Shumbles's heirloom

This mod aims to slow down progression for a server with friends, so there's always a bit more to do. As a byproduct it also fixes the endgame, since you aren't really able to become unkillable with Prot 4 netherite gear anymore. This is done with 2 systems: tempering and enchanting (vanilla enchanting was removed and replaced entirely).

Tempering allows you to strengthen any bit of gear using specific items. Because of this, gear also starts out weaker — swords all start with 2 damage. It's a slow curve, with 25 distinct levels for each gear and each rarity of gear separately. At level 20 an item is equal to vanilla, at 25 it's 10% stronger. The curve is 40% of vanilla at level 10, 100% at level 20, and 110% at level 25.

There are also hindrances that gate progression beyond level 10 and level 19. The level 10 gate requires you to have passively used the piece of gear, so you can't just upgrade weaker gear easily in the late game, or speedrun it by having the required items by coincidence. It's mostly something small, like walking 2000 blocks with boots, or killing 20 mobs without dying for the sword.

The level 19 gate is a bit more complex. There are small challenges custom made for each piece of gear, where you have to collect the blocks, set the contraption up, then finish the little challenge. These range from shooting down clay pigeons with a bow, to timing strikes with an axe, to blowing yourself up and getting close to dying.

The enchantment rework works as follows: all vanilla enchantments are gone, completely removed. Instead you now have a direction and attribute system. Each tool can hold 3 directions, and each direction has between 4-6 attributes that can be chosen from. A direction can only be on the same tool once as well.

These attributes are mostly not just simple stat buffs like vanilla enchantments — they all have a drawback alongside their bonus effect, and the effects orient toward differing playstyles instead of there just being a flat out best. There are attributes where you can charge hits to deal more damage at the cost of attack speed, ones that offer a free totem-like revive at the cost of max health, and also smaller ones like 3% more damage. All of these can be accessed through a new highly interactive GUI from the advanced enchanting table, where you drag fluid-simulated orbs around and collect specific items to upgrade your attributes.

Moving directions with their attributes also requires a new system: a special anvil which allows you to transfer up to 3 directions onto an arcane tome and store them there. It also allows freely redistributing those 3 directions with their attributes onto compatible pieces (you can't put a sword-only attribute on a bow).

Lastly, there's a codex system explaining most of this mod in great detail, including the suggested path to uncovering different recipes and how things work exactly, instead of guessing. This involves a manuscript system where you have to find manuscripts scattered around the world to unlock specific entries in that codex. There are 3 types of manuscripts — ritual, temper and arcane. Each has its own loot table injections and drop rates from different mobs, and is used for a specific section of the mod: arcane for enchanting, temper for the item requirements and milestones, and ritual for the level 19 gates since they're a bit more complex.

This mod also has a complete config menu where you can change basically anything about it: how much things cost, what they cost, whether the level 10 and 19 gates exist, how to fill the codex or to have it filled by default.

Lastly, AI was used for some of the codex entries, since there are approximately 1700 unique temper recipes and I am not writing all of that into a codex again after already having to think of those 1700 recipes and fill them in as defaults. Other than that there was no AI involvement.

P.S. Excuse the bad textures, I'm really not an artist.