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I was roaming around and died. My spawn point changed because the last bed I slept in got destroyed, and my original spawn point is covered in lava. Now what do I do?

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I wonder how you got the whole spawn area to be covered in lava... –  Tom Wijsman Oct 20 '11 at 2:59
I'd guess, catch on fire? –  Rapida Oct 20 '11 at 3:58
Why does it matter how it happened? (He put it there / uncovered a lava lake / Herobrine did it) –  doppelgreener Oct 20 '11 at 5:51
@JonathanHobbs: Irony? ;) –  Tom Wijsman Oct 20 '11 at 11:29
ok i didnt remember where my original spawn point was and never thought about it after my spawn point was put in my base so went off exploring and made a bed so i could skip to morning while exploring and didnt know that my spawn point would change when the bed was destroyed so awhile ago put lava on a mountain cause i thought it would be pretty cool –  Anthony Hillery Oct 20 '11 at 17:10

3 Answers 3

Option 1:

As soon as you spawn, look straight down and break the block below you. (yes, while on fire)

This will change your spawn point to a few blocks away. If you spawn in the lava again, repeat. Do this enough times and hopefully you'll spawn in a safe place.

Please note, that on SMP, you will automatically spawn at a random location in a spawn area.

Option 2:

You can also edit your save world in SMP. Download the Minecraft Server and place it in a folder on your desktop. Open it, let it generate a world, then close it. You've just created your own personal Minecraft server.

Now go grab your single-player world files from the saves directory of your Minecraft folder and replace the world generated by your server (the files you'll be copying are the ones labelled data, DIM-1, level.dat, etc). Make a backup of these files as well, in case something goes wrong. Next, open the server_properties file of your new server (using a text editor like Notepad or Wordpad) and change gamemode from 0 to 1. You are now invincible, allowing you to make whatever changes you want to your world (like cleaning up your lava spill) without dying. To access your world via SMP, open Minecraft, select Multiplayer and then choose Direct Connect to

When you're satisfied with your changes, close the server and change gamemode back to 0. Open and close the server one final time to save this change (lest your world be stuck in Creative mode). Copy the world files back into your Minecraft folder. The changes you made through your SMP server will have saved, and your spawn area will be safe again.

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ive tried and tried over and over again i just keep falling down and im getting into the cobblestone and cant hit through it fast enough –  Anthony Hillery Oct 20 '11 at 2:51
@TomWijsman I just tested it, and it worked in both 1-player and SMP. Destroying the block that I spawn on top of will change the spawn point by about 4 blocks diagonally (spawning me at a different X-Z co-ordinate entirely). –  Keaanu Oct 20 '11 at 5:31
Based on this not working for Anthony I would speculate your spawn point only changes if your spawn block is air (not if it is destroyed). Since Anthony's spawn point is in lava, lava will flow into the hole and his spawn point block is now lava, which is not air and so the spawn point is not changed. (I deleted + reposted this comment, I should stop doing that) –  doppelgreener Oct 20 '11 at 5:56
@JonathanHobbs Tricky situation. I'll add a workaround for general world fixes, bypassing the spawn issue altogether. –  Keaanu Oct 20 '11 at 6:06
@Keaanu: Not true, look it up on the Wiki, on SMP you spawn in a spawn area and not on a single block. –  Tom Wijsman Oct 20 '11 at 11:27

It seems from your response to Keaanu's answer that 'legitimate' means aren't working for you. If you resort to slightly less conventional means, then it's up to you how you solve the problem, here are a few suggestions:

  • Enable creative mode for you map, place a bed on the edge of the lava pool where you can get to it before dying. Respawn until it's night, sleep in the bed. This will reset your spawn point.

  • Hack in a bucket of water to your inventory using TooManyItems immediately upon spawning, and place it straight away. It will solidify the lava.

  • Hack in solid blocks and place as many as you can while you're alive to fill up the lava pool.

  • Use a map editor such as MCEdit to move your spawn point, or just remove the lava.

  • Install Single Player Commands and use /platform to place a glass block where you are, /health to give yourself enough health to escape, make a bed and reset spawn, or /jump if you can see some water. /tele x y z would work too.

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If using SPC, /damage (toggles all player damage) is probably more effective than /health. –  Ben Blank Oct 20 '11 at 17:59

Your best bet is to try to run in each direction to get out of the lava.
If that doesn't work, you need a map editor to move your spawn point slightly...

Another solution is to find a way to make yourself invulnerable, or try to enable creative mode.

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Any ideas on how to do any of those because the lava is on half the mountain and the spawn point is in the middle of the lava –  Anthony Hillery Oct 20 '11 at 4:47
@AnthonyHillery: Trying to run and jump in every possible direction (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW) might be able to get you out of the lava... –  Tom Wijsman Oct 20 '11 at 11:33
@TomWijsman I assume that, without armor, he would still burn to death. –  Keaanu Oct 20 '11 at 16:33
@Keaanu: I don't know for sure how the lava system works, but the fire might stop before he burns to death or he might be able to jump in water. –  Tom Wijsman Oct 20 '11 at 16:39
i have no armour or anything and the lava is like the whole half side of a mountain so probably like 50 sqs wide and im like 10sqs from the side while the water is like 100sqs away –  Anthony Hillery Oct 20 '11 at 16:52

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