More Lanterns: Simple Stone and Cobblestone Lanterns
Every Minecraft builder eventually hits the same wall: lighting. Torches are cheap and functional, but they look like afterthoughts. Full-fledged lanterns require rare resources or tedious farming. The mod More Lanterns: Simple Stone and Cobblestone Lanterns cuts through that grind with two clean, craftable light sources that feel right at home in any build. No Nether trips, no pumpkin patches, no redstone wiring. Just stone, cobblestone, and a torch.
This is a focused utility and decoration mod designed for survival players, builders, and modpack enthusiasts who want practical lighting without the visual noise of vanilla alternatives. It is a lightweight addition that respects the core survival loop while solving a persistent aesthetic problem.
Why This Mod Exists
The creator, StealthLava, built this mod out of frustration with vanilla lighting mechanics. Jack o' Lanterns are a constant hassle: you need to find a pumpkin, plant the seeds, wait for growth, and then place the lantern only on a solid block underneath. And let us be honest, a carved face sticking out of your floor is not exactly the cozy cottagecore vibe most players are going for.
Redstone lamps are arguably worse. They demand a trip to the Nether for glowstone and quartz, and then you have to wire them up with levers or torches just to get light. It is a bulky, non-renewable process that interrupts the flow of building. More Lanterns throws all that baggage out the window. You get stylish, dependable light sources crafted from materials you already have in your first mining run.
What the Mod Adds
This mod introduces two new lantern types that become available almost immediately after you gather basic resources. Neither requires rare ingredients, redstone, or biome-specific items. Here is the complete list:
- Stone Lantern - Crafted from plain stone blocks. Emits a steady, warm light that fits medieval castles, ruins, and underground bases perfectly.
- Cobblestone Lantern - Features a rougher, more rugged texture. Ideal for brutalist fortresses, mineshafts, cave bases, and any build with a raw, industrial feel.
Both variants produce light at the same level as a standard torch, but they look far more substantial and intentional. They can be placed on any surface without extra steps, and they never burn out. If you value aesthetics and want to avoid spending hours on pumpkin farms, these blocks are a genuine lifesaver.
Crafting Recipes and Mechanics
The crafting logic is intuitive and follows standard Minecraft conventions. At a crafting table, place one torch in the center slot and surround it with eight blocks of either stone or cobblestone. That means a stone lantern costs 8 stone units, and a cobblestone lantern costs 8 cobblestone units. The torch itself is made from coal and a stick, so the entire process is doable on day one.
There are no exotic ingredients, no redstone dust, and no rare drops. Just the materials that are practically lying on the ground beneath your feet. The mod author also included the source code in the archive, so curious developers can study the mechanics or adapt them for their own modpacks.
Compatibility and Supported Versions
More Lanterns: Simple Stone and Cobblestone Lanterns operates on the Forge loader and supports a range of Minecraft versions, including older releases that many players still use for modded play. The mod is intentionally lightweight, meaning it does not interfere with world generation, biomes, or existing structures. It simply adds two new blocks and their associated recipes.
This makes it an excellent companion for larger modpacks. Because the mod adds no new dimensions, mobs, or mechanics, it carries a minimal performance footprint. You can slot it into a heavy modpack without worrying about memory spikes or tick lag.
Installation Guide
To get started, you need a Minecraft installation with the appropriate Forge version. The manual installation process is straightforward. First, download the ZIP archive from the mod page. Extract it into an empty folder, then copy the file named MoreLanterns_V1_(MC1##).zip into the mods directory of your client.
The standard paths are familiar to most players:
- Windows: %AppData%\.minecraft\mods
- Linux: /Home/[Username]/.minecraft/mods
- Mac: [Username]/Library/Application Support/minecraft/mods
If the mods folder does not exist, simply create it manually. After copying the file, launch the game and the new lanterns will be available in your crafting menu. For those who prefer a more streamlined approach, you can download More Lanterns: Simple Stone and Cobblestone Lanterns for Minecraft through launchers that support direct mod installation, which saves you from digging through the file system.
Configuration and Troubleshooting
In rare cases, Minecraft may crash on startup if the block IDs assigned by the mod (default range 184-194) conflict with other installed add-ons. This typically happens in large modpacks where every block ID is accounted for. The solution is simple: open the MoreLanterns.cfg file located in the .minecraft/config/ directory and change the occupied identifiers to free ones.
The mod author anticipated this issue and left the configuration file open for editing. Even in modpacks with a hundred or more mods, compatibility should not be a problem. The config file also allows you to adjust any future settings without needing to update the mod itself.
Best Use Cases and Scenarios
These lanterns shine in several specific situations. For survival players, they offer a renewable, low-cost lighting solution that does not require exploring dangerous biomes. A single coal block yields four torches, and each torch combines with eight stone blocks to produce a lantern. That means one coal block can light an entire base with elegant fixtures instead of ugly wall torches.
For builders, the stone lantern is a natural fit for medieval towns, castles, and cathedrals. The cobblestone variant works beautifully in dwarven halls, mineshafts, and industrial districts. Both blocks can be used in redstone contraptions as decorative elements, and they look great in item frames, on walls, or hanging from chains.
Map makers will appreciate the simplicity of the mod. Since it adds no new mechanics or dependencies, it is safe to include in adventure maps and puzzle maps without breaking progression. The lanterns can serve as checkpoints, ambient lighting, or quest markers without requiring command blocks or custom data packs.
Final Thoughts
More Lanterns: Simple Stone and Cobblestone Lanterns is a small but incredibly practical mod that removes unnecessary grinding and gives builders two aesthetically pleasing light sources. It does not break balance, does not overload the game, and stays true to the spirit of vanilla Minecraft. The simple crafting recipe, clean design, and total independence from pumpkins and the Nether make it an ideal choice for both survival and creative play.
Until Mojang decides to add stone and cobblestone lanterns to the base game, this mod remains a must-have in the toolkit of every serious decorator. Whether you are lighting a cozy cottage or a sprawling fortress, these lanterns deliver exactly what the vanilla game should have offered years ago.