How to Make Lingering Potions in Minecraft
Full guide to Lingering Potions in Minecraft 1.21+. Covers Dragon's Breath, area cloud mechanics, duration reduction, and how to craft Tipped Arrows from lingering potions.
What Are Lingering Potions?
Lingering Potions create an area-of-effect cloud when thrown. Any entity that walks through the cloud receives the potion's effect. The cloud shrinks over time, lasting about 30 seconds before disappearing. Lingering Potions are also the required ingredient for crafting Tipped Arrows.
Ingredients
| Item | Quantity | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon's Breath | 1 | Collected by using a Glass Bottle on the Ender Dragon's breath/fireball attack |
| Any Splash Potion | 1-3 | Brewed (potion + Gunpowder) |
| Blaze Powder | fuel | Crafted from Blaze Rods |
Brewing Steps
- Brew a regular potion.
- Add Gunpowder to create a Splash Potion.
- Add Dragon's Breath to convert the Splash Potion into a Lingering Potion.
Duration Mechanics
Lingering Potions have 25 % of the drinkable potion's duration. Each time an entity enters the cloud, it receives a short burst of the effect. The cloud starts at approximately 3 blocks radius and shrinks with each application.
| Base Duration | Lingering Duration |
|---|---|
| 3:00 | 0:45 |
| 8:00 | 2:00 |
| 1:30 | 0:22 |
| 0:45 | 0:11 |
| Instant | Instant (per tick in cloud) |
How to Get Dragon's Breath
During the Ender Dragon fight, the dragon periodically breathes purple acid onto the ground or shoots a fireball that creates a lingering cloud. While the purple cloud is on the ground, use an empty Glass Bottle on it (right-click) to collect Dragon's Breath. Each collection fills one bottle. Bring at least 20-30 empty bottles to the fight to stock up.
Crafting Tipped Arrows
Place one Lingering Potion in the centre of a crafting table surrounded by 8 Arrows. This produces 8 Tipped Arrows with the corresponding potion effect. Tipped Arrows are used in bows and crossbows and apply their effect on hit.
Best Uses
- Area denial: Throw Lingering Harming or Poison into chokepoints during PvP to control space.
- Tipped Arrow crafting: The primary practical reason to brew Lingering Potions. Arrows of Harming II, Healing II, and Poison are highly valued in ranged PvP.
- Trap building: Place Lingering Potions in dispensers facing a pressure plate trap for a nasty surprise.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the cloud last?
The cloud lasts approximately 30 seconds in total. Each time a player or mob enters it, the cloud shrinks slightly, so heavy traffic through the cloud causes it to disappear faster.
Can I re-enter the cloud for multiple applications?
Yes, but there is a short cooldown between applications. Each entity can receive the effect once per second while inside the cloud.
Is Dragon's Breath renewable?
Yes. You can resummon the Ender Dragon by placing four End Crystals on the exit portal in the End. Each fight gives you another chance to collect Dragon's Breath.
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