Runic Mod Server Suite

The Runic services that do useful work on the authoritative Valheim process.

Runic Mod Server Suite is the one-click package for a dedicated server or the authoritative side of a listen server. It installs the eight Runic modules that provide host synchronization, server-routed features, owner-local automation, safety/backup services, security administration, startup diagnostics, or world-save smoothing. Its Sentinel dependency is the server-only package, not the combined or client edition.

This is a dependency-only modpack. It contains no plugin DLLs, private keys, policies, or configuration files. Thunderstore or r2modman downloads each declared package, and existing server configuration remains in place.

Included server modules

Mod	Server role
Runic Character Vault	Stores each player's authoritative character, validates transfers, and maintains rolling backups. The same package must also be installed on every client.
Runic Display Stands	Publishes the host's configured eligible stand-prefab list to modded clients.
Runic Portals	Serves bounded portal-directory data and authorizes Group operations.
Runic Production	Automates eligible loaded stations when Valheim assigns the required objects to the server process.
Runic Safety	Supplies server-side safety seams and Sentinel's verified transition-backup dependency.
Runic Sentinel Server	Gates Required-mode handshakes, evaluates client reports against signed policy, and provides authenticated administration, bans, evidence, backups, reports, and dedicated-console commands.
Runic Velocity	Records local server-startup milestones and maintains a validated plugin cache.
Runic World Engine	Provides aggregate observability and bounded asynchronous-save smoothing on the authoritative process.

Configuration Manager is omitted because a headless server has no in-game configuration window. Edit the generated BepInEx configuration files on the server instead.

Deployment matrix

Profile	Install
Dedicated server	Runic Mod Server Suite
Ordinary remote player	Runic Mod Client Suite
Listen host who also plays	Both suites in the same profile
Remote Sentinel administrator	Client Suite, then add combined Runic Sentinel separately

The client and server suites intentionally overlap where a feature has work on both processes. A remote player does not need to install the Server Suite as a second pack: the Client Suite already contains every shared gameplay module and deliberately omits Sentinel Server and combined Sentinel.

Sentinel boundary

Sentinel's authority, managed private key, dedicated commands, and policy state belong on the server. Runic Sentinel Server contains that authoritative functionality without the ordinary player package. Players receive the lightweight Runic Sentinel Client through the Client Suite; it can report a bounded plugin inventory but cannot administer or enforce anything. Remote F3 administrators install combined Sentinel separately. Never distribute the server-private key.

Add your account ID to the server's adminlist.txt, then join with full Sentinel, press F3, and click Set Up Sentinel once. On Valheim 1.0, use V_<SteamID64> for a Steam account; Sentinel also recognizes raw and Steam_ IDs. Existing policies and signing keys are preserved. First-time setup leaves admission mode unchanged. Server-admin inheritance can be disabled with [Administrator Access] UseServerAdminList = false; separately signed roles remain independent.

Multiplayer consistency

• Keep Display Stands, Portals, Production, and Safety versions/configuration compatible with the clients using those features.
• Production follows Valheim's native object ownership. Installing it on both server and clients lets the current eligible owner perform bounded automation.
• Client-only tools remain absent from the server pack because they add no headless authority or enforcement.

Installation

1. Create or select the dedicated-server profile in Thunderstore Mod Manager or r2modman.
2. Install Runic Mod Server Suite.
3. Let the manager install its dependencies.
4. Configure the individual server mods before starting the world.
5. Keep Sentinel's private material only on the authoritative server.

Runic Character Vault stores its server data under BepInEx/config/RunicCharacterVault/characters. Back up that directory with the world, require players to use the Client Suite, and do not install another server-character mod alongside it. Version 1.0.2 defaults to AllowExistingCharacters = true, allowing established players to enroll with their current characters. First enrollment trusts that account's supplied character; switch the setting to false after migration if future players must start fresh. Existing vault profiles remain authoritative. The first enrolled save is retained in characters/enrollment-backups.

Questions, bug reports, and test logs: Runic Mods Discord