Talk:Enchanting

Benefit of enchanting with an XP level greater than 50?
Looking at this graph:

http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/File:Enchanting_levels.png

It seems to show you may get better enchantments if your xp level is more than 50. (Although I know enchantments stop at 50.) Am I misreading the chart, or is that what is it saying? 159.182.1.4 20:55, 24 May 2012 (UTC)


 * No you read right and you understood correctly. You should get better enchantments if you have a xp level more then 50. If you are going to enchant a diamond pick for unbreaking III, efficiency V and Fortune III, you should get a modified enchanting level between 64-76. modified enchantment level= experience level + Random(0,enchantability) + 1 so you should have 62-64 experience level to get the best chance to get all. ( Diamond pick has an enchantability of 10 so the total will always be between 64-76)Correct me if I'm wrong. 78.176.144.219 21:49, 24 May 2012 (UTC)


 * I believe the above poster is incorrect. The modified enchantment level (MOL) is the level of the enchantment you've chosen plus the quality of the item you're enchanting.  So if you've chosen a lvl 50 enchantment with a gold pickaxe, you can get a MOL from 51 to 73 (48 + (random number between 0 and enchantibility (22 for gold)) + 1).  So while enchantments do go above level 50, it is a background mechanic and is not dependent on the xp level of the player.--67.184.46.187 06:37, 10 June 2012 (UTC)

Feather Falling Formula
I'm new to wikis, so I'm not sure how to format this, but the formula for the feather falling enchantment is completely off. I recently did some research into the code and found it to follow the following logic:

base = (6 + lvl * lvl)

modifier = (base + 1 >> 1) + random(0 to ((base >> 1) + 1))

so a Boots of Feather Falling IV would be range in damage reduction from 11 to 22:

base = 6 + (4 * 4) = 22

modifier = (22 + 1 >> 1) + random(0 to (22 >> 1)) = 11 + random (0 to 11) = 11 to 22

Can someone smarter than me figure out how best to update the page accordingly? –Preceding unsigned comment was added by 199.120.131.64 (Talk) 15:25, 25 May 2012. Please sign your posts with

Major Rehaul
I performed a major rehaul to this article as it was an abomination nearly beyond repair. I reworked and simplified some of the early parts and made a completely new article for mechanics, as those are unnecessary for an article on the basic core mechanics.

edit: some notable changes include moving the majority of sections dealing with specific mechanics to a new article, deleting the Textures section due to being unnecessary and using a custom texturepack, and restructuring the order of several sections to be overall less shitty

--Ancientpower 08:13, 25 May 2012 (UTC)


 * Why did you feel the need to take out so much stuff? "It's an abomination" is too vague to be a justification. Also, you said you made a new article for enchanting mechanics. First, where is it? And second, isn't that what this article is supposed to be? —Dentarthurdent 19:11, 26 May 2012 (UTC)


 * I'll start off with your last question. This article is supposed to be about the enchanting system.  It's not supposed to go in-depth, it's just supposed to inform the reader about the enchantment system.  Also, the new article can easily be found as it's in the "See Also" section of the page, meaning anyone who wants to find it can quite easily find it.


 * What I mean by it being an abomination is that it was far longer than it needed to be and was extremely hard to read due to being so disorganized and cluttered with information unnecessary to someone simply wanting to read about how to use the system and what they can use it for. Advanced mechanics weren't necessary for the average person just reading the wiki to learn how to play the game, but they're still readily available for anyone who wants to read up on them.


 * My apologies if you don't agree with my edits, I was just doing what I believed to be the best. --Ancientpower 19:42, 26 May 2012 (UTC)


 * It's fine. A lot of stuff you removed was unnecessary and you did take on this hulking colossus that none of us have really touched in a while. You did however go a little but over board. Luckily it's easy to fix. Tomorrows a Holiday so I'll help clean up. --Moxxy 20:00, 27 May 2012 (UTC)

a note to add, recoloring leather armor from the recent snapshot DOES NOT get rid of the enchantments. good for sorting, like my blast protection stuff is orange, projectile protection black, etc.50.200.55.158 13:09, 19 September 2012 (UTC) sorry, the above post was mine, i forgot to log in TheHoodedTeddy13 13:13, 19 September 2012 (UTC)

Smelting experience?
What? Smelting doesn't grant experience! What is this referring to? PhilHibbs 19:24, 16 June 2012 (UTC)
 * Killing 100 mobs will allow you to reach level 30, as will smelting 13 stacks.


 * This only happens in the most recent snapshots (12w23a and later). I edited the page to make this clearer. -- Orthotope 20:22, 16 June 2012 (UTC)


 * As of 1.3.1 patch for PC you can now get experience from mining Ore and smelting. –Preceding unsigned comment was added by 98.228.87.184 (Talk) 19:54, 4 September 2012‎ (UTC). Please sign your posts with

Silk Touch and Fortune
I read that a Silk Touch enchantment will make Diamond Ore drop from an Iron or Diamond Pickaxe. Assuming that pickaxe also has Fortune, will it still affect how many Diamond Ores I get?

72.95.133.152 00:44, 17 June 2012 (UTC)

Fortune only affects item drops — that is, where you get something other than the block itself (otherwise it would be infinite duplication). Also, you can't get Silk Touch and Fortune on the same tool. —kpreid 11:55, 17 June 2012 (UTC)

I added, but have not tested: "Since Emeralds drop as an item, they Should be able to be increased some mining Emerald Ore using a Fortune-enchanted Iron Pick (or Diamond Pick)." Yilante 108.228.150.192 17:46, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

Could Silk Touch mine TNT? - you can just use your hands. [User Sweezi]

I have tested that Emerald ore does drop more emeralds. With a fortune 3 it drops similar to diamond, anywhere between 1 and 4 emeralds per block. With 2 stacks of ore I yielded 4 1/2 stacks of ore. 24.119.151.54 16:01, 19 July 2012 (UTC)

My level randomly resetting
So Ive been playing and I randomly noticed my experience bar went back to the first level you start as this happened a couple times and it is very irrating I cant keep track of what level I really am. –Preceding unsigned comment was added by Haloplayer1998 (Talk&#124;Contribs) 22:07, 29 June 2012‎. Please sign your posts with


 * The yellow bar just indicates how close you are to reaching the next level, so it resets every time you gain one. Your current level is the number above it. -- Orthotope 02:03, 30 June 2012 (UTC)

Fire doesn't burn anything but mobs
Should it be noted that the fire enchants can't light trees on fire or activate nether portals, etc.? 70.191.118.37 23:54, 2 July 2012


 * it lights TNT 1n 12w34b good enough? –Preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.59.22.190 (Talk) 19:08, 5 September 2012‎ (UTC). Please sign your posts with

Efficiency "Speed Boost" Unclear
I was reading the efficiency enchantment effect, and I cannot for the life of me figure out how it works.

It says +50% mining speed per level. "+50%" would mean it takes 50% longer to mine each block?. But that's obviously not it. It's not -50% to mining speed either, otherwise with level II it would take 0% of the original time.

So how would you calculate the time taken mine a block using a tool with the efficiency enchantment?

+ 50% mining SPEED, not mining time. It probably means the same as -50% time.

I think it means -50% time based on time taken for previous level, so eff. I is 50% time, II is 25% time, III is 12.5% IV is 6.25% and V is 3.125%. However, I'm not sure if that's accurate because it sounds WAY too fast. Gamerzap 20:36, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

50% mining speed sounds like it's the most accurate description. With level I, your mining speed is 150% of unenchanted mining speed. Level II, 200% of original speed (you break blocks twice as fast). With level V, you're up to 350%, or blocks break in less than 1/3 of the time (28.5% of the original mining time, to be precise). It's an additive effect, not a multiplicative effect like what Gamerzap is suggesting. [TH_Hackandslash]

To answer the "how would you calculate the time taken to mine a block", you'd be looking at something like 100/(1 + 0.5*Efficiency level). That'll give you the percent of base time to mine a block (taking unenchanted time to be 100%). [TH_Hackandslash]

Hacked enchantments
When hacking enchantments, you can enchant items like boats and signs. Weird. For bukkit server, you may see the plugin "Tim the Enchanter". If you type /enchant all, you get all enchantments with max level and every enchantment for that item, Even for fishing rods!!

Fortune Axes
Is the drop rate of Saplings and Red Apples affected by having Fortune on an Axe? If not, is there any benefit to having Fortune enchantments apply to axes? VictorTyne 06:23, 8 July 2012 (UTC)


 * Those drop rates are not affected at all. A Fortune axe might be good for harvesting melons, but not much else. -- Orthotope 06:56, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Does it work with giant mushrooms?--Gil2455526 16:20, 15 July 2012 (UTC)

Experience and Enchanting
Does anyone know does it take the same amount of experience to do the same enchantment on the same type of item. If so we could produce a table that might give us a clue as to what enchantment we are getting.

Power 5 no longer exists
According to http://pernsteiner.org/minecraft/enchant/tables/Power_5.html power 5 on a bow can no longer be got ("probability 0%"). I think that the main page needs editing to reflect this. --Rik1301 22:54, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

I think that this is so for all level V enchants. Not sure though --212.50.176.184 17:53, 3 August 2012 (UTC)

Efficiency 5 is still possible.
I noticed that the wiki says now that efficiency 4 is the max. now this may be the case for most tools, but gold tools(and possibly a few others) CAN have efficiency 5. Proof: (I was not using a map editor or mods, you will just have to take my word for it)


 * Looking at the mechanics, it looks like the new max bookshelves gives 30, gold tools add a max of 22, so (30+22+1)1.25=66.25 (rounded to 66) is the highest possible number of "points". Looking at Enchanting/Levels it seems efficiency V requires only 61, so while incredibly rare, it appears possible. Cultist O 07:04, 11 August 2012 (UTC)


 * i actually got a smite V enchant on a diamond sword (no hack) so yeah. –Preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.59.22.190 (Talk) 23:21, 4 September 2012 (UTC). Please sign your posts with


 * Smite was never in question, sharpness, power and efficiency are the only material restricted ones to my knowledge. Cultist O 11:57, 5 September 2012 (UTC)


 * i also got efficiency V on a pick (still no hack but gold tools) –Preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.59.22.190 (Talk) 19:11, 5 September 2012‎ (UTC). Please sign your posts with

power V is back for bows! you can't get them in enchantingtables but you can in anvils! since snapshot 12w41a

Ok, I think this is reached the point of clear vandalism
A slew of Non Registered Users keep changing the max power level Vs to IVs. They are doing it in a way that seems like intentional abuse to me. How do we flag down an admin to lock it down? Cultist O 07:41, 18 August 2012 (UTC)


 * The code still defines the maximum level as 5, so I'm inclined to leave it at V unless someone makes a compelling case otherwise. -- Orthotope 19:32, 21 August 2012 (UTC)


 * Your help is much appreciated, but your notes are inaccurate, if you look at my math (which no one has refuted) sharpness, bane of arthropods, efficiency and smite V ARE obtainable on gold tools with the current model. Power V is not, due to not having a gold variant.


 * The notes were mostly intended to stop the edit warring; you're welcome to change them, as you're more familiar with enchanting mechanics than I am. -- Orthotope 05:29, 22 August 2012 (UTC)

Hunger damage and Protection?
A trivia note states that Protection converts hunger damage into armor damage. Besides seeming odd in it's own right, that sounds like it could rapidly destroy any such item. Is this for real? What about drowning damage?--Mental Mouse 02:18, 3 October 2012 (UTC)


 * That note was added . As far as I can tell, armor is damaged only when the player is physically attacked; other damage sources (e.g., hunger, falling, on fire) do not affect armor. There is no 'conversion' of health damage to armor damage, even when enchantments reduce damage from sources armor does not normally protect against. -- Orthotope 09:43, 3 October 2012 (UTC)


 * Hmm. does that apply to withering and Protection too? Also, does Protection actually reduce hunger damage?  That's still odd. –Preceding unsigned comment was added by Mental Mouse (Talk&#124;Contribs) 13:00, 3 October 2012 (UTC). Please sign your posts with


 * Protection reduces damage from everything but void damage and the /kill command. It doesn't make sense that it works against hunger damage, but a lot of things in Minecraft don't make sense. In 1.3, the only damage sources that reduce armor's durability are fire blocks (but not being on fire), lava, contact with cactus, explosions, mob attacks and projectiles. I don't know about withering, but my guess is that Protection works against it and it doesn't damage armor. -- Orthotope 20:24, 3 October 2012 (UTC)