DnT Ancient City Overhaul Guide: Redesigned Structures, New Loot & Archaeology
DnT Ancient City Overhaul transforms Minecraft's Ancient City from a sparse underground ruin into a dense, maze-like metropolis filled with new houses, Illager camps, alarm towers, Amethyst boxes, and overhauled loot tables. Part of the Dungeons and Taverns series, this standalone mod works without requiring the main DnT mod.
Overview
DnT Ancient City Overhaul is a standalone structure mod from the Dungeons and Taverns series that completely reimagines the Ancient City. Rather than the vanilla open layout with Cobbled Deepslate ring structures, the overhauled city features slimmer, taller walls, narrow roads, dozens of smaller houses, new building types, and a significantly expanded loot table. The result is an Ancient City that actually feels like a city, with winding streets and hidden dangers around every corner.
The mod adds several entirely new structure types including Amethyst Boxes, a second Ice Box variant, Alarm Towers that use Amethyst resonance to trigger Sculk Shriekers, Illager Camps with raid-specific loot, Big Chambers inspired by the original Ancient City concept art, and rubble piles with Suspicious Gravel for archaeology. The loot tables have been overhauled to include all Iron and Diamond tools and armor (not just Hoes and Leggings), along with Iron and Gold Ingots, Nuggets, and a rare chance at Diamonds. The city center statue now contains 3 loot chests with some of the best rewards in the structure.
This mod does NOT require the main Dungeons and Taverns mod to function. It works entirely on its own. However, the main DnT mod does NOT include Ancient City Overhaul features, so you need to install this separately if you want the overhauled Ancient City.
Getting Started
- 1
Locate an Ancient City
Ancient Cities generate in the Deep Dark biome, typically below Y level -52. The structure placement uses a spacing of 24 chunks and a minimum separation of 8 chunks, which is the same as vanilla. Look for Sculk patches deep underground as indicators that you're near the Deep Dark. Bring plenty of torches and food, and consider using the /locate command to find one quickly.
- 2
Prepare Your Gear
The overhauled Ancient City is more dangerous than vanilla because Sculk Shriekers can be hidden inside the new houses, making it easy to accidentally trigger the Warden. Bring at least Iron armor and a good supply of Wool or Carpet to place over Sculk Sensors. Sneak constantly. Swift Sneak Enchantment books are found frequently in this mod's loot, which will help enormously on return trips.
- 3
Navigate the City Streets
Unlike vanilla's open layout, the overhauled city has narrow roads and densely packed houses. Move slowly and stay crouched. The slim roads connect various building types, and the layout feels more like a maze. Keep track of where you've been by placing markers or torches. Be especially careful entering houses, as Shriekers may be lurking inside.
- 4
Loot the Houses and Structures
Start with the smaller ruins and corner structures on the outskirts before working your way toward the city center. The general loot chests throughout the city contain enchanted Iron and Diamond tools and armor, Echo Shards, Swift Sneak books, Sculk components, Amethyst Shards, and more. Look for the Amethyst Box and Ice Box structures for specialized loot.
- 5
Reach the City Center
The city center statue now contains 3 loot chests with the richest rewards in the entire structure. You can find Enchanted Golden Apples, Music Disc "otherside", Dragon's Breath, Diamond armor and tools enchanted at level 30-50, Mending books, and the rare Silence Armor Trim. This is the ultimate prize, but reaching it means navigating deep into the heart of the city where Sculk coverage is heaviest.
City Layout and New Structures
The overhauled Ancient City replaces the vanilla Cobbled Deepslate ring structures with a dense network of buildings connected by slim roads. The main walls are slimmer and taller than vanilla, and the entrance features redesigned pillars with Soul Fire bonfires burning on top. Multiple entrance path variants lead into the city, giving each generated Ancient City a unique approach.
Houses and Ruins
The city is packed with structures of varying sizes. Small ruins come in at least 5 variants (with alternate versions), medium ruins in 4+ variants, large ruins in 4 variants, and tall ruins in 6 variants. There are also tall medium ruins that combine height with complexity. Each variant has both an intact and a rubble-strewn alternate version, creating visual variety across the city. Corner structures (9 variants) fill the intersections of the road network, with variant 8 appearing at double the frequency of others.
Big Chambers
Five types of Big Chambers (ritual rooms) can spawn within the Ancient City. These are large, multi-room structures inspired by the original Ancient City concept art that was never fully realized in vanilla Minecraft. The chambers are among the most impressive structures in the overhaul and contain valuable loot.
Barracks and Saunas
Three Barracks variants and five Sauna variants populate the city. All of these structures share equal spawn weight, so you'll encounter them regularly as you explore. They contribute to the city feeling like an actual lived-in settlement rather than a collection of disconnected ruins.
Sculk Shriekers can generate inside the new houses and buildings. In vanilla, Shriekers were mostly in open areas where you could see them. With this mod's dense layout, you can easily stumble into one while entering a building. Always crouch and listen for the distinctive hum of nearby Sculk Sensors before entering any structure.
Amethyst Box Structures
Two new Amethyst Box structures can spawn throughout the city. These are compact buildings themed around Amethyst, containing Amethyst Shards and other crystal-related loot. They are a welcome addition for players hunting Amethyst underground.
Ice Box Structures
The mod adds a second Ice Box variant alongside the vanilla one. Ice Box chests contain food supplies including Golden Carrots (5-10), Baked Potatoes (5-15), Suspicious Stew with Blindness and Night Vision effects, Packed Ice, and Snowballs. They also have a small chance to drop the Ward or Silence Armor Trim Smithing Templates.
Alarm Towers
Three types of Alarm Towers (lighthouse pillars) can generate within the city. These towers use the Amethyst resonance mechanic to relay vibrations to nearby Sculk Shriekers. If you trigger one accidentally, it can alert the Warden from a distance. The best strategy is to tower up and dismantle the Amethyst components from the top down before the signal chain activates. Alarm Towers are relatively rare compared to other structures, making them a notable landmark when you spot one.
Illager Camps
Three Illager Camp variants now spawn inside the Ancient City. Unlike vanilla, where the camps often failed to display all three versions, this mod ensures all camp types appear correctly. Each camp has its own dedicated loot chest using the Ancient City Raid loot table. These chests can contain Echo Shards, high-level Enchanted Books (level 20), Sculk Shriekers, Diamonds (1-3), Amethyst Shards, Iron and Gold in both Ingot and Nugget form, Sculk Sensors, and Bottles o' Enchanting. There's also a small chance for the Ward Armor Trim.
Road Lanterns
Small road lanterns dot the slim roads throughout the city. These come in two forms: intact lanterns and broken (failed) lanterns. Broken lanterns appear three times as often as intact ones, reinforcing the ruined atmosphere. The lanterns help with visibility while adding to the city's architectural detail.
Entrance Pillars with Soul Fire
The city entrance has been redesigned with five pillar variants, all topped with Soul Fire bonfires. Multiple entrance path variants (6 types plus connectors and end caps) create a grand approach to the city. The entrance area is your first indication that this is not the vanilla Ancient City you remember.
Overhauled Loot Tables
One of the biggest changes in this mod is the expanded loot system. Vanilla Ancient City chests had a limited pool dominated by Hoes and Leggings. The overhauled loot tables add the full range of Iron and Diamond tools and armor, along with significantly more material drops.
General City Chests
The general chests found throughout the city structures roll 4 items from the main pool. High-value finds include Enchanted Golden Apples, Music Disc "otherside" and "13", Dragon's Breath (1-3), Diamonds (1-2), and Diamond Horse Armor. You can find all Diamond tools (Pickaxe, Axe, Shovel, Sword, Hoe) enchanted at level 30-45, though the Hoe is the most common at weight 8 compared to weight 1 for other Diamond tools. Iron tool equivalents also drop with the same enchantment levels. Leggings are the most common armor drop for both Iron and Diamond. Every chest also has a Swift Sneak book at weight 20 and random Enchanted Books at weight 25.
Utility items include Saddles, Leads, Name Tags, Compasses, Soul Torches (1-15), and Coal (6-15). Material drops include Iron Ingots (4-10), Gold Ingots (5-8), Iron Nuggets (6-15), Gold Nuggets (4-10), and Amethyst Shards (1-6). Sculk components like Sculk Blocks, Sculk Sensors, and Sculk Catalysts also appear regularly.
The Ward and Silence Armor Trim Smithing Templates are scattered across multiple loot tables in the overhauled city. General chests have a Ward at weight 4 and Silence at weight 1 (out of 140 total weight). The city center chests offer better odds with Ward at weight 8 and Silence at weight 1 (out of 88). Mending books also appear at weight 4 in the trim pool, making the city center your best bet for rare finds.
City Center Chests
The 3 chests in the city center statue are the crown jewels of the overhauled Ancient City. Each chest rolls 3 items from the main pool and 2 items from a Sculk component pool. The main pool is identical to the general chest pool but with higher variety. The Sculk pool guarantees drops of Sculk Shriekers, Sculk Catalysts, Sculk Sensors, Sculk Veins (2-5), Sculk blocks (2-5), and Bones (1-15). The trim pool has better odds here: Ward at weight 8, Silence at weight 1, and Mending book at weight 8, versus 71 weight for empty.
City Center Loot Highlights
| Enchanted Golden Apple | Weight 5 per roll (3 rolls) |
| Dragon's Breath | 1-3, Weight 5 |
| Music Disc "otherside" | Weight 5 |
| Diamond Tools (non-Hoe) | Enchanted Level 30-45, Weight 1 each |
| Diamond Hoe | Enchanted Level 30-50, Weight 8 |
| Swift Sneak Book | Weight 20 (guaranteed) |
| Mending Book | Weight 8 in trim pool (1 roll) |
| Silence Armor Trim | Weight 1 in trim pool |
| Ward Armor Trim | Weight 8 in trim pool |
| Diamond Leggings | Enchanted Level 30-50, Weight 12 |
| Echo Shards | 1-3, Weight 20 |
Archaeology
All houses in the overhauled city can contain rubble piles made mostly of Cobbled Deepslate, along with Gravel and Suspicious Gravel. Using a Brush on the Suspicious Gravel reveals archaeology drops from a custom loot table. The archaeology rewards include Skeleton Skulls (weight 15), various Pottery Sherds (Mourner, Skull, Arms Up, Heartbreak, and Burn, each at weight 8), Disc Fragment 5 (weight 8), Echo Shards (weight 8), Golden Apples (weight 8), and Diamonds (weight 8).
Rarer finds from brushing include Enchanted Golden Apples (weight 2), Ward Armor Trim (weight 2), Silence Armor Trim (weight 1), and Swift Sneak books (weight 8). Common drops like Amethyst Shards (weight 40), Bones (weight 40), Gold and Iron Nuggets (weight 30 each), Lapis Lazuli (weight 30), and Redstone (weight 30) round out the table. Archaeology adds another layer of engagement to exploring the city beyond just opening chests.
Decorated Pot Loot
Decorated Pots found within the overhauled city have their own loot table. Breaking or interacting with pots can yield a variety of items including Sculk (1-12), Healing Potions, Redstone (1-6), Gray Wool (1-5), Snowballs (1-8), Coal (1-8), White Candles (1-8), Emeralds (1-5), Amethyst Shards (1-12), Bones (1-5), Bone Meal (1-2), Gray Dye (1-5), Gold Nuggets (1-5), Iron Nuggets (1-6), Iron Ingots (1-2), Gold Ingots, Lapis Lazuli (1-4), and Bottles o' Enchanting (1-3). There's also a chance for Swift Sneak books, random Enchanted Books, Mending books (very rare), Skeleton Skulls, Diamonds, and Echo Shards.
Illager Mansion Loot (Bonus Content)
The mod also overhauls the Woodland Mansion's loot tables with room-specific chests. Vindicator Chests contain enchanted Iron or Diamond Axes plus supplies. Evoker Chests are the most valuable, offering Totems of Undying, Music Disc "Mellohi", Mojang Banner Patterns, high-level Enchanted Books (level 20-39), Diamonds (4-7), Gold Ingots (5-10), and the Vex Armor Trim. Pillager Chests provide Goat Horns, enchanted Crossbows, and Tipped Arrows of Harming.
Library Chests offer low-level Enchanted Books and rare Illager's Bane enchantments. Kitchen Chests are stocked with food items. Map Chests are particularly useful, containing exploration maps that lead to Pillager Outposts, Ancient Cities, Witch Villas, Badlands Miner Outposts, and Illager Hideouts. Secret Room Chests hold Diamonds (1-3), Emerald Blocks (1-2), and Amethyst Shards (8-14). The Sentry Armor Trim appears in several Mansion chest types, while the Vex Armor Trim is exclusive to Evoker and Library chests.
Structure Generation Details
The Ancient City uses random spread placement with 24-chunk spacing and 8-chunk separation, identical to vanilla. This means you'll find approximately one Ancient City per 24x24 chunk area, with at least 8 chunks between any two cities. The city center has 3 possible variants, each generating with a full set of surrounding wall segments (12 wall piece types) and the road network branching outward.
The city walls themselves come in 16 variants including intact corners, intersections, L-shapes, straight walls with stairs, passages, and ruined versions. The mix of intact and ruined walls gives each city a unique silhouette. Wall stairs variants (4 and 5 types for intact and ruined respectively) are the most common wall pieces, creating the vertical transitions between different elevation levels within the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this mod require the main Dungeons and Taverns mod?
No. DnT Ancient City Overhaul is a standalone "splinter" version. It works entirely on its own without any dependencies. The main Dungeons and Taverns mod does NOT include these Ancient City changes.
Will this mod affect existing Ancient Cities in my world?
No. Ancient Cities that have already been generated in explored chunks will not change. The overhauled structures will only appear in newly generated chunks that you haven't visited yet. You'll need to travel to unexplored Deep Dark areas to find the new city layout.
Does the Warden still spawn in the overhauled Ancient City?
Yes. The Warden spawning mechanic is unchanged. Sculk Shriekers still trigger the Warden after being activated enough times. In fact, the city may be more dangerous because Shriekers can hide inside the new houses where you can't see them before entering. The Alarm Towers add an additional risk of triggering distant Shriekers via Amethyst resonance.
What are the Alarm Towers and how do I deal with them?
Alarm Towers are tall structures that use Amethyst blocks to relay vibrations to Sculk Shriekers. When triggered, they can alert Shriekers you can't even see. The safest approach is to tower up alongside them and break the Amethyst components from top to bottom before they can complete the resonance chain. There are 3 tower variants.
Can I find Mending books in the overhauled Ancient City?
Yes. Mending books appear in several loot pools. General city chests and city center chests have Mending books at weight 4 in their armor trim pool. Decorated Pots also have a rare chance at Mending books. The city center offers the best odds since the trim pool has lower empty weight (71 vs 131 in general chests).
Does this mod change the Ancient City spawn rate or biome?
No. The structure placement is identical to vanilla: 24-chunk spacing with 8-chunk minimum separation. Ancient Cities still only generate in the Deep Dark biome. The mod only changes what the city looks like and contains, not where or how often it appears.