Calculate enchantment costs, XP requirements, and bookshelf setup for your Minecraft enchanting table
Minecraft's enchanting system uses experience levels and lapis lazuli to add powerful effects to your tools, weapons, and armor. The enchantment level you can access depends on the number of bookshelves surrounding your enchanting table, with a maximum of 15 bookshelves providing access to level 30 enchantments. Each enchantment has specific XP costs and lapis requirements that increase with the enchantment level.
| Enchantment | Max Level | Min Bookshelves | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpness | V | 1 | Swords - General damage |
| Protection | IV | 1 | Armor - All damage types |
| Efficiency | V | 1 | Tools - Mining speed |
| Fortune | III | 9 | Pickaxe - Ore drops |
| Silk Touch | I | 15 | Tools - Block preservation |
| Unbreaking | III | 1 | All items - Durability |
| Mending | I | 15 | All items - XP repair |
| Looting | III | 9 | Swords - Mob drops |
Optimal Layout: Place bookshelves in a 5×5 square around your enchanting table, leaving the middle 3×3 area for the table and access. You need exactly 15 bookshelves for maximum enchantment levels. The bookshelves must be exactly 1 block away from the table with no obstructions in between.
Height Placement: Bookshelves can be placed at the same level as the enchanting table or one block higher. This allows for creative designs like two-story libraries. Torches, carpets, or any blocks between the table and shelves will block the enchantment power.
Crafting Bookshelves: Each bookshelf requires 6 wooden planks and 3 books. To make books, you need 3 paper (from sugar cane) and 1 leather. For 15 bookshelves, you'll need 90 planks, 45 paper, and 15 leather total.
Build spawner-based farms for consistent XP. Zombie and skeleton spawners are ideal. Use water channels to collect mobs in one location for easy killing.
Mine coal, diamond, emerald, lapis, redstone, and nether quartz for XP. Diamond and emerald ore give the most XP per block mined.
Smelt ores in furnaces for XP. Collect the smelted items all at once for maximum XP gain. Iron and gold ore smelting is particularly efficient.
Trade with villagers for XP. Each successful trade gives experience. Librarian villagers can also sell enchanted books directly.
Goal: Sharpness V on Diamond Sword
Setup: Build enchanting table with 15 bookshelves in proper layout
Requirements: 19 XP levels + 5 lapis lazuli
Process: Place sword in enchanting table, select level 30 enchantment option
Result: Sword gains Sharpness V (+3 damage per hit)
Alternative: Combine Sharpness IV books using anvil for guaranteed Sharpness V