What is the Soulrend modpack?
Soulrend – Dark Fantasy RPG is a Soulslike modpack for Minecraft 1.20.1 on Forge, built around skill-based combat rather than gear alone. It's made by Apotheotic Studios, has passed one million downloads on CurseForge and was one of CurseForge's featured modpacks in 2025.
What's inside:
- Epic Fight combat – 100+ movesets with dodges, parries and combos, including custom ones such as Runic Scythe, Dual Shadowsting, Awakened Lichblade, Hearthflame, Whisperwind and The Watcher,
- boss content from L_Ender's Cataclysm, Mowzie's Mobs, Soulslike Weaponry, Ice and Fire and Aquamirae,
- hundreds of weapons (Simply Swords, Epic Knights, Dungeons and Combat) and spellcasting from Iron's Spells 'n Spellbooks,
- races and classes powered by Origins, plus a Passive Skill Tree and a levelling system,
- an overhauled world – capitals, towns and handcrafted structures (Integrated Structures, Luki's Grand Capitals, Explorify), dark medieval textures and battle music that kicks in mid-fight.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Minecraft version | 1.20.1 (Java Edition) |
| Mod loader | Forge |
| Mods | ~355 (version 8.5) |
| Author | Apotheotic Studios |
| Recommended server RAM | 10 GB |
Soulrend has already been launched on more than 40 servers on Spot.gg, and we test-boot a server on every new pack version before offering it – the latest 8.x releases passed.
Is there a Soulrend modpack wiki?
There's no official wiki – the in-game quest book (FTB Quests) and the developers' Discord do that job. Quests are grouped into five sections: the main story ("The Exalted Path"), world adventures ("Tales of Soulrend"), gear and upgrades ("Legendary Armoury"), weapon mastery paths ("Pursuit of Mastery") and dimensions ("The Fabled Realms"). Stuck? Open the quest book – it walks you through the pack step by step. Below is what people usually look for in a wiki: classes, stats and bosses.
What classes are in Soulrend?
Soulrend has 24 classes in three groups: melee, ranged and magic. You pick one the first time you join a world, right after choosing your race (Origins). Every class gets permanent stat bonuses and a starter kit.
| Class | Playstyle | Bonuses (from the pack's files) | Starter kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | melee | +15% attack damage, +30% crit damage | chainmail, wooden greatsword |
| Tank | melee, defence | +30% max health, +20% armor | chainmail, shield, sword |
| Paladin | melee + holy magic | +20% armor, +20% holy spell power, +20% healing received | chainmail, shield, sword |
| Berserker | heavy weapons | +20% max health, +25% crit chance | chainmail, iron axe |
| Reaper | scythe + blood magic | 5% life steal, +25% blood spell power, +20% mana, weaker to holy magic | chainmail, sickle |
| Spellblade | sword + magic | +15% attack damage, +25% spell power, +20% mana | chainmail, sword |
| Samurai | katana | +20% attack speed | bokken |
| Blade Dancer | exotic weapons | armor negation (Epic Fight) | wooden staff |
| Lancer | spear | – | wooden spear |
| Brawler | fists | +1 attack speed | glove, skill book |
| Rogue | stealth | +20% evasion | knife |
| Hunter | bow | +30% arrow damage | leather armor |
| Priest | healing, support | +50% mana, +30% holy spell power | spell book |
| Mages (11 schools) | magic | +50% mana, +30% power in their school | leather armor |
The mage schools are Pyromancer (fire), Cryomancer (ice), Electromancer (lightning), Tideweaver (aqua), Geomancer (geo), Druid (nature), Warlock (blood), Voidmancer (ender), Summoner (evocation), Bard (sound) and Eldritch Cultist.
Your race matters too: Faded can't fight in melee, so only magic classes are available to them, and Feral Beast gets no class at all – it's a glass cannon that lives on speed and aggression.
What is the best class in Soulrend?
For a first playthrough, Paladin, Tank and Warrior are the best picks – they start in chainmail with a weapon, have simple bonuses and forgive mistakes. There's no official tier list, but the pack's files rate Warrior, Tank, Paladin, Berserker, Hunter and Rogue at the lowest "impact" level (the smallest change to normal gameplay), while Samurai, Priest, Bard, Summoner and Eldritch Cultist sit at the highest.
- Solo beginner: Paladin (armor, shield and stronger healing) or Tank (+30% health). Soulslike bosses punish mistakes, and these classes buy you time to learn attack patterns.
- Max melee damage: Warrior (damage + crits) or Berserker (health + crit chance). Reaper heals off its hits thanks to life steal.
- Co-op group: the classic setup is a Tank up front, a Priest healing from behind and a damage dealer – Pyromancer, Electromancer or Hunter.
- Mages: strong later on, but most start without a spell book (only the Priest gets one), so the early game is harder. The magic quest chapters help.
- For experienced players: Samurai, Blade Dancer and Brawler reward clean dodging and timing in Epic Fight.
You can change class later with an Origins command (operator permissions needed), for example in the server console: /origin set PLAYER origins:rpg_class classes:paladino.
How does progression work, and who are the bosses?
The main story is six chapters (acts) in the quest book, and each one ends in boss fights. Order as of version 8.5:
| Act | What you do | Bosses and goals |
|---|---|---|
| I – Awakening | base, backpack, first gear, choose a path (melee, magic, ranged) | getting ready |
| II – First Steps | first structure raids | Infernal Dragon, Sandworm, Yeti, Dead King |
| III – Into the Flames | the Nether, Cataclysm and the eight "Eyes" | Warden, Sunleia, Kamath, Ignis, The Harbinger, Netherite Monstrosity, Ender Guardian, The Leviathan, Scylla, Ancient Remnant, Maledictus, Wither, Echo of Tyros |
| III – Deeper and Darker | the underground | Corrupted Champion, Lich Prison |
| IV – Beyond Reality | Void Cathedral and the End | The Nightwarden, Ender Dragon |
| V – Duties | endgame | Scarlet Hunter Ó Brolacháin, The Last Watcher Arterius |
Alongside the story there are weapon mastery paths (Path of the Samurai, Kings of the Battlefield, Way of the Dancing Blades and more), Ice and Fire dragons and dragonscale armor. The pack updates often, so details can shift between versions.
How much RAM does Soulrend need?
Give the server 10 GB of RAM and allocate at least 6 GB in your launcher (10 GB recommended). With 350+ mods and loads of structures and bosses, Soulrend is a big pack – too little memory means a server that takes forever to boot or never finishes.
| Where | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| PC (allocated in launcher) | 6 GB | 10 GB (or ~65% of your system RAM) |
| Server, 1–4 players | 8 GB | 10 GB |
| Server, larger group | 10 GB | 12 GB+ |
The author's client specs: GTX 1660 Ti / RTX 2060 and Ryzen 5 5600X minimum, RTX 4060 and Ryzen 7 7800X3D recommended. It's been tested on Windows, Linux and Apple Silicon Macs. The bundled shaders are client-side only – the server doesn't need them.
How do you play Soulrend with friends?
Run a server with the Soulrend pack; your friends install the same version in the CurseForge App and join with the server address. Open to LAN only works while the host is playing – a dedicated server keeps the world online for the whole group.
- Create a Spot.gg account and click "Activate a free server".
- Pick Minecraft and the Soulrend modpack – search the catalog or start straight from the Soulrend modpack page. The server installs itself, no file uploads needed.
- Set the RAM – modpack servers start at 6 GB (from $7.55 / month after the free trial); for Soulrend choose 10 GB. You can change it later in the panel.
- In the panel, click "How to connect?" – you get step-by-step instructions: CurseForge App, the pack name to search, the exact version and the server address to copy.
- Everyone installs the same Soulrend version in the CurseForge App, launches the game and goes to "Multiplayer" → "Add Server".
The first 24 hours are free, no card required – plenty of time to check the pack runs smoothly for everyone.
What are the most common Soulrend problems?
The number one issue is a player running a different pack version than the server – the connection fails. Most of the rest comes down to memory.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Error on join, list of missing mods | different pack version on the player's side | install the exact version shown in "How to connect?" |
| Server boots slowly, then shuts down | not enough RAM | raise server RAM to 10 GB |
| Stutters or out-of-memory crash in game | too little RAM allocated | set 6–10 GB in the CurseForge App |
| Can't pick a melee class | Faded race | choose another race or a magic class |
| Server won't start after adding a mod | client-only mod or wrong version | remove it from the mods folder in the "Files" tab |
Not sure what's going on? Check the "Errors" tab in the server panel or click "Ask the assistant" – the AI assistant reads the server logs and tells you what to fix. For more on mods, see how to make a modded Minecraft server, and for similar packs, our list of the best Minecraft modpacks.
FAQ
What Minecraft version is Soulrend on?
Soulrend runs on Minecraft Java Edition 1.20.1 with Forge. It can't be played on Bedrock (phones, consoles).
What is the best class in Soulrend?
There's no official ranking. Paladin, Tank and Warrior are the safest starts – they spawn in chainmail with a weapon and have straightforward health, armor or damage bonuses. In co-op, Tank + Priest + a damage class works well.
How many classes does Soulrend have?
24: eleven melee classes (including Warrior, Tank, Paladin, Samurai and Reaper), the Hunter archer, the Priest healer and eleven mage schools such as Pyromancer, Cryomancer and Summoner.
Can I change my class in Soulrend?
Yes – a server operator can change a player's class with the Origins command, e.g. /origin set PLAYER origins:rpg_class classes:warrior in the server console.
How much RAM does a Soulrend server need?
We recommend 10 GB for a small group. On Spot.gg modpack servers start at 6 GB from $7.55 per month, and you can add RAM at any time.
Can I host a Soulrend server for free?
On Spot.gg the first 24 hours are free with no card. If everything works, extend the server and keep playing on the same world.
Is Soulrend hard?
Yes – it's a Soulslike pack: bosses have attack patterns and fights demand dodging and timing. It's easier with friends, since a tank can soak hits while a priest heals.
