DropNSpawn

Customize Valheim's drops, loot, spawners, world spawning, and raids with YAML. Use generated references to find prefab names and values, then edit only what you need.

Character drops	Object loot	Spawners

What you can change

Domain	Controls
character	Creature drops, quantities, chances, level scaling, and stacked loot
object	Chests, pickables, fish, trees, rocks, destructibles, and their loot
spawner	SpawnArea and CreatureSpawner tables, intervals, limits, levels, and location rules
spawnsystem	World spawn tables, biomes, time of day, and progression requirements
events	Raid definitions, spawn lists, conditions, and scheduling

Install

Install the same DropNSpawn version and its dependencies on the server and all clients. A mod manager is the simplest option; for manual installation, place DropNSpawn.dll in BepInEx/plugins/.

Requires BepInExPack Valheim 5.4.2350 and Expand World Data. The current target is Valheim 1.0.15; see the compatibility notes for reviewed EWD builds and existing-YAML update notes.

Quick start

1. Start the game or server and load a world once to generate the configuration files.
2. Open BepInEx/config/DropNSpawn/ and find the relevant DNS_<domain>.reference.yml.
3. Copy the entries you want to customize into DNS_<domain>.yml, or a supplemental file such as DNS_character_wolves.yml.
4. Save. Loaded YAML files reload at runtime; on a multiplayer server, edit the server's files.

For example, put this in DNS_character.yml to replace Lox loot:

- prefab: Lox
  characterDrop:
    drops:
    - item: LoxMeat
      amount: 4~6
    - item: LoxPelt
      amount: 2~3
    - item: TrophyLox
      chance: 0.1
      levelMultiplier: false

Global options live in BepInEx/config/sighsorry.DropNSpawn.cfg. All five domains start enabled; toggle them under 4 - Domains. Loot scaling, stacked drops, trophy scaling, and event scheduling have their own settings; most server-facing settings sync from the server.

Under 2 - Character, monster instant loot drop blacklist defaults to Dragon, Hatchling. These creature prefabs keep normal ragdoll loot timing even when instant loot is enabled. Use comma-separated names, or leave it empty for no exclusions; changes affect new ragdolls.

Know before editing

• SpawnSystem replaces the main world spawn table. Keep every row you still want across your loaded SpawnSystem files. Unlike the other domains, it is not a set of small patches to existing rows. Valheim's separate AltBiome lists remain native.
• Custom drop lists replace native loot, not add to it. Matching Character rules merge their custom drops. Put conditions at the entry level, not on individual drop items. Omitted or null drops leave existing loot unchanged; drops: [] explicitly contributes an empty replacement.
• Spawner rules select one winner. The most specific passing selector wins; later-loaded entries break ties. Use top-level locations to scope a rule to a location.
• Generated files are lookup material. Do not edit .reference.yml or .full.yml to change gameplay. Generated .sample.yml files in examples/ are inactive until copied or renamed to a loaded override filename.

Both .yml and .yaml are supported. Loaded names are DNS_<domain> and DNS_<domain>_*, with either extension. Use events for raids, for example DNS_events.yml.

Scale spawn intervals per file

Place this optional header before all prefab entries in a SpawnSystem override file:

- spawnIntervalMultiplier: 2.0

- prefab: Deer
  spawnSystem:
    spawnInterval: 36

This sets an effective interval of 72 seconds. 0.5 halves intervals; 2.0 doubles them. The multiplier must be finite and greater than zero, defaults to 1.0, and affects only that file—not event spawns. Decimal intervals are preserved. Keep the other world spawn rows you want; this is only a header example.

References and commands

Reference files are generated automatically and refreshed when source data changes. Object and Spawner also provide .locations.reference.yml files for location lookup.

Console command	Purpose
dns:reference [object|character|spawner|spawnsystem|events|all]	Regenerate reference files
dns:full [object|character|spawner|spawnsystem|all]	Write exhaustive, non-loaded .full.yml scaffolds
dns:inspect spawner	Inspect the current or nearest spawner and its location context

Events use DNS_events.reference.yml instead of a separate full scaffold.

Using More World Locations AIO? Automatic Object/Spawner references skip MWL location interiors to avoid loading every bundle. Registered prefabs and override rules remain usable, and partial exports are labeled. If the MWL manifest is unavailable, automatic interior scanning is deferred for all locations.

Manual dns:reference object, dns:reference spawner, and dns:full spawner can load all location interiors, take minutes, and use substantial memory. Avoid these full exports on low-memory clients.

Compatibility

• VNEI can display configured character drops. ESP is useful for inspecting spawns and objects.
• Creature Level & Loot Control: DNS's own character loot scaling is inactive by default when CLLC is installed. YAML overrides, stacked drops, instant loot, and OnePerPlayer range still work.
• If another mod owns the same system, disable the overlapping DNS domain: MonsterDB (character, spawnsystem), Drop That! (object, character), Spawn That! (spawner, spawnsystem), or Expand World Spawns (spawnsystem).
• Boss altar and boss-management features belong to BossRules; runestone pins and Vegvisir rewards belong to UsefulRunestones. DropNSpawn retains location lookup for Object and Spawner selectors.

Guides and support

• Override rules and conditional drops
• Spawner configuration
• Omitted, null, and empty YAML values
• Build and validation guide
• Changelog · Source and issues · Discord