Overview#
Enchantment Descriptions is a lightweight client-side mod developed by Darkhax that improves the player's understanding of the enchantment system. While vanilla Minecraft provides names for enchantments, it offers no in-game explanation of their mechanics. This mod bridges that gap by injecting brief, informative descriptions directly into item tooltips. It is highly compatible, supporting nearly all modded enchantments and offering localization for over 15 different languages.
Mechanics#
The mod operates seamlessly within the existing Minecraft user interface. When a player hovers their cursor over an enchanted book or an item with active enchantments, a new section appears in the tooltip below the enchantment name.
Tooltip Display
- Enchanted Books: Displays the description for the specific enchantment contained in the book.
- Enchanted Equipment: Displays descriptions for all enchantments currently applied to the tool, weapon, or armor piece.
- Keybind Requirement: By default, descriptions are always visible. However, the mod can be configured to only display descriptions when a specific key (typically Left Shift) is held down.
JEI Integration
When the Just Enough Items (JEI) mod is installed, Enchantment Descriptions adds enhanced functionality:
- Information Tab: Players can view enchantment descriptions within the JEI information category.
- Compatibility List: JEI will display a list of all items that can legally receive a specific enchantment, along with instructions on how to apply it (e.g., via Anvil or Enchanting Table).
Configuration#
The mod is highly customizable via the enchantmentdescriptions-client.toml configuration file. Players can adjust the visual style and behavior of the tooltips to suit their preferences.
| Option | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
requireKeybindPress |
Boolean | false |
If set to true, descriptions will only appear while the player is holding the designated keybind (Shift). |
descriptionColor |
String | #7A7A7A |
Defines the color of the description text using a hex code. |
showOnlyOnBooks |
Boolean | false |
When enabled, descriptions will only be shown on Enchanted Books and not on tools or armor. |
showEnchantmentName |
Boolean | true |
Toggles whether the name of the enchantment is repeated within the description block. |
showAddedBy |
Boolean | true |
Displays the name of the mod that added the enchantment. |
Mod Integration & Localization#
Enchantment Descriptions is built with compatibility in mind. It does not hardcode descriptions; instead, it pulls them from the game's localization files. This allows it to support virtually any modded enchantment automatically, provided the mod author has included the appropriate translation keys.
Supported Languages
The mod currently supports over 15 languages, including:
- English (US/UK)
- Spanish
- French
- German
- Chinese (Simplified/Traditional)
- Russian
- Japanese
- Korean
Technical Details for Developers#
Mod developers can easily add support for their own enchantments by adding a specific key to their en_us.json (or other language) files. The mod looks for keys following a standardized format.
Localization Key Format:
enchantment.{modid}.{enchantment_name}.desc
Example Entry:
"enchantment.minecraft.protection.desc": "Reduces most types of damage by a certain amount."It is recommended to keep descriptions to two sentences or fewer to ensure they fit within the standard GUI scale without overflowing the screen.
Content Summary#
As a client-side utility mod, Enchantment Descriptions focuses exclusively on UI enhancements and does not add physical content to the game world.
- Mobs/Creatures: None added.
- Items: None added (modifies existing item tooltips).
- Blocks: None added.
- Biomes: None added.
- Dimensions: None added.
- Structures: None added.
- Recipes: None added.
