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Overview

Abyss Artifacts are the primary progression currency in Crimson Desert, functioning as skill points for Kliff and his companions. Each artifact can be spent inside the Skills menu to unlock a new ability, rank up an existing skill, or invest directly into one of Kliff's core stats: Health, Stamina, or Spirit. Abyss Artifacts replace the traditional experience point and level system that most action role-playing games use.

Beyond skills, Abyss Artifacts double as a refinement material at blacksmiths for upgrades beyond Stage 5. The same currency therefore gates both offensive ability growth and gear power, which makes it the single most contested resource in the game. Every build decision becomes a tradeoff between unlocking a new combat skill and keeping weapons and armor competitive against tougher enemies.

Because Abyss Artifacts are used for almost every form of progression, efficient farming is critical. The game provides a dedicated XP bar next to the minimap that rewards one artifact every time it fills, alongside dozens of fixed-location sources tied to exploration, bosses, faction quests, and Abyss Cresset discoveries. Combining all sources, several hundred artifacts can be collected across a full playthrough, with the XP bar farm uncapped on top of that.

Types of Abyss Artifacts

Three distinct artifact items appear in the game. They look similar in the inventory but serve different purposes.

Faded Abyss Artifacts are considerably rarer than regular ones. They should be saved for major build pivots rather than used to shuffle one or two nodes. Sealed Abyss Artifacts are not consumed directly. Instead, you find them in the world, complete the associated challenge (a kill objective, a time trial, a horse riding task, an NPC interaction, or a puzzle), and the seal breaks to award you the contained reward.

Note that Abyss Gear and Abyss Cores are different items. Abyss Gear pieces slot into equipment sockets, while Abyss Artifacts are spent in the skill tree. Do not confuse the two.

How to Obtain

Abyss Artifacts come from a wide variety of sources, grouped here by category.

Combat and Exploration

Exploration Rewards

Quests and Story

Vendors and Passive Sources

How to Spend

Abyss Artifacts are spent in the Skills menu, often called the Abyss Tree. The flow is straightforward:

1. Open the menu and select Skills to view the skill tree for the active playable character (Kliff, Damiane, or Oongka).

2. Each node lists its cost in Abyss Artifacts. Most nodes require at least 1 artifact to unlock or rank up.

3. Confirm the unlock to spend the artifacts and add the skill to your loadout immediately.

4. Alternatively, invest artifacts directly into Health, Stamina, or Spirit core stat nodes for permanent passive boosts.

Outside the skill tree, Abyss Artifacts are also handed to blacksmiths as a refinement material when upgrading equipment past Stage 5. Stages 1 to 4 still rely on ordinary materials such as Iron Ore and Thin Hide (or a Refinement Token for an early boost), but every refinement attempt at Stage 5 and above will burn through your artifact reserve.

Important Note: Observation Learning Skills Are Free

A subset of skills in the Abyss Tree is marked with a note that reads, in effect, "observe this skill in action to learn it." These are part of the Observation Learning system, sometimes called Watch and Learn, and they do not cost any Abyss Artifacts.

When Kliff witnesses an observable move being performed by an enemy, boss, NPC, or holographic spirit echo, time slows briefly and a Learning in Progress counter appears in the corner of the screen. Once the counter fills, the skill unlocks automatically and permanently at no cost. PC Gamer summarized this as basically unlocking an ability for free without having to spend one of your precious Abyss Artifacts. Two extra rules apply:

• Watch and Learn skills are preserved through respec. Even if you reset your tree with a Faded Abyss Artifact, observed skills remain unlocked.

• If you already spent an Abyss Artifact on a skill and later learn it via observation, the previously spent Artifact is refunded automatically.

The takeaway: when you look up how to obtain a skill and see "observation" in its description, do not spend Abyss Artifacts on it. Wait until you can trigger it from an enemy or NPC instead.

Total Available in the Game

The game does not publish a single grand total, but the fixed sources alone are well into the low hundreds:

• 141 Sealed Abyss Artifact challenge locations.

• 60 Abyss Cresset / Secret Place locations, each granting one artifact.

• Dozens of additional rewards from the main story, faction quests, boss kills, achievements, Greymane rumors, and vendor purchases.

• Unlimited additional artifacts from the uncapped XP bar farm.

Combined, a full playthrough that touches every fixed source can yield several hundred artifacts, with the XP bar pushing the practical ceiling much higher.

Farming Methods

Beyond normal exploration and quest rewards, several targeted farming methods can generate Abyss Artifacts at a much faster rate.

Scholar Stone Pickpocketing

Scholar Stone is one of the most reliable locations for farming Abyss Artifacts through pickpocketing. From the teleporter, travel upwards over the main bridge toward the institute building. In the main hall, turn right into the banquet area where nobles are sitting and eating.

Use Blinding Flash to scan their pockets and identify which nobles are carrying valuables. Nobles in this area frequently carry Abyss Artifacts. Equip the thieving mask, walk into a seated noble to get them to stand up from their chair, then sprint into them to pickpocket. Scholar Stone has a high density of nobles gathered in one place, making it significantly more reliable than locations like Bagger's End.

Also check the nobles walking across the bridge on the way to the banquet area, since they can carry artifacts as well. The lecture hall to the left of the main entrance is generally not worth the detour because it has fewer nobles and is farther from the teleporter.

After clearing the banquet hall, teleport back to the Scholar Stone teleporter and repeat. The nobles respawn each time you return.

XP Bar Farming

The XP bar on the left side of the minimap grants an Abyss Artifact every time it fills completely. One of the fastest ways to fill the bar is by killing guard captains at Deminis Wildlife Park. Each guard captain kill fills roughly 30% of the XP bar, meaning three to four captain kills can earn a full artifact. Combined with the other rewards from the Wildlife Park (gold bars, copper pouches, jewelry), this makes the park one of the most efficient farming locations in the game.

Tips

• Never skip the XP bar. It is the only uncapped Abyss Artifact source. Prioritize Blockaded camps for dense mob kills.

• Before spending on any skill, check its description. If it says "observe this skill in action to learn it," do not waste an artifact. Wait to see it used in combat.

• Refund loophole: even if you accidentally spend an artifact on an observable skill, learning it later via observation refunds that artifact automatically.

• Save Faded Abyss Artifacts for major build pivots. They are rare and should not be used to swap one or two skill nodes.

• Grab Abyss Cressets early. Each one gives both an artifact and a fast travel point, so the value is doubled.

• Mark Sealed Abyss Artifacts you find but cannot complete yet. Some require Damiane or Oongka, so come back when you have unlocked the right character.

• Vendor purchases are a last resort. 28.50 Silver per artifact is expensive, and Witch and Patrigio stock does not refresh.

• Greymane rumors are the best mid-to-late-game ratio of effort to reward. Treat them as guaranteed artifact deliveries.

Related Articles

Skills, Observation Learning, Abyss Gear, Abyss Cores, Abyss Cresset, Abyss Nexus, Abyss Skybridge Gates, Refinement Token, Kliff.