Overview
ChromatiCraft is a large exploration-based magic mod centered around harnessing and focusing the power of the 16 colors of crystal energy present in the Minecraft world. Each color of energy is associated with certain traits, from light to protection to agility.
In ChromatiCraft, you can use this energy in two main ways.
One major use is to drive various devices which run on the energy. These have a wide variety of applications, and can be used to augment farms of various kinds, protect an area, enhance the power of other machines, and more.
The other major use of the energy is to imbue yourself with magic powers, which give you the ability to do things like substantially extend your reach, protect you from arrow fire, and help in the collection of items and experience.
ChromatiCraft is primarily based around exploration; you need to explore and try out the entry level of the mod before the higher levels become accessible. It is not designed to be used immediately in a new world; it is expected players will start by doing other things and will naturally acquire the required progress to meaningfully begin.
Introduction
While exploring, you will occasionally find an unusual structure, made of dark stone columns, beams, and tiles. Near the top is a ring of eight blocks engraved with a strange, glowing symbol. At the top of the structure sits a glowing beacon, one visibly and audibly (and if you get too close, palpably) radiating with raw crystal power.
At first, these pylons of energy will be little more than scenery, but they become crucial to your progress later on, as they are the source of all your energy.
More immediately useful are the crystals found deep in the caves underground. Standing near a crystal will give living entities small stat effects which last for 10 seconds. Crystals cannot be mined directly - they drop shards which are your main crafting ingredient. However, they can be harvested with silk touch to get the actual crystal. Crystal shards can also be used to brew potions, some of which (such as jump boost) are not available normally.
"Potion Crystals" can also be made. Much more costly than a lamp, they double the aesthetic function of a lamp with a 5-minute level-3 potion effect, akin to a scaled-down beacon.
Crystals generate in every dimension except the end, and are most frequent in the Twilight Forest. Nether crystals deal different and much nastier effects.
Getting Started
To get started with ChromatiCraft, explore until you find a number of cave crystals. These shards are your key to get started. Combine them with a crafting table to get a special crystalline variant, and use some more to make a crystal manipulator. This is the table on which you will craft the rest of your equipment and devices, and the manipulator is the tool you will use to trigger crafting, among other uses. For now, however, the table's power is limited, and you need to become more familiar with its use. Once you have done so, you can build a structure around it to help focus its power.