Spell Engine
Spell Engine (spell_engine, v0.15.12+1.20.1, by Daedelus) describes itself in its own metadata as a “data driven magic library” — and that’s exactly its role in this pack: it’s not a content mod in the sense of adding its own spellbook lineup, it’s the engine that every class spellbook in the pack runs on. It requires Spell Power Attribute (spell_power >=0.12.0) as a hard dependency, and other mods (Archon, Invocations Mod/invoke, Rogues, Paladins, Archers, Spellblade Next, Death Knights) all hook their own spellbooks and abilities into it rather than shipping a separate casting system each.
Concretely, Spell Engine adds the Spell Binding Table — the block that crafts Tier I spellbooks and lets you attach spells to spellbooks of any tier — and per its own quest chapter (e_spell_books.snbt, “Unlocking Abilities”) this table needs to be surrounded by 18 Bookshelves (mirroring an Enchanting Table) to unlock all four base spells for a book. The pack’s spell progression is explicitly tiered: Tier I base-class books come straight from the Spell Binding Table (Warrior, Rogue, Archer, Priest, and the elemental Wizard books); Tier II hybrid books are crafted from a Tier I book plus other ingredients (Paladin, Spellblade, Death Knight books); Tier III advanced books extend or evolve a Tier II book and require a Cinderstone Trophy — this is where Invocations Mod’s invoke:invoker_spell_book (“Astral Magic”) sits, alongside Spellblade Next’s evolved technique books.
Server-side, config/spell_engine/server.json5 controls a lot of pack-wide combat feel: spells bypass invulnerability frames (needed for high-frequency beam spells), spell haste reduces cooldowns, spell costs consume both durability and hunger by default, and a detailed player_relations table decides which entities spells can friendly-fire or heal (vanilla villagers and iron golems are semi-friendly/neutral, most mounts are flagged FRIENDLY so players don’t accidentally nuke their own horse with an AoE). Swords automatically gain spellcasting capability from spellbooks (add_spell_casting_to_swords: true), and players can’t unequip a spellbook mid-cooldown (spell_book_cooldown_lock).
Anticipated questions
Do I install Spell Engine separately, or does it just power the classes? It’s the shared engine — every caster spellbook in the pack (Warrior, Rogue, Archer, Priest, Wizard, plus the Archon, Paladin, Death Knight, Spellblade and Invocations books) runs on it rather than shipping its own casting system. Building any caster from Archetypes & Builds means binding to it.
How do I make my first spellbook? At the Spell Binding Table — it crafts Tier I books and attaches spells to books of any tier. To unlock all four base spells for a book, surround the table with 18 Bookshelves, exactly like maxing an Enchanting Table.
What do the tiers mean — is Tier III just stronger? No. Tiers describe how a book is obtained, not raw power. Tier I base-class books come from the Spell Binding Table; Tier II hybrids (Paladin, Spellblade, Death Knight) are crafted from a Tier I book plus ingredients; Tier III advanced books (like Invocations’ Astral Invocations) evolve a Tier II book and require a Cinderstone Trophy.
Do casting spells cost anything besides mana? Yes — by default spell costs consume both durability and hunger. Spells also bypass invulnerability frames (so high-frequency beams land every tick), and spell haste reduces your cooldowns. Your damage scales with Spell Power Attribute and can be tuned via Runes / Damage Types & Runes.
Why can I suddenly cast from my sword, and why won’t my spellbook come off?
Swords automatically gain spellcasting capability from spellbooks in this pack (add_spell_casting_to_swords). And you can’t unequip a spellbook while it’s on cooldown (spell_book_cooldown_lock) — wait for the cooldown to clear before swapping.