Can Nitwits Be Cured in Minecraft? A Deep Dive
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The short answer is: no, you cannot directly cure a Nitwit villager into a villager with a profession. However, there’s a clever workaround involving zombification. You can turn a Nitwit into a zombie villager and then cure them. This process will transform the former Nitwit into an unemployed villager, opening up the possibility for them to claim a workstation and gain a profession. So, while not a direct cure, it’s a rehabilitation program for these seemingly useless villagers!
Understanding Nitwits: Minecraft’s Village Idlers
What Makes a Villager a Nitwit?
Nitwits are easily identifiable by their distinctive green robes. Unlike other villagers, they lack any specific profession and spend their days wandering aimlessly around the village. They don’t interact with workstations, meaning you can’t assign them a job, no matter how many job site blocks you place nearby. Essentially, they’re the unemployed of the Minecraft world.
The Role of Nitwits in Village Life
While they can’t trade or perform any specific tasks, Nitwits aren’t entirely useless. They still contribute to the village population by being able to breed with other villagers, provided they are given enough food. This helps maintain and grow the village numbers. Also, their presence is required for iron golem farming.
The Zombification and Cure Process: A Step-by-Step Guide
Turning a Nitwit into a Zombie Villager
The first step in “curing” a Nitwit is to turn them into a zombie villager. This can be done by allowing a zombie to attack the Nitwit. Make sure the difficulty is set to Normal or Hard, as zombies have a chance to convert villagers into zombie villagers on these difficulties. On easy the villager will just be killed. Once the transformation is complete, you’ll have a zombie villager that was formerly a Nitwit.
The Cure: Weakness and the Golden Apple
To cure the zombie villager, you’ll need two key items: a Splash Potion of Weakness and a Golden Apple. Throw the Splash Potion of Weakness at the zombie villager to inflict the weakness effect. Then, interact with the zombie villager while holding a Golden Apple. This will initiate the curing process, which takes several minutes. During this time, the zombie villager will shudder and emit particles.
Post-Cure: A New Beginning
Once the curing process is complete, the former Nitwit zombie villager will transform back into a regular villager. However, it’s crucial to understand that they won’t automatically gain a profession. Instead, they will become an unemployed villager, free to claim a workstation if one is available in the village.
Optimizing the Curing Process
Creating a Secure Curing Chamber
To ensure the zombie villager isn’t harmed during the curing process, it’s advisable to create a secure chamber. A simple cell with iron bars and a bed can be effective. Some players believe that the presence of iron bars slightly speeds up the curing process, although this is not officially confirmed.
Discounts and Reputation
Curing zombie villagers can significantly impact your reputation with the village. Each time you cure a villager, they will offer better trading discounts. These discounts stack with each cure, making it economically beneficial to save villagers from zombification.
FAQs: All You Need to Know About Nitwits and Curing
Can Nitwits be traded with?
No, Nitwits cannot be traded with. They do not have a profession and, therefore, do not offer any trades.
Do Nitwits need beds?
Yes, Nitwits still require beds. All villagers, regardless of their profession, need beds to sleep and contribute to village life.
Can a Nitwit change into another villager type?
No, Nitwits cannot change into another villager type without first being zombified and cured. Once cured, they become unemployed and can claim a profession if a workstation is available.
Can Nitwits spawn naturally?
Baby villagers can become Nitwits. In Bedrock Edition, every baby villager has a 10% chance of becoming a Nitwit when they grow up.
Can Nitwits breed?
Yes, Nitwits can breed. To initiate breeding, ensure the villagers have enough food and that there are enough beds available in the village.
Do farmers give food to Nitwits?
Yes, farmers will give food to Nitwits just like any other villager. This helps ensure all villagers have enough food to remain “willing” to breed.
Will villagers forget me curing them if I log out?
Normally, a villager being cured multiple times can offer a heavier trading discount than one being cured once. However, when one save & quit the game while a villager is still being cured, upon returning to the game the villager will forget whether it has been cured before.
Do villagers get scared of zombie heads?
Yes, if you wear a zombie head, villagers will be scared of you and run to their homes. Iron Golems will attack you or other villagers wearing zombie heads.
Do villagers lose their jobs when zombified?
Yes, when villagers get infected by zombies, they will keep their original profession. The infected villagers will have clothes and robes based on their original profession.
Why are my villagers not scared of zombies?
Villagers are scared by a zombie up to 8 blocks away. Villagers need to see 2 others, and they need to be within 10 blocks of each other. Villagers also need to sleep – so the line of sight to the zombie needs to be interrupted from time to time.
Do villagers raise prices if you hit them?
Yes, hitting villagers creates negative gossip, raising prices. Killing villagers creates major negative gossip, significantly raising prices.
Why do villagers have green sparkles?
Villagers emit green particles if they join a village, set a bed, or acquire a job site/profession. Villagers run inside at night or during rain, closing doors behind them.
Can you give jobs to Nitwits in Minecraft?
There are currently 15 villager jobs for Minecraft characters – well, sort of. There are many villagers there with jobs, but one of the jobs listed is ‘Unemployed’ and the other is ‘Nitwit’. Unemployed means they can be hired for a job, whereas Nitwits can’t do anything and are essentially pointless, bless ’em.
Are villagers scared of zombie heads?
Yes, if you wear a zombie head, villagers will be scared of you and run to their homes and an Iron Golem will Attack you or other Villagers wearing a Zombie head.
Is it worth curing villagers?
The main reason why it is important to cure zombie villagers in Minecraft is because the cured villagers will trade items at a discounted price. These mobs have the most extensive personalities. They take note of the player’s actions and determine if they’re friends or foes.
Conclusion: Nitwits and the Circle of Life (and Undeath)
While Nitwits may seem like the least useful villagers, they are still an integral part of the village ecosystem. By understanding their role and the mechanics of zombification and curing, you can effectively “rehabilitate” them into productive members of your Minecraft villages. Remember, even the most seemingly useless villager can have a purpose, and sometimes, that purpose involves a brief stint as a zombie! And remember, that learning through gaming and game design is an incredible tool. You can learn more about this at the Games Learning Society: GamesLearningSociety.org.