Gunpowder item in Minecraft

What it does

Five gunpowder in a checkerboard with four sand or red sand make a TNT block. A Firework Rocket needs paper and one to three gunpowder: the more you add, the longer it flies, which also means a longer boost when you fly with elytra. Firework stars, which give rockets their colors and shapes, need gunpowder too.

In a Brewing Stand, gunpowder converts any potion into a splash potion you can throw at mobs, allies or yourself. A Fire Charge, made from gunpowder, blaze powder and coal or charcoal, is a single-use fire starter that dispensers shoot as a fireball.

Creeper farms are the classic source, since creepers drop up to two each. Gunpowder can also be found in desert temples, shipwrecks and dungeons, and the wandering trader sometimes sells it.