Updated November 10, 2026. Applies to Valheim 1.0, patch 1.0.21. Server flags and preset names come from Iron Gate's official dedicated server guide. Patch quotes come from Iron Gate's patch notes on Steam. The exact combat, death penalty and raid numbers come from the community Valheim Wiki World Modifiers page, and the achievement unlock rates come from Steam's global achievement stats as of November 10, 2026.
World modifiers are Valheim's difficulty settings. They let you make fights easier or harder, soften or harden death, change how much loot drops, switch raids off and decide what portals allow. They arrived in Hildir's Request (patch 0.217.14, August 2023) and have been extended since: the Ashlands update added Fire Hazards, and patch 0.219.16 split No Craft Cost out of No Build Cost.
A new player asked on r/valheim yesterday whether a "pacifist game", with enemies on passive and combat on the lowest setting, was a reasonable way to play. It is, and the settings menu lets you go a lot further than that. This guide lists every option with its real numbers, explains the presets, and gives a recommended setup for each kind of player.
Quick answer: Valheim has 5 sliders (Combat, Death Penalty, Resources, Raids, Portals), a set of checkboxes (No Build Cost, Passive Enemies, Player-Based Raids, No Map, Fire Hazards, plus a No Craft Cost key) and 7 presets (Normal, Casual, Easy, Hard, Hardcore, Immersive, Hammer). On Very Easy combat you deal 125% damage and take 50%. On Very Hard you deal 70% and take 200%. Resources go up to 3x. You can change all of it on an existing world from the start screen, and on a dedicated server with the -preset, -modifier and -setkey launch flags. Hammer mode counts as a temporary cheat and blocks some achievements. Most other settings don't.
Where do you change world modifiers in Valheim?
On the Start Game screen, select your world and click World Modifiers before you press Start. You can pick a preset or set each slider yourself. Iron Gate's 0.217.14 patch notes describe it as a button "with many customization/difficulty options (select a preset or design your own)".
This works on an existing world, not only a new one. Your buildings, map and boss kills stay. Only the rules change.
On a dedicated server there's no menu. You set modifiers in the server's start script, covered in the server section below. Modifiers live in the world save, so whoever hosts the world decides the rules for everyone who joins.
What does the Combat difficulty setting change?
Combat moves four numbers at once: the damage you deal, the damage enemies deal, enemy speed and size, and how often enemies spawn with stars.
| Combat setting | Your damage | Enemy damage | Enemy speed and size | Star (level-up) rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very Easy | 125% | 50% | 90% | 100% |
| Easy | 110% | 75% | 90% | 100% |
| Normal | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Hard | 85% | 150% | 110% | 120% |
| Very Hard | 70% | 200% | 120% | 140% |
Two details catch people out. First, the damage numbers on your weapon tooltip don't change. The wiki notes that the player damage bonus or penalty is not shown in the inventory or in the hit numbers, so Very Easy feels stronger than the tooltip says.
Second, enemies inside dungeons don't grow. Iron Gate's 0.217.12 notes say "Enemies in dungeons no longer scale size and speed on harder world modifier difficulties to avoid getting stuck". Their damage still scales.
Very Hard is a big jump. A hit that deals 40 raw damage on Normal deals 80 on Very Hard before your armor reduces it, and you need about 43% more swings to kill anything (100 ÷ 70). Hard is the sweet spot for players who find Normal too easy but still want boss fights to be winnable in a few attempts.
What does the Death Penalty setting do?
The death penalty decides three things when you die: what happens to your equipped gear, what happens to the rest of your inventory, and how much skill you lose.
| Death Penalty | Equipped gear | Rest of inventory | Skill loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | Kept | Dropped | 1% |
| Very Easy | Dropped | Dropped | 1% |
| Easy | Dropped | Dropped | 2.5% |
| Normal | Dropped | Dropped | 5% |
| Hard | Dropped | Destroyed | 7.5% |
| Hardcore | Destroyed | Destroyed | 100% |
"Dropped" means it goes in your tombstone and you can walk back for it. "Destroyed" means it's gone for good.
The skill loss is a percentage of your current level, and the wiki gives a worked example. A Run skill of 70, halfway to 71, loses 2.5% on Easy and drops to 68.25. The game shows it as 68, and your progress toward the next level resets to zero on every setting.
Casual is the one most players want. You keep your armor and weapons on your body, so dying in the Swamp doesn't mean a naked corpse run back into the same Draugr that killed you. Your inventory still drops, so death still costs you something.
Hardcore wipes everything. All items, all skills, every death. It's a real challenge mode. On a shared world it applies to every player, so agree on it as a group before you pick it.
How does the Resources setting work?
Resources multiplies the drops from creatures and lootable objects in the world. The steps are Much Less, Less, Normal, More, Much More and Most.
Iron Gate fixed the descriptions in patch 0.217.6. The note reads: "Fixed descriptions for World modifier resource rate to correct 2->1.5 and 3->2 values, and added a x3 option". That gives these values:
| Resources setting | Drop multiplier |
|---|---|
| Much Less | 0.5x (the wiki's lowest value) |
| Less | Below 1x |
| Normal | 1x |
| More | 1.5x |
| Much More | 2x |
| Most | 3x |
The wiki lists three exceptions: fish, trophies and boss drops don't scale. More boss drops would make sense, but you still get one trophy per kill.
The multiplier also rounds up on small drops. A creature that drops 1 item on Normal can drop 2 on More, so 1.5x often plays like 2x early on. If you only want a light touch, More is plenty.
How do Raid settings work?
Every 46 minutes on Normal, the game rolls a 20% chance to start a raid near a player base. The Raids slider changes both numbers.
| Raids setting | Time between rolls | Chance per roll |
|---|---|---|
| None | No raids | 0% |
| Much Less | 92 min | 10% |
| Less | 69 min | 13.33% |
| Normal | 46 min | 20% |
| More | 27.6 min | 33.33% |
| Much More | 13.8 min | 66.67% |
None switches raids off completely. It doesn't stop night spawns, so enemies still wander into an unwalled base after dark.
Player-Based Raids is a separate checkbox. With it on, raids follow each player's own progress instead of the world's. The wiki's event table shows the Drake raid switches on after Bonemass and off after Moder, so this stops a veteran who has beaten Bonemass from pulling Drakes onto a new friend's Meadows hut. We cover every raid and what triggers it in our Valheim raids guide.
What do the Portal settings do?
The Portals slider has four positions:
| Portals setting | Server value | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Portal items | casual | Every item goes through every portal, including ore and metal |
| Normal | (leave out) | Ore, metal and other blocked items need a Stone Portal |
| No boss portals | hard | No portals, and no leaving a boss dungeon, while a boss fight is active |
| No portals | veryhard | Portals don't work at all |
Portal items is the biggest quality-of-life change on this list. The normal rule means every bar of Copper, Iron and Silver has to come home by boat or cart until you build the late-game Stone Portal. Turning it on skips that whole logistics layer. It's a big change to how the game feels, because sailing ore home is a large part of the early and mid game.
No boss portals is the one people misread. It isn't a stricter ore rule. Iron Gate's 0.217.11 notes say "Blocked portals and dungeons exits will now display the same message when being blocked by the 'No Boss Portals' modifier", so it locks you into the fight. Our Valheim portals guide covers the normal portal rules in detail.
What do the checkbox modifiers do?
The checkboxes are on or off. Each one changes one rule.
| Checkbox | What it does |
|---|---|
| No Build Cost | Hammer build pieces cost no materials. You still have to discover each recipe |
| No Craft Cost | Crafting is free. A world key split out of No Build Cost in patch 0.219.16 |
| Passive Enemies | Enemies don't attack until you hit them |
| Player-Based Raids | Raids follow each player's own progress, not the world's |
| No Map | No map or minimap for anyone |
| Fire Hazards | Wood catches fire and spreads anywhere, not only in the Ashlands |
A few notes on these:
- Passive Enemies has one exception. Iron Gate's 0.217.22 notes say "Mobs spawned by bosses will now aggro the player even when playing with the passive mobs modifier since the boss already was aggroed". Once you summon a boss, the fight is on.
- No Craft Cost came from a change in 0.219.16: "World modifier 'No Build Cost' no longer allows food to be placed freely, this is now part of the 'No Craft Cost' world modifier".
- Fire Hazards arrived with the Ashlands. The 0.218.15 note calls it "A new world modifier that allows fire to spread outside of the Ashlands as well (part of the immersive preset)". A wooden base with a hearth becomes a real risk.
- No Map turns off the map for every player in the world. The wiki notes this makes the game harder than intended. It's the only way to earn The Pathfinder achievement.
What do the presets do?
Iron Gate's dedicated server guide names 7 presets: Normal, Casual, Easy, Hard, Hardcore, Immersive and Hammer. It also says that "Setting a preset will overwrite any other previous modifiers."
Iron Gate has never published a slider-by-slider table for each preset, and the tables on other sites have no source. Here's what is confirmed, and the honest summary of the rest:
| Preset | What it's for | Confirmed detail |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | The game as designed | Every slider on Normal, no checkboxes |
| Casual | Relaxed play, less punishment | Softer combat and death penalty, easier settings across the board |
| Easy | A gentler game than Normal | Easier combat and death penalty |
| Hard | Harder fights, costlier deaths | Counts for the hard-mode achievements (below) |
| Hardcore | Maximum challenge | The harshest preset, built around permanent loss |
| Immersive | Exploration and survival feel | Includes Fire Hazards (0.218.15 patch note) |
| Hammer | Pure building | Free building. Counts as a temporary cheat (1.0 FAQ) |
To see exactly what a preset set on your world, an admin can run listkeys in the console. It prints every modifier stored in the world.
The useful rule: pick a preset first, then change single sliders after it. The preset fills in all the sliders, and you then adjust the one or two you care about.
Do world modifiers block achievements?
Mostly no. The wiki says changing the difficulty settings does not prevent achievements on its own. There are two exceptions.
Hammer mode does. Iron Gate's 1.0 FAQ says: "Some world modifiers such as hammer-mode will also block certain achievements. Hammer-mode counts as a temporary cheat." Our Valheim achievements guide explains how the 1.0 cheat flag works.
Four achievements need a specific setting. They're also among the rarest in the game, based on Steam's global unlock rates on November 10, 2026:
| Achievement | Requirement | Steam players who have it |
|---|---|---|
| The Tough Viking | Defeat all bosses on Normal difficulty or higher | 0.7% |
| The Toughest Viking | Defeat all bosses on Hard difficulty | 0.1% |
| The Master Hunter | Kill every kind of creature on Hard difficulty | Under 0.1% |
| The Pathfinder | Travel far in all four directions with No Map on | Under 0.1% |
The Tough Viking is the trap. The wiki ties it to the Normal, Hard and Very Hard difficulty levels, so a boss you kill after dropping the world to Easy or Casual to get past it may not count. Iron Gate hasn't documented exactly how the check works. If the achievement matters to you, leave Combat on Normal or higher for the whole run, and for full safety play that world on the plain Normal or Hard preset.
How do you set world modifiers on a dedicated server?
Since patch 0.217.22 (October 2023), a dedicated server takes modifiers from its start command. Iron Gate's notes say they can be set "using parameters in the startup batfile (see manual) or using the console as an admin". There are three flags.
-preset hard
Sets a preset. Valid values: normal, casual, easy, hard, hardcore, immersive, hammer.
-modifier raids none
Sets one slider. The guide says: "If combined with a preset should be set after."
| Modifier | Valid values |
|---|---|
| combat | veryeasy, easy, hard, veryhard |
| deathpenalty | casual, veryeasy, easy, hard, hardcore |
| resources | muchless, less, more, muchmore, most |
| raids | none, muchless, less, more, muchmore |
| portals | casual, hard, veryhard |
There is no "normal" value. Leave a modifier out and it stays on Normal, or on whatever the preset set.
-setkey nomap
Turns on a checkbox. The guide lists four values: nobuildcost, playerevents, passivemobs and nomap.
A full example for a relaxed group server, with the preset first and changes after it:
-preset normal -modifier deathpenalty casual -modifier portals casual -modifier resources more -setkey playerevents
That keeps combat on Normal, protects equipped gear on death, lets ore through portals, gives 1.5x drops and keeps raids fair for players at different stages.
Order matters. A preset written after a modifier wipes that modifier, so -modifier raids none -preset hard ends up with normal raids. The 0.217.22 patch also added a -resetmodifiers start parameter for clearing a world's modifiers. The rest of the start script is in our Valheim dedicated server guide.
Admins can also change modifiers live in the console with setworldpreset and setworldmodifier. The wiki warns that a modifier changed this way can't be set back to Normal on its own. The fix is to reset the whole preset and set your sliders again.
What are the best world modifier settings for each type of player?
There's no single best setting. Here is what we'd use for each common situation:
| You are... | Combat | Death Penalty | Resources | Raids | Portals | Checkboxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New player, first world | Normal | Casual | Normal | Less | Normal | Player-Based Raids |
| Builder who hates combat | Very Easy | Casual | More | None | Portal items | Passive Enemies |
| Solo player with little time | Normal | Casual | More | Less | Portal items | None |
| Group with mixed progress | Normal | Easy | More | Normal | Normal | Player-Based Raids |
| Veteran on a 1.0 replay | Hard | Normal | Normal | Normal | No boss portals | None |
| Achievement hunter | Hard | Normal | Normal | Normal | Normal | No Map for a second world |
| Full challenge run | Very Hard | Hardcore | Less | More | No portals | No Map, Fire Hazards |
For the "pacifist" question: Passive Enemies plus Very Easy combat is a perfectly good way to play if you're there to build and explore. You still see every biome and every story beat. The one thing you can't skip is the bosses. Progression is gated behind all 8 bosses in 1.0, from Eikthyr to Kall Fimbulbringer, and boss fights ignore Passive Enemies once started. On Very Easy those fights are much gentler, with you dealing 125% damage and taking half. Our Valheim boss order guide covers each one.
For a returning player: if you're starting a fresh world for the Deep North, Hard combat with No Boss Portals gives you the tension you remember from your first run. It doesn't punish every mistake the way Hardcore does.
FAQ
Can you change world modifiers on an existing world in Valheim? Yes. Select the world on the Start Game screen and open World Modifiers before you start. Your buildings, items and boss kills are kept. On a dedicated server, change the start flags and restart.
Does changing difficulty in Valheim disable achievements? Mostly no. Hammer mode counts as a temporary cheat and blocks some achievements, per Iron Gate's 1.0 FAQ. The Tough Viking needs every boss killed on Normal or higher, and three other achievements need Hard or No Map.
What is the casual death penalty in Valheim? You keep your equipped armor and weapons when you die. Everything else in your inventory drops in your tombstone, and you lose 1% of your skill levels instead of the normal 5%.
Does the Resources modifier affect boss drops in Valheim? No. The wiki lists fish, trophies and boss drops as exceptions. Everything else scales, from 0.5x on Much Less up to 3x on Most.
Does setting raids to None stop all attacks on my base? It stops raids, but not normal night spawns. Enemies can still wander into an open base after dark, so walls are still worth building.
How do I make Valheim easier without changing combat? Keep Combat on Normal, then set Death Penalty to Casual, Raids to Less and Resources to More. Those three sliders remove most of the frustration while fights stay as designed. If you're chasing The Tough Viking, play on the plain Normal preset to be safe, because Iron Gate hasn't documented how that check reads custom settings.
More Valheim guides
Setting up a new world? These guides cover what to do once you're in.
