Finding Structures & Exploration
The world is packed with hand-built dungeons, villages, ruins and structures — and the pack gives you tools so you don’t have to wander blindly. This note covers how to locate things. Full mod list in Exploration, Dungeons & Structures Mods.
The two compasses — your primary tools
- Explorer’s Compass — a craftable compass that locates and points to the nearest instance of any structure type (village, stronghold, ocean monument, and all the pack’s added structures). On this server it’s generous: never breaks, zero XP cost per search, a 10,000-block search radius, and no structures blacklisted. Use it before any long trek. (Opped/creative players can even teleport to a found structure.)
- Nature’s Compass — the sister mod, but for biomes instead of structures. Genuinely useful given how many biome mods run here (Regions Unexplored, Geophilic, River Redux, Swampier Swamps…). Same generous config: unlimited durability, no XP cost.
Pair either compass with Xaero’s World Map / Xaero’s Minimap: search with the compass, drop a waypoint on the target, then navigate. Warp to the nearest waystone to cut the walk.
The big structure mods worth hunting
- When Dungeons Arise — the standout: elegant, dangerous roguelike dungeons and structures scattered worldwide. Reliably “there’s something worth finding over there.”
- YUNG’s suite — redesigned, bigger, better-laid-out vanilla structures: Better Dungeons, Desert/Jungle Temples, Mineshafts, Nether Fortresses, Ocean Monuments, Strongholds, Witch Huts, End Island, plus Bridges.
- Aquamirae — an ocean ship graveyard with dangerous deep-sea creatures.
- Mine Cells — a Dead Cells-style roguelike dungeon (with its own boss, Conjunctivius).
- The Lost Castle — a large castle structure to raid.
- The Graveyard — graveyard-themed crypts, ruins and a boss (see Bosses & Recommended Levels).
- Philip’s Ruins (200+ structures), Sky Villages (villages in the clouds), Moog’s Voyager Structures (80+ hand-built Overworld structures), Towns and Towers, Regions Unexplored (~70 new biomes), plus village overhauls (ChoiceTheorem’s, Integrated Villages, Villagers Plus) and more.
Note: Strongholds matter extra here because the End is entered via a stronghold portal (see Dimensions & How to Reach Them).
Loot is personal — Lootr
Lootr makes loot chests per-player — every player who opens a loot chest gets their own copy of the contents. So exploring a dungeon as a group, nobody misses out because a friend looted first. Explore together freely.
Exploration routine
- Open Explorer’s Compass, pick the structure type, and get a bearing (or Nature’s Compass for a biome).
- Drop a waypoint on the target in Xaero’s map.
- Warp to the nearest waystone, then travel the last stretch — tagging any new village waystones on the way (see Fast Travel & Waystones).
- Loot freely — Lootr means your haul is your own.
- Watch the threat level: many structures come with their own mobs/bosses. Go in prepared (see Bosses & Recommended Levels, Death, Graves & Recovery).
Anticipated questions
How do I find a specific structure (stronghold, mansion, a modded dungeon)? Craft an Explorer’s Compass, open it, pick the structure — it points you to the nearest one within 10,000 blocks. It never breaks and costs no XP here.
How do I find a specific biome? Use Nature’s Compass — same idea, but for biomes.
If a friend loots the dungeon chest first, do I get nothing? No — Lootr gives every player their own copy of each loot chest. Loot as a group without competing.
Does searching cost anything? No — both compasses are configured with zero XP cost and unlimited durability on this server.
How do I find the stronghold to reach the End? Explorer’s Compass → search “Stronghold.” Note the End portal itself works differently here — see Dimensions & How to Reach Them.