires Slime Balls, Arcane Gold Ingots, Edelwood Sticks, and a Golden Feather. The Infernum Pickaxe grants brief Fire Resistance when striking mobs and has solid stats at 1261 durability and 8.0 mining speed.

The Draco Arcanus Scepter functions as a ranged weapon, charging like a Bow and firing energy ball projectiles. It requires a Draco Arcanus Staff, a Dark Nether Star, Diamonds, and Obsidian Ingots to craft. The Boom Arrow is a craftable explosive arrow (4 per craft) whose explosion radius defaults to 3 and can be configured to deal block damage or not. Seed Bullets are ammunition crafted from Seeds and Arcane Crystal Dust.

Armor Sets

Five armor sets are available, ranging from early-game utility to endgame powerhouses. Armor point values below are listed in order: Helmet, Chestplate, Leggings, Boots.

Mortem Armor

Crafted from Cloth (made from String and White Wool) and Bones, Mortem armor is a lightweight early set with low protection (1/4/5/1 armor points, 1.0 toughness). The Mortem Helmet uniquely requires a Skeleton Skull. With a durability factor of 40, the set is reasonably long-lasting for its tier, and its 6 enchantability makes it easy to enchant.

Obsidian Armor

Made from Obsidian Ingots, this set offers 4/3/3/4 armor points with 1.5 toughness and a durability factor of 36. The armor points are oddly distributed, providing more protection on the head and feet than the chest. With only 5 enchantability, getting good enchantments requires effort.

Arcane Gold Armor

The mid-game standard with 4/6/8/4 armor points and 1.5 toughness. At 25 enchantability, this is the easiest armor in the mod to enchant, making it excellent for stacking useful enchantments. The durability factor of 38 keeps it competitive with Diamond armor.

Draco Arcanus Armor

The first endgame tier, requiring Dragon Scales and Obsidian Ingots. The Draco Arcanus set builds on top of existing Obsidian armor pieces (the helmet recipe takes an Obsidian Helmet, the chestplate takes Obsidian Shoulder Pads, etc.). With 6/8/10/6 armor points, 3.0 toughness, and a durability factor of 40, this set surpasses Diamond in every way.

Tyr Armor

The ultimate armor set, crafted from Golden Dragon Scales and Aquatic Dragon Scales. Tyr armor provides a staggering 8/10/12/7 armor points with 4.0 toughness and a durability factor of 50, making it the most durable and protective equipment in the mod. Reaching this tier requires defeating the Ender Dragon for Dragon Scales, then crafting both Golden and Aquatic variants.

Special Items and Mechanics

Edelwood Buckets

Edelwood Buckets are crafted from 3 Edelwood Planks and function as multi-use liquid containers. Unlike vanilla Buckets that hold a single unit, Edelwood Buckets track a "fullness" level and can store multiple units of the same liquid. Water Buckets hold up to 4 units (configurable, 1 to 10), Lava Buckets hold 3, Milk Buckets hold 4, and Soup/Stew Buckets hold up to 8. Each placement or use decreases fullness by 1, and you can increase fullness by crafting the bucket with more of the same liquid. Specialized variants exist for Fish, Milk, Mushroom Stew, Beetroot Soup, and Bat Soup.

Eternal Stella

Crafted from 4 Xpetrified Orbs and a Stellarite Piece, the Eternal Stella is one of the mod's most valuable items. It can be used via the Smithing Table to apply the Indestructible enchantment to any eligible item, making it unbreakable. The Eternal Stella has 3 uses by default (configurable from 1 to 100). If the config option is enabled, applying Indestructible also fully repairs the item.

Orb of Temporary Flight

A single-use consumable that grants creative-style flight for 6000 ticks (5 minutes) by default. The duration is configurable from 1 second up to 100 minutes. Use it strategically for building, exploring, or escaping dangerous situations.

Quantum Catcher

The Quantum Catcher captures and stores mobs inside it as NBT data, functioning similarly to a Poke Ball. Right-click a mob to capture it, then right-click again to release it at a new location. Players and blacklisted entities cannot be caught. This is crafted via the Smithing Table.

Obsidian Skull

Crafted from Obsidian Ingots, Obsidian, and a Skeleton Skull, the Obsidian Skull grants permanent Night Vision (refreshing every 30 seconds) while worn in the head slot. An Eternal Obsidian Skull variant can be created via the Smithing Table for enhanced durability.

Spectral Eye Amulet

Crafted from String, a Nether Star, Arcane Gold Ingots, and an Ender Eye, this amulet applies a Spectral Vision effect when worn. It can be toggled on and off by right-clicking, so you can deactivate it when the glowing outlines become distracting. This is one of the more expensive items to craft due to the Nether Star requirement.

Other Notable Items

The Forbiddenmicon (Book + Arcane Crystal Dust) serves as the in-game guide. The Chorus Pearl is a teleportation projectile crafted from Chorus Fruit and an Ender Pearl. Golden Feathers (Feather + Arcane Gold Ingot) are a component for the Slimec Pickaxe. The Xpetrified Orb grants 91 experience points when used (configurable). Dragon Scale extraction uses the Mystical Dagger on a Dragon Head, yielding 3 scales per head.

The Aureal and Corruption System

Forbidden & Arcanus introduces a dual-meter system tied to your character: Aureal (0 to 200) and Corruption (0 to 100). The Corruption meter is the one you need to watch carefully, as accumulating too much triggers random negative consequences.

Corruption increases primarily through killing mobs. There is a 35% chance that killing any normal entity adds 1 Corruption, and a 42% chance that killing an Aureal Entity (a corrupted mob variant with a 25% spawn rate) adds 3 Corruption. On the positive side, Corruption naturally decreases by 1 every 6000 ticks (5 minutes) if natural decrease is enabled in the config. Breeding animals also has a 45% chance to reduce Corruption by 1.

When Corruption reaches certain thresholds, random consequences activate. These fall into three categories: Effect consequences (Nausea, Blindness, Mining Fatigue, Hunger, or the mod's own Darkened effect), Weather Change consequences (sudden storms), and Sound consequences (eerie ambient sounds). Consequences are selected randomly from these three types, so the system keeps you on edge without being entirely predictable.

To manage Corruption, craft Purifying Soap from Arcane Crystal Dust, Wax, Slime Ball, Prismarine Crystals, and a Small Flower. Breeding animals regularly is also a passive way to keep Corruption in check. If consequences become too punishing, you can disable them entirely in the config file.

Entities

Pixies

Pixies are small flying entities with only 4 HP (2 hearts), a flying speed of 0.3, and a ground movement speed of 0.6. They can be tamed using Arcane Crystal Dust or Souls. Pixies take damage from water, receiving 1 heart of damage per tick after spending 20 ticks submerged. A Corrupted Pixie variant can be created by crafting Feathers, Arcane Crystal Dust, and a Dark Soul together, with a 10% conversion chance when using a Dark Soul on a tamed Pixie.

Aureal Entities

Any mob in the game has a 25% chance to spawn as an Aureal Entity, a corrupted variant. Killing these gives 3 Corruption (at a 42% chance) compared to 1 for normal mobs. The spawn chance is configurable.

Structures and World Generation

The Nipa is a structure that generates in the world with configurable spacing (default 35 blocks between structures) and separation (default 8). It can spawn as a floating variant based on a configurable probability. Nipas contain loot and serve as points of interest during exploration.

Beyond structures, the mod's world generation includes Edelwood stumps underground, Cherrywood and Mysterywood trees on the surface, Yellow Orchids in grasslands, and Petrified Roots deep below ground. The Nether receives Fungyss mushrooms with Big and Mega variants.

Enchantments

Indestructible

A rare treasure enchantment that makes items unbreakable. It cannot be found in Enchanting Tables, villager trades, or loot chests. The only way to apply it is by using an Eternal Stella on a Smithing Table with the target item. Items on the Indestructible blacklist (both item and enchantment blacklists exist) cannot receive this enchantment. By default, applying Indestructible fully repairs the item.

Permafrost

An uncommon treasure enchantment exclusive to Edelwood Buckets. When applied, it prevents water from leaking or evaporating from the bucket. This is particularly useful in the Nether where water buckets are normally unusable. Permafrost can appear as a villager trade or in loot chests.

Brewing

The mod adds one brewing recipe: using a Strange Root on an Awkward Potion produces a new potion variant. Aureal Bottles are crafted (not brewed) by surrounding a Potion of Regeneration II with 8 Arcane Crystal Dust in a 3x3 crafting grid. These bottles interact with the Aureal system and are used in advanced recipes.

Progression Summary

The mod follows a clear progression path. Early on, mine Arcane Crystal Ore and make Arcane Crystal Dust, craft Bone tools if you need a quick upgrade, and locate Edelwood Logs. Mid-game opens with Arcane Gold, which unlocks a powerful tool and armor tier with excellent enchantability, plus access to many crafting recipes. Obsidian Ingots provide an alternative path focused on raw durability.

Late game revolves around Dragon Scales obtained by using the Mystical Dagger on Dragon Heads. With Dragon Scales you can craft the Draco Arcanus tool and armor set, and by further refining scales with Arcane Gold and Prismarine, you unlock the Tyr armor set, the strongest in the mod. The Eternal Stella, crafted from Xpetrified Orbs and Stellarite, provides the ultimate enchantment: Indestructible.

Configuration Options

Forbidden & Arcanus provides extensive configuration through two files: a common config and a client config. The common config controls world generation (toggle any ore or tree on/off, adjust vein size, count, and max height), item behavior (Orb of Temporary Flight duration, Edelwood Bucket capacities, Boom Arrow explosion radius and block damage, Mundabitur Dust creeper charging, Xpetrified Orb XP amount, Eternal Stella uses), block behavior (Stella Arcanum explosion toggle and radius, Runic Chiseled Polished Darkstone mob-blocking radius), enchantment settings (whether Indestructible fully repairs items), and the full Aureal/Corruption system (disable consequences, adjust corruption gain chances and amounts, natural decrease rate, breeding decrease chance).

The client config controls the Orb of Temporary Flight HUD overlay position and visibility. All config files are found in your Minecraft config folder as forbidden_arcanus-common.toml and forbidden_arcanus-client.toml.