DreadRifts

By Ketanol · Version 0.1.4 · Early release

Build a rift gate and enter a sequence of PvE arena trials across Valheim's biomes. Fight enemy waves, defend an altar, defeat bosses and bring your expedition's loot home.

The current in-game interface is in Russian. English instructions are followed by a Russian guide below.

Features

• Eight biome stages, from Meadows to Deep North, with ten levels per stage.
• Enemy waves, altar defence, elite encounters and boss fights.
• Three difficulty settings, party scaling and readiness controls.
• Buildable gates, a gate guardian and reusable keys bound to their original gate.
• Shared expedition storage, personal rewards and repairs between battles.
• Saved expedition progress and individual departure and re-entry.
• A matching, permanently open gate inside the arena provides the return route.

The new round-by-round enemy count and star progression applies only to Meadows and Black Forest. Later biomes retain their previous combat balance.

Fallen participants wait up to 60 seconds, watching living allies (← / → switches targets). An ally clearing a wave or completing the level releases the remaining wait automatically. Arena music follows preparation, combat and boss phases and uses the normal game music volume.

Installation

Use Thunderstore Mod Manager or r2modman to install DreadRifts and its dependencies:

• BepInExPack Valheim 5.4.2350.
• Jotunn 2.30.0.

Install the same DreadRifts version on the server and every player's client. Epic Loot is optional.

For manual installation, install the dependencies first, then copy plugins/DreadRifts/DreadRifts.dll from this ZIP into BepInEx/plugins/DreadRifts/. Replace an existing DreadRifts DLL rather than keeping a second copy.

Getting started

1. Defeat Eikthyr in the normal world to unlock the first trial stage.
2. Build the gate using the hammer's DreadRifts category near a workbench. It costs 60 Stone, 40 Wood, 10 Bone Fragments and 2 Surtling Cores. Allow enough level ground for the gate and its entrance.
3. Approach the gate, defeat its guardian and collect a key. Each participant needs their own key for these gates.
4. Interact with the gate and choose a difficulty to open it. Walk through the doorway and into the rift at the back to enter the arena. Opening the doors alone does not send anyone inside.
5. Stand together in the green floor circle for three seconds to start battle. Leaving cancels the countdown. After victory, enemy loot enters shared storage automatically; gather in the purple central circle to advance without a menu confirmation. F8 opens expedition controls and storage.

To leave between levels, turn back toward the open gate behind the arrival point and walk into its rift. Returning does not require a key. You can later re-enter through the original outside gate with its key and continue the expedition. Departure during combat is unavailable.

Later biome stages also require the corresponding world boss victory and completion of the preceding expedition stage.

Configuration and release status

The configuration file is BepInEx/config/ketanol.dreadrifts.cfg. It includes the expedition menu key, which defaults to F8, and a local effects intensity setting.

This is an early release, tested on Valheim 1.0.12. The earlier 0.1.1 gate and return-route check passed all 96 assertions. Version 0.1.4 builds successfully; its new arena flow awaits gameplay verification. A full playthrough with multiple real players, complete 80-level balance testing and broad compatibility testing remain in progress.

Русская инструкция

DreadRifts добавляет экспедиции с аренами: восемь биомов по десять уровней, волны врагов, защиту алтаря, элитных противников и боссов. Доступны три сложности, общий склад, личные награды, ремонт между боями и сохранение прогресса экспедиции.

Новый рост количества врагов и звёзд по раундам действует только в Лугах и Чёрном лесу. В остальных биомах сохранён прежний боевой баланс.

После смерти ожидание составляет 60 секунд. В это время можно наблюдать за союзниками; ← / → переключают цель. Если союзник зачищает волну или завершает уровень, оставшееся ожидание снимается автоматически. Музыка меняется между подготовкой, боем и боссом; громкость регулируется обычной настройкой музыки Valheim.

Установка

Установите мод через Thunderstore Mod Manager или r2modman вместе с BepInExPack Valheim 5.4.2350 и Jotunn 2.30.0. Одинаковая версия DreadRifts нужна на сервере и у каждого игрока. Epic Loot необязателен.

При ручной установке сначала установите зависимости, затем перенесите plugins/DreadRifts/DreadRifts.dll из архива в BepInEx/plugins/DreadRifts/. При обновлении замените прежнюю DLL, чтобы не осталось двух копий мода.

Как играть

1. Победите Эйктюра в обычном мире, чтобы открыть первый этап испытаний.
2. Постройте врата молотом из категории DreadRifts рядом с верстаком. Рецепт: 60 камня, 40 древесины, 10 обломков костей и 2 ядра суртлинга. Подготовьте достаточно ровного места для врат и входа.
3. Подойдите к вратам, победите хранителя и подберите ключ. Каждому участнику нужен свой ключ, связанный с этими вратами.
4. Взаимодействуйте с вратами и выберите сложность. Створки откроются. Пройдите через проём к разлому в глубине врат — он перенесёт вас на арену. Само открытие створок никого не переносит.
5. Встаньте всем отрядом в зелёный напольный круг на три секунды, чтобы начать бой. Выход отменяет отсчёт. После победы добыча врагов автоматически отправляется на склад; для перехода дальше соберитесь в фиолетовом круге у алтаря. Подтверждение в меню не нужно. F8 открывает управление экспедицией и склад.

Выход: между уровнями обернитесь к открытым вратам позади точки прибытия и войдите в разлом. Ключ для выхода не нужен. Вернуться в ту же экспедицию можно через исходные врата со своим ключом. Во время боя выйти нельзя.

Следующие этапы открываются после победы над соответствующим боссом обычного мира и прохождения предыдущего этапа экспедиции. Общий склад, личные награды и ремонт доступны через службы арены и меню экспедиции.

Настройки находятся в BepInEx/config/ketanol.dreadrifts.cfg: клавиша меню и интенсивность местных визуальных эффектов.

Статус: ранняя версия 0.1.4, проверенная на Valheim 1.0.12. Проверка входа и выхода через врата версии 0.1.1 прошла все 96 пунктов. Версия 0.1.4 успешно собрана; новая механика арены ожидает проверки в игре. Полное прохождение настоящей сетевой группой, баланс всех 80 уровней и проверка широкого набора других модов ещё продолжаются.

Credits

Created by Ketanol with substantial AI assistance in development and artwork. Built with BepInEx and Jotunn. Native Valheim prefabs are referenced from the installed game; game assemblies are not included in this package.

Changelog

0.1.5

• Fixed endless arena preparation after digging or terrain damage.
• The server now re-levels damaged arena ground even when its terrain compiler already carries the arena preparation marker.
• Included checkpoint support in the repair decision so damage beneath the arrival point can recover too.
• Repair reuses the existing reserved arena and replicated native terrain data without resetting expedition progress.

0.1.4

• Added native arena music: ambient preparation, continuous wave combat music and biome boss themes in round 10. Uses installed clips and the game music volume.
• Reduced resurrection waiting time from 120 to 60 seconds.
• Added ally spectator view instead of the death blackout, with left/right arrow target selection and an arena overview when no ally remains.
• Clearing a wave or completing a round with a surviving ally releases fallen participants from the remaining resurrection wait.
• Preserved server authority, checkpoint spawning and existing inventory/skill protection.

0.1.3

• Restricted the new enemy counts, star progression, elite proportions and faster arch releases to Meadows and Black Forest.
• Restored the previous combat balance for every later biome.
• Kept automatic loot collection and physical readiness circles in all biomes.

0.1.2

• Added physical party readiness circles with a three-second countdown; leaving cancels readiness immediately.
• Start battles and advance after victory without interface confirmation. Arriving at a new arena requires fresh entry into its circle.
• Automatically deposit enemy loot into shared storage after victory, preserving native item data and enchantments. Personal carried items and personal rewards remain separate.
• Added brief visual loot streams toward the warehouse.
• Set solo Viking enemy totals for rounds 1–9 to 10/15/20/25/30/35/40/45/50; preserved difficulty and party scaling.
• Increased starred enemy proportions and arch release speed through the rounds; retained defence, elite and boss encounters.
• Preserved existing active combat spawn budgets when upgrading a save.

0.1.1

• Added the authored stone gate shell and its construction icon.
• Separated opening the outside gate from entering the arena. Each player enters by walking into the rear rift with a valid key for that gate.
• Kept the doorway and front vestibule freely walkable in both directions.
• Replaced the separate wooden arena exit portal with a matching, permanently open gate behind the arrival checkpoint.
• Added an individual return route through the arena gate without requiring a key, available between levels.
• Oriented arrival toward the arena and protected arrival, return and respawn from immediate repeated transfers.
• Kept arena services clear of the return gate, including on saved layouts.
• Included expedition trials, the central next-level circle, shared warehouse controls and personal rewards.
• Prepared the early-release package with English and Russian instructions.

The latest gate-route validation passed on Valheim 1.0.12. Full multiplayer playthrough and complete progression balance testing remain in progress.