Field Guide
by evanbones
With a spyglass in hand, players scan plants, animals and monsters from a distance, and each successful scan adds an entry to an in-game Field Guide.
What it does
Field Guide gives the spyglass a use: holding one and scanning a creature or plant records it as a new Field Guide entry. Entries are grouped into categories whose contents are set by datapacks, so a category can hold any entity, block or multiblock structure such as a tree. Scanning can be left open to everyone or limited so that players must defeat a monster before it is discovered.
Progress is kept separately for each server, so players on a multiplayer server build their own guide alongside friends. Entries can carry personal notes, and the optional Item Descriptions mod fills them with prefilled information. The mod works with almost every modded entity without extra configuration. Field Guide requires Fabric API, Immersive Overlays and Item Descriptions, and runs on client and server, so both sides need it. It is published for Fabric, Forge and NeoForge across 8 release versions, 1.20.1 – 26.3, and the code is under the MIT License, which makes it open source.
Key features
Spyglass scanning
A spyglass scan at a distance records plants, animals and monsters into the Field Guide.
Personal encyclopedia
Each successful scan adds a new entry to the player's own guide, kept per server.
Datapack categories
Categories and their contents are defined by datapacks and can include entities, blocks and multiblock structures.
Written notes
Players write notes for each entry, and Item Descriptions can prefill them with information.
Scanning rules
Scanning can work without a spyglass, or require defeating a monster before it is recorded.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 3
Optional 4
Required by 1 mod
Use cases
Exploring caves and biomes
Players chasing rare creatures and unusual blocks in caves and biomes can record each find in their guide.
Multiplayer guides
Groups on a server can each build a guide of their own, with progress stored separately per server.
Who it’s for: Players who enjoy exploring and cataloguing mobs, plants and blocks, and server owners who want a discovery layer on top of vanilla content.
Questions
Which dependencies does Field Guide require?
Does Field Guide have to be installed on the server?
Which optional mods work with Field Guide?
In the catalog
Field Guide is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 25,772 Utility mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.
More from evanbones
Similar mods
What the author says
Ever wondered what makes a Creeper tick? Or what that weird glowing block deep in the caves is? Grab your spyglass, adventurer: it's time to start taking notes! Field Guide is an exploration-focused mod that lets you scan and discover monsters, animals and plants with your trusty spyglass to unlock them in your own…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/field-guide
- Owner
- evanbones
- Published
- 2026-02-24
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-10-10
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15