Thorns

What happens when you are hit?

Each Thorns piece independently has a chance equal to its level times 15% to damage the attacker. A successful trigger deals between 1 and 5 damage points and knocks the attacker back. The reading says this works against melee hits, arrows and other projectiles; a shield can block the Thorns damage when there is an opportunity to block, usually with projectile damage.

How do multiple pieces behave?

Multiple worn Thorns pieces stack their independent chances, but damage is not simply added without limit: the invulnerability timer caps total damage at the highest individual Thorns amount dealt in that event. Additional pieces can increase the chance of a trigger and shift average damage upward. Each piece that triggers also takes an extra 2 durability damage, whether or not its damage was the highest.

What is the investment tradeoff?

Thorns can be placed on the listed armor pieces and has a maximum level of III. Unbreaking applies its normal chance of ignoring durability loss, which can help offset the extra wear. The reading says Thorns III cannot be obtained directly from enchanting tables on any armor tier; an anvil can apply it. Consider the cost in armor durability against how often being hit is part of your combat.

What should I not assume?

Thorns is a chance-based response, not guaranteed damage on every hit. Multiple pieces increase the chance but do not make their damage bonuses freely stack into an unlimited hit. Warden sonic boom attacks are explicitly unaffected in Java. Do not confuse the Guardian's separate spike behavior with the enchantment.

Limitations and tradeoffs

• Can retaliate against several direct attack types, but triggers are chance-based.
• More pieces raise trigger chance while adding durability costs.
• Extra armor wear can be mitigated probabilistically by Unbreaking.