Introduction to the Mercenary Profession — 10 Things a Newcomer to Crimson Desert Should Remember
Crimson Desert will swallow dozens (maybe hundreds) of hrs if you let it. The start moves at a crawl: basic mechanics drip in, you pick up some skills and trades, and then—surprise—certain things are left vague or barely explained.
This guide zooms in on those gaps — about a dozen tips that a fresh merc should know before wandering too far from Pearl Abyss's starting towns.
Expand Your Inventory
Simple tip, huge payoff. Cliff’s bag isn’t infinite, and there’s no universal stash or horse saddlebags to bail you out. So: do the minor errands NPCs offer and buy bag upgrades when you can. These are low-effort, quick wins.
Small bags add +1 slot, most side tasks (from townsfolk or merc pals) reward +3 slots, and rarer bags give +5. Tasks usually take only a few minutes, so you can get a usable bag size fairly fast — i.e., don’t hoard junk because you’ll regret it later.
Get Rid of Read Leaflets
Once you read an item, its text lands in the in-game encyclopedia — so the paper itself becomes clutter. Keep leaflets only if a quest explicitly says so; otherwise, toss them. Your inventory will thank you.
Don't Forget to Level Up Health and Stamina
The skill tree is wide and some skills demand multiple points. Early on, prioritize HP and stamina (and unlock a few weapon moves you like). Those stats carry over between the three characters — useful shorthand: HP/stam are shared, other skills are not.
Spirit can wait; it’s not crucial at low lvl when you don’t have many passives. Spend carefully — some upgrades cost more than one point.
Don't Focus on Puzzles Too Much
Puzzles can be clever, but often the payoff is just a single skill point after lots of running. If one has you stuck, pause it or look up the solution later. No shame in choosing the path that keeps your sanity intact.
Skill Points Are Earned in Several Ways
Abyss Artifacts (skill points) come from more than just puzzles. Examples:
- Fighting enemies. After defeating a number of foes, you gain an artifact. Track progress on the gauge left of the mini-map.
- Bosses and quests. Defeat certain bosses or finish specific main/side quests to get artifacts.
- Restoration of the Flying Abyss Islands. Each restored segment yields one artifact; islands are groups of puzzles that open sky routes.
- Sealed Abyss Artifacts Challenges. Scattered items with conditions (e.g., kill X enemies within a time limit, open locked doors).
Heads-up: skills can be reset, but that needs a Faded Abyss Artifact — much rarer than the regular kind, so treat resets like a limited resource.
Resources Don’t Have to Be Gathered with Special Tools
Strange but true: you don’t always need an axe or pick. Trees can fall to heavy weapon strikes (try the "Whirlwind Slash"), and cliffside ore sometimes yields to charged bow shots. You can even catch some fish by hand in shallow water — not all fish, not in all spots, but enough to be useful.
Don’t Spend Too Much Time in Water
If your stam depletes mid-river, Cliff’s HP drops fast; reaching shore without potions is unlikely. The hero isn’t an expert swimmer. When possible, take a horse or boat across, or plan crossings so you don’t get caught gasping.
Don’t Neglect Upgrading Weapons and Armor
Obvious but neglected: upgrade your gear. Early enhancement tiers need only common mats (iron, copper, etc.). Small stat bumps — +2 dmg, +1 def — change fights. Use the grinder to sharpen weapons and an anvil to enhance gear; those buffs wear off, so reapply when you can.
Don’t Eat Raw Meat
Food = healing. Raw meat heals barely anything and gives no useful bonuses in combat. Cook it. Even a simple roast restores more HP. Mix ingredients for buffs — recipes aren’t mandatory; Cliff improvises, but sometimes that “something special” is inedible. Roll the dice if you like surprises.
Always Explore Your Surroundings
The game won’t auto-fill all points of interest; you do that manually. Quest markers exist, yes, but they won’t reveal teleporters, Sealed Artifacts, or challenge zones by themselves. Use the “Light Reflection” ability (default — Ctrl + LMB when you have a melee weapon equipped) early on to spot puzzle locations, teleport points, and artifacts. It doesn’t highlight everything, but it’s one of the few tools the game hands you for exploration.