Starting Off[]
To begin delving into all that Thaumcraft has to offer, one first has to begin the game as one normally would. It is advised to create some form of permanent shelter first, and to gather a good supply of basic materials. Entry level Thaumaturgy requires many mundane materials, as well as time and patience, so one should have a good supply of food in addition to this, if they wish to continue their studies undisturbed.
Wands[]
After a decent supply of iron and wood has been obtained, one can create a basic Wand. Although this requires only 2 iron ingots and a single stick, it is advised to have more iron than this for the sake of game-play in general. To craft the Wand, one must create 2 Iron Caps out of iron nuggets in a crafting table. Iron nuggets can be obtained by placing a single iron ingot into the crafting menu to obtain 9 nuggets, as with gold. With 2 Caps, one may craft them with a stick to create a Wand. Once one has crafted their wand and holds it, it will begin to drain magic from the Aura.
The Thaumonomicon[]
A Thaumonomicon shortly after being created.
Once one has created their first wand, it is advised to create or find a bookshelf and right click on it with their wand as to create a Thaumonomicon. This book will provide basic knowledge and allows one to research deeper into Thaumaturgy, as research cannot be conducted without one. However, in order to use Thaumaturgy in earnest, one must do research at the aptly named Research Table.
Research[]
The crafting recipe for a Table, as shown in the Thaumonomicon.
To create a Research Table, one must create a normal table out of 3 wooden slabs and 2 wood planks, as shown to the right. Place the table in the world, and right-click it with Scribing Tools to create a Research Table. The Scribing Tools can be crafted out of an ink sac, a feather, and a glass bottle/phial. To research, one must click an available research option in the Thaumonomicon with a set of Scribing Tools and a piece of paper in their inventory to create a research note. This note is then placed into the research table where it is researched by a minigame of sorts. One must connect every aspect on the board to complete the note. Aspects will 'link' to another adjacent aspect if one is a component of the other. The goal lies in connecting the aspects already present in the research note, often referred to as "research wells". For example, if one wished to link together the aspects of Terra and Ordo in a research note, they could be linked using the Metallum aspect, as Metallum is comprised of Ordo and Terra. The same can also be done in reverse - one could link a research well of Metallum to either an aspect of Terra or Ordo. A pool of the 'primal' aspects are given to use for each note. They may also be combined together to form the more complex aspects. If one fails to unlock the research with their limited well of aspects on their first try, they can create a new research note containing the same research wells and the same number of aspects as the original note did and start over.
Digging Deeper[]
The research available to one in the Thaumonomicon is initially limited. New research is unlocked either by researching other prerequisites (such as Infusion for many items), or by creating a Thaumometer. The Thaumometer can not only reveal nearby Aura nodes, but can scan items to help unlock various research options, some of which can only be unlocked by scanning certain objects or creatures. Objects dropped on the ground, such as a piece of dropped dirt, can be scanned as well. Once one has a wand, Thaumonomicon, Thaumometer and a research table, the entirety of Thaumcraft has been opened. From there, one can find or research any additional knowledge needed in their Thaumonomicon, or refer to relevant pages on this Wiki.
Best of luck -
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