EliteMobs Setup
This guide is for the current EliteMobs 10 code line.
Requirements
- Minecraft 1.21.4 or newer (
plugin.ymldeclaresapi-version: 1.21.4) - Java 21+
- Spigot, Paper, or a compatible fork
The current descriptor requires at least Minecraft 1.21.4. EliteMobs also has an internal check that disables it below 1.21.0; that older check does not make 1.21.0–1.21.3 supported by the current JAR. Use a historical build compatible with your server when running an older Minecraft version.
FreeMinecraftModels is optional, but wands, staves, their enchantments and the mage class need it. Without it EliteMobs logs a startup warning and those features are unavailable.
First Boot
Start the server once, then restart it if EliteMobs updates server-side health-cap settings on first boot.
On startup EliteMobs reads settings.attribute.maxHealth.max from spigot.yml. If that value is missing, non-finite, or lower than 2048, EliteMobs raises it to 2048 and saves spigot.yml for you. Elite health scaling needs that headroom, so restart after the value is written. If the save fails, the console tells you to raise the value manually.
Recommended Workflow
- Install EliteMobs and start the server once.
- Run
/em initializeas an administrator in-game and choose a preset. - Link a Nightbreak token with
/nightbreaklogin <token>. - Open
/em setup. - Use
/em downloadallif you want to bootstrap official content quickly. - Use
/em updatecontentwhen installed packages are marked outdated.
initialize vs setup
/em initializeis the first-time onboarding flow./em setupis the ongoing content-management interface.
Do not treat them as interchangeable.
What /em initialize asks
The first-time menu offers an info button plus three presets. Every preset marks setup as done, prints its follow-up messages and reloads the plugin. Recommended and Content only link to account setup, /em setup, content browsing, the wiki setup guide and Discord. No progression prints its own warning and support guidance.
| Preset | Effect |
|---|---|
| Recommended | Natural elite spawning on, skill system on, EliteMobs loot on, action and timed events on |
| Content only | Natural elite spawning off, action and timed events off, skill system on, EliteMobs loot on; authored content such as installed dungeons, bosses and NPCs remains available |
| No progression (not recommended) | Natural elite spawning off, skill system off, EliteMobs loot off, action and timed events off. Intended for servers that only want EliteMobs content alongside something like BetterStructures |
Each preset writes all five settings: doNaturalEliteMobSpawning in MobCombatSettings.yml, skillSystemEnabled in skills.yml, doEliteMobsLoot in ItemSettings.yml, and actionEventsEnabled and timedEventsEnabled in events.yml. Switching presets later sets them again, so choosing Recommended after No progression turns skills, loot and events back on. Other settings are left as they are.
Both menu commands require a player: elitemobs.initialize opens onboarding and elitemobs.setup opens content management. Presets do not download content themselves.
What /em setup shows
/em setup uses the shared MagmaCore setup menu. It lists registered EliteMobs content packages with their install/update state, adds plugin-update and recommendation entries, and puts the auto-update control in the toolbar:
- Plugin update — downloads a newer EliteMobs jar, applied as
nightbreak.applyPluginUpdatesWithoutRestartsays (default: after a restart) - Recommended plugins — companion plugins with install links, also available as
/em recommendedplugins - Auto-update toggle — writes
nightbreak.autoDownloadPluginUpdatesinconfig.yml, controlling startup downloads of plugin and content updates
It also adds a "download all content" entry and three filters: Dungeons, Events, and Custom Models. Meta-packages hide their child packages so the list stays readable.
Content Commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/em downloadall | Checks/downloads the plugin update, then requests missing or outdated packages; each content download checks account access |
/em downloadallcontent | Requests missing or outdated packages with account-access checks, without a plugin update |
/em updatecontent (alias /em updateallcontent) | Only packages that are already installed and outdated |
/em downloadpluginupdate | Just the EliteMobs jar |
/em applypluginupdate | Applies a downloaded EliteMobs jar now, without a restart |
/em forcereinstallcontent <package|all> | Re-downloads an exact Nightbreak package slug even when current; all selects detected downloaded/installed/outdated packages. A specific slug can repair completely missing files |
/em setup toggle <package> | Uses a package configuration filename and its current setup state: installs, uninstalls, downloads/updates, or shows access information |
Manual content download commands reload EliteMobs to import completed downloads. Content downloaded automatically during startup is held for the next restart. Automatic plugin downloads (nightbreak.autoDownloadPluginUpdates: true) need a valid account token and an active supporter membership.
A downloaded plugin jar is used after the next restart unless nightbreak.applyPluginUpdatesWithoutRestart in config.yml is when-empty or immediately. /em applypluginupdate swaps to a downloaded jar on demand. A swap reloads EliteMobs and the MagmaGuy plugins that depend on it, and ends bosses, arenas and dungeon instances in progress. A plugin from another author that lists EliteMobs as a dependency or soft dependency blocks the swap, so restart the server instead. See applying updates without a restart for the full behavior.
Manual Imports
Manual imports still use:
plugins/EliteMobs/imports
That path remains valid, but the Nightbreak-aware setup flow is now the primary documented path.
See: