Minecraft: Here’s What Blocks Are Spawnable

Have you ever had a mob or hostile mob spawn where they shouldn’t, so you get blown up to smithereens or get one shot because you’re already really low on health? The problem lies in mob spawning rules that led to your tragic death, and one part of these rules is the blocks mobs can spawn on. The question then becomes, what blocks in Minecraft are spawnable?

Blocks that constitute opaque

If you know the definition of opaque in general, you would be able to know what an opaque block in Minecraft is. Opaque is an adjective that describes an entity that can’t be seen through. That would make almost all blocks in Minecraft opaque which is just not the case because of a little thing called Minecraft physics.

Opaque blocks in Minecraft completely prevent light from traveling through them. The counterpart of opaque blocks would be transparent blocks that usually only diminish the light coming through them by one level per block. These values are changeable, and of course, there are some exceptions to the rule.

Transparent blocks

Any block you can think of and see through is considered transparent. Within the category of transparent blocks, multiple other categories define the fullness of the block. As we know, one block in Minecraft equals 3.28 ft in the real world, 1 meter. Not all blocks fill the whole volume, so they’re considered non-full. Of course, if you look at the entity as a whole, it might be an opaque block, but if it doesn’t fill the whole volume of one block, it’s still considered a transparent block; it’s just that these blocks are then called non-full solid blocks.

For example, carpets, If you place a carpet on the ground, it doesn’t fill the whole volume of the block, so it is transparent, but if you were to look through it, it is an opaque block. The reason why making this distinction is important is that although mobs can’t spawn on transparent blocks, they can still spawn inside a non-solid transparent block.

So what are non-solid transparent blocks? I guess these blocks are the ones you can pass through with no problems or at least the ones you can break with one hit, such as torches, all types of wines, and even signs, but that’s my guess based on the blocks in this category. For you to make your own definition of what these blocks are, here’s a photo with some of these blocks.

Spawn proofing blocks

Manipulating the light level of an area is the most basic way to spawn proof it. You can easily check the light level of an area by pressing F3 if you’re a Java Edition user. The light level in the block you’re currently in will be written in the bottom right. If you don’t use shaders, this can help you return to and spawn-proof certain areas you might have missed otherwise.

Mobs also can’t spawn on blocks that aren’t considered full, like bottom slabs and stairs. Note that top slabs and upside-down stairs can still spawn mobs since their surface is solid, making the air block above them read as a solid block.

As mentioned, mobs also can’t spawn on transparent or partially transparent blocks like glass or leaves. However, these blocks can prevent the despawning of certain mobs since leaves provide shade in light, which is why you often see hostile mobs in broad daylight in Dark Forests with dense leaves and vegetation. Carpets are likely the best spawn-proofing option if you don’t want to compromise the look of your build with torches.

Mob categories and their spawn rules

Each mob category has special spawn rules, so it’s first wise to start with the basic spawn rules of mobs through each dimension. In the Overworld, the basic spawn rule is that the light level must be zero, and the skylight level must be seven or below for hostile mobs to spawn. In the Nether, the block light level must be 11 or below. The skylight must be 0, but it always is in the Nether.

In the end, the sky block level must be zero for mobs to spawn, but it always is. The thing with the End is that regular hostile mobs can’t spawn there, so you’re limited to meeting only those that naturally spawn there.

Of course, some mobs have additional rules for spawning, such as drowning, blazes, and wither skeletons. In general, hostile mobs have spawn conditions which are as follows.

The difficulty must not be set to peaceful, including ocelots, even though they aren’t considered hostile. For every hostile mob in the game, excluding guardians, drowned, and phantoms, the spawn conditions are that the block directly above the spawn point must have a solid, opaque top surface. The block directly below the spawn point also can’t be bedrock, barrier, trap door, or glass.

Mob collision boxes also must not meet with any liquid, whether lava or water. The block above the spawn block must be transparent, meaning that mobs can’t spawn in 1 block-tall space if they’re approximately two blocks tall. There are other spawn conditions, but they don’t relate to in-game blocks.

Another thing to add is that some mobs can’t spawn in biomes other than the set ones. Passive mobs like cows and pigs can only spawn on grass or stone blocks, and ambient mobs like bats can only spawn in caves. To conclude, learning about spawnable blocks is an extensive and difficult process. If you’re curious, you’re better off remembering the spawn-proofing methods and checking out the spawn conditions for individual mob categories.

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