💡 Photophobic Mobs
A lightweight, highly configurable Fabric, Forge & NeoForge mod that completely overhauls how mobs react to light, heat, and darkness.
Photophobic Mobs introduces a dynamic contrast between light fearing monsters, shadow stalkers, and light seeking creatures turning light sources into tactical survival tools and breathing realistic life into mob behavior!
🌟 Sunlit vs. Shadow Mechanics
1. Light-Phobic Mobs (Zombies, Skeletons, Phantoms, & Configurable Mobs) 🧟
- Light Avoidance: Monsters actively retreat from illuminated blocks (torches, lanterns, etc.) to seek safety in darkness.
- Held & Dropped Light Fear: Holding a torch in your hand or tossing one on the ground forces nearby monsters to back away.
- Fire & Lava Panic: Mobs actively scan for and pathfind away from hazardous fire, campfires, and lava.
- Panic Effects: When fleeing, mobs emit smoke and angry villager particles, occasionally gaining a brief burst of panic speed.
2. Light-Attracted Mobs (Creepers, Spiders, & Configurable Mobs) 🕷️
- Moth to a Flame: Creepers and Spiders roaming in the dark are naturally drawn toward bright lights and torches.
- Nighttime Base Invasions: Well-lit sanctuaries become primary targets if left open watch your perimeter at night!
3. Dual-Behavior Mobs (Bats, Flying Mobs & Modded Creatures) [NEW in v1.2.0] 🦇
- The Best of Both Worlds: Mobs in this category are drawn to gentle lights (torches, lanterns) like moths, but will instantly panic and flee from destructive heat sources (campfires, fire, lava).
- Native 3D Flight AI: Bats wake from ceiling roosting, smoothly fly toward torches to flutter around them, and flee in full 3D when hazards are detected.
⚙️ Key Features
- Real-Time Commands: Update mob lists and settings instantly without server restarts using
/photophobic.
- 100% Dedicated Server & LAN Compatible: Built server-side using native Minecraft Goal AI clients don't even need the mod installed to join!
- Zero TPS Lag: Tick-staggering spreads block scans evenly across 1-second intervals using Entity IDs, preventing lag spikes even with 50+ mobs in loaded chunks.
- Modpack Safe: Includes chunk-loading protections (
hasChunkAt) and $O(1)$ cached registry checks.
🛠️ Configuration
Everything is configured via .minecraft/config/photophobicmobs.json and reloads instantly with /photophobic reload.
Mob Categories:
fleeMobIds: Mobs that run away from light into darkness (Zombies, Skeletons).attractMobIds: Mobs attracted to light sources at night (Creepers, Spiders).dualBehaviorMobIds: Mobs drawn to light (torches), but fleeing from fire & lava (Bats, Insects).
Item & Danger Formatting (lightItemIds):
"minecraft:torch=8.0" Sets a custom 8-block detection radius."minecraft:glowstone" Uses default radius."minecraft:campfire=12.0:flee" Tagged with :flee so dual-behavior mobs actively run away from it.- Fully supports any modded block or item!
💬 In-Game Commands (OP Level 2)
/photophobic reload Instantly reloads photophobicmobs.json./photophobic addflee <id> / /photophobic removeflee <id> Adds/removes light-fleeing mobs./photophobic addattract <id> / /photophobic removeattract <id> Adds/removes light-attracted mobs./photophobic adddual <id> / /photophobic removedual <id> Adds/removes dual-behavior mobs./photophobic addlight <id> Adds an item/block to the light registry.
🧪 Multi-Version Support
Official releases are compiled and tested natively for:
- Minecraft 1.19.4 – 1.20.1 (Fabric & Forge)
- Minecraft 1.20.5 – 1.21.1 (Fabric & NeoForge)
- Minecraft 26.1 – 26.3 (Fabric & NeoForge)
(Fabric requires Fabric Loader 0.15.0+ and Fabric API; Forge & NeoForge versions run natively.)
🐛 Bug Reports & Feedback
Found an odd mob interaction or want support for a specific modded entity? Feel free to leave a comment or submit an issue on our tracker!
