Better Keepinventory
by asyncbanana
Better Keepinventory changes which items a player loses on death, so that only loot from players who were killed drops while other deaths behave normally.
What it does
When a player dies, the mod keeps the usual inventory rules in place for most causes of death. Loot is dropped only when another player caused the death, which lets servers keep player-versus-player combat with a looting risk. Deaths from falling into lava or other environmental causes do not wipe the inventory the way a standard keepInventory setting would.
The mod has to be enabled alongside the keepInventory game rule, which needs to be on for the feature to take effect. Fabric API is required, and the mod is listed for Fabric and Quilt. Because the code is small, the author states that other versions can be supported with simple changes, and official builds cover 1.17.1, 1.19, 1.20 and the versions after them.
Both the server and every player need the mod, so it is installed on the server and on each client. Files are published for 1.17.1 – 1.21.4 across 14 release versions, and the mod is released under the MIT License as open source.
Key features
Player-caused loot drops
Items drop only when the death was caused by another player, so PvP fights keep a real stake.
Safe environmental deaths
Deaths from causes such as lava do not drop the full inventory, which limits losses from accidents.
Keep inventory toggle
The behavior depends on the keepInventory game rule being enabled, so server owners control it with the game rule.
Other deaths unchanged
Deaths that are not caused by players follow the normal rules instead of the modified behavior.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
1.21.x5 of 5 versions with builds
1.20.x5 of 5 versions with builds
1.19.x3 of 3 versions with builds
1.17.x1 of 1 version with builds
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 1
Use cases
Player-versus-player servers
Servers that allow PvP can keep looting tied to player kills while protecting players from accidental losses.
Who it’s for: Server owners who run survival worlds with PvP enabled and want deaths to carry a risk only when players fight each other.
How it compares
Individual Keep Inventory is server-side only, open source under the MIT License and published for Fabric across 1.20 – 1.21, so players can join without installing anything. Auto keep inventory runs on Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt for 1.13 – 1.21.10, with the server required and the client optional, under the CC0 1.0 Universal license, and is not open source.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better Keepinventory | Fabric and Quilt | 1.17.1 – 1.21.4 | Client and server | 2024-12-27 |
| Individual Keep Inventory | Fabric | 1.20 – 1.21 | Server-side only | 2024-06-19 |
| Auto keep inventory | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.13 – 1.21.10 | Server required, client optional | 2025-10-24 |
Questions
Does Better Keepinventory need Fabric API?
Does the server need the mod?
Does the keepInventory game rule have to be on?
In the catalog
Better Keepinventory is one of 8,016 Management mods on ModsFinder, and one of 5,930 Management mods for Fabric. 17,979 mods support Minecraft 1.21.4.
More from asyncbanana
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What the author says
Better KeepInventory is a mod that makes it so you only drop loot when killed by players. This helps make servers more engaging by allowing for PVP with looting while still ensuring you don't lose everything after falling into lava. To enable BKI functionality, you must enable keepinventory as you normally would…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/keepinventory
- Owner
- asyncbanana
- Published
- 2021-11-24
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2024-12-27
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15