What Does Fortune Do in Minecraft? [Illustrated Guide]

Featured image credit: Mojang

Have you ever looked at your chests and decided you did not have enough diamonds and emeralds?

Or maybe you need a huge amount of iron to protect your local village.

No matter what the reason, Fortune will be your best friend, as it increases the chances of specific item drops when you mine or harvest something. 

Keep reading to see everything you need to know about the Fortune enchantment and how you can use it to become wealthy like none other. 

What is Fortune in Minecraft?

Fortune is one of the best enchantments in Minecraft because it increases your chance of receiving multiple ores from one block.

Also, check out how to enchant a stick in Minecraft.

I think it’s one of the best pickaxe enchantments; throw it on a diamond pickaxe and go to town.

There are three levels to the enchantment, and each one gives you a higher chance of multiple drops, with Fortune III (the maximum level) providing an average increase of 2.2x more ore.

Fortune in Minecraft
I’ve mined some copper with my Diamond Pickaxe enchanted with Fortune III.
(Image credit: Mojang)

You will get 2 to 3 diamonds per 1 on average if you have a Fortune III pickaxe. 

However, with Fortune III, you can get as many as 4 per 1, though there is only a 20% chance of that occurring. 

While Fortune will always give you more drops, not every ore block is created equally. Below are the best blocks to mine with the Fortune enhancement on your tool:

  • Iron Ore 
  • Diamond Ore
  • Coal Ore
  • Copper Ore
  • Lapis Lazuli Ore
  • Nether Quartz Ore
  • Amethyst Cluster Ore
  • Nether Gold Ore
  • Redstone Ore

Gold Ore and Emerald Ore are also affected but aren’t nearly as useful as the above ores.

​As you can see, Fortune can quickly add up and compound your Minecraft wealth in no time. 

Besides all the ores that Fortune affects, you can also use a Fortune-enchanted tool to mine Glowstone and Sea Lanterns.

Check out how to make a weaponsmith in Minecraft.

It is important to note that Glowstone will never drop more than 4 Glowstone dust max per block mined. 

So what digging tools can you put this amazing enchantment on? 

Fortune can be applied to the following:

This content was first published on GameDaft.com

  • Shovel
  • Pickaxe
  • Hoe
  • Axe

Why would you want Fortune on a hoe, though? Well, because it affects the drop rate of many different crops and items.

Diamond Hoe enchantment fortune iii cost Minecraft
I’ve enchanted my diamond hoe enchantment with Fortune III.
(Image credit: Mojang)

These include:

  • Carrots
  • Potatoes
  • Melons (you get up to 9 melon slices)
  • Sweet Berries
  • Apples
  • Saplings
  • Nether Wart
  • Weeping Vines
  • Twisting Vines

While you may not need a ton of those items, slap Fortune on a hoe and bathe in all those natural goods if you need them for a project.

​Notice that the maximum number of drops is capped at 9 for some crops. So slapping Fortune III on a tool simply increases the chances of multiple drops for those.

How to Get the Minecraft Fortune Enchantment

Now that you know what Fortune does and all the beautiful ores it can get you, you probably want to know how to get it. 

There are currently four different ways to acquire it in Minecraft: enchanting, fishing, trading, and looting chests. 

Enchanting

The first and typically easiest way is by enchanting a tool or book via an enchantment table, though you must be between XP levels 15 – 65 for Fortune I, 24 – 74 for Fortune II, and 33 – 83 for Fortune III.

Diamond pickaxe with Fortune III
My trusty diamond pickaxe with Fortune III.
(Image credit: Mojang)

You will want to aim for the higher levels of the XP range to guarantee a higher chance of receiving the enchantment you want. 

Once you have the necessary XP, head to your Enchanting Table (with at least 15 bookshelves) and use lapis lazuli to enchant the tool.

You might like this guide to the best Minecraft Sword Enchantments.

Fishing

The next way to acquire the Fortune enchantment is by fishing. While it is highly unlikely you will not get it, as there is a 0.8% chance, you can increase that with the Luck of the Sea enchantment applied to your fishing rod. 

Luck of the Sea I increases it by 1.2%, Luck of the Sea increases it by 1.5%, and then Luck of the Sea III increases it by 1.9%. 

If you need and want the enchantment, you should look for a village trading it or enchant it yourself on an enchanting table.

Check out the guide to Salmon fishing in Minecraft.

Trading

What if you don’t want to get the Fortune enchantment through regular means and would instead purchase the overpriced book from someone?

You are in luck, as the Librarian villager has a chance to trade it. Every tier of Librarian has a chance, with each tier having a higher chance. 

However, the Librarian’s enchanted book trades are rolled from the entire enchantment library, giving it a minuscule chance of actually having Fortune. 

Looting Chests

Throughout the world, chests exist to be raided by players in many different locations, from the tall mountains to the underbelly of the ocean. 

But because there is an average chance of about 0.25% of an ordinary chest having an enchanted book and 40 total enchantments in Minecraft, there is only 0.01% of you finding Fortune in a chest.

Not the greatest odds, so you should focus on getting Fortune by other means, whether enchanting, trading, or fishing. 

Conclusion

Fortune is by far one of the best Minecraft enchantments, and you cannot go without it if you are playing Hardcore or Survival mode.

Fortune-enchanted tools give you a better chance of increased drop rates when you chop or mine everything from melon blocks and jungle saplings to diamond ore.

If you found this article helpful, check out these Minecraft crossbow enchantments, which can turn your crossbow into a device of carnage. Until next time, happy gaming, and good luck!


FAQ

Does Fortune work on Wheat?

Fortune only works on wheat seeds, not wheat crops.

Does Fortune work on Beets?

Fortune only works on beetroot seeds, not the beetroots themselves.


Profile picture

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jan has played video games since the early 1980s. He loves getting immersed in video games as a way to take his mind off stuff when the outside world gets too scary. A lifelong gamer, the big interest led to a job as a lecturer on game sound at the University of Copenhagen and several written articles on video games for magazines.

Read more on the About Page.