Why Trade With Villagers in 1.21? #
- Exact enchantments – skip RNG and buy the book you need.
- Renewable – librarians restock up to twice per in-game day.
- Cheap after discounts – curing and Hero of the Village drop even treasure books to 1 emerald + 1 book.
- Easy XP – every trade grants player XP while leveling the villager.
How to Set Up Your Villager Hall (1.21+) #
- Choose a suitable location
- Find a flat area near your base or within a village to build your villager hall.
- Construct individual pods
Item Purpose Bed Villager sleeps & restocks trades Lectern Assigns the Librarian profession 3 × 2 back wall Stops items popping when rerolling trades Trapdoor / carpet Lets you enter but blocks mobs Light source Keeps light level ≥ 1 Tip: Place a composter outside each pod so nearby Farmers toss food to librarians, enabling passive breeding once spare beds are present.
- Ensure proper lighting
- Keep every block at light level ≥ 1 with torches, lanterns, or glow berries.
- Eliminate dark corners to stop hostile mob spawns.
- Prioritize safety
- Fully enclose walls and roof; glass panes or fences make safe windows.
- Slab or button the roof for spawn-proofing.
- Station an iron golem outside entrances—inside, they block lecterns.
- Create easy access
- Use 2-wide corridors so boats or minecarts fit.
- Block each pod with trapdoors or carpet (mobs treat them as solid; players don’t).
- Ensure the lectern is reachable so villagers refresh trades twice per in-game day.
Recruiting & Transporting Villagers #
- Cure a zombie villager – Splash Weakness → Golden Apple → wait ≈ 4 min (up to five cures for -75 % discount).
- Breed villagers on-site – feed villagers bread/carrot/potato and place spare beds.
- Move villagers – boat-on-ice (fast), minecart rail (hill-friendly) or Nether portal (for long distances).
Emerald Prices Made Easy #
| Book Level | Vanilla Price Range* |
|---|---|
| I | 5 – 19 emeralds |
| II | 8 – 32 emeralds |
| III | 11 – 45 emeralds |
| IV | 14 – 58 emeralds |
| V | 17 – 64 emeralds |
*Ranges before discounts. Hard cap at 64 emeralds.
Treasure enchantments (like Mending) double base cost but still cap at 64 emeralds; with curing and Hero buffs, any book can cost only 1 emerald.
Complete List of Tradable Enchanted Books (1.21) #
- Weapons
- Sharpness V, Smite V, Bane of Arthropods V
- Sweeping Edge III, Looting III, Fire Aspect II, Knockback II
- Tools
- Efficiency V, Silk Touch I, Fortune III, Unbreaking III
- Armor
- Protection IV, Blast Protection IV, Fire Protection IV, Projectile Protection IV
- Thorns III, Aqua Affinity I, Depth Strider III, Feather Falling IV
- Bow & Crossbow
- Power V, Flame I, Punch II, Infinity I
- Multishot I, Piercing IV, Quick Charge III
- Trident
- Impaling V, Loyalty III, Riptide III, Channeling I
- Fishing Rod & Misc.
- Luck of the Sea III, Lure III
- Curse of Binding I, Curse of Vanishing I, Mending I
Note: Frost Walker, Soul Speed, and Swift Sneak are loot-only.
Discount-Stacking Strategy #
- Five zombie cures reduce prices by 75%.
- Hero of the Village gives an extra 30% discount.
- Trade only after restock to avoid price inflation from demand.
Stack these to bring even treasure books like Mending down to 1 emerald!
Experimental “Villager Trade Rebalance” (Optional) #
| Change | Impact |
|---|---|
| Biome-locked books | Mending only available from Swamp librarians. |
| Crossbow, trident, fishing rod books | Removed from villager trading (loot-only). |
| Master-tier price caps | Maximum 45 emeralds per top-tier book (cheaper than vanilla). |
Available only by enabling the Villager Trade Rebalance experimental datapack.
Troubleshooting & FAQ #
Q: Why won’t my librarian offer Mending?
A: Break and replace the lectern before trading. If using the rebalance pack, breed or cure villagers in a Swamp biome.
Q: Fastest way to reroll trades?
A: Trap the villager and break/reposition the lectern during work hours (morning & noon). Using a piston makes it faster.
Q: Do discounts stack?
A: Yes. Five zombie cures bring it to about 33% of base price, then Hero of the Village stacks another -30%, making books cost about 23% of original value.
Key Takeaways #
- Villagers are still the best legit source for enchanted books.
- Zombie-curing + Hero of the Village discounts = 1 emerald per book.
- Consider biome-specific setups if enabling the rebalance datapack.