What is Ars Nouveau?
Ars Nouveau by baileyholl is the modern spell-crafting mod for Forge and NeoForge: compose spells from glyphs (shape + effects + modifiers), inscribe them into your spellbook, and cast anything from "projectile-dig-AOE" mining blasts to self-launching flight combos. The Worn Notebook documents everything in-game.
Beyond combat, the mod doubles as a full automation suite whose magical creatures haul items, farm mob drops, and even craft for you, all powered by the Source economy.
Getting Started with Spells
- Craft the Novice Spellbook and a Scribe's Table; learn starter glyphs with XP.
- Compose your first spell: open the book and chain a shape (Projectile, Touch, or Self) with effects (Break, Harm, Leap) and modifiers (Amplify, AOE, Extend Time).
- Build Source infrastructure: Source Jars store the casting resource; Sourcelinks (Agronomic near crops, Vitalic near breeding animals, Volcanic near burning) generate it passively.
- Set up the Imbuement Chamber (source gems) and Enchanting Apparatus (multiblock crafting around a core pedestal) — the two crafting stations gating gear and glyph tiers.
- Find Archwood forests: the four archwood tree types feed recipes and mark the mod's biome.
Spell ideas that hook people: Projectile + Break + AOE (vein-ish mining), Self + Leap + Glide combos (mobility), Touch + Grow (bonemeal wand), Projectile + Ignite + Flare for flair.
Creatures and Automation
- Starbuncles – item couriers: assign pickup and dropoff inventories and they sprint goods around the base (they love gold).
- Drygmys – passive mob-drop farming: keep mobs nearby in a Drygmy henge and earn their loot without killing.
- Whirlisprigs – harvest and replant crops.
- Wixies – autocraft items from nearby inventories via their cauldron.
- Ritual Brazier rituals cover warp portals, area growth, mob summoning, and weather control.
- Familiars – bind a creature companion granting passive buffs while summoned.
- Turrets and Spell Prisms – place spells in the world as automated casters, turning your best spell into infrastructure.
The endgame Creative Source economy and Annotated Codex sharing make Ars a favorite "second mod" that quietly ends up running the whole base.
Ars Nouveau FAQ
How do I get more glyphs in Ars Nouveau?
Unlock them at the Scribe's Table by paying experience and materials per glyph, with book tier (Novice, Apprentice, Archmage) gating the advanced ones.
What generates Source?
Sourcelinks generate it from nearby activity matching their type: the Agronomic link feeds on growing crops, Vitalic on animal breeding, Alchemical on potion brewing, and Volcanic on burning items. Jars store it and relays move it.
Can Ars Nouveau give me flight?
Yes. Glide and Leap spell combos cover mobility early, and the Ritual of Flight provides true flight in an area for a Source upkeep cost. The Worn Notebook's ritual section covers the setup for your version.