Mastering the Decapitation Plugin for Minecraft: Heads, Bounties, and More
Minecraft has always been about creativity and survival, but sometimes the best adventures come from adding a touch of dark humor to your server. The Decapitation plugin brings exactly that, turning player versus player combat into a trophy-collecting frenzy. Whether you want to decorate your base with the heads of fallen foes or run a full-fledged bounty economy, this plugin delivers a unique twist that keeps players engaged and coming back for more.
What the Decapitation Plugin Does
At its core, Decapitation makes player heads drop when a player dies. By default, heads can drop on any death or only when killed by another player, and you have complete control over the drop rates. The plugin also includes a robust command system to name heads, spawn them for decorative purposes, and even inspect who a skull belongs to with a simple right-click. But the real star of the show is the integrated bounty system, which transforms player heads into valuable currency.
Core Features That Make It Stand Out
- Heads drop with correct player names, preserving the identity of the defeated.
- Commands to set, clear, and spawn named heads for custom builds or events.
- Right-click any head to view the username, perfect for trophy rooms.
- Broken heads drop as items, so you never lose a collectible due to an accidental pickaxe swing.
- A full bounty system that works with Vault and any economy plugin, with support for flat file or MySQL storage.
Getting Started with Commands
Once installed on your server, you can immediately start using the intuitive commands. Here are the essentials you will rely on:
- /setname [username] – Sets the head you are holding to the specified player's head. Username is case sensitive.
- /clearname – Removes any player name from the head you are holding, turning it back into a generic skull.
- /spawnhead [username] <quantity> – Spawns a specific number of named heads at your location.
These tools let server admins and players create custom decorations, memorialize legendary fights, or set up mini-games without any external tools.
The Bounty System: Turning Heads into Gold
The bounty system is where Decapitation truly shines. It requires Vault and an economy plugin, but once configured, it adds a whole new layer of player interaction. Imagine you have a grudge against a player named mbaxter. Instead of hunting him down yourself, you can place a bounty with /bounty place mbaxter 100. The server takes a configurable tax (say 5%), so you pay 105 dollars, and now every bounty hunter on the server knows there is a price on mbaxter's head.
A hunter like diego96 can check active bounties with /bounty list, track down mbaxter, and claim his skull. Holding the head, diego96 types /bounty claim. The skull is whisked away to you (or stored for later redemption if you are offline), and diego96 receives the 100-dollar reward. This cycle encourages PvP, teamwork, and a player-driven economy.
Full Bounty Commands
- /bounty search [username] – Search for a bounty on a specific player.
- /bounty list <page> – Browse all current bounties.
- /bounty place [username] [price] – Create or add to a bounty on a player.
- /bounty claim – Turn in the head you are holding to collect the reward.
- /bounty remove [username] – Cancel a bounty you placed.
- /bounty listown – See all unclaimed bounties you have created.
- /bounty redeem – Claim any heads that are owed to you after someone else turned in a bounty on your behalf.
Configuration Made Simple
The plugin's configuration file is straightforward, letting you fine-tune every aspect. All percentage values range from 0 to 1, where 0.1 equals 10%. You can set the drop chance for all deaths or only player kills, decide whether skulls go directly into the killer's inventory, and even enable a hunted-drop-only mode so that only players with active bounties drop heads. For those who want a pure bounty server, setting the drop rate to 100% is highly recommended so that hunters can reliably claim their prize after a single kill.
Setting up this plugin is straightforward; if you are using a launcher like foxygame.net, you can even browse and install it directly from the menu, making the process incredibly smooth. The launcher's modern interface eliminates the need to manually drag files into server folders, which is a huge time-saver for server admins who juggle multiple plugins.
Key Configuration Snippets
- dropSkulls.allDeaths – Chance a skull drops on any death.
- dropSkulls.killedByPlayer – Chance a skull drops when killed by another player.
- placeInKillerInv – If true, skulls go directly to the killer's inventory when possible.
- bounty.enabled – Toggle the entire bounty system on or off.
- bounty.tax – Tax applied when placing or removing a bounty.
- bounty.huntedDropOnly – Only players with bounties drop heads.
- bounty.canClaimOwn – Allow players to turn in bounties on their own head (often disabled to prevent abuse).
- datastorage – Choose between yaml (flat file) or mysql for bounty data.
If you opt for MySQL, you will need to provide a database connection string, username, and password. This is ideal for larger networks where data persistence and cross-server bounties matter.
Permissions to Control Access
Decapitation uses a granular permission system so you can decide exactly who can do what. Here is a breakdown of the key nodes:
- decapitation.setname – Access to /setname.
- decapitation.clearname – Access to /clearname.
- decapitation.spawnhead – Access to /spawnhead (includes setname).
- decapitation.dropheads – Allows a player to drop their head on death (default true).
- decapitation.collectheads – Allows a player to collect heads when killing others (default true).
- decapitation.info – Lets players right-click a head to see the name.
- decapitation.bounty – Parent node for all bounty commands; children include search, list, place, claim, remove, listown, and viewissuer.
By tweaking these permissions, you can create roles like Bounty Hunter, Head Collector, or Admin without giving away too much power.
Why Your Server Needs This Plugin
Decapitation adds a layer of storytelling to every PvP encounter. Instead of just losing items, a defeated player leaves behind a permanent memento of the battle. It turns griefing into a collectible economy, encourages player interaction through bounties, and gives builders a new decorative block that carries real history. The plugin is lightweight, highly configurable, and works seamlessly with existing economy setups.
Whether you run a hardcore anarchy server, a roleplay kingdom, or a minigame hub, the ability to claim heads and place bounties creates endless emergent gameplay. Players will craft elaborate traps, form bounty hunting guilds, and build museums filled with the heads of notorious players. The stories that come out of a well-configured Decapitation setup are the kind that keep communities alive for years.
So go ahead, give your server that extra edge. With just a few lines of configuration and a handful of commands, you can transform death from a simple respawn into a memorable event that everyone will talk about.