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Terralith Data Pack Wiki

Terralith is a massive world generation overhaul for Minecraft that introduces over 85 unique biomes and dozens of custom structures using only vanilla blocks, creating a diverse and realistic Overworld experience.

10 sections · 1,056 words

Overview#

Terralith ~ Overworld Evolved is a comprehensive project designed to revolutionize the Minecraft Overworld's generation. Originally released on July 28th, 2021, it utilizes modern worldgen tools to create breathtaking landscapes, including massive canyons, amplified terrain, and floating islands. The mod adds more than 70 new surface biomes and over 10 unique cave types, all while enhancing existing vanilla biomes to feel more alive and varied.

Unlike many other biome mods, Terralith is built to be survival-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. It does not add any new blocks or items (with a few exceptions for custom loot), meaning it can be used as a data pack on servers without requiring players to install a client-side mod. The terrain reaches heights of up to Y=320, with mountains often peaking around Y=290, providing a much more vertical and imposing world than vanilla Minecraft.

Surface Biomes#

Terralith adds a vast array of surface biomes, ranging from realistic recreations of Earth's geography to fantastical landscapes. Each biome features a custom block palette, unique foliage, and specific mob spawning rules.

Biome Name Biome ID Temperature Downfall Rarity
Alpha Islands terralith:alpha_islands 0.7 0.8 0.682
Alpine Grove terralith:alpine_grove -0.2 0.8 6.199
Amethyst Canyon terralith:amethyst_canyon 0.95 0.9 4.385
Ancient Sands terralith:ancient_sands 2.0 0.0 5.546
Arid Highlands terralith:arid_highlands 1.6 0.1 36.95
Ashen Savanna terralith:ashen_savanna 1.0 0.0 5.909
Basalt Cliffs terralith:basalt_cliffs 0.5 0.3 3.627
Blooming Plateau terralith:blooming_plateau 0.5 0.8 16.888
Bryce Canyon terralith:bryce_canyon 2.0 0.0 8.818
Cloud Forest terralith:cloud_forest 0.25 0.8 1.686
Desert Oasis terralith:desert_oasis 2.0 0.0 10.508
Emerald Peaks terralith:emerald_peaks 0.1 0.4 1.606
Frozen Cliffs terralith:frozen_cliffs 0.0 0.5 3.27
Haze Mountain terralith:haze_mountain 0.3 0.6 3.783
Lavender Forest terralith:lavender_forest 0.7 0.8 6.42
Moonlight Valley terralith:moonlight_valley 0.7 0.8 27.092
Painted Mountains terralith:painted_mountains 1.0 0.3 1.668
Sakura Grove terralith:sakura_grove 0.7 0.8 15.872
Scarlet Mountains terralith:scarlet_mountains 0.1 0.4 3.733
Skylands (Summer) terralith:skylands_summer 0.5 0.5 9.516
Volcanic Crater terralith:volcanic_crater 1.0 0.3 3.956
Yellowstone terralith:yellowstone 0.247 0.8 47.25

Savanna biome with trees and water

Notable Biome Features

  • Alpha Islands: A nostalgic biome that recreates the terrain generation of early Minecraft versions.
  • Skylands: Floating island biomes that generate high in the sky, featuring seasonal variants (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter).
  • Yellowstone: Inspired by the US National Park, featuring pine forests and calcite formations.

Snowy mountain peaks with blue crystals

Lush green forest biome with hills

Lush jungle biome with a river

Savanna biome with trees and hills

Lush forest biome with tall trees

Lush green forest with tall trees

Tall trees in a Minecraft forest biome.

Lush jungle biome with tall trees

Snowy mountains and a river in a biome

Snowy landscape with trees and a river

Snowy landscape with mountains in the distance

A dark, cavernous area with a glowing light.

Tall, dark tower in a desert biome

Cave Biomes#

Terralith overhauls the underground with two tiers of custom cave biomes: standard Cave Biomes and Deep Cave Biomes (found near the Deep Dark levels).

Standard Cave Biomes

Biome Name Biome ID Description
Andesite Caves terralith:cave/andesite_caves Lined with bright andesite and rare minerals.
Fungal Caves terralith:cave/fungal_caves Overgrown with mushrooms and moss.
Thermal Caves terralith:cave/thermal_caves Features warm fog, underwater magma, and frequent Drowned spawns.
Underground Jungle terralith:cave/underground_jungle Teeming with foliage, mud, and Axolotls.

Underwater view with light rays and large shape

Deep Cave Biomes

Biome Name Biome ID Description
Crystal Caves terralith:cave/crystal_caves Filled with glowing crystals and rare minerals.
Frostfire Caves terralith:cave/frostfire_caves Eerie blue fog, soul fire, and Stray spawns.
Mantle Caves terralith:cave/mantle_caves Intense geothermal activity with flowing lava.

Structures#

Terralith adds over 20 unique structures that integrate seamlessly into its custom biomes. These range from small shelters to massive fortified settlements.

Structure Name Structure ID Description
Fortified Village terralith:fortified_village Large walled villages with watchtowers and high-tier loot.
Spire terralith:spire A tall ice tower in frozen biomes containing enchanted diamond gear.
Mage Tower terralith:mage_tower Found in mystical biomes; contains amethyst and magical loot.
Giant Bee Hive terralith:underground/giant_bee_hive Found in Lush Caves; contains Royal Jelly.
Mining Outpost terralith:underground/mining_outpost Underground shelters with tools and furnaces.
Desert Outpost terralith:desert_outpost A Pillager resort featuring suspicious sand and loot.

Loot Highlights

  • Spire: Known for containing a guaranteed Netherite or high-tier Diamond helmet at the top, along with enchanted books like Mending.
  • Mage Tower: Contains Amethyst Clusters, Glow Ink Sacs, and Diamonds.
  • Fortified Village: Features profession-specific chests (Archer, Smith, Library) with significantly better loot than vanilla villages.

World Generation Features#

Beyond biomes and structures, Terralith introduces several geological features that aid in exploration and resource gathering.

Mega Features

  • Mega Ravines: Massive chasms that can extend from the surface all the way down to Bedrock. They are excellent for mining but extremely dangerous.
  • Mega Geodes: 2 to 3 times larger than vanilla Amethyst Geodes. Unlike vanilla ones, they do not connect to caves and must be found via strip-mining.

Dark, deep chasm with blue lighting

Cave Indicators

Certain surface features indicate specific cave biomes directly beneath them:

  • Andesite Boulders: Indicate Andesite Caves.
  • Granite Pillars: Indicate Granite Caves.
  • Diorite Patches: Indicate Diorite Caves.

Items#

While Terralith primarily focuses on world generation, it includes a few unique items found in its custom structures.

Royal Jelly

  • Source: Found in Giant Bee Hives within Lush Caves or Underground Jungles.
  • Effect: A powerful potion-like item that provides strong status effects such as Regeneration and Speed when consumed.

Traveler's Map

  • Source: Found in various Terralith structures (Spires, Glacial Huts).
  • Function: Leads the player toward specific biomes. It is programmed to favor biomes with the opposite temperature of the player's current location (e.g., a map found in a cold biome will likely lead to a warm one).

Mechanics & Ore Distribution#

Terralith modifies ore spawning in specific biomes to encourage exploration and specialized mining.

  • Emerald Peaks: Features a significantly higher concentration of Emerald Ore at high altitudes (Y > 100).
  • Scarlet Mountains: Spawns with increased Redstone Ore.
  • Volcanic Crater: Contains a higher density of Diamond Ore due to volcanic activity.
  • Deepslate Transition: Ores automatically turn into Deepslate variants if they generate within dark materials, regardless of Y-level.

Terrain Smoothing

Terralith makes extensive use of slabs and layered snow to smooth out sharp terrain, making the landscape look more natural and easier to traverse.

Vanilla Overhaul#

Terralith doesn't just add new biomes; it also tweaks vanilla biomes to improve their appearance and utility.

  • Plains: Features more grass, tall grass, and rare patches of coarse dirt to look less uniform.
  • Savanna: Includes rare "dirt paths" that simulate wildlife trails.
  • Swamps: Overhauled with more mud, mangrove wood trunks/roots, and aquatic life like sea pickles and dripleaves.
  • Forests: Trees have taller trunks to make navigation easier and provide a more open feel.

Mobs#

Terralith adjusts mob spawning to fit its new environments without adding new entities.

  • Witches: Now spawn naturally in Terralith's custom Witch Huts, allowing for the creation of witch farms in these locations.
  • Strays: Spawn in Frostfire Caves and Ice Marshes.
  • Wolf Variants: All vanilla wolf variants are assigned to spawn in appropriate Terralith biomes (e.g., specific variants in Lavender Forests).
  • Armadillos: Spawn in arid biomes like Ashen Savanna, White Mesa, and Bryce Canyon.
  • Drowned: Spawn frequently in the water pools of Thermal Caves.

Player aiming at a glowing red mob

A dark figure with glowing purple particles.