
Vintage Story Mod DB · Vintage Story mod
Hydrate or Diedrate
Hydrate Or Diedrate Overview Welcome to 'Hydrate or Diedrate', a comprehensive thirst mechanic mod for Vintage Story that introduces a hydration system influenced by weather conditions and player activities. Key Features Thirst Mechanic • Thirst Bar: Keep
Quick answer
Which Hydrate or Diedrate release matches 1.22.4?
Hydrate or Diedrate 2.5.3 targets 1.22.0, 1.22.1, 1.22.2. It must be installed on the client. Installation on the dedicated server is optional. No extra mods listed for this file.
Where it goes
Is Hydrate or Diedrate required on the client, server, or both?
It must be installed on the client. Installation on the dedicated server is optional.
This release supports both sides, but the source does not require it on the server.
What else does Hydrate or Diedrate 2.5.3 need?
2.5.3 on 1.22.4. Every mod below is checked against that same setup.
This file does not list any required mods. Do not add a library just because a different file uses it.
This file does not list any required or optional mods.
Before you install it
Add Hydrate or Diedrate without breaking your instance.
Built for Hydrate or Diedrate 2.5.3 on 1.22.4. Pick another file and the loader, install side or required mods may change.
- 01
Stick to this file
Use 2.5.3. It targets 1.22.0, 1.22.1, 1.22.2; another release may have different loader, side or dependency requirements.
- 02
Bring the mods it needs
This file does not list any required mods. Do not add a library just because a different file uses it.
- 03
Put it on the correct side
It must be installed on the client. Installation on the dedicated server is optional.
- 04
Pick the file you checked
Use the “Get this file” button beside 2.5.3. It opens that exact file at the source.
About this project
What does Hydrate or Diedrate add?
Hydrate Or Diedrate
Overview
Welcome to 'Hydrate or Diedrate', a comprehensive thirst mechanic mod for Vintage Story that introduces a hydration system influenced by weather conditions and player activities.
Key Features
Thirst Mechanic
- Thirst Bar: Keep an eye on your thirst bar, which depletes over time, especially in hot climates.
- Weather Influence: Thirst drains faster in hot temperatures. Manage your hydration carefully when trecking to the south!
- Cooling Stat: Most clothing items now have a cooling stat that helps mitigate heat, slowing down the rate of thirst depletion.
- Wetness and Shelter: Being wet or seeking shelter can help you stay cool. Sometimes, wearing nothing is better than being fully clothed in the heat.
- DEATH: Not staying hydrated WILL kill you and fast. Currently it will do roughly double the damage of starving to death.
- Liquid Encumbrance: Liquid Containers that contain more than 4 litres (configurable) will encumber the player and slow movement speed.
Hydration from Food and Drinks
- Hydration Stat: Every food and drink item now has a hydration stat that replenishes your thirst.
- Special Effects: Soups and juices temporarily pause thirst, while alcohol can pause it for much longer, reflecting a unique way Seraphs process alcohol.
- Water Sources: Drink directly from water sources with shift + right-click. However, this method increases hunger, encouraging players to process drinks or make soups for a more efficient hydration solution.
- Rain Water: All liquid containers can now be set out in the rain to collect rain water. Rain water is a great early to mid game alternative to regular water as it replenishes more thirst and reduces hunger at half the rate of regular water.
Kegs:
-
Craftable Kegs: Kegs can be crafted using wood, sticks, and iron hoops (see handbook for recipe). Initially, kegs are untapped, allowing you to fill them with liquids, but preventing liquid extraction until tapped.
-
Long-Term Preservation: Untapped kegs significantly slow down the spoilage of stored liquids, making them ideal for preserving your precious resources.
-
Keg Tapping: To access the stored liquids, you’ll need to craft a Keg Tap using brass at the anvil. Once you have the tap, use a hammer in your off-hand and the tap in your main hand and hold right-click on the keg to tap it, permanently enabling liquid extraction and refilling, but significantly reducing its preservation ability.
-
Recycling Kegs: If needed, tapped kegs can be recycled. Use an axe to break down the keg and recover some of the metal materials. (hold right click with axe) However, be aware that there's a chance some materials will be lost during the process.
Tuns:
-
Craftable Tuns: A very large barrel (2x2x2) block that can store up to 950 liters of liquid (configurable). Does not get any benefit to spoil rate like the keg but can be used to store long lasting drinks or non spoiling liquids in bulk. By default has roughly the same spoil rate as a vanilla barrel (configurable). See handbook for crafting recipe.
Wells:
-
Dig your own well: Dig a well for your community to provide a long term source of clean water! The world now generates with aquifers and using the prospecting pick will give you a reading of the aquifer in the area. Dig deeper to find heavier wells! Once you find an appropriate spot, use the new tool mode on the pickaxe to dig a well spring (or use the shovels version to dig shallow surface wells for early muddy water which is cleaner than source blocks, but be sure to dig these close by to actual water). Well springs will fill their shaft up to 5 blocks by default so long as the shaft is unobstructed and has a solid horizontal neighbor at each level. Upgrade your shaft with clay brick to increase its capacity to 7 blocks, or 10 if you use stone brick (configurable). Craft a well winch to access your well water from the convenience of the surface.
Customization and Compatibility
- Fully Configurable: The mod comes with a JSON configuration file located in the modConfig folder, allowing you to tweak various settings to fit your gameplay style. See in game handbook entry for a description of all the config options.
- ConfigLib Support: Settings config options are editable in game with ConfigLib. Item patching configs will still need to be adjusted manually.
- Easy Integration: Adding compatibility for new clothing, food, and drinks is straightforward with the included custom JSON patching method. All vanilla items have been patched using this method, and examples can be found in the config folder. Simply include a json in the modconfig folder with either the name name.AddHydration.json or name.AddCooling.json. And my patcher will detect it and patch the item accordingly. The priorty level goes from 1-5 with 1 being top priority for the purpose of overwriting other patches.
- Acorns
- Alchemy
- AncientTools
- Butchering
- ExpandedFoods
- FloralZones
- New World Crops
- Primitive Survival
- Warrior Drink
- Wildcraft
- Eldritch Cute Clothing
- Simple Cloth
- Hide and Fabric
- Dressed to Kill
- Make Tea
- Medieval Expansion (Cellar Ice will make rooms cool more)
- Bricklayers
- Lavoisier
- Hardcore Water: You can drink directly from aquifers, and aquifers support HoD custom water.
- XSkills:
- Dromedary Increases Max Hydration bar by 1.3x per level additive(configurable)
- Equatidian Gives you a 1.2, 1.5, and 2.0 multiplier to cooling at each respective level (configurable)
Thirst Settings
-
MaxThirst (
float)
The upper bound of the player’s thirst gauge (default: 1500). -
ThirstDamage (
float)
Damage dealt to the player each interval once fully dehydrated (default: 1). -
ThirstDecayRate (
float)
Base rate (units/tick) at which thirst increases under normal conditions (default: 10). -
ThirstDecayRateMax (
float)
Maximum multiplier applied toThirstDecayRateunder extreme conditions (default: 5). -
HydrationLossDelayMultiplierNormalized (
float)
Scales the thirst reduction delay you get from drinking drinks. (default: 1). -
EnableThirstMechanics (
bool)
Master switch for the entire thirst/dehydration system (default: true). -
WaterSatiety (
float)
Thirst reduction when drinking fresh water (default: –100). -
SaltWaterSatiety (
float)
Thirst reduction when drinking salt water (default: –100). -
BoilingWaterSatiety (
float)
Thirst reduction when drinking boiling water (default: 0). -
RainWaterSatiety (
float)
Thirst reduction when drinking collected rainwater (default: –50). -
DistilledWaterSatiety (
float)
Thirst reduction when drinking distilled water (default: 0). -
BoiledWaterSatiety (
float)
Thirst reduction when drinking boiled (but not rain) water (default: 0). -
BoiledRainWaterSatiety (
float)
Thirst reduction when drinking rainwater that’s been boiled (default: 0). -
SprintThirstMultiplier (
float)
Multiplier to thirst‑decay rate while sprinting (default: 1.5). -
EnableBoilingWaterDamage (
bool)
Whether drinking boiling‑hot water inflicts damage (default: true). -
BoilingWaterDamage (
float)
Damage dealt when consuming boiling water (default: 5).
Movement Speed Penalty
-
MaxMovementSpeedPenalty (
float)
The cap on speed reduction (as a fraction) from dehydration or liquid weight (default: 0.3 = 30%). -
MovementSpeedPenaltyThreshold (
float)
Thirst level at which movement penalties begin (default: 600).
Liquid Encumbrance
-
EnableLiquidEncumbrance (
bool)
Toggles speed penalties for carrying heavy liquid loads (default: true). -
EncumbranceLimit (
float)
Litres of liquid you can carry in a single slotbefore incurring penalties (default: 4 L). -
LiquidEncumbranceMovementSpeedDebuff (
float)
Additional speed reduction when encumbered by liquid (default: 0.4).
Temperature & Heat
-
HarshHeat (
bool)
Enables accelerated dehydration in high‑temperature locations (default: true). -
TemperatureThreshold (
float)
Ambient °C above which thirst decay starts ramping up (default: 27 °C). -
ThirstIncreasePerDegreeMultiplier (
float)
Additional thirst units per °C above the threshold each second (default: 5). -
HarshHeatExponentialGainMultiplier (
float)
Exponential scaling factor for thirst gain in extreme heat (default: 0.2).
Cooling Factors
-
UnequippedSlotCooling (
float)
Cooling bonus for each empty armor/clothing slot (default: 1). -
WetnessCoolingFactor (
float)
Cooling effect of being wet (default: 1.5). -
ShelterCoolingFactor (
float)
Cooling bonus when in a room (default: 1.5). -
SunlightCoolingFactor (
float)
Cooling effect in shade (default: 1). -
DiurnalVariationAmplitude (
float)
Temperature swing between day and night in °C (default: 18). -
RefrigerationCooling (
float)
°C reduction provided by refrigeration blocks (if supported mod is installed) (default: 20).
XSkills
-
DromedaryMultiplierPerLevel (
float)
Thirst‑decay reduction per level in the “dromedary” trait (default: 0.3). -
EquatidianCoolingMultipliers (
float[])
Array of cooling bonuses per level in the “equestrian” trait (default: [1.25, 1.5, 2.0]).
Rain Gathering
-
EnableRainGathering (
bool)
Allows containers to collect rainwater automatically (default: true). -
RainMultiplier (
float)
Scales how much water is gathered per tick of rain (default: 1). -
EnableParticleTicking (
bool)
Toggles per‑tick updates for rain particles (performance trade‑off) (default: false).
Keg & Tun
-
KegCapacityLitres (
float)
Storage capacity of a keg in litres (default: 100 L). -
SpoilRateUntapped (
float)
Hourly spoilage rate when a keg is sealed (default: 0.15). -
SpoilRateTapped (
float)
Hourly spoilage rate when a keg is open/tapped (default: 0.65). -
KegIronHoopDropChance (
float)
Chance (0–1) of recovering the iron hoop when dismantling a keg (default: 0.8). -
KegTapDropChance (
float)
Chance of recovering the tap when dismantling (default: 0.9). -
TunCapacityLitres (
float)
Capacity of a tun barrel in litres (default: 950 L). -
TunSpoilRateMultiplier (
float)
Global spoilage multiplier for tuns (default: 1).
Miscellaneous
-
DisableDrunkSway (
bool)
Turns off the sway/distortion effect when the player is drunk (default: true). -
KegDropWithLiquid (
bool)
If true, kegs drop with contents instead of spilling (default: true). -
TunDropWithLiquid (
bool)
If true, tuns drop with contents instead of spilling (default: false). -
SprintToDrink (
bool)
Allows using the sprint key to initiate drinking instead of sneaking (default: false).
Well & Aquifer
-
WellSpringOutputMultiplier (
float)
Scales the flow rate of natural springs in wells (default: 1). -
WellwaterDepthMaxBase/Clay/Stone (
int)
Max water retention depth (in blocks) for wells with normal, clay, or stone shafts (defaults: 5/7/10). -
AquiferRandomMultiplierChance (
double)
Chance for a random output multiplier when generating an aquifer (default: 0.02). -
AquiferStep (
int)
Number of chunks to check around an aquifer chunk to smooth rating. Higher will result in aquifers that span more chunks. May have preformance rpercussions (default: 4). -
AquiferWaterBlockMultiplier (
double)
Water‑block multiplier for determining aquifer rating. Larger numbers will make aquifers stronger near regular water(default: 4). -
AquiferSaltWaterMultiplier (
double)
Salt‑water multiplier for determining aquifer rating. Larger numbers will make aquifers stronger near salt-water. Will also make aquifers that are further from oceans saltier (default: 4). -
AquiferBoilingWaterMultiplier (
int)
Boiling water multiplier for determining aquifer rating. Larger numbers will make aquifers stronger near boiling water (default: 100). -
AquiferRatingCeilingAboveSeaLevel (
int)
Maximum aquifer quality rating above sea level (default: 30). -
AquiferDepthMultiplierScale (
float)
Scale factor for depth’s effect on aquifer rating (default: 1). -
AquiferDataOnProspectingNodeMode (
bool)
SHow aquifer prospecting on Node mode rather than density search (default: false). -
ShowAquiferProspectingDataOnMap (
bool)
Toggle display of aquifer icons/overlays on the world map after prospecting (default: true). -
WinchOutputInfo (
bool)
Displays well output info in tooltips for winches (default: true). -
ProspectingRadius (
int)
Block radius when prospecting within which aquifers are detected (default: 3).
Water Perish & Spoilage Timers
For each water type, you have two timers:
-
…FreshHours (
float)
How many in‑game hours the water stays “fresh.” -
…TransitionHours (
float)
How many hours it remains in a “stale/transitional” state before fully spoiling.
| Water Type | FreshHours | TransitionHours |
|---|---|---|
| Rainwater | 150 | 36 |
| Boiled water | 75 | 18 |
| Boiled rainwater | 75 | 18 |
| Distilled water | 150 | 36 |
| Well‑fresh water | 150 | 36 |
| Well‑salt water | 150 | 36 |
| Well‑muddy water | 150 | 36 |
| Well‑tainted water | 150 | 36 |
| Well‑poisoned water | 150 | 36 |
| Well‑muddy salted water | 150 | 36 |
| Well‑tainted salted water | 150 | 36 |
| Well‑poisoned salted water | 150 | 36 |
Winch Speed
-
WinchLowerSpeed (
float)
Multiplier for how fast the bucket lowers in a well (default: 0.8). -
WinchRaiseSpeed (
float)
Multiplier for how fast it’s raised back up (default: 0.8).
Disclaimer
This mod is a work in progress. Values are subject to change based on user feedback to achieve better balance. While it should be safe to add or remove from existing saves, I am not liable for any damage or incompatibilities this mod may cause. I do not guarantee any support if you use this mod, but I am always happy to hear about bugs so I can squash them!
Balance is based on default config values, I can't help you or provide support for issues if you change values wildly.
Known Issues
- Due to a vanilla quirk, I've discoverd that Tuns and Kegs do not get their proper room spoil rate modifier if you place them and then build the room around it (vanilla barrels also function this way). If you do this, make sure to pick up and place back down your keg and/or Tun so it properly gets its room modifier.
Stay hydrated!
For a less death inducing experience, check out Balanced Thirst by Jayu!
Also check out Nature's Call by Jayu and Brain Freeze by The Insanity God which are both fully compatible and add to the experience!
Credit to Copy Girl for the CarryCapacity ring hud element which mine is 95% based on.
BUG REPORT NOTICE:
We will NOT provide support or assistance with bugs in the comments section of this download page
To get assistance, please go to the Hydrate or Diedrate thread in the Official Vintage Story Discord or github and provide:
1: Description of issue, and steps to reproduce
2: Your server-main and client-main logs found in vintagestorydata/logs
(Sometimes I wonder if people just don't read this or if they ignore it)
Project description from Vintage Story Mod DB.
Pick your setup
Hydrate or Diedrate releases for each Vintage Story version.
Choose the version and loader you play, then open the matching release.
1.22.4
1 loader build1.22.3
1 loader build1.22.2
1 loader build1.22.1
1 loader build1.22.0-rc.6
1 loader build1.22.0-rc.5
1 loader build1.22.0-rc.4
1 loader build1.22.0-rc.3
1 loader build1.22.0-rc.2
1 loader build1.22.0-rc.1
1 loader build1.22.0
1 loader buildShowing the newest 12 of 57 game versions. Older files are in the list below.
Check the dependencies, then try the file in a copied instance before changing a world you care about.
Recent files
Hydrate or Diedrate versions and loaders
2.5.3
hydrateordiedrate_2.5.3.zip
27 Jul 2026
2.5.2
hydrateordiedrate_2.5.2.zip
25 Jul 2026
2.5.1
hydrateordiedrate_2.5.1.zip
21 Jul 2026
Looking for an older file? The official Vintage Story Mod DB project page is in Resources.