The Ultimate Guide to Roots Classic – Minecraft Mod Tutorial

Roots Classic is the version of the Roots mod found in popular modpacks like All the Mods (ATM) — not to be confused with Roots 4. This guide covers everything you need to know to get started and progress through the mod, from crafting your first tools to performing advanced rituals and building powerful staves. Whether you’re a complete beginner or just need a refresher, this walkthrough has you covered.

Getting Started – The Bark Knife and Basic Materials

The very first tool you’ll want to craft in Roots Classic is the Bark Knife, made from samite wood and a stick. Once you have it, walk up to an Oak or Spruce log and right-click it with the Bark Knife to strip it. This will yield Oak Bark or Spruce Bark, both of which you’ll need later.

Gathering Key Ingredients

Old Roots

Old Roots are found by breaking tall grass, though they only have a 1 in 40 chance of dropping. You can eat them to restore a small amount of hunger, but they’re more valuable as a crafting ingredient.

Verdant Sprigs

Verdant Sprigs have a 1 in 30 chance of dropping when harvesting any fully grown crop. These are important crafting components and also serve as modifier bases for spells (more on that below).

Berries and Special Drops

When breaking leaves, you have a chance to receive one of several berries: Nightshade, Black Currants, Red Currants, White Currants, and Elderberries. Black, Red, and White Currants are all food items. Elderberries are unique — eating them will clear active potion effects. You will need these berries for various recipes throughout the mod, so collect them whenever you can.

Infernal Bulbs

Infernal Bulbs have a 1 in 20 chance of dropping when harvesting fully grown Nether Wart. These are used as higher-tier spell modifier bases.

Dragon’s Eye

Dragon’s Eyes have a 1 in 10 chance of dropping from Ender Cacti (Enda-Caurus). These are the most powerful spell modifier base in the mod.

The Runic Tablet – Your In-Game Guide

The Runic Tablet is the guidebook for Roots Classic. To craft it, place any stone in the center of a crafting grid, surround it with seeds, and add an Old Root. It will display all spells, rituals, and recipes available in the mod. Think of it as your in-game reference — though this guide covers everything you need.

Basic Crafting Recipes

Healing Pulse

The Healing Pulse is a consumable that restores health when eaten. To craft it, you’ll need a Verdant Sprig, some paper, a Pestle (crafted from Diorite — one of your core tools in Roots Classic), and a Red Currant.

Growth Powder

Growth Powder is crafted using the Pestle. When you right-click it on a dirt block, it will convert that dirt into grass. Simply right-click within 4 blocks of a dirt block and it will grow grass in a small area around it.

Mutating Powder

Mutating Powder can be crafted using a Nether Star, but its uses come later in your progression through the mod. Set this one aside for now.

Rootie Stew

Take the Old Root you collected from breaking tall grass, combine it with some wheat and a bowl, and you’ll get a Rootie Stew. This is significantly more filling than eating the raw root on its own.

Fruit Salad

Another solid food item. Craft it using three melons, an elderberry, an apple, and one each of the three other berries (Black Currant, Red Currant, and White Currant). Remember, berries drop randomly when you break leaves.

Spells – The Core of Roots Classic

Spells are one of the most powerful features in Roots Classic. To create them, you’ll need both a Pestle and a Mortar (crafted from any stone). Place the Mortar on the ground — this is where all your spell crafting happens.

How Spells Work

Each spell is made by combining specific ingredients in the Mortar and using the Pestle to grind them into Spell Powder. Different ingredient combinations produce different spells. For example:

Growth – Lilac, Wheat, Beetroot, and Vines. Grows nearby plant life and may apply a Bloom effect.

Inferno – Causes fire and damages enemies it hits.

Regeneration – Peony, Melon, Red Dye, and Nightshade. Heals you over time.

Browse the full spell list in your Runic Tablet to see all available options and their ingredients.

Spell Modifiers – Potency, Efficiency, and Size

Before grinding your spell ingredients, you can add modifiers to enhance the spell:

Potency – Add Glowstone Dust to make the spell stronger (e.g., the Regeneration spell will heal more).

Efficiency – Add Redstone Dust to increase the number of uses the spell has when placed on a staff.

Size – Add Gunpowder to increase the area of effect (e.g., the Growth spell will affect a larger area).

Modifier Base Items – Choosing Your Tier

The number of modifiers you can include in a spell depends on the base item you add to the Mortar first:

Old Root – No modifier slots (spell has no enhancements).

Verdant Sprig – 1 modifier slot.

Infernal Bulb – 2 modifier slots.

Dragon’s Eye – 3 modifier slots.

You can mix modifier types. For example, with a Dragon’s Eye, you could add two Glowstone Dust and one Redstone Dust to get both extra potency and extra uses.

Crafting a Spell – Step by Step

Here’s how to craft a fully enhanced Regeneration spell using a Dragon’s Eye for maximum potency:

Place the Dragon’s Eye into the Mortar first to unlock 3 modifier slots.

Add three Glowstone Dust to fill all three modifier slots with Potency.

Add the spell ingredients: Peony, Red Dye, Melon, and Nightshade.

Use the Pestle on the Mortar to grind everything together.

You will receive Spell Powder of Regeneration +3 Potency.

Imbuing a Staff with Your Spell

Once you have your Spell Powder, you’ll need to craft an Imbuer. Place the Imbuer on the ground, put your Spell Powder inside it, then add a plain stick. After a few seconds, the stick will be transformed into a Staff loaded with your chosen spell.

To use the staff, hold right-click to charge it and release to cast the spell. You’ll notice a green leaf indicator — this represents your Terra bar (essentially your mana). Once depleted, it needs to recharge before you can cast again. With 3 Potency on a Regeneration staff, it will heal you for a significant amount.

Rituals – Advanced Crafting in Roots Classic

Rituals are a step up from spells and allow you to craft special items and tools. To perform a ritual, you’ll need:

A Casting Altar (crafted using Verdant Sprigs and other materials).

One or more Braziers for burning incense items.

A Flint and Steel to light the Braziers.

How to Perform a Ritual – Step by Step

Open your Runic Tablet and navigate to the Rituals section using the arrow buttons.

Select the ritual you want to perform and note the required ingredients.

Right-click the required items onto the Casting Altar.

Right-click the incense items onto the Brazier. You’ll see “Item Added” confirmed on screen.

Light the Brazier with your Flint and Steel.

With an empty hand, Shift + Right-click the Casting Altar to begin the ritual.

Example Ritual – Living Tools

Living Tools are tools that regenerate their own durability over time. To craft a Living Pickaxe, for example:

On the Casting Altar: Wooden Pickaxe, Verdant Sprig, Gold Nugget.

In the Brazier: Two Oak Bark (right-click each one in, then light with Flint and Steel).

Shift + Right-click the altar with an empty hand to start the ritual. If successful, a Living Pickaxe will appear.

If you place the wrong item in the Brazier, don’t panic. Simply Shift + Right-click the Brazier to stop it burning and remove the item, then replace it with the correct one.

Standing Stones – Ritual Enhancers and Passive Beacons

Standing Stones are used in two ways in Roots Classic: as part of ritual setups, and as passive effect beacons when placed in the world.

Mundane and Attuned Standing Stones

For rituals, you’ll use Mundane Standing Stones (smaller, half-size) and Attuned Standing Stones (slightly larger). These are placed around the Casting Altar in a specific layout:

Place Attuned Standing Stones on the four cardinal sides (North, South, East, West).

Place Mundane Standing Stones diagonally in the four corners.

Energized Standing Stones – Passive Effects

Beyond Mundane and Attuned, you can craft Energized Standing Stones via their own rituals. When placed in the world, these function like beacons and apply a passive effect in the surrounding area. Available types include:

Vacuum – Pulls in nearby items.

Repulsing – Pushes away nearby entities.

Accelerating – Applies a Speed effect to nearby players.

Entangling – Applies Slowness to nearby entities.

Igniting – Sets nearby enemies on fire.

Growing – Applies Bone Meal to nearby crops.

Healing – Applies Regeneration to nearby players.

To craft the Vacuum Standing Stone as an example: place an Attuned Standing Stone, Glowstone Dust, and a Nether Brick on the altar, then burn four specific items in the Brazier.

The Crystal Staff – Unlimited Uses and Multiple Spells

The Crystal Staff is a major upgrade over basic staves. It has unlimited uses and can hold up to four spells at a time. It does require a full standing stone ritual layout to craft.

Crafting the Crystal Staff

Set up your Casting Altar with the full standing stone layout (Attuned on the four sides, Mundane in the four diagonal corners). Place the required items on the altar and burn the required items in the Brazier, just as you would for any other ritual.

Adding Spells to the Crystal Staff

Place your Crystal Staff on the Casting Altar.

Add a Verdant Sprig alongside it on the altar.

Right-click your desired Spell Powders (up to four) into the Brazier.

Light the Brazier with Flint and Steel.

Shift + Right-click the altar to complete the ritual and load the spells into the staff.

To overwrite the spells stored in your Crystal Staff, simply repeat this process with the new spells you want. The old spells will be replaced. To switch between spells while holding the staff, use Shift + Right-click — each spell has a different color indicator to help you tell them apart.

Important: The Crystal Staff draws energy from the natural world. You must be standing on a natural block such as dirt or grass to cast spells freely. If you cast while standing on an unnatural surface, the staff will drain your own life force instead.

Armor – Wildwood and Sylvian Sets

Roots Classic offers two craftable armor sets, both of which interact with the Terra bar (your green mana bar that depletes when casting spells):

Wildwood Armor – Provides armor and armor toughness, and increases Terra regeneration speed, meaning your mana bar refills faster between casts.

Sylvian Armor – Also increases Terra regeneration, but additionally provides +1 Potency to your spells — effectively making your spells stronger without needing extra Glowstone, plus providing armor protection.

Other Notable Rituals

As you progress further into Roots Classic, you’ll unlock a variety of additional rituals through your Runic Tablet, including:

Summoning Rain / Banishing Rain – Control the weather.

Fire Blast – A powerful area damage ritual.

Mass Breeding – Breed large numbers of animals at once.

Lifeblood Sacrifice – A sacrifice-based ritual.

Ruinant Focus – An item that stores magical energy.

Engraved Blade – A custom sword made using the Ruinant Focus ritual. During crafting, you can burn up to four types of bark in the Brazier as additional incenses to add different buffs:

Oak Bark – Adds generic bonus damage (Spikes).

Birch Bark – Adds Knockback (Forceful).

Holy effect – Bonus damage to undead (similar to Smite).

Aquatic effect – Bonus damage to aquatic mobs.

Troubleshooting – Known Bug with Crystal Staff Ritual (Version 1.21.1)

If you’re playing on version 1.21.1, you may encounter a bug when performing the Crystal Staff spell-loading ritual. The ritual will appear to be set up correctly, but the game will report that the Braziers are incorrect even when they aren’t.

To fix this issue:

Break your Braziers and replace them.

If the problem persists, also break and replace the Casting Altar and Standing Stones.

Re-add your items and attempt the ritual again.

This workaround resolved the issue during testing, so if your ritual setup looks correct but won’t trigger, try replacing the ritual blocks before assuming a recipe error.

Summary – Everything You Need to Know About Roots Classic

Roots Classic is a rich and rewarding magic mod with a clear progression path. Start by crafting a Bark Knife and gathering Old Roots and Verdant Sprigs. Learn to craft food items like Rootie Stew and Fruit Salad to sustain yourself. Move on to crafting Spell Powders in your Mortar using modifier bases (Old Root, Verdant Sprig, Infernal Bulb, or Dragon’s Eye) and imbuing them onto staves. As you progress, unlock advanced rituals for Living Tools, the Crystal Staff, powerful Standing Stone beacons, custom armor, and the Engraved Blade. Keep your Runic Tablet handy as an in-game reference, and you’ll have everything you need to master this mod.

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