Obsidian Compass
by dimitrib1
Obsidian Compass is a datapack that turns a crafted compass into a nether portal linker, so a player can find the overworld or nether spot a portal was built against.
What it does
The datapack adds a compass recipe: four obsidian around one blaze powder. Once crafted, the compass keeps pointing toward the coordinates of the last nether portal the holder went through, translated to the current dimension. Players entering the nether through one portal can follow the needle and build a second portal at the spot it points to, so the two portals link in the way they expect.
The mod is aimed at players who want to get around a world without reading coordinates or using the F3 screen. It is useful for keeping track of where a base is, estimating blocks for roads, and navigating long-term worlds, and it can be paired with the reducedDebugInfo gamerule. Vanilla nether portals link in both directions, which is why the compass is needed to choose the right location. Obsidian Compass needs no other mod, only the datapack, and it runs on Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt.
Only the server needs the datapack, while players may leave it out. Builds cover seven release versions, with 1.3+mod for 26.2 as the latest file on every loader. The code is open source under the MIT License, and public links exist for the source code and issue tracker.
Key features
Portal linking compass
A crafted compass points toward the coordinates of the last nether portal, so a second portal can be built at the right spot.
Dimension translation
The pointed coordinates are translated to the dimension the holder is currently in, so the needle stays correct on both sides.
Compass recipe
Four obsidian and one blaze powder craft the compass, using only vanilla materials.
Vanilla-only mechanics
The effect uses vanilla mechanics with a datapack, so no coordinates need to be read or calculated by the player.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
How it compares
Portal Linking Compass also links nether portals and is open source under the MIT License, published for Fabric, Forge and Quilt across 1.19.4 – 26.3, and it is client and server. OmniCompass is open source under the MIT License, published for Fabric and NeoForge across 1.21.1 – 26.1.2, and it is client and server. Obsidian Compass differs in being a server-side datapack on four loaders, so the server must run it while players may stay vanilla.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian Compass | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.21.9 – 26.2 | Server required, client optional | 2026-09-11 |
| Portal Linking Compass | Fabric, Forge and Quilt | 1.19.4 – 26.3 | Client and server | 2026-10-01 |
| OmniCompass | Fabric and NeoForge | 1.21.1 – 26.1.2 | Client and server | 2026-09-07 |
Questions
Does Obsidian Compass need a loader mod?
Must players install Obsidian Compass?
In the catalog
Obsidian Compass is one of 17,631 Equipment mods on ModsFinder, and one of 8,894 Equipment mods for Fabric. 13,894 mods support Minecraft 26.2.
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What the author says
Minecraft is mostly playable without coordinates. Either by never using the F3 screen or by taking advantage of the reducedDebugInfo gamerule, you can navigate the world long-term just fine by counting or estimating blocks, building roads, and making use of maps with banners and compasses with lodestones to give…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/obsidian-compass
- Owner
- dimitrib1
- Published
- 2025-12-06
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-09-11
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15