B.A.R.K.

A craftable, mortal base defense sentry dummy with configurable targeting modes for Valheim.

B.A.R.K. (Battle-Automaton Robotic Knight) is an armored base defense sentry dummy equipped with configurable targeting modes, customizable combat stats, and full multiplayer synchronization — while leaving the vanilla T.W.I.G. training dummy completely untouched.

Constructed via the Hammer under the Defence category, B.A.R.K. defends settlements by hurling pinpoint stone projectiles at hostile invaders, sparring with players, or standing watch in passive sentinel mode. Sentries feature persistent per-unit mode and range memory, real-time visual indicator auras, customizable armor and turnip head visuals, and server-authoritative configuration enforcement.

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Features

• Dedicated Defense Sentry: Craft B.A.R.K. directly from the Hammer build menu under the Defence category using Core Wood and Iron Nails.
• Untouched Vanilla Sparring Dummy: Leaves piece_TrainingDummy completely unchanged as an immortal, safe 1-damage training partner.
• Mortal & Repairable: Sentries possess health, take damage from monsters and raids, can be repaired using the Hammer, and slowly self-repair when out of combat.

Combat & Ballistics

• High-Velocity Stone Barrage: Throws stones with ballistic trajectory compensation and zero drag, ensuring direct hits on targets across all distances up to 40 meters.
• Anti-Self-Detonation Protection: Built-in PhysX collision filtering prevents oversized projectiles from detonating against the dummy or attached armor.
• Configurable Projectile Scaling: Customize thrown boulder sizes from small rocks to siege stones via ProjectileScale.
• Continuous 360-Degree Tracking: Sentries smoothly face acquired targets and track approaching hostiles with no blind spots.

Targeting & Dynamic Modes

• Enemies Only (Default): Guards against hostile forest creatures, invaders, and raid events.
• Players & Enemies: Attacks both monsters and players within range.
• Players Only: Acts as an active combat sparring partner for players.
• Passive: Stands at ease without acquiring targets or throwing stones.
• Per-Sentry Range Presets: Tune individual sentries to engage targets at 10m, 15m, 20m, 30m, or 40m distances.
• Mode Indicator Aura: A floating, illuminated orb indicates active target modes (Green = Enemies, Orange = Both, Red = Players, Gray = Passive).

Visuals & Customization

• Armored Reskin: Comes equipped with metallic darkwood body shading, an Iron Helmet, and a Banded Shield.
• Jack-o-Turnip Head: Features a carved, glowing Jack-o-turnip lantern head with internal candlelight.
• Custom Equipment: Equip alternative vanilla helmets and shields or disable equipment through configuration.
• Custom Texture Loading: Place a PNG texture named bark_diffuse.png into BepInEx/plugins/BARK/textures/ to custom skin the sentry body.

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Controls & Keybinds (if applicable)

Action	Shortcut	Description
Cycle Target Mode	E	Cycles targeting modes (Enemies only, Players & Enemies, Players only, Passive)
Cycle Attack Range	Sneak + E	Cycles attack range preset (10m, 15m, 20m, 30m, 40m)
Toggle Indicator Aura	Shift + E	Toggles the glowing indicator orb and light above the sentry
Repair Sentry	Hammer (Attack)	Repairs damaged sentry to full health (costs Wood from inventory)

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Configuration

The configuration file is generated automatically at BepInEx/config/com.jubaroo.bark.cfg. All settings can be adjusted in-game via configuration managers (e.g. BepInEx Configuration Manager or ConfigForge) or edited directly:

Setting	Default	Description
Lock Configuration	true	If On, the configuration is locked to server settings and can only be modified by admins.
EnableMod	true	Enable B.A.R.K. mod. If disabled, vanilla behavior is preserved.
DebugLogging	false	Enable verbose debug logging for B.A.R.K. targeting and AI in BepInEx log.
ShowStatusNotification	true	Show a top-left on-screen notification when switching B.A.R.K.'s target mode or range.
ShowStatusIndicator	true	Show the glowing indicator orb above B.A.R.K.'s head showing its active target mode.
AllowPassiveWildlifeTargeting	false	Whether Enemies mode should also attack passive wildlife such as deer and hare.
TargetTamedCreatures	false	Whether Enemies mode should target tamed player creatures.
Health	500	Maximum health points for B.A.R.K. combat sentry.
Damage	40	Attack damage dealt by B.A.R.K. combat sentry.
AttackRange	20	Maximum range in meters at which B.A.R.K. detects enemies and throws rocks (default: 20m).
ProjectileScale	2	Size multiplier for stone projectiles thrown by B.A.R.K. (1.0 = vanilla stone, 2.0 = large boulder).
CoreWoodCost	5	Amount of Core Wood required to craft B.A.R.K.
IronNailsCost	10	Amount of Iron Nails required to craft B.A.R.K.
EctoplasmCost	0	Amount of Ectoplasm required to craft B.A.R.K. (0 = disabled).
RepairWoodCost	2	Amount of Wood consumed from inventory when repairing a damaged B.A.R.K. with the Hammer.
SelfRepairPerSecond	1	HP per second a B.A.R.K. regenerates while idle (out of combat).
HelmetPrefab	None	Prefab name of helmet equipped on B.A.R.K. (e.g. HelmetIron, HelmetBronze, Turnip, None).
ShieldPrefab	None	Prefab name of shield equipped on B.A.R.K. (e.g. ShieldBanded, ShieldSilver, None).
TurnipHead	true	Enable a carved, glowing Jack-o-turnip lantern head for B.A.R.K.
TurnipHeadScale	1.0	Scale multiplier for B.A.R.K.'s Jack-o-turnip head (0.1–3.0).
TurnipHeadYOffset	0.0	Vertical height offset in meters for Jack-o-turnip head (-1.0 to 1.0).
TurnipHeadRotation	0.0	Y-axis rotation offset in degrees for Jack-o-turnip head (-180 to 180).
BodyColorTint	#6A645D	Hex color tint applied to B.A.R.K.'s wooden body when no custom texture is used.
Metalness	0.35	Metallic surface reflection for B.A.R.K.'s body materials (0.0 to 1.0).
Smoothness	0.3	Glossiness and smoothness for B.A.R.K.'s body materials (0.0 to 1.0).

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Installation

Using a Mod Manager (Recommended)

Install via Thunderstore Mod Manager, r2modman, or Gale:

1. Search for BARK.
2. Click Download with Mod Manager.

Manual Installation

1. Ensure BepInExPack Valheim is installed.
2. Extract the mod package archive.
3. Place BARK.dll into your Valheim/BepInEx/plugins/ directory.
4. Launch the game!

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Compatibility & Multiplayer

• Client vs Server: Both client and server installation recommended. Clients require the mod to view models, UI prompts, and targeting orbs; servers require the mod to enforce authoritative health, damage, and targeting synchronization.
• ServerSync: Dedicated servers enforce configuration locking (Lock Configuration = true), automatically replicating admin combat values, recipes, and repair costs to all connected players.
• Controller Support: Fully compatible with gamepads and custom keybindings via Valheim's native interaction system.