Viking Codex

Ever feel like you're missing something in Valheim, but can't quite figure out what it is or where to start looking? Or wish you had an in-game codex with a bestiary, crafting reference, and a way to track your discoveries?

Viking Codex brings it all together. Browse the items, creatures, recipes, and building pieces you've learned about, track your progress by biome, and spot the gaps in your knowledge without revealing every undiscovered name. Playing with friends? Share eligible material discoveries so your fellow Vikings can learn alongside you.

Features

Your own Viking encyclopedia

Browse items, creatures, crafting recipes, building pieces, and crafting stations from one native-styled panel.

• Filter by biome, category, and discovery status.
• Search known entries and sort by progression or alphabetically.
• Track discovery progress for each biome.
• See discovered entries first when viewing All.
• Keep future discoveries hidden behind question marks. Unknown item icons appear as silhouettes where an icon exists; unknown creatures are labeled ??? - Creature.
• Spot new discoveries with a NEW marker until you view them during that session.
• View an item and its recipes together without duplicate recipe rows.

Crafting information at a glance

Select an entry to review its description, materials, crafting station, and known recipe relationships. Details distinguish discovered content, known recipes, and whether normal crafting requirements are currently met. Missing materials and station requirements are highlighted to help you see what you still need.

Optional Wiki buttons open more information when you choose to use them.

Discover together

When a player learns an eligible material, Viking Codex shares that knowledge with other players on the same server. Their characters use Valheim's normal knowledge registration and recipe-unlock logic.

Players who reconnect can catch up on eligible discoveries recorded while they were away. Learned material knowledge belongs to each character, and shared history is stored separately for each world.

You still need the normal resources, crafting stations, station levels, and other requirements to craft or build. The mod does not grant items or reduce crafting costs.

Dependencies

Both dependencies are required:

• BepInExPack Valheim by denikson - 5.4.2351.
• Jotunn by ValheimModding - 2.30.2 or newer compatible version.

Thunderstore Mod Manager and r2modman use the package's dependency declarations to install the required packages.

Installation

Mod manager

Install Viking Codex and its dependencies through Thunderstore Mod Manager or r2modman, then launch the modded game.

Manual

With BepInEx and Jotunn installed, copy the VikingCodex folder from the manual package into BepInEx/plugins/.

Multiplayer and dedicated servers

Install the same Viking Codex version and its dependencies on the server and every connecting player's client. This version requires matching plugin versions even when sharing is disabled.

Restart the game or server after installation or an update.

How to use

1. Enter a world and press F8, or open your inventory and click Codex.
2. Pick a biome or category to narrow the list. Choose Discovered to browse known entries, or All to include unknown placeholders.
3. Type in the search box to find known content. Hidden names are excluded from searches.
4. Select an entry to read its details and crafting requirements.
5. Click Clear filters to reset the view. Press Escape or click Close to return to the game.

Material sharing is enabled by default and works automatically for eligible new discoveries. Existing eligible material knowledge is added to shared history automatically when characters connect. This is enabled by default; administrators can disable ImportExistingDiscoveries to share only new discoveries.

Configuration

The first plugin launch creates:

BepInEx/config/com.vikingcodex.cfg

You can enable or disable the Codex and shared discovery independently. Other options include the keyboard shortcut, unknown-entry visibility, Wiki links, inventory-button placement, offline catch-up, and modded content detection. Server settings control discovery sharing.

Restart the server and reconnect clients after changing server policy.

Compatibility and feedback

I have tested Viking Codex on my own dedicated server, and it is working in that setup. It has not been tested with every mod combination, so there may be compatibility issues with other mods.

If you run into an issue or a conflict with another mod, add me on Discord and message me: goon4207. Include your Viking Codex and Valheim versions, the other mods you are using, what happened, and any relevant BepInEx log errors so I can investigate.

Modded content can be detected, but its classification and discovery-sharing support depend on the content and available metadata. Some entries remain Unclassified, and complete catalog coverage and biome accuracy are still being reviewed. Extra crafting restrictions added by other mods may not all appear in the Codex; actual crafting remains controlled by the game and installed mods.

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Code and documentation were created with assistance from OpenAI Codex, under the project owner's direction.