Cobblemon Servers

Pick the loader and Minecraft version

Cobblemon is published for Fabric and NeoForge, as separate downloads with the same features.

Every player must use the same loader as the server. A Fabric client can't join a NeoForge server, and the other way round.

Cobblemon targets one Minecraft version at a time, and it's often behind the newest Minecraft release. At the time of writing, the Cobblemon 1.8 releases are built for Minecraft 1.21.1. Check the Versions tab on Cobblemon's Modrinth or CurseForge page for the current one, and build the whole server on that Minecraft version. Don't update Minecraft on a Cobblemon server until Cobblemon itself supports the new version.

That Minecraft version needs a matching Java version (Java 21 for 1.21.x). The modpack installer sets it; for a manual install see Versions and Java.

Install with the official modpack (recommended)

The Cobblemon team publishes official modpacks: Cobblemon Official Modpack [Fabric] and Cobblemon Official Modpack [NeoForge], on Modrinth and CurseForge. They include Cobblemon, its library, performance mods and a set of quality-of-life mods (recipe viewer, minimap, world map), so players get a polished game with one install.

1. Open your server and choose Modpacks.
2. Choose the Modrinth (or CurseForge) source and search for Cobblemon Official.
3. Choose Install on Cobblemon Official Modpack [Fabric] (or NeoForge) and pick the newest version. Write the version number down; players need the same one.
4. The panel downloads the server files, sets the loader and Minecraft version, and starts the server.
5. Watch the Console. The first start takes a few minutes. It's ready when you see Done (...)! For help, type "help".

Check it worked

In the console:

list

It should answer with the player count. Then look in Files → mods: you should see a cobblemon jar and fabric-api (Fabric) or kotlinforforge (NeoForge).

Other Cobblemon packs

Larger community packs (for example COBBLEVERSE or Stellar Cobblemon) add dozens of Cobblemon add-ons: trainers, gyms, legendaries, raids, new structures. They're more content but need more memory (often 8–10 GB) and are harder to customise. The install steps are the same. Read the pack's page for its recommended memory and any server notes.

Or install by hand

Choose this if you want a minimal server or a hand-picked mod list.

1. On Startup, set the server to Fabric (or NeoForge) on the Minecraft version Cobblemon supports. Fabric servers, NeoForge servers

2. Start it once so the folders are created, then stop it.

3. Open Minecraft Plugins (it lists mods on a modded server, for your exact version and loader) and install:

   | Loader | Install | |---|---| | Fabric | Cobblemon + Fabric API | | NeoForge | Cobblemon + Kotlin for Forge |

   Cobblemon's Fabric download doesn't need a separate Kotlin mod. Install mods

4. Add performance mods (see step 8).

5. Start the server and check for the Done line.

With a manual install you must build the players' modpack yourself (see the next step).

Give players the same mods

This is the part new Cobblemon owners most often get wrong. A player can only join if they have Cobblemon and every content mod at the same versions as the server, on the same loader. Server-side-only mods (performance mods, Chunky, LuckPerms) don't need to be on their PCs.

If you used the official pack

Tell players exactly which pack and version to install:

1. Install the Modrinth App (or the CurseForge app, or Prism Launcher).
2. Search for Cobblemon Official Modpack [Fabric] (or NeoForge).
3. Install the same version as the server: open the pack's versions list and pick it, rather than "latest", if the pack has updated since.
4. Launch it, then Multiplayer → Add Server with your server address. Connect

When you update the server's pack, tell players to update theirs at the same time.

If you added mods, or installed by hand

Make your own pack so players get exactly your list:

1. In the Modrinth App or Prism Launcher, create a new instance with the same Minecraft version and loader.
2. Add Cobblemon, its library, and every content mod you put on the server (same versions). Add client-side extras you'd like players to have, such as a minimap, Sodium, JEI or EMI.
3. Export it: the Modrinth App exports a .mrpack; Prism can export Modrinth or CurseForge formats.
4. Share the file on your Discord or website. Players import it in their launcher.

Keep a simple text list of mods and versions on your Discord too, so players who build their own setup can check.

Core settings: server.properties

In Files, open server.properties. server.properties explained

Restart after saving.

Tune Cobblemon: config/cobblemon/main.json

Cobblemon's settings are in config/cobblemon/main.json, created on first start. Stop the server before editing, because Cobblemon can rewrite the file when it stops. It's JSON: keep the quotes, commas and braces exactly as they are, and change only the values.

Spawning

Despawning is controlled by despawnerNearDistance (32), despawnerFarDistance (96), despawnerMinAgeTicks (600) and despawnerMaxAgeTicks (3600). Lowering the far distance and max age clears unwanted wild Pokémon sooner.

Shinies, levels and experience

Storage, battles and healing

Start the server and check the console for a JSON error. If Cobblemon can't read the file it says so; fix the line it names. To confirm a value took effect, test it in game (for example, a raised experienceMultiplier shows in battle EXP).

Starters

Players pick a starter the first time they join. To change the list, set exportStarterConfig to true, start the server once, and edit config/cobblemon/starters.json. Set it back to false afterwards.

Add-ons

Cobblemon has a large add-on scene. Check every add-on's page for: the Cobblemon version it supports (add-ons often lag behind a Cobblemon update), the loader, and the Environment box, which tells you whether players need it.

Server-side only (players don't need them)

Some of these need Cobblemon Tim Core as a library; install it if the console asks.

Content add-ons (players need them too)

Add content add-ons to your players' pack at the same time as the server, and back up before you add them: removing a content mod later can delete the items and blocks it added from the world.

Claims and protection

On Fabric and NeoForge, players can protect their bases with Open Parties and Claims (chunk claims and parties, with in-game maps). Players don't need it installed to be protected, but they need it to see and manage claims easily, so add it to the pack.

Performance

Cobblemon adds a lot of entities (every wild and sent-out Pokémon is one), so performance mods and sensible spawn settings matter.

Performance mods (Fabric)

The official pack already includes some of these. Add any missing ones from Minecraft Plugins, choosing builds for your exact Minecraft version:

On NeoForge, ModernFix and FerriteCore are the main ones.

Memory

If the console shows OutOfMemoryError, the server needs a bigger plan, fewer mods or fewer players.

Lower the spawn load on busy servers

Most Cobblemon lag is the number of Pokémon entities. If TPS drops when many players are spread out:

1. Lower pokemonPerChunk to 0.7, and maximumSpawnsPerPass to 5.
2. Raise ticksBetweenSpawnAttempts to 40.0.
3. Lower simulation-distance to 4.
4. Check pastures: /spark profiler start, wait 5 minutes, /spark profiler stop, and look for PastureBlockEntity or a specific player's base.

Change one thing at a time and measure with /spark tps. Fix lag

Pre-generate the world

Pokémon spawning and new terrain generation at the same time is the heaviest load a Cobblemon server sees. Pre-generate before players arrive. Pre-generate

1. Install Chunky from Minecraft Plugins (the Fabric or NeoForge mod).

2. Set a world border and match Chunky to it:

   worldborder center 0 0
   worldborder set 10000
   chunky world minecraft:overworld
   chunky worldborder
   chunky start
   

3. Then the Nether (chunky world minecraft:the_nether, chunky radius 625, chunky start) and the End.

4. Run it overnight with nobody online, after a backup. Progress survives restarts; chunky pause and chunky continue work any time.

Restarts

Modded servers slowly use more memory. Schedule a restart every 12–24 hours with a warning. Schedules

Permissions with LuckPerms (Fabric)

Without a permissions mod, Cobblemon's commands follow Minecraft's op levels: most admin commands need op level 2. Install LuckPerms (Fabric) from Minecraft Plugins to give exact permissions instead. On Fabric, LuckPerms needs Fabric API, which you already have. LuckPerms also exists for NeoForge.

Cobblemon's permission nodes are cobblemon.command.<name>. Useful ones:

Set up groups in the Console:

lp group default permission set cobblemon.command.pc true
lp creategroup helper
lp group helper permission set cobblemon.command.healpokemon.other true
lp group helper permission set cobblemon.command.stopbattle true
lp group helper permission set cobblemon.command.openstarterscreen true
lp user HelperName parent add helper
lp creategroup admin
lp group admin permission set cobblemon.* true
lp group admin permission set luckperms.* true
lp user YourName parent add admin

Giving everyone /pc is a popular quality-of-life choice; leave it out if you want players to walk to PC blocks. Helpers with stopbattle can rescue players stuck in a glitched battle. Use tab-complete in game to see every Cobblemon command available to you.

Check it worked: join as a normal player and run /pc. It should open (if you gave the node). /lp user Name permission check cobblemon.command.pc shows where a permission comes from.

To share LuckPerms between several servers, store it in a database. Databases

Backups

Players care about their Pokémon more than anything else on the server. Losing a shiny hunt is how communities end.

Where the data is: Cobblemon saves every player's party and PC inside the world folder (with the default nbt storage), alongside normal player data. A backup of the world folder protects them. If you switched to mongodb, the data is in that database instead and is not in panel backups.

Schedule it on Schedules: Backup schedules

Cobblemon saves party and PC data every pokemonSaveIntervalSeconds (30 seconds), so a backup right after save-all has everything.

Before every update of Cobblemon, the modpack, or any content add-on: make a manual backup and lock it. Updates can change data formats, and a locked backup is the only way back.

Updating Cobblemon and the pack

1. Read the Cobblemon changelog (and the pack's). Look for "breaking" changes or world-data notes.
2. Check every add-on you use has a version for the new Cobblemon. If one doesn't, wait, or plan to remove it.
3. Lock a backup.
4. Update the server: on Modpacks, install the new pack version (this replaces the mods), or update each mod on Minecraft Plugins. Your config folder and world stay, but check your main.json changes survived.
5. Start and watch the console.
6. Join with an updated client, check your party and PC are intact.
7. Tell players the new pack version, and when they must update.

Running the server long-term

• Events: shiny-rate weekends (lower shinyRate for a weekend, restart, announce), legendary hunts, gym battles run by staff or with Radical Cobblemon Trainers.
• Economy: CobbleDollars merchants, or a player-run market.
• Rules: what's allowed with Pokémon in PvP, whether trading for real money is banned (it should be), and claim etiquette.
• Seasons: new worlds on a big Cobblemon update are common, but players' Pokémon live in the world. If you reset, say clearly whether parties and PCs carry over (normally they don't) well in advance.