Set up the Origins mod on Minecraft

Origins lets each player pick an origin when they start, such as Human, Avian or Enderian, and each origin comes with its own abilities and drawbacks. This guide sets it up on a Fabric server, which is how the original Origins mod is built.

Checked against Origins 1.10.2 on Fabric 1.20.1, October 2026.

What you need

• Fabric on Minecraft 1.20.1. Origins 1.10.2 is the newest stable release for Minecraft 1.20.1, and it needs Java 17. For Minecraft 1.21.1 the only builds so far are pre-releases (1.13.0-pre.4 is marked beta), so this guide uses 1.20.1.
• Fabric API. The Fabric build lists it as required. The rest of what it uses is bundled inside the jar.
• Origins on every player's computer too. Modrinth marks it required on both the client and the server.
• This guide covers Fabric only. On Forge, Origins also publishes a file that needs Sinytra Connector, and a separate port, Origins (Forge), by another author exists; this guide covers neither.

Switch the server to Fabric 1.20.1

1. Open JAR Manager, under More in the left rail.
2. Set Server software to Fabric and Minecraft version to 1.20.1, then press Apply change.
3. Leave Take a backup first ticked, press and hold Confirm & reinstall, and wait for the console to finish.

Your world is kept, but configuration files may be reset. Change your Minecraft version or mod loader has the detail.

Install it

1. Open the Mods tab under Content. The Modrinth source chip should be selected.
2. Search for Origins and press Install on the one by Apace. Origins: Classes and Origins++ are separate add-ons.
3. A window titled "Needs 1 more add-on" names Fabric API. Press Install all (2). Mod Menu may appear as an optional extra; it only matters on a player's own computer, so leave it unticked.
4. Go to Console, press Start, and accept the EULA prompt the first time.

The mod's own description says players choose an origin at the beginning of the game.

Commands

You need operator rights, which you can give from the Players tab with Make operator (whitelist and operator guide). These work from the Console too:

• origin get Steve origins:origin shows which origin Steve has in the main layer.
• origin set Steve origins:origin origins:avian changes it. The ten built in are arachnid, avian, blazeborn, elytrian, enderian, feline, human, merling, phantom and shulk.
• origin gui Steve opens the choice screen for that player again, and origin random Steve picks one at random.

An Orb of Origin lets a player change origin by right-clicking it. It has no crafting recipe by default, so hand one out with give Steve origins:orb_of_origin.

Turn origins on or off

After the first start, Origins writes config/origins_server.json in the File Manager. It has a performVersionCheck option and an origins block that lists every origin with "enabled": true and a true or false entry for each of its powers. Open the file with Edit, set an origin's enabled to false to remove it from the choice screen, press Save and restart.

Common problems

• The server stops at start. The Fabric build requires Fabric API, so check it is installed. Search for it on Modrinth in the Mods tab.
• A player cannot join. They need Fabric, Fabric API and Origins 1.10.2 for 1.20.1. See Join a modded server from your launcher.
• origin does not work for a player. The command needs operator permission level 2. Give the player operator rights from the Players tab.