Difficulty by Distance
Java mod listed for Minecraft 1.21. Downloads from the MC Java Mods app on Android.
Adds the option to scale difficulty infinitely the further out you travel, alongside applying scaling to more mechanics and tools for pack creators.
⬇ Download on ModrinthAbout
Difficulty by Distance (DxD) makes numerous data-driven expansions and changes to vanilla's local difficulty mechanic, including the option to make its scaling distance-based. The difficulty limit is much higher than in vanilla, for players who want to venture out for challenging encounters.
Geared-up mobs
The most prominent effect of local difficulty is mobs spawning with equipment and enchantments on it. DxD converts vanilla's completely hardcoded logic into data-driven equipment loot tables, that can also be applied to any mob. DxD makes enchantments have no maximum cost when applied this way, meaning all will be available no matter how high the enchanting level becomes.
More mobs
As difficulty increases, there is a chance for an additional pack of hostile mobs every spawn cycle, resulting in mixed concentrations of mobs around you. Spider jockeys now become more common as difficulty increases.
Pack creator tools
DxD is highly configurable, and adds a difficulty number provider for loot tables, worldgen, and other systems that use them. Certain items can have their drop chances changed via a data map. Give monsters Netherite gear that disappears with them!
Recommended mods
EnchantWithMob - Works off of local difficulty, so it's great with DxD!
Zombie Improvements - Bug fixes and improvements to the leader and reinforcement mechanics, which scale with difficulty.
- Edition: Minecraft Java
- File type: .jar
- Minecraft versions listed: 1.21.1, 1.21.2, 1.21.3
- How to install: Install the matching mod loader (Forge, Fabric or NeoForge) for your Minecraft version. → Download the .jar. → Put it in the .minecraft/mods folder and launch that loader profile.
- Where to get it: Opens on Modrinth — not every file is mirrored on our own servers.
Install steps are the general flow for this file type — How to install Minecraft Java mods & modpacks walks through it step by step.
- Ships as difficultybydistance-1.1.0.jar — drop this file into the mods folder
- Download size: 61 KB
- Download link checked 21 Oct 2026 — working
These come from our own check of the pack file, not from the source page.