Installation and quick start

Let's make a boss! We'll start with a reusable preset and turn it into a two-player encounter called gatekeeper. The presets are still placeholders, so expect to do some tuning. Use a test world or a safe arena while you work on it.

Optional client support in 0.2.0

Install clockwork_bosses-0.2.0.jar on the server. Players without this mod use the native Warden fallback; the older 0.1 release did not support that fallback.

Players installing the client mod need the matching 0.2.0 jar for the editor, skins, glow, custom sounds, music and enhanced animation timing. Players without it retain server combat, phases, native bars/particles, scale, rewards and player support with vanilla appearance. Other mods/addons can still require clients.

Compatibility and testing records automated coverage and the rendered multiplayer/latency checks that remain manual.

Requirements

Component	Version targeted by 0.2.0
Minecraft	26.3
Fabric Loader	0.19.5
Fabric API	0.161.0+26.3
Clockwork Bosses	0.2.0 on server; matching optional client
Java runtime	25 or newer

Install the universal clockwork_bosses-0.2.0.jar on the server and on clients using the enhanced features, alongside the matching Fabric setup. Remove an old companion jar when upgrading; preserve its config/data. Restart the server and every client after replacing the jar. /boss reload cannot load new code or update client metadata.

Core administration defaults to Minecraft game-master permission, normally operator level 2, unless a permission provider grants or denies the relevant node. Workshop login/reload requires native owner permission, normally operator level 4; ordinary boss permission grants do not grant Workshop ownership.

1. Create a template

Run:

/boss create preset 2_players arena_boss

This copies the preset's configuration and media into a new active template. For a fresh default instead, use:

/boss create new arena_boss

Choose one of these commands for that template name. Templates use lowercase letters, digits, dots, underscores, or hyphens, with no spaces.

2. Set the emergence position

Stand where the boss should emerge, then run:

/boss setspawn arena_boss

This saves your block position and dimension. The player-count presets come with test-arena coordinates, so set the location and regions for your own world.

3. Select the activation and arena box

For a first encounter, use the same box for entry activation and arena membership:

/boss select activation arena_boss true

The selector arrow is automatically selected in your hotbar.

• Left-click to set the first corner.
• Right-click to set the second corner.
• Keep each axis at or below 256 blocks.

The final true copies this AREA selection to boss-bar visibility too. That arena also controls configured player support after activation. For separate regions, see Arenas and activation.

4. Review and save

Open the template:

/boss template edit arena_boss

Check the arena, support settings, health phases, and attacks. The two-player preset starts with 1,400 HP and scale 2.0. Use Save to write edits. Use Reload saved after saving when you want saved changes applied to already loaded bosses.

5. Spawn and activate

/boss spawn arena_boss gatekeeper

The boss starts dormant below its saved emergence position, with no boss bar yet. Spawning is silent; the spawn event sound plays when you activate it.

Walk from outside the activation box into it. If you're already inside when the boss spawns, that doesn't count as an entry. You can also test activation directly:

/boss activate gatekeeper

Player support and encounter music can begin on activation, including during emergence. Darkness has its own lifecycle and pauses during emergence.

6. Check the result

/boss list

Walk in and out of the arena, try a phase transition, and check the support settings you enabled. When you're finished with the test:

/boss remove gatekeeper

Spawn a fresh encounter when you're ready for another full test. Compatibility and testing has a practical pre-launch checklist.

Upgrading an existing setup

• Back up your templates, media, and world before changing installed versions.
• Update the server and clients that install Clockwork Bosses to matching builds, then restart them. Clients using the native fallback do not need the core jar.
• Existing templates and presets are preserved. Missing new settings do not necessarily become enabled.
• Older development folder layouts need to be moved manually into the template-local layout. There is no automatic folder migration.
• Use /boss reload after configuration or media edits. Code updates still need a restart.

Merged workshop upgrade

For stable 0.2.0 and later merged builds, stop the server, back up both jars outside mods, remove the old core and companion, then install one merged core jar with Fabric API. Loader rejects an old companion left alongside it before either initializes. Restart yourself; settings migration occurs on a worker. Existing canonical settings win; legacy settings are copied byte for byte otherwise. Key/drafts/media/backups stay where they were. A fresh install keeps workshop access disabled. See Workshop.

Clients with the mod use the same jar; players without it retain native gameplay fallback. Rendered mixed-client behavior still needs a playtest. The website is separate and no embedded HTTP server or extra inbound port is introduced.

Trying the beta

The locally packaged checkpoint is 0.3.0-beta.6. Use a separate test server/world and matching modded clients. It is not a stable upgrade recommendation. Hosted beta support was blocked at the recorded checkpoint; a local jar or website build does not update the hosted declaration. See Versions and release status for stable, beta and unfinished work.