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Best Side Quests to Complete
April 4, 2026 at 09:19 AM
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Crimson Desert has over 430 side quests spread across the continent of Pywel. They are organized by faction and region, and none of them are missable. You can return to any quest at any point, even across chapters. That said, some side quests offer far more practical value than others, and completing them early can make the rest of the game significantly easier.
This guide ranks the most rewarding side quests by priority. The recommendations are based on tangible gameplay benefits: inventory expansion, unique equipment, passive resource income, Abyss Artifacts, Hero Contribution points for high-end gear, and exclusive quest-locked items.
Quest / Quest Line | Faction | Reward | Why It's Worth Doing |
|---|---|---|---|
Hernand Commissions (Requests) | Hernand Townspeople | Medium Bag (+3 inventory slots each) | The game has no storage chests. Inventory space is your biggest bottleneck early on. There are 27 Medium Bags available from commissions alone, for a potential +81 inventory slots total. |
Greymane Commission Quests | Medium Bag (+3 inventory slots), Companion unlocks | Commissions from Carl, Ronnie, Ross, Tranan, Brice, Ronald, and Pierce each award a Medium Bag. Also unlocks Companions for the dispatch system. | |
Greymane Rumor Quests | 1 Abyss Artifact each | Quick investigations that reward skill points. Among the fastest ways to earn artifacts outside of combat grinding. | |
Abyss Artifacts, food items, crafting materials, Grey Dye, Medium Bag | Story-connected Greymane quests. Brightening the Spirits gives Grey Dye. Embers of Return awards Abyss Artifacts x2, Beer x5, Wine x2, Lean Meat x6, and a Medium Bag. Reuniting with Comrades gives artifacts. | ||
Gold Vein Map, Mining Knuckledrill, Azurite x3, Bloodstones x3, Engraved Gold Earring | The Knuckledrill increases ore drops by 10% and makes mining easier. Ore is needed for weapon and armor upgrades, so getting this early saves hours of gathering. | ||
Knuckledrill equipment | Located at Karin Quarry in Hernand. Another source for the mining-boosting Knuckledrill if Estate in Dismay is not yet available. | ||
House Celeste Bounties | Bounty hunts targeting named outlaws (Jeffrey, Simon de Montfort, Bianca, Warren, etc.). Track targets, subdue them, deliver to the Guard Station. Warren pays 25 Silver, the highest single bounty payout. Good Silver income and builds Celeste reputation. | ||
Freya's Elixir, multiple Apollonia's and Melliara's Lesser Elixirs | Elixirs provide temporary stat boosts. Useful stockpile for difficult boss encounters. | ||
Hernandian Banquet Cloak, Kinetic Counterweight, Contribution +100 | The Hernandian Banquet Cloak is a unique cosmetic reward you cannot get anywhere else. The Kinetic Counterweight is an exclusive equipment piece. Completing the full chain earns +100 Hernand Contribution. | ||
Staglord's Shield, Abyss Artifact | The Staglord's Shield is a unique defensive item that cannot be purchased from vendors. Also awards an Abyss Artifact for progression. | ||
Trembling Woods | Palmar Pill, Astrid's Lesser Elixir, Pororin Forest Village access | Unlocks access to the Pororin Forest Village, a new area with its own vendors and resources. The Palmar Pill and Elixir are useful consumables. | |
The Antumbra quest chain provides some of the best loot for late-game weapon and armor upgrades. The Vessel of Dark Pursuit is an exclusive reward. | |||
Straightforward quest with useful consumable and currency rewards. | |||
Wild Ginseng x2, Light Silver Pouch | Similar reward profile to Goddess of Abundance. Worth doing in the same sweep. | ||
Blue Lavenders x20, Peonies x20, Small Bones x20 | Completing this quest unlocks Elowen and full access to the Abyss Gear crafting system. Without it, you cannot craft or synthesize Abyss Cores. |
Crimson Desert does not give you a storage chest, a bank, or any persistent off-character storage. Everything you carry stays in your personal inventory. Crafting materials, cooking ingredients, quest items, consumables, and loot all compete for the same limited slots.
Medium Bags from Hernand Commissions and Greymane Commissions add +3 slots each. With 27 Medium Bags available from commissions alone, that is 81 extra slots. On top of that, nearly every merchant in Pywel sells exactly one Small Bag for 50 Copper, which is cheap enough to buy from every vendor you visit.
Get these done as early as possible. Running out of space mid-dungeon or during a boss fight where you cannot sort your inventory is one of the most frustrating experiences in the game.
Completing specific Greymane side quests unlocks Companions who can be dispatched on automated resource-gathering missions from the Greymane Camp. Dispatched Companions take 8 to 16 in-game hours to complete their assignments and return with crafting materials, food, or other supplies. See the Companion Dispatch Guide for full details.
The key benefit is passive income. Assign Companions to missions before embarking on a long main quest or exploration session, and they will have results waiting when you return. This stacks well with the rest of your progression and means you spend less time manually gathering resources. Prioritize unlocking at least 2 to 3 Companions early so you can keep multiple dispatch missions running simultaneously.
Several faction quest lines reward equipment that cannot be obtained through shops, drops, or crafting. These items are locked behind specific quest completions.
Item | Quest | Faction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
+10% ore drops, easier mining. Get this before farming ore for refinement. | |||
Unique shield with strong base stats. Not available from vendors. | |||
Exclusive cloak. Only obtainable through this quest chain. | |||
Unique equipment piece awarded alongside the Banquet Cloak. | |||
Late-game exclusive item tied to the Antumbra quest chain. | |||
Logging Axe helps with gathering Timber. Also awards Timber x10. |
Every faction quest you complete earns Contribution Points for the corresponding region. As your reputation rank increases with a faction, you gain access to that region's Contribution Shop, where high-end armor sets and exclusive equipment can be purchased with Contribution Points.
Notable Contribution Shop rewards include the Bolton armor set and the Canta armor set. These are some of the strongest equipment options in the game and cannot be obtained through normal drops or crafting. Building reputation with multiple factions across Hernand, Demeniss, and Pailune gives you the widest selection of top-tier gear.
Faction quests also contribute to camp improvements, story progression, and unlocking new regions. Even when the material rewards seem modest, the Contribution Points accumulated over dozens of quests add up to significant gear upgrades.
Faction / Region | Approximate Quest Count | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
99 | Scattered Embers, Grounds of the Sunrise, and Commission quests. Artifacts, bags, and companion unlocks. | |
207 | Houses Celeste, Serkis, Roberts, Alfonso. Guilds and organizations. Largest quest pool. Bags, bounties, and contribution points. | |
59 | Regional faction quests. Contribution points toward Demeniss shop gear. | |
53 | Militia, tribal, and Antumbra Order quests. Vessel of Dark Pursuit and other unique rewards. |
Hernand Commissions (any available after Chapter 2) for inventory bags
Greymane Commissions from Carl, Ronnie, Ross, Tranan, Brice, Ronald, and Pierce for more bags and Companion unlocks
Estate in Dismay / Stolen Quarry (House Roberts) for the mining Knuckledrill
Greymane Rumor Quests for quick Abyss Artifact rewards
The Witch of Wisdom quest to unlock the full Abyss Gear crafting system
House Celeste Bounties for Silver income and Contribution Points
Goldleaf Merchant Guild chain for the Hernandian Banquet Cloak and +100 Contribution
Region-specific faction quests as you progress the story, to build Contribution for shop access
Side quests are never missable. If you skip one now, you can always come back for it later, even in a different chapter.
Before starting a long main quest, assign Companions to dispatch missions at the Greymane Camp. Their missions complete on in-game time, so you get free resources while doing other things.
Buy a Small Bag from every merchant you encounter. They cost 50 Copper each and add inventory slots. It is the cheapest upgrade in the game.
The Archery Contest at Lioncrest Manor is repeatable and pays 80 coins per round. If you need Silver for vendor purchases, this is a reliable grind.
Keep an eye on the notice board at Greymane Camp after each story chapter. New Rumor quests and commissions appear as the story progresses.
House Celeste bounties require subduing targets alive and delivering them to the Guard Station. Killing the target may void the bounty reward, so use non-lethal takedowns when available.
Contribution Points are region-specific. Hernand quests build Hernand reputation, Demeniss quests build Demeniss reputation, and so on. Spread your efforts across factions for the widest gear selection.
Completing the Antumbra Order quest chain is recommended for late-game players looking for weapon and armor upgrade materials.
The Pororin Forest Guardians quest Trembling Woods unlocks a new village area with its own vendors. Do this when you pass through the forest region.
