Armed for War
The Fortress of War data pack replaces the vanilla Nether Fortress with a completely redefined structure, featuring multiple stages of intense combat as players destroy objectives to progress deeper into the Fortress, acquiring improved and custom loot on the way to an epic boss fight.
The Fortress
The updated Nether Fortress replaces the original, and as such appears in the same biomes and rarities. It consists of an outer perimeter of open-air bridges, which connect to a maze-like interior of guarded hallways, surrounding a central keep. Although large animated Fortress Gates bar the way from the Bridges to the Interior to the Keep, players can break walls and travel between these areas if desired, though critical Objectives will not spawn until appropriately progressed.
When a player approaches a Nether Fortress for the first time, a bossbar will appear representing the entire Fortress, and Objectives will be spawned throughout the Bridges. Although the Bridges are long and winding, you may need to break through terrain or other parts of the Fortress to reach all of the Objectives.
Once all Objectives on the Bridges have been destroyed, you'll be able to open the Fortress Gates to access the newly spawned Objectives within. When those are destroyed, the final Fortress Gate will open, revealing the Fortress Matrix.
While a Nether Fortess is active, Wither Skeletons that are spawned in it will have a chance to drop Wicked Apples, and have a chance to spawn equipped with full Wartorn gear.
Fortress Objectives
These are unique animated entities that represent the integrity of the Fortress. They are stationary, and can be attacked and dealt damage like mobs, reducing the Fortress' bossbar. When destroyed, they drop appropriate loot.
There are four types of Objectives, each with different Health and behavior.
Objectives
Crystal Heart
- 80 Health
- Immune to fire, explosions, projectiles, and suffocation
- Resistant to magic
- Periodically releases a shockwave of magic damage
- Drops Glowstone Dust, Basalt, Obsidian, Redstone Blocks, and Rib Armor Trim Smithing Templates
Blazing Cannon
- 50 Health
- Immune to fire, explosions, and suffocation
- Resistant to projectiles and magic
- Periodically shoots Fireballs at players in Line of Sight from up to 64 blocks away. They can be blocked, but not redirected
- Drops Fire Charges, Nether Bricks, Arrows, Blaze Rods, and Rib Armor Trim Smithing Templates
Cursed Chest
- 65 Health
- Immune to fire, explosions, projectiles, and suffocation
- Resistant to magic
- Hops around, snapping its lid like a mimic, dealing melee damage to enemies in range
- Drops Soul Sand, Iron Ingots, Gold Ingots, Diamonds, and Rib Armor Trim Smithing Templates
Vile Root
- 40 Health
- Immune to fire, explosions, and suffocation
- Resistant to projectiles and magic
- Periodically attempts to bite the nesrest player with a melee attack
- Drops Nether Wart Blocks, Weeping Vines, Nether Warts, Fire Charges, Rib Armor Trim Smithing Templates, and Mature Warts
The Fortress Matrix
The Fortress Matrix appears to be a man-made creature, like a golem. It has a central glowing core--the boss itself--and is surrounded by glowing bricks that it manipulates around itself for attack and defense.
When spawned, it will idle in the Central Keep. Once a player approaches it, it will come to life and begin to attack. If ever there are no players nearby, it will reset, fully restoring its health--it must be defeated in one attempt.
Fortress Matrix Behavior
- 425 Health
- Immune to fire, explosions, and magic
- Resistant to projectiles
- Very Resistant to melee damage
- Periodically tries to damage nearby players with a passive attack
- Periodically summons Minions, which can be two Blazes, two Wither Skeletons, or a powerful Wither Skeleton. As long as these Minions are alive, the Fortress Matrix is invulnerable, indicated by particles
- While above half health, randomly selects between these attacks:
- Spike Arm: Settles down onto the ground, then shoots out a huge spiky arm that damages hit enemies
- Brick Bash: Raises four of its bricks high in the air, then smashes them down in front of it, dealing damage to hit enemies
- Blazing Sword: Raises a fiery sword high above itself, then swings it down in a straight line in front of it, dealing damage to hit enemies and setting fire on the ground
- Whirlwind Blitz: Starts to spin its bricks around itself faster and faster, dealing damage in an expanding radius around itself
- While below half health, randomly selects between these attacks:
- Blazing Sword: Raises a fiery sword high above itself, then swings it in a wide arc in front of it, dealing damage to hit enemies and setting fire on the ground
- Fist of Fury: Raises a huge metal fist high above itself, then slams it down, dealing damage to hit enemies
- Corrupted Beacon: Projects four purple laser beams in a cross from its core, spinning them around the room and dealing magic damage to hit enemies
When the Fortress Matrix is killed, it drops an assortment of valuable loot, lots of XP, and one of the below Reward Items.
Reward Items
Blazing Sword
- Sword item
- Deals 10 damage
- 0.6 Attack Speed
- 294 Durability, can be repaired with Blaze Rods
- Enchanted with Blazing
- Enchantment for Swords, Axes, Maces, Bows, and Crossbows
- While active, the wielder emits flaming particles
- When an entity is attacked while this is active, causes an explosion and becomes inactive for 12 seconds. This also expends some durability
- Only drops from regular Fortress Matrixes
- If the player selected when the Fortress Matrix dies already has this item, it instead drops an Enchanted Book of Blazing
Fist of Fury
- Mace item
- Deals 5 damage
- 0.45 Attack Speed
- +3.23 Attack Knockback
- 123 Durability, can be repaired with Heavy Cores
- Enchanted with Core Strength
- Enchantment for Maces, Pickaxes, and Axes
- When you hit a block below you while falling, creates an explosion relative to the distance you've fallen that launches you back up and deals damage to nearby mobs. This also expends some durability
- Only drops from Ominous Fortress Matrixes
- If the player selected when the Fortress Matrix dies already has this item, it instead drops an Enchanted Book of Core Strength
After the Fortress Matrix is killed, the bossbar will vanish and the Nether Fortress will become inactive, no longer applying changes to mobs that spawn in it. At any time, a player can re-activate the Fortress by placing three End Crystals on the Bedrock blocks inside the Central Keep. This will teleport all players in the Central Keep outside of a random Fortress Gate, respawn all Bridge Objectives, and make the Nether Fortress active again.
Custom Loot
As you explore the Fortress of War, you're likely to encounter custom items in loot chests, wielded or dropped by mobs, or as loot from Objectives or the Fortress Matrix. These range from custom food items to unique armor, all meant to help you conquer the Fortress.
Custom Items
Mature Wart
- Always-edible food item
- Restores 6 Hunger, 3 Saturation, and grants 8 seconds of Fire Resistance
- Found in Chests and dropped by Vile Roots
- Can be obtained by smelting or cooking Nether Wart
Wicked Apple
- Food item with a short eating time
- Restores 3 Hunger, 12 Saturation, but grants 6 seconds of Wither
- Found in Chests and dropped by Wither Skeletons
- Can be obtained by crafting an Apple and a Wither Rose
Wartorn Armor
- Custom red-colored Armor
- Provide Armor equivalent to Iron, but Armor Toughness equivalent to Diamond
- Has durability between Iron and Diamond
- Has Enchantability equivalent to Chainmail
- Grants a minor debuff to movement speed, but also a minor buff to Knockback Resistance and Burning Time
- Found in Chests and dropped by Wither Skeletons that are wearing it
- Can be repaired in an Anvil with Nether Bricks (block)
Wartorn Sword
- Custom red-colored Sword
- 8 Attack Damage
- 1.1 Attack Speed
- Has durability between Iron and Diamond
- Has Enchantability equivalent to Copper
- Found in Chests and dropped by Wither Skeletons that are wielding it
- Can be repaired in an Anvil with Nether Bricks (block)
Dominion Armor
- Custom purple-colored Armor
- Provide Armor equivalent to Iron, but Armor Toughness equivalent to Diamond
- Has durability between Diamond and Netherite
- Has Enchantability equivalent to Gold
- Grants a slightly greater debuff to movement speed, but also a slightly greater buff to Knockback Resistance and Burning Time
- Found in Chests, and dropped by Wither Skeletons that are wearing it or the Fortess Matrix
- Can be repaired in an Anvil with End Crystals
Dominion Sword
- Custom purple-colored Sword
- 9 Attack Damage
- 1.1 Attack Speed
- Has durability between Diamond and Netherite
- Has Enchantability equivalent to Gold
- Found in Chests, and dropped by Wither Skeletons that are wielding it or the Fortress Matrix
- Can be repaired in an Anvil with End Crystals
Enchantments
Magma Walker
- Boots enchantment for Golden, Netherite, and Dominion Boots
- Max Level of 1
- Lava you walk over converts to Obsidian. Unlike Frost Walker, it doesn't convert back into Lava
- Grants immunity to freezing damage
- Found in Chests and on loot dropped by Wither Skeletons or the Fortress Matrix
Dominion
- Armor Enchantment for Golden, Netherite, and Dominion Armor
- Max level of 5
- Grants 10% resistance to Magic damage, plus 12.5% per additional level
- Has a Thorns-like effect that sets attackers on fire
- The wearer emits flowy purple particles
- Found in Chests and on loot dropped by the Fortress Matrix
Dominator
- Sword Enchantment for Golden, Netherite, and Dominion Swords
- Max level of 3
- Attacks deal 25% extra damage to mobs from the Nether (including Objectives), plus 50% per additional level
- Killed mobs from the Nether (including Objectives) drop 34% extra XP, plus 33% per additional level
- The wielder emits flowy purple particles
- Found in Chests and on loot dropped by the Fortress Matrix
Ominous Fortress
If the first player that enters a Nether Fortress has Bad Omen, or if a player gets Bad Omen while inside an already active Fortress, it will become Ominous. This applies all of the Ominous Behavior listed below.
Ominous Behavior
When the Ominous Event begins:
- The boss (if spawned) and all Objectives are despawned
- Bridge Objectives are respawned, including more "random" Objectives
- The bossbar is reset
Until the Fortress Matrix is killed:
- All Wither Skeletons in the Fortress become fully equipped with Wartorn equipment, or Dominion equipment with a 10% chance
- Blazes and Magma Cubes emit Soul Fire Flame particles, and are immune to magic and explosions, and resistant to projectiles
- All Objectives and the Fortress Matrix gain 75% more health
- The Fortress Matrix drops more loot and XP
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