Beginner's Guide

Everything you need to know to survive your first hours in Pywel

Crimson Desert drops you into a massive open world with minimal hand-holding. This guide covers the essential tips, tricks, and early priorities that experienced players wish they knew from the start.

Use a Controller

Crimson Desert is designed for gamepad play. If you're on PC, it is strongly recommended to use a PlayStation or Xbox controller. The keyboard and mouse controls are functional but significantly harder to manage in combat.

1.First Steps in Hernand

Complete the first 3 faction quests from the notice board or by talking to blacksmith Turnali and butcher Renee. This unlocks essential vendors and tools.

Buy a pickaxe and logging axe immediately — ore and wood are needed for all gear upgrades.

Climb the tower near Hernand Castle and ring the bell to reveal more of the map.

Find 2 Sealed Abyss Artifacts past the bridge at Meandering Hills near Hernand.

Get a pet early — pets auto-collect loot drops so you don't miss anything.

2.Money-Making Secrets

Rob the Hernand Bank with a mask and key for 40+ Silver.

Steal the Gold Bar from Lioncrest Manor's fireplace (north of Hernand). Deposit it at any bank for a 500 Silver investment — don't sell it to vendors for only 190 Silver.

Repeat the Archery Contest at Lion Quest Manor near Hernand Castle for easy income.

Capture bounty targets alive for full compensation instead of killing them.

3.Best Early Skills

Keen Senses (Lv.2 = Perfect Dodge, Lv.3 = Counter) — The most important skill in the game. Without it, you cannot parry or counter, making boss fights brutally difficult.

Armed Combat — Increases melee weapon damage. Put as many points into this as possible early.

Nature's Echo — Creates an illusion that replicates your attacks, adding massive passive damage.

Forward Slash — A strong gap-closer that becomes unmissable at Lv.3.

Prioritize Health and Stamina stat upgrades before Spirit — survivability matters more early on.

Tip: Don't spend Artifacts on 'Watch and Learn' skills — you can learn these for free by observing enemies perform the moves in combat.

4.Combat Essentials

Parry > Dodge > Block — Parrying is always the best defensive option. Perfect Dodge (from Keen Senses Lv.2) slows time, letting you counterattack.

Boss weaknesses are displayed even if you haven't learned the specific knowledge — use this to exploit elemental matchups.

Gloves and boots attack bonuses only apply to unarmed attacks — they do NOT boost your weapon damage. Don't waste Abyss Gear slots on attack stats for these slots.

Stock up on food before boss fights. Hearty Grilled Meat (buy meat from Hernand butcher, cook at bonfires) restores 200+ HP cheaply.

Craft Palmar Pills (recipe in Shadow's Whisper Cave, north of Hernand) — they revive you at 30% HP during fights, preventing full resets.

5.Abyss Artifacts: Your Only Progression

There are no character levels — Abyss Artifacts are your sole progression resource for both skills AND gear refinement (Refinement +5 and above).

Kill bar: A yellow meter near the minimap fills as you defeat enemies. Fill it completely = 1 free Artifact. No cap, repeatable infinitely.

Sealed Artifacts: 141 fixed locations across the world, marked by purple altars on the minimap.

Greymane Rumor quests (Faction Quests tab) are the most time-efficient Artifact source.

Balance artifact spending between skills and gear refinement. Don't dump everything into skills.

Respec is cheap — use Faded Abyss Artifacts to reset and reallocate freely.

6.Greymane Camp

Upgrade your camp as soon as possible — it unlocks unique vendors and crafting stations.

Send companions on dispatch missions while you explore. Missions run in real-time and bring back resources.

Complete Greymane quests to recruit specialists like cooks and blacksmiths to your camp.

Activate the camp fast travel waypoint (requires Focus Force Palm from ~Chapter 4) for quick restocking.

7.Exploration Tips

Abyss Nexuses (fast travel points) are hidden — use Blinding Flash to detect them near Mysterious Energy markers.

Main story unlocks traversal abilities (Focus Palm Force, Flight) — progress the story before exploring extensively.

Check the Supply Chest behind Rory in camp for stored loot you've collected.

Sell crafting manuals and documents you've already read to free inventory space.

Hold L3 (left stick) to auto-group similar items in your inventory.

4.Early Gear Recommendations

Weapons

Tauria's Curved Sword — dropped by the Crowcaller boss, excellent early damage.

Sword of the Lord — looted from the Kailok boss.

Hwando — accessible early with good damage and Abyss Gear slots.

Armor

Staglord Helmet — available in Hernand, gives +35% damage to Turning Slash.

Hidden waterfall gear — found west and north of Hernand, pre-equipped with strong Abyss Cores.

Check Sanctum of Temperance, Penitence, and Benediction for early armor pieces.

9.How to Pass Time

Some events and bounties only occur at specific times of day. To wait or pass time, sit on any bench or at any bonfire in the game world. Use the campfire at your Greymane Camp to rest until morning or evening.

Weapons

Tier list ranking all 79 weapons by type. Find the strongest sword, bow, or dagger.

Armor

Tier list ranking all 99 armor pieces by slot. Find the best headgear, chest, gloves, and boots.

Fast Travel

All Abyss Nexus and Cresset locations. Build your fast travel network.

Getting Started in Pywel

Crimson Desert uses a unique progression system based entirely on Abyss Artifacts rather than traditional experience levels. Every skill unlock, stat boost, and advanced gear refinement costs Artifacts. The key to a successful start is prioritizing defensive skills (Keen Senses for parrying), investing in Health and Stamina stats, and balancing Artifact spending between skills and equipment upgrades. Explore Hernand thoroughly, complete faction quests for essential tools, and don't rush into the wilderness before unlocking traversal abilities from the main story.

Beginner FAQ

What is the best weapon in the early game?: Tauria's Curved Sword (from the Crowcaller boss) and the Staglord Helmet (available in Hernand) are the strongest free early-game combo. Pair them with Keen Senses for a powerful start.
How do I get more inventory space?: Complete Hernand Commission quests for 3 extra slots each. You can also buy Standard Inventory Expansion Tools from vendors for 50 copper. Inventory is shared across all 3 characters.
Can I respec my skills?: Yes. Use Faded Abyss Artifacts to reset all skill investments and reallocate them. These can be found from quests, exploration, and vendors. Note: resetting one character resets all characters' skills.
How do I wait or pass time?: Sit on any bench or at any bonfire to pass time. The campfire at your Greymane Camp lets you rest until morning or evening. This is useful for bounty targets that spawn at specific times.
Is Crimson Desert multiplayer?: No. Crimson Desert is a completely single-player experience with no multiplayer, co-op, or online features at launch.
Where do I find the Gold Bar?: The easiest early Gold Bar is in Lioncrest Manor, north of Hernand. Wear a mask, climb the walls, and steal it from the fireplace. Deposit it at a bank for 500 Silver — don't sell it to vendors.

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