I try to enchant a book with Fortune, but even after many attempts I simply get none.
Do I understand the enchanting table correctly? If the spells for a book are displayed, a book-change is pointless, I have to put a spell on the book to get a new selection for the next one?
Do you have another hint/trick to get the spell?
You can either try putting torches, or something else, between the enchanting table and the bookshelves to change the enchanting level, which can change the enchantments offered or enchant something which will reset the enchantments (you still might get the same enchantments, it's the luck of the draw).
If the only thing you are interested in is Luck of the Sea you could start by checking if you get it directly on a fishing pole.
Then try various combinations of torches, a torch by the side of the enchanting table will only cancel out the 1 or 2 bookshelves on the other side of the torch (even if the torch is on the floor it cancels out a bookshelf on the second level), a torch at the corner will cancel out up to 6 bookshelves, the 2 in the corner and the 4 next to them.
If that doesn't work you need to enchant something, either something that will give you an enchantment you might use sometime or a throwaway item like a stone shovel for 1 lapis and 1 XP level.
I'm sorry, I translated it wrong (I'm playing the German version). I meant "Fortune" to increase the number of block drops.
Easy to do!
The only difference would be to try enchanting a pickaxe instead of a fishing pole.
True a pickaxe is more expensive than a book, what I usually do when I'm starting a world is have a bunch of iron tools and armor to test the enchantments before investing the diamonds for the real thing.
You don't always get the same enchantments on diamond items as on iron but it gives you an idea.
It's easier to get good enchantments if you're working on many items, so you enchant whatever gets the best enchantment, but of course sometimes there is that one thing you really want, like a Fortune III pickaxe.
Based on the current replies there seems to be some general confusion about what you want but I'll try to help.
The problem with enchanting books is four-fold. First, books have a lower "enchantability level" than anything else, which makes it less likely to get good enchantments on them in general.
Second, books are less likely to have multiple enchantments compared to other items. Partially because of the lower enchantability, and also because there is an additional mechanic attached to books when using an enchanting table. If the game is set to put more than 1 enchantment on a book via enchanting table, it will remove one of the enchantments at random. This is all determined before you even enchant the book, so you can't see it happening. Those two things mean books usually only have the enchantment the table shows you before enchanting it.
Third, because books can be enchanted at an enchanting table with anything besides treasure enchantments, the overall pool of items you can get is higher, which means the chance of getting a specific enchantment is much lower. Before getting into the "weight" of different enchantments consider that a Pickaxe can have 4 different enchantments added from an enchanting table. So Fortune would be a 1/4 chance of being applied (again, the is ignoring the "weight" of enchantments). Meanwhile a book can get 33 different enchantments, making the chance of any particular one being 1/33.
Lastly, the "weight" of an enchantment matters. Each enchantment has a value that makes it more or less likely to appear when enchanting. The higher the value, the more likely you will get it. Fortune has a weight of 2, which makes it appear way less than say Protection or Sharpness, which each have a weight of 10.
So in summary, everything about how the enchanting system is built is working against you in this particular scenario. If you want Fortune on a specific item, you are better off making that item and if you don't see it in the table, enchant something else to reroll the enchantments and try again later.
Or try to find one a different way of finding enchanted books. I seem to have better luck finding Fortune books while fishing, because I usually pick up enough random treasure to make a Luck of The Sea, Lure, Mending fishing rod pretty quick which makes finding enchanted books pretty safe and easy, although kind of tedious.
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If that doesn't work you need to enchant something, either something that will give you an enchantment you might use sometime or a throwaway item like a stone shovel for 1 lapis and 1 XP level.
Since 1.14 enchanting junk items is no longer necessary, and actually more wasteful - you can just enchant the book (or other valuable item) and if it doesn't get what you want disenchant it in a grindstone, which also recovers some of the XP.
Also, you can use the following link to find out the chances of getting a particular enchantment, although it isn't as useful for books since you can't view the data for a particular enchantment ("Choose an enchantment"), only what you can get at a particular level ("XP to use"):
According to this, there is a 2.6% chance of getting any level of Fortune on a book enchanted at level 30, including a 1.8% chance of Fortune II (they only show the top 25 enchantments but Fortune III would be much rarer, well below 1%, meaning that you'd have to enchant hundreds of times to get it). For comparison, a diamond pickaxe has a 34.9% chance of getting any level of Fortune (21.2% for Fortune III) at level 30.
@all: thanks for the detailed explanations, they really help me. I didn't know that I could disenchant items to start a new attempt - i'm still a noob in MC.
So i can enchant my diamond pickaxe several times until i have the desired spell.
BTW: Fishing as source for enchanted books is a good idea, too.
Fortune is a very common struggle, but it makes alot of since considering minecraft has a ridiculous amount of enchantments. What I would recommend doing is to find a village and get a villager into a safe space where it cannot be killed by mobs. From there, place a lectern in front of the villager. It should become a librarian, and may sell an enchanted book. If this book is not fortune, break the lectern. This will cause the villager to become unemployed. Placing the lectern again will give the villager a different book to sell, and you can attempt this much faster than at an enchanting table. Once the villager sells the book, buy something from him or sell something to him. This will make it so he continues to be a librarian even after the lectern breaks.
I was very lucky and got a librarian right away that had Fortune III. Sometimes it takes several in-game days to get the enchantment you want because there are only certain times of day when a villager will bond with a workstation. The trick is not to give up. In my case, I get sidetracked a lot. If I want a certain enchantment (like Fortune) and get something else which is good instead (like Feather Falling IV), I often decide that the enchantment I got is worth keeping and then I have to go get a new villager and lectern to continue my quest for the primary enchantment I wanted.
Hi,
I try to enchant a book with Fortune, but even after many attempts I simply get none.
Do I understand the enchanting table correctly? If the spells for a book are displayed, a book-change is pointless, I have to put a spell on the book to get a new selection for the next one?
Do you have another hint/trick to get the spell?
Tx
Edit: changed Luck to Fortune
Minecraft Java Edition 1.14.4, Survival, Multiplayer
Luck of the Sea?
You can either try putting torches, or something else, between the enchanting table and the bookshelves to change the enchanting level, which can change the enchantments offered or enchant something which will reset the enchantments (you still might get the same enchantments, it's the luck of the draw).
If the only thing you are interested in is Luck of the Sea you could start by checking if you get it directly on a fishing pole.
Then try various combinations of torches, a torch by the side of the enchanting table will only cancel out the 1 or 2 bookshelves on the other side of the torch (even if the torch is on the floor it cancels out a bookshelf on the second level), a torch at the corner will cancel out up to 6 bookshelves, the 2 in the corner and the 4 next to them.
If that doesn't work you need to enchant something, either something that will give you an enchantment you might use sometime or a throwaway item like a stone shovel for 1 lapis and 1 XP level.
Just testing.
I'm sorry, I translated it wrong (I'm playing the German version). I meant "Fortune" to increase the number of block drops.
Minecraft Java Edition 1.14.4, Survival, Multiplayer
Easy to do!
The only difference would be to try enchanting a pickaxe instead of a fishing pole.
True a pickaxe is more expensive than a book, what I usually do when I'm starting a world is have a bunch of iron tools and armor to test the enchantments before investing the diamonds for the real thing.
You don't always get the same enchantments on diamond items as on iron but it gives you an idea.
It's easier to get good enchantments if you're working on many items, so you enchant whatever gets the best enchantment, but of course sometimes there is that one thing you really want, like a Fortune III pickaxe.
Good luck with your enchanting!
Just testing.
Based on the current replies there seems to be some general confusion about what you want but I'll try to help.
The problem with enchanting books is four-fold. First, books have a lower "enchantability level" than anything else, which makes it less likely to get good enchantments on them in general.
Second, books are less likely to have multiple enchantments compared to other items. Partially because of the lower enchantability, and also because there is an additional mechanic attached to books when using an enchanting table. If the game is set to put more than 1 enchantment on a book via enchanting table, it will remove one of the enchantments at random. This is all determined before you even enchant the book, so you can't see it happening. Those two things mean books usually only have the enchantment the table shows you before enchanting it.
Third, because books can be enchanted at an enchanting table with anything besides treasure enchantments, the overall pool of items you can get is higher, which means the chance of getting a specific enchantment is much lower. Before getting into the "weight" of different enchantments consider that a Pickaxe can have 4 different enchantments added from an enchanting table. So Fortune would be a 1/4 chance of being applied (again, the is ignoring the "weight" of enchantments). Meanwhile a book can get 33 different enchantments, making the chance of any particular one being 1/33.
Lastly, the "weight" of an enchantment matters. Each enchantment has a value that makes it more or less likely to appear when enchanting. The higher the value, the more likely you will get it. Fortune has a weight of 2, which makes it appear way less than say Protection or Sharpness, which each have a weight of 10.
So in summary, everything about how the enchanting system is built is working against you in this particular scenario. If you want Fortune on a specific item, you are better off making that item and if you don't see it in the table, enchant something else to reroll the enchantments and try again later.
Or try to find one a different way of finding enchanted books. I seem to have better luck finding Fortune books while fishing, because I usually pick up enough random treasure to make a Luck of The Sea, Lure, Mending fishing rod pretty quick which makes finding enchanted books pretty safe and easy, although kind of tedious.
Want some advice on how to thrive in the Suggestions section? Check this handy list of guidelines and tips for posting your ideas and responding to the ideas of others!
http://www.minecraftforum.net/forums/minecraft-discussion/suggestions/2775557-guidelines-for-the-suggestions-forum
Since 1.14 enchanting junk items is no longer necessary, and actually more wasteful - you can just enchant the book (or other valuable item) and if it doesn't get what you want disenchant it in a grindstone, which also recovers some of the XP.
Also, you can use the following link to find out the chances of getting a particular enchantment, although it isn't as useful for books since you can't view the data for a particular enchantment ("Choose an enchantment"), only what you can get at a particular level ("XP to use"):
https://minecraft.tools/en/enchant.php
According to this, there is a 2.6% chance of getting any level of Fortune on a book enchanted at level 30, including a 1.8% chance of Fortune II (they only show the top 25 enchantments but Fortune III would be much rarer, well below 1%, meaning that you'd have to enchant hundreds of times to get it). For comparison, a diamond pickaxe has a 34.9% chance of getting any level of Fortune (21.2% for Fortune III) at level 30.
TheMasterCaver's First World - possibly the most caved-out world in Minecraft history - includes world download.
TheMasterCaver's World - my own version of Minecraft largely based on my views of how the game should have evolved since 1.6.4.
Why do I still play in 1.6.4?
@all: thanks for the detailed explanations, they really help me. I didn't know that I could disenchant items to start a new attempt - i'm still a noob in MC.
So i can enchant my diamond pickaxe several times until i have the desired spell.
BTW: Fishing as source for enchanted books is a good idea, too.
Minecraft Java Edition 1.14.4, Survival, Multiplayer
Fortune is a very common struggle, but it makes alot of since considering minecraft has a ridiculous amount of enchantments. What I would recommend doing is to find a village and get a villager into a safe space where it cannot be killed by mobs. From there, place a lectern in front of the villager. It should become a librarian, and may sell an enchanted book. If this book is not fortune, break the lectern. This will cause the villager to become unemployed. Placing the lectern again will give the villager a different book to sell, and you can attempt this much faster than at an enchanting table. Once the villager sells the book, buy something from him or sell something to him. This will make it so he continues to be a librarian even after the lectern breaks.
I was very lucky and got a librarian right away that had Fortune III. Sometimes it takes several in-game days to get the enchantment you want because there are only certain times of day when a villager will bond with a workstation. The trick is not to give up. In my case, I get sidetracked a lot. If I want a certain enchantment (like Fortune) and get something else which is good instead (like Feather Falling IV), I often decide that the enchantment I got is worth keeping and then I have to go get a new villager and lectern to continue my quest for the primary enchantment I wanted.