Last updated for Minecraft Java 1.21.11 (Mounts of Mayhem)
Minecraft 1.21 villager trading is one of the most powerful systems in vanilla survival, especially for obtaining enchanted books through Librarians.
This guide covers villager trading in Minecraft 1.21.11, focusing on Librarian enchanted books, emerald pricing, discount mechanics, and the optional Villager Trade Rebalance experiment (disabled by default).
Note on updates: The official Minecraft Java 1.21.11 release notes don’t include any villager-trading rule changes, so the core trading mechanics from recent versions still apply. Minecraft.net
Why Minecraft 1.21 Villager Trading Is Still So Powerful #
Villagers (especially Librarians) are strong because they let you target specific enchantments instead of relying purely on enchanting-table randomness.
Key benefits:
- Exact enchantments – reroll trades until you get exactly the book you want, then lock it in
- Renewable trades – villagers restock trades when they can access their workstation during work time.
- Discount potential – curing and Hero of the Village can reduce costs (with an important limit added in 1.20.2—details below).
- Steady XP – trading grants XP while you level villagers.
Beacoland Rules for Trading Halls (Must Follow) #
On Beacoland, villager setups have specific lag-efficiency rules:
- Max 30 villagers per trading hall (and 3 per breeder)
- Villagers must be kept in 1×1 holding cells
- Avoid excessive hoppers/redstone near trading halls
- Build trading halls in unloaded chunks, at least 6+ chunks away from your base or other frequently loaded areas
(That last one is huge for keeping TPS stable.)
How to Build a Simple, Reliable Librarian “Pod” (1.21+) #
Each villager should have:
- 1×1 cell (Beacoland rule)
- Lectern (workstation for Librarian)
- Solid blocks around (prevents escapes + reduces pathing chaos)
- A safe trading opening (trapdoor/fence gate style)
- Lighting & spawn-proofing so nothing can spawn inside and wipe them out
Restocking tip: Make sure the Librarian can physically reach their lectern (they need access to restock).
Recruiting & Transporting Villagers #
Option A: Breed villagers on-site #
- Give villagers food and spare beds
- Move babies into your trading hall area
Option B: Cure a zombie villager (discount + fast start) #
Steps:
- Splash Potion of Weakness
- Feed Golden Apple
- Wait for conversion
Important (1.20.2+ change):
Curing a villager now only gives the big discount the first time. Re-infecting and curing the same villager repeatedly no longer stacks extra discounts.
Librarian Enchanted Book Prices (Vanilla) #
Minecraft librarian book prices
Note: The following emerald costs are based on extensive community testing and observation across multiple Minecraft versions. Mojang does not publish official pricing tables.
| Enchantment Level | Price Range* |
|---|---|
| I | 5–19 emeralds |
| II | 8–32 emeralds |
| III | 11–45 emeralds |
| IV | 14–58 emeralds |
| V | 17–64 emeralds |
- All enchanted book trades are hard-capped at 64 emeralds
- Higher levels skew toward the upper end of the range
- Treasure enchantments (e.g. Mending, Frost Walker, curses) commonly appear near the top of their range
- Prices shown are before discounts (curing, Hero of the Village, demand)
Rerolling Librarian Trades (The Rule That Matters) #
- You must reroll before making the first trade.
- Once you trade with the villager, their profession and trades are locked and you’re committed.
Fast reroll method:
- Trap villager in the pod
- Place lectern → check trade
- Break lectern → replace → repeat
(Do this during villager work hours for consistent updates.)
Complete List of Tradable Enchanted Books (Vanilla 1.21.11) #
✅ Applies to normal vanilla gameplay
❌ Does not apply if the Villager Trade Rebalance experiment is enabled
📘 All books listed below can be offered by Librarians
⚔️ Weapon Enchantments #
- Sharpness V
- Smite V
- Bane of Arthropods V
- Sweeping Edge III
- Fire Aspect II
- Knockback II
- Looting III
- Density V (Mace)
- Breach IV (Mace)
🪓 Tool Enchantments #
- Efficiency V
- Unbreaking III
- Fortune III
- Silk Touch I
🛡️ Armor Enchantments #
- Protection IV
- Blast Protection IV
- Fire Protection IV
- Projectile Protection IV
- Thorns III
- Aqua Affinity
- Depth Strider III
- Feather Falling IV
- Frost Walker II
- Respiration III
🏹 Bow & Crossbow Enchantments #
- Power V
- Punch II
- Flame
- Infinity
- Multishot
- Piercing IV
- Quick Charge III
🔱 Trident Enchantments #
- Impaling V
- Loyalty III
- Riptide III
- Channeling
🎣 Fishing Rod Enchantments #
- Luck of the Sea III
- Lure III
🌍 Universal / Miscellaneous #
- Mending
- Curse of Binding
- Curse of Vanishing
Which Enchanted Books Are Not From Villagers (Mojang-confirmed) #
These are the big “don’t waste time rerolling” ones:
- Swift Sneak – found exclusively in Ancient City chests
- Soul Speed – obtained via Piglin bartering
- Wind Burst – tied to the Tricky Trials / Trial Chambers loot loop (not a villager book)
Everything else: villagers are generally a valid route (unless you enable the experiment below).
If an enchantment is not listed above, it cannot be obtained from villagers in vanilla Minecraft.
Villager Discounts & Best Price Strategy (Correct for 1.21.11) #
Discount sources:
- Curing: strong discount (but only the first cure gets the big bonus on that villager).
- Hero of the Village: temporary discounts (during/after a successful raid defense)
Stacking: Hero of the Village can stack with your cured-villager pricing while the effect is active, letting you hit very low prices on many trades.
Villager Trade Rebalance (Experimental, Optional) #
Mojang introduced an experimental toggle called Villager Trade Rebalance. It is off by default and must be enabled when creating a world to test it.
What it changes (important bits) #
- Librarians from different biomes sell different enchantments
- Each village biome has one “special” enchantment only sold by Master Librarians
- You need multiple biomes to access the full set of librarian enchantments
- Some enchantments become biome-locked or structure-locked and can no longer be obtained from any Librarian.
If you mention biome-locking (like “Mending is Swamp”): that comes directly from Mojang’s own explanation + example image in the snapshot notes.
Beacoland: This experiment is disabled (vanilla trading rules).
Villager Trading FAQ #
Is Minecraft 1.21 villager trading still worth it?
Yes. Minecraft 1.21 villager trading remains the most reliable way to obtain enchanted books in vanilla survival.
Why won’t my librarian offer Mending?
Break and replace the lectern before trading. If using the rebalance datapack, the villager must originate from a Swamp biome.
Fastest way to reroll trades?
Trap the villager and repeatedly break/re-place the lectern during work hours (morning to noon).
Do discounts stack?
Yes. Zombie curing stacks with Hero of the Village, allowing extreme price reductions.
Can villagers sell every enchantment in Minecraft 1.21?
No. Some enchantments such as Swift Sneak, Soul Speed, and Wind Burst are loot-only and cannot be obtained through villager trading.
Key Takeaways #
- Villagers remain the best enchanted book source in Minecraft 1.21
- Zombie curing + Hero of the Village can temporarily reduce books to 1 emerald
- The Trade Rebalance is optional and not part of vanilla gameplay
- Proper hall design ensures reliable restocks and safety
