Upgrades
vanilla+ progression
Vanilla crafting, controlled progression
Armor progression for Paper servers.
CoreArmorX adds a server-owned armor path from leather upward, protects direct crafting where needed, and gives netherite armor configurable visual skins without databases, GUIs, economy hooks, or resource packs.
- Paper 1.21.11+
- Java 21+
- YAML driven
- No resource pack
Armor Progression Preview
upgrade path
Leather to Diamond
Skins
netherite visuals
PDC
safe skinned identity
Leather
Copper
Diamond
Netherite Skins
visual material, netherite profile
Core feature set
Armor progression with clean vanilla behavior.
CoreArmorX keeps normal upgraded armor clean, stores plugin identity only where it is needed, and uses runtime recipe validation to make crafting predictable for real servers.
Controlled Armor Progression
Default recipes move armor through Leather, Copper, Chainmail, Iron, Diamond, with optional Gold and Turtle Helmet endpoint paths.
Runtime-Safe Recipes
YAML recipes support ingredient groups, one-item-slot matching, recipe book discovery, and safe reloads without duplicated CoreArmorX recipes.
Netherite Visual Skins
Netherite armor can look like leather, copper, chainmail, iron, gold, or diamond while keeping a netherite-equivalent profile.
Metadata Preservation
Names, original lore, enchants, damage, trims, flags, unbreakable state, compatible custom data, and non-CoreArmorX PDC are preserved.
Inventory Model Modes
Skinned armor can show the real netherite tier in inventory or display the visual skin icon, depending on config.
Dyeable Leather Skin
Leather-skinned armor keeps vanilla dye behavior and can expose hex, RGB, name, and color-square placeholders in lore.
Configurable Lore
skins.lore.generated-lines controls generated lore and places saved original lore through {item_lore}.
Skin Removal
Skinned armor can be crafted with the configured tool, shears by default, to restore clean netherite armor.
Fire and Lava Rules
Dropped skinned armor can be protected from fire and lava or stripped back to clean netherite instead of being destroyed.
Permission Progression
Optional locks use permissions for upgrades, skins, armor usage, and global bypass. CoreArmorX stores no player unlock database.
Custom Item Protection
Foreign PDC/custom item data can block transformations to avoid corrupting items from other systems.
Admin Commands
/corearmorx reload, inspect, and fixitem cover normal production operations.
Why CoreArmorX
Progression control without turning armor into a database system.
The plugin is designed for owners who want a stronger crafting path and cosmetic netherite skins, but still want vanilla items, vanilla crafting, and simple YAML operations.
Normal Upgrades Stay Clean
Upgraded armor uses Bukkit material as the source of truth and does not receive CoreArmorX PDC.
Skins Carry Explicit Identity
Only skinned armor stores clean material, skin identity, lore snapshot, model mode, and optional durability state.
No Heavy Integrations Required
Vault, PlaceholderAPI, databases, custom GUIs, CoreToolsX, custom item plugins, and resource packs are not required.
Setup and compatibility
Built for modern Paper servers.
Install the jar on Paper, let the default YAML files generate, then tune recipes, skins, progression locks, and lore in the plugin data folder.
Runtime
Paper 1.21.11+
CoreArmorX is Paper-only and targets Java 21+. It does not ship proxy, web, or database modules.
- Paper server plugin
- Java 21+
- Vanilla crafting table flow
Files
Four YAML surfaces
Global behavior, upgrade paths, skins, and messages are split into focused files under plugins/CoreArmorX/.
config.ymlarmor-upgrades.ymlarmor-skins.ymlmessages.yml
Paper only
Java 21+
No resource pack required
Resources
Docs for setup, configuration, and production checks.
Hub
Documentation Hub
Entry point for setup, feature overview, configuration reference, FAQ, and operational checks.
ProductProduct Overview
Detailed view of upgrade recipes, netherite skins, metadata handling, permissions, and scope.
SetupInstallation Guide
Requirements, generated files, reload boundaries, first tests, and validation sequence.
ConfigConfiguration Reference
YAML file map, runtime model, permissions, troubleshooting, and production checklist.
FAQComplete FAQ
Short answers for requirements, skins, PDC, permissions, lore, fire/lava behavior, and custom items.
OpsTroubleshooting
Recipe discovery, permissions, stale lore, skin durability, usage locks, and reload checks.
FAQ preview
Answers before opening the config files.
These are short operational answers. Use the configuration reference when you need exact keys and reload rules.
Does CoreArmorX require a resource pack?
No. The default system uses vanilla armor materials and vanilla crafting behavior.
Does it store player unlock data?
No. Progression locks are permission-based. Use a permission plugin such as LuckPerms when locks are enabled.
Do normal upgraded items get CoreArmorX PDC?
No. Normal upgraded armor stays clean; CoreArmorX PDC is used for skinned armor and internal skin state.
Can skinned armor be returned to netherite?
Yes. The default removal recipe uses skinned armor plus shears to restore clean netherite armor.
Also try
More CoreX plugins for the same server stack.
Each project stays focused, so you can add only the systems your Paper server actually needs.
Tools
CoreToolsX
Vanilla+ tool upgrade paths, material skins, protected crafting, and admin-controlled recipes.
Cases
CoreCaseX
Structured player reports, staff triage, evidence, replies, notes, and resolution workflows.
Chat
CoreChatX
Channels, private messages, pings, ChatItems, moderation, bridges, locales, and Velocity support.
Extraction
CoreExtractionX
YAML-driven block extraction, block replacement, natural drops, and configurable extra item drops.
Ready to test the progression path?
Install CoreArmorX, generate defaults, and craft through the chain.
Start with the setup guide, then tune recipes, skins, lore, and permission locks from YAML.