Arcane Essence is the basic magic material in Iron’s Spells ‘n Spellbooks, and it’s the one you’ll be collecting from the very start of the mod right through to the end. It can’t be crafted, so every bit of it comes from killing spellcasters, looting chests or trading, and most early magic recipes ask for it in some way.
On its own it doesn’t do anything, but it gets turned into 
Arcane Ingot, 
Arcane Rune and 
Arcane Cloth, which are the materials most of the mod’s gear is built from. It also goes into every piece of mage armor, the first mana armor you can make, and it brews into a Potion of Mana, so it’s worth keeping a full stack or two on you.
Obtaining
Arcane Essence can’t be crafted, so the main way to get it is by killing the mod’s spellcasting mobs, which you’ll find guarding its structures. Pyromancers, Cryomancers, Cultists, Priests, Archevokers and the Apothecarist all drop some, and chests in magic structures carry it too, along with a few vanilla chests that the mod adds loot to.
The amount you get depends a lot on what you’re killing, and the bosses give out far more than regular mobs do. The table has the base drop for each mob before Looting, and the Looting bonus is added on top of that for every level of the enchantment on your weapon.
| Source | Arcane Essence | Looting bonus (per level) |
|---|---|---|
| Pyromancer, Cryomancer, Cultist, Priest, Archevoker, Apothecarist | 0 to 8 | 0 to 1 |
| Necromancer | 0 to 4 | 0 to 1 |
| Ice Spider | 4 to 16 | 0 to 2 |
| Ender Dragon | 28 to 45 | 0 to 3 |
| The Dead King | 28 to 45 | 2 to 6 |
| Echo of Tyros, First Flamebearer | 56 to 90 (two rolls of 28 to 45) | 2 to 6 per roll |
The Ender Dragon only started dropping Arcane Essence because the mod adds it to the dragon’s loot, so your first dragon kill is an easy way to fund a whole set of armor. The two bosses, The Dead King and Echo of Tyros, drop even more, and Echo of Tyros rolls its Essence twice.
The mod adds 28 to 45 Arcane Essence to the Ender Dragon’s drops, and it drops again every time you respawn and kill the dragon. If you’ve already got a way to reach the End, a few dragon fights will cover all the Essence you need for a while.
Usage
Arcane Essence is a crafting material, so everything it does comes from the recipes it goes into. It’s used in three main ways, which are cheap early armor, the refined materials like Arcane Ingots, and a set of tools and blocks such as the 
Alchemist Cauldron.
It’s also a brewing ingredient for the Potion of Mana, which gives you mana back straight away. You’ll want a steady supply for all of these, as none of the recipes will take anything else in its place.
Wandering Magician Armor
One of the first things you’ll make with Arcane Essence is the Wandering Magician armor. Each piece is a shapeless recipe of one leather armor piece and one Arcane Essence, so a 
Leather Helmet and an Essence gives you the 
Wandering Magician Hood, and a full set only costs four Essence in total.
It only gives Max Mana and no Spell Power, but it’s the earliest way to get more mana, with 25 for each piece and 100 for the set. You’ll be using it until you can make Wizard armor, and the Wandering Magician Armor Set has the stats for each piece.
Arcane Ingots, Runes and Cloth
The biggest use for Arcane Essence is turning it into the three refined materials, which all use the same recipe shape. You put a core item in the middle of the grid and surround it with eight Arcane Essence, and the core decides what you get. An Iron, Copper or 
Gold Ingot makes an Arcane Ingot, a 
Blank Runestone makes an Arcane Rune, and any 
Wool makes Arcane Cloth.
These three materials are where most of the mid game crafting starts from. Arcane Ingots go into weapons, the Portal Frame and Upgrade Orbs, Arcane Runes get turned into the school runes, and Arcane Cloth is used for robes and some of the spell books, so you’ll be making a lot of all three.
Mage Armor Sets
Every school’s mage armor uses Arcane Essence, including the Pyromancer, Cryomancer, Electromancer, Cultist, Priest, Plagued, Shadow-Walker and Archevoker sets. Each piece takes a base piece of wizard armor, the school’s rune and one Arcane Essence, so the 
Pyromancer Hat is made from a base hat, a 
Fire Rune and an Essence.
You can make these at a Crafting Table, or at a Smithing Table where the rune acts as the template and the Arcane Essence is the addition. Both ways cost the same, and the Smithing Table keeps any enchantments on the Wizard piece. Each school has its own set, like the Pyromancer Armor Set, which boosts the spells of that one school.
Tools and Blocks
A few other things need Arcane Essence too. The Alchemist Cauldron takes two, the 
Wayward Compass takes four along with four Iron Ingots and a 
Soul Lantern, and the 
Apprentice’s Spell Book uses four along with Gold Ingots and Hogskin. The 
Graybeard Staff, 
Firefly Jar and 
Wisewood Bookshelf each take one as well.
8The Wayward Compass is the one to make early if you’re after the Catacombs, as it points you towards the nearest one. The Alchemist Cauldron is the other one worth building quickly, because it’s what you use to brew Ink and elixirs, and it recycles your spare Scrolls back into Ink.
Potion of Mana
Arcane Essence is also a brewing ingredient. Adding it to an Awkward Potion in a 
Brewing Stand gives you a Potion of Mana, which instantly gives you back 25 mana plus 5% of your max mana. You can make it stronger by adding 
Glowstone Dust, then an 
Amethyst Shard, then an 
Amethyst Cluster, one step at a time.
| Potion | Ingredient added | Mana restored |
|---|---|---|
| Potion of Mana | Arcane Essence (to an Awkward Potion) | 25 + 5% of max mana |
| Potion of Mana II | Glowstone Dust | 50 + 10% of max mana |
| Potion of Mana III | Amethyst Shard | 75 + 15% of max mana |
| Potion of Mana IV | Amethyst Cluster | 100 + 20% of max mana |
The higher tiers are a big deal once your max mana gets large, because the percentage part keeps growing with it. A Potion of Mana IV is a good emergency refill in a boss fight, and it’s worth carrying a couple when you go after The Dead King or Echo of Tyros.
FAQ
There isn’t a recipe for Arcane Essence, as it’s a drop rather than a crafted item. It only comes from killing spellcasting mobs, Ice Spiders and bosses, from chests in magic structures, and from the Apothecarist, who trades 8 Arcane Essence for one bottle of 
Dragon’s Breath.
Early on, Ice Spiders are the best, because each one drops 4 to 16 Essence. Later, the bosses drop far more, and the Ender Dragon gives 28 to 45 on every kill, so a Looting weapon and a trip to the End is a quick way to get a big stack.
It’s used to make Arcane Ingots, Arcane Runes and Arcane Cloth, every piece of mage armor, the Wandering Magician armor and blocks like the Alchemist Cauldron and Wayward Compass. It’s also brewed into a Potion of Mana, which gives you mana back instantly.
The Arcane Ingot needs eight Arcane Essence around an Iron, Copper or Gold Ingot in the middle of a Crafting Table. If you’ve only got seven, or the ingot isn’t in the center slot, the recipe won’t show up, so check the full ring of eight is there.
