Originally posted by owenkj:

for the first 20 or so hours of playing Valheim I did very little exploring out of fear that I would get one shot from something I didnt see coming or couldnt defend myself from but eventually I decided that In a game like this exploring is half the fun so I decided to set sail for new lands after defeating the second boss and sure enough I got 1 shot off an enemy in the swamp that I was trying to run from. I had max upgraded bronze armor and about 80 health at the time but that didnt save me from the poison damage. Now my progress has been set back a good 4-5 hours as I have lost my boat and have little hope of ever recovering the 50 or so bronze worth of gear I lost. Natrually i never want to go exploring far ever again in this game and I dont think that makes for fun gameplay. ultimately I think death is too punishing in valheim. Losing Items on death makes sense in a game like minecraft where most of your progress is in your base and most valuables in your chests and Items break anyway but In a game like valheim where the majority of your valueable items and progress is on your person I think losing all items is far too punishing

Prolly got backstabbed by a Wraith. I hate those things :P In the swamp, if it is night time, wraiths can appear. They will be ghost like phantoms that fly/float and hover around the swamp. They really like sneaking up on you and backstabbing you. If they score a hit in your back you are pretty much dead.

Beware poison also. Your bow is your friend.

Always take a moment when you step foot on new land (from your boat) to put a portal up before you go exploring. An ounce of effort saves butt-loads of grief in this game. Being prepared usually means the difference between a good time and a headache.