PersonalChestHeeler

Tiered personal locked storage chests scaled across Valheim progression ages with server-synced configurable capacity, crafting recipes, and subtle emissive lock indicators.

[!NOTE] Multiplayer Requirement: In multiplayer, this mod must be installed on both the dedicated server and all connecting clients because it registers custom piece prefabs. It also works seamlessly in standalone single-player.

Overview

In vanilla Valheim, private locked storage is limited to a single 6-slot Personal Chest (piece_chest_private). PersonalChestHeeler introduces a 7-tier progression of secure personal lockboxes and vaults scaled across Valheim's biomes and crafting stations. Each tier features dedicated physical sizing, themed emissive lock glows, custom sound layering, and full multiplayer server synchronization.

Progression Matrix

Features

• Dedicated Hammer Category: Appears under a dedicated "Personal Chests" tab in the Hammer build menu using Jötunn's Valheim 1.x category support, while retaining Storage filter tags.
• Normalized Piece Physics: All chest colliders are standardized on the piece physics layer (layer 10) for seamless building grid snapping, reliable repair targeting, and zero ground clipping.
• Themed Emissive Lock Glow (ChestGlowController): Each chest features a gentle, lock-centered point light and material emission reflecting its metal/biome tier, instantly distinguishing private storage from shared chests.
• Access Control & Dismantle Protection: Enforces creator ownership across multiplayer servers. Prevents deconstruction of chests containing items.
• Admin Lock Bypass: Server administrators can optionally bypass personal chest locks (AdminBypassesLock).
• HUD Ownership Indicators: Contextual hover text highlights lock status ([Personal Lock: Owned] in green, [Personal Lock: Restricted] in red).
• Live Configuration Hot-Reload: Capacities, recipes, crafting stations, health, and visual glow settings synchronize across clients via ConditionalConfigSync.
• Zero Asset Bundle Overhead: Uses zero-asset prefab cloning from built-in Valheim assets.

Configuration

Settings can be customized directly in-game using the BepInEx Configuration Manager (F1) or by editing BepInEx/config/dreamwraith.PersonalChestHeeler.cfg:

Compatibility

• Multiplayer: Must be installed on both the dedicated server and all connecting clients. Attempting to place custom chests on a server without the mod will result in missing prefab errors.
• Single-Player: Fully functional in local single-player worlds.
• Mod Managers: Fully compatible with Gale, Thunderstore Mod Manager, and r2modman.
• Modded Setups: Cleanly integrates with other building and inventory mods without conflicts.

Installation

[!TIP] Mod Manager Recommended: Using a modern mod manager like Gale or Thunderstore makes installation and automatic dependency updates effortless.

Mod Manager (Recommended)

1. Install via Gale, Thunderstore Mod Manager, or r2modman.
2. Launch Valheim and enjoy!

Manual Installation

1. Ensure BepInExPack Valheim is installed.
2. Download and extract the latest release archive.
3. Place PersonalChestHeeler.dll into your Valheim/BepInEx/plugins/ directory.
4. Launch Valheim.

Building from Source

The project uses a portable MSBuild configuration that auto-detects standard Steam paths.

dotnet build -c Release

The compiled assembly will be placed in bin/Release/net48/PersonalChestHeeler.dll. Building in Release configuration automatically packages the distribution ZIP to bin/Publish/PersonalChestHeeler-<Version>.zip. For details on version bumping and standalone archive generation, see PACKAGE.md.

Custom & CI Paths

For non-standard Steam library locations or mod manager profiles, copy PersonalChestHeeler.csproj.user.example to PersonalChestHeeler.csproj.user in the project root:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <GamePath>D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Valheim</GamePath>
    <BepInExCorePath>$(UserProfile)\AppData\Roaming\com.kesomannen.gale\valheim\profiles\<ProfileName>\BepInEx\core</BepInExCorePath>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

Packaging, Publishing & Releases

All developer automation tools for release management, packaging, and publishing to Thunderstore, Hexium, and Nexus Mods are consolidated into the single PowerShell 7 entrypoint .scripts/modtools.ps1, powered by the shared DW.ValheimModTools module:

• Release Management: pwsh ./.scripts/modtools.ps1 release compiles in Release, creates mod & source archives, extracts changelog notes, and publishes GitHub Releases (Draft by default, or published with -Publish) using the gh CLI.
• Packaging & Version Bumping: pwsh ./.scripts/modtools.ps1 package -Bump Patch increments SemVer in PersonalChestHeeler.csproj, updates manifest.json, and bundles distribution archives.
• Portal Publishing: pwsh ./.scripts/modtools.ps1 publish -Target All uploads directly to Thunderstore, Hexium, and Nexus Mods APIs.
• CI/CD Workflow: .github/workflows/publish.yml provides an automated GitHub Actions workflow to publish to Thunderstore, Hexium, and Nexus Mods whenever a GitHub Release is published.

For detailed documentation on flags, workflows, and secret configuration, see .scripts/README.md.

License, Author Notes

• This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE.md file for details.
• A Small Note from Me about Valheim Modding Specifically - Thoughts on open-source modding, community inclusivity, and anti-gatekeeping.
• A Note on AI, Software Craft, and Why This Code Exists - Personal essay on software craft, human agency, and engineering responsibility.