The Cost of Mortality: Skill Drain
In a standard Valheim world, death results in a 5% reduction to all of your character’s skills. At higher levels, a single mistake can wipe out hours of dedicated training. Using world modifiers, you can adjust these penalties to suit your server’s playstyle.
| Reading Time | Difficulty | Last Updated |
|---|
| 3 minutes | Beginner | January 2026 |
Customizing the Penalty
Add the following arguments to your Startup tab to change how death affects your players:
| Argument | Mode | Effect |
|---|
-modifier deathpenalty casual | Casual | You keep equipped gear. Skill loss is reduced to 1%. |
-modifier deathpenalty veryeasy | Very Easy | No item loss. No skill loss. |
-modifier deathpenalty hard | Hard | Increased skill loss and higher item drop impact. |
-modifier deathpenalty hardcore | Hardcore | Characters or inventories may be permanently deleted upon death. |
Server Best Practice
For public dedicated servers, the casual setting is highly recommended. It maintains the challenge of retrieving your grave while preventing the “progression wall” that causes players to quit after high-level deaths.Support Channels
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Last Updated: January 2026 | Valheim: Death penalties configured.