Sculk Hive

Sculk Hive is a Minecraft datapack I developed centered around the Sculk element introduced in the 1.19 update. The project aimed to leverage the latest features provided by Minecraft commands and datapacks to create a unique boss experience, similar to my previous projects on unique bosses. The development of Sculk Hive went through multiple phases, but it has been discontinued due to the project's growing complexity and the challenges of integrating new technologies. Ultimately, these datapacks serve as a playground for experimenting with the latest features available in Minecraft.

Notable Features

• A New Sculk-themed boss for the Wild Update.
• Fairly hard challenges with a unique item loot.
• Exhiliarating visual and sound effects.
• Augmented Gameplay oriented.
• Prepare to battle with Sculk Hive!

Jungle Vestiges

• A labyrinthine, stronghold-like structure that generates in the depths of surface jungles.
• Can be found through exploration or using the command /locate structure sculk_hive:jungle_vestiges.
• A giant platform sits in the middle, surrounded by eight tall pillars.
• Passageways form from the four sides of the platform, carving out landscapes and mountains to form halls and dungeons.
• Chests of unique loots generate accross the hallways and are sometimes found inside the pillars.
• A stone brick statue that resembles the Sculk Hive's summoning altar generates at the center of the platform. If approached by a player, the stone brick statue becomes triggered and ignites itself along with the eight pllars that surround it. After a while, all ignited structures stops burning, and the statue turns into the real summoning altar with items generated on top of the four catalysts as supplies.
• Has the magic power to corrupt many types of mobs that stay long enough into an 'evil' counterpart.

Vestige Guardians

• Modified zombies and skeletons that appear throughout the Jungle Vestiges.
• Have high health and great damage.
• Rather than dropping ordinary loots, they rarely drop unique items that are otherwise non-renewable.

Sculk Hive

• A deadly monster that spreads to wherever it encounters.
• Deploys colonizing catalysts to aid in its domination.
• Awakes undead soldiers, the soulless bodies devoured by the hive's ancient conquering.
• Calls up Wardens to fight alongside.
• Becomes enraged after taking considerable damage.
• Pushes its last resort to desperately strike down the intruder.
• Has a secret phase with extreme powers unbeknownst to the mortals.

Summoning

• The boss is summoned using an altar, which is found in the Jungle Vestiges. The Jungle vestiges are very rare structures found within jungle's surface, located using the command /locate structure sculk_hive:jungle_vestiges. Featuring an arena at the center with labyrinth surrounding it, the ruins holds the mighty Sculk Hive for explorers to confront. Once you've found an altar, complete it by igniting all four blocks of soul sand and then place a sculk shrieker on the top center of the structure.
• After the altar is complete, darkness starts to surround you and the boss gradually transforms into its full state. Note that the health bar is charging up.
• Disposing of the Sculk Sword will also create an incomplete altar.
• Manually constructing the altar to summon the boss is not possible.

Attacks

• The boss fight contains three to four phases, each featuring different yet related attack patterns.

First Phase

• In the first phase, the boss doesn't actively attack for much, but instead focus on spreading itself.
• When the player remains stationary - that is, to stand still - for too long, the boss conjures fangs toward the player and shoots sonic blasts.
• When the fight has progressed for awhile, the boss casts necromancy spells to bring back those dead.
• Watch out for the Wardens aroused by those sculk shriekers.
• Becomes enraged when the four catalysts surrounding the boss are all beaten while there exists other catalysts; in this case, the boss quickly colonizes the arena with its sculks.
• Turns to the second phase when all catalysts are beaten. If the only catalysts beaten are all the four starting catalysts, the boss directly transforms to its final phase.

Second Phase

• Upon entering the second phase, the boss recharges its strength in preparation for a more ruthless attack.
• The boss continues to summon undead warriors, with the only exception being horsemen spawning more frequently.
• Detecting an enemy nearby, the catalysts - now 'sentries' - shoots stronger sonic blasts to them.
• The boss itself also shoots sonic beams to all that dare to approach.
• When all sentries are knocked off, the boss enrages, entering its final phase.

Final Phase

• The final phase demonstrates the boss's last resort of taking down its intruders. Again, the boss bar - turning red - recharges to maximum.
• The boss's shield blows up, so now you can attack the boss itself.
• The boss shoots two super sonic blasts followed by a super sonic boom toward all its targets in range.
• Whenever a Warden is awaken, it becomes a spirit and flies toward the boss to recharge its health.
• Undead army no longer emerges from the ground.
• When the boss's health depletes, it loses all its powers and explodes. All negative effects will be removed, and warden will no longer be spawning in the vicinity.

Secret Phase

• If the four starting catalysts around the boss are defeated before the boss manages to spread new ones, the boss directly enters the third (final) phase with slightly modified pattern. Particularly, the phase has lowered health and awakes the undead sentries as usual.
• Defeating the boss in this modified third phase triggers a secret final phase, which is also entered by default if fought in hard difficulty. The boss rests for a few seconds, before releasing a patch of flame that bursts into a giant sphere, which has attraction forces and obliterates anything that comes in range. Darkness effect will constantly be applied on players until the end of the whole fight.
• The boss does not have health during this phase; instead, a fixed timer will last from 30 seconds to one minute, depending on difficulty.
• The sphere throws two kinds of projectiles that inflict damage upon striking the ground or any target. The one with sculk soul particles spread sculk blocks and causes harmful effects, and the one with soul fire flames leaves a crater of burning soul fire that inflicts harmful effects and can only be removed after some time.
• The player cannot leave the arena. Any attempt to escape will make the sphere attract the target with visual beam. If no player is within 64 blocks from the boss, then the boss disappears but can be summoned again.
• When the said timer expires, all soul fire craters vanish, and all throwing projectiles disappear. The sphere then begin to attract everything within 64 blocks range. After a few more seconds, the sphere explodes and anything that survives the attack will be released.

Death

• Upon its death, the boss leaves a loot chest on the top. All the players within a 32-block range are given an advancement.
• A considerable amount of experience will generate on top of the chest as orbs.
• The chest contains loot similar to that in ancient cities but is always accompanied by a unique loot: the Sculk Sword.

Sculk Sword

• The Sculk Sword is the loot from the boss. Forged and enchanted with the Sculk Hive's remnant souls, the mighty sword swears its faith to the first one who wields it.
• As an item, the Sculk Sword is immune to most damage sources, including fire, cactus, and explosion.
• Declaring its loyalty to its wielder, the sword refuses to and curses those that dare to pick up the sword.
• If the sword's wielder dies or leaves, then it will remain astray until finding another owner.
• If discarded to the ground by its current wielder, the sword will revenge the betrayal by turning into the Sculk Hive's altar with a strike of lightning.
• The sword can be upgraded with netherite blocks, amethyst blocks, and enchanting table to become a netherite sword.
• An upgraded sword is more powerful and will not turn into the boss's altar upon being discarded.

Reminders

• The boss can only be summoned when no other Sculk Hives are present within 160 blocks range.
• When attempting to resummon the boss with the Sculk Sword, one must make sure that no other functional altars are within 160 blocks range.
• The boss's attack range is 32 blocks. The secret phase has an attack range of 64 blocks. The boss can still be hurt from farther away as an easy method to cheese the boss; this, however, is not recommended.
• The boss attacks all mobs except the Ender Dragon, Ghasts, and Wardens. For players, the boss only attacks players in survival or adventure mode.
• Players in spectator mode do not trigger any behavior of the boss.
• When the boss despawns, it can be resummoned at its altar. If the altar is physically destroyed, then the player must rebuild the alter at the exact same position.
• This data pack names all its scoreboard objectives and tags with the prefix sh_, make sure to check its compatibility with other data packs before playing.