Valheim Ascended
A comprehensive RPG overhaul for Valheim. Classes, talent trees, abilities, enchanting, smithing, and milestones.
Screenshots 8 screenshots
About this mod Author’s original text
A full RPG overhaul for Valheim.
Valheim Ascended is an attempt to build a complete RPG framework on top of Valheim. The goal is to bring everything you'd expect from a full RPG under one roof: a character equipment screen, social systems, classes and abilities, tooltips and UI enhancements, professions and crafting, quests, and a vanilla-friendly progression system. Instead of piecing together a dozen separate mods, this is one package trying to do all of it.
⚠️ Early Access
This is a solo passion project. Everything here is built and maintained by one person.
Features are still incomplete, nothing is balanced, and things will break between updates.
⚠️ Mod Compatibility — Read This First
Valheim Ascended is built to be a complete standalone package, not a piece you slot in alongside other overhauls. The mod touches an unusually wide surface of Valheim's systems: combat (bow reworks, crossbow states, melee animations, dual-wield), creature spawning and star levels, UI (nearly every panel and HUD element is custom), inventory management (loadout slots, sheath mechanic, quickslots), stats and attributes, talent and ability systems, progression, multiplayer sync, and more.
Most mods that touch any of these systems will conflict. That includes the obvious ones (combat overhauls, UI replacers, inventory tweaks, class mods) and the less obvious ones (anything that re-skins HUD elements, modifies spawn rates, changes ammo handling, hooks attack patches, or touches BepInEx config for areas VA covers).
My recommendation: see what VA already does before installing anything else alongside it. If a feature you want is already covered by VA, adding another mod for the same area is asking for trouble. If a mod is purely additive (new biomes, building pieces, cosmetic items) it'll usually be fine, but I haven't tested every case.
Compatibility with other mods has not been tested. Conflicts will not generally be considered bugs in VA but thats not saying I wont look into compatibility in the future. I just have a lot on my plate at the moment, balancing this mod, my job, and personal life, so don't expect any efforts in that area anytime soon.
Pick your class after defeating Eikthyr. You can preview all five talent trees before committing.
| Class | Role | Subclasses |
|:------|:-----|:-----------|
| Warrior | STR / END melee | Berserker, Protector |
| Rogue | DEX / AGI burst | Blade Weaver, Assassin |
| Hunter | AGI / DEX ranged | Sharpshooter, Stormweaver |
| Mage | INT caster, 5 ability slots | Rime Sage, Tempest Warden, Pyroclast |
| Paladin | END / INT hybrid | Death Knight, Judicator, Lightbringer |
Each class branches into subclass paths through the talent tree. Once you commit to a branch the other side locks but stays partially accessible (first three keystone rows of the off-spec are unlockable). Respec is available for a coin cost.
6+ abilities per class, all with custom VFX and SFX.
- Pick any 3 from your unlocked pool. Mage gets 5 slots (includes LMB/RMB).
- Castbar system for windup abilities with hold-to-aim indicators
- All abilities are cooldown-based. Mage and Paladin abilities cost Eitr.
- 15 capstone abilities with unique mechanics like Siege Engine (magazine-fed crossbow), Wind Runner (momentum-based ranged buffs), Living Shadow (shadow clone), and more
- All ability VFX are visible in multiplayer, with a unified buff/aura tracker system showing partner buffs on their nameplates and your own state on your personal HUD
Around 50 nodes per class with subclass gates, multi-rank passives, keystones, and capstones.
- 207 total passives across all 5 classes
- 30 talent points earned from boss kills (Eikthyr 6, Elder 6, Bonemass 6, Moder 5, Yagluth 4, Queen 2, Fader 1)
- Abilities unlock at talent point thresholds (Tier 1 at 5 pts, Tier 2 at 10)
- You can browse all 5 trees read-only before picking a class
- Off-spec keystones in the first three rows of the unchosen subclass remain unlockable, so you can dip into the oth
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.
Install these first, or the mod will not work: