Block Palettes, Layout, and Design: Working River Clay Pit

Build Scale Options

Small Village Pit

Recommended footprint:

• 9 by 13 blocks minimum.
• 3 to 4 terraces.
• 12 to 24 working mud positions.

Best for:

• Starter bases.
• Small villages.
• Hand-built survival worlds.
• Lore-first builds.

Town Clayworks Pit

Recommended footprint:

• 15 by 21 blocks.
• 4 to 6 terraces.
• 32 to 64 working mud positions.

Best for:

• Town industry.
• Pottery districts.
• Early brick production.
• Tutorial demonstration builds.

Industrial Pit

Recommended footprint:

• 25 by 35 blocks or larger.
• 6 to 8 terraces.
• 80 or more working mud positions.

Best for:

• Brickworks arcs.
• Rail and dock integration.
• Large survival projects.
• Multi-episode builds.

Layout Rules

Use these rules to keep the pit believable:

• Place it near river, lake, swamp, marsh, or coast.
• Leave 1 to 2 blocks between water and the pit wall.
• Start from an existing clay deposit when possible.
• Make the outline irregular.
• Terrace downward in 1 to 2 block steps.
• Keep the bottom uneven.
• Add at least one route for workers to enter the pit.
• Add drainage if the build is larger than a village pit.
• Keep production blocks visually blended into the terrain.

Core Working Module

Each working clay position uses this vertical stack:

Clay after conversion / Mud before conversion
Diorite or polished diorite shelf
Pointed dripstone
Air gap
Hidden underworks or drainage space

Important note:

The mud must be placed above pointed dripstone so it can convert into clay over time. After harvesting the clay, replace it with mud to restart the cycle.

Simple Cross Section

Surface path      Mud/Clay production shelf
Grass/Dirt  __    [Mud -> Clay] [Mud -> Clay]
          _/  \__ [Diorite]     [Diorite]
Pit wall /        [Dripstone]   [Dripstone]
                 [Air gap]     [Air gap]
                 [Drainage / hidden space]

Top-Down Layout Sketch

River water
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grass bank / reeds
---------------
1 to 2 block buffer
---------------
Irregular upper path
  [terrace] [terrace] [wide work area]
     [lower clay shelf] [mud/ clay]
        [bottom puddle or drainage]
Tool shed ---- muddy road ---- storage

Palette A - Natural Riverbank

Use this for subtle survival builds.

Main blocks:

• Clay.
• Mud.
• Packed mud.
• Diorite.
• Polished diorite.
• Coarse dirt.
• Rooted dirt.
• Gravel.

Details:

• Oak fences.
• Spruce trapdoors.
• Barrels.
• Lanterns.
• Leaf litter.
• Pale moss carpet.

Mood:

Quiet, local, believable, lightly worked.

Palette B - Forgelands Traditional Clayworks

Use this for the main tutorial.

Main blocks:

• Clay.
• Mud.
• Packed mud.
• Mud bricks.
• Diorite.
• Polished diorite.
• Stone.
• Calcite in small amounts.

Details:

• Spruce fences.
• Spruce slabs.
• Spruce trapdoors.
• Copper grates.
• Exposed copper.
• Barrels.
• Rails.
• Lanterns.

Mood:

Muddy, practical, early industrial, ready to grow into a brickworks.

Palette C - Coastal Clay Pit

Use this near oceans or inlets.

Main blocks:

• Clay.
• Mud.
• Sand.
• Gravel.
• Diorite.
• Tuff.
• Stone.

Details:

• Weathered copper.
• Dark oak.
• Spruce.
• Chains.
• Boats.
• Dock blocks.
• Sea grass nearby.

Mood:

Salt-worn, trade-facing, connected to docks and boats.

Palette D - Abandoned Ancient Pit

Use this for ruins or lore sites.

Main blocks:

• Clay.
• Mud.
• Stone.
• Mossy cobblestone.
• Gravel.
• Coarse dirt.
• Rooted dirt.
• Moss blocks.

Details:

• Broken fences.
• Cracked stone bricks.
• Vines.
• Leaf litter.
• Waterlogged bottom.
• Unlit lanterns.

Mood:

Old, overgrown, half-remembered.

Production Shelf Patterns

Pattern 1 - Continuous Ring

Best for small pits.

Use one ring of working mud blocks around each terrace. This is simple, readable, and easy to harvest.

Pattern 2 - Broken Deposits

Best for realism.

Place working mud in clusters instead of a perfect ring. Mix in clay, diorite, and exposed stone so the pit looks geologic.

Pattern 3 - Industrial Rows

Best for larger brickworks.

Use straight shelves and repeated dripstone rows. Add rails, ladders, and drainage channels to make the order feel intentional.

Detail Placement Guide

Place these details where they make practical sense:

Detail	Best Location	Purpose
Tool shed	Upper path or road edge	Explains workers and storage
Barrels	Near shed and loading area	Supplies and clay storage
Crates	Roadside or dock	Export staging
Lantern posts	Path corners and stairs	Safety and readability
Copper grates	Underworks and drainage	Water control
Rails	Industrial version	Heavy clay hauling
Drying racks	Near kiln or yard	Pottery and brick connection
Fences	Dangerous edges	Safety and site boundary

Build Checklist

• Site chosen beside water.
• Existing clay deposit included or simulated.
• Irregular outline marked.
• Terraces dug.
• Diorite shelves placed.
• Pointed dripstone placed under shelves.
• Air gap preserved under dripstone.
• Hidden spaces spawn-proofed.
• Mud placed on working shelves.
• Paths blended from clay to mud to dirt.
• Underworks sealed or made accessible.
• Details added based on site scale.
• Website screenshots captured before and after conversion.