diff --git a/modules/world-worldgen/src/biome_registry.zig b/modules/world-worldgen/src/biome_registry.zig
index 92c30120..51b5113f 100644
--- a/modules/world-worldgen/src/biome_registry.zig
+++ b/modules/world-worldgen/src/biome_registry.zig
@@ -62,6 +62,15 @@ pub const TerrainModifier = struct {
     clamp_to_sea_level: bool = false,
     /// Additional height offset
     height_offset: f32 = 0.0,
+
+    /// Apply biome terrain shaping to a sampled height without mutating the
+    /// live generation pipeline.
+    pub fn applyHeight(self: TerrainModifier, base_height: f32, sea_level: f32) f32 {
+        var height = sea_level + (base_height - sea_level) * self.height_amplitude;
+        height += (sea_level - height) * self.smoothing;
+        if (self.clamp_to_sea_level) height = sea_level;
+        return height + self.height_offset;
+    }
 };
 
 /// Surface block configuration
diff --git a/modules/world-worldgen/src/root.zig b/modules/world-worldgen/src/root.zig
index 92712397..141d985d 100644
--- a/modules/world-worldgen/src/root.zig
+++ b/modules/world-worldgen/src/root.zig
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ pub const shadow_test_world = @import("shadow_test_world.zig");
 pub const surface_builder = @import("surface_builder.zig");
 pub const terrain_shape_generator = @import("terrain_shape_generator.zig");
 pub const terrain_shape_generator_tests = @import("terrain_shape_generator_tests.zig");
+pub const terrain_modifier_tests = @import("terrain_modifier_tests.zig");
 pub const tree_registry = @import("tree_registry.zig");
 pub const world_class = @import("world_class.zig");
 pub const world_map = @import("world_map.zig");
diff --git a/modules/world-worldgen/src/terrain_modifier_tests.zig b/modules/world-worldgen/src/terrain_modifier_tests.zig
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8ea1a13d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/world-worldgen/src/terrain_modifier_tests.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+//! Unit tests for terrain modifier height semantics.
+
+const std = @import("std");
+const testing = std.testing;
+const TerrainModifier = @import("biome_registry.zig").TerrainModifier;
+
+const SEA_LEVEL: f32 = 62.0;
+
+test "TerrainModifier defaults preserve sampled height" {
+    const modifier = TerrainModifier{};
+
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 62.0), modifier.applyHeight(62.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 144.0), modifier.applyHeight(144.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+}
+
+test "TerrainModifier height_amplitude scales relief around sea level" {
+    const flat = TerrainModifier{ .height_amplitude = 0.0 };
+    const doubled = TerrainModifier{ .height_amplitude = 2.0 };
+
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 62.0), flat.applyHeight(144.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 226.0), doubled.applyHeight(144.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 42.0), doubled.applyHeight(52.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+}
+
+test "TerrainModifier smoothing blends height toward sea level" {
+    const unchanged = TerrainModifier{ .smoothing = 0.0 };
+    const half = TerrainModifier{ .smoothing = 0.5 };
+    const full = TerrainModifier{ .smoothing = 1.0 };
+
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 102.0), unchanged.applyHeight(102.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 82.0), half.applyHeight(102.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 62.0), full.applyHeight(102.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+}
+
+test "TerrainModifier clamp_to_sea_level forces height before offset" {
+    const modifier = TerrainModifier{ .clamp_to_sea_level = true, .height_offset = -2.0 };
+
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 60.0), modifier.applyHeight(61.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 60.0), modifier.applyHeight(180.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+}
+
+test "TerrainModifier height_offset applies after shaping" {
+    const raised = TerrainModifier{ .height_offset = 8.0 };
+    const lowered = TerrainModifier{ .height_offset = -3.0 };
+
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 70.0), raised.applyHeight(62.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 141.0), lowered.applyHeight(144.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+}
+
+test "TerrainModifier combines amplitude smoothing clamp and offset deterministically" {
+    const shaped = TerrainModifier{ .height_amplitude = 1.5, .smoothing = 0.5, .height_offset = 4.0 };
+    const clamped = TerrainModifier{ .height_amplitude = 1.5, .smoothing = 0.5, .clamp_to_sea_level = true, .height_offset = 4.0 };
+
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 96.0), shaped.applyHeight(102.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+    try testing.expectApproxEqAbs(@as(f32, 66.0), clamped.applyHeight(102.0, SEA_LEVEL), 0.0001);
+}
diff --git a/src/tests.zig b/src/tests.zig
index 3d961095..e059df49 100644
--- a/src/tests.zig
+++ b/src/tests.zig
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ test {
     _ = @import("world-worldgen").biome_registry_tests;
     _ = @import("world-worldgen").biome_selector_tests;
     _ = @import("world-worldgen").height_sampler_tests;
+    _ = @import("world-worldgen").terrain_modifier_tests;
     _ = @import("world-worldgen").terrain_shape_generator_tests;
     _ = @import("world-lod").lod_manager_tests;
     _ = @import("world-lod").lod_seam;