Drowned Farm in Minecraft Bedrock Edition

Overview

Drowned are one of the most valuable mobs to farm in Bedrock Edition because they drop Tridents, nautilus shells, and copper ingots. In Java Edition, Drowned only drop Tridents if they spawned holding one, and converted Drowned never drop Tridents. Bedrock Edition is completely different: any Drowned has a chance to drop a Trident regardless of whether it spawned with one. This makes Drowned farming significantly more rewarding in Bedrock.

Bedrock-Specific Drowned Mechanics

• In Bedrock, Drowned have a 3.75% chance to drop a Trident on death (increased with Looting). In Java, only Drowned that spawn naturally holding a Trident can drop one, and the chance is much lower.
• Drowned converted from Zombies in Bedrock can drop Tridents. In Java, converted Drowned never drop Tridents. This makes zombie-to-Drowned conversion farms viable in Bedrock.
• Drowned spawn in ocean biomes and rivers at light level 0 or below (in water). They also spawn in aquifer caves.
• Nautilus shells are dropped by Drowned that spawn holding them (roughly 3% chance to spawn with one). The shell always drops on death.

Design 1: Zombie Conversion Farm

This is the most popular Drowned farm design in Bedrock because it uses the reliable zombie spawner mechanic and leverages the Bedrock-exclusive Trident drop from converted Drowned.

Materials Needed

• A zombie spawner (found in dungeons).
• Water source blocks to create a conversion channel.
• Hoppers, chests, and signs for the collection system.
• Building blocks and torches.

Build Steps

1. Locate a zombie spawner dungeon. Light it up with torches temporarily to prevent spawning while you build.
2. Clear a room around the spawner. The spawner activates when a player is within 16 blocks and spawns zombies within a 4-block horizontal range.
3. Create a water channel from the spawner room that pushes zombies into a single-file line. Use signs to hold back water at specific points.
4. Build a conversion chamber: a section of the water channel where the ceiling is low enough that zombies are submerged. Zombies convert to Drowned after being submerged in water for 30 seconds.
5. After the conversion chamber, guide the Drowned into a kill chamber. Use a trident killer or manual kill area for XP and drops.
6. Place hoppers under the kill area feeding into chests to collect drops.

Design 2: Natural Spawn Farm (Ocean)

For players without a zombie spawner, building a farm in an ocean biome that exploits natural Drowned spawning is an alternative. This design is less efficient but does not require a spawner.

Build Steps

1. Find a deep ocean biome or river biome.
2. Build a platform at the water surface with a dark room underneath that extends below the water.
3. Create a water channel system that funnels naturally spawning Drowned toward a kill chamber.
4. Use bubble columns (from soul sand placed at the bottom of a water column) to push Drowned upward into a collection system.
5. Kill them with a trident killer or manually for XP.

Trident Killer

A trident killer is a mechanism where a Trident with Loyalty is thrown into a mob-killing setup that counts as a player kill. In Bedrock, this is a common method for automatic XP farms:

1. Throw a Loyalty III Trident into a small chamber where mobs are being pushed by pistons.
2. The Trident bounces between the mob and a wall, dealing damage each time.
3. Because the Trident is the player's weapon, kills count as player kills and drop XP.

This is a Bedrock-exclusive mechanic. Java Edition does not support trident killers in the same way.

Expected Drops

A zombie spawner conversion farm produces roughly 200-400 Drowned per hour. With a 3.75% base Trident drop rate, expect 8-15 Tridents per hour. Looting III increases the drop rate to approximately 5.5%, yielding 11-22 Tridents per hour. Rotten flesh, gold ingots (rare), and copper ingots also drop.

Java vs Bedrock Differences

• Bedrock Drowned can drop Tridents from any Drowned, including converted ones. Java only drops Tridents from naturally spawned Drowned that were holding one.
• This makes Bedrock the superior edition for Trident farming by a large margin.
• Nautilus shell spawning rates are similar between editions.
• The zombie-to-Drowned conversion time (30 seconds) is the same in both editions.

FAQ

Do I need Looting for Trident drops?

Looting is not required but significantly increases the Trident drop rate. Looting III raises the chance from 3.75% to about 5.5%.

Can I use a skeleton spawner instead?

No. Only zombies convert to Drowned when submerged. Skeletons do not have this conversion mechanic.

Does this work on Realms?

Yes. Zombie spawner conversion farms work on all Bedrock platforms, including Realms. Ensure you are within 16 blocks of the spawner for it to activate.