KeepXPs
Losing experience points upon death is one of the most punishing mechanics in Minecraft. Whether you are exploring the End, battling the Wither, or simply falling into lava while carrying 50 levels, the frustration of seeing your XP vanish can be immense. KeepXPs is a clever, lightweight datapack designed to solve exactly that problem while leaving the rest of the vanilla death system untouched. Your items still drop, your armor still scatters, but your precious experience orbs remain right where you fell, ready to be reclaimed.
What Is KeepXPs?
KeepXPs is a simple yet powerful datapack for Minecraft Java Edition. Unlike the global keepInventory game rule, which preserves both items and XP, KeepXPs focuses solely on experience points. When a player dies, the normal item-dropping behavior occurs, but the experience orbs that would normally scatter and partially disappear are instead kept intact at the death location. This means you can sprint back to your death spot and recover every single point of XP without any loss. It strikes a perfect balance between the hardcore survival challenge and the convenience of not losing hours of grinding.
How KeepXPs Works
The datapack operates through a set of simple commands that toggle the feature on or off for individual players. Once installed, every player on the server or in the single-player world can control their own XP retention. The core commands are:
/function keepxp:true– Enables XP keeping for the player who runs the command./function keepxp:false– Disables the feature, returning to vanilla XP loss on death./function keepxp:status– Displays whether XP keeping is currently active for the player.
This per-player flexibility makes KeepXPs ideal for multiplayer servers where some users want the safety net while others prefer the vanilla risk. Server operators can also configure the datapack to be on or off by default for all new players, ensuring a tailored experience without constant admin intervention.
Why Choose KeepXPs Over the keepInventory Gamerule?
Many players are familiar with the /gamerule keepInventory true command, which prevents any item or XP drop on death. While convenient, it removes a core survival element: the frantic race to retrieve your gear. KeepXPs offers a middle ground. Your diamond tools and enchanted armor still fall to the ground, creating that tense retrieval mission, but your experience levels—often the result of hours of mob farming or mining—are safeguarded. This makes the datapack especially popular on semi-vanilla servers where players want a fair but less punishing death penalty.
Installation and Compatibility
KeepXPs is designed as a datapack, meaning it works natively with Minecraft Java Edition without requiring any mod loaders like Forge or Fabric. It is compatible with versions 1.17 and above, seamlessly integrating into the vanilla command system. To install manually, simply download the datapack zip file, place it into the datapacks folder of your world save, and reload the world. For those using the foxygame.net launcher, KeepXPs can be added directly from the built-in add-on catalog, which automatically handles version compatibility and updates, making the process even smoother.
Setting Up KeepXPs on Your Server
Server administrators will appreciate how straightforward the installation is. After dropping the datapack into the world’s datapacks folder, run /reload to activate it. You can then set the default state for all players by editing the configuration file inside the datapack. This allows you to decide whether new players start with XP keeping enabled or disabled. The datapack uses a simple scoreboard system to track each player’s preference, so it remains lightweight and lag-free even on large servers.
Customizing the Experience
Beyond the basic toggle, KeepXPs can be combined with other datapacks and command block setups to create unique gameplay loops. For example, you might link XP keeping to a specific item or achievement, or create a cooldown period after death. The datapack’s functions are exposed and well-documented, making it easy for server owners to integrate into larger command-based systems. Its minimalistic design ensures it won’t conflict with other popular datapacks like Timber, Graves, or multiplayer sleep systems.
Common Use Cases
KeepXPs shines in several scenarios. Hardcore-adjacent worlds where players want a challenge but not total loss of progress benefit greatly. Adventure maps that require players to die and respawn without losing their hard-earned enchantment levels also find it invaluable. Even casual builders who occasionally fall from high scaffolding can breathe easier knowing their XP is safe. The datapack respects the vanilla death message and respawn mechanics, so it feels like a natural extension of the game rather than a cheat.
Performance and Reliability
Because KeepXPs relies entirely on Minecraft’s built-in datapack functions and scoreboards, it has virtually no performance impact. It does not add any new entities, blocks, or items, and it only runs a check when a player dies. This makes it a safe choice for even the most heavily modded or populated servers. The code is open-source and has been tested across multiple Minecraft versions, ensuring long-term reliability.
Final Thoughts
KeepXPs fills a specific niche that many players didn’t realize they needed until they tried it. It respects the vanilla death penalty while removing the most tedious part of recovery. Whether you are a solo player tired of grinding XP after every mishap or a server owner looking to offer a balanced quality-of-life feature, this datapack delivers. Its ease of use, per-player control, and seamless integration make it a must-have addition to any modern Minecraft world.