⚔️ Balrond Runeforging

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

Instead of replacing vanilla progression with random loot, Runeforging expands the existing crafting system and lets players invest resources, time and skill into equipment they already use.

Main Features

• Item rarity progression
• Runeforging upgrades
• Legendary equipment
• Runeforging skill progression
• Legendary specialization bonuses
• Custom Legendary item names
• Visual rarity effects
• Multiplayer and dedicated server support
• Server-synced gameplay configuration
• Localization through editable JSON files
• Craft From Containers compatibility

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🆕 What Changed in 1.1.x

Recent Runeforging updates focused on multiplayer safety, configuration and compatibility.

Highlights:

• Improved Craft From Containers support
• Safe material consumption during rarity Improve
• Support for AzuCraftyBoxes
• Support for UnderHeiz CraftFromContainers
• Support for Balrond Magic Craft Chest
• Protection against old compatibility patches that are no longer needed
• Server-synchronized gameplay configuration
• Automatic English.json creation
• Community JSON translation support with English fallback
• Improved compatibility with modded equipment

📖 Table of Contents

• Overview
• Installation
• Rarity System
• Runeforging
• Runeforging Skill
• Improve Tab
• Craft From Containers
• Legendary Specialization
• Legendary Naming & Ownership
• Visual Systems
• Configuration & ServerSync
• Localization
• Admin Commands
• Multiplayer
• Troubleshooting
• Community & Support

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🔍 Overview

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

The mod focuses on improving existing equipment rather than replacing biome progression.

This Mod Does NOT

• Add random legendary world drops
• Replace vanilla loot tables
• Replace normal biome progression
• Require players to abandon lower-tier equipment immediately
• Add a separate equipment ecosystem

A weapon or armor piece can remain useful longer because the player invests materials and Runeforging progression into it.

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📦 Installation

Balrond Runeforging requires a normal BepInEx Valheim installation.

Install the mod DLL into:

BepInEx/plugins/

The mod is intended to work in single-player, multiplayer and dedicated-server environments.

For multiplayer servers, install the mod where required by your server setup and keep gameplay configuration synchronized through ServerSync.

The distributed Runeforging DLL already contains the libraries bundled by the project build. Users should not need to manually install LitJson2 or ServerSync as separate mod dependencies when using the normal release package.

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✨ Rarity System

Runeforging allows compatible equipment to gain rarity beyond normal item quality upgrades.

Rarity	Color	Symbol
Common	White / Gray	◈ ◈ ◈ ◈
Uncommon	Green	◆ ◈ ◈ ◈
Rare	Blue	◆ ◆ ◈ ◈
Epic	Purple	◆ ◆ ◆ ◈
Legendary	Gold / Orange	◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

Higher rarity can improve properties such as:

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

The system supports vanilla items and compatible modded equipment that follows Valheim's normal item structure.

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🔨 Runeforging

Runeforging uses the item's normal crafting station.

Examples:

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

Progression Rules

• Rarity is upgraded one tier at a time
• Improvements consume a percentage of the item's crafting materials
• Higher rarity upgrades become increasingly expensive
• Newly crafted compatible items can roll improved rarity
• Runeforging skill affects rarity progression
• Legendary equipment represents the highest rarity tier

Runeforging expands normal crafting and upgrading rather than replacing it.

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📈 Runeforging Skill

The Runeforging skill represents mastery of advanced equipment enhancement.

Players can gain Runeforging experience by:

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

Higher-rarity improvements provide greater progression rewards.

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🔧 Improve Tab

The Improve tab is used to increase item rarity after normal equipment upgrading.

It:

• Shows compatible items
• Displays the next rarity tier
• Shows resulting stats
• Shows required materials
• Shows the current material count
• Performs the material transaction before applying the rarity upgrade

The resource transaction is intentionally validated before the rarity change is committed. An Improve operation must not succeed unless its required resources are actually consumed, except when an authorized no-cost/debug mode is being used.

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📦 Craft From Containers

Balrond Runeforging supports compatible Craft From Containers mods when improving item rarity.

This means materials used by the Improve tab can be taken from nearby storage when your installed container mod supports normal Valheim crafting resource checks and consumption.

Runeforging has been specifically tested and designed around compatibility with popular solutions such as:

• AzuCraftyBoxes
• UnderHeiz CraftFromContainers
• Balrond Magic Craft Chest

Each supported container mod keeps control of its own rules, including:

• Container range
• Access permissions
• Private/public storage
• Enabled or disabled state
• Supported container types
• Resource removal

Safe Improve Transactions

Runeforging verifies that required materials can actually be consumed before applying a rarity upgrade.

This prevents situations where the Improve button detects materials in nearby containers but upgrades the item without removing them.

If an installed Craft From Containers mod reports materials as available but cannot safely consume them, Runeforging will block the Improve action instead of granting a free upgrade.

Using More Than One Craft From Containers Mod

Running multiple Craft From Containers mods at the same time is not recommended.

Different mods may try to handle the same crafting transaction. Runeforging includes additional safety checks to avoid duplicate material consumption, but using one primary Craft From Containers solution is the recommended setup.

Legacy Compatibility Patches

Old third-party compatibility patches created specifically for older versions of Balrond Runeforging are no longer required.

If you previously installed a separate Runeforging/Craft From Containers compatibility fix, remove it before using current versions of Runeforging.

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🧩 Legendary Specialization

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

Category	Bonus
ALL	Reduced movement penalty by 1%
Helmet	Reduced dodge stamina usage by 2%
Chest	Reduced attack stamina usage by 2%
Legs	Reduced running stamina usage by 2%
Cape	+1 armor
Shield	Reduced block stamina usage by 5%
Tower Shield	Gains minimal parry capability (1.1x)
Maces	Increased durability (1H: +5% / 2H: +10%)
Swords	Reduced block stamina usage (1H: 2% / 2H: 4%)
Axes	Reduced dodge stamina usage (1H: 2% / 2H: 4%)
Spears	Reduced running stamina usage by 2%
Polearms	Reduced running stamina usage by 4%
Knives	Reduced sneak stamina usage by 8%
Bows	Reduced attack stamina usage by 2%
Crossbows	Reduced attack stamina usage by 3%
Magic Weapons	Increased Eitr regeneration (1H: 3% / 2H: 6%)

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👑 Legendary Naming & Ownership

Legendary items can receive custom names.

When an item reaches Legendary rarity, authorized ownership data is used to determine who may rename it.

Supported ownership includes:

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

If another player performs the Legendary upgrade, ownership can transfer to that player.

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⚖️ Balance & Progression

Runeforging is designed to extend equipment lifespan without removing the value of biome progression.

For example:

• A heavily invested lower-tier item can remain competitive for longer
• Players can keep favorite equipment through more of their progression
• New biome materials and equipment remain important

Rarity supplements vanilla progression; it does not replace it.

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🌟 Visual Systems

Improved equipment becomes visually recognizable.

Equipped Effects

Rare equipment can display magical effects while equipped.

Effects adapt to equipment type, including:

• Weapons
• Shields
• Bows
• Staffs
• Armor
• Capes

Dropped Item Effects

Dropped improved equipment can display:

• Colored loot beams
• Ambient particles
• Rarity-based glow
• Improved ground visibility

Inventory & Tooltips

Improved items can receive:

• Rarity-colored names
• Enhanced icon presentation
• Rarity symbols
• Improved tooltip formatting
• Clearer stat presentation

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

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⚙️ Configuration & ServerSync

Balrond Runeforging includes configurable gameplay and visual settings.

Gameplay-related settings are synchronized through ServerSync, allowing the server to remain authoritative for progression and balance.

Server administrators can lock synchronized settings so connected players use the server configuration automatically.

Server-Synced Gameplay Settings

Depending on the current mod configuration, server-controlled settings cover gameplay systems such as:

• Runeforging progression
• Improve costs
• Rarity progression behavior
• Crafting and upgrade balance
• Skill-related gameplay values
• Other gameplay-affecting Runeforging options

When configuration locking is enabled, clients cannot override the server's gameplay settings.

Local Visual Settings

Options that only affect presentation remain local to each player.

Examples include:

• Disable dropped-item loot beam / glow
• Disable equipped-item glow

These settings do not affect progression or server balance.

Multiplayer Recommendation

For dedicated servers:

1. Configure Runeforging on the server.
2. Enable configuration locking if you want the server settings to be authoritative.
3. Let ServerSync distribute synchronized gameplay values to connected clients.

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🌐 Localization

Balrond Runeforging supports external JSON translation files.

On first launch, the mod automatically creates:

BepInEx/config/Balrond Runeforging-translation/English.json

English.json contains the default English text and can be used as a template for additional languages.

Adding Another Language

Create another JSON file in the same folder.

Examples:

Polish.json
German.json
French.json
Spanish.json

The filename should match the language name used by Valheim.

Community translation files do not need to contain every entry.

If a translation is missing, Runeforging automatically falls back to English.

The loading order is:

Built-in English
        ↓
English.json
        ↓
SelectedLanguage.json

Existing English.json files are not automatically overwritten, so translators and server owners can safely keep their own edits.

If Localization Keys Appear Instead of Text

Check:

1. The JSON file is valid.
2. The file is inside:

   BepInEx/config/Balrond Runeforging-translation/
   

3. The language filename matches the selected Valheim language.
4. The JSON file has not been damaged by manual editing.
5. The BepInEx log for Runeforging localization warnings.

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👨‍💻 Admin Commands

Runeforging includes commands for server administrators, testers and event creators.

Spawn Runeforged Item

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

Examples:

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

Rarity values:

Common
Uncommon
Rare
Epic
Legendary

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Set Rarity on Equipped Item

br_set_rarity <slot> <rarity>

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

Aliases:

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

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Item Debug Information

br_item_info <slot>

Displays information such as:

• Slot
• Item name
• Quality
• Rarity
• Creator
• Custom Legendary name
• Runeforging eligibility

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🧪 Debug / No-Cost Testing

Runeforging supports Valheim testing workflows such as:

• devcommands
• debugmode
• No-cost testing

When an authorized no-cost mode is active, testers can verify rarity progression without consuming normal crafting materials.

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🌐 Multiplayer

Runeforging is designed for multiplayer and dedicated servers.

Visual rarity information can be seen by other players, including:

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

Gameplay configuration is synchronized through ServerSync where appropriate.

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🛠️ Troubleshooting

Improve Button Shows Materials but Upgrade Does Not Complete

Check whether a Craft From Containers mod is installed and whether it is currently enabled.

Runeforging intentionally requires a valid resource-consumption path. If another mod reports resources as available but cannot actually consume them, the rarity upgrade should be blocked instead of being granted for free.

Translation File Does Not Load

Check the JSON syntax and language filename, then inspect the BepInEx log.

Multiplayer Configuration Is Different Between Players

Confirm that the server has the intended Runeforging configuration and that ServerSync configuration locking is enabled where required.

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💬 Community & Support

Discord

https://discord.gg/Jfp8T5N7Pv

Ko-fi

https://ko-fi.com/balrond1020