Roots
Roots are Townstead’s identity system for players and villagers. A root can affect how someone looks, how they age, what needs they have, what traits they carry, and what their children can inherit.
Think of a root as a person’s background and biology in Townstead. It is not only a label in a menu; it can change real gameplay.
What Roots Can Affect
Section titled “What Roots Can Affect”Different roots can affect different things, depending on the mod pack or data pack you are playing with.
| Area | What You Might Notice |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Skin tone, eyes, body shape, overlays, attachments, scale, or custom body models. |
| Life stages | Different childhood, adult, elder, or custom stages. Some roots may age differently. |
| Needs | Hunger, thirst, energy, sleep patterns, diet, or hydration rules. |
| Abilities | Passive or active abilities such as movement, resistances, senses, or special actions. |
| Traits | Built-in Townstead or MCA-style traits that affect behaviour or survival. |
| Families | Children can inherit roots, ancestry, appearance, and other carried traits from parents. |
| Villages | Naturally spawned villagers can have roots shaped by biome, dimension, or village rules. |
Players
Section titled “Players”Your player can have a root. Depending on the pack, that root may be mostly cosmetic, or it may affect needs, abilities, life stages, and family inheritance.
If a root gives you abilities or restrictions, they come from the root’s inherited features. Some are always active. Others may depend on weather, location, time, equipment, or what you are doing.
Villagers
Section titled “Villagers”Villagers can be born or spawned with roots. Their roots can affect their appearance, needs, life stages, traits, and family lines.
Children can inherit from their parents, so families can carry visible features and hidden traits across generations. Mixed ancestry can also be represented when the parents come from compatible roots.
Species Boundaries
Section titled “Species Boundaries”Some roots belong to different species, which decide the body base and visual assets a root uses. Ancestries and lineages can mix within the same species, but different species do not have children together.
For Pack Authors
Section titled “For Pack Authors”This page is the player-facing guide. If you are making roots, genes, species, lineages, custom appearances, or inheritance rules, use the Roots reference instead.