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Change a Valheim dedicated server’s death penalty by adding -modifier DeathPenalty <value> to its startup command. The accepted values are casual, veryeasy, easy, hard, and hardcore. Stop the server, edit the Windows start_headless_server.bat or Linux start_server.sh file, save a backup of the old command, and restart it.
If the command also uses -preset, put the preset first and the DeathPenalty modifier afterward. A preset overwrites modifiers that appear before it.
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Valheim applies the death setting when the dedicated server starts. Add this argument to the existing launch command:
-modifier DeathPenalty casualReplace casual with one of the other documented values:
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-modifier DeathPenalty veryeasy
-modifier DeathPenalty easy
-modifier DeathPenalty hard
-modifier DeathPenalty hardcoreThe complete command normally starts with start valheim_server on Windows, or the equivalent server-launch command on Linux. Do not delete the other arguments when adding the modifier.
Iron Gate Studio’s “A Guide to Dedicated Servers” (April 11, 2024) identifies these five values and presents them as an ordered scale from less severe to more severe. The guide does not publish a numeric table for item retention, equipment loss, or skill loss. Treat the names as difficulty choices rather than as percentage settings.
What each death-penalty level means
The official documentation establishes the order of the options, but not exact percentages or a complete list of effects for every level. The table therefore uses the documented progression and practical decision criteria without inventing numbers.
| Value | Relative severity | Item and equipment recovery | Skill-loss pressure | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
casual |
Lowest named level | Least punishing option in the documented scale; exact retention behavior is not stated | Lowest pressure in the scale; exact loss is not stated | Groups that want deaths to interrupt play as little as possible |
veryeasy |
Very low | Less severe than the middle settings; exact behavior is not stated | Less severe than the middle settings; exact loss is not stated | Co-op worlds prioritizing exploration and building |
easy |
Low | Lower severity than the normal-feeling end of the scale; exact behavior is not stated | Lower severity than the normal-feeling end of the scale; exact loss is not stated | Players who want consequences without a harsh recovery trip |
hard |
High | More severe than the easier settings; exact behavior is not stated | More severe than the easier settings; exact loss is not stated | Experienced groups that regard corpse recovery as part of the challenge |
hardcore |
Highest named level | Harshest option in the documented scale; exact behavior is not stated | Harshest option in the scale; exact loss is not stated | Persistent worlds deliberately built around high consequences |
There is no documented argument in this setting list called “turn off skill loss” or “keep all gear.” If your group wants the least punishing documented choice, start with casual, but do not promise players a specific retention percentage unless the installed game version documents it separately.
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Change the setting on a Windows dedicated server
- Stop the server cleanly. Do not edit the launch file while the server process is still running.
- Back up the startup file. Make a copy of
start_headless_server.batbefore changing it. Steam updates can reset the original startup file, so the copy gives you a known-good command to restore. - Open the copy or current script in a text editor. Find the line beginning with
start valheim_server. - Add the modifier to that line. For example:
start valheim_server ... -modifier DeathPenalty casual- Check the argument order. If the same command contains a preset, place
-presetand its value before the DeathPenalty modifier. - Save the file and start the server. The new value is read during startup; changing the file alone does not alter a running world.
Keep the previous command in a separate text file or dated backup. If the server fails to start after an edit, restoring that command is faster than reconstructing every argument.
Change the setting on a Linux dedicated server
- Stop the server cleanly and wait for the process to exit.
- Back up the launch script. The usual script is
start_server.sh. Copy it before editing so a Steam update or a syntax mistake does not leave you without the prior configuration. - Open the script and locate the launch command. It may use a different line-wrapping style from the Windows batch file, but the server arguments are the same.
- Append the modifier to the server command:
-modifier DeathPenalty casual- Put any preset first. Use the ordering shown below when combining a preset with a custom death penalty.
- Save and restart the server. Preserve the old script and command line until the world has loaded successfully.
The setting is a startup argument, not a value that is edited directly in the world-save directory. The save location matters for backups, but changing files there does not replace the launch argument.
Combining a preset with a custom death penalty
Valheim supports these documented presets: Normal, Casual, Easy, Hard, Hardcore, Immersive, and Hammer. A preset overwrites modifiers that occur before it on the command line.
Use this order when you want a preset as the base configuration and a custom DeathPenalty value afterward:
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-preset hard -modifier DeathPenalty veryeasyIn that example, the later DeathPenalty argument is the custom value to keep. If you instead place the modifier first, the later preset can overwrite it:
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches-modifier DeathPenalty casual -preset hardWhen a server appears to “reset” the death penalty after you add a preset, inspect the argument order before changing the world or save files. Use the exact syntax supported by the installed server version and retain the previous command so you can reverse the change.
Back up a live world before changing settings
Changing a death penalty changes how future deaths are handled, but a configuration mistake can also prevent a server from starting with the intended command. Make a known-good world backup and record the complete launch line before restarting.
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Iron Gate documents these dedicated-server backup arguments:
| Argument | Documented value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
-saveinterval 1800 |
1,800 seconds (30 minutes) | Save interval |
-backups 4 |
4 | Number of backups to retain |
-backupshort 7200 |
7,200 seconds (2 hours) | Short-backup interval |
-backuplong 43200 |
43,200 seconds (12 hours) | Long-backup interval |
These are server arguments, separate from -modifier DeathPenalty. If your existing command already defines backup behavior, preserve it while adding the death setting rather than replacing the whole line.
Default save locations
- Linux:
~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim - Windows: under
%USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/IronGate/Valheim
Copy the relevant world and backup data to a separate location before restarting a live server. The exact files present can vary with the server installation and world history, so keep the directory structure intact when making a restorable copy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Network choices do not change the command
DeathPenalty syntax is the same regardless of the server’s networking backend. Steam-backend servers use ports 2456–2457 by default and normally need those ports forwarded on the router for external access. Crossplay uses a relay and does not require router port forwarding for external access.
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Choose the backend and network arrangement separately from the death setting. A port-forwarding change cannot correct a misspelled modifier, and changing DeathPenalty cannot fix an unreachable server.
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The server keeps using the old death setting
- Confirm that you edited the script actually used to launch the server, not an unused copy.
- Stop and restart the server after saving; the argument is read at startup.
- Check whether a later
-presetis overwriting the modifier. Move the preset before-modifier DeathPenalty .... - Compare the current command with your saved, known-good copy and correct spelling, capitalization, and spacing.
A Steam update removed the change
Steam updates can reset the original startup file. Keep a separate copy of the edited Windows batch file or Linux shell script, then reapply the argument after an update. Record the complete command, not only the DeathPenalty fragment, because other server options may also be restored.
The server will not start after editing
- Restore the previous startup script and verify that the server launches.
- Re-add only the DeathPenalty argument, using one of the five documented values.
- If you use a preset, test the command with the preset first and the modifier second.
- Do not replace the entire launch line with a short example; retain required existing arguments from your installation.
Players ask for exact percentages
The official dedicated-server guide names the levels and their order but does not provide a complete numeric table for item retention, equipment loss, or skill loss. Explain the choice as a relative severity setting and agree on a level with the group before applying it. Avoid advertising an unverified percentage as a server rule.
Choosing a level for a shared world
Use the group’s recovery tolerance rather than a supposed numeric threshold:
- Choose
casualorveryeasywhen a death should cause minimal disruption to a building or exploration session. - Choose
easywhen players want consequences but do not want corpse recovery to dominate a persistent world. - Choose
hardwhen the group is experienced and accepts that retrieving equipment and rebuilding skills will be a meaningful part of play. - Choose
hardcoreonly when everyone understands that the documented scale’s harshest named setting is intentional.
Because the official guide does not spell out every effect numerically, make the decision explicit to all regular players, keep a backup, and test the chosen configuration on a non-critical world if your group needs to observe its exact behavior in the installed version.
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DeathPenalty is one family in Valheim’s world-modifier system. Iron Gate also documents modifier families for Combat, Resources, Raids, and Portals. Those settings can be combined with a death penalty, but each additional change increases the importance of preserving the original command and world backup.
A safe pattern is to make one deliberate configuration change at a time, keep the complete command in a dated note, and restart only after checking the order of presets and modifiers.
Quick Recap
Quick reference
| Need | Use |
|---|---|
| Set the least severe documented level | -modifier DeathPenalty casual |
| Set another documented level | -modifier DeathPenalty veryeasy|easy|hard|hardcore |
| Combine a preset and custom death setting | -preset normal -modifier DeathPenalty casual |
| Windows launch file | start_headless_server.bat |
| Linux launch file | start_server.sh |
| Linux default save directory | ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim |
| Windows default save directory | %USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/IronGate/Valheim |
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