balrond runeforging
Adds Runeforging skill as new way to improve gear by increasing it rarity.
About this mod Author’s original text
⚔️ 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
- SkillsReworked compatibility
- G3A3 Rested Skill XP compatibility
- ConfigurationManager-compatible settings menu
🆕 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
- Correct Runeforging skill name in skill interfaces
- Improved Runeforging skill save/load reliability
- SkillsReworked compatibility
- G3A3 Rested Skill XP compatibility
- Improved ConfigurationManager presentation
- Improved compatibility with modded equipment
📖 Table of Contents
- Overview
- Installation
- Rarity System
- Runeforging
- Runeforging Skill
- Mod Compatibility
- Improve Tab
- Craft From Containers
- Legendary Specialization
- Legendary Naming & Ownership
- Visual Systems
- Configuration & ServerSync
- Localization
- Admin Commands
- Multiplayer
- Troubleshooting
- Community & Support
🔍 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.
📦 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.
✨ 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.
🔨 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 in
Install & use Install: BepInEx plugin
- The archive from playbuff is the mod itself — usually a BepInEx plugin (a .dll or a plugin folder once unzipped).
- Recommended: use a community mod manager (such as r2modman) — pick this game, import the mod, and the manager sets up BepInEx and its dependencies for you.
- Manual route: install the BepInEx loader in the game folder, then drop the unzipped .dll or plugin folder into BepInEx/plugins/.
- Launch the game — the BepInEx console logs every plugin it loads; seeing this mod in the log means it is installed.
Mods with listed dependencies need those installed too, or they will not load. Options are usually changed in-game or in the plugin's config file. In multiplayer, the host and every client need the same mods installed.