⚔️ Balrond Runeforging

Balrond Runeforging adds a complete rarity and item progression system to Valheim.

Instead of adding random loot drops or replacing vanilla progression, the mod expands the existing crafting and upgrade systems with:

• Item rarity progression
• Runeforging upgrades
• Legendary equipment
• Equipment mastery
• Visual item identity

Items become valuable because players invest time and resources into improving them.

📖 Table of Contents

• Overview
• Design Philosophy
• Core Features
  • Rarity System
  • Runeforging Process
  • Runeforging Skill
  • Improve Tab
  • Legendary Specialization
  • Legendary Naming & Ownership
• Balance & Progression
• Visual Systems
• Admin & Multiplayer Support
• Localization Support
• Community & Support

🔍 Overview

Balrond Runeforging enhances Valheim equipment progression without turning the game into a random loot RPG.

❌ This Mod Does NOT

• Add new weapons or armor
• Modify enemy loot tables
• Add random legendary drops
• Replace vanilla biome progression

The system focuses entirely on improving and mastering existing equipment.

❤️ Design Philosophy

Equipment should matter.

A weapon should become part of your journey. A legendary item should feel earned. Improvement should require investment.

The goal of Runeforging is to expand vanilla progression while preserving Valheim's original gameplay identity.

⚒️ Core Features

✨ Rarity System

Runeforging allows equipment to gain rarity and improve beyond vanilla limitations.

Rarity Tiers

Higher Rarity Improves

• Armor
• Damage
• Durability
• Stamina efficiency
• Utility effects
• Defensive properties
• Visual identity

The system works with vanilla items and compatible modded equipment using vanilla object structure.

🔨 Runeforging Process

Runeforging is performed at the original crafting station of the item.

Examples

• Forge items → Forge
• Workbench items → Workbench
• Black Forge items → Black Forge

Progression Rules

• Upgrading costs a percentage of base crafting materials
• Players must progress through each rarity tier sequentially
• Newly crafted equipment has a chance to roll higher rarity
• Better rarity chances scale with Runeforging skill

Additional UI Slots

Slots 1–8 are used for Runeforging interactions and legendary renaming.

Runeforging expands normal upgrades instead of replacing them.

📈 Runeforging Skill

The Runeforging skill represents mastery of advanced item enhancement.

Experience Sources

Players gain Runeforging experience by:

• Crafting weapons and armor
• Crafting higher rarity equipment
• Improving items through the Improve tab

Higher rarity improvements grant additional experience.

The skill improves long-term progression and rarity acquisition chances.

🔨 Improve Tab

The Improve tab allows equipment to increase rarity after normal upgrades.

Features

• Available at all supported crafting stations
• Shows only compatible inventory items
• Previews next rarity tier and resulting stats
• Displays required materials and upgrade costs

Higher rarity upgrades become progressively more expensive. Legendary equipment requires major long-term investment.

🧩 Legendary Specialization

Legendary equipment receives additional bonuses depending on item category and weapon type.

The system encourages build diversity and gives each weapon class a unique legendary identity.

👑 Legendary Naming & Ownership

Legendary items can receive custom fantasy-style names.

When an item reaches Legendary rarity, the player can rename it.

Only:

• The original creator
• The player who upgraded the item to Legendary

can rename the item.

Items also track creator ownership. If another player upgrades an item into Legendary rarity, ownership transfers to that player.

This makes legendary equipment feel personal and earned.

⚖️ Balance & Progression

Runeforging is designed to remain compatible with vanilla progression.

Rarity does not replace biome progression.

Example Progression

• A Legendary Bronze Chestpiece may become comparable to a Common Iron Chestpiece
• A highly improved Iron weapon may compete with lower-tier Silver equipment

This allows players to:

• Continue using favorite gear longer
• Invest into preferred builds
• Personalize progression paths

New biome materials still remain valuable and important.

🌟 Visual Systems

One of the main features of Runeforging is that improved equipment becomes visually recognizable.

Rare and Legendary items not only become stronger — they also look different while equipped, dropped on the ground and displayed in inventory.

⚔️ Equipped Item Glow

Equipped rare items emit dynamic magical effects while worn.

Effects automatically adapt to item type:

• Swords glow along blades
• Shields emit defensive aura effects
• Bows and staffs scale effects to weapon length
• Armor emits body-centered aura effects
• Capes use ambient back effects

This allows players to immediately recognize improved equipment on themselves and other players.

🌈 Ground Effects

Dropped items emit visual effects based on rarity.

Features

• Colored loot beams
• Ambient magical particles
• Rarity-scaled glow intensity
• Improved visibility on the ground

Higher rarity items become easier to identify from distance.

💠 Inventory & Tooltip Improvements

Rare items receive:

• Rarity-colored names
• Enhanced icon visuals
• Diamond rarity symbols
• Cleaner tooltip formatting
• Improved stat readability

Rarity Symbols

◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ Common
◆ ◈ ◈ ◈ Uncommon
◆ ◆ ◈ ◈ Rare
◆ ◆ ◆ ◈ Epic
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ Legendary

👨‍💻 Admin & Multiplayer Support

Admin / Debug Support

Runeforging fully supports:

• devcommands
• debugmode
• No-cost testing workflows

Admins and testers can freely test:

• Rarity progression
• Visual systems
• Improve scaling
• Legendary upgrades

without consuming materials.

Admin Console Commands

Balrond Runeforging includes admin commands for server owners, testers and event creators.

Spawn Runeforged Item

br_spawn <prefab> <rarity> <quality=1> <amount=1>

Spawns an existing Valheim item prefab with selected rarity.

Examples

br_spawn SwordIron Legendary 4 1
br_spawn ArmorIronChest Epic 4 1
br_spawn ShieldBlackmetal Rare 2 3

Argument Order

prefab  = existing item prefab ID
rarity  = Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary
quality = item upgrade level
amount  = number of items to spawn

Only compatible Runeforging items can be spawned.

Set Rarity On Equipped Item

br_set_rarity <slot> <rarity>

Changes rarity of an equipped item.

Examples

br_set_rarity helmet Legendary
br_set_rarity chest Epic
br_set_rarity right Rare
br_set_rarity left Common

Supported Slots

right
left
helmet
chest
legs
shoulder
utility
trinket

Supported Aliases

weapon  -> right
shield  -> left
head    -> helmet
body    -> chest
pants   -> legs
cape    -> shoulder

The command can also lower rarity.

Item Debug Information

br_item_info <slot>

Prints debug information about an equipped item.

Displays

slot
item name
quality
rarity
creator
custom legendary name
Runeforging eligibility

Useful for:

• Server administration
• Debugging
• Testing progression
• Verifying ownership

⚙️ Multiplayer Support

All visual systems are multiplayer compatible.

Players can see:

• Loot beams
• World glow
• Equipped item glow
• Rarity visuals
• Legendary presentation

Rare equipment remains visually impressive for everyone on the server.

🌐 Localization Support

The mod supports localization and translation files.

If Localization Keys Appear Instead of Text

Possible causes:

• Missing translation file
• Failed translation loading
• Outdated server translation files

Translation files can be manually expanded or edited.

💬 Community & Support

Discord

https://discord.gg/Jfp8T5N7Pv

Ko-fi

https://ko-fi.com/balrond1020