How to Install and Get Started with the Minecraft Astral Sorcery Mod
Last modified on Nov 17, 2023 in Mods
Overview
Minecraft has had a basic magic system that has been very slowly growing since it was first introduced. It is possible to find vestiges of magic at enchanting tables, or by crossing an illusioner. Unfortunately, many players find the magic systems native to the game to be a little bland, but there are plenty of mods available to fix that. Astral Sorcery is among the most popular magic mods currently available for the game. It provides a plethora of new effects and mechanics to help fight monsters, and navigate the infinite world. It is possible to further improve your tools and weapons to gather more resources and do more damage. In this guide, we will show you how to install the mod and start using it on your Apex Hosting server
Downloading the Mod
Astral Sorcery is available for Minecraft versions 1.10, 1.12, 1.15, and 1.16. The one you’ll need will depend entirely on the version of the game you want to use.
- Navigate to the Astral Sorcery page over on CurseForge.
- Click on the
Filestab at the top of the page.
- Click on the
View Allbutton on the next page, then find theGame Versionyou are wanting to play on from the list of files. - Click on the
downloadbutton next to the version you want to use.
You should now have a file named something similar to AstralSorcery.jar. This is the file for the mod itself. You will need it to install the mod on both your server and your client.
Server Installation
- Open your server’s control panel and change the Game File to Forge.
- Restart the server so the changes can take effect.
- Open your server’s control panel and click on the
FTP File Accesstab. - Login using your control panel password, then click on the
modsfolder - Use the
uploadtab to add the mod to the mods folder. - Once the upload is completed, head back to the main page of your control panel and restart the server one more time. The server will load the mod for you as it restarts.
Client Installation
- Download Forge from the Forge Download page.
- Install Forge according to our guide here.
- Once installed, start the game and click on the new
Modsbutton on the main menu. - Click on the
Open mods folderbutton, then drag the mod into your mods folder. - Once you have placed the mod into your mods folder, restart the game to complete the installation. The game will load the mod for you and you can see which mods are installed by clicking on the Mods button again.
Getting Started
Getting started with Astral Sorcery is very easy. The creator of the mod made the essential resources pretty easy to find. The main things you will need are a diamond pickaxe and an ender pearl.
Using the Astral Tome
The Astral Tome will be in your inventory when you first join the world. It is essential for all of the basic mechanics added by this mod. It acts as a guide and is used to unlock several features added by the mod.
When you first open the tome you will be greeted with a page displaying an interactive star map with a bright constellation in the center labeled as Discovery. If you use the scroll wheel or double click on the bright constellation you will be able to zoom in on it. This will show you the beginning challenge tree for the mod. Each item on the tree can be clicked on to show you a useful page with more information about it.
New areas in the star map will be unlocked as you progress through the mod. You will only be able to gain access to them after completing all of the different items in each challenge tree. So you must craft all of the items in the Discovery tree before gaining access to the Exploration tree and so on.
Finding a Shrine
Shrines are what you will use to access the main features of the mod early on. There are only three types of shrines that will appear in the game, but they are pretty easy to find. The shrines will spawn frequently throughout the world and can typically be found within 1000 blocks of where you spawn.
The large shrines will be made up of an ornate building on the surface with an underground chamber beneath them. You will need to break through the floor to get into the chamber where you will find some chests and a floating crystal. These Collector Crystals will allow you to progress further through the mod.
Crafting a Wand
The Resonating Wand is one of the most important items in the mod. It is used to interact with and use almost all of the different items added by the mod. When holding the want at night, you will notice glowing particles will start rising from the ground to indicate the location of crystals you will need to progress later.
The main ingredients are two blocks of marble, two pieces of aquamarine, and a single ender pearl. Marble can be readily found while exploring just like granite or diorite while aquamarine can be found in rivers and lakes similarly to clay. Aquamarine will be easily noticeable as it will look like a sand block with blue veins running through it.
Place the marble, ender pearl, and aquamarine into a crafting table using the recipe shown. This will allow you to create your first wand. The Resonating Wand will be how you interact with most of the other items added by the mod. It is primarily used to find crystals and other important resources throughout the world.
Creating the Luminous Crafting Table
Once you have a wand, a shrine, and your Astral Tome, you are finally ready to craft a luminous crafting table. This will be the most important item you can create second only to the resonating wand. Crafting a Luminous Crafting Table is very easy. All you will need is a regular crafting table.
After creating a crafting table, wait until night time, then place it somewhere near the collection crystal at the center of a shrine. Before long the crystal will start bathing the table in light and it will be transformed into a luminous crafting table. You may need to remove blocks above the crystal so there is a clear line of sight between it and the sky. Removing any overhead obstacles will give the crystal direct access to starlight and make any process involving it go much more quickly.
You will receive a notification that you have gained access to the Exploration tree. This new section, like the Discovery section we started with, can be found in the Astral Tome as a new collection of stars on the map. Once this area is unlocked you will be ready to dive into the more advanced features of the mod.
Features
Constellations
As you explore the world you will start finding Constellation Papers. They can show up in just about any chest, but they are most easily found in shrines. These are essential to the mod, but they do not stack and they are very common. Luckily you only need five of these papers to start and you can store them in your Astral Tome by holding SHIFT while right-clicking on it. This will allow you to place the papers in your tome and you will find a new tab in the tome for them the next time you open it.
As you progress through the mod you will be able to Attune yourself and various items to the different constellations. These will give you different perks such as increased damage, flight, and the ability to stop time. More perks from minor constellations can be unlocked as you advance through the mod.
Starlight
Starlight has several different uses in mod. It primarily acts as a power source similar to redstone or flux in other mods. Everything in Astral Sorcery relies on starlight in some form or another. Most notably it is used by the collection crystals and the luminous crafting table and the Starlight Infuser to create new items.
Starlight can be gathered in liquid form, but most of the early items from the mod will absorb ambient starlight from the sky. How much starlight these items can use will depend on where they are located and if there are any obstacles overhead.
As long as there is a clear view of the night sky it is possible to gain starlight. Many items, such as the Luminous Crafting Table, will have a gauge showing how much starlight they can use. You may need to experiment with locations to find the best place for more advanced crafting.
Starlight Infuser
The Starlight Infuser may be one of the most useful tools available in the mod. After creating one you need to place it in a structure built according to the Astral Tome’s specifications. From there you are able to infuse a large number of items with starlight even if you do not have direct access to the night sky. The infuser can use liquid starlight to infuse items with extra effects. For instance, infusing a sword can grant it area of effect damage.
Tips and Tricks
- The smaller shrines pictured above don’t have Collector crystals, but they do have other useful resources. Many of them have chests with usable loot hidden beneath the pillars.
- The chamber beneath a shrine is fairly spacious but dimly lit. It can make for a good starter base after placing some torches.
- Marble is about as common as Granite or Diorite, but it has a lot more uses. Many of the recipes and tools from the mod need marble to be crafted, so keep a chest stocked with it to save yourself some time.
- A map of some kind like Journey Map or Xaero’s Minimap will be a huge help. Finding some resources like the crystals can be a bit dangerous, so having a way to mark locations will help make it easier.
Conclusion
Astral Sorcery is a fun magic mod that brings a lot of new features to the game without breaking your overall immersion. It can allow you to create a lot of new items, place stronger enchantments on your tools, and gives you access to unique abilities to help you survive. The need for starlight and the open night sky makes nighttime in Minecraft much more valuable than before, but the mod gives you the tools to also make it much safer. With the help of this guide you are ready to start on the path to becoming an all powerful sorcerer on your Apex server.
Useful Links
How to change your server’s version
How to add mods to your server
Official Astral Sorcery wiki
