Harvest Rules
Better Harvest Levels combines configured overrides with Minecraft’s existing tool categories and harvest result. It only replaces vanilla’s decision when an applicable rule provides enough information.
Decision order
Section titled “Decision order”- Matching block overrides set the requirement and can raise or lower it.
- The held item must still match the vanilla block category when that category exists.
- A matching tool override can grant a tier-based success, but a tool-only override does not revoke an existing vanilla success.
requiredTier: "hand"allows hand harvesting.- Unknown tool-bearing items defer to vanilla unless configured in
tools.json. - With no applicable rule, Better Harvest Levels abstains and vanilla decides.
What each override controls
Section titled “What each override controls”| Applicable rule | Requirement used | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Block override | The block override’s requiredTier | Better Harvest Levels checks the held tool’s vanilla category and tier. The block override can allow or deny drops. |
| Tool override only | The block’s vanilla requirement | The configured tool tier can grant success when the vanilla category matches. An existing vanilla success remains successful. |
| No override | No Better Harvest Levels requirement | Better Harvest Levels abstains and vanilla decides. |
A block override changes the required tier, not the required tool category. For example, raising an ore to iron tier still requires a pickaxe when vanilla classifies that block as pickaxe-mineable.
Override precedence
Section titled “Override precedence”Better Harvest Levels loads layered blocks*.json and tools*.json files in alphabetical filename order. For each file family, entries are appended in file order and evaluated in list order. The later matching override wins. Within one file, a matching entry later in the overrides list wins over an earlier match.
This makes the ordering explicit: choose filenames that sort after the files they are intended to override, then place the most specific entries after broader tag, mod, or regular-expression entries.
Vanilla fallback
Section titled “Vanilla fallback”If Better Harvest Levels cannot identify a tier for an otherwise tool-bearing item, it leaves the result to vanilla unless tools.json supplies an override. If neither the block nor the held item has an applicable override, Better Harvest Levels also abstains. In both cases, Minecraft’s normal harvest logic decides whether the block produces drops. See Modded tool behavior for the explicit override workaround and 26.x sword caveat.