Diff - ancient tablets - Crimson Desert Wiki

11 Overview

33 Ancient Tablets are a collectible category in Crimson Desert, scattered across the continent of Pywel for players to discover through exploration. They are listed as a distinct tracked category on community-made interactive maps alongside other collectible types such as Hidden Chests, Mercenary Missions, World Bosses, and Rare Materials. Ancient Tablets are separate from Abyss Artifacts, which serve as the game's primary progression collectible for unlocking skills and boosting stats through the Abyss Tree. The interactive map completion trackers treat Ancient Tablets as their own category, confirming they serve a distinct purpose within the broader collectible ecosystem.

55 Discovery

77 Like all collectibles in Crimson Desert, Ancient Tablets are found through physical exploration of the open world. The game uses a fog of war system where the map starts hidden and is revealed as players travel through areas on foot, horseback, or by other traversal methods like gliding and climbing. Pearl Abyss has emphasized ground-level discovery as a core design principle, noting there are "tons of hidden corners" that players "won't be able to see from afar, which means actually scouring the land to discover things."

1010 The game's approach to collectible discovery relies on "context clues and narrative" rather than overwhelming map markers. Players may hear rumors in taverns, observe environmental clues, or stumble upon tablets while exploring ancient ruins and other points of interest. This design philosophy prioritizes curiosity over checklists, making discovery feel organic rather than formulaic.

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1212 Exploration Methods

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1414 Crimson Desert rewards thorough exploration with hidden secrets across every type of terrain. The systems that players use to reach tablet locations tie into the game's broader traversal mechanics.

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1616 MethodDescriptionGround ExplorationThe most fundamental method. Walking, running, and riding mounts through forests, mountains, and ruins to find hidden locationsGlidingUsing the Crow's Wing cape to glide from elevated positions, reaching otherwise inaccessible areas and spotting points of interest from aboveClimbingScaling cliffs and structures via climbing routes to reach high-altitude locations where tablets may be hiddenGrappling HookUsing the grappling hook to reach platforms and ledges across gapsSecret PassagesHidden routes behind boarded-up entrances, fireplaces, and other concealed openings that lead to rewardsEnvironmental PuzzlesSolving puzzles involving ancient mechanisms, light-reflection crystals, and lever-powered gates in ruins may grant access to tablet locations

1717 Hidden Secrets and Rewards

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1919 Ancient Tablets exist within a rich ecosystem of hidden discoveries. The game's world contains treasure maps found in crypts that lead to hidden rewards, boarded-up cave entrances that conceal chests, and breakable environmental objects hiding passages. preview coverage described the variety of secrets: "Secrets can range from infiltrating Ritual Grounds to find a powerful Soul Spear, breaking away a boarded-up fireplace to discover a chest, or nabbing a treasure map in a crypt." Ancient Tablets sit alongside these other hidden discoveries as part of the game's emphasis on rewarding curious players.

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2121 The Knowledge Library

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2323 Crimson Desert has a knowledge library with 2,921 pieces of knowledge to discover. The library tracks completion across specific categories.

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2525 CategoryCountTerritories573Factions110Crafting Manuals355Mounts29

2626 Knowledge is gathered through multiple activities: entering new regions and performing observation scans, speaking with NPCs, finding crafting recipes, and completing bounties and quests. Ancient Tablets may contribute entries to this knowledge library, potentially falling under a lore or history category. The knowledge system described by preview coverage works through a simple scan mechanic: "enter a region, perform a scan of sorts, and boom, you're more knowledgeable than before, maybe gaining some insight into completing quests."

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2828 Context Within Pywel

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3030 Pywel's history predates recorded civilization, with ancient ruins and buried secrets scattered across all five regions. The continent contains environmental puzzles involving ancient mechanisms, light-reflection crystals, and lever-powered gates in ruins. Ancient Tablets appear in these archaeological contexts, connecting the game's exploration rewards to its world lore.

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3232 RegionEnvironmentTablet PotentialHernandMountains and rivers; starting area and Greymane Camp locationEarly-game tablets likely found in accessible ruins and cavesPailuneNorthern green highlands; homeland of the GreymanesForested areas and historical sites connected to Greymane historyDemenissPolitical and military heartland ruled by the Kingdom of DemenissFortresses, castles, and political archivesDelesyiaTechnologically advanced region with scientific discoveriesIndustrial sites and research facilities with historical recordsThe Crimson DesertArid southern desert with extreme heat and ancient ruinsThe most ancient and archaeologically rich region, likely containing high-value tablets

3333 Collectible Categories

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3535 Ancient Tablets are one of several collectible categories tracked for full completion of Crimson Desert. The following categories appear on interactive map trackers.

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3737 CategoryDescriptionAncient TabletsLore collectibles found through exploration of ruins and hidden locationsHidden ChestsConcealed containers behind secret passages, puzzles, and hidden locationsMercenary MissionsCombat-oriented tasks and contracts available across PywelWorld BossesPowerful boss encounters in the open worldRare MaterialsCrafting resources found at specific nodes throughout each regionGliding PointsElevated locations ideal for Crow's Wing glidingClimbing RoutesVertical traversal paths up cliffs and structures via climbingSecret PassagesHidden routes leading to concealed areas and rewards

3838 Distinction from Abyss Artifacts

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4040 It is important to distinguish Ancient Tablets from Abyss Artifacts (also called Abyss Fragments). Abyss Artifacts are the game's primary progression currency, spent in the Abyss Tree to unlock combat techniques, boost core stats (Health, Stamina, Spirit), and expand the player's abilities. Abyss Artifacts are found through quests, boss defeats, exploration, trials, and within the Abyss dimension itself. Ancient Tablets occupy a separate collectible slot and appear to serve a different function, likely focused on lore, world history, or knowledge accumulation rather than direct character progression.

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4242 Related Articles

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4444 TopicConnectionFog of War and Map DiscoveryThe exploration system through which tablets are foundHidden ChestsFellow collectible category tracked alongside Ancient TabletsEnvironmental PuzzlesAncient ruins containing puzzles may house tabletsAbyss ArtifactsThe primary progression collectible, separate from Ancient TabletsRegions of PywelThe five regions where tablets are scatteredOpen World ExplorationThe broader exploration framework supporting discovery

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