Minecraft wiki entry for Thunderstorm_survival, associated text: If you want mob heads, you can let the creeper follow you to a mob. When triggering the explosion, make sure that you are wearing good armor (Blast Protection is preferable) (or use a shield to block the explosion) and that the mob is close to the creeper. If the mob dies, it should drop a mob head. To allow yourself to run away without stopping the explosion, trigger the creeper with flint and steel. Mob heads are one of the few advantages of thunderstorms, as a charged creeper exploding on other monsters is the only way you can achieve mob heads in survival mode (except for wither skeleton skulls).