How can I make a pick with Efficieny 5, Unbreaking 3, Fortune 3, and Mending 1 without it becoming too expensive.... I've had 3 attempts at this and everytime the very last book becomes too expensive.
How are you creating the books? If you started from max-level books there would be no issue even if you simply added enchantments one by one as you'd only consume 4 of the maximum of 6 operations that you can perform in the anvil. On the other hand, if you tried making e.g. Efficiency V from Efficiency I books than that is a problem; you'd have to combine them in a specific order* so that the maximum number of workings on any one item is less than 6 and you've already consumed 4 of them by making Efficiency V from Efficiency I books (a total of 15 operations but the penalty is only based on the item with the higher penalty, so you accrue 4, corresponding to each level from Eff I -> Eff II to Eff IV -> Eff V). It is even possible to add more enchantments in this manner but it is much better to start with an already enchanted item (you can get Efficiency IV, Unbreaking III, Fortune III from the table so you only need to upgrade Efficiency and add Mending; even just one enchantment is better than using only books).
*Example:
Starting materials:
16x Efficiency I
4x Fortune I
4x Unbreaking I
1x Mending
Step 1: Combine the Efficiency I books in pairs to get 8 Efficiency II books, then do the same with those to get 4 Efficiency III books, then 2 Efficiency IV, then one Efficiency V (this book now has 4 prior workings).
Step 2: Do the same with Fortune and Unbreaking so you end up with Fortune III and Unbreaking III (2 prior workings each).
Step 3: Add the Mending book to the pickaxe (the pickaxe now has 1 prior working).
Step 4: Add the Fortune III book to the pickaxe (3 prior workings).
Step 5: Add the Unbreaking III book to the pickaxe (4 prior workings).
Step 6: Add the Efficiency V book to the pickaxe (5 prior workings; this step should cost 35 levels and the pickaxe will still be be able to receive one more working).
In general, when you do this want to add books with the lowest penalty first; Mending has 0 prior work, Fortune and Unbreaking have 2 each, and Efficiency has 4 (if you tried adding Efficiency to the pickaxe first it would have 5 prior work, then adding anything else would increase it to 6, making it too expensive to add more). Conversely, if you started from max-level books (e.g. trading or enchantment table) you can add them in any order for 4 prior workings on the final item (it would still be better to combine books to get 2 books with 2 enchantments each, then add each one to the pickaxe as you'd end up with 3 prior workings, although it might cost more XP and there isn't any need to be able to add more enchantments, unless they add something in the future).
How can I make a pick with Efficieny 5, Unbreaking 3, Fortune 3, and Mending 1 without it becoming too expensive.... I've had 3 attempts at this and everytime the very last book becomes too expensive.
How are you creating the books? If you started from max-level books there would be no issue even if you simply added enchantments one by one as you'd only consume 4 of the maximum of 6 operations that you can perform in the anvil. On the other hand, if you tried making e.g. Efficiency V from Efficiency I books than that is a problem; you'd have to combine them in a specific order* so that the maximum number of workings on any one item is less than 6 and you've already consumed 4 of them by making Efficiency V from Efficiency I books (a total of 15 operations but the penalty is only based on the item with the higher penalty, so you accrue 4, corresponding to each level from Eff I -> Eff II to Eff IV -> Eff V). It is even possible to add more enchantments in this manner but it is much better to start with an already enchanted item (you can get Efficiency IV, Unbreaking III, Fortune III from the table so you only need to upgrade Efficiency and add Mending; even just one enchantment is better than using only books).
*Example:
In general, when you do this want to add books with the lowest penalty first; Mending has 0 prior work, Fortune and Unbreaking have 2 each, and Efficiency has 4 (if you tried adding Efficiency to the pickaxe first it would have 5 prior work, then adding anything else would increase it to 6, making it too expensive to add more). Conversely, if you started from max-level books (e.g. trading or enchantment table) you can add them in any order for 4 prior workings on the final item (it would still be better to combine books to get 2 books with 2 enchantments each, then add each one to the pickaxe as you'd end up with 3 prior workings, although it might cost more XP and there isn't any need to be able to add more enchantments, unless they add something in the future).
TheMasterCaver's First World - possibly the most caved-out world in Minecraft history - includes world download.
TheMasterCaver's World - my own version of Minecraft largely based on my views of how the game should have evolved since 1.6.4.
Why do I still play in 1.6.4?