NOTE - This plugin is being replaced by a forge mod and will no longer be updated. Please see SpiritLinks MOD for latest release and information.

SpiritLinks

Overview

SpiritLinks turns Minecraft death into a guided MMO-style “ghost run”, inspired by World of Warcraft.

I wanted a system that makes death feel more like an MMO and less like a punishment that deletes progress:

• I didn’t want players to lose gear and XP due to bad luck or chaotic fights.
• I wanted to reduce situations where loot is lost to lava, despawns due to item timeout, or gets scooped by someone else.
• I wanted a consistent, safe way for players to return to play, and a way to centralize reviving around defined locations (cemeteries / Spirit Healers).

When players die, they become ghosts, get clear guidance to their corpse or a Spirit Healer, hear ambient ghost audio, and can revive either at their death point or by interacting with a marked Healer NPC.

SpiritLinks includes gentle Healer roaming, mob repulsion fields, random on-screen whispers, center-screen revive prompts, and a built-in resource-pack mini server for audio.

Supported Platforms and Requirements

• Minecraft Server: Spigot 1.12.2 (also tested on CatServer 1.12.2 modded forks)
• API: Bukkit/Spigot API 1.12.2-R0.1-SNAPSHOT
• Java: Java 8 (1.8)
• Optional: Vault (for money-based costs) + an economy plugin (EssentialsEco, CMI, etc.)

Installation

Download and Install

1. Place spiritlinks-1.0.0.jar into /plugins/.
2. Start the server once to generate config.yml.
3. (Optional) Install Vault and a supported economy plugin if you want currency costs.

Resource Pack (Built-In Server)

SpiritLinks can serve a small resource pack zip containing ghost music and a Spirit Healer voice line.

Configure under resourcePack.*:

• host, port, path, publicHost

If autoPushToPlayers: true, clients will be prompted automatically.

Quick Start (Admin)

Set the Cemetery (revive point)

Run this at the desired location:

• /spirit setcemetery

Policy is controlled by respawnPolicy:

• same_world (default) → cemetery used only if in the same world as death
• always_cemetery → always respawn at the cemetery

Mark a Spirit Healer

• Sneak + right-click an entity with the configured item (default: WOOD_SPADE)
• Or spawn one:
  • /spirit spawnhealer <giant|golem|guardian|villager|polar_bear> [Name…]

Remove a healer mark by sneaking with the item again, or:

• /spirit removehealer while looking at it

Test the Flow

1. Die.
2. Respawn as a ghost and follow the action bar / boss bar to your tomb or healer.
3. Near your corpse (within 10 blocks), left/right click anywhere to revive.
4. At a Spirit Healer, right-click to revive (with configurable costs).

Player Experience

Ghost State

• Movement: Flight enabled; noclip-like behavior; safe world clamping
• Visuals: INVISIBILITY (hide body), GLOWING outline, NIGHT_VISION “milky” hue (auto-refreshed)
• Audio: Optional ambient loop using resource-pack sound key or vanilla fallback
• Protection: Ghosts cannot be damaged or pick up items

Wayfinding

• Action Bar: Directional target name + distance
• Boss Bar: Configurable title, color, segmented style, distance progress
• Breadcrumbs: Particle trail steps from player toward the current target
• Target Choice: wayfinding.prefer = healer_only | cemetery_only | healer_then_cemetery

On-Screen Guidance

• Ghost Whisper (random): Large center title every N seconds with helpful text
• Revive Prompts (persistent while in range):
  • Near corpse (≤ 10 blocks): “You can revive here — left or right click anywhere.”
  • Near healer (≤ configurable range): “You can revive at the Spirit Healer — right-click the healer.”

Revival Options

Near Death Point (failsafe)

• Click within 10 blocks to revive
• Optional: break nearby gravestone/tomb blocks before reviving so drops spill

Spirit Healer

• Right-click the healer to revive
• Costs can scale over a time window (optional)

Features (Highlights)

Healer NPCs

• Mark any living entity as a Spirit Healer (sneak + right-click with item)
• Optional spawn helper command; auto-naming & glow
• Villagers set to PRIEST/CLERIC

Gentle Roam

• Randomized pacing within a 5-block leash around center (cemetery by default)

Repel Field

• Periodic pushback of mobs/animals/players (configurable targets)
• Optional “hard ring” snap near the boundary

Costs and Scaling

• Flat cost for /spirit res (XP or money)
• Healer scaling within a time window (scalingCosts.*):
  • XP and/or money ramps per recent resurrection (caps supported)
  • Optional durability damage to armor (and hands) starting at a threshold resurrection count

Vault is only required for money mode; XP mode works standalone.

Resource Pack Mini-Server

• Serves a compact zip with:
  • ghost loop
  • healer voice line
  • pack metadata
• Supports external file overrides on disk, or uses embedded assets
• Auto-push prompt + friendly hints if players block server resource packs

Compatibility Shims

Includes back-compat public methods to integrate with older helper classes (e.g., RescueNearDeath):

• isGhostPublic
• getGhostData
• resurrectAtPublic

Commands

• /spirit res — Revive at cemetery (observes cooldown/cost)
• /spirit status — Show ghost status and nearest healer/cemetery distance
• /spirit setcemetery — Set cemetery at your current position
• /spirit clearcemetery — Clear the stored cemetery
• /spirit spawnhealer <type> [Custom Name…] — Spawn and mark a Spirit Healer
• /spirit removehealer — Unmark & remove the targeted healer entity

Aliases

• /ghost
• /reclaim

Permissions

• spiritlinks.use
  Use basic features: /spirit res, /spirit status
  Default: true

• spiritlinks.admin
  Admin actions: set/clear cemetery, spawn/remove healer
  Default: op

Optional granular nodes

• spiritlinks.markhealer — Toggle Spirit Healer with the shovel (Default: op)
• spiritlinks.spawnhealer — Use /spirit spawnhealer (Default: op)
• spiritlinks.removehealer — Use /spirit removehealer (Default: op)

Configuration (Key Sections)

Respawn Policy

• respawnPolicy: "same_world" | "always_cemetery"

Healer Marking

• healer.clickItem: WOOD_SPADE
• healer.requireSneakToMark: true
• healer.requireFunds: false

Scaling Costs

• scalingCosts.windowSeconds: 900
• scalingCosts.xp.enabled/base/step/max
• scalingCosts.money.enabled/base/step/max
• scalingCosts.durability.enabled/triggerFromCount/damagePerPiece

Ghost Visuals and Hue

• ghost.allowFlight: true
• ghost.useInvisibility: true
• ghost.reapplyHueEverySeconds: 30

Effects and Breadcrumbs

• effects.nightVision: true
• effects.ghostParticles: true
• wayfinding.actionBar.enabled/everyTicks/format
• wayfinding.bossBar.enabled/color/style/maxDistance/title
• wayfinding.breadcrumb.enabled/everyTicks/particle/step/maxPoints

Healer Movement and Repel

• healerRoam.enabled/center/radius/checkEveryTicks/maxYDrop
• healerRepel.enabled/radius/checkEveryTicks/baseStrength/verticalBoost/hardBoundary/hardBoundaryFactor
• healerRepel.affect.monsters/animals/villagers/golems/players

Ghost Whispers and Revive Prompts

• ghostWhisper.enabled/minSeconds/maxSeconds/fadeIn/stay/fadeOut
• reviveHints.enabled/checkEveryTicks/fadeIn/stay/fadeOut/healerRange

Near-Death Rescue (Click-to-Revive)

• rescue.enabled: true
• rescue.clickDistance: 10 (spherical; plugin enforces 10 blocks)
• rescue.breakTombs: true + rescue.tombBreakRadius: 2
• rescue.tombBlocks: [...] (best-effort material name matching on 1.12)
• rescue.captureDrops/giveItemsAtRevive/restoreXP: true

Resource Pack Server

• resourcePack.enabled/host/port/path/publicHost/autoPushToPlayers
• resourcePack.externalGhostOgg/externalHealerOgg/externalPackPng
• music.enabled/volume/ghostLoopKey/healerClickKey/ghostLoopEveryTicks

How to Use (Players)

After Death

• You respawn as a ghost (glow outline + night vision).
• Follow the action bar/boss bar to your corpse or the nearest Spirit Healer.
• Random whispers remind you what to do.

Reviving

• At corpse: Walk within 10 blocks of your death spot, then left or right click anywhere.
• At healer: Right-click the Spirit Healer. Costs may apply (see server rules).
• Items/XP can be restored at revive if the server enabled those options.

Admin Tips

• Place healers at cemeteries or hubs; roaming is automatically leashed to the center.
• Use repel fields to keep hostile mobs away from spawn hubs.
• If clients don’t receive the resource-pack prompt, see messages.packHint* guidance and confirm publicHost points to an address reachable by players.