Tutorials/Gathering resources on peaceful difficulty

This tutorial is about how to gather resources that are usually drops from either hostile or neutral mobs.

Because most hostile or neutral mobs do not spawn in peaceful, sometimes it is hard to gather these resources. Also, this page may be helpful if you are playing any difficulty of a survival world, and do not like to fight monsters. Finally, you can also use this page if you want to play Minecraft without any data packs, as this will disable mob drops. However, it will also disable loot in chests, so trading with villagers is one of the few ways to can acquire these items.

Achievable In Peaceful
These materials are usually mob drops, but can be achieved by other means when a world is on peaceful difficulty.

Bones
Bones are commonly dropped from skeletons, which because they are hostile, do not spawn in peaceful. However, there are other methods of achieving bones and bone meal.

Bones can be found naturally occurring in the chests of desert temples, jungle temples, dungeons, and woodland mansions. Unless you happen to have a jungle near your spawnpoint, or if you're very lucky a roofed forest with a woodland mansion in it, your best bet would be to find a desert or a dungeon. It's best to find a dungeon in caves, but if you don't have many caves nearby, you can just mine underground. Unfortunately, mob spawners can't spawn mobs on peaceful difficulty, so in peaceful, you can't listen to the sounds of zombies, skeletons, or spiders to find dungeons. To find a desert temple, you will need to find a desert first, and then explore around the desert. The advantage of desert temples is they can be seen from a long ways away. However, when finding structures with chests that could potentially hold bones, remember that there is never a 100 percent chance that a chest will have a bone in it.

There are 2 more ways to find bones. One of them is through fishing. If you fish with a fishing rod without a Luck of the Sea enchantment, you will have a 1.1% chance of getting a bone. However, the disadvantages of this method are that a fishing rod requires string, which is most commonly obtained from spiders, which don't spawn in peaceful, and that you will only have a small chance of getting a bone when fishing. The final method is by finding fossils, which contain bone blocks. Note that this will only be useful if you need bone meal; if you just want a plain bone, this won't work. The advantage of this method is that 1 bone block = 9 bone meal, and fossils usually have many bone blocks within them. However, fossils are rare, and only generate in deserts and swamp biomes. The best way to find bone blocks is to first find a swampland or desert, and then either find caves, or branch mine (with tunnels at least 4 blocks apart from each other), at Y-coordinates 40 - 49.

Ender Pearls
Although endermen don't spawn on peaceful, ender pearls can be obtained by 2 other means. Ender pearls can be found in the chests of strongholds and woodland mansions. Both of these structures are very rare, but woodland mansions can be found using a woodland explorer map, although the nearest woodland mansion could be very far away. You can also get ender pearls by giving a cleric villager 4 - 7 emeralds. If you have a farmer and a large wheat farm, you can gain lots of emeralds by trading wheat with the farmer, and thus gain lots of ender pearls. Despite the fact that ender pearls can't be used to make eyes of ender because of the lack of blaze rods, ender pearls can be used to teleport, which can be very useful at times.

Gunpowder
Gunpowder is most easily achieved as a drop from creepers, and is also a drop from ghasts or witches. However, neither of the 3 mobs spawn on peaceful difficulty, so alternative ways of achieving gunpowder is important.

Gunpowder, like bones, can be found in desert temple chests, dungeon chests, and woodland mansion chests. See the previous section, "Bones," for how to find these structures. Unlike bones, gunpowder does not generate in jungle temple chests. Gunpowder is not necessary in completing anything major, but it is fun and in many circumstances, helpful to use, as it can be used to create fireworks and TNT. Also, gunpowder can be used to make splash potions. However, no potion can be made on peaceful, because blaze rods are in-achievable if blazes can't spawn.

If you want to use the gunpowder to make TNT, you can acquire TNT in a desert temple trap and a trap in a woodland mansion secret room. Be careful, though; they are called traps for a reason!

Prismarine Crystals
Prismarine crystals can either be achieved as a drop from guardians/elder guardians, or by breaking a sea lantern. In peaceful, the only way is to break a sea lantern, which can only be found in ocean monuments. This makes prismarine crystals obtainable in peaceful. However, the only use of prismarine crystals is to make a sea lantern, which also requires prismarine shards, which can only be obtained by killing guardians, which don't spawn in peaceful. The only way to get a sea lantern while on peaceful difficulty is by using a Silk Touch pickaxe.

Rotten Flesh
Fortunately, rotten flesh is not very useful - you will be fine if you never acquire it in a Minecraft world. However, if you do have a certain purpose for rotten flesh, such as to feed your dog, it can be obtained in a few ways without killing any hostile monster. Like bones, rotten flesh can be found in desert temple chests, jungle temple chests, dungeon chests, and woodland mansion chests. Rotten flesh can also be obtained from igloo basement chests, which is useful if you have an ice plains or snowy taiga biome near spawn. Unfortunately, not all igloos have basements, so you may have to go through many igloos to find rotten flesh, or try to find a desert, jungle, or a dungeon. Rotten flesh also has a 1.2% chance of being obtained when fishing. However, like for bones, a fishing rod requires string, which is rather expensive when on peaceful difficulty. However, most of the places where you can find rotten flesh, you can find string as well.

Spider Eye
Spider eyes are usually obtained by killing spiders or witches. With these mobs unable to spawn, spider eyes are rather difficult to obtain. The only place they can be found is in the chests of desert temples. Although desert temple chests only have a 29% chance of having spider eyes, desert temples have 4 chests in them, so it is likely that one of them will have (a) spider eye(s). However, spider eyes are practically useless on peaceful diffculty, because they can only be used to be eaten or as a potion ingredient, both of which are impossible in peaceful.

Sponges
Wet sponges can be obtained as a drop from elder guardians on easy, normal, or hard, or in the sponge room(s) in ocean monuments in all difficulties, including peaceful. Although wet sponges are technically not renewable, the primary use of sponges is to soak of water, and when they are broken, the water is still drained. Because of this and the fact that wet sponges can be cooked in a furnace to become a dry sponge all over again, sponges, despite them not being renewable, can be used an infinite number of times.

Ocean monuments are rather difficult to find, but they are easier than some other structures, like woodland mansions. There are two methods of finding ocean monuments. The cheaper but more time-consuming way is to keep looking around deep ocean biomes, until you find one. The more expensive but less time-consuming way is to acquire an ocean explorer map from a cartographer villager, and use that to locate an ocean monument. However, in addition to having to gather enough materials to trade with a cartographer villager to get the explorer map, you will have to trade all the villager's other trade options, before the ocean explorer map trade will unlock.

String
String has many uses in survival mode - it can be used to make a bow, fishing rod, lead, wool, or be used in a tripwire circuit. Although no spiders makes it harder to acquire string, there are still many ways to get some. String can be obtained by breaking cobwebs with a sword, so if you have an abandoned mineshaft near spawn, this would probably be the easiest way to acquire string.

Also, string generates as part of tripwire traps in jungle temples, generating a total of 5 string in a jungle temple. In addition, like rotten flesh, gunpowder, and bones, string can be found in the chests of desert temples, dungeons, and woodland mansions. Finally, string has a 0.6% chance of being obtained through fishing. The next paragraph shows how to acquire a fishing rod without string:

All of the crafting recipes of string, except for leads, can be obtained in some other way besides getting string. Wool, of course, can be obtained by killing or shearing sheep. A bow can be bought from Fletcher villagers for 2 to 3 emeralds, as part of their tier 2 trades. A bow by itself isn't extremely useful when in peaceful, but it can be used to make a dispenser which can be used for many purposes. Finally, an enchanted fishing rod can be bought from Fishermen villagers for 7 to 8 emeralds, as part of their tier 2 trades. The primary use of fishing rods is to fish. Actual fish aren't useful on peaceful difficuly, unless you want to tame an ocelot, but fishing has a chance of giving the player an enchanted book, saddle, name tag, lily pad, bone, rotten flesh, string, leather, and more. In addition, fishing can even give you an enchanted bow, or another fishing rod.

Sugar
Sugar can be obtained either by crafting with sugar canes or by killing witches. Although the second option is not available on peaceful difficulty, the first is. Simply put 1 sugar cane in the crafting area in your inventory or on a crafting table, and you will get 1 sugar.

Not Achievable in Peaceful
These materials, sadly, can only be obtained as hostile monster drops. However, sometimes some of their crafting recipes may be able to be obtained by other means.

Blaze Rods
Blaze rods can only be obtained by killing blazes, which is impossible on peaceful difficulty. Unfortunately, blaze rods are essential to going to the End, because there is only a 1 in a trillion chance that an end portal will generate with all eyes of ender in it, and eyes of ender require blaze powder. However, brewing stands, which usually need a blaze rod to craft, can be found in igloo basements, but no potions can be brewed because they require blaze powder as fuel. Even though the player may not be able to go to the End on peaceful difficulty, there are plenty of other things available to do in the Minecraft world.

Ghast Tear
Ghast tears, which drop from ghasts, are used to make potions of regeneration and end crystals. Although both of these are helpful in Minecraft, neither of them could be made even if ghast tears could be obtained in some other way. This is because potions of regeneration require blaze powder to make, and end crystals require eyes of ender, both of which can't be obtained on peaceful difficulty because of the lack of blazes.

Magma Cream
Magma cream can either be obtained by killing magma cubes or by crafting with a slimeball and blaze powder. Sadly, slimes, blazes, and magma cubes don't spawn on peaceful, so magma cream cannot be obtained in peaceful difficulty. However, magma blocks can be found naturally in the Nether, in addition to being able to be crafted with magma cream. So, although magma cream itself isn't obtainable when playing in peaceful difficulty, magma blocks are.

Prismarine Shards
Prismarine shards, unfortunately, can only be obtained by killing guardians or elder guardians. However, all of the crafting recipes with prismarine shards: prismarine, dark prismarine, prismarine bricks, and sea lanterns, make up entire ocean monuments. If you are planning on getting a sea lantern, make sure you mine it with a silk touch pickaxe, because otherwise it will drop only prismarine crystals.

Shulker Shell
Shulkers have a 50% chance of dropping a shulker shell upon death. Despite the fact that shulkers actually do spawn on peaceful difficulty, unlike most another mobs, the End cannot be accessed in peaceful; therefore, shulker shells cannot be obtained on peaceful difficulty. Shulker shells can be used to make a shulker box, which, although it isn't necessary for anything in Minecraft, it can be very helpful at times. However, if you happen to find a stronghold, and you have that 1 in a trillion chance of the End portal having all 12 eyes of ender in it, you will have found one of the rarest things in Minecraft, and you will be able to access the End as much as you want.

Slimeballs
Slimeballs cannot be obtained in peaceful difficulty, because of the lack of slimes. Although many important crafting recipes of slimeballs, including leads, magma cream, and slime blocks, can't be obtained, three sticky pistons spawn naturally in jungle temples. However, jungle temples are very rare, so make sure that if you're looting a jungle temple in peaceful difficulty, grab all 3 sticky pistons. You will find that they are very useful in redstone contraptions.

Wither Skeleton Skull
Wither skeletons, when killed, very rarely drop a wither skeleton skull, which can be used to make the Wither boss. Unfortunately, wither skeletons don't spawn on peaceful, and they are the only way to obtain wither skeleton skulls. The only use of wither skeleton skulls is to create the Wither. The Wither drops a nether star, which can be crafted into a beacon. This means that beacons are one of the items that cannot be obtained on peaceful difficulty.

Spawnable on Peaceful
These mobs are the few neutral/hostile mobs that can spawn on peaceful difficulty. However, none of them, with the exception of the llama, can inflict any damage on the player.

Ender Dragon
The Ender Dragon is the boss mob of the End dimension. It will drop tons of experience and a dragon egg upon death. Dragon eggs cannot be used to craft anything, but they serve as a trophy, showing that the Ender Dragon has been defeated. However, the End cannot be accessed on peaceful difficulty. This is because blaze powder, which is unobtainable on peaceful difficulty, are used to make eyes of ender, which are necessary for creating the End portal.

Evoker
Evokers live in Woodland Mansions, which are very rare. They are dangerous in easy, normal, and hard difficulties, but can't damage the player if the player is on peaceful difficulty. Evokers drop very rare items upon death: 0 - 1 emerald, and even more useful, a Totem of Undying. If the player dies while holding a Totem of Undying, that player will not die, but instead have half a heart, and quickly regenerate to full health.

Llama
Llamas are technically tamable mobs, but they are also neutral mobs, as they will spit at the player, dealing a half of a heart of damage, if attacked by the player. They are the only mob in the game that will do damage to the player on peaceful difficulty. However, this can easily be avoided, as llamas only drop leather upon death, which are also a drop from both cows and horses. Llamas can be equipped with a chest for storage, and they can be equipped with a carpet for decoration. Llamas will only spawn in Savannah and Extreme Hills biomes.

Polar Bear
Polar bears are the only neutral mobs that spawn on peaceful difficulty. If a player aggravates a polar bear, that polar bear will become hostile towards the player. However, if the player's on peaceful difficulty, the polar bear can't inflict any damage. Polar bears drop raw fish and raw salmon when killed, as well as experience. These can be nice if you happen to have a nearby snow biome, but otherwise, you can obtain fish by fishing, and experience by killing nearly any type of mob.

Shulker
Shulkers spawn in the End on all difficulties, but will not inflict damage on peaceful difficulty. Shulkers will drop shulker shells upon death, which can be very useful because of the fact that they can be made into shulker boxes. However, like the Ender Dragon, they cannot be accessed on peaceful difficulty without cheats, because of the fact that the End cannot be accessed in peaceful.

Vindicator
On high difficulty levels, vindicators deal the most damage of any mob, with the exception of creepers and charged creepers. However, like evokers, they do not attack players when on peaceful difficulty, but they will still be hostile towards villagers, just like they are on other difficulties. Vindicators have a high chance of dropping an emerald upon death, and they also have a lesser chance of dropping their iron axe.

Wolf
Wolves usually just ignore the player, unless attacked, in which they will become hostile towards whoever attacked them. On peaceful difficulty, they will charge at the player, but will be unable to inflict any damage, similar to polar bears. Wolves only drop experience upon death, but they can also be tamed with bones. Tamed wolves will follow the player unless told to sit, and will attack any mobs that attack the player, or if the player attacks them, with the exception of creepers, ghasts, and horses.