Netherward
- By
A relic compass that grants passage to the Nether and points to the last portal used
sealed-gate.png
hell-vision.png
compass-title.png
Description
Netherward
The Nether is sealed. Earn the way in.
Assemble the Infernal Compass from relics hidden across the Overworld, and every crossing through a Nether portal becomes a glimpse of hell.
Netherward turns the Nether into a destination you have to earn. Portals still light, but they refuse to take you anywhere until you carry the Infernal Compass. Its four parts lie in the loot of Overworld structures, from buried treasure to the Ancient City, so reaching the Nether becomes a journey of its own.
Once you have it, the compass remembers the portal you came through and leads you back to it. Every crossing replaces the vanilla loading screen with a vision of hell: the world floods red, demonic sigils flash before your eyes, and you open them on the other side.
What you get
The Infernal Compass
- Four relics, one compass. Put the Black Rim, Bone Needle, Blood Stone and Soul Seal into a crafting grid in any order.
- Found, not crafted from scratch. Each part has a chance to appear in chests of its own structures:
| Part | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Black Rim | Buried treasure, underwater ruins |
| Bone Needle | Ancient City |
| Blood Stone | Trial Chambers reward vaults |
| Soul Seal | Jungle temples, desert pyramids |
- A name written in runes. When you select the compass, its name appears in infernal glyphs and decodes into English.
- A way back. The compass points to the Nether portal you last left through, in both the Overworld and the Nether.
The sealed gate
- Without the compass, a Nether portal does nothing. A notice and a sound tell you what is missing.
- Leaving the Nether is never blocked, so nobody gets stuck on the wrong side.
- The compass counts anywhere in your inventory, or in an accessory slot.
Crossing the portal
- Crossing a portal in either direction plays a short vision in place of the vanilla loading screen.
- The view flickers and floods red in time with a heartbeat, then flashes frames of a burning pentagram ringed by runes before fading to black.
- The server moves you only once your screen is fully covered, so the new dimension never pops in mid-effect.
- Sensitive to flashing images? Turn the vision off for yourself in the client settings.
Accessories
- NeoForge: the compass fits Curios slots.
- Fabric: the compass fits Accessories slots.
- Both are optional.
Configuration
Both files live in config/netherward/ and are picked up without a restart.
Client (netherward-client.json5)
| Option | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
hellVision |
true |
Show the vision when crossing a Nether portal. When off, you see the vanilla loading screen. |
Server (netherward-server.json5)
| Option | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
blockNether |
true |
Refuse travel to the Nether without an Infernal Compass. |
trackLastPortal |
true |
Point compasses at the last Nether portal used. |
hellVision |
true |
Cross Nether portals through the vision for every player. When off, everyone sees the vanilla loading screen. |
sealNotice |
true |
Show the on-screen notice when travel is refused. |
sealSound |
true |
Play the sealed gate sound when travel is refused. |
sealNoticeSeconds |
5.0 |
How long the notice stays on screen, including its fade out. |
lootParts |
true |
Add the compass parts to structure chests. |
birthdayNotice |
true |
Greet players on a developer's birthday. |
FAQ
What do I need? Netherward alone. On Fabric, also Fabric API. Curios (NeoForge) or Accessories (Fabric) are optional.
Client or server? Both. The server seals the gate and runs the crossing; the client draws the compass, the notice and the vision.
Can I keep the vanilla Nether access and only use the compass and the vision?
Yes. Set blockNether to false.
Does it affect the End or other dimensions? No. Only travel to and from the Nether is touched.
Which versions? Minecraft 1.21.1 on NeoForge and Fabric.
Netherward Team
Owner
