How to Change Villager Jobs in Minecraft: A Comprehensive Guide
Changing a villager’s profession in Minecraft is a fundamental skill for any player looking to optimize their trading network or build the village of their dreams. The process is relatively straightforward but requires understanding the mechanics involved. Essentially, to change a villager’s job, you need to manipulate their access to job site blocks. This involves removing their current job site block and then providing a new one that corresponds to the desired profession. This triggers the villager to evaluate nearby workstations and pick the one that aligns with what you want. Let’s break down this process step-by-step.
The Core Steps to Change a Villager’s Profession
Here’s a simple, step-by-step approach to changing villager jobs:
- Identify the Villager and its Current Job: First, observe the villager you want to change. Identify the job they are currently holding and, importantly, note the type of job site block they are using. For example, if they are a farmer, they likely interact with a composter.
- Destroy the Current Job Site Block: To trigger the job change, you must remove the existing job site block. This can be done using any tool, although using an axe to destroy wood-based blocks or a pickaxe for stone-based ones will speed up the process. Make sure the villager cannot reach the block you just removed, as having it nearby or even still accessible will sometimes cause them to link to it and re-acquire the job.
- Place the New Job Site Block: Now, within the villager’s vicinity, place the new job site block you want the villager to adopt. For example, if you want a librarian, place a lectern; for a butcher, place a smoker.
- Wait for the Villager to Interact: The villager will now start scanning for a new workstation. Once they “claim” the newly placed block, they will transform into the corresponding profession. This might take a few moments, so patience is key.
- Verify the Change: Double-check the villager’s appearance and their trading interface to confirm that they’ve taken on the new profession successfully.
Important Considerations for Success
Several factors can hinder your ability to change villager jobs effectively. Understanding these will improve the likelihood of a smooth transition:
- Locked Trades: A villager’s profession cannot be changed if you have already traded with them. Once a trade occurs, that profession is locked. Therefore, ensure you are changing a villager’s job before trading with them to acquire your preferred trades.
- Proximity to Multiple Job Blocks: If multiple job blocks are nearby, villagers might take a while to link to a specific one or might not choose the one you want. It’s best practice to isolate the desired job site block initially to make the process faster and more reliable.
- Bed Requirement: Villagers must be linked to a bed to take a job. If the villager doesn’t have a bed, they won’t be willing to take up a new profession.
- Time of Day: Villagers’ behavior changes during the day and night. Changing professions during the day is easier because that is when they actively seek out job sites.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Villager Job Changes
1. Why won’t my villager change professions?
The most common reason is that you’ve already traded with the villager, locking them into their existing profession. They also might be detecting another job site block and sticking with the one they had. Make sure to destroy the old one, wait a few moments, then place the new job block nearby.
2. How long does it take for a villager to switch jobs?
If the villager is near other villagers with jobs, it can take a few minutes. Even if the villager is right in front of the new job block, they still might take a while to choose that new role. This issue often occurs when there are more than 6-8 villagers with jobs in the immediate area.
3. Why won’t my villagers accept jobs in Minecraft?
Villagers need to be linked to beds before they will accept a job. The bed doesn’t have to be accessible, it just has to be linked to them. Make sure you have one bed per villager nearby to resolve the issue.
4. Can you force a villager to change jobs?
Yes, you can, but only by destroying the current job site block and then providing a new one. You cannot directly force them without these actions.
5. Can villagers with jobs breed?
Yes, job sites are not required for villagers to breed. The key requirement for breeding is the number of valid beds available.
6. How do you reset a villager’s job?
You can reset a villager’s job by destroying their job site block and then placing it again. You may have to repeat the process multiple times to get the trades that you want. Remember that you will not be able to change a villagers trade if you have traded with them.
7. What items give villagers jobs?
Here are the specific job site blocks for each profession:
- Armorer: Blast Furnace
- Butcher: Smoker
- Cartographer: Cartography Table
- Cleric: Brewing Stand
- Farmer: Composter
- Fisherman: Barrel
- Fletcher: Fletching Table
- Leatherworker: Cauldron
- Librarian: Lectern
- Mason (Stone Mason): Stonecutter
- Shepherd: Loom
- Toolsmith: Smithing Table
- Weaponsmith: Grindstone
8. Why won’t my villagers replenish trades?
Villagers need access to their workstation to replenish their trades. If the villager can reach their workstation, they will eventually restock their trades.
9. Can you make a nitwit villager take a job?
Yes. When children grow into nitwits, they are typically unemployed. However, if you give a nitwit a profession token (by providing a workstation), they will immediately start to work. Nitwits lose happiness, so it’s important to give them a work.
10. How do you get villagers to forgive you?
You can trade with them or other villagers nearby. An effective method, albeit more complex, is to let a zombie infect them and then cure them.
11. What is the rarest villager job?
Fletcher is considered the rarest of all villager jobs, but the most desired is often Weaponsmith.
12. Will villagers use fence gates?
No, villagers cannot open fence gates.
13. Can villagers steal your emeralds?
Nitwits are the only villager that can open chests, and if they do, they will take your emeralds and nothing else.
14. Can villagers follow you?
Yes, holding an emerald in your hand will cause nearby villagers to follow you. You can also throw emeralds to guide them, and they may pick them up.
15. Can you put villagers on leads?
Not by default, but using a map editor or NBT editor, you can leash villagers.
By understanding these nuances, you’ll be well-equipped to manipulate villager professions to your advantage, building the thriving village you’ve always envisioned. Remember that careful planning and patience are key to achieving the desired results in your Minecraft world!