Postmortal
Use a Totem of Undying to cheat death
Overview
Postmortal is a goal advancement in the Adventure tab of Minecraft's advancement system, carrying the in-game description "Use a Totem of Undying to cheat death." It branches directly off Adventure, so that earlier advancement is its prerequisite and must be earned first. The Adventure tab covers advancements focused on exploration, combat, trading, and interacting with the world and its inhabitants. Postmortal was added in Minecraft 1.12 and remains part of the current 1.21 advancement set.
It is rated Hard difficulty on this site: requires significant effort, rare resources, or dangerous encounters. It is classed as a goal advancement, which renders with the rounded goal frame in the menu and marks a notable objective along the way rather than a trivial step. Nothing else in the tree depends on it, so it is a leaf at the tip of its branch.
In tree terms, Postmortal sits first along its line: the full path from the Adventure root reads Adventure -> Postmortal. That means 1 advancement must be completed before this one becomes available, and Postmortal is one of 40 total advancements in the Adventure tab. It shares its parent with 16 sibling advancements (Voluntary Exile, Monster Hunter, What a Deal!, Sticky Situation, Ol' Betsy, Surge Protector, Crafting a New Look, Adventuring Time, Sweet Dreams, Is It a Bird?, Caves & Cliffs, Under Lock and Key, Who Needs Rockets?, Blowback, Minecraft: Trial(s) Edition, and Respecting the Remnants), all of which open from the same point in the tree.
How to Complete Postmortal
Earning Postmortal comes down to the following, performed in order:
- Hold a Totem of Undying in your main hand or offhand when you take lethal damage.
- The totem is consumed and saves you with absorption and regeneration effects.
- Obtained by killing Evokers in raids or woodland mansions.
Tips & Fastest Route
Tips & Fastest Route- Fastest route: Hold a Totem of Undying in main or off hand and take a lethal hit.
- Totems drop from Evokers in raids and woodland mansions.
- Lava, the void edge or a high fall are reliable ways to take the fatal damage on purpose; the totem fires automatically.
- Make sure Adventure is already ticked off before you start, otherwise Postmortal will not be tracked even if you perform the steps correctly.
- At Hard difficulty, Postmortal rewards preparation over speed — line up the items and conditions in the steps first rather than improvising mid-attempt.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistakes- A totem in your hotbar but not in hand does nothing; it must be in the main or off-hand slot.
- Remember that Postmortal will not appear as available until Adventure is done, since the game only tracks an advancement once its parent has been unlocked.
Reward & What It Unlocks
Reward & What It UnlocksCompleting Postmortal grants 10 experience points. The XP drops at your position the moment the advancement fires.
It is a leaf advancement, so nothing further unlocks from it; it stands as a completed tip of its branch.
Details
- Advancement ID
minecraft:adventure/totem_of_undying- Icon Item
- Totem of Undying
- Category
- Adventure
- Difficulty
- Hard
- XP Reward
- 10 XP
- Version Added
- 1.12
Advancement ID
Category
Version AddedAdvancement Tree
Parent Advancement
Child Advancements
Postmortal Advancement FAQ
How do you get the Postmortal advancement in Minecraft?
Hold a Totem of Undying in main or off hand and take a lethal hit. In full, hold a Totem of Undying in your main hand or offhand when you take lethal damage. The totem is consumed and saves you with absorption and regeneration effects. Obtained by killing Evokers in raids or woodland mansions.
What do you need for Postmortal?
Before you can work on it you must have completed Adventure. Hold a Totem of Undying in your main hand or offhand when you take lethal damage. The totem is consumed and saves you with absorption and regeneration effects.
Which advancement tab is Postmortal in?
Postmortal is in the Adventure tab, hanging beneath Adventure. Its in-game advancement ID is minecraft:adventure/totem_of_undying.
Is Postmortal part of the Adventure branch?
Yes. Postmortal sits directly below Adventure in the Adventure tree, so you must earn Adventure first. It is a leaf, so nothing further unlocks from it.
How much XP does Postmortal give and how hard is it?
Postmortal awards 10 XP and is rated Hard difficulty, and it is a goal advancement.