EpicGuns 0.3.2

EpicGuns begins with an early-game 1911 and its own craftable .45 ACP ammunition. The weapon looks and sounds like a pistol while deliberately using Valheim's Bow item category and Bows skill, allowing Bow passives and compatible Bow magic effects to work on it.

What is included

• 1911 pistol with a simple visible model, clean inventory icon, right-hand-only aiming pose, and short realistic pistol report
• .45 ACP ammunition with its own icon, compact projectile visual, and glowing orange tracer
• Bow item category and Bows skill progression
• Epic Loot item-info patch for the Black Forest (defeated_gdking) tier
• Multiplayer version checks; install the mod on the server and every client
• Server-synchronized balance configuration plus local audio and aim-pose adjustments
• No player pushback when firing by default
• Oversized-model safety fallback

Recipes

Both recipes unlock at a level 1 Forge.

1911

• 8 Bronze
• 4 Fine Wood
• 2 Deer Hide

Upgrades use 4 Bronze, 2 Fine Wood, and 1 Deer Hide per quality level. Maximum quality is 4.

20 × .45 ACP

• 1 Copper
• 2 Coal
• 1 Resin

Balance

• 22 pierce from the 1911
• 18 pierce from .45 ACP
• 40 combined base pierce
• +4 weapon pierce per quality level
• 1-second reload
• 5 stamina per shot
• 250 base durability

Configuration

After launching the game once with EpicGuns 0.3.2 installed, edit:

BepInEx/config/com.triston.epicguns.cfg

The configuration includes FireRate in shots per second (1 by default), weapon and ammunition damage, projectile speed, stamina, DisableFiringPushback, optional pushback strength, gunshot volume, tracer enable/lifetime/width, and right-arm pose tuning. Gameplay and recoil settings synchronize from the server; aim-pose, tracer, and audio settings remain local. Restart Valheim after editing the file by hand.

Epic Loot compatibility

Epic Loot is optional. When installed, the included patch adds EpicGuns_1911 to the Bow list at the Black Forest boss tier so it can participate in Epic Loot's item selection systems. The weapon remains a Bow-category item using the Bows skill for Bow-compatible effects—including supported multishot effects—but EpicGuns temporarily routes it through Valheim's one-handed equip path so its model appears in the right hand.

The patch is installed to:

BepInEx/config/EpicLoot/patches/EpicGuns.iteminfo.json

Installation

Use EpicGuns-0.3.2.zip for installation. Import it as a local mod through your mod manager, or extract it into the r2modman profile folder or Valheim game folder. The ZIP contains the correct BepInEx directories. When updating manually, replace the previous EpicGuns installation so only one EpicGuns DLL is loaded. Keep your existing CFG settings. The source ZIP is for development, not installation.

Required:

• BepInExPack Valheim 5.4.2350 or newer compatible 5.4 release
• Jötunn 2.30.2

For multiplayer, install the same EpicGuns version on the server and all players.

Console testing

With developer commands enabled:

spawn EpicGuns_1911

spawn EpicGuns_45ACP 100

Right-hand pose and firing

This foundation release still uses Valheim's stable projectile and reload behavior under the hood, but inherited crossbow audio, crossbow player shove, and the visible crossbow reload animation are removed. The body uses a one-handed state. The client-side pose controller aligns the actual equipped pistol with the aim direction, accounting for the hand socket and equipment rotation offsets. The empty left arm stays relaxed, including during firing; a shield or other off-hand item retains its normal animated pose. Pose overrides are restored before the next animation update and when the controller is disabled. Existing yaw, pitch, roll, elbow, and arm-extension settings remain available.

Package contents

manifest.json
icon.png
README.md
CHANGELOG.md
LICENSE
BepInEx/
  plugins/EpicGuns/
    EpicGuns.dll
    assets/1911_icon.png
    assets/45acp_icon.png
    assets/1911_gunshot.wav
  config/EpicLoot/patches/EpicGuns.iteminfo.json

BepInEx and Jotunn are declared dependencies and are not bundled. Epic Loot remains optional. The runtime CFG is generated by BepInEx; the package does not overwrite your settings.

Building from source

Use a .NET SDK supporting C# 12 (SDK 8 or newer), the installed Valheim managed assemblies, BepInEx core assemblies, and Jotunn.dll. The plugin targets .NET Standard 2.1.

From the extracted source folder, run in PowerShell:

.\build.ps1 `
  -EpicGunsManaged 'D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Valheim\valheim_Data\Managed' `
  -EpicGunsBepInEx 'C:\path\to\profile\BepInEx\core' `
  -EpicGunsJotunn 'C:\path\to\profile\BepInEx\plugins\ValheimModding-Jotunn'

Replace all paths with your own installation paths. The script compiles in a fresh temporary directory, checks the assembly version, and produces:

• src/bin/Release/netstandard2.1/EpicGuns.dll with the required assets alongside it.
• dist/EpicGuns-0.3.2.zip: complete installation package.
• dist/EpicGuns-0.3.2-source.zip: source, assets, integration patch, documentation, and build script; no game/dependency DLLs or generated build files.
• A build log and SHA-256 checksums in dist.

Validation

The 0.3.2 release was compiled against locally installed Valheim, BepInEx, and Jotunn assemblies. The hand/socket rotation correction and two-bone arm geometry were checked with randomized mathematical cases. Compilation and mathematical checks do not replace in-game visual testing. Check grip alignment, the empty left arm while idle and firing, off-hand blocking, weapon switching, and both player models in your mod profile.

0.5.0

• Overhauled 1911 with a slim chamfered slide, flush muzzle, angled walnut grip, curved trigger guard, controls, hammer, serrations, grip screws, and new matching inventory icon.
• Rebuilt the pistol report with a dry broadband impulse and natural short reflections; removed the pitched synth character. Pistol shots now use the same networked sound effect path as long guns.
• Added .45 ACP AP / Hollow Point and 556 AP / Hollow Point ammo, distinct icons, recipes, and synchronized bonus-damage/crafting settings. Defaults: +6 pistol or +5 rifle pierce for AP, the same bonus as blunt for hollow points.
• Renamed Forest Shotgun to Pump Action, Swamp Assault Rifle to M16, and Rifle Cartridge to 556. Existing prefab IDs and config sections remain stable for upgrades.
• Updated the rifle model and icon to an M16 silhouette with polymer stock, carry handle, ribbed handguard, front sight tower, flash hider, and gently curved magazine.
• Added two-part pump reload audio at actual reload start/completion, with local volume/enable settings and cancellation-aware completion behavior.
• Expanded regression coverage for special ammo damage, pump reload isolation/completion, and closed pistol mesh topology.

0.4.0

• Added configurable Black Forest Forest Shotgun: 15 Bronze/15 Tin, 12-pellet buckshot and dragon's breath, whole-shot damage normalization, quality upgrades, and fire bonus (25% by default).
• Added configurable Swamp Assault Rifle with timed automatic bursts, dedicated rifle cartridges, per-round ammo consumption, and iron-based crafting.
• Added detailed procedural long-gun models, supporting hand pose, shell/rifle/weapon icons, flame trails and wisps, and original synthesized gunshot sounds with networked effect prefabs.
• Added server-synchronized damage, spread, reload, projectile counts, crafting costs, and ammo output settings; local audio and flame settings.
• Extended Epic Loot tier patch; preserved existing pistol prefab names and configuration. Long guns equip through the two-handed path to avoid DualWield's one-handed branch.
• Added damage regression harness, asset-generation provenance, configuration reference, and explicit in-game validation checklist.

Changelog

0.3.2

• Corrected right-hand aiming to account for the equipped pistol model, hand socket, and equipment rotation offsets.
• Added a relaxed empty-left-arm pose during aiming and firing; equipped off-hand items retain their normal pose.
• Restore the animated bone rotations before each frame and when the pose controller is disabled, preventing pose overrides from accumulating.
• Added named-bone fallback for rigs without a humanoid avatar mapping.
• Preserved firing, reload timing, ammunition, damage, recoil settings, audio, tracers, recipes, Bow compatibility, and Epic Loot integration.
• Added a repeatable build and packaging script, a Thunderstore package icon, and separate installation/source archives.

0.3.1

• Forced EpicGuns Bow-category firearms through Valheim's right-hand equip path while preserving their Bow type, Bows skill, and Epic Loot classification.
• Added a short glowing orange tracer to .45 ACP projectiles.
• Added local CFG controls for enabling tracers and adjusting tracer lifetime and width.

0.3.0

• Added a right-arm-only pistol aiming controller and returned the left arm to the normal one-handed pose.
• Changed the firing animation to a one-handed trigger so crossbow arm movement no longer takes over the shot.
• Added BepInEx/config/com.triston.epicguns.cfg with configurable fire rate, damage, projectile speed, stamina, audio, recoil, and aim-pose tuning.
• Made gameplay and recoil settings synchronize from the server while keeping audio and pose adjustments local.
• Disabled inherited crossbow firing pushback by default without removing knockback dealt to enemies.

0.2.1

• Resolved assets relative to the loaded DLL so Thunderstore's package folder layout cannot hide the icons or gunshot audio.
• Forced the custom 1911 and .45 ACP sprites onto the cloned item data.
• Changed to an aimed crossbow body stance while retaining the pistol's one-handed visual attachment.
• Moved the gunshot hook to the public attack trigger and required successful ammunition consumption.
• Corrected the projectile material selection so the brass bullet visual replaces the inherited bolt reliably.

0.2.0

• Fixed the invisible 1911 by selecting the weapon mesh material instead of the Arbalest particle material.
• Added a clean, simple 1911 model and one-handed carry state.
• Removed inherited crossbow firing and reload effects so only the pistol report plays.
• Set the base reload to one second and removed the visible crossbow reload animation.
• Changed the ammunition recipe from 1 Bronze to 1 Copper.
• Simplified the 1911 inventory icon.

0.1.1

• Rebuilt the 1911 report with a sharper muzzle crack, compact .45-style punch, and subtle slide noise.
• Reduced the in-game volume and audible range for a convincing pistol report without excessive boom.

0.1.0

• Added the 1911 pistol.
• Added craftable .45 ACP ammunition.
• Added custom icons, projectile visual, bounded pistol model, and gunshot audio.
• Added Bow category and Bows skill integration.
• Added Epic Loot Black Forest item-info patch.
• Added multiplayer version enforcement and a visual scale safety fallback.