Valheim world modifiers let a world owner change Combat, Death Penalty, Resource Rate, Raid Rate and Portal restrictions without relying on mods. There are also preset combinations and extra toggles for no build cost, player-based events, passive enemies and no map. Dedicated servers expose the same system through startup arguments.
All Main World Modifier Categories
| Setting | Available choices |
|---|---|
| Combat | Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, Very Hard |
| Death Penalty | Casual, Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard, Hardcore |
| Resources | Much Less, Less, Normal, More, Much More, Most |
| Raids | None, Much Less, Less, Normal, More, Much More |
| Portals | Casual, Normal, Hard, Very Hard |
Difficulty Presets
The official preset list for Valheim world modifiers is Normal, Casual, Easy, Hard, Hardcore, Immersive and Hammer. Choosing a preset changes several categories at once, so players who want one precise change are better off starting from Normal and moving only the individual slider that matters.
Combat Settings
Combat runs from Very Easy through Easy and Normal to Hard and Very Hard. Valheim world modifiers change both sides of the fight: Very Easy gives players 125% damage while enemies deal 50%; Very Hard drops player damage to 70%, doubles enemy damage and also increases enemy speed, size and the rate at which higher-star enemies appear.
Death Penalty Settings
Death Penalty choices are Casual, Very Easy, Easy, Normal, Hard and Hardcore. Under Valheim world modifiers, Casual keeps equipped gear and loses 1% of skill levels; Very Easy loses 1% while dropping items; Easy loses 2.5%; Normal 5%; Hard loses 7.5% and destroys the non-equipped inventory; Hardcore destroys carried items and applies 100% skill loss.
Resource Rate
Resource Rate changes the quantity gained from many world resources and enemy drops. The available Valheim world modifiers are Much Less at 0.5x, Less at 0.75x, Normal, More at 1.5x, Much More at 2x and Most at 3x. This is the cleanest setting for groups that enjoy progression but do not enjoy repeating large mining or gathering grinds.
Raid Rate
Raid settings control how often world events target bases. The Valheim world modifiers choices are None, Much Less, Less, Normal, More and Much More. Turning raids down makes permanent bases calmer without making ordinary biome enemies weaker, which is useful when the building side of Valheim matters more to your group than defending every event.
Portal Settings
Portal difficulty changes what items can pass through the network. Valheim world modifiers expose Casual, Normal, Hard and Very Hard styles through the game/server configuration. Casual is the permissive travel choice, while harder settings add travel restrictions rather than changing combat. This category can radically change how important ships, roads and carts feel.
Optional World Toggles
Beyond the five graduated Valheim world modifiers, the server configuration supports No Build Cost, Player Events, Passive Mobs and No Map. No Build Cost removes material costs from unlocked building pieces, Player Events bases raids on nearby player progression, Passive Mobs prevents normal aggression until provoked, and No Map removes the map interface.
Dedicated Server Commands
The official dedicated-server guide uses -preset for a preset, -modifier for individual Valheim world modifiers and -setkey for checkbox-style rules. A preset overwrites previous modifier choices, so server owners should apply the preset first and then set any individual overrides afterward.
Which Settings Should You Use?
For a first playthrough, Normal preserves the intended baseline. Casual or easier death settings are useful for families or groups with limited recovery time, while a higher resource multiplier cuts repetition without touching combat. Hard and Very Hard are better for experienced players who actively want enemies to punish mistakes. The strength of Valheim world modifiers is that those choices can be mixed instead of accepting one all-or-nothing difficulty.
Official Modifier List
The official Valheim dedicated server guide lists the supported presets, individual Valheim world modifiers and set-key options. It is the external reference used here, so the settings match the current 1.0 server configuration rather than an older pre-modifier guide.
World Modifiers Are Per World
Valheim world modifiers belong to the world/server rather than one character. A character joining that world plays under the host’s combat, death, resource, raid and portal rules. That is worth remembering when moving an established character between private worlds: the same equipment can feel very different under a harder combat or death setup.
