Screenshot 1 of 2. Deep cave with diverse fossil bone structures and varied stone blocks in More Fossils.
What More Fossils works with.
| Platform | Java Edition |
|---|---|
| Loaders | Fabric, NeoForge, Quilt |
| Minecraft versions | 1.19, 1.19.4, 1.20.6, 1.21.11, 26.1.2 |
| Environment | Client, Server |
More Fossils is a worldgen mod and datapack from badooga that lets fossils generate in any Overworld biome. It runs on Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt, and Forge builds have stopped. The world host needs it, while players joining a multiplayer world can go without.
Loaders and versions
- Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt: Minecraft 1.19 to 26.1.2. The newest build needs no dependencies; some builds for 1.20 to 1.21.8 require Lithostitched.
- Forge: Minecraft 1.19 to 1.21.1, builds stopped after April 2024. The newest build needs no dependencies.
What changes in the world
Vanilla fossils appear rarely, and only in desert, swamp and mangrove swamp biomes. Most players never meet one. More Fossils uses biome modifiers to add fossil generation everywhere in the Overworld, on top of the vanilla rules.
- Fossils are not common outside their usual biomes, but large cave systems give a fair chance of finding some.
- Deserts, swamps and mangrove swamps stay about 70% richer than other biomes.
- The Deep Dark is about 160% richer than other biomes.
Installation
There are two routes. The mod route means putting the file that matches your loader into the mods folder and starting with that loader's profile. Our guide to installing Java mods covers the steps.
The other route is the plain datapack. It is stopped at release 1.0.1 and covers 1.19 to 1.20.4, so it suits only older worlds.
Adjusting how often fossils appear
Frequency is editable through a datapack of your own. Take the data/more_fossils/worldgen/placed_feature folder from the GitHub repository and edit the matching json file. The minecraft:rarity_filter entry sets the odds, and a value of 30 means a 1 in 30 chance of passing the filter, with a 29 in 30 chance of failing.
To change where fossils may spawn, edit the tags in data/more_fossils/tags/worldgen/biome.
Questions about More Fossils.
4 questions
Do fossils generate in every biome with More Fossils?
They generate in any Overworld biome, though they stay fairly uncommon. Deserts, swamps and mangrove swamps remain about 70% richer than other biomes because the mod adds to vanilla generation. The Deep Dark is about 160% richer, so big cave systems are the place to look.
Do players joining a multiplayer world need More Fossils?
No. It is optional for joining players. The world host must have it installed, since it is required on the server side.
Is More Fossils a mod or a datapack?
Both exist. Mod files are published for Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt, plus older Forge releases, and a plain datapack covers 1.19 to 1.20.4 only. The datapack has stopped at release 1.0.1, so current worlds should use a loader release.
How can I make fossils more or less common?
Make your own datapack containing the placed_feature folder from the GitHub repository and edit the corresponding json file. Change the minecraft:rarity_filter value, where 30 means a 1 in 30 chance. Biome tags can be edited the same way.
