Valheim World Modifiers and Server Settings: Every Preset, Value and Launch Flag
Every Valheim world modifier explained for a dedicated server: presets, combat, death penalty, resources, raids, portals and the four switches, with their launch flags.
Valheim world modifiers change how hard your world is: combat, what you lose on death, resources, raids, portals, plus four on/off switches. On a dedicated server they are launch flags, -preset, -modifier and -setkey. This guide explains every value, the flag behind it and the field that sets it on our Valheim server hosting.
New to running a server? Our Valheim dedicated server guide covers setup and crossplay first.
- Preset:
-presetwith Normal, Casual, Easy, Hard, Hardcore, Immersive or Hammer. It overwrites earlier modifiers. - Modifiers:
-modifier <name> <value>for combat, deathpenalty, resources, raids and portals, set after the preset. - Switches:
-setkeywith nobuildcost, playerevents, passivemobs or nomap. - On 1up: Game tab, sections Difficulty and World modifiers. Every change applies on restart.
- Achievements: Hammer mode counts as a temporary cheat.
1. How modifiers reach a dedicated server
Iron Gate added world modifiers in patch 0.217.14, with a menu on the start screen to "select a preset or design your own". Dedicated servers got them in patch 0.217.22: "World modifiers and presets can now be set to dedicated servers using parameters in the startup batfile (see manual) or using the console as an admin".
The manual is Iron Gate's dedicated server guide, and it sets two ordering rules:
-preset: "Setting a preset will overwrite any other previous modifiers."-modifier: "If combined with a preset should be set after."
A self-hosted line looks like this:
./valheim_server.x86_64 -name "Vikings" -port 2456 -world "Midgard" -preset hard -modifier portals casual -setkey nomapThe world stores modifiers as global keys. The Valheim wiki warns of one trap with the in-game console: once you change a modifier with setworldmodifier, setting it back to normal does not work, and "the only way currently is to reset all modifiers" with setworldpreset default.
2. Where each setting lives on 1up
Open the Game tab. Each field becomes a launch flag at the next start, and the Generated file section at the bottom shows the exact valheim_server launch arguments we build.
| Panel field (section) | Launch flag | Values (default first) |
|---|---|---|
| World preset (Difficulty) | -preset | Normal, Casual, Easy, Hard, Hardcore, Immersive, Hammer (build only) |
| Combat (World modifiers) | -modifier combat | Normal, Very easy, Easy, Hard, Very hard |
| Death penalty (World modifiers) | -modifier deathpenalty | Normal, Casual, Very easy, Easy, Hard, Hardcore |
| Resources (World modifiers) | -modifier resources | Normal, Much less, Less, More, Much more, Most |
| Raids (World modifiers) | -modifier raids | Normal, None, Much less, Less, More, Much more |
| Portals (World modifiers) | -modifier portals | Normal, Casual, Hard, Very hard |
| No build cost (World modifiers) | -setkey nobuildcost | Off |
| Raids by player progress (World modifiers) | -setkey playerevents | Off |
| Passive enemies (World modifiers) | -setkey passivemobs | Off |
| No map (World modifiers) | -setkey nomap | Off |
The order follows Iron Gate's rule: the panel always sends -preset first, then only the modifiers you moved away from Normal, then the switches that are on. Two consequences:
- A modifier set to anything but Normal replaces the preset's value for that slider; the rest keep the preset's values.
- Because the preset goes out at every start and overwrites earlier modifiers, putting a modifier back to Normal in the panel resets it at the next restart. That avoids the console trap above.
Changes made in game with the admin console last until the next restart; then the panel's values are applied again.
3. Presets
A preset sets all five sliders at once. Iron Gate's guide lists the valid names but not what each one contains, and the in-game screen is the reference: on the start screen, open World Modifiers, pick a preset and the sliders show its values. Then copy the ones you want to change into the panel.
- Normal: the game as designed, every slider on Normal. Keep it if you are unsure.
- Casual and Easy lower the difficulty; Hard and Hardcore raise it.
- Immersive: hosting guides disagree on what it contains, so check its sliders in game before you pick it.
- Hammer (build only): for builders. The wiki says it "allows no-build cost on any item buildable with a hammer" and "doesn't affect the cost of making gear at a crafting station". Iron Gate's 1.0 FAQ warns: "Some world modifiers such as hammer-mode will also block certain achievements. Hammer-mode counts as a temporary cheat."
Pick the preset before the first boss and talk to your group: it changes the world for everyone.
4. Combat
The wiki gives the numbers behind each step:
| Combat | Player damage | Enemy damage | Enemy speed and size | Enemy 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 % |
On Hard and Very hard, high-level enemies also spawn more often. The damage bonus or penalty does not show in the inventory numbers.
5. Death penalty
What a player loses on death, according to the wiki:
| 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 stays in your tombstone to recover; "destroyed" means gone. Hardcore wipes every skill on each death, so use it only with a group that wants that.
6. Resources
The Resources slider multiplies drops from enemies and lootable objects. The wiki lists the console values: Much less 0.5×, Less 0.75×, More 1.5×, Much more 2× and Most 3×. Two notes from the same page: drops round up, "so 1.5x is effectively equal to 2x" for things like enemy drops and berry bushes, and fish, trophies and boss drops are not affected.
More or Much more suits a small group with little time; Less makes every trip count.
7. Raids
Raids are the events that send enemies at your base. The wiki's table:
| Raids | Event rate | Raid interval | Raid chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | 0 % | – | – |
| Much less | 200 % | 92 min | 10 % |
| Less | 150 % | 69 min | 13.33 % |
| Normal | 100 % | 46 min | 20 % |
| More | 60 % | 27.6 min | 33.33 % |
| Much more | 30 % | 13.8 min | 66.67 % |
The wiki adds that some night attacks still happen with None. For a group that plays at different paces, turn on Raids by player progress (playerevents): raids then follow "the progress of each individual player, rather than on which bosses have been killed on the server", which the wiki calls friendlier for mixed groups.
8. Portals
| Portals | Effect (wiki) |
|---|---|
| Casual | Everything goes through portals, metals included; tamed animals do not |
| Normal | Items that cannot normally go through portals still cannot |
| Hard | Portals are not available while a boss is active |
| Very hard | No portals at all |
Casual portals are the most common tweak for small groups, since hauling ore by boat is where many sessions go. It pairs well with a Normal preset.
9. The four switches
- No build cost (
nobuildcost): "Build pieces require no materials to build. You still need to discover recipes as per usual." - Raids by player progress (
playerevents): see Raids above. - Passive enemies (
passivemobs): "Enemies won't attack until you provoke them." Patch 0.217.22 notes that mobs spawned by bosses still aggro. - No map (
nomap): no map and no minimap. The wiki says it "makes the game harder than intended"; it suits groups that navigate by landmarks.
10. The other server settings
The same tab holds the rest of what a Valheim server needs, each also a launch flag from Iron Gate's guide:
| Panel field | Flag | Note |
|---|---|---|
| World name | -world | Default Dedicated; a new name starts or loads another world |
| Server password | -password | At least 5 characters, not part of the server name |
| Show in the server browser | -public 1 | Only with a password |
| Crossplay (every platform) | -crossplay | Lets Xbox, PS5, Switch 2 and Mac App Store players join |
Admins go in Players, which edits adminlist.txt; the guide explains the ID format, [Platform]_[User ID], shown in the game's F2 panel. Under Server, Startup, the Mod framework switches to BepInEx for mods; our list of Valheim server mods covers that. Moving an existing world? The panel's values apply to whatever world loads, so set them to match after you upload your Valheim world to a dedicated server. If console friends cannot join, read Valheim join code not working.
11. Three setups that work
| Group | Preset | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| Casual friends, few hours a week | Normal | Portals Casual, Resources More, Raids by player progress on |
| Veterans after a challenge | Hard | No map on, Death penalty Hard |
| Builders | Hammer (build only) | Raids None, Passive enemies on |
All three work on every plan, Free included. To keep the world online 24/7, Casual (€3/month) gives 2 GB of RAM, 20 GB of disk and 1 backup, and Starter (€5/month) 4 GB and 3 backups, with prices from our pricing page. Take a backup in Backups before changing the preset of a world you care about.
Tested on Valheim 1.0.17 with our server image and panel, 2026-10-13: panel fields, launch flags and their order checked against the image's start script. Values and effects come from Iron Gate's guide, its patch notes and the Valheim wiki on that date.
Change log
- 2026-10-13: first version, for Valheim 1.0.17.
- 2026-10-20: Valheim now runs on Free and 24/7 from Casual (2 GB).
- 2026-10-26: Starter figures updated (€5, 4 GB).