Explorer's Compass in FTB Skies 2: Aero
FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.13.0 ships version 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge · First seen in 1.0.3
Explorer's Compass is a mod in FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.13.0, where it is version 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge. Allows you to locate structures anywhere in the world. (Summary from the mod's Modrinth page.)
Explorer's Compass guide for FTB Skies 2: Aero
Last verified for FTB Skies 2: Aero v1.10.0 on Oct 14, 2026 · text last changed Oct 14, 2026
This is the newest guide. It hasn't been checked against 1.13.0 yet.
- Sections
- 8
- Recipes shown
- 2
- Items named
- 1
- Quests covered
- 11
Every recipe and number here was checked against FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.10.0, read from the running game on Sep 22, 2026.
What is Explorer's Compass?
2 parts
The Explorer's Compass is a compass that locates structures anywhere in the world. It supports all registered structures, both vanilla and modded. This pack includes version 1.21.1-3.4.0 for NeoForge.[1][2]
How you use it
- Right-click with the compass to open a GUI where you pick a structure or a group of structures to search for.[1]
- The pack's quest book gives the steps: type the structure you want at the top, select it, then click Search. The compass points toward the nearest match and shows the distance in the top left of your screen.[3]
- Shift-right-click to reset the compass state.[1]
- Information about the current search is shown on the HUD.[1]
- When the compass isn't pointing at a structure, it points at the world spawn.[1]
The mod's config file lets you adjust properties like the maximum search radius and which structures are blacklisted.[1]
Where it sits in the quest book
The quest "Explorer's Compass" quest is in the chapter "Useful Items & Tips", which is chapter 2 of 31 in the book and holds 30 quests. Its task is to obtain the compass. The chapter's intro quest "Tips & Tricks!" quest describes the chapter as a place for useful items and tips you can use in your playthrough.[3]
Biomes are a separate job in the same chapter: the quest "Locating Biomes" quest covers locating them with Irregular Implements instead.[3]
How do you get started with Explorer's Compass?
4 parts
The first tool worth making in this pack is the Explorer's Compass. It can locate any structure in the pack, so you don't have to hunt for specific structures across dimensions by hand.[3][4]
The quest book covers it twice. "Adventuring Beyond!" quest sits in the Exploration & Combat group, in The Traveler's Quest chapter (chapter 15 of 31). "Explorer's Compass" quest is in the Useful Items & Tips chapter (chapter 2 of 31).[3][4]
Step 1: Craft the compass
The pack changed this recipe, so don't rely on what you remember from the mod's default. Here is the exact in-pack version:[5]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: explorerscompass:explorers_compass
The pack changed this recipe, so it differs from the mod's own version.
If you'd rather not craft it, the quest also says you can trade a cartographer for one on the cheap, or buy one with coins from a wandering trader.[4]
Step 2: Search for a structure
- Right-click with the compass to open its GUI, where you pick a structure or a group of structures to search for.[1]
- Type the structure you want at the top, select it, then click Search.[3]
- Follow the compass. It points toward the nearest structure and shows the distance in the top left of your screen.[3]
- Shift-right-click to reset the compass when you want to start a new search. When it isn't pointing at a structure, it points at the world spawn.[1]
How the pack sets it up
The pack's settings are in General.compassDurability and the other General options of the same file. Durability is set to 0, which disables it, so your compass won't break from searching. Searches also cost no XP, because General.defaultXpLevels is 0 and General.xpLevelOverrides is empty.[6]
- General.displayCoordinates is on, so the HUD shows the precise coordinates and distance of a located structure, not just a direction.[6]
- General.maxRadius is 10,000, the largest radius searched for a structure.[6]
- General.maxNextSearches is 100, which is how many times you can ask for the next instance of a located structure.[6]
- General.structureBlacklist hides structures matching mss:* from the GUI, and the compass can't search for them.[6]
- General.allowTeleport is on, but it only lets you teleport to a located structure in creative mode, when opped, or in cheat mode.[6]
Repairing it
Durability is off here, so you shouldn't need this. If a compass ever does need repairing, the mod's repair recipe is available:[5][6]
This is the mod's own repair recipe, not one the pack changed.
How does Explorer's Compass work?
5 parts
Explorer's Compass is a single item, the Explorer's Compass, that locates structures anywhere in the world. The sources for this pack describe no machines, multiblocks, power or fluids for it, so everything below is about how the compass itself behaves and how the pack's config shapes it.[1][7]
Using the compass
- Right-click with the compass to open a GUI where you pick a structure or a group of structures to search for.[1]
- Shift-right-click to reset the compass state.[1]
- Information about the search shows on your HUD.[1]
- When the compass is not pointing at a structure, it points at the world spawn.[1]
- It supports all registered structures, both vanilla and modded, except any the config blacklists.[1][6]
Crafting and repair
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: explorerscompass:explorers_compass
The pack changed this crafting recipe from the mod's own version.
A shapeless repair recipe that comes from the mod itself.
In this pack General.compassDurability is 0, which disables durability. Your compass won't break after a number of searches, so the repair recipe only matters if the value is raised. The config allows values up to 10,000 successful searches before the compass breaks.[6]
Search limits
General.maxRadius is 10,000 in this pack, the same as the mod default. It is the maximum radius searched for a structure. Raising it increases search accuracy but can make the process more resource intensive.[6]
General.maxSamples caps the number of samples taken during a search, and it is set to 100,000 here.[6]
General.maxNextSearches is 100. It sets how many times you can search for the next instance of a located structure, not counting locations you have already found. If it were set to 0, the compass would always locate the nearest instance instead.[6]
XP cost
General.defaultXpLevels is 0 in this pack, so a search does not consume any XP levels by default. Individual structures can be given a cost through General.xpLevelOverrides, written as "structure_id,num_levels" pairs with a maximum of 3 levels. That list is empty here, so no structure has its own cost.[6]
Blacklist, coordinates and teleporting
- General.structureBlacklist is set to "mss:*" in this pack. Blacklisted structures don't appear in the GUI and can't be searched for. The wildcard * matches any number of characters and ? matches one.[6]
- General.displayCoordinates is true, so the HUD can show the precise coordinates and distance of a located structure, not only the direction the compass points.[6]
- General.allowTeleport is true. That lets a player teleport to a located structure when in creative mode, opped, or in cheat mode.[6]
How do you progress through Explorer's Compass?
2 parts
Good news: there is no tier ladder to climb with Explorer's Compass. The recipe sources for this pack show one compass item with one crafting recipe and one repair recipe, and no upgraded versions. So this section is about where the quest book brings the compass up and how you get one.[5]
Where the quest book places it
The compass shows up in three chapters. The first is "Useful Items & Tips" (chapter 2 of 31 in the book), where the quest "Explorer's Compass" quest asks you to get the compass and explains how to use it. You type the structure you want at the top, select it and click Search. The compass then points to the nearest one and shows the distance in the top left of your screen.[3]
The second is "Adventuring Beyond!" quest in "The Traveler's Quest", part of the "Exploration & Combat" group (chapter 15 of 31). It also asks for the compass, and the quest text says it can search up any structure and point you in the right direction.[4]
The third is in the "Getting Started" chapter, in the "Main Questline" group. The quest "Sky Village Materials" quest comes after "Proper Materials" quest. It tips you to use an Eye of Legend or the Explorer's Compass to find a sky village.[8]
Getting one in this pack
The pack changed the crafting recipe for the compass, so don't rely on what you remember from the mod's defaults. The recipe below is the one that works here.[5]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: explorerscompass:explorers_compass
This crafting recipe is changed by the pack.
You can also skip crafting. The quest text says you can trade a cartographer for one on the cheap, or buy one with coins from a wandering trader.[4]
There is also a repair recipe, which is a regular mod recipe and not a pack change.[5]
This repair recipe is a mod recipe, not changed by the pack.
How does Explorer's Compass work with other mods?
3 parts
The sources show two ways Explorer's Compass connects to the rest of the pack: its crafting recipe, and where it sits in the quest book. They describe no machine or special mechanic that links it to another mod.[3][5]
Crafting
The pack has changed the recipe for Explorer's Compass, so don't rely on the recipe from the mod's own page. The in-pack version uses items from other mods, and you can see exactly what it needs in the recipe below.[5]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: explorerscompass:explorers_compass
This is the pack's changed version of the recipe, not the mod default.
Structures and modded content
The mod supports all registered structures, both vanilla and modded. The quest book describes the compass as able to locate any structure in the pack.[1][3]
The quest "Explorer's Compass" quest is in the "Useful Items & Tips" chapter, chapter 2 of 31 in the book. It tells you to type the structure you want at the top, select it and click Search. The compass then points toward the nearest match and shows the distance in the top left of your screen.[3]
Finding biomes instead
In the same chapter, the quest "Locating Biomes" quest covers biomes. It describes a small multiblock from Irregular Implements that locates biomes, built from a Biome Radar with a configured Biome Crystal and some iron bars.[3]
Which FTB Skies 2: Aero quests use Explorer's Compass?
3 parts
The Explorer's Compass shows up in three quest chapters. Two of them ask you to hold the compass, and the third only mentions it in a tip. They are listed here in book order.[3][4][8]
Useful Items & Tips (chapter 2)
This is the earliest place you meet it, chapter 2 of 31 in the quest book. The quest "Explorer's Compass" quest has a single task: have the compass. The quest text explains that it can locate any structure in the pack. You type the structure you want at the top, select it, then click Search. The compass then points toward the nearest one and shows the distance in the top left of your screen.[3]
Getting Started (chapter 4)
This chapter is in the Main Questline group. The compass is not a task here, but "Sky Village Materials" quest recommends it. That quest asks you to find a sky village and bring back an amethyst shard and an emerald. Its tip says an Eye of Legend or the Explorer's Compass can help you locate one.[8]
In the quest tree it unlocks after "Proper Materials" quest. That one follows "Clusters of Creation" quest, "Essential Waters" quest and "The Old Ways" quest.[8]
The Traveler's Quest (chapter 15)
This chapter is in the Exploration & Combat group and has 38 quests. Most of them ask you to find a structure, and many also ask you to kill something there. Examples are "Find a Sky Village" quest and "Find a Nether Fortress" quest.[4]
The compass quest here is "Adventuring Beyond!" quest, and its task is again to have the Explorer's Compass. The text says exploring every dimension can take a long time when you are hunting for very specific structures, and that the compass lets you search for any structure and points you the right way. It also says you can trade a cartographer for one cheaply, or buy one with coins from a wandering trader.[4]
Which Explorer's Compass config options matter?
3 parts
Explorer's Compass is set up in General.maxRadius and its neighbours, all in the General section of one file. Where the file lists a mod default, every value this pack uses matches it, so the pack hasn't changed any of the numbers below.[6]
Search limits
- General.maxRadius is 10,000, the same as the mod default. It is the furthest the compass will search for a structure. Raising it improves search accuracy but can make the search more resource intensive.[6]
- General.maxSamples is 100,000, the mod default. It caps how many samples are taken during a search.[6]
- General.maxNextSearches is 100, the mod default. It limits how many times you can search for the next instance of a structure you already located, not counting locations you have already found. Set it to 0 and the compass always finds the nearest instance.[6]
Cost and durability
- General.compassDurability is 0, the mod default, which means durability is disabled. Your compass won't break after a number of searches.[6]
- General.defaultXpLevels is 0, the mod default (allowed range 0 to 3). Searching for a structure doesn't cost you XP levels.[6]
- General.xpLevelOverrides is an empty list in this pack, so no structure has its own XP cost. Each entry would be a "structure_id,num_levels" pair with a maximum of 3 levels.[6]
Display, teleporting and hidden structures
- General.displayCoordinates is true. The HUD shows the precise coordinates and distance of a located structure, so you don't have to rely only on where the compass points.[6]
- General.allowTeleport is true. Teleporting to a located structure is allowed when you are in creative mode, opped, or in cheat mode, so regular survival players can't use it.[6]
- General.structureBlacklist is set to ["mss:*"]. Anything matching that pattern is hidden from the compass GUI and can't be searched for. The file doesn't say what the mod default for this option is, so I can't tell you whether the pack changed it.[6]
What changed in Explorer's Compass between versions?
1 part
Aero 1.10.0 ships Explorer's Compass 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge. It has been in the pack since Aero 1.0.3 or earlier, so the version you have now is the one the changelog below describes.[2]
What changed in 3.4.0
The 3.4.0 changelog is made up entirely of backports, meaning features and fixes that already existed in newer versions of the mod and were brought over to this Minecraft version. Here is the full list.[9]
- A config option to add durability to the compass, plus a recipe to repair a broken compass.[9]
- A feature to search for the next instance of a structure you have already located.[9]
- Config options that make the compass consume XP levels when it searches for a structure.[9]
- A fix for structures with the c:hidden_from_locator_selection tag not being hidden.[9]
- A fix for certain structure types where instances west of the search starting position would be missed.[9]
- Improvements to the structure selection GUI.[9]
- Turkish and Ukrainian translations.[9]
The durability and XP options are described as config options, so they are not necessarily switched on by default.[9]
Unverified Whether Aero 1.10.0 turns on the compass durability or the XP level cost is not confirmed. Check the pack's config in your own instance before relying on either.
There are no pack changelog entries for this mod, so I can't tell you about pack-specific changes to it across Aero releases.[2]
Sources
- Explorer's Compass project page (modrinth) · official mod data
- FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.10.0 mod list · pack file
- FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.10.0 quests: "Useful Items & Tips" · pack file
- FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.10.0 quests: "The Traveler's Quest" · pack file
- FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.10.0 recipe dump: recipes making Explorer's Compass items · pack recipe dump
- FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.10.0 config: config/explorerscompass-common.toml · pack file
- explorerscompass names, screen text and descriptions (English lang file) · official mod data
- FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.10.0 quests: "Getting Started" · pack file
- Explorer's Compass 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge changelog · changelog
Where this guide comes from
Written from what FTB Skies 2: Aero itself ships: its files and recipes, the in-game guidebooks and the mods' own pages. Every statement links to the source it came from, and the numbers are checked against the pack before publishing.
Guide last verified Oct 14, 2026.
Report wrong info
Version in each release
21 releases, first in 1.0.3
| FTB Skies 2: Aero | Version | Jar | Where it came from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.13.0 Sep 28, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.12.1 Sep 22, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.12.0 Sep 21, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.10.0 Sep 8, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.9.1 Sep 2, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.9.0 Sep 1, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.8.0 Aug 25, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.7.3 Aug 19, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.7.2 Aug 18, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.7.1 Aug 18, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.6.1 Aug 13, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.6.0 Aug 11, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.5.1 Aug 8, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.4.1 Aug 4, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.4.0 Aug 3, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.3.0 Jul 30, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.2.1 Jul 28, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.2.0 Jul 28, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.1.1 Jul 25, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.1.0 Jul 24, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
| 1.0.3 Jul 17, 2026 | 1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge | ExplorersCompass-1.21.1-3.4.0-neoforge.jar | From the published release |
"From pack files" means the list came from the pack's own files; "from the published release" means ForgeBase read the jars of the release itself.
Items and blocks
1 items from the 1.10.0 recipe dump.
FTB Skies 2: Aero quests (2)
Quests from the pack's FTB Quests book that ask for this mod's items.
The Traveler's Quest (1)
- Adventuring Beyond!
Useful Items & Tips (1)
- Explorer's Compass
Config options (how FTB Skies 2: Aero sets them)
9 settings shipped in the pack's config files; 0 differ from the mod's documented default.
Show settings
| Setting | FTB Skies 2: Aero value | Mod default |
|---|---|---|
General.allowTeleport Allows a player to teleport to a located structure when in creative mode, opped, or in cheat mode. config/explorerscompass-common.toml | true | not documented |
General.displayCoordinates Allows players to view the precise coordinates and distance of a located structure on the HUD, rather than relying on the direction the compass is pointing. config/explorerscompass-common.toml | true | not documented |
General.structureBlacklist A list of structures that the compass will not display in the GUI and will not be able to search for. Wildcard character * can be used to match any number of characters, and ? can be used to match one character. Ex: ["minecraft:buried_treasure", "minecraft:end*", "minecraft:*village*"] config/explorerscompass-common.toml | ["mss:*"] | not documented |
General.xpLevelOverrides A list of structure-specific XP level costs that override defaultXpLevels, specified as comma-separated "structure_id,num_levels" pairs. Structures not listed here use defaultXpLevels. Max of 3 levels. The wildcard character * can be used to match any number of characters, and ? can be used to match one character. Ex: ["minecraft:buried_treasure,3", "minecraft:end*,2", "minecraft:*village*,1"] config/explorerscompass-common.toml | [] | not documented |
General.compassDurability The number of successful structure searches before the compass breaks and must be repaired. Set to 0 to disable durability. config/explorerscompass-common.toml | 0 | 0 |
General.defaultXpLevels The default number of XP levels consumed when searching for a structure. Individual structures can be configured via xpLevelOverrides. config/explorerscompass-common.toml | 0 | 0 |
Which FTB Skies 2: Aero mods work with Explorer's Compass?
The FTB Skies 2: Aero mods that share the most recipes with Explorer's Compass. Highlighted ones have a guide.
Comments and tips
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