Introduction
Tired of grinding for hours and never getting that one specific item you need from a zombie, creeper, or any other mob? You’re not alone! Many Minecraft players experience the frustration of seemingly endless farming, hoping against hope for that rare drop. Whether you’re trying to automate a resource farm, collect a rare decorative block, or simply want to make specific items available earlier in the game, the default Minecraft mob drop system can be a major obstacle. That’s why if you are playing in version 1.17 and need help making mobs drop specific items, this article is here to serve as a guide.
This guide dives deep into the art of customizing mob drops in Minecraft 1.17. We’ll cover various methods, from tinkering with loot tables and utilizing powerful commands to building organized data packs. By the end, you’ll have the knowledge and tools to make almost any mob drop almost any item, transforming your Minecraft experience and unlocking new possibilities. We will explore the how to use loot tables, commands, and data packs to achieve your desired mob drop.
Understanding Default Mob Drops in Minecraft
Minecraft features a straightforward, yet sometimes unpredictable, system for mob drops. When you defeat a mob, it has a chance to drop specific items based on pre-defined parameters. These parameters include the mob type, the game difficulty, and the enchantments you may be wielding.
Each mob has a unique list of potential drops and associated probabilities. For example, zombies are most likely to drop rotten flesh, with a smaller chance of dropping iron ingots, carrots, potatoes, or even the rare full piece of iron armor. Skeletons are renowned for their bone and arrow drops, but might occasionally drop a bow. The chance of getting these secondary drops can be frustratingly low.
These drop rates are also affected by the game difficulty. Higher difficulties may increase the chances of specific drops, including the chance of mobs spawning with armor or enchanted items that they will then drop upon death. Furthermore, the Looting enchantment on your sword significantly increases the number and rarity of drops you receive.
Why would someone want to customize these drops? There are countless reasons! Imagine needing a consistent supply of ender pearls early in the game, or perhaps wishing that certain mobs dropped specific building materials you use frequently. Maybe you’re designing a custom map with unique challenges and resource requirements. Customizing mob drops opens up a whole world of creative and strategic possibilities in Minecraft. When you need help making mobs drop specific items, customizing mob drops can be a gateway to a better experience.
Method One: Deep Dive into Loot Tables
Loot tables are JSON files that govern what items are dropped by mobs, chests, fishing, and even block breaking. They’re essentially the blueprint for Minecraft’s item distribution system. The beautiful part is that these tables can be modified to your heart’s content.
Loot tables are located within the `data` folder of your Minecraft installation. They’re organized by namespaces (e.g., `minecraft` for vanilla content) and then by the specific type of loot source (e.g., `entities` for mob drops, `chests` for chest contents). Editing them lets you tailor almost every aspect of the game’s economy, but tread carefully, a small error in the JSON could result in undesirable consequences or even corrupt the world files.
Before embarking on this venture, the first step is always to make a backup! Copy the entire `loot_tables` folder, or at least the specific file you intend to modify. If something goes wrong, you can easily restore the original file and avoid any permanent damage to your game. This simple precaution can save you hours of frustration.
Now, to business. You’ll need a text editor capable of handling JSON files. Notepad++, Visual Studio Code, or Sublime Text are all excellent choices. They offer syntax highlighting and error checking, making it easier to navigate and edit the loot table files.
The structure of a loot table file is defined by several key components. Here’s the overview. The `pools` section is a list of possible drop scenarios. Each pool contains one or more `entries`. An entry represents a single item, item group, or even another loot table. `conditions` are optional criteria that must be met for an entry to drop. For instance, a condition might specify that the mob must be killed by a player or with a specific weapon. `functions` are modifiers that alter the dropped item, such as setting its count, adding damage, or applying enchantments. Finally, `weight` determines the relative probability of an entry being selected within a pool. An entry with a higher weight has a greater chance of dropping than one with a lower weight.
Let’s modify a drop rate! Imagine you want a zombie to drop diamonds. First, you must navigate to the zombie’s loot table file, located in `data\minecraft\loot_tables\entities\zombie.json`. Open it in your text editor. Now, insert the following JSON code snippet inside of the “pools” section.
{
"rolls": 1,
"entries": [
{
"type": "item",
"name": "minecraft:diamond",
"weight": 1,
"functions": [
{
"function": "set_count",
"count": {
"min": 1,
"max": 1
}
}
]
}
]
}
This snippet creates a new pool with a single entry for diamonds. The `weight` is set to one, meaning it has a standard chance of dropping alongside the other entries in the zombie’s loot table. The `set_count` function ensures that the zombie will always drop exactly one diamond upon death, assuming the pool is selected. Save the file, and you’re ready to test!
In-game, use the command `/reload` to reload the loot tables. Now, find a zombie and… dispatch it. With luck, you will get a diamond. If it doesn’t work, double-check the JSON syntax for any errors. Even a missing comma can break the entire loot table.
Modifying core game files has some risks, so make sure you back them up. One important caution is that Minecraft updates can overwrite your modifications, resetting the drop rates to their default values. A better alternative is to use resource packs to override the default loot tables. Resource packs are designed to be non-destructive and update-friendly.
Method Two: Using Commands for Instant Results
Commands are the cheat codes of Minecraft. They offer immediate, on-the-spot control over the game world, and can be incredibly useful for quickly testing or modifying mob drops. However, it’s important to remember that command-based modifications are typically temporary and don’t persist between sessions unless implemented in a more permanent solution.
Commands are best suited for experimentation, making quick adjustments in a single-player world, or triggering specific events in controlled environments. For long-term changes, loot tables or data packs are better suited.
The primary command for manipulating mob drops is `/loot`. This command allows you to generate items based on a loot table and then either give them to a player, spawn them as item entities, or insert them into a container. The syntax is as follows:
`/loot <give|spawn|insert> <target> loot <loot_table>`
- `give`: Gives the items to the specified player.
- `spawn`: Spawns the items as item entities at the target location.
- `insert`: Inserts the items into the specified container.
- `<target>`: A player’s in game name.
- `<loot_table>`: The loot table to use.
`/loot spawn 100 10 10 loot minecraft:entities/zombie`
This command will spawn the items defined in the zombie loot table in the coordinate.
You can also use the `/summon` and `/give` commands to create a mob and immediately give it a specified item. This technique is particularly useful for forcing mobs to drop items that they normally wouldn’t. For example:
`/summon minecraft:zombie ~ ~ ~ {HandItems:[{id:”minecraft:diamond”,Count:1}]}`
This command summons a zombie holding a diamond. When you kill the zombie, it will drop the diamond (assuming mob griefing is enabled).
Method Three: Data Packs for Organized Customization
Data packs are an ideal way to add organized, update-friendly custom content to Minecraft without the need for mods. Data packs are essentially collections of JSON files, including loot tables, advancements, functions, and more, that can be loaded and enabled within a Minecraft world. They provide a structured and manageable way to modify various aspects of the game, ensuring that your changes are less likely to be overwritten by updates.
Data packs are located in the `datapacks` folder inside your world save. To create a data pack, first, create a new folder with a descriptive name. Inside this folder, create two subfolders: `data` and `pack.mcmeta`.
The `pack.mcmeta` file contains metadata about your data pack, such as its description and pack format. This file is essential for Minecraft to recognize and load your data pack correctly. Create a file named `pack.mcmeta` and add the following code:
{
"pack": {
"pack_format": 6,
"description": "Custom Loot Drops for Minecraft 1.17"
}
}
The `pack_format` value should match the version of Minecraft you’re using (6 for 1.17). The `description` field can contain any text you want, providing a brief explanation of what your data pack does.
Inside the `data` folder, create a namespace folder for your data pack. This namespace helps prevent conflicts with other data packs or vanilla Minecraft content. For example, you could create a folder named `my_custom_drops`. Inside the `my_custom_drops` folder, create a `loot_tables` folder. Finally, inside the `loot_tables` folder, create an `entities` folder. This is where you’ll store your custom loot table files for mobs.
Creating a new loot table file involves writing the JSON code that defines the items you want a mob to drop. For example, let’s create a loot table that makes creepers drop custom TNT. Create a file named `creeper.json` inside the `data/my_custom_drops/loot_tables/entities` folder and add the following code:
{
"pools": [
{
"rolls": 1,
"entries": [
{
"type": "item",
"name": "minecraft:tnt",
"weight": 1,
"functions": [
{
"function": "set_count",
"count": {
"min": 1,
"max": 3
}
},
{
"function": "set_name",
"name": {
"translate": "Custom Creeper TNT",
"italic": false
}
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
To override the default loot table for creepers, you need to create a new folder structure inside the `data` folder: `data/minecraft/loot_tables/entities`. In this folder, create a file named `creeper.json` and add the following code:
{
"replace": true,
"pools": [
{
"rolls": 1,
"entries": [
{
"type": "loot_table",
"name": "my_custom_drops:entities/creeper"
}
]
}
]
}
This loot table uses the `replace` function to completely replace the default creeper loot table with your custom loot table located in the `my_custom_drops` namespace.
Place the data pack folder in the `datapacks` folder of your world save. In-game, use the `/datapack enable “file/<data_pack_name>”` command to enable the data pack. Replace `<data_pack_name>` with the name of your data pack folder. Test the data pack by finding a creeper and… well, you know.
Conclusion
Customizing mob drops in Minecraft 1.17 is a powerful way to tailor the game to your specific needs and preferences. This article has explored three methods to change mob drops from leveraging loot tables, utilizing commands, and constructing data packs.
Loot tables offer the most flexible and customizable solution, allowing you to fine-tune every aspect of mob drops with JSON. Commands provide a quick and easy way to test modifications or make temporary changes. Data packs offer an organized and update-friendly approach, ensuring that your custom drops persist across game updates.
Now armed with these methods, I hope that players will be able to create new and creative ways to expand their Minecraft world. Please share you creations in the comment section.
