How Do I Get My Wandering Trader to Show Up?
The Wandering Trader is a unique mob in Minecraft, known for his distinctive blue robes and the two leashed llamas that accompany him. Unlike villagers, he doesn’t settle in villages, instead appearing sporadically and offering a different selection of trades. If you’re looking to get your hands on some rare items, you might be wondering, “How do I get my wandering trader to show up?” The short answer is: patience and presence. Wandering traders spawn naturally and periodically, triggered by a complex set of mechanics related to your location and the game’s internal clock. While you can’t control exactly when he’ll arrive, understanding the mechanics can significantly increase your chances.
The core mechanic is based on game ticks. A game tick is a unit of time in Minecraft, and there are 20 ticks per second. If there isn’t a Wandering Trader currently in your world, the game starts trying to spawn one every 24,000 ticks. That is equal to 20 minutes. This means the game is consistently checking to see if it’s time for a new trader to appear. This spawning attempt is made within a 48-block radius of a player. If this check succeeds, the trader will be summoned, otherwise, it’ll wait another 20 minutes to re-check.
Understanding the Spawning Mechanics
Spawn Attempts and Success Rates
The first attempt to spawn a wandering trader has a low base chance of success: only 2.5%. If this attempt fails, the game will retry after another 24,000 ticks (20 minutes), but with a slightly increased chance, this time 5%. If that attempt also fails, then every spawn attempt after will be at a fixed chance of 7.5%. This means that on average, it may take around 14.325 Minecraft days for a Wandering Trader to appear for you.
Player Proximity and Bell Influence
A key requirement for the spawning process is that there has to be a player nearby. This is why simply idling in your base can be the perfect solution. The check also verifies a few details about this area. If no player is found within that 48-block radius, no trader will spawn, and the spawn chance reset to the starting 2.5%. If a player is found, however, then a staggering 90% of the time the spawn attempt will immediately fail. The player’s presence is almost a bad thing in this situation.
Another interesting aspect is the role of bells. If there’s a bell within that 48-block radius, the game will use the nearest bell as the target location for spawning instead of the player itself. This doesn’t increase the chance of a trader spawning, but it may concentrate the spawn in a specific location.
Despawn Timers
Once a wandering trader successfully spawns, he and his llamas won’t stick around forever. After between 48,000 and 72,000 ticks (40-60 minutes), the trader will despawn, along with his llamas. This means the process will start from the beginning again. This despawn timer is a part of the natural cycle of the wandering trader, and there is no way to stop this despawn from happening, even with name tags or traps.
Strategies to Encourage Wandering Trader Spawns
- Maintain Consistent Playtime: As the spawn attempts occur regularly while a player is active, and after the passing of 20 minutes, spending more time in your world increases your chances of seeing a wandering trader. Simply idling in your base can help trigger the event.
- Stay in a Central Location: Keep within the 48-block radius of a central location like your base. This ensures the spawn checks will consistently use this location as the target.
- Be Patient: The spawning system has a certain amount of randomness to it. Don’t expect a wandering trader to appear instantly. Be consistent with your playtime, and eventually one will spawn.
- Avoid Bells If Possible: If you have too many bells in your base, they can make the wander trader spawn in a less ideal location. Consider having fewer bells, or keeping them in one specific area.
- Remember Despawn Timers: Once a wandering trader spawns, be prepared to trade or capture his llamas before he disappears again.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I increase the spawn rate of wandering traders?
Technically, you can’t directly increase their spawn rate, as the attempts happen once every 20 minutes. However, by maintaining an active player status, you ensure the game is constantly checking.
2. What items do wandering traders sell?
Wandering traders sell a variety of unique and rare items, often including things like saplings, dyes, and other materials not easily found. Their inventory changes with each spawn, so it’s worth checking in with them each time.
3. Is it better to find them or just wait for them to come to me?
Wandering traders will come to you, so waiting is often the easiest option. There is no location-based spawning, only the general location of the active player within a 48-block radius.
4. Why did my wandering trader disappear so quickly?
Wandering traders have a despawn timer (between 48,000 and 72,000 ticks, or 40 to 60 minutes), so they will disappear after this time has passed, regardless of what you do.
5. Do wandering traders spawn in villages?
Wandering traders often appear in village gathering sites and near village meeting points, but they can also appear anywhere a player is located.
6. Why are my wandering trader’s llamas running away?
The wandering trader’s llamas are leashed and should generally stay close. If they’re running, they might be caught on terrain or obstructed by objects.
7. Can wandering traders be killed?
Yes, wandering traders can be killed. However, doing so is controversial because they offer unique trades. If they die, though, they will drop two leads.
8. Does killing a wandering trader affect my villager reputation?
Yes, killing a wandering trader will negatively impact your villager reputation, decreasing it by twice the amount a successful trade would raise it.
9. Can wandering traders breed?
No, wandering traders cannot breed. They are a unique mob type with specific spawning mechanisms, and are not like villagers.
10. Does naming a wandering trader prevent them from despawning?
No, naming a wandering trader will not prevent them from despawning. Their despawn is based on a timer, not on name tags or other forms of player interaction.
11. Why did my wandering trader turn invisible?
Wandering traders may drink an invisibility potion when threatened by hostile mobs or during nighttime. This is a self-preservation mechanic to try and help them stay safe.
12. Is there a command to summon a wandering trader that doesn’t despawn?
You can use the command /summon wandering_trader {DespawnDelay:500} to prevent a summoned trader from despawning automatically. You can also set the DespawnDelay value to -1.
13. Can I trade with a wandering trader more than once?
Wandering traders have a limited number of trades that do not expand when a player completes them. They will also despawn once these trades have all been locked.
14. Do wandering traders spawn in all dimensions?
Wandering traders can spawn in the Overworld dimension only. They will not spawn in the Nether or the End dimension.
15. Can wandering traders sell cherry saplings?
Yes, in the current game version, even with experimental features turned off, wandering traders can still trade cherry saplings.
By understanding how Wandering Traders function and following these strategies, you’ll be well-prepared to encounter these unique merchants and access the rare items they offer.