Don’t Starve Together calls this feature Griefer Spawn Protection. On a dedicated server, enable it by adding spawnprotection = "always" to the settings table in the affected shard’s worldgenoverride.lua, then restart that shard and verify with a newly spawned player.
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return {
override_enabled = true,
settings = {
spawnprotection = "always",
},
}What spawn protection does
Spawn protection is intended to protect a player immediately after that player enters the world. With the setting enabled, a newly spawned player can walk through structures, and creatures or other players cannot target that player during the protected spawn state. This is the behavior documented for Griefer Spawn Protection in Don’t Starve Together.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →The setting is a world-generation option rather than a normal character or server-administration toggle. For a dedicated server, its configuration belongs in the shard-specific worldgenoverride.lua file. The relevant key is spawnprotection, and the value that explicitly enables protection is "always".
There are three accepted values:
| Value | Protection level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
never |
None | Disables the option. |
default |
Automatic | Delegates the choice to the game’s automatic behavior. Klei notes that the default depends on the platform. |
always |
Always enabled | Enables Griefer Spawn Protection for newly spawned players. |
If your goal is to force protection on a server you control, use always, not default.
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The configuration you need
A minimal override file looks like this:
return {
override_enabled = true,
settings = {
spawnprotection = "always",
},
}Lua is sensitive to punctuation and table structure. Keep the opening and closing braces, use straight quotation marks, and include the comma after the setting when other entries follow it. The file must return one table. Do not paste a second return statement or create a second settings table.
If the file already contains world-generation overrides, merge the new line into its existing settings table. For example:
return {
override_enabled = true,
settings = {
season_start = "autumn",
spawnprotection = "always",
},
}Do not delete unrelated settings just to add spawn protection. Preserve the existing table and add the key once.
Find the correct dedicated-server file
Klei’s documented configuration roots are ~/.klei on Linux and Documents/Klei on Windows and macOS. The default game configuration directory below that root is DoNotStarveTogether. A cluster normally has a Master shard and may also have a Caves shard.
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| Operating system | Typical Master-shard path |
|---|---|
| Linux | ~/.klei/DoNotStarveTogether/Cluster_1/Master/worldgenoverride.lua |
| Windows | %USERPROFILE%/Documents/Klei/DoNotStarveTogether/Cluster_1/Master/worldgenoverride.lua |
| macOS | ~/Documents/Klei/DoNotStarveTogether/Cluster_1/Master/worldgenoverride.lua |
Cluster_1 is only the usual example name. Replace it with the actual cluster directory used by your server. If you renamed the cluster or run several clusters, identify the directory containing the world you intend to change instead of assuming the first numbered folder is correct.
Master versus Caves
Master is the surface shard. If your cluster runs an underground Caves shard, that shard has its own world-generation configuration directory and server process. To represent the override in both parts of the cluster, create or edit the corresponding file in both locations:
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.../Cluster_1/Caves/worldgenoverride.luaChanging only Master does not place a matching override in Caves. Decide the scope deliberately: apply it to the surface shard, the underground shard, or both, according to where players can newly spawn in your setup.
Enable protection on a dedicated server
Use this sequence for a server that is configured through cluster files rather than through a hosted game’s world-creation interface.
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- Stop the affected shard. Shut down the server process for the world you are changing. Editing a live file can leave the process using old values or produce a partially written file.
- Back up the cluster directory. Copy the complete cluster folder, including the existing
MasterandCavesdirectories if present. Keep the backup outside the active cluster path so it cannot be mistaken for a live shard. - Open the shard directory. Navigate to the active cluster’s
Masterfolder. If you also want the underground shard covered, repeat the edit inCaves. - Create or edit
worldgenoverride.lua. If the file does not exist, create it with the minimal table shown above. If it exists, preserve its single returned table and addspawnprotection = "always"inside the existingsettingstable. - Save as a plain Lua file. Confirm that the filename is exactly
worldgenoverride.lua, not a text-editor variant such asworldgenoverride.lua.txt. Keep the extension lowercase. - Start the shard again. Restart the affected server process after saving. A clean restart is required for the override to be read.
- Check the startup output. Inspect the server’s startup log or console for Lua syntax errors and messages indicating that an override could not be loaded. Correct any error before testing gameplay.
- Test a new spawn. Join with a player who newly spawns, then check the protection behavior described in the next section.
Hosted worlds and the in-game option
A world created through a hosted game interface can expose world-generation settings during world creation. In that workflow, look for the setting named Griefer Spawn Protection and choose Always. The exact screen arrangement can vary by platform and game version, so the label—not a guessed menu path—is the reliable identifier.
File-based overrides are the relevant method for a dedicated server because the server’s world is represented by cluster and shard directories. Do not assume that changing a hosted-world option automatically edits a dedicated server’s worldgenoverride.lua, or that editing the file changes an already open world without a restart.
Verify that it actually works
Verification must use a player who newly spawns. A player who was already in the world before the restart is not a reliable test of a spawn-time setting.
- Start the server after saving the override.
- Connect with a test account or character that will newly spawn in the affected shard.
- Attempt to walk through a structure while the spawn-protection state is active.
- Have a creature or another player attempt to target the newly spawned player.
- Confirm that the expected protection occurs. If it does not, stop the server and follow the troubleshooting checks below rather than repeatedly changing files while it is running.
The test should be performed separately for Master and Caves if you configured them separately. A successful surface test does not prove that the underground shard has the same override.
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Why spawnprotection = "always" may not take effect
The line is outside the settings table
The key must be nested under settings. This is correct:
return {
override_enabled = true,
settings = {
spawnprotection = "always",
},
}A line placed beside the table, or a misspelled key such as spawn_protection, will not set the documented option.
There are two settings tables
Lua will not combine two separately declared settings tables for you. Merge the new key into the one table already returned by the file. Remove the duplicate table and retain all needed existing entries in a single table.
The wrong cluster or shard was edited
Check the server’s actual cluster name instead of relying on Cluster_1. Then verify whether the process you restarted is using Master or Caves. A valid file in an unused cluster is indistinguishable from a broken setting from the player’s perspective.
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The server was not fully restarted
Stop and start the affected shard after saving. Disconnecting and reconnecting a player without restarting the shard does not prove that the world-generation override was loaded.
The file contains a Lua error
Look at the startup console or log for syntax or override-loading errors. Common editing mistakes include a missing comma, unmatched brace, curly quotation marks copied from a formatted editor, or an extra return table. Restore the backup if necessary, then reapply the single-line change carefully.
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You tested an existing player
This option concerns newly spawned players. Test with a fresh spawn after the restart, not only with a character who was already present in the world.
You expected the setting to rewrite the world-customization screen
The file is a world-generation override. Editing it does not mean that an in-game customization interface will display a newly rewritten value. Confirm the live behavior with a new spawn and use the startup output to catch loading errors.
Changing an existing generated world safely
Be cautious when applying this change to a world that has already been generated. Make a complete cluster backup before editing any override. The setting belongs to world generation, so behavior on an existing world should be confirmed rather than assumed from what the customization screen shows.
After the backup, apply the override to the intended shard, restart it cleanly, and perform the new-spawn test. If the result is not what you expect, stop the server and restore the backup before trying a different file or cluster. This gives you a recovery path without replacing the live world with an unverified configuration.
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- The setting name is Griefer Spawn Protection.
- The configuration key is
spawnprotection. - Use
"always"to enable it,"never"to disable it, or"default"to leave the decision to automatic behavior. - The file is named
worldgenoverride.luaand is inside the active shard directory. - The file contains one returned table with one
settingstable. - The cluster directory was backed up before editing.
- The correct cluster name was used instead of assuming
Cluster_1. - The override was placed in
Master,Caves, or both according to the desired scope. - The affected shard was fully restarted.
- The startup output was checked for Lua or override-loading errors.
- Verification used a newly spawned player.
Choosing the right deployment method
| Situation | Recommended method | Main consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Creating a hosted world through the game interface | Select Griefer Spawn Protection: Always during world creation. | Use the visible setting label; the exact screen layout can differ by platform. |
| Running a dedicated surface server | Edit Master/worldgenoverride.lua. |
Restart the Master shard and test a new spawn. |
| Running a dedicated server with underground caves | Edit the corresponding file in Master and, if desired, Caves. |
Each shard has its own scope and must be checked separately. |
| Changing an already generated world | Back up first, then apply the override and verify behavior. | Do not assume the world-customization screen or existing players will reflect the change. |
Bottom line
For a dedicated Don’t Starve Together server, enable spawn protection by placing spawnprotection = "always" inside the existing settings table in the active shard’s worldgenoverride.lua. Back up the cluster, use the correct Master or Caves directory, restart the shard, check its startup output, and verify the result with a newly spawned player.
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