What is RLCraft?
RLCraft is a hardcore survival and RPG modpack for Minecraft Java 1.12.2 on Forge, made by Shivaxi. "RL" stands for Real Life (or Realism): thirst, body temperature, locational damage, no natural health regeneration and a world full of dragons, parasites and biome-specific monsters. The author's own summary is blunt – "this ain't your dad's Minecraft, and you're going to die... a lot."
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Minecraft version | 1.12.2 (Java Edition) |
| Mod loader | Forge 14.23.5.2860 |
| Latest version | v2.9.3 (June 2023) |
| Mods | 187 (from the pack's manifest) |
| Author | Shivaxi |
| First release | January 2018 |
| CurseForge downloads | 30.4 million – #1 in our catalog |
| Java | 8 |
| Recommended server RAM | 10 GB |
RLCraft is also the most launched pack on Spot.gg: more than 1,500 servers have run it so far. Before we offer a pack version, we boot a test server on it – v2.9.3 passed.
Is RLCraft on Bedrock?
No – RLCraft only exists for Minecraft Java Edition 1.12.2. "RLCraft Bedrock" is one of the most searched phrases around the pack, but the "RLCraft" add-ons you'll find for Bedrock (phones, consoles, Windows Bedrock) are unofficial fan projects, not this modpack. To play the real thing you need Minecraft Java on a PC, the CurseForge App and – for multiplayer – a Java server with Forge 1.12.2.
What makes RLCraft so hard?
RLCraft stacks a dozen survival mechanics on top of each other, and each one is tuned against you. Here's what's actually set in the pack's config files (v2.9.3):
| Mechanic | What it does in RLCraft | Mod |
|---|---|---|
| Thirst and temperature | a thirst bar next to hunger; heat and cold depend on biome and season | SimpleDifficulty, Serene Seasons |
| No natural regeneration | the naturalRegeneration gamerule is off – food won't heal you, bandages and salves will |
Global GameRules, Rough Tweaks |
| Locational damage | head, body, arms and legs have separate health; press H to see it | First Aid |
| Skill-locked gear | iron, diamond, shields, anvils and enchanting need skill levels (table below) | Reskillable |
| No coordinates | reducedDebugInfo is on – F3 hides your position; use a compass or the Antique Atlas |
Global GameRules |
| Random spawn | first spawn (or death without a spawn point) lands you anywhere within 20,000 blocks | Global GameRules |
| Hard difficulty | world difficulty is forced to Hard | Global GameRules |
| Blood moon | a 1% chance every night – no sleeping and far more monsters | Bloodmoon |
| Limited spawners | a spawner breaks itself after 10 of its mobs are killed | Mob Spawner Control |
| No tree punching | you need flint tools before you can get wood | No Tree Punching |
| Torches burn out | crafted torches are unlit and go out over time and in rain | Realistic Torches |
| Dragons | fire, ice and lightning dragons, plus caves and roosts | Ice and Fire |
| Monsters | biome-specific mobs, elite "infernal" mobs and parasites | Lycanites Mobs, Infernal Mobs, Champions, Scape and Run: Parasites |
Two details people often get wrong: you start with 10 hearts and Scaling Health caps you at 20, and the parasite "evolution phases" system is switched off in RLCraft's config, so parasites don't escalate world-wide as they do in standalone SRP.
What skill level do you need for diamond gear in RLCraft?
Diamond weapons, tools and armor need level 16 in the matching skill; iron needs level 8. RLCraft uses Reskillable: you spend XP levels on eight skills (Attack, Defense, Mining, Gathering, Farming, Building, Agility, Magic), each capped at 32. Some of the requirements from reskillable.cfg:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Iron sword / pickaxe / chestplate | Attack 8 / Mining 8 / Defense 8 |
| Diamond sword / pickaxe / chestplate | Attack 16 / Mining 16 / Defense 16 |
| Chainmail chestplate | Defense 4 |
| Golden sword | Attack 2 + Magic 4 |
| Shield | Defense 12 |
| Bow | Agility 2 |
| Shears | Gathering 2 |
| Anvil | Building 12 |
| Enchanting table | Magic 12 |
| Brewing stand | Building 8 + Magic 8 |
| Ender pearl / Eye of Ender | Magic 8 / Magic 16 |
| Elytra | Agility 32 |
| Dragonbone weapons (Ice and Fire) | Attack 24 |
| Dragonsteel armor | Defense 30 |
The vanilla fishing rod is unobtainable – use the rods from Aquaculture instead. Separately, Level Up! Reloaded adds a perk tree: once you reach level 5, open it (the L key or its tab in your inventory) and pick a specialization – combat, crafting or mining – to earn extra XP.
How do you survive your first day in RLCraft?
Make flint tools, find water and shelter, and spend your first XP levels right away. The author's quick-start guide, condensed:
- Pick things up deliberately. Items are picked up by right-clicking them or crouching near them.
- Flint first. Get flint from gravel and sticks from leaves; right-click flint on stone to knap shards. Stick + shard = flint knife; cut grass for plant fiber, 3 fibers = string. Shard + stick + string = flint hatchet.
- Wood and stone. Chop logs with the hatchet; place them and right-click with the axe for planks. Collect loose rocks from the ground – four make cobblestone, and stick + cobblestone makes a dagger, a decent first weapon.
- Water. Crouch and right-click a water source with an empty hand (rain works too), then get a canteen or a glass bottle.
- Healing. Look up bandages and plasters in JEI – paper (from birch wood or sugar cane) and string are the easiest ingredients.
- Spawn point. Waystones set your spawn – if you don't like where you are, don't activate one. A wool sleeping bag does not set spawn.
- Explore before you build. Abandoned shelters often have beds and loot, and choosing a mild biome matters because of temperature.
On death you lose all your XP; only 15% (up to 1,000 points) can be recovered. Keep your levels in an XP Tome or spend them on skills before risky fights. keepInventory is off.
Are there quests or a wiki for RLCraft?
Yes – RLCraft has an in-game quest book with 348 optional quests in 18 chapters, and the author links an official wiki at rlcraft.wiki.gg. The quest book (Better Questing) has chapters such as "A Song of Ice and Fire" (dragons), "Becoming a Spartan" (weapons), "Medic!" (healing), "Cryptids and Critters" (mobs), "Simply Difficult" (thirst and temperature), "Literal Hell" (the Nether) and "The End of All Things". The "Click Me For Info" chapter explains the core mechanics – read it first.
How much RAM does RLCraft need?
On a PC, allocate 4 GB to the game; for a server, plan 6 GB for a small group and 10 GB for comfort. The author's own launcher setting is -Xmx4G and he warns that Minecraft's default 1 GB is not enough. 1.12.2 is lighter than modern packs, but RLCraft generates huge structures (Battle Towers, Recurrent Complex, Lost Cities ruins, dragon roosts), so exploration eats memory.
| Where | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| PC (allocated in launcher) | 3 GB | 4 GB |
| Server, 1–4 players | 6 GB | 8 GB |
| Server, 5–10 players | 8 GB | 10 GB |
| Server, 10+ players | 10 GB | 10 GB + world pre-generation |
The readme in the pack says servers for more than 10 players should pre-generate the world (a 10,000-block radius with Chunk Pregenerator) so new chunks don't lag everyone.
How do you make an RLCraft server?
Start a Forge 1.12.2 server with the RLCraft pack and set the four server.properties values the author lists as mandatory. On Spot.gg the install is automatic:
- Create an account and confirm your email – no card required.
- Open the RLCraft pack page and click "Activate with this modpack". We install Forge, all mods and the config, and pick Java 8 for you.
- Set the RAM – modpack servers start at 6 GB (from $7.55 / month after the free trial). You can change it later.
- In the panel, click "How to connect?" – you'll see the pack version to install in the CurseForge App and the address to share.
- Friends install RLCraft v2.9.3 in the CurseForge App and join via "Multiplayer" → "Add Server". For a private game, turn on the "Whitelist".
The first 24 hours are free – enough to see whether your group survives the first night.
These are the settings from the pack's "FOR SERVERS ONLY" readme:
| server.properties | Value | Why (per the author) |
|---|---|---|
enable-command-block |
true | otherwise some structures generate without villagers |
difficulty |
3 (Hard) | RLCraft is balanced around Hard |
allow-flight |
true | flying mounts and the fairy ring would get players kicked |
max-tick-time |
-1 | big structures take long to generate and Forge would think the server crashed |
view-distance |
10 | lower to 8 or 6 if you lag, but not below 6 |
On Spot.gg, allow-flight and max-tick-time are forced to the right values on every modpack server, so you only need to check difficulty and enable-command-block in the "Configuration" tab. More on every option in our server.properties guide.
Don't add OptiFine to the server – it's client-only (RLCraft needs OptiFine HD U G5 on the client, not E3). The author also warns that VanillaFix and BetterFPS are incompatible with RLCraft.
What are the most common RLCraft server problems?
Most problems come from a version mismatch, a missing server setting or not enough RAM.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Can't join, mod list mismatch | player's pack version differs from the server | install exactly v2.9.3 in the CurseForge App |
| Villages without villagers | enable-command-block is false |
set it to true in "Configuration" and explore new chunks |
| Server stops while generating terrain | watchdog / too little RAM | Spot.gg sets max-tick-time=-1; add RAM if it persists |
| Black screen on effects (client) | OptiFine "Fast Render" | turn Fast Render off |
| Crash after adding mods | VanillaFix or BetterFPS | remove them from the mods folder in the "Files" tab |
| Missing quests after updating an old 2.9 world | old quest database | run /bq_admin default load and /bqs_loot default load in the "Console" |
| Lag spikes on a months-old big server | oversized Village.dat |
stop the server and delete Village.dat from the world folder |
If the server won't start, open the "Errors" tab or click "Ask the assistant" – the AI assistant reads the server log and tells you what to change.
What are the RLCraft alternatives and variants?
If you want RLCraft's style with changes, there are several community variants – none of them is the official RLCraft. These are in our catalog:
- RLCraft Dregora – a bigger 1.12.2 take (around 230 mods), already run on almost 400 Spot.gg servers,
- Craft For Life Edition – an "enhanced RLCraft experience" on 1.12.2,
- Modern RLCraft – another 1.12.2 variant, despite the name,
- Roguelike Adventures and Dungeons 2 – less punishing, more about exploration and dungeons (see our RAD guide).
For more ideas, see the best Minecraft modpacks and the general guide on how to make a modded Minecraft server.
FAQ
What Minecraft version is RLCraft?
RLCraft runs on Minecraft Java Edition 1.12.2 with Forge 14.23.5.2860 and Java 8. The latest version is v2.9.3. There is no official RLCraft for newer Minecraft versions or for Bedrock.
Can you play RLCraft on Bedrock or console?
No. RLCraft is a Java Edition modpack. Bedrock "RLCraft" add-ons are unofficial projects with different content.
How much RAM does RLCraft need?
Allocate 4 GB to the game on your PC. For a server, 6 GB is enough for a few players and 10 GB is comfortable for a bigger group; on Spot.gg modpack servers start at 6 GB.
How do you heal in RLCraft?
Food doesn't restore health because natural regeneration is off. Use bandages, plasters, salves and later medikits – hold right-click until the item finishes, or the healing is cancelled.
Why can't I use diamond gear in RLCraft?
Reskillable locks it: diamond weapons, tools and armor need level 16 in Attack, Mining or Defense. Spend XP levels in the skills tab of your inventory.
How do you make an RLCraft server for friends?
Start a server with the RLCraft pack, set difficulty=3 and enable-command-block=true, and share the address. Friends install RLCraft v2.9.3 in the CurseForge App. On Spot.gg the first 24 hours are free.
Is RLCraft still updated?
The latest release is v2.9.3 from June 2023 and it remains the version to play. Community variants such as RLCraft Dregora continue the idea on 1.12.2.
