The Minecraft 1.21 update, named Tricky Trials, brings the introduction of Trial Chambers and Vaults. These underground structures present a unique challenge filled with enemies and treasures. Let’s explore what these exciting additions are all about.
Trial Chambers, which house the Vaults, can only generate below ground. While there might be some unusual world generation occurrences, these structures typically remain hidden from view. If you are playing a world created before the 1.21 update, you won’t find these chambers in previously loaded areas.
Updated on October 25, 2024 by Jacqueline Zalace: Navigating Trial Chambers can be tricky for newcomers. This guide has been revised to provide additional details on locating these dungeons and opening their vaults.
Finding Trial Chambers
Trial Chambers can generate under any biome without preference, formed in a 32×32 chunk grid with 0,0 as the origin. Given the size of 512 by 512 blocks, finding two close together is unlikely.
Here are a few methods to locate Trial Chambers:
Natural Exploration
It’s possible to stumble upon these structures during lengthy mining sessions, even if it’s not the most likely scenario.
Trial Explorer Map
You can obtain a Trial Explorer Map by trading 12 Emeralds and one Compass with a Journeyman-level Cartographer villager. This map works like a standard treasure map; look for the square icon, which indicates that the Trial Chamber is directly below.
Using Cheats to Find Trial Chambers
If you prefer a quicker approach, you can use the following cheat:
- /locate structure minecraft:trial_chambers
This command will provide you with the coordinates of a Trial Chamber, allowing you to instantly teleport to the location.
Trial Chambers Layout
The interior of the Trial Chambers is mainly constructed from tuff and copper, along with various decorative blocks. Let’s look at some critical rooms you can expect to find inside.
Entrance
The entrance to the Trial Chambers is clearly marked, but you can always mine your way into any room. Inside the entrance, you’ll find a small door, some chests—definitely check them out—and perhaps even a tiny tree.
Every entrance contains a Vault.
Atrium
The atrium is significant due to its sheer size. In addition to its spaciousness, you’ll find an Ominous Vault near the stairs leading to the entrance.
Other Rooms In The Trial Chambers
The rest of the Trial Chambers consists of various rooms that are populated with extra Vaults and Spawners. Below is a list of these additional rooms:
- Hallways
- Large Corridors
- Intersections
- Chambers
- These dungeon-like rooms feature a mix of spawners.
Trial Chambers Spawners
The main challenge inside the Trial Chambers comes from the spawners. There are three types of enemies that can spawn (Melee, Small Melee, and Ranged), in addition to a Breeze. Each spawner can produce only one enemy type, which means you may face four different adversaries, with Breeze being one of them.
Each spawner is surrounded by blocks indicating the type of mob it generates. Below, we detail each enemy type and its respective spawner:
Breeze
| Enemy | Blocks Around Spawner |
|---|---|
| Breeze | Chiseled Tuff |
Melee
| Enemy | Blocks Around Spawner |
|---|---|
| Zombie | Mossy Cobblestone |
| Husk | Chiseled Sandstone |
| Spider | Cobwebs |
Small Melee
| Enemy | Blocks Around Spawner |
|---|---|
| Slime | Moss |
| Silverfish | Stone Bricks |
| Baby Zombie | Mossy Cobblestone (combined with regular Cobblestone) |
| Cave Spider | Spiderwebs, Podzol, and Red Mushrooms |
Ranged
| Enemy | Blocks Around Spawner |
|---|---|
| Stray | Packed Ice |
| Skeleton | Bone Blocks |
| Bogged | Bone Blocks, Podzol, and Red Mushrooms |
To complete a spawner trial, you must defeat all spawned enemies. After completing this, the spawner will take 30 minutes to reset and spawn again.
Tips for Completing a Trial
If you’re feeling apprehensive about taking on your first trial, here are some helpful tips:
Bring Supplies
Before tackling any challenge in Minecraft, it’s crucial to prepare. Pack plenty of food, strong gear, and weapons. Bring some blocks for navigation and to block off certain areas. If you encounter rooms teeming with spawners, you can use blocks to build up for safety or create barriers to contain spawned enemies.
Playing on a server? It’s a great idea to team up with fellow players!
Survey Each Room
Be mindful that spawners will start generating mobs when you’re sufficiently close. If multiple spawners are in proximity, they can produce many enemies at once. To prepare, look for safe spots to stand, such as elevated platforms where you can fire arrows down or columns that require ladders to access.
Set Your Spawn
Even if you feel confident, it’s wise to mark your spawn point nearby. You might accidentally take a bad fall! Consider placing a bed at the entrance or beyond the surface overhead.
Remember, some rooms have beds available. If you forgot to bring one, utilize these beds as your respawn point.
What Are Vaults?
Vaults serve as treasure containers within the Trial Chambers. These chest-like blocks randomly generate throughout the structure and require a key to be opened.
Normal Vault
To unlock a Normal Vault, you will need a Trial Key. These keys can be found in a few locations:
- Pots (2.8%)
- Chests in the Entrance (6.8%)
- Reward for completing a Spawner (50%)
The most efficient way to obtain a Trial Key is by completing spawners. Once you open a vault, you may retrieve various items, listed from most to least common:
Ominous Vault
The Ominous Vault is another type, requiring an Ominous Vault Key to open. You can get this key by completing an Ominous spawner challenge, which isn’t a separate block but an upgrade of the normal spawner. To change a spawner into Ominous, you need to have the Trial Omen effect active.
Triggering the Trial Omen effect happens when you drink an Ominous Bottle or if you come into view of a player with Bad Omen.
After defeating the spawner, there’s a 30% chance to get an Ominous Trial Key. The Ominous Vault offers these items, listed from the most to least common:
Turning Bad Omen Into Trial Omen
To convert Bad Omen into Trial Omen upon entering a Trial Chamber, you simply need to obtain Bad Omen first. You can get this status by defeating a Pillager Captain, who is identifiable by their flag.
Once you’ve got Bad Omen, it will change to either Raid Omen (when you enter a village) or Trial Omen (when you enter a Trial Chamber).
