Essentials Features

Essentials is our custom gameplay layer. It adjusts combat, items, world rules, and a few messages so the server plays consistently across the network.

Not every rule runs on every realm. What you see in-game is what applies where you are playing.

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 brief hurt-resistance window after sword hits.
Modern melee attack sounds are reduced, while hurt and critical-hit feedback remain.

Enchantment limits

Some enchantments are capped below vanilla, and some are not allowed at all. Limits apply when you enchant at a table and when you use an item in combat.

If an item has a blocked enchantment or a level above the server limit, the item is corrected to what is allowed.

Armor durability

Armor takes less durability damage from PvP hits than it would in vanilla.

Health regeneration

Natural healing from hunger uses custom server rules instead of vanilla hunger regeneration.

Death heads

Player deaths can drop the victim's head as a trophy. The head keeps a short record of the death, including the death message.

Items and weapons

Shields

Shields are disabled for normal play.

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 swing on a faster profile so PvP feels closer to older Minecraft combat.

Tridents and maces

Trident and mace melee damage is reduced from vanilla so burst damage stays within the server's combat limits.

Ender pearls

Pearl throws use custom movement.

Pearls can pass through some trap openings, such as open gates or tripwire setups. They still respect protected areas and other world rules.

Pearl clipping through thin blocks, doors, and 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 movement.

Milk

Drinking milk clears normal potion effects. Permanent 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.
Some arrow and enchantment combinations are blocked.

Potions

Potion limits

Some potion effects are restricted. An effect may be disabled entirely, blocked as a splash potion, or limited so stronger versions cannot be used.

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

Potion precision

If you splash yourself while sprinting, the potion can hit you more directly than a normal self-splash.

Elytra

Elytra bunny hop

Gliding near the ground in repeated 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

Vanilla explosion tricks that bypass normal gameplay are blocked.

Explosion damage

Explosion damage to players is reduced compared to vanilla.

World and building

Ender chests

Players cannot open ender chests on realms where they are disabled.

Pistons and doors

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

Entity block changes

Most mobs cannot place or break blocks.

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 through other normal server systems when allowed.

Ender Dragon deaths

When a player slays the Ender Dragon, the server can announce it to players.

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 can be generated under your portal exit so you do not fall into danger immediately.

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

Common farm mobs 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.
Breeding a stacked mob lowers the stack count and spawns a baby.