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How to Remove the XP Death Penalty on a 7 Days to Die Server

Set DeathPenalty to 0 in the active A21.2-style server configuration to disable XP loss after death. Newer V3.x servers may require changing the death rule through their SandboxCode-based settings interface.
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To remove XP loss after death on an A21.2-style dedicated server, set DeathPenalty to 0 in the active server configuration, save the change, and restart or reload the server through its normal host workflow:

<property name="DeathPenalty" value="0" />

The official A21.2 setting defines 0 as Nothing. If you are running a newer V3.x setup, the rule may no longer be stored as an individual XML property; use the server’s game-settings interface to change the death rule and regenerate the sandbox configuration instead.

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What the DeathPenalty setting controls

DeathPenalty controls the consequence applied when a player dies. It is separate from the items a player drops and separate from the amount of XP earned during ordinary gameplay. In the A21.2 configuration documented by The Fun Pimps, the values are:

Value Displayed option Effect
0 Nothing No death penalty is applied, so the player’s XP is not reduced because of death.
1 Default: Classic XP Penalty The traditional XP-loss rule. The current Game Settings reference describes XP Only as a 50% penalty of the XP currently needed to reach the next level.
2 Injured The player keeps most debuffs, and food and water are set to 50% on respawn.
3 Permanent Death The character is completely reset.

These values are the A21.2-style server settings. A server displaying a newer settings model can expose the same choices through a panel or in-game configuration screen rather than accepting a hand-edited DeathPenalty line.

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What “Nothing” does and does not change

Setting the value to 0 removes the death penalty itself. It does not automatically change item loss, player inventory, XP gain from quests or combat, difficulty, or any other world rule. Those are controlled by separate settings. A player can therefore stop losing XP while still dropping items if the server’s item-drop rule is configured to do so.

How the XP-only penalty is calculated

The Game Settings reference defines XP Only as a 50% penalty of the amount of XP currently needed for the next level. That lost amount must be regained before normal progression continues. This is why players often describe the default behavior as XP debt: the character’s level does not simply move backward, but future XP first offsets the penalty.

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First identify which configuration your server actually uses

The most common mistake is editing a file that the running instance never reads. Before changing a value, establish whether your server uses a traditional XML file or a newer generated sandbox configuration.

Traditional dedicated-server workflow

Older and A21.2-style dedicated servers generally read a file named serverconfig.xml. The exact folder depends on the operating system, installation method, and hosting control panel. The important detail is not the filename alone: it must be the copy passed to the server’s launch command or selected as the active configuration by the host.

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  • Open the server’s documented configuration directory or control panel.
  • Look for the configuration marked active, default, or attached to the current instance.
  • Check the launch settings when possible so you know which path is supplied to the server process.
  • Do not edit an example, template, backup, or installation copy unless that is the file the instance loads.

Newer V3.x workflow

Newer V3.x documentation says that many difficulty and game-rule sliders moved from separate serverconfig.xml properties into a single SandboxCode value. In that arrangement, manually adding DeathPenalty may have no effect because the server is reading the generated sandbox settings instead. Use the host’s current game-settings editor or the server’s supported in-game settings interface, choose the death rule there, and let it regenerate the sandbox configuration.

How to remove XP loss in an A21.2-style XML configuration

Use this procedure when your server documentation identifies serverconfig.xml as the active configuration and the file contains individual properties.

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  1. Stop the server or open its supported configuration editor. Stopping first prevents the running process from overwriting your change when it shuts down. If the host provides an editor that safely handles live settings, follow that host’s documented workflow instead.
  2. Back up the active configuration. Copy the file to a separate backup location or use the host’s configuration-backup function. Give the copy a date or description so you can restore the previous death rule if players prefer it.
  3. Open the active XML file. Confirm that you are editing the file used by the running instance, not a sample file or an unused profile.
  4. Find the existing death-penalty property. If it is present, change only its value. The target line is:
<property name="DeathPenalty" value="0" />
  1. If the property is absent, check the server version and host interface before adding it. On an A21.2-style XML server, the line can be added in the same property list used for the other server rules. On a V3.x server that uses SandboxCode, adding the line manually is not the correct method.
  2. Save the file without changing the XML structure. Keep the property name and capitalization exactly as shown. Do not place it outside the configuration’s property section, and do not remove surrounding XML markup.
  3. Restart or reload the server through the normal host workflow. A file change does not affect a process that is still running with the old settings. Some hosts offer a reload; others require a full stop and start.
  4. Verify the displayed game setting. Check the server’s settings summary or the host panel after startup. If the interface reports Nothing, the rule is active. If it still reports XP Only, investigate the troubleshooting section below before asking players to test it.

How to change the rule on a V3.x server

There is no single XML line that is guaranteed to work on every V3.x installation because the rule may be encoded inside SandboxCode. Use the interface that owns the current sandbox configuration.

  1. Stop the server if the host requires it, or open the host’s supported server-settings editor.
  2. Open the game rules, difficulty settings, or sandbox settings area for the specific world and server instance.
  3. Locate the death-rule control. The choices correspond to Nothing, XP Only, Injured, and Permanent Death.
  4. Select Nothing, not merely a higher XP multiplier. The XP multiplier changes XP earned from gameplay; it does not disable a death penalty.
  5. Apply or save the settings so the host regenerates the sandbox configuration, including its SandboxCode value.
  6. Restart or reload the server as required by the interface.
  7. Confirm the resulting game-settings display after startup. If the panel reverts to XP Only, the setting may have been applied to a different world, profile, or server instance.

If the V3.x interface does not expose a death rule, consult that server build’s documentation rather than forcing an A21.2 property into the XML. The documented version difference is the reason a line that worked on an older server can be ignored on a current one.

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How to verify that XP loss is really disabled

Verification should test the running instance, not just the text in a file.

Check the server’s reported settings

After restarting, open the host panel or in-game server settings and confirm that the death rule is shown as Nothing. This is the least disruptive check and can reveal that a generated configuration replaced the manual edit.

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Use a controlled death when a live test is acceptable

If your group agrees, have a test character die in a controlled situation and compare the character’s XP state before and after respawn. Record the level and progress first, then reconnect after death and inspect the result. The purpose is only to confirm the active rule; it is not a substitute for checking the setting display. Avoid using a valuable character or an irreversible test on a permanent-death server.

Check after the next restart

A setting that appears correct immediately after editing but reverts after a restart usually indicates that the wrong file was changed or that a control panel regenerated the configuration. Repeat the verification after the same stop/start process used during normal maintenance.

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Troubleshooting when the server still applies XP debt

The DeathPenalty line is missing

On an A21.2-style server, confirm that you opened the active serverconfig.xml and that the server uses individual XML properties. If the server is V3.x, the missing line may be expected because the rule is represented through SandboxCode. In that case, set Nothing in the current settings interface and regenerate the sandbox configuration instead of creating a new XML property.

The line is present, but nothing changes

  • Confirm the value is exactly 0, not 1, 2, or 3.
  • Check capitalization and spelling: the property is DeathPenalty.
  • Make sure the XML remains well formed and the line is inside the appropriate property list.
  • Stop and restart the server; changing a file while the process is running does not necessarily reload it.
  • Inspect the startup or host settings summary to see which configuration path was actually loaded.

You edited a template instead of the live configuration

Hosts commonly keep an example file, a default profile, and one or more instance-specific files. A successful save to an unused template produces no gameplay change. Compare the path selected in the launch configuration or panel with the path you edited. If the host copies a template into a live profile, make the change in the profile-generation workflow or use the panel so it persists.

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The setting changes back after a restart

A generated configuration may be rebuilt from the host panel or a sandbox code whenever the server starts. Reapply the value through that owning interface, save it, and allow the system to regenerate the configuration. Keeping a backup of the previous file helps you compare which setting was rewritten.

Players still lose items and assume XP is being removed

DeathPenalty and DropOnDeath control different outcomes. DeathPenalty determines the post-death penalty mode; DropOnDeath determines item dropping. Set the item-drop rule separately if your server should also retain inventory. Removing XP loss alone does not promise item retention.

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An XP multiplier was changed instead

XPMultiplier changes how much XP gameplay activities award. It does not turn off the death penalty. A higher multiplier can make recovery faster, but it does not equal DeathPenalty=0. To remove the penalty, select Nothing or set the documented A21.2 value to 0.

The server reports Permanent Death or Injured

Values 2 and 3 are valid settings, not alternate spellings for no penalty. Set the rule to Nothing in the interface or use value="0" in the A21.2 XML workflow. Recheck the loaded settings after restarting.

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DeathPenalty, DropOnDeath, XPMultiplier, and SandboxCode compared

Setting What it controls Does it remove XP loss on death?
DeathPenalty The consequence applied when a player dies: Nothing, XP Only, Injured, or Permanent Death. Yes. Use 0 or choose Nothing.
DropOnDeath Whether and how items are dropped after death. No. It is an inventory-loss rule.
XPMultiplier XP earned from normal gameplay. No. It changes earning speed, not the death rule.
SandboxCode A newer container for multiple world and difficulty settings. It can carry the death-rule choice on V3.x, but it is not itself a “no XP” value.

Choosing the right death rule for your server

The correct setting depends on the experience your group wants. The options have distinct consequences, so changing from the default affects every player using that server.

Server goal Suitable choice Why
Remove progression setbacks while keeping other death settings independent Nothing (0) Death does not impose the XP penalty, while item-drop and other rules remain separate.
Keep the classic risk-and-recovery loop XP Only (1) The documented default applies the 50% next-level XP penalty.
Make death a recovery problem without deleting progression Injured (2) Respawn applies the documented debuff, food, and water consequences.
Create a complete character-reset rule Permanent Death (3) The character is completely reset, so test carefully before enabling it on an established world.

Changing to Nothing is usually the narrowest way to answer a group complaint about XP debt because it targets the death penalty without changing the server’s XP rewards or item-drop policy.

Safe change management for an established world

  • Tell players when the rule will change and whether a restart is required.
  • Back up the active configuration before editing it.
  • Record the previous value so you can restore the prior rule precisely.
  • Change one related setting at a time; this makes it easier to identify which rule affected player behavior.
  • Verify the setting after the first restart and again after the next routine maintenance restart.
  • Keep the backup until players confirm that the new death behavior is working as intended.

These steps matter because a server can appear to accept a change while continuing to load a different profile or regenerated sandbox value.

Quick reference

  • A21.2-style XML: <property name="DeathPenalty" value="0" />.
  • Meaning of zero: Nothing; no XP death penalty.
  • Default classic rule: 1, documented as a 50% penalty of the XP currently needed for the next level.
  • Other values: 2 is Injured; 3 is Permanent Death.
  • V3.x warning: The rule may be stored in SandboxCode; use the current settings interface and regenerate the sandbox configuration.
  • Required operational step: Edit the active configuration and restart or reload the running server.
  • Separate rule: DropOnDeath controls item dropping, while XPMultiplier controls XP earned during gameplay.

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