Have you embarked on your Crimson Desert adventure with a strong desire to embrace a life of crime but aren’t sure where to begin? Here’s a quick guide to understanding the basics and how to get away with your illicit deeds.
Crimson Desert offers a sprawling world teeming with opportunities, yet many of its intricate mechanics are introduced somewhat briefly. Among these is the option to engage in criminal activities such as stealing, pickpocketing NPCs, and looting homes. While you’re free to pursue these illicit ventures, success hinges on remaining undetected.
If you’ve noticed the ‘steal’ prompt appearing gray and inactive, don’t fret—this is common. This guide will walk you through the initial steps of becoming a thief, how to acquire essential tools, and offer practical tips to hone your criminal skills.
How to Steal in Crimson Desert
To perform any criminal action, there’s one essential requirement: you must wear a Mask. Without this simple face-covering garment, you won’t be able to steal, pickpocket, or lockpick, even if the command appears on screen.
Fortunately, acquiring one isn’t difficult. Early in your adventure, the quickest method is to visit the clandestine shop of the smuggler Grimrak, just outside Hernand, southeast of the church. Here, you can purchase a Mask for 10 copper coins. The same vendor also sells the Key, which costs 30 copper coins and opens most locked doors—an indispensable item for aspiring thieves.
Alternatively, at the start of Chapter 2, you can accept the Bounty for the Thug Jeffrey, also in Hernand. This criminal roams the city and is easily identifiable by his dark blue hooded vest. Once captured and delivered to the authorities, you’ll receive a Mask and a cash reward. It’s also possible to obtain a Mask as random loot by defeating bandits. Once you have a Mask, simply equip it via the radial weapon menu whenever you feel the irresistible urge to steal something.
Stealing, Pickpocketing, and Other Criminal Activities
In Crimson Desert, various types of crimes exist, some of which strictly require wearing a Mask. To steal, approach a chest, dresser, or shelf and examine the object with your lantern in hand; the dedicated theft command will appear. Some houses contain safes with small puzzles to solve. Every act of theft reduces your reputation in the city, even if no one sees you.
Pickpocketing is straightforward: run towards an NPC, bump into them, and press the button that appears immediately after the impact. You can also behave like a true bandit by stealing carts and livestock. Carts must be taken to a specialized fence, the only one willing to buy them, while livestock can be sold at the black market.
Vandalism is a common infraction: it often occurs when galloping at full speed and destroying fences or posts, but can also happen using movement abilities like a double jump or dash. Assault consists of tackling a character or hitting them with bare hands after putting away your two-handed weapon. Finally, murder, needless to say, is the most severe crime.
How to Get Away With It or Atone for Your Crimes
After a theft, a red circle appears on your mini-map around your location, and in the upper right, the type of crime committed appears, accompanied by a bar that slowly empties. If no one spots you before the bar depletes, you are safe. It’s not mandatory to exit the circle, but if guards see you, a confrontation is inevitable, and if you kill them, you’ll become wanted for murder.
After a pickpocketing attempt and other types of crimes, a red circle also appears on the mini-map, but in this case, the goal is to exit it as quickly as possible: if you remain inside, the victim will notice the theft and raise the alarm. A useful trick is to call your horse just before pickpocketing so you can escape immediately. If you are discovered, you will receive a fine or a bounty on your head, depending on the severity of the offense. Being wanted is not pleasant: vendors might increase prices or refuse to do business with you, NPCs might flee at your sight (even those tied to quests), while guards and bounty hunters will relentlessly pursue you.
To clear your record, you have two options: pay for the absolution of your sins in a church or allow yourself to be captured. In the latter case, you’ll end up in prison, and an amount equal to your bounty will be deducted. If you don’t have enough money, your finances will go into negative, and you won’t earn anything until you bring it back to zero. Regardless of how ruthless and impulsive you’ve been, in our experience, a bounty cannot exceed 100 silver coins.