Fimbulwinter Lite - A Vanilla+ Valheim Modpack

Valheim, but smoother. No new content tiers, no overhauls -- just streamlined, polished vanilla.

Fimbulwinter Lite is a curated, lightweight modpack of 57 mods focused on quality-of-life, UI polish, multiplayer fixes, and subtle enhancements. Vanilla progression, balance, difficulty, and the spirit of the game are untouched. Every mod is actively maintained and verified against the current Valheim version.

Design Principles

• Preserve the Spirit of Valheim -- No teleport-cheese (ore transport carries a 10% tax), no game-breaking shortcuts. Progression still requires biome exploration and earned power.
• Vanilla+ Over Overhaul -- Enhance what exists instead of replacing it. No new biomes, gear tiers, magic systems, or creature packs.
• Multiplayer-First -- Every mod works on dedicated servers, with server-enforced config sync.
• Actively Maintained -- Every mod verified current against Thunderstore; no deprecated or abandoned mods.

What's Included

Core & Frameworks (6 mods)

• BepInExPack_Valheim -- Mod loader
• Jotunn -- Modding framework
• JsonDotNET / YamlDotNet -- Shared libraries
• ConfigurationManager (shudnal) -- In-game config editing (F1)
• ConditionalConfigSync -- Server-enforced config ownership and sync policies

Inventory & Crafting (10 mods)

• AzuExtendedPlayerInventory -- Dedicated equipment and quick slots, cosmetic vanity overrides, and saved equipment loadouts
• AzuCraftyBoxes -- Craft using materials from nearby containers
• AzuAutoStore -- Auto-deposit items into nearby containers
• AzuContainerSizes -- Larger chest capacities
• AAA Crafting -- Batch crafting with quantity input, item favoriting, and an enhanced recipe grid
• Recycle N Reclaim -- Recycle items back into materials
• Quick Stack Store Sort Trash Restock -- One-key chest stacking, sorting, and trash
• MultiUserChest -- Multiple players can use one chest simultaneously
• ComfyAutoRepair -- Opening a crafting station repairs everything it can repair
• AutomaticFuel -- Smelters, kilns, windmills and spinning wheels feed from nearby chests

UI & HUD (5 mods)

• MyLittleUI -- Lightweight UI upgrades: timers, stats, chest contents, weather
• VNEI -- In-game item and recipe browser
• HUDCompass -- Compass bar with map pins
• AzuHoverStats -- Detailed hover tooltips
• ChangelogEditor -- Hides the main-menu changelog

Building (7 mods)

• Gizmo -- Precise build-piece rotation on all axes
• Extra Snap Points Made Easy -- More snap points on every piece
• AzuAreaRepair -- Repair all nearby build pieces with one hammer hit
• MissingPieces -- Vanilla-styled build pieces that should have existed
• AdvancedTerrainModifiers -- Precision terraforming with square/circle modes and undo
• NoRainDamage -- Buildings no longer take weather damage
• DigDeeper -- Dig 40m below the surface and raise terrain 16m, instead of vanilla's 8m (client-only; keep the shared config in sync manually if you ever change it)

Farming (3 mods)

• PlantEverything -- Plant every gatherable resource and tree
• PlantEasily -- Grid-aligned planting and mass harvesting
• MassFarming -- Bulk plant and pick with a modifier key

Travel & World QoL (7 mods)

• TeleportEverything -- Portal everything, with a 10% ore transport tax
• SpeedyPaths -- Move faster on paths, roads, and cleared ground
• WieldEquipmentWhileSwimming -- Keep gear in hand while swimming
• TargetPortal -- Step into a portal, pick any other portal on the map
• StumpsAreOneHp -- Tree stumps fall in a single hit
• LongshipUpgrades -- Removable mast with lantern/tent/Wisp torch, hull HP and Ashlands-ocean protection, bigger storage, cartography table map sharing, and cosmetic ship styling
• Venture Floating Items -- Every dropped item floats instead of sinking, including ore and metal bars

Combat & Archery (3 mods)

• ProjectileTweaks -- Cleaner archery feel: arrows launch from where you aim, bow/crossbow zoom, draw cancel, ammo counter -- projectile physics stay vanilla
• Headshots -- Most organic creatures gain a head weakspot; precise shots with pierce damage are rewarded
• ShieldBash -- Active shield bash attack (Middle Mouse while blocking)

Fixes & Performance (5 mods)

• AzuMiscPatches -- Collection of small vanilla fixes and tweaks
• LocalizationCache -- Dramatically faster load times
• TimeoutLimit -- Fixes join timeouts on modded servers
• NetworkTweaks -- Improved network throughput
• TrueInstantLootDrop -- Loot drops instantly on kill

Multiplayer & Server (7 mods)

• ServerCharacters -- Server-side character saves (anti-dupe, anti-cheat)
• SleepSkip -- Majority-rules night skipping: enough players in bed starts a vote, popup for the rest, AFK players count as abstaining
• Server devcommands -- Better admin commands and permissions
• Upgrade World -- Regenerate world locations after game updates
• QuickConnect -- One-click server join
• Venture Logout Tweaks -- Safe logout handling
• ShutUp -- Silences console log spam

Progression & Content (4 mods)

• SmartSkills -- 75% skill recovery after death; death matters but isn't crushing
• AdventureBackpacks -- Progression-gated craftable backpacks
• Groups -- Party system with shared map pings and chat
• Seasons -- Four rotating seasons with visual and gameplay variety

Keyboard Shortcuts

All mod keybinds have been audited against Valheim's default bindings — nothing shadows a vanilla control. Modifier-based binds only act in their context (build mode, planting, menus) and don't interfere with the base action.

Rebind anything in-game: press F3 → find the mod → change the key (stored in that mod's config file).

Installation

Client: Install via r2modman or the Thunderstore App -- search for Fimbulwinter Lite by ibfleming.

Alternative (profile import): Each GitHub release ships a ready-made .r2z profile with all mods at pinned versions plus the tuned configs. In r2modman: Profiles -> Import / Update -> From file.

Server: Install all mods except client-only UI/visual mods. A Pelican/Pterodactyl server egg is provided in the GitHub repo (server/valheim-fimbulwinter-lite-egg.yaml) that automates the full dedicated server install: SteamCMD, BepInEx, all server-side mods, and modpack configs.

Links

• GitHub: github.com/ibfleming/fimbulwinter-lite
• Issues & suggestions: GitHub Issues
• Changelog: CHANGELOG.md

Changelog

All notable changes to Fimbulwinter Lite will be documented in this file.

The format is based on Keep a Changelog, and this project adheres to Semantic Versioning.

[1.4.2] - Unreleased

Added

• korCaptain-NullReferenceFix 1.0.6 -- three independent Harmony patches that clean up recurring NullReferenceException log-spam/crash bugs instead of just catching and ignoring them: a vanilla ZNetScene.RemoveObjects engine bug, a stale-container bug in AzuCraftyBoxes (already installed in this pack -- confirmed via decompiled strings that the patch specifically checks for AzuCraftyBoxes's plugin GUID and only activates if present), and an EnemyHud mod-conflict bug (relevant if a player runs faction/HUD mods like EpicMMOSystem alongside this pack). No config, no keybinds -- verified by decompiling the DLL, zero ConfigEntry/Bind calls found. Install on server and all clients per the mod's own guidance (local per-instance state, not network-synced). Investigated VitByr-VBNetTweaks as a possible companion/replacement for NetworkTweaks per user request -- not added. Its own README lists Searica.Valheim.NetworkTweaks (our installed NetworkTweaks's exact plugin GUID) as a hard incompatibility, both patch the same vanilla ZDO send path. Also carries Thunderstore's "AI Generated" content tag and has 1.5K downloads against NetworkTweaks's 26K/stable-since-2025 track record -- not a trade worth making for network-critical code.

Changed

• AzuCraftyBoxes bumped 1.8.14 -> 1.8.15 (fixes an issue when destroying a fireplace; no config schema change). Container Range 20 -> 30 to compensate for the AutomaticFuel change below.
• AzuAutoStore: Fallback Range 15 -> 20. Also bumped the real functional range -- confirmed via source/yaml review that the shipped Azumatt.AzuAutoStore.yml pins every vanilla chest tier (piece_chest, piece_chest_wood, piece_chest_private, piece_chest_blackmetal) to an explicit per-container range: 10 that overrides the config's fallback value entirely, so the config-only change would have been silently inert. All four bumped to range: 20.
• AutomaticFuel: disabled auto-refuel for everything in the [Fireplace] section -- RefuelStandingTorches, RefuelWallTorches, RefuelFirePits, RefuelBraziers, RefuelHearth, RefuelHotTub all off (were on). At user request: base-interior torches/hearth/hot tub were silently draining wood and resin from nearby chests. Confirmed via source that each toggle gates its structure type independently and fully short-circuits before any fuel-pulling logic runs, so this has zero effect on the separate [Smelters] section -- auto-smelting ore/coal and kiln/blast furnace behavior is untouched, exactly as wanted. The wider AzuCraftyBoxes/ AzuAutoStore ranges above compensate for the loss of auto-refuel.
• ShieldBash BashKey Mouse2 -> Mouse3 (a side mouse button, not the scroll-wheel click) at user request. No conflicts: grepped every shipped config for Mouse3 and found zero existing binds anywhere in the pack.

[1.4.1] - 2026-08-02

Added

• VentureValheim-Venture_Floating_Items 0.3.3 -- FloatEverything = true, so every dropped item floats instead of sinking, ore and metal bars included (at user request; overrides this mod's own safer default of only floating trophies/meat/hides/treasure/craftable-gear plus SerpentScale/ BonemawSerpentTooth). SinkingItems = BronzeNails, IronNails still applies -- per the mod's own source, the sinking-list check runs before the FloatEverything check, so those two items are the sole exception and still sink. Uses Jotunn's built-in ConfigSync (all settings are admin-only/server-controlled), so this is genuinely server-enforced without needing a ConditionalConfigSync integration -- install on both server and clients.

Fixed

• AAA_Crafting: all four crafting-menu keybinds (Incremental Modifier, Max Craft Modifier, Show Minus Button, Toggle RecipeUI) had been set to None instead of their real defaults, silently breaking Shift+scroll (increment craft amount by 5) and Ctrl+scroll (jump to max craftable) over the amount input box -- the actual cause of "shift-craft only crafts one." Restored to LeftShift, LeftControl, LeftControl, and LeftShift + PageUp respectively; all four only fire while the crafting menu is open, same context-scoped pattern already used elsewhere in this pack.

Changed

• AAA_Crafting: Vanilla-Like off (was on) and Grid Size set to Medium -- unlocks the mod's newer enhanced recipe grid instead of the classic vanilla view. Favorting System on (was off) with its F keybind restored (crafting-menu-only context, doesn't touch Forsaken Power).
• AzuExtendedPlayerInventory bumped 2.4.1 -> 2.4.2 (stacking fix with backpacks, tombstone patch). Use Legacy Layout off (was on) -- the pack had been opted into the pre-2.0 layout the whole time despite shipping the post-2.0 mod version. Show Vanity Button and Show Loadout Button both on (were off) -- pure cosmetic/equipment-set QoL from the 2.0 overhaul, zero balance impact.

[1.4.0] - 2026-07-26

Added

• Crystal-DigDeeper 1.1.7 -- raises the terrain dig/raise limit from vanilla's 8m to 40m of depth and 16m of height. Client-only by the mod's own design -- it has no ConditionalConfigSync/ServerSync integration, so it cannot be enforced by the server. Installed on every client via this pack's shared config, which keeps everyone's value consistent through profile distribution rather than live server sync; a player who hand-edits their local config could desync terrain shape from others, same risk as with any unsynced client-only mod.

[1.3.1] - 2026-07-26

Changed

• shudnal-ConfigurationManager 1.1.15 → 1.1.16 — uses ConditionalConfigSync's effective administrator state when deciding whether server-provided hidden settings apply (avoids stale vanilla AdminList state). Requires ConditionalConfigSync 1.0.4+ (bumped alongside it below).
• shudnal-ConditionalConfigSync 1.0.3 → 1.0.4 — internal handshake/protocol reliability fixes. No config or gameplay-visible change; required as both ConfigurationManager 1.1.16's and Seasons 1.8.2's dependency floor.
• shudnal-Seasons 1.8.1 → 1.8.2 — Expand World Data compatibility fixes (biome environment/weather reload lifecycle). No config schema change.

[1.3.0] - 2026-07-21

Added

• Azumatt-ChangelogEditor 1.0.9 -- hides the main-menu changelog (Should Show Changelog = Off)
• Mexanik-ShieldBash 1.5.5 -- active shield bash attack. BashKey moved off its default F (collides with vanilla Forsaken Power) to Mouse2

Changed

• QuickConnect UI tuned: ButtonFontSize/LabelFontSize 0→16, WindowWidth 250→384, WindowHeight 50→72, WindowPosX/WindowPosY 20→50 (CustomConnectionError and CustomDelimiter already matched the desired defaults)
• server_devcommands: Automatic devcommands = false (was true) -- devcommands mode no longer auto-enables for admins on join; must be explicitly activated
• MyLittleUI: Show slots space taken = true
• AutomaticFuel, at user request to widen coverage and fix disabled defaults from an earlier, forgotten tuning pass:
  • FireplaceRange, DropRange, SmelterOreRange, SmelterFuelRange: 5 → 15 (the latter three restore the mod's own shipped default; all four are now consistent)
  • RefuelStandingTorches, RefuelBraziers, RefuelHotTub, RefuelWallTorches, RefuelFirePits, RefuelHearth: false → true (restores mod defaults -- every light/heat source now auto-refuels)
  • Use Dropped Items for Fuel: false → true (restores mod default)
  • AllowStackSmelters: false → true -- researched as the "best configuration" ask for Smelters/Kilns: this removes the vanilla smoke/smoke-blocked placement check so smelters/kilns can be built tight together, a standard QoL choice for this category of pack. Turn Off Windmills/SpinningWheel/Kiln were already false (meaning NOT turned off -- already enabled, no change needed) and RestrictKilnOutput stays false (unrestricted output is the more permissive state already, consistent with "auto-refuel everything")
• PlantEasily: KeyboardModifierKey (grid-resize modifier) moved from its default RightControl to LeftAlt -- Right Control is frequently missing or unreliable on laptop keyboards, which is almost certainly why it "didn't work"; Left Alt is universally present and doesn't collide with anything else in the pack
• AzuCraftyBoxes: Prevent Pulling Logic moved from Alt + O to Alt + Slash -- the bare O admin bind (debugmode+nocost+god in binds.yaml) fires regardless of what modifier is also held, so any admin using this ordinary client mod would accidentally toggle god mode/no-cost building/debug mode on themselves. Found via a keybind audit prompted by the same bug already caught and fixed in Fimbulwinter
• AzuExtendedPlayerInventory: quick slot 5 moved from Alt + B to Alt + 3 -- collided with Extra Snap Points Made Easy's Manual+ snap toggle (B), found in the same audit pass

Tooling

• scripts/deploy.sh full now calls disable_auto_update() before staging, which sets the egg's AUTO_UPDATE_MODS startup variable to 0 via the Pelican Client API. Fixes the recurring edge case where testing a full deploy on the server got reverted: the post-deploy restart's boot-time server-autoupdate.sh would re-sync to the latest published Thunderstore pack if AUTO_UPDATE_MODS=1, clobbering the unpublished local state just pushed for testing. The existing local-* manifest-marker skip (2026-07-18) was meant to prevent this but isn't relied on anymore -- the variable is switched off outright now. Deploy.sh does not re-enable it automatically -- flip AUTO_UPDATE_MODS back to 1 yourself once testing is done and you're ready to publish.

[1.2.0] - 2026-07-19

Added

• shudnal-LongshipUpgrades 1.0.17 -- removable mast (with hanging lantern, rest tent, and Wisp torch mounts), hull HP + fire/Ashlands-ocean-protection upgrades, 2-step storage expansion, cartography table map-data exchange between players, and cosmetic head/sail/shield/tent style switching. Requires the mod on server and every client (mod-specific RPCs; mismatched peers are rejected on connect). Tuned off the Vanilla+ line: Turrets - Enable upgrades = false (the auto-firing ballista turret is a new combat mechanic vanilla doesn't have) and Item stand - Forsaken power enabled = false (stops the trophy stand from granting a second, simultaneously-usable Forsaken power alongside your own -- preserves vanilla's one-power-at-a-time tradeoff; the trophy still mounts as a cosmetic figurehead). Only creator can upgrade ship and Only creator can change trophy set to false so any player can help upgrade a shared longship, matching the pack's cooperative-building philosophy (MultiUserChest, Groups).

Fixed

• Server devcommands admin bind on F9 was silently broken -- half of it (/creative) called a command that does not exist in Server devcommands 1.108.0 (verified against the shipped plugin binary), almost certainly a stale leftover from the original 111-mod Fimbulwinter pack. The bundle now toggles debugmode + nocost + god together on O (moved off F9 -- in testing, F9 triggered a Steam Input controller-layout switch, a known conflict category since F9-F12 are common defaults for Steam Input layout hotkeys, NVIDIA overlay, and keyboard macro software); a new admin-only bind on K toggles fly separately, since flight wasn't part of the old bundle at all.

[1.1.1] - 2026-07-18

Added

• Azumatt-SleepSkip 1.3.0 -- majority-rules night skipping: 2+ players in bed starts a vote, everyone else gets a popup, strict majority (51%) passes; AFK players abstain after 45s, players in combat auto-deny

Changed

• Gizmo reset-ALL-rotations key enabled on T (disabled by default in the mod) -- Gizmo's rotation state persists across tool swaps by design, so leftover X/Z rotations can surprise you; one press of T zeroes everything
• shudnal-ConfigurationManager updated from 1.1.14 to 1.1.15 (its own settings are now managed through ConditionalConfigSync; remains client-optional)
• ProjectileTweaks ammo counter restyled: icon still hidden, text size 21, centered, white, position (0, 0)

Fixed

• Seasons Control grass, Custom textures, and the whole grass-tuning section are now client-controlled instead of server-enforced -- the prior blanket server-authoritative sync policy meant one server-side value forced grass off (or on) for every player with no way to override locally, and in testing a server-enforced Control grass = false was observed to clear grass entirely rather than just revert to vanilla. Season timing, weather, and stats remain server-authoritative so the world stays in sync; visual grass/texture toggles are now each player's own choice.

[1.1.0] - 2026-07-15

Added

• JoelOliMclean-NoRainDamage 1.2.4 -- buildings no longer take weather/rain damage (Structure_Tweaks was evaluated first but has no global weather toggle -- its wear system is per-object/visual)
• Smoothbrain-TargetPortal 1.2.3 -- step into any portal and pick your destination on the map; no more tag pairing (TeleportEverything's 10% ore tax still applies to what you carry)
• TastyChickenLegs-AutomaticFuel 1.4.8 -- smelters, kilns, windmills and spinning wheels auto-feed from nearby chests (torch/campfire/brazier fueling and ground pickup disabled; chest range 5m; toggle key F7)
• Searica-AdvancedTerrainModifiers 1.4.1 -- precision terraforming with square/circle modes and undo/redo
• coemt-StumpsAreOneHp 0.0.1 -- tree stumps fall in a single hit
• Searica-ProjectileTweaks 1.6.0 -- cleaner archery feel: launch-point fix so arrows go where the crosshair points, bow/crossbow zoom (hold right mouse while drawing), draw cancel (E), ammo count icon; all projectile physics multipliers kept at vanilla values
• Revel-Headshots 1.0.2 -- most organic creatures gain a head weakspot that rewards precise pierce-damage shots (arrows/bolts); frozen micro-mod, carried over from the original Fimbulwinter pack

Changed

• Gizmo no longer applies to terrain-modifying tools (hoe/cultivator/shovel keep vanilla rotation) -- removes rotation-ring UI and Alt-key overlap with AdvancedTerrainModifiers scroll controls
• Extra Snap Points Made Easy keybinds rebound to remove collisions: Manual+ snap mode Alt -> B (Alt is held for Gizmo z-rotation and terrain-tool radius scrolling), grid snap F3 -> F11 (F3 opens the config manager); snap notifications moved from center-screen to top-left (snap-point cycling stays on Q/E -- active only inside manual snap modes)
• shudnal-ConfigurationManager updated from 1.1.13 to 1.1.14
• shudnal-ConditionalConfigSync updated from 1.0.1 to 1.0.2
• shudnal-Seasons updated from 1.8.0 to 1.8.1 (requires ConditionalConfigSync 1.0.2)

[1.0.1] - 2026-07-14

Added

• ComfyMods-ComfyAutoRepair 1.0.0 -- interacting with a crafting station auto-repairs all items that station can repair (client-side, vanilla rules preserved: station level and proximity still required)

[1.0.0] - 2026-07-13

Initial release of Fimbulwinter Lite -- a complete Vanilla+ refactor of the original Fimbulwinter modpack (ibfleming/Fimbulwinter, retired at v1.6.1). The pack was rebuilt from 111 mods down to 43, removing all content overhauls (creatures, weapons, magic, loot systems, difficulty scaling) in favor of a lightweight, maintainable QoL layer that preserves vanilla progression and balance.

Added

• Core: BepInExPack_Valheim 5.4.2333, Jotunn 2.29.2, JsonDotNET 13.0.4, YamlDotNet 16.3.1, ConfigurationManager 1.1.13, ConditionalConfigSync 1.0.1
• Inventory & Crafting: AzuExtendedPlayerInventory 2.4.1, AzuCraftyBoxes 1.8.14, AzuAutoStore 3.0.14, AzuContainerSizes 1.1.4, AAA_Crafting 2.1.6, Recycle_N_Reclaim 1.4.0, Quick_Stack_Store_Sort_Trash_Restock 1.4.13, MultiUserChest 0.6.1
• UI & HUD: MyLittleUI 1.2.15, VNEI 0.17.5, HUDCompass 1.1.9, AzuHoverStats 1.1.9
• Building: Gizmo 1.15.0, Extra_Snap_Points_Made_Easy 2.0.5, AzuAreaRepair 1.1.6, MissingPieces 2.2.3
• Farming: PlantEverything 1.20.0, PlantEasily 2.1.1, MassFarming 1.11.0
• Travel & World: TeleportEverything 2.9.1 (10% ore transport tax), SpeedyPaths 1.0.9, WieldEquipmentWhileSwimming 1.1.3
• Fixes & Performance: AzuMiscPatches 1.2.8, LocalizationCache 0.3.0, TimeoutLimit 0.2.0, NetworkTweaks 0.1.5, TrueInstantLootDrop 1.0.3
• Multiplayer & Server: ServerCharacters 1.4.16, Server_devcommands 1.108.0, Upgrade_World 1.80.0, QuickConnect 1.7.0, Venture_Logout_Tweaks 0.6.0, ShutUp 1.0.2
• Progression & Content: SmartSkills 1.0.2, AdventureBackpacks 1.9.13, Groups 1.2.10, Seasons 1.8.0

Changed (from Fimbulwinter 1.6.1)

• Replaced BetterUI_ForeverMaintained with MyLittleUI (lighter, actively maintained)
• Replaced Seasonality + Willybach HD Seasonality with shudnal Seasons (one mod, no heavy texture pack, actively maintained)
• New mods over the old pack: ConditionalConfigSync, VNEI, Gizmo, Extra_Snap_Points_Made_Easy, AzuAreaRepair, AzuMiscPatches, MassFarming, Groups

Removed (from Fimbulwinter 1.6.1)

• All content and overhaul mods (~75): EpicLoot + Therzie bridge, CreatureLevelAndLootControl, the Therzie suite (Warfare, Armory, Monstrum, Wizardry), the RtD suite, warpalicious locations, Bestiary, SeaAnimals, MushroomMonsters, Fee_Fi_Fo_Fum, EpicValheimsAdditions, Custom_Raids, Drop_That, Spawn_That, This_Goes_Here, DragoonCapes, OdinHorse, OdinShip, BetterArchery, ShieldBash, Headshots, TradersExtended, CircletExtended, GammaOfNightLights, Scenic, all Smoothbrain skill mods (Sailing, Mining, Farming, Foraging, Lumberjacking, Building, Blacksmithing, Evasion, Tenacity, DualWield, Resurrection), and more
• Deprecated mods: StartupHotfix, ItemDrawers
• Redundant mods: LeanNet (NetworkTweaks retained as the single network layer)