Hey all and welcome to my Minecraft Mod Idea for the Minedeas contest! This is all original content (though I can imagine someone else has at least considered some of the things I have in mind...) that myself and my brother, who also plays Minecraft, naturally, came up with recently. It actually is something we came up with and had a thought of trying to create the mod ourselves, but when I saw this contest, I thought it must be fate to at least TRY and get this Mod out there for others to review BEFORE we work on it! Anyways, thank you in advance for the read! I hope you enjoy the idea!

I may have to write this all down in chunks (pardon my Minecraft humor... dumb I know) because we have put a lot of thought into this and it will likely be quite lengthy...

So here we go: Gemstones. Not exactly original, I get that, but what I propose they are for is a bit more unique I think. First off, there are a number of Gemstones that we have theorized but there could certainly be more/less based on demand, as once the system is in place adding another gem is not exactly a tough ordeal... The gems we have proposed thus far: Ruby, Topaz, Opal, Onyx, Sapphire, and then Emerald and Diamond would play a part in this as well!

What you do with them: Armor, Weapon, Tool, and Amulet socketting! This would require our gemstone workbench, which would have an interface much like an Anvil, and would cost levels to socket your gear with a Gemstone. The effect of the socket will be based on a few things of course, what type of gear you are socketting and what gem you are using, mainly. An important part of this mod is a new equipment slot for your character, an Amulet slot. An Amulet will have unique enchantments from other gear slots, and being a unique slot, you will have to pick and choose what enchant you want here, each with their own benefits. Alternately, we have also planned for a new head-slot piece, a Crown, which is made of gold, that does not have any armor rating. An Amulet and Crown share enchantments, so you can get two of these unique enchantments if you sacrifice your armor and standard enchants for a helm (they are NOT enchantable with a standard enchanting table, you will have to weigh your options carefully!). A Crown and Amulet do not lose durability based on taking damage like standard armor, but instead lose durability as their effects are triggered, which I will explain in detail below!

Alrighty, I got it all written down so I can impart it to you, the reader! I'm sure your very excited and want to hear more! Well here we go.

I have decided to go ahead and just make it simple and have the table that combines the Gem with your gear will be an Anvil, adding another useful purpose for building one!

First, the recipe for Amulets and Crowns:
Key: X=Nothing, G=Gold Ingot, S=Setting, I=Iron Ingot, D=Diamond
Amulet: Crown: Setting:
G X G G S G I D I
G X G G X G G X G
X S G X X X I D I

Next, the Effects of Socketing! (These effects will require new "enchantment/potion effects" in the game!)
Amulet/Crown Effects:

• Soul-binding, Topaz: Keep Inventory on Death! Very valuable effect! The drawback: Your item is completely used up in the case of your death! You keep your other items, but the Crown/Amulet with this effect is lost.
  
• Stability, Sapphire: Immunity to Knockback effects and Confusion effects, has a good durability that only is damaged when a knockback is resisted or when under the effect of confusion.
  
• Purity, Opal: Immunity to Poison and Wither effects! The durability is sizable and the item takes damage when the effects are resisted.
  
• Heroic, Onyx: Damage dealt to "Boss" flagged enemies is increased! 50% more damage is dealt to Bosses, the Item's durability is relatively short lived, my intention is that it would last approximately through two Wither kills, then break. It will help you farm them, but not forever.
  
• Second Wind, Ruby: This effect restores your health to 6 points (3 hearts) immediately whenever you would take lethal damage, and triggers a 2 minute effect that causes you to not be able to receive this effect again until after the 2 minutes is up (internal cooldown, as they call it), this item will break after a total of 5 triggers of this effect!
  
• Wisdom, Diamond: All experience gained is increased 50%. A huge, important effect! This effect will level you much quicker, while draining durability. This is intended to help you pay for the cost of more socketing, which costs levels in the Anvil, like renaming/repairing, but certainly can be used for standard enchanting!
  
• Sustenance, Emerald: Gain two "chicken legs" additional maximum food bar, all food gives double "saturation" effects (food bar drains slower!) and your passive health regeneration remains at full strength until your are under 3 "chicken legs" of hunger! This effect drains durability constantly, but at a very very slow pace, this item will last a very long time, and is intended to make food a non-issue on worlds where it otherwise may be a concern.
  

ALL NON-AMULETS/CROWNS CAN BE BOTH ENCHANTED AND SOCKETED! USE THIS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!

Armor Socket Effects

• Shatter, Topaz: Grants the effect of "Protection II" to the socketed armor, but drains durability slightly faster than normal. This is not meant as a defensive effect, but rather offensive: When the armor with this effect breaks, it sends out a shockwave (does not break blocks!) of severe damage to nearby foes!
  
• Shielding, Sapphire: Grants one addition armor point (half a grey armor icon) to the effected armor, with this effect potentially stacking 4 times (four possible armor slots) increasing the maximum armor value from 20 to 24. Does not drain durability any more than normal decay for armor.
  
• Luminous, Opal: This effect gives your armor a light-level 4 glow, stacking up to a maximum of 16 light levels if you have a full set of armor. Does not drain durability faster than normal armor decay.
  
• Thorns, Onyx: Deals 1-4 points of damage back to your attacker (does not mitigate damage!) based on how much damage they dealt to you. This effect does not stack, and it drains durability point for point with damage it deals back to your attacker.
  
• Mobility, Ruby: Gain a slight movement speed bonus while wearing this armor. Stacks up to 4 times, gains in speed at 4 stacks is equal to a Speed II potion effect. Durability does not drain any faster than standard armor decay.
  
• Fortifying, Diamond: Gain a stacking armor bonus when you are struck repeatedly, up to a maximum of 10 armor points gained. This effect does stack, but the maximum is still 10. Therefore, 4 pieces of armor with this effect would stack to the full +10 armor after only 3 hits, versus 10 hits with only one. This effect lasts 15 seconds, so any repeated attacks within that time window will refresh the timer and add a stack to the effect. At max stacks, the effect is just refreshed in duration.
  
• Robust, Emerald: Gain one additional "Heart" (two health points) per effect, stacking up to four times, no additional damage to durability beyond the normal decay of armor.
  

Tools:

• Gathering, Topaz: Your tool takes no durability damage when harvesting its base-intended material. Pickaxe=Stone, Shovel=Dirt, Hoe=Tilling, Axe=Logs(not planks, just logs!)
  
• Guard, Sapphire: You gain +5 to armor when this tool is in your hand (helps you survive those sneaky creepers when your mining!) and takes durability damage when it mitigates damage for you.
  
• Regeneration, Opal: A very straightforward effect. When this item is held in your hand, you regenerate one point of health per 3 seconds in addition to any other healing you may be receiving. Does not do durability damage to the item for its regeneration.
  
• Striking, Onyx: Don't have time to switch items? Need to make a quick attack without a sword? Striking raises the damage level of any tool to its sword equivalent of the same material. It cannot receive sword enchantments still, however. Takes durability damage when used as a weapon.
  
• Haste, Ruby: Swing speed increased for your tool. (Beacons have this effect currently, it is the same) Durability is not effected, but when you harvest faster, you do more durability damage...
  
• Moving, Diamond: When mining, adjacent blocks of the EXACT same type will be broken simultaneously with the one you are targeting (aoe mining!). This effects only two planes at a time; for example, you are mining a block that is directly in front of you (mining its SIDE) the blocks to its top, bottom, left and right will break also, but if you are mining down or up and something, anything above/below is uneffected, but everything around it will break. MUST be the same block as the target, or has no effect. Durability is effected as if you mined each item individually, so beware the potential speed of breaking this tool!
  
• Prospecting, Emerald: IMPORTANT!!! This is how you get Gems, in my current system! Whenever you mine an resource with this tool (coal, diamond, iron, gold, redstone, lapis, etc ) you have a slight chance to find a gem in addition to the normal drop. This is intended for use only on a pickaxe, as any other tool would be completely wasted! This intended to be your first (or second, if you wanted to make a Wisdom Amulet) socketed item and will help you get more! Does a point of extra durability damage whenever an ore is found.
  

Bow Socket Effects:

• Slowing, Topaz: Your projectile targets the legs of your victims, applying a 5 second "slowness" effect on strike. Does an additional point of durability damage to your bow per strike.
  
• Weakening, Sapphire: Your projectile targets the arms of your victims, applying a 5 second "weakness" effect on strike. Does an additional point of durability damage to your bow per strike.
  
• Flare, Opal: Where ever your arrow lands, it causes a light-level 15 centered on that point for 15 seconds. Does not do any additional durability damage to your bow.
  
• Bladed: Causes your bow to have the damage rating of a diamond sword when used as a melee weapon. Your bow takes durability damage when it deals damage this way at the same rate as a standard sword.
  
• Critical, Onyx: A fully drawn shot has a 30% chance to deal double damage. A critical effect will deal an additional point of durability damage to your bow per strike.
  
• Reinforced, Diamond: Triples the durability of a standard bow. No other effects, no additional durability loss.
  
• Confusion, Emerald: Causes the confusion effect on strike, last 5 seconds. A hit with this bow causes it to take an additional point of damage to its durability. On players, this is a 5-second disorienting effect, like walking through a portal, to an enemy mob, it causes them to begin walking slowly in a random direction for 5 seconds. Has no effect on "Boss" flagged enemies.
  

Sword Socket Effects:

• Recharging, Topaz: Chance on hit to "recharge" a point of durability to all items in your inventory/equiped, but does not effect Amulets/Crowns. No effect on itself either, but doesn't take additional durability damage beyond the normal.
  
• Frenzy, Sapphire: Gain a "sharpness" level of damage for 5 seconds upon striking an enemy, stacking up to 10 times. Constant fighting will cause this weapon's damage to be amazing, but it will take additional durability damage.
  
• Inspiration, Opal: Killing an enemy immediately restores 4 health points (two hearts). Does not have any effect on the swords durability.
  
• Wither, Onyx: Applies the Wither effect on your victim, stacking up to two times, dealing damage over time and restoring a small portion of health to you. The sword takes an additional point of durability damage when applying this effect.
  
• Brutal, Ruby: Gives a 75% chance to do 50% increased damage to a mob if they are at full health. Does an additional point of durability damage if the effect is triggered.
  
• Blocking, Diamond: Blocking (right click) will block attacks completely, even offers a slight blast protection. Takes a point of durability damage when an attack is blocked.
  
• Greed, Emerald: Gives a 20% chance to immediately drop an item from a mob's loot table while fighting it, in addition to items it may drop on death. Does not have any effect on "Boss" flagged mobs.
  

Alrighty, there are the effects! Please comment below on what you think! I have one more important update left I think, which goes over some changes to Mobs that I would like to see (you may be able to take an educated guess at where I want to go with this XD ), so expect to see that soon!

Update 3!
MOB CHANGES IDEA!

Ok so I'm back after a good stint away and I wanted to give my final part to my mod: Mob changes!

Well its really quite simple, but I wanted to talk about it a little bit, so here goes...

Whenever a mod makes the player stronger in some way, ie new armor/weapons, new enchantments, or in our case, new gear and sockets, you need to make the game more challenging as well, or the player will lose interest. Well, I have a simple answer for that!

Whenever a player crafts his first Amulet, the game triggers the spawning of Augmented Mobs. Augmented Mobs are just like normal, but they have enchantments that make them stronger! These enchantments are not on ALL mobs, they just randomly occur, making fighting more risky but not too predictable.

Some examples of what Augmented Mobs might look like:

Frenzy Skeleton: The more attacks it makes on you, the more powerful it gets! Rush quickly to kill it before it gets out of hand!

Fortified Zombie: This armored Zombie gets harder and harder to kill as you fight it! Kill it with a strong weapon that does a lot of up-front damage, quick, light attacks won't get you very far!

Confusion Creeper: This Creeper's explosion leaves you with the Nausea effect! As if the displacement and explosion damage wasn't enough! You'll be disoriented for the next few seconds as well!

Thorns Enderman: Incredibly Deadly! They are already hard to kill because of the fact they warp around so often, but now you even damage yourself with each attack!

These are just some examples, but you can see how many others would work as well!

That just about wraps it up, thanks for reading!