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

Place spiritlinks-1.0.0.jar into /plugins/.
Start the server once to generate config.yml.
(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

Die.
Respawn as a ghost and follow the action bar / boss bar to your tomb or healer.
Near your corpse (within 10 blocks), left/right click anywhere to revive.
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.