Overview

Force Current is a Force Palm skill in Crimson Desert, exclusive to Kliff. It belongs to the Spirit (Green) branch of the skill tree. Force Current allows Kliff to transmit the energy of his Force Palm through an enemy grasped with Axiom Force, striking distant targets from behind the held enemy. It is an advanced combination technique that merges Kliff's grappling and palm strike capabilities.
Skill Details
Detail | Info |
|---|---|
Character | |
Skill Tree | Spirit (Green) |
Category | |
5 Spirit | |
R3 (PlayStation) / RS (Xbox) while grasping a target with Axiom Force | |
How to Unlock | Raise Force Palm to Lv. 2, raise Axiom Force to Lv. 2, then spend 1 Abyss Artifact |
Prerequisites | Force Palm Lv. 2, Axiom Force Lv. 2, 1 Abyss Artifact |
How Force Current Works
Force Current can only be activated while Kliff is holding an enemy with Axiom Force (the grappling ability granted by the Axiom bracelet in Chapter 1). While the target is grasped, pressing R3 channels Force Palm energy through the held enemy's body. The energy passes through the grasped target and strikes enemies standing behind or beyond it.
The practical effect is a ranged attack that uses the grasped enemy as a conduit. The held enemy takes damage from the initial grapple, and all enemies in a line behind them take Force Palm damage from the transmitted energy. At only 5 Spirit per use, Force Current is one of the more cost-efficient Spirit skills available.
Prerequisites and Skill Investment
Force Current requires significant skill investment, drawing from two separate ability branches:
Prerequisite | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
Force Palm Lv. 2 | Invest Abyss Artifacts into the Force Palm skill after learning it via a spirit hologram in the Chapter 1 Abyss |
Axiom Force Lv. 2 | Invest Abyss Artifacts into Axiom Force after receiving the Axiom bracelet during Chapter 1 quest 'Traces' |
1 Additional Abyss Artifact | Spend one more artifact to unlock Force Current itself |
In total, reaching Force Current requires at least 5 Abyss Artifacts across the two prerequisite branches plus the unlock cost. This makes it a mid-game ability for players who specifically invest in both the Force Palm and Axiom Force trees.
Related Force Palm Skills
Skill | Effect | |
|---|---|---|
Strike enemies with an energy palm at close range | R3 / RS | |
Force Current | Channel palm energy through a grasped target to hit distant enemies | R3 while grasping |
Execute a Force Palm mid-air | R3 while airborne | |
Dive toward a target and deliver a Force Palm on impact | R3 while descending | |
Unleash a penetrating Force Palm during Focus mode | Hold R3 while in Focus |
Requirements
Force Current requires Force Palm lv2, Axiom Force lv2, and one additional abyss artifact to unlock. The investment is well worth it, as the skill becomes essential for solving several later abyss puzzles.
How It Works
Force Current combines Axiom Force and Force Palm into a single extended action. Use Axiom Force to target a distant object or device, then channel Force Palm through the tether to interact with it from a safe distance. This allows you to plug batteries, activate devices, and interact with puzzle elements that would otherwise be out of reach or blocked by hazards.
Abyss Puzzle Applications
Tree of Slumber: The most critical use. The final device is surrounded by lava, and approaching it on foot results in instant death. Use Axiom Force to target the device, then channel Force Palm through the tether to activate it safely. This is the intended solution; there is no other way to reach the device.
Frostbitten Paradise: Force Current can be used to insert batteries into sockets from a distance, bypassing conveyor belts and other obstacles that make direct insertion difficult.
Several later abyss islands also feature puzzles designed around Force Current, making it a core skill for abyss exploration.
Combat Tips
Force Current shines in group fights. Grab a front-line enemy with Axiom Force, then transmit energy through them to damage the cluster of enemies behind.
At 5 Spirit per use, Force Current is very cheap. Use it repeatedly during Axiom Force grapples to deal consistent ranged damage.
The grasped enemy takes grapple damage regardless, so Force Current adds bonus value to every Axiom Force grab. Make it a habit to press R3 during grapples once the skill is unlocked.
Force Current rewards investment in both the Force Palm and Axiom Force trees. If you are building around Kliff's unique abilities, this skill is a natural progression.
Pair Force Current with Lariat for an aggressive melee-grapple rotation: engage with melee, grapple a target, use Force Current to hit the group, then throw the grasped enemy with Lariat.
Patch 1.04 Changes
Patch 1.04 shipped a quality-of-life fix for Force Current that addresses its most-reported frustration. The skill's core mechanics are unchanged, but the way it behaves near the edge of a platform has been reworked so that activating it no longer sends Kliff tumbling over a ledge.
Improved Force Current so that Kliff no longer falls from ledges while using it. Before the patch, activating Force Current near the edge of a platform would often carry the forward momentum past the ledge and drop Kliff into the pit or lava below. After the patch, the forward step is arrested at the ledge, and the energy still travels through the grasped target without moving the caster off safe ground. This makes the skill usable on narrow walkways, island rims, and the elevated puzzle platforms where Force Current is the intended solution.
The fix applies to every context in which Force Current is used, including combat chains that flow out of a standard Force Palm strike and follow-ups that branch into Force Palm Pulse, as well as routes that chain from How to Use Force Palm tutorials and elemental variants like Elemental Force Palm and Healing Force Palm. All of these interactions now preserve footing at the ledge when Force Current is the selected follow-up.
The Spirit cost, controls, prerequisites, and damage behavior of Force Current are unchanged. This is strictly a fix to the unintended ledge-fall, not a rebalance of the skill.
Chain routes into Force Current from traversal openers are safer in elevated terrain after the patch. Opening a fight on a raised platform and immediately grappling a target no longer risks ending the engagement at the bottom of the drop.
If you avoided Force Current on elevated abyss puzzles or narrow combat arenas before the patch because of the ledge-fall risk, it is safe to bring it back into rotation. The Tree of Slumber platform, the Frostbitten Paradise catwalks, and similar puzzle geometry around Force Current devices all now work as originally intended without needing a running start or a careful step-back before activation.