Essentials Features

Essentials is our custom gameplay layer. It changes combat, items, and world rules so PvP and base building feel the way we want on the network.

Not every rule runs on every server. What you see in-game is what applies on that realm.

See factions for claiming, power, and timers that live outside Essentials.

Combat

Knockback

Player hits use custom knockback instead of vanilla values. Sprinting, direction, and ground contact all affect how far you get sent.

Sword combat

Sword fights use an older combat feel.

Jump crits work on swords when you are falling and not on the ground.
Sweep attacks do not happen with swords.
Victims get a short hurt-resistance window after a sword hit, similar to older versions.
Attack sounds are trimmed down. You still hear hurt and crit feedback.

Hit immunity

After you take damage, there is a short window where you cannot be hit again. This replaces vanilla hurt-resistance timing.

Enchantment limits

Some enchantments are capped or removed when you use gear in combat or at an enchant table.

Knockback is not allowed on weapons.
Sweeping Edge is not allowed on swords.

If an item has a blocked enchant, it is stripped down to the allowed level.

Armor durability

Armor takes less durability damage from hits than in vanilla.

Health regeneration

Natural healing from a full hunger bar is handled by our own regen rules instead of vanilla hunger regen.

Items and weapons

Shields

Shields are disabled for normal players.

You cannot craft a shield.
You cannot move a shield to your off-hand.
Blocking with a shield removes it from your hand.

Attack speed

Weapon attack speed is adjusted by item type. Swords in particular swing on a faster profile so combat feels closer to pre-1.9 PvP.

Trident melee damage

Melee hits with a trident deal reduced damage compared to vanilla.

Mace damage

Mace hits deal reduced damage and have a damage cap so burst hits stay within our combat limits.

Ender pearls

Pearl throws use custom throw speed.

Pearls can pass through open fence gates and tripwire when thrown into traps. They still respect other world protection rules.

Pearl clipping through thin blocks, doors, and fence gates is blocked. If a pearl tries to land in an invalid spot, the throw is cancelled and you may get the pearl back.

Thrown potions

Thrown potions use custom throw speed.

Milk

Drinking milk still clears most potion effects. Infinite-duration effects stay on you.

Chorus fruit

Chorus fruit cannot teleport you.

Fishing rods

Fishing rods cannot hook other players.

Crossbows

Firework rockets cannot be fired from a crossbow.
Spectral arrows cannot be fired from a crossbow that has Multishot.

Potions

Potion limits

Some potion effects are restricted or disabled.

Effect	What is changed
Instant Damage	Disabled
Regeneration	Disabled
Weakness	Disabled
Slowness	Cannot be used as a splash potion
Poison	Cannot be used as a splash potion
Slow Falling	No splash, extended, or amplified versions

Disabled effects are removed when you change worlds. Drinking, splashing, or throwing a blocked potion does nothing.

Potion precision

If you splash yourself while sprinting, the potion hits you harder than a normal self-splash.

Elytra

Elytra bunny hop

Gliding near the ground in quick hops is blocked. If you keep trying, your elytra drops to the ground.

Elytra and projectiles

If a projectile hits you while you are wearing an elytra, the elytra is removed and drops at your feet.

Explosives

Explosion exploits

These vanilla explosion tricks are blocked.

Beds cannot explode in the Nether.
Respawn anchors cannot be over-charged outside the Nether.
End crystals cannot be primed to explode.

Explosion damage

Explosion damage to players is reduced compared to vanilla.

World and building

Ender chests

Players cannot open ender chests.

Pistons and doors

Pistons cannot push or pull blocks in a way that opens, closes, or breaks doors, trapdoors, or fence gates.

Entity block changes

Most mobs cannot place or break blocks. Villagers and a few other exempt types still can.

Spawners

Spawn eggs cannot change the mob type on a monster spawner.
Some spawner types cannot be broken by players.

Natural spawns

Some mob types do not spawn naturally in the world. They can still appear from spawners or spawn eggs.

Wither spawning

Building a wither is rate-limited across the server. If a spawn is blocked, try again later.

Nether portals

When you enter the Nether in survival, a landing platform is generated under your portal exit so you do not fall into lava.

Shulker boxes

When you place a shulker box, it is locked for a short time. A countdown shows above the box. You cannot open it until the lock expires.

Mobs and farming

Mob stacking

Nearby passive mobs of the same type can merge into one stack. The stack shows a count label above the mob.

Killing a stack leaves a smaller stack behind until only one mob remains.
You can breed a stacked mob with the correct food. Breeding lowers the stack count and spawns a baby.

Stacking applies to common farm and passive animals such as cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens.