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(Swamp) Will-o'-wisp

Will-o'-wisp covers both ancient fokelore and natural recorded phenomenon.  This would be a great eerie addition to the the Swamp.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will-o'-the-wisp

Have them appear in minecraft as balls of light that travel swamps at dusk/dawn, then disappear suddenly.  They could be in the shape of small glowing balls (or blocks) that just wisp around the swamp.

Are they an actual animal?  Are they a mob at all?  Or is it just something weird that happens with swamp water?  It would be up to the player's imagination to decide!

But if you bat them down with a silk-touch shovel, then they would drop something.  Or perhaps you can catch one in a bottle.  Exactly what they do I'll leave to the discussion.

(I separated this from the Swamp thread since the feedback team is preferring we do it this way.)

 

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  • 3
    Registered User commented
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    I thought I was opening up the idea to discussion so others can participate. I would think the drop would be a great segue into another idea. Perhaps some new light source block, or a light source for your helmet. The mob is unique that there could be many ideas for what the drop could do. I would love to hear what others say.

    If this post doesn’t get much traction then that’s fine. That’s the name of the game. But I still want to be supportive of anyone who wants to add to the idea.  If I wrote the post wrong I’m sorry.

  • 4
    Registered User commented
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    If you switch the language to Shakespearean English blazes are called will-o-the-wisps.

  • 3
    Registered User commented
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    **Sims has just entered the chat**

  • 6
    Registered User commented
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    What if they have a 50-50 chance of leading you to some kind of cool loot/thing to aid you with a boss (like in Brave) vs. leading you to your death (like in the actual folklore). Maybe they can spawn in a light yellow but if you drink a specific potion or maybe offer it something like an orchid it will glow red or green to tell you if it will hurt or harm you.

    Will-o-wisps are also called fox-fires so really, they can look like glowing fox spirits too. Not just a floating ball. Either one would be very cool.

  • 2
    Registered User commented
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    Do you mind if I use this idea in one of my posts? Changing it a little bit.

  • 4
    Registered User commented
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    My idea for wisps:

    Spawning in swamp biomes, WOTWs would look like blue shulker pellets, and be randomly hostile. While the WOTWs hover around their spawn locations, approaching them will cause them to either attack, unleashing massive fire damage, or activate their enchanting powers. If the WOTWs choose to aid you, a held enchanted item will gain a random enchantment, while an enchanted item will lose all enchantments. If you aren’t holding an enchantable item, then the WOTWs will always attack.

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    They exist in minecraft already. They are called blazes

  • 3
    Registered User commented
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    It should be a no-drop and no-damage mob, but it would lead the player at night.
    They would only appear in the dark and disappear by the light (torch or sun) so the player would not be able to light the road, but by undermining Will-o'-Wisp, the player could either:
    - reach the witch's house
    - reach a sudden drop in terrain (e.g. a canyon)
    - find a boat with a chest (swamp update)
    - fall into a deep pit of liquid mud, in which it is difficult to swim and the air escapes faster (Minecraft Earth)

  • 2
    Registered User commented
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    I think you should also be able to see them in dark oak forests

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    The phenomena of the will-o'-the-wisp are caused by the oxidation of phosphine and methane. The phosphine and methane come from the chemical breakdown of dead plants and animals in wet areas, so I think the source block should be something like a rotten log, that wil create these ghost light particles on the surface if you place it underwater.