NPC Summon System

AI-controlled NPCs that can revive KO'd players and provide protection

System Overview

The NPC Summon System allows players to summon AI-controlled NPCs (Iron Golems) that can:

  • Automatically revive KO'd players
  • Follow and protect their summoner
  • Attack hostile mobs (Protector type)
  • Provide healing support (Healer type)

NPC Types

Golem (Standard)

Permission: reanimatemc.summon.use.golem

  • Basic reanimator NPC
  • Follows summoner
  • Revives KO'd players
  • 100 HP base health

Best for: General use, beginners

Healer (Medic)

Permission: reanimatemc.summon.use.healer

  • Specialized in revival
  • Same as Golem currently
  • Future: Periodic healing
  • 100 HP base health

Best for: Support roles, team gameplay

Protector (Tank)

Permission: reanimatemc.summon.use.protector

  • Can revive like Golem
  • Attacks hostile mobs
  • 10 block aggro range
  • 200 HP (double health)

Best for: Combat, exploration, defense

How to Use NPCs

1

Summon

Use /reanimatemc summon <type> to summon an NPC.

/rmc summon golem
/rmc summon healer
/rmc summon protector
2

Target Player

Optionally specify a player to revive:

/rmc summon healer Steve

NPC will pathfind to the target and revive them.

3

NPC Follows

NPC follows you automatically after summoning or completing a task.

Stays within 10 blocks, stops at 3 blocks distance.

4

Dismiss

Remove your NPCs when done:

/rmc dismiss all

View active NPCs with /rmc npcs

NPC Behavior

Following Behavior

  • Distance > 10 blocks: NPC pathfinds towards owner
  • Distance < 3 blocks: NPC stops moving
  • Owner moves away: NPC resumes following
  • Obstacles: Uses Minecraft pathfinding to navigate

Revival Behavior

  • When target is specified, NPC pathfinds to KO'd player
  • At distance < 3 blocks, NPC initiates revival
  • Revival uses normal koManager.revive() mechanics
  • After revival, NPC returns to following owner
  • Particle effects: Hearts + enchantment sound

Combat Behavior (Protector Only)

  • Scans for hostile mobs within 10 blocks
  • Targets closest hostile mob
  • Uses vanilla Iron Golem attack mechanics
  • Returns to following after combat
  • Higher health (200 HP) for survivability

Requirements & Restrictions

Requirement Default Description
Base Permission reanimatemc.summon Required for ANY summon command
Type Permission reanimatemc.summon.use.<type> Specific permission for each NPC type
Cooldown 300 seconds (5 min) Time between summons (configurable)
Max Summons 1 per player Maximum active NPCs (configurable)
Item Cost Disabled Optional item requirement (configurable)

Configuration

NPC System Settings

npc_summon:
  enabled: true                    # Enable/disable system
  max_summons_per_player: 1        # NPCs per player
  summon_cooldown: 300             # Cooldown in seconds
  offline_timeout: 300             # Time before NPC despawns if owner offline
  require_item: false              # Require item to summon
  required_item: NETHER_STAR       # Item required (if enabled)
  item_to_summon_golem: GOLD_INGOT # Specific item for golem

Customization Tips

  • Free summons: require_item: false
  • Economy integration: Set require_item: true with expensive items
  • Multiple NPCs: Increase max_summons_per_player for VIPs
  • Quick respawn: Reduce summon_cooldown for action servers
  • Persistent NPCs: Increase offline_timeout significantly

Use Cases & Scenarios

Emergency Revival

Scenario: Player is KO'd during combat far from teammates.

Solution:

1. Teammate uses:
   /rmc summon healer KOPlayer
2. Healer pathfinds to KOPlayer
3. Automatic revival at distance
4. KOPlayer saved!

Cave Exploration

Scenario: Exploring dangerous caves with lots of mobs.

Solution:

1. Summon Protector:
   /rmc summon protector
2. Protector follows you
3. Attacks hostile mobs
4. Provides backup safety

Team Raids

Scenario: Group raiding a dungeon or stronghold.

Solution:

1. Each player summons:
   /rmc summon healer
2. Multiple healers follow
3. Auto-revive fallen members
4. Higher success rate

Technical Details

Implementation

Architecture: Native Bukkit/Paper implementation (no Citizens2 dependency)

Entity Type: Iron Golem with custom behaviors

AI: BukkitRunnable tasks for pathfinding and behavior

Persistence: NPCs are removed on server restart

Features

  • Visual customization: Golden name tag with glow effect
  • Summon ritual: Soul fire particles + beacon sound
  • Auto-cleanup: Invalid NPCs removed every second
  • Offline handling: NPCs despawn after timeout if owner disconnects
  • Permission-based types: Fine-grained control per NPC type

Limitations

  • Pathfinding: Uses vanilla mechanics (less smooth than Citizens2)
  • Appearance: Limited to Iron Golem model
  • Cross-world: Following may be imperfect across world boundaries
  • No persistence: NPCs don't survive server restarts
Configuration Developer API