Recycling Arrows

Did you know that real-world hunters often recover arrows from their prey and reuse them?

Recycling Arrows brings that idea into Minecraft.

When a mob is hit by an arrow, the arrow is remembered on that entity. When the mob dies, those arrows are dropped back into the world, allowing you to pick them up and use them again. Starting from 1.4.0, arrows may sometimes break into its ingredients. This behavior can be configured with config options and datapacks.

What This Mod Does

• Arrows that hit mobs are tracked
• When the mob dies, those arrows are returned as drops
• Identical arrows are stacked internally to avoid clutter
• Works with vanilla arrows and most modded arrows
• Since 1.1.0, you can see how many arrows are stuck on an entity directly
• Since 1.4.0, arrow drops can be customized with datapacks
• Since 1.5.0, you can use shears to remove arrows from a mob without killing it; mobs can also remove an arrow from themselves ocassionally.
• Since 1.7.0, arrows on player's body would come off as time passes; they can also be removed by the player using shears against air when croughing.

Datapack Support (1.4.0+)

Starting from 1.4.0, Recycling Arrows includes a simple datapack-based drop system.

This allows modpack authors and datapack creators to change what an embedded arrow drops when the target dies.

You can:

• Keep the original arrow as-is
• Replace it with broken-down materials such as sticks, flint, or feathers
• Use weighted results for multiple possible outcomes
• Preserve arrow data with functions such as copying tipped arrow NBT
• Make one arrow type refer to the drop behavior of another

If no matching datapack entry exists, the mod will automatically fall back to the original resolved arrow item.

There is also a config option to disable the datapack system entirely, in which case all drops always use the default fallback behavior.

For detailed usage, please check the wiki.

Why Use This Mod?

Ranged combat in Minecraft often leads to arrows gradually disappearing over time. This mod adds a small quality-of-life improvement so that arrows stuck in enemies do not simply vanish.

It is especially useful in hardcore or survival-focused modpacks, where arrows can be expensive or limited. Recycling Arrows helps make bow combat less punishing without making it overpowered.

With datapack support, it can also be used as a lightweight balance tool. Arrows can be fully recoverable, only partially recoverable, or broken down into materials depending on the design of the pack.

The goal is simple: make ranged combat feel fairer and more sustainable, while still keeping the core gameplay intact.

Compatibility

Because the mod records the item form of arrow projectiles, it generally works with:

• Vanilla arrows
• Tipped arrows
• Spectral arrows
• Most modded arrow items
• Spartan Weaponry Bolts

No required setup for basic use.

Datapack customization is optional.