GuardStone – Protected Area Stones for Forge 1.20.1

GuardStone lets you create fully protected areas in your world using special “GuardStone” blocks that can be evolved through several tiers. The owner can control who can build, what is protected, and see the zone borders in‑game.

Complete protection, configured by the player, base 16x16, which evolves to 24x24, 32x32, 40x40, and 64x64 (height programmable on the server). The maximum block size can be configured in the server settings, as can the ability to create the base stone. Right-click on the block to configure permissions and add or remove allied players. You can enable the visibility of the stone boundaries; two protections cannot overlap.

Key Features

Place a GuardStone block to create a protected zone around it.
Evolve the stone through several tiers (Iron → Gold → Diamond → Netherite) for stronger / larger protection.

Interactive GUI to:
Invite / remove trusted players.
Toggle protection flags (build, break, explosions, pistons, containers, crops, entities / item frames).

Toggle a visual border preview of the zone.

Strong entity protection so players cannot loot armor stands or similar entities inside protected zones without permission.

Advancements for each evolution level in a dedicated GuardStone tab.
Server‑side configuration for vertical protection range (height & depth) so zones can cover from deep underground to build limit if desired.

Getting Started

1. Obtaining a GuardStone
   Craft or otherwise obtain a GuardStone block (check the in‑game recipe book or recipe viewer mods like JEI/REI for exact recipes configured in your pack).
   Place the GuardStone in the world like a normal block. As soon as it is placed:
   A protection zone is created around it.
   The player who placed it becomes the owner of that GuardStone.

2. Opening the GuardStone GUI
   Right‑click the placed GuardStone block to open its Zone GUI.
   This screen is divided into two main panels:

Left panel – Player management (owner name, invited players).
Right panel – Protection flags and border controls.
Managing Players
On the left panel you will see:

Player Name text box
Invite button
Untrust / Expel button
A list of invited players

Usage:
Type a player’s exact name into the Player Name box.
Click Invite to give them permissions inside this GuardStone zone.
To remove permissions, type their name again and click Expel.
Invited players are allowed to interact inside the zone according to the protection flags you have enabled.

Protection Flags

On the right panel you will see several toggle buttons:
Build (Construir)
Break (Romper)
Explosions
Pistons
Containers
Crops
Entities / Item Frames (Entidades/Marcos)
Each button shows a state:

BLOQUEADO – action is protected (blocked for non‑trusted players).
PERMITIDO – action is allowed.
Typical behavior:

With Build and Break set to BLOQUEADO, only the owner, trusted players, and server operators can place or break blocks inside the zone.
Explosions set to BLOQUEADO protects against TNT/creeper damage in the area.
Containers protects chests, barrels, shulker boxes, etc.
Crops protects farmland and crops from grief.
Entities/Item Frames protects things like armor stands and item frames, preventing other players from taking items or rotating/removing them.
You can adjust these flags at any time; changes take effect immediately.

Showing the Zone Borders
At the bottom of the right panel there is a button:

Show Limits: ON/OFF (Mostrar límites)
OFF – border preview is hidden.
ON – renders a yellow wireframe box around the protected area, similar to Minecraft’s F3+G chunk borders:
Full outline around the zone.
An extra horizontal slice at the camera height to make the volume easier to understand.
Multiple GuardStones can have their borders shown at once, so you can visualize overlapping or neighboring zones.

Evolving the GuardStone
GuardStones can be evolved through multiple tiers, such as:

Iron
Gold
Diamond
Netherite
Each evolution level:

Increases the strength / size of the protection zone (exact values depend on the mod’s configuration).
Grants a GuardStone advancement in a dedicated advancement tab.
Evolution is triggered server‑side, and when a GuardStone reaches a new tier, the owner receives the corresponding advancement (e.g., evolving to Diamond or Netherite).

Check your advancement screen to track your progress through the GuardStone evolution path.

Server Configuration
The mod provides server configuration options for:

Radius of the protection zone.
Vertical height above the stone.
Vertical depth below the stone.
Notes for server owners:

Large height/depth values can effectively protect from bedrock to build limit around the GuardStone.
Choose values that make sense for your server’s gameplay and performance.
Config comments explain the trade‑offs of very large vertical ranges (wide protection vs. performance and overlap with other stones).
After changing config values, restart the server to apply them.

Permissions and Operators
The owner of each GuardStone always has full control over its GUI and flags.
Invited players obey whatever flags are enabled.
Server operators (OPs) can bypass most restrictions, as usual for admin work, but the intention is that regular players cannot grief inside another player’s zone.
Compatibility
Built for Minecraft Forge 1.20.1.
Designed to work alongside common client‑side utilities (minimap, recipe viewers, etc.).
All visuals (GUI and borders) are purely cosmetic on the client; actual protection logic runs server‑side.