Explorer Map – Wiki Guide

Explorer maps are special maps used to aid in finding ocean monuments, woodland mansions, trial chambers‌, and buried treasures.

If the experiment for the Villager Trade Rebalance is enabled, the following structures can also be located by explorer maps: jungle pyramids, swamp huts, and desert, plains, savanna, snowy and taiga villages.

Background

Ocean Explorer

Woodland Explorer

Jungle, Swamp Explorer; Village

Buried Treasure

Trial Chambers

Rarity color: Common

Renewable:

• Buried Treasure: No
• Other else: Yes

Stackable: Yes (64)

Obtaining

Trading

Cartographer villagers sell various explorer maps depending on their level. Each explorer map costs 1 compass, and a number of emeralds. The emerald cost can vary, but the compass cost is fixed.

Cartographer map trades

Map	Structure	Trading level	Cost
Ocean Explorer	Ocean Monument	Apprentice	13 emeralds 1 compass
Woodland Explorer	Woodland Mansion	Journeyman	14 emeralds 1 compass
Trial Chambers	Trial Chambers	Journeyman	12 emeralds 1 compass

When Villager Trade Rebalance is enabled

Villager Trade Rebalance (called Villager Trade Rebalancing on Bedrock Edition) is an experiment available in both Java Edition and Bedrock Edition that tweaks librarian and wandering trader trades in attempt to make them more fair.

Map	Structure	Trading level	Cost
Plains Village	Plains Village	Apprentice	8 emeralds 1 compass
Desert Village	Desert Village
Savanna Village	Savanna Village
Snowy Village	Snowy Village
Taiga Village	Taiga Village
Swamp Explorer	Witch Hut
Jungle Explorer	Jungle Temple
Trial Chambers	Trial Chambers	Journeyman	13 emeralds 1 compass
Ocean Explorer	Ocean Monument	Journeyman	14 emeralds 1 compass
Woodland Explorer	Woodland mansion	Master	12 emeralds 1 compass

The types of map sold by a villager depend on the biome it spawned it.

If the cartographer is in the Nether or the End, either spawned or transported, the trades for the map do not unlock. If the world does not generate a particular structure, trades for the map for that structure also do not unlock.

In Java Edition, each cartographer sells its own unique explorer map that points to a different location than other cartographers. Purchasing another explorer map from the same cartographer results in the same explorer map. In Bedrock Edition, a cartographer sells an explorer map that points to the nearest location, regardless of whether it has been explored or previously mapped by another cartographer.

In Bedrock Edition, if cartographer map trades are unlocked in an old world, the game stops ticking.

Chest loot

In contrast to explorer maps, buried treasure maps (Java Edition) or treasure maps (Bedrock Edition) generate in underwater ruins or in shipwrecks.

Item	Structure	Container	Quantity	Chance
Java Edition and Bedrock Edition
Buried Treasure Map	Shipwreck	Map chest	1	100%
	Underwater Ruins	Small ruins chest	1	41.7%
		Big ruins chest	1	43.5%

Usage

Locating structures

There are three types of explorer maps: ocean, woodland, trial chambers,‌ and buried treasure. The maps differ from a normal map, in that it shows the area’s land-water outline, with an orange striated (striped) texture for water, and the blank map texture for land. The maps show a section of land that contains an ocean monument, woodland mansion, trial chambers, or buried treasure respectively.

In the experimental “Villager Trade Rebalance” data pack, there are seven additional explorer maps: jungle maps that show a jungle pyramid, swamp maps that show a swamp hut, as well as maps for desert, plains, savanna, snowy and taiga villages.

The structure shown may not be the nearest such structure to the player. The structures are displayed as a small icon. If the player icon is smaller than it would be on a normal map, that means the player is a great distance away. When the player is less than 1027 blocks away from the map border, the icon returns to the proper size. When the player reaches the map’s area of land (512×512), the map fills in like a normal map.

The basic functions of a buried treasure explorer map are similar to that of the others. However, instead of showing the structure icon on the map, it shows a red X instead. The buried treasure chest is located on the same X and Z coordinates as the middle of the X (the player marker may need to be aligned with the bottom of the middle 2×2 pixel square of the X). To locate the chest spot, hold the treasure map with both hands, not in the offhand slot.

Cloning

Ingredients	Crafting recipe	Description
Empty Map + Ocean Explorer Map or Woodland Explorer Map or Buried Treasure Map		The output has the same map center as the input map, and the same monument, woodland mansion or buried treasure marker. Cloned maps are stackable.

The parts of the world that have already been explored and mapped are copied, and newly explored areas appear on both instances. In Creative mode, cloned explorer maps can be obtained by pick blocking on the explorer map displayed on item frames (the map needs to be out of the player’s inventory when using pick block, or else that map moves into the active hotbar slot).

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Bedrock Edition:

Metadata

In Bedrock Edition, the item Data value distinguishes explorer maps from one another: