Can Librarian Villagers Give Unbreaking?
Fast answer first. Then use the tabs or video for more detail.
- Watch the video explanation below for a faster overview.
- Game mechanics may change with updates or patches.
- Use this block to get the short answer without scrolling the whole page.
- Read the FAQ section if the article has one.
- Use the table of contents to jump straight to the detailed section you need.
- Watch the video first, then skim the article for specifics.
Yes, librarian villagers can absolutely trade enchanted books with the Unbreaking enchantment. This is a crucial point for any Minecraft player looking to maximize the lifespan of their tools, weapons, and armor. Librarian villagers are one of the most reliable sources for obtaining enchanted books, and their trade options include both common enchantments like Unbreaking and rarer ones like Mending. This makes them a vital part of any advanced Minecraft player’s trading network.
How Librarian Trades Work
Librarian villagers, like other villagers, offer trades that are determined by their profession and level. When a villager is assigned the librarian profession (usually by placing a lectern near a jobless villager), they will initially offer a set of trades. These can be refreshed by removing and replacing the lectern until the desired trade appears.
Trade Tiers and Enchantments
A novice librarian villager typically offers two trades: one for paper in exchange for emeralds, and another for an enchanted book. The enchanted book trade is particularly important as the offered enchantment is randomly selected from a list of possible enchantments. Importantly, a novice librarian can offer mending, and similarly, a novice librarian can offer Unbreaking at any of its available levels. The enchantment’s level is chosen randomly, meaning there is a chance the librarian could offer you an Unbreaking I, Unbreaking II, or the sought-after Unbreaking III.
As you trade with a librarian, they will level up, unlocking more trades. However, the most sought-after enchantments, including Unbreaking, can appear at any level. This means that you don’t need to level up the villager to get Unbreaking. All levels of librarian can trade the highest levels of enchantments as well.
The Importance of Unbreaking
The Unbreaking enchantment is vital because it increases the durability of an item. It works by reducing the likelihood of an item losing durability upon use. The higher the level of the enchantment, the less often durability damage occurs. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Unbreaking I: Reduces durability loss to 50% of the normal rate, effectively doubling the item’s lifespan.
- Unbreaking II: Reduces durability loss to 33.3% of the normal rate, effectively tripling the item’s lifespan.
- Unbreaking III: Reduces durability loss to 25% of the normal rate, effectively quadrupling the item’s lifespan.
For this reason, many Minecraft players aim for Unbreaking III on all of their important tools and equipment.
Probability of Obtaining Unbreaking from a Librarian
The precise probability of obtaining an Unbreaking III book from a librarian is difficult to calculate precisely due to the multiple layers of randomness in villager trading. While one might believe there is a 2/333 probability of receiving Unbreaking III, it’s difficult to verify. However, the important part is that any tier of librarian can trade it. We can analyze the known factors:
- Enchantment Selection: When a librarian villager generates its trades, the enchantment is chosen randomly from a list that includes around 37 different options. This means each possible enchantment has a roughly equal chance of being picked.
- Enchantment Level: Once an enchantment is selected, the level is then randomly chosen. For Unbreaking, it can be level I, II, or III, with an equal chance of any level.
- First Trade: A librarian only has a chance to have a first trade be an enchanted book, and the enchantment of that trade will be random.
- Supply and Demand: Note that if you trade too frequently with a villager, the prices of their items can increase, and they might run out of trades. This impacts trading efficiency, and might result in you needing to refresh a villager if you are looking for a specific book.
These probabilities don’t need to be calculated for the casual player. The important part is that every single librarian villager has the potential to offer Unbreaking books. If you are looking for Unbreaking III specifically, you must keep refreshing trades until it appears.
Combining Unbreaking with Mending
While Unbreaking III drastically increases the lifespan of items, it is often paired with Mending to achieve true item immortality. Mending repairs items by using experience points (XP). As you use an item with Mending, it will repair itself with any experience you gain. This means that tools, armor, and weapons with both Mending and Unbreaking III will practically last forever as long as you continue to gain experience. Mending AND Unbreaking III is the desired combo on equipment like base enchantments.
The only way to get the Mending enchantment is through a few methods, including fishing, or from a swamp librarian.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What Can Librarian Villagers Trade Besides Enchanted Books?
Librarian villagers primarily trade enchanted books, but they also trade paper for emeralds. This makes them a valuable source for both enchantments and a way to acquire emeralds for other trades.
2. How Do I Get a Librarian Villager?
You can turn a jobless villager into a librarian by placing a lectern near them. If they are not a nitwit, they should claim the lectern as their job site. It may be necessary to break the claimed job site of another villager if you want to reassign a particular villager.
3. Do Librarian Villagers Run Out of Stock?
Yes, as of Minecraft 1.14, villagers have a system called “Supply and Demand.” Trading the same item repeatedly will cause the price to increase, and they will run out of stock. After a while they will restock, so it’s important to rotate the trades you do with villagers, or set up multiple librarians for better efficiency.
4. Can Novice Librarians Trade Mending?
Yes! Novice librarian villagers can indeed offer mending as their first trade. There is no need to level up a villager to unlock mending or other powerful enchantments. This is true of other enchantments as well, including Unbreaking.
5. What’s the Probability of Getting Mending from a Librarian?
The probability of a librarian offering mending is similar to the probability of getting other enchantments. While the exact number isn’t specified, it’s considered one of the rarer enchantments compared to common ones. However, it is possible to get it from any librarian villager, making them the most efficient way to get it.
6. How Do I Know If a Villager Will Trade Mending?
There is no guarantee that a villager will trade mending until you view their trades by interacting with them. You will need to repeatedly place and remove a lectern until you see the trade for an enchanted book which is Mending.
7. Can I Get Unbreaking 4?
No, the maximum level for the Unbreaking enchantment is Level 3 (Unbreaking III).
8. What Happens If a Villager Won’t Take a Job?
Villagers require a bed to link to before they will take a job. Make sure you have at least one bed per villager in the area. These beds do not have to be accessible by the villagers, but they need to be within a certain range.
9. Can a Wandering Villager Become a Librarian?
No, wandering villagers cannot become librarians. They simply vanish without taking a job, and do not become jobless.
10. Is Unbreaking 2 Worth It?
Yes, Unbreaking II is beneficial. It triples the effective durability of an item by reducing damage loss to 33% of the normal rate. This, however, is outclassed by Unbreaking III.
11. Can I Turn a Nitwit Villager into a Librarian?
No, nitwit villagers cannot take on any profession, regardless of what you try to do. They can be identified by their unique green robes.
12. Can a Librarian Trade Riptide?
Yes, librarians can trade Riptide. This is the most reliable way to obtain it.
13. Can a Librarian Trade Silk Touch?
Yes, librarians can trade Silk Touch. As with Riptide, trading with villagers is the most reliable way to obtain this enchantment.
14. Where Else Can I Get Mending?
Mending is rare to obtain through other methods. You can find mending in chests in strongholds, or by fishing, with a 0.8% chance of getting an enchanted book. Fishing with a rod enchanted with Luck of the Sea can increase this chance. The most reliable method is through a swamp librarian.
15. Can You Put Unbreaking on Elytra?
Yes, you can add the Unbreaking enchantment to elytra. This can be done through an anvil using an enchanted book. Elytra can also use the Mending enchantment.
Conclusion
Librarian villagers are a vital resource for acquiring enchantments like Unbreaking. Understanding how their trade system works and knowing that any librarian level can trade a level III enchantment allows you to efficiently obtain the enchantments needed to strengthen your Minecraft gear. By combining Unbreaking with Mending, you can effectively achieve a level of durability that makes your equipment practically unbreakable. Happy trading and enchanting!