Alternatives
Alternatives is a Forge gameplay mod for 1.20.1 that gives under-used vanilla items new uses, such as ink wells that replace ink sacs.
What it does
Ink wells replace ink sacs as the source for book and quill crafting, and the ink well has durability 4, so more books can be made without farming ink. Poisonous potatoes can be composted, and spider eyes are used to brew potions of poison. Cauldrons can remove the color from more blocks.
Goat horns apply a unique effect to players within a 16 block area, with some effects helping players and others not. Wool carpets, terracotta, glazed terracotta, banners and candles gain extra uses as well. The mod is a Vanilla+ style addition with a small set of goals, and it runs on the server alone, so players join without installing anything. The files are published only for Forge on 1.20.1, and the code is covered by All rights reserved, so the mod is not open source.
Key features
Ink wells
Ink wells take the place of ink sacs when making book and quill items, and they last for four uses.
Poison from spider eyes
Spider eyes are placed to make potions of poison, giving a use to an item that had few.
Composted poisonous potatoes
Poisonous potatoes can be composted, so they have a use beyond being a hazard.
Goat horn effects
Goat horns apply a unique effect to players within a 16 block area, and the effects vary in how helpful they are.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Fewer farms for ink
Survival players who lack a dedicated ink farm can craft books through ink wells instead.
Who it’s for: Server owners who want vanilla items to have more purpose and players who enjoy small gameplay additions on Forge 1.20.1 servers.
How it compares
Ink & Quill is a Forge and NeoForge mod for 1.20.1 that is open source under the MIT License and runs on client and server. Crafted Tweaks covers 1.20 – 1.20.2 on Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt, is server required with an optional client, and is not open source. Alternatives is server-side only and not open source, so it differs from both in environment and license.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternatives | Forge | 1.20.1 | Server-side only | 2025-11-11 |
| Ink & Quill | Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 | Client and server | 2025-03-04 |
| Crafted Tweaks | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.20 – 1.20.2 | Server required, client optional | 2024-08-19 |
Questions
Does Alternatives need to be installed on the client?
Which loader does Alternatives support?
In the catalog
Alternatives is one of 29,952 Game mechanics mods on ModsFinder, and one of 13,316 Game mechanics mods for Forge. 34,764 mods support Minecraft 1.20.1.
More from TheCrazy_Kitty
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What the author says
Alternatives is a Vanilla+ mod with a few goals, revamping some under-used items, giving alternate uses for existing items, adding some features that should've always existed, and plenty more to come! Here's a full list of what's new! - Ink Wells replace the ink sac when making Book & Quills. Has a durability of 4…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/alternatives
- Owner
- TheCrazy_Kitty
- Published
- 2025-11-11
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2025-11-11
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15