Mod Spotlight: Elemental Tinkerer (Minecraft)

by Dayv

Something I've always felt Minecraft was a little light on was magic, so when I was roaming the forums and came across the Elemental Tinkerer mod, it wasn't long before I was trying to remember how to install mods.  Elemental Tinkerer, created by modder Vazkii, adds several element-themed spells to the game including your basic fireball to light enemies on fire, lightning bolt for some sith-themed fun, and even an implosion spell, in case you felt like Minecraft just doesn't have enough craters.

uh...tada

But you can't just jump right into spell casting, first you need to do some research, and to get started with your research you need to find a very rare substance called elementium. Currently elementium is very hard to find, so I recommend keeping yourself busy with other projects and just keeping an eye out for it (like sugarcane gathering/farming, because you're also going to need a lot of paper). It does sound like Vazkii is working on more ways to sniff it out, though, so hopefully it won't be quite as elusive in the future.

Once you've found some elementium you can create a Lexicon, set up a research table and start discovering crazy new stuff. Each item and spell has to be discovered through research, and then unlocked through a slide puzzle mini-game (I'm terrible at slide puzzles, however, so I just went into the config file and turned them on easy mode. I do like the idea of a puzzle-based unlocking system but screw slide puzzles). Once you've made a wand and discovered a few spells, it's time to start laying waste to the evil denizens of Minecraftia—and potentially the environment.

Seriously

Spells are divided into four elemental branches, one for each element. Each tree has a nice mix of spells from your basic balls and bolts:

To some especially fun area-of-effect spells:

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There are also a few passive spells which you can have active, causing enemies to burst into flames when they strike you or increases your breath underwater.

or just ruin boating for everyone

Elemental Tinkerer is still in the works, but even as it is now I had quite a bit of fun with it. If you're looking to infuse your Minecraft experience with a bit more magic, or just feel like mining via magical explosions, keep an eye on Vazkii's Elemental Tinkerer mod on the Minecraft forums.