Revision 8

Overview

Gold bars are one of the most valuable items in Crimson Desert, functioning as high-denomination currency. Each gold bar can be exchanged for 500 silver at banks throughout Pywel. They are rare drops and rewards, but multiple methods exist for obtaining them consistently. This guide covers every known way to find and create gold bars.

Gold Bar Value

Always exchange gold bars at a bank. Selling to merchants gives you less than half the bank rate. The Hernand bank is the earliest accessible exchange point in the game. You can also convert silver back into gold bars at banks if needed for storage purposes.

Lioncrest Manor (Earliest Gold Bar)

The first gold bar you can obtain is hidden inside Lioncrest Manor, located in northern Hernand. To steal it:

1. Step 1: Obtain a mask from a black market trader, bandits, or as a reward from the Jeffrey bounty quest.

2. Step 2: Complete Bruna's Request first. This is important because it reduces the number of NPCs inside the manor from several nobles and guards to just 2 guards, making the theft much easier to pull off undetected.

3. Step 3: Head to the back of the building and climb through a window to enter. The guards at the front entrance will not let you in through the door.

4. Step 4: Equip your mask, approach the fireplace on the first floor, and select the Steal option that appears.

5. Step 5: The gold bar is hidden beneath the fireplace. Make sure no one catches you stealing, or you will be thrown in jail and fined.

Even if guards catch you (resulting in jail time and a fine), you keep the stolen gold bar. The fine is significantly less than 500 silver, so the theft is always profitable even if you get caught.

The gold bar at Lioncrest Manor respawns after a set number of in-game days, making it a repeatable source of income. Visiting during daytime tends to be easier because fewer NPCs are present (only guards, no nobles).

Crafting Gold Bars

You can craft gold bars using recipes obtained through exploration and progression.

Spire of Insight Recipe

Complete the Spire of Insight puzzle in southern Hernand to find the gold bar crafting recipe pinned to a bookshelf during the final riddle. The recipe allows alchemical transmutation of specific materials into gold bars:

• Brimstone: Gathered from Brimstone Springs in the Hernand region.

• Mercury: Found in freezing pools in Silver Wolf Mountain and Hexe Sanctuary.

• Silver Ore: Mined from various deposits throughout the Hernand region. Common in caves and quarries.

• Gold Ore: Requires the Gold Vein Map (see below). Mined from specific caves.

• Golden Apple: Rare item found in treasure chests and as quest rewards. Save these for the Refined recipe since it is simpler.

Mining Gold Ore

Gold Ore is a key ingredient for the Refined gold bar recipe. To access Gold Ore deposits:

1. Step 1: Travel to Karin Quarry, located north of Rocca's Hill in the Hernand region.

2. Step 2: Defeat the Marni Excavator boss inside the quarry.

3. Step 3: The Marni Excavator drops the Gold Vein Map, which reveals the locations of 10 caves containing Gold Ore deposits across Pywel.

Once you have the Gold Vein Map, the gold ore cave locations appear as icons on your world map, making it easy to plan mining routes. Visit each cave with a pickaxe to gather Gold Ore. You can purchase a pickaxe from the Provisioner's Shop in Hernand town, or use the Force Palm attack to break mineral deposits.

Traveling Goblins

Occasionally, a traveling goblin carrying a treasure chest can be spotted wandering the roads of Pywel. If you spot one, approach it and it will drop its treasure chest and run away. The chest contains one gold bar. Traveling goblins are rare spawns and their appearance is unpredictable, so this is not a reliable farming method. Treat it as a bonus when you happen to encounter one during normal travel.

Pickpocketing Nobles at Demeniss Wildlife Park

The Demeniss Wildlife Park is one of the best locations for farming gold bars through pickpocketing. The park is located south of Demeniss City and is packed with noblemen wearing distinctive bunny hats. Because the park has no guards patrolling the area, any heat you generate from stealing dissipates quickly once you walk a few meters away from the target.

How to Identify Targets

Before stealing, equip your lantern and hold it out while walking through the park. The lantern lets you scan nearby NPCs and see what they are carrying. Most visitors carry ordinary goods bags, but some carry gold bars. Only approach NPCs whose pockets show gold bars. If nobody in the current group is carrying gold bars, leave the area and return to reset the NPC inventories. The loot each NPC carries is determined by RNG, so it may take a few resets to find gold bar carriers.

Step-by-Step Pickpocketing Technique

1. Equip a mask. You cannot pickpocket without a mask equipped. Purchase one from a black market trader or obtain one from a bounty quest.

2. Scan with your lantern. Walk through the park with the lantern active. Look for the gold bar icon on NPCs rather than ordinary goods bags.

3. Sprint into the target. Bump into the NPC you want to rob. During the collision, hold or rapidly press the steal button (Square on PlayStation, X on Xbox) to trigger the pickpocket action immediately.

4. Move away quickly. After a successful steal, run a few meters in any direction. Since there are no guards at the Wildlife Park, the detection radius resets fast and you can start looking for your next target right away.

5. Repeat or reset. Each NPC can yield between 1 and 5 gold bars per successful pickpocket. If nobody in the current batch is carrying gold bars, exit the park and re-enter to refresh the NPC pool.

Why This Location Is Effective

• No guards: Unlike towns such as Hernand, the Wildlife Park has no guard NPCs. You can pickpocket freely without risking combat or immediate arrest.

• High NPC density: The park has multiple levels with groups of noblemen scattered throughout. You can work your way down through each level to find more targets.

• Fast resets: Leaving the area and coming back refreshes the NPC inventory, letting you farm continuously.

• Profitable yield: At 500 silver per gold bar when sold at a bank, even a short farming session at the Wildlife Park can net tens of thousands of silver.

Investment Returns

You can invest gold bars at banks to earn passive silver over time. To start investing, you first need to purchase a Personal Strongbox Permit for 100 silver from any bank. After that, deposit gold bars (each worth 500 silver) and choose from three risk tiers. Dividend payouts are calculated approximately every three in-game days.

The returns are randomized on each payout cycle. Because the payout recalculates every time you load a save, some players save before a dividend check and reload until they get a favorable result. This eliminates downside risk entirely, though it requires patience.

For most players, selling gold bars directly at the bank for 500 silver each is more practical than investing. The investment system is better suited for players who have a surplus of gold bars and do not need the silver immediately.

Pickpocket Farming Method (Zoo)

One of the most efficient ways to farm gold bars is through pickpocketing NPCs at the zoo area in Demeniss. This method can yield approximately 18 gold bars per hour with consistent runs.

How It Works

1. Travel to the zoo area. There is a fast travel point just outside.

2. Equip your criminal mask and use Blinding Light (L1 + R1) to scan NPCs. Those carrying gold bars will glow, revealing them as pickpocket targets.

3. Walk into the NPC to bump them, then press the pickpocket button (Square/X). You may get a gold bar or a random item like hide. If you do not get the gold bar, exit the red circle, wait for the alert to expire, and try again.

4. After each successful steal, run out of the red detection circle immediately and wait for the meter to expire before continuing.

5. Fast travel back to the nearby waypoint to reset NPC inventories. Each run takes about five minutes.

Tips for This Method

• The Great Thief's Gloves allow you to pickpocket without triggering the red detection circle, making this method significantly faster and easier.

• If you accumulate a bounty, pay it off at the nearest church. There is one located near the zoo area.

• Some runs may have zero gold bar carriers while others may have three. The results are randomized but average out over time.

• Always trade gold bars at a Bank (500 silver each) or use the investment system. Selling to regular merchants gives a lower return.

Tips

• Always sell gold bars at a bank for 500 silver. Never sell to regular merchants, who offer roughly 190 silver, less than half the bank rate.

• The Lioncrest Manor gold bar respawns after a set number of in-game days. Complete Bruna's Request first to reduce the number of NPCs inside from several nobles and guards down to just 2 guards.

• Prioritize getting the Gold Vein Map from Karin Quarry early. Ten gold ore cave locations are revealed at once, opening up a reliable mining and crafting loop.

• Keep Golden Apples when you find them. Combined with Gold Ore, they produce gold bars without needing Brimstone or Mercury.

• The Demeniss Wildlife Park is the best repeatable pickpocketing spot for gold bars. Scan NPCs with your lantern before stealing, and leave and re-enter to reset their inventories if nobody is carrying gold bars.

• When pickpocketing, sprint into the NPC and immediately press the steal button. You do not need to wait for a separate prompt. The faster you act during the bump, the higher your success rate.

• Visit Lioncrest Manor during daytime when stealing. Fewer NPCs are present, reducing your chance of getting caught.

• You can buy a pickaxe from the Provisioner's Shop in Hernand town or use Force Palm to break mineral nodes if you do not have a pickaxe handy.

• If you have excess gold bars beyond immediate spending needs, consider investing them at the bank. Medium risk offers the best balance of returns and safety for long-term passive income.

• Bank investment returns are re-rolled each time you load a save, so you can save-scum before a payout to guarantee a positive result.